All posts tagged the Spirit with our spirit

This is the mingling of the divine Spirit with our human spirit, as presented in John 3:6, Romans 8:16, and other verses.

God’s Slaves Serve in the Mingled Spirit

New JerusalemRevelation 22:3 says, “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it [New Jerusalem], and His slaves will serve Him.” Jesus Christ purchased us as slaves (Revelation 5:9) and made us priests to God (Revelation 1:5-6).

The prior post has a few verses about serving as priests. Here are two more:
• “For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God” (Philippians 3:3a)
• “For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son” (Romans 1:9a)
These two verses use the Greek word for serving as a priest. In Romans Paul says, “my spirit,” clearly referring to his human spirit and not to the Holy Spirit. Our service to God is in the mingled spirit—the Spirit of God united in life with our human spirit.

Here are two more verses that combine the two spirits.
• “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6b)
• “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16)

These verses show that our serving God and the Lamb is not merely outward activity. Our activity needs to spring from love for the Lord and living one with the Spirit in our spirit. In Revelation 2:1-7 the church in Ephesus was very active (v. 1-3) but the Lord had one thing against them: they had left their first (first not only in time but also in rank; best) love (v. 4). They needed to repent, to come back to this love (v. 5). Then they could do the first works (v. 5), the works that flow out of loving the Lord supremely.

May I, and each of us, have a daily turn to the best love for the Lord that we may serve Him in the best way now, the way that we will serve in New Jerusalem.

Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

Related Posts

The Triune God in Revelation 22
Living in the Mingled Spirit

 
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by Don on January 7, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Life and New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on January 7, 2013

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/gods-slaves-serve-in-the-mingled-spirit/

Receive the Promise of the Spirit

needlework“And there will no longer be a curse” (Revelation 22:3). This blessing in eternity is an outcome of Christ’s redemptive death on the cross. However, God’s goal is not merely to save us from sin and death, but to bring us into Himself. The history of Israel is a picture of this—they were brought out of Egypt but God’s goal was to bring them into the good land. It is the same with us—we come out of death so that we can come into life.

Redemption from the curse in Galatians 3:13 is for the blessing of the Spirit in 3:14. Together, these verses say, “Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law…In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

This blessing, also mentioned in Galatians 3:8, was promised in Genesis 12:3. The blessing comes to us “in Christ Jesus,” we received it “through faith,” and it is “the Spirit.” This blessing is not in the material realm but is the Triune God Himself.

At the time we first believed, our spirit was “born of the Spirit” (John 3:6). Now this Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16), dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16), bountifully supplies us (Philippians 1:19), and much more.

Our position in Christ Jesus and the blessing of the Spirit continue into eternity. In New Jerusalem we will still be receiving the Spirit as the river of water of life flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). The Triune God flowing to us in New Jerusalem is the eternal realization of the blessing promised to Abraham long ago.

Related Posts:

The Spirit with Our Spirit
The Spirit, the Bountiful Supply
A River of Water of Life

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by Don on December 5, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on December 5, 2012

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The Foretaste of Our Inheritance

The Spirit, our foretaste of New JErusale, our inheritanceHebrews 9:11-15 tells us that Christ, through His own blood shed on the cross, entered once for all into the heavenly holy of holies, obtaining an eternal redemption. By this He became Mediator of a new covenant, so that we might “receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us that, when we heard and believed the word of the truth, the gospel of our salvation, we “were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance.” The word “pledge” means an advance partial payment guaranteeing the later full payment. It is also translated deposit, guarantee, earnest, down payment.

The promise written in Hebrews 9 is confirmed by the Spirit in our spirit. The Spirit in us is a deposit guaranteeing the riches of the full eternal inheritance (❉ ❉). This living deposit is smaller in quantity but identical in quality to the full inheritance. Therefore, what we experience of the Spirit in this age is a foretaste of what we will experience in New Jerusalem.

The believer possesses already in reality, though but in part, the life of the future; the inheritance of the present and the inheritance of the future differing not in kind but only in degree, so that even now we have the life and blessedness of the future in the way of foretaste.*

New Jerusalem is our eternal inheritance. New Jerusalem is also our present possession to be enjoyed now by means of the Spirit in our spirit. For more on the Spirit in our spirit, I recommend The Secret of the Christian Life—Living in the Mingled Spirit.

