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January 3, 2007 The New Man Walks
Previously in our living-walk through Ephesians, we have examined the extent to which God's grace is being extended in the form of a great mystery, in the origination and increase of a new man in Christ Jesus - one whose reach will be universal, and whose body will incorporate all spirit-born believers. Although it may serve select interests or dispositions to limit the magnanimity of the Father's gracious deference to one blood-born people or to physical location, this can never be, for all the created universe is the Lord's and it is His to fill with all His fullness by any means He deems worthy. Strange it is how we are still attempting - in the vain arrogance of our religious pride - to build a "house" for the Lord God to dwell, when what He surely desires is something more; something eminently worthy of Himself. Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. (Isa 66:1-2) Clearly even Isaiah foresees the provision of the indwelling and Holy Spirit in the temple of a man's spirit - joining him forever to the Lord in kind and nature. This hints at the mystery conveyed by the Apostle Paul, and serves to broaden our understanding of our Lord's ultimate purposes in His creation. Yet what does this new man look like? What does he do and what is his purpose here below? Such issues find a response in Ephesians 5 and 6, where we further see God's grace enlivening and imparting His very nature and life into him. Notice, for example, the emphasis on "walking" in chapter 5. Here we behold this new man walking as an instrument of light and love in a dark world; "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord", and making the most of their time, “because the days are evil". He is "careful how he walks" in this cursed and perverse world, exercising the wisdom of God so that he doesn't partake of the "unfruitful deed of darkness". Sound familiar my brethren? Does this not perfectly describe the Lord Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry in the body? And so it should, as this new man is none other than He Himself as fully manifested and incorporated with His beloved. Often religious men will use Ephesians 5 and 6 as the basis for convincing us to set about improving our behavior, as if this was even possible. Others may even hit closer to the truth by suggesting that only in the “Spirit” can we live in a manner pleasing to God. Now, although this sounds true on the surface, look closer with spiritual eyes my brethren, for that is not precisely what is being conveyed here by Paul. It is in the joining together in Christ as One that this new spiritual man is evidently able to walk this way. The entire context of Ephesians, which first establishes the birth of this new man, and then goes on to his first steps and his walk in the world is key. Clearly this ideal man, this "alpha man" that so perfectly reflects and represents all that a Holy and Righteous God is, is so much more than an improved or enhanced Adam. For starters, this man is (in essence and birth) Spirit and not flesh and blood. He is in fact "filled with the spirit" and his spiritual body is joined to the Spirit of Christ Jesus such that in every existential and metaphysical sense they are one (Eph 5:30-32). Oh how carnal we are when we limit God’s purposes and wisdom to the constraints of time and space, and the physical world, that we know is passing away. That which is mere type and shadow and preliminary can never equate to Divine Reality, regardless of how substantial or significant it may seem to carnal man (or even the carnal church). Then there is the fact that this new man is to "walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us". He is to love others in the body as himself, as if they were one and the same, which indeed they are. He is to be "strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might". Yet his strength and provision is not his own, but he derives all life and spiritual equipping from He who is the Head and the One who gave Himself for the Body. This man's very livelihood and vitality as a spiritual entity is drawn from the grace and truth of the Father of All Life, down through the Son, and apprehended by constant and vigilant prayer and contrition of spirit. It is a life leaned into God, and walked out in faith, for all essential things are unseen to the soul and the body. It is only faith’s reality that draws them down from heaven and makes them apprehensible to us. And survival, dear brethren, is not a question of religious enterprise or flailing at social ills or any other physical manifestation of wickedness - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.} Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil {one.} And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints...(Eph 6:12-18) To even think for one minute that our puny little religious notions and playthings can withstand the prince of the power of the air and all his dark spiritual purposes is pathetic indeed. The enemy laughs at them my friends, and truth be told, he invented most if not all of them. No, this new man must walk in Christ Jesus, who represents all of our defensive and offensive spiritual provision. The demons trembled at His mere presence, and the prince of demons is confounded by Him at every turn - by His self-deprivation and faithfulness to the Father; by a loyalty and love that the god of this world cannot even begin to comprehend. Only by standing and walking in He who is the Light of the World, can this new man shine forth and scatter the darkness. Only by walking in faith, can this new man throw down all the empty ideas and lies of the author of lies. Only by walking in love, as he has been so loved, can this new man fulfill the eternal hope of the Father, as a "fragrant aroma" and precious bride for His Beloved Son - to be joined unto Him forever and ever. My brethren, it may be appropriate at this point to remind you that Satan too has his corporate "man", unto which he desires and intends to fill with his rebellion and animosity towards all things God-ordained. Both the books of Daniel and Revelation have much to say of such a hell-borne counterpart to the fully realized Son of God. Here is a divine truth born of the Word to those with spiritual eyes - Wherever the world seeks to be united either by name or godless purpose, you can be fairly sure to find Satan’s man. Food for thought for all those enterprising church-folk trying to save the USA, the UK, UN or anything other such “man”. We are so small in our thinking are we not; and so constrained in the material world of men and nations? Yet the greater truth of things is that what is being played out under heaven is a spiritual drama of boundless scope and significance. It is profoundly more than "Jesus died so that I can go to heaven" or "He suffered so that I could be free of cancer or physical pain". As Christians, we must endeavor by God's grace to see beyond our little bit part, and our circumstances, and our personal redemption even. Although this may sell books and fill the pews, it is an appeal to the flesh and not the Holy Spirit. I pray that the eyes of your heart would be opened to see this in genuine spiritual discernment - There is God's Man - the Lord Jesus Christ in all His fullness as Head and Body, and there is the Adversary's man! There are really no others. And the climax of the ages - as revealed by all the end-time prophets - leads to what amounts to a colossal spiritual showdown between the two. This is the pure and simple truth, and I hope and pray we shall all see it. Another point that must certainly be made regarding this new man is that He is indivisible unto Christ, and He is one. Ephesians depicts both head (Christ) and body (those gathered into Him) as inseparable, and bride and groom joined together as one in the Spirit and one in God. They live and walk as one, in perfect unity of nature and kind. They live as one, and for one another, each supplying the needs of the body, and subordinate to the will of He who has gathered them in Himself. Both their singular and collective identity is derived from the shared life that they have obtained as an outpouring of the Father's immeasurable grace and kindness. If there is separation and unlikeness, then it is of the devil – it can never be of this new man. Now with this in mind and spirit, I want you to honestly consider the supposed Christian landscape, and the almost universally divided condition of the church at large, both within themselves and their detachment from the Head, and determine by the Spirit whether this even remotely resembles what is here described by Paul. Can this be God's eternal answer to the curse of sin and separation that causes even the angels to gaze in awe at His wonders and wisdom? Is this what makes the demons tremble one must wonder? Oh brethren, children of light - all of you if indeed you are joined to Him - let us all go to Him now and repent heartfully in the spirit for all of our puny little, fractious thoughts and ideas; for our pitiful condition as His children, and for all that we have done to contribute to or limit His purposes in His creation. Let us pray for Christ Jesus in all His fullness; that He might stand and walk in the midst of the earth, shining as the very Light of Life within the almost universal darkness of the hour. And let us be joined to Him, in whatever way or capacity the Father might have us joined as one in the New Man, as His Firstborn, and the One to whom He will forever look and smile. In Jesus' Precious Name. Amen. Please pray for us here at Living-Walk, that we would watch and see the Master at work, and understand what He would have us be and do. Your friend and servant in Christ Jesus, Wayne
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