*S. D. F. Salmond, The Epistle to the Ephesians, in W. R. Nicoll (ed.) The Expositor’s Greek Testament; original by Hodder and Stoughton, 1903; reprint by Eerdmans, 1976.

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by Don on November 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on November 26, 2012

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Righteousness and Peace in the Holy Spirit

Second Peter 3:13 declares that “according to His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” This prevalent righteousness causes peace throughout the new creation.

righteousness is by faith in ChristPeace is the fruit of righteousness; turmoil and fighting are the result of unrighteous-ness. “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). At present, the kingdom of God is not openly manifested, but is “in the Holy Spirit” who is one with our human spirit (Romans 8:16). The kingdom of God here is the present church life, in which we receive all believers because God in Christ has received them (Romans 15:7).

In this kingdom life righteousness is first, peace follows, and joy is the result. This righteousness is not our own striving to be proper, which results in the repeated failures and condemnation described in Romans 7. Rather, this righteousness comes from the Spirit with our spirit.

A principle of the gospel is “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). This is righteousness imputed to us by God in response to our believing (Romans 3:21-22). Then we can live out this righteousness, as stated in Romans 8:4, “the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” Such a living is based on what Christ has accomplished on the cross (Romans 8:3) and on Christ as life in us daily. This righteousness, universally spread and openly manifested, will dwell in New Jerusalem and in the whole new creation.

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by Don on September 29, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life and New Jerusalem, New Heaven and New Earth
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Posted by Don on September 29, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/righteousness-and-peace-in-the-holy-spirit/

Mutual Abiding unto New Jerusalem

John 15 is foretaste of New JErusalemIn John 14:2 the Lord Jesus began to speak about our dwelling place in God. In John 14:20 He said, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” and in John 15:4 He said, “Abide in Me and I in you.” This is a mutual abiding—we dwell in the Triune God and the Triune God dwells in us. The Lord’s unveiling of this reality continues in John 17. In verse 21 He prayed, “You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they [the believers in v. 20] also may be in Us.” Here we are in the Triune God. Then in verse 23 He continued, “I in them, and You in Me.” Here the Triune God is in us.

This mutual abiding is also presented in the epistles. Romans 8:1-2 say that we “are in Christ Jesus;” verse 10 declares, “Christ is in you.” In Romans 8 we see the practicality of “Abide in Me and I in you.” The key is our human spirit. In the first part of Romans 8 our spirit is life because Christ is in us—this is unvarying; our mind however is variable—it may be of/on the flesh (resulting in death) or of/on the spirit (resulting in life and peace) (v. 6); our body is dead because of sin yet it can receive life (v. 10-11).

Our spirit is the unvarying part of our being, it is life (eternal life), and it is one with the indwelling Spirit (v. 16). Therefore, we walk and have our being according to the Spirit mingled with our spirit (v. 4-5). The Spirit wants to dwell in us, to live in us and to have us let His living become our living. This mutual living is a foretaste of the mutual abiding of the Triune God and His people in New Jerusalem.

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by Don on August 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on August 26, 2012

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Transformation Produces Precious Stones

Transformation from the spirit produces precious stonesRevelation 21:19-20 says, “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone: the first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire…the twelfth, amethyst.”

In 1 Corinthians 3:6-12 we see planting, watering, farming, and growth. The result is material of the plant life. Yet in the same verses we see that the proper building materials are gold, silver, and precious stones. The change from life to the precious materials implies transformation. The same thought is in Matthew 13 with the sowing of the seed eventually leading to precious materials, and in 1 Peter 2:2-5 with nourishing milk for growth and then living stones for building up.

Transformation is presented directly in Romans 12:2—“transformed by the renewing of the mind” and 2 Corinthians 3:18—we ,“beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed.” The transformation in Romans 12 is detailed in Ephesians 4:23 where the renewing of our mind is by the Spirit with our spirit. (The Spirit with our spirit is seen in John 3:6 and Romans 8:16.) The transformation in 2 Corinthians is by turning our heart to the Lord so that every veil is taken away thereby allowing us to behold Him clearly. His glory shines into us to transform us “into the same image” (His image) “from glory to glory” and He is also reflected for others to see Him. This proceeds “from the Lord Spirit.” The result of this transformation is New Jerusalem with its precious stones expressing the glory of the Lord.

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by Don on July 31, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on July 31, 2012

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A Living that Fulfills the Law’s Requirements

New Jerusalem has “twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel” (Revelation 21:12). The angels and names indicate that the entrance to New Jerusalem is guarded by the law. Whoever enters New Jerusalem must satisfy the law’s requirements. In ourselves we can never satisfy the law, but Christ has done it for us! Through His death and resurrection, and through our inclusion in His death and resurrection, we enter New Jerusalem.

God made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5) and now Christ is our life (Colossians 3:4). We have the life that satisfies the law’s requirements. Through the death and resurrection of Christ we not only enter New Jerusalem but also live a life that matches our entrance into New Jerusalem. Romans 8:3b-4 says, “God, sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” In Romans 8:4, note 1* on “fulfilled” says,
___Not consciously kept by us through our outward endeavoring but spontaneously and
___unconsciously fulfilled in us by the inward working of the Spirit of life. The Spirit of
___life is the Spirit of Christ, and Christ corresponds with the law of God. This Spirit
___within us spontaneously fulfills all the righteous requirements of the law through us
___when we walk according to Him.

We have the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2) and our spirit is life because Christ is in us (Romans 8:10); therefore our walk, our living, in our spirit mingled with the Spirit, fulfills the requirements of the law. Thus we are in the foretaste of New Jerusalem not only positionally but also in practicality.

* in The NT Recovery Version Online, © 1997-2012 by LSM

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by Don on June 6, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life and New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on June 6, 2012

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New Creation, New Man, New Jerusalem

Second Corinthians 5:17 proclaims, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” To believe is to believe into Christ (John 3:16), and to be baptized is to be baptized into Christ (read more in the note on Galatians 3:27). Once we are in Christ, we are in the new creation. In addition, Colossians 3:10 says that we “have put on the new man.” In the new creation we are not individuals but members of the new man.

Although we are the new man in the new creation, the Lord’s word still exhorts us to “be renewed” (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23), tells us that this is “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5), and says that the new man “is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10). Note 3* on the latter verse says,

“Because the new man was created with us, who belong to the old creation (Ephesians 2:15), as his constituents, he needs to be renewed. This renewing takes place mainly in our mind, as indicated by the phrase unto full knowledge. The new man was created in our spirit and is being renewed in our mind unto full knowledge according to the image of Christ.”

We rejoice that the death and resurrection of Christ has created us one new man. However, we must not be complacent. DON’T WAIT. Today is the time to cooperate, with the Holy Spirit’s renewing within us, by walking in newness of life (Romans 6:4). In this walk the life of Christ is renewing us unto the image of Christ, the image which will be expressed to the fullest by New Jerusalem.

* in The NT Recovery Version Online, © 1997-2012 by LSM

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by Don on May 12, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 12, 2012

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Renewing unto New Jerusalem (1)

Peter tells us, “But according to His promise we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13). His reference to a “promise” is probably Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22. In Revelation 21:1-2 John says, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Although God will wait until the end to bring forth new heaven and new earth, God’s desire today is the renewing of His people. This renewing is a hidden, inward operation on the path to New Jerusalem. The basis for this renewing is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When He was raised from the dead, all the New Testament believers were raised with Him. Based on the accomplished fact of resurrection, in 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul declares his experience and confidence in God’s present renewing work in our being, “Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Our outer man is decaying unto death but our inner man is being renewed daily. All of the decay that we see should turn us to rejoice in God’s inner renewal.

The core of our inner man is our human spirit, where our renewing began with our regeneration. Titus 3:5 tells us that “according to His mercy He [our Savior God  in v. 4] saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.” From our regeneration onwards, the Holy Spirit, who is one with our spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17) desires to gradually saturate our being with God’s newness to make us inwardly the same as New Jerusalem.

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by Don on May 5, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on May 5, 2012

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A River of Water of Life in the Middle of the Golden Street of New Jerusalem

Revelation 22:1 says, “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.” This river of life is the Spirit who gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Spirit flows in the middle of the street of New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:21b says, “And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” New Jerusalem is spiritual. The street is not a physical street paved with gold. For many Bible expositors, gold symbolizes the divine nature. When we are walking on the street, that is, walking in (or according to) the divine nature, the Spirit flows. Conversely, when we are drinking the water of life, the Spirit, we are supplied to walk in the divine nature.

What does it mean to “walk in the divine nature”? Romans 6:4 says that we “walk in newness of life”, the divine life, and Romans 8:4 says we “do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” Galatians 5:16 and 25 exhort us to “walk by the Spirit.” Putting these verses together, to walk in the divine nature is to walk according to the Spirit of life who is in our human spirit (a prior post and the two following). This is in contrast to walking according to the flesh. The question is not what we are doing, nor whether we are doing good or bad. Romans 8 and Galatians 5 are not about right and wrong but about spirit versus flesh.

The Spirit is the river to supply us. Our walking on the street, our walking in the divine nature, is our cooperation with the Spirit and by the Spirit. Romans 8:13 tells us, “if you live according to the flesh, you must die [spiritually], but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices [habits, whether good or bad] of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13b matches New Jerusalem; it is our walking on the street of gold to receive the river of life.

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by Don on February 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on February 27, 2012

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The Gradual Development of Glory

Salvation is in Christ Jesus and He is salvation (Luke 2:30). This salvation includes eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10). The seed of glory was sown into us through the gospel of glory (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). Now this glory is gradually developing in us unto the glorious New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10-11, 23). The development of glory in us is the growth of Christ in us because the glory of God is in Christ and is Christ (1 Peter 5:10; Colossians 1:27). Lord, grow in me today.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 the development of glory in us is called transformation. This verse says, “But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.” This transformation comes not from our own effort but by turning our heart to the Lord (v. 16) and beholding Him with our unveiled face. It is an inward change into “the same image”—the expression of Christ who is the image of God. It is a gradual change, little step by little step, from glory to glory—from one degree of glory to a slightly stronger degree of glory. This glory is not only for the future; even now, while we are being transformed, we are reflecting the glory of the Lord. The end result is New Jerusalem glowing with the glory of God in Christ.

The path of transformation unto New Jerusalem involves both the Triune God and the believers. The Father is the source of glory (Romans 6:4), Christ is the expression of the Father’s glory, the Spirit operates in us for our transformation from glory to glory, and we cooperate by turning our hearts to the Lord and beholding Him.

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by Don on January 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Preparation of New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on January 27, 2012

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Living in Spirit to See New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:10 says, “And he carried me [the apostle John] away in spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” Because New Jerusalem is spiritual, we need to be in spirit to see it.

There is no word in Revelation about John asking to see New Jerusalem. The angel showed it to him while he was in spirit, while he was a person living in his spirit indwelt by the Spirit. Such a living qualified him to see New Jerusalem and such a living qualifies us to see New Jerusalem.

John, a mature believer, saw many details of New Jerusalem and recorded them for us. In contrast, depending on our Christian growth, we might see New Jerusalem in many small steps at many times in our life. Such seeing will increase with our growth in life and with our insight into the Bible.

When in our Christian life will these steps of seeing take place? The Bible does not tell us. We must leave the timing to the Lord. He wants us to walk in spirit (Romans 8:4). Surely we can ask Him, “Lord, show me the New Jerusalem” but we should not try to force an answer. The timing is in His hands. Our responsibility is to cooperate with the Lord by walking in (according to) the mingled spirit.

Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled in spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and psalming with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks at all times for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father.” To be filled in spirit results in our speaking psalms and songs to one another, singing to the Lord, and giving thanks to our God and Father. Conversely, speaking psalms and songs, singing to the Lord, and giving thanks to our Father help us to live/walk in spirit. This living prepares us to see New Jerusalem.

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by Don on January 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in New Jerusalem is Spiritual
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Posted by Don on January 23, 2012

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