THE QUEST FOR DIVINE ENLIGHTENMENT

Every believer in the Lord Jesus after salvation experiences a transformation that affects their soul and mind mostly through dreams, their way of thinking, their emotions and senses and their body experience different kind of manifestation. This is not unusual.

The scripture teaches us that, “It is no longer us that lives, but the Christ that lives in us by His Spirit” (Gal 2:20).

Gal 5:17 also teaches us that there is a war between our soul, which at salvation is more inclined to the flesh consequently the world, and our inner man, the spirit of man which has receive eternal life and a supernatural divine power. This is no mystery but a very
simple natural phenomenon of unlike forces repelling one another. This is the process of purification (2Timothy 2:20-21) and sanctification. To accomplished this we most lean on the truth of God’s word  to renew our mind (Romans 12:2) by bringing all that is trying to exalt its self through carnality, unto the subjection of the spirit that now dwell in us (1Corin 9:27), so we serve not the flesh but God (16:13).

The scripture also warn us to do this with “trembling and fear” for it is the working out of our salvation, for divinity to flow out from us (Phil 2: 12-13) and most of all, not to “worry” or be “careful for nothing”, but to allow the peace of God to work through us (4:6-7).

To clarify the “trembling and fear”, it is NOT for us to become paranoiac, trying to be “careful for nothing”, but it is the “fear” of the Lord which is “wisdom” (Proverb 9:10, Ps 111:10, Act 17:11) which make us to rest in God’s peace. Jesus said in Matt 11:28, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Again this means to enter into His presence, through worship, prayers and waiting upon the Lord for you are already in Christ as a believer.  

Being as social worker, and knowing that all knowledge is of God, I tried to look at look at the conformity of the body soul and spirit to the word of God by using the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs triangle. However because the inner man must transcends through to the body, the flow has to be from the peak of the triangle downward

 The difference between secular counsellors and Christian counsellors is that the former works from the problem to the solution, while the later works from the solution to the problem. In our Christian walk, the body is the problem and the solution comes from the spirit or God that now is in our inner man.

Our redemption by grace is the reason we can work our salvation from the solution to the problem.

The world talks of “working out” as in physical activity to keep the body and soul in fitness, but us Christians “work out” our eternal life from Christ that now live in us.

There are different realms in the spirit: the heavens, the heavenlies (Eph 6:12 talks of weakedness in the heavenly places) and the earth. In Eph 2:2 satan is mentioned as being the prince of the air and in Jn 12:31 he is called the ruler of this world. The mind is in parallel dimension with the world (man was made from dust) so the prince of this world still has the utterance to control the thoughts of the mind even those in Christ. Paul cautions us to die daily. The renewing of our mind is a continue process not a one off thing.

 However in Lk 10:18, Jesus said he saw satan being cast out of the heavens. Then He continued to say that He has given us the power to tread on the serpent (satan) and scorpions (his devices and agents) and power over all the nations of this world (Rev 2:29). This goes to explain that we can no longer be under the bondage of satan so long as we “work out our salvation”. It is only then that we have the power to overcome satan because then we allow the Christ in us to work from within without the hindrance of the flesh.

Knowing the word alone is not enough to resist the devil but it is both knowing the word and standing in the word. Taking our position in Christ (Eph 6:14-17) ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Only unbelievers can be controlled by the devil (2Tim 2:26, Eph 2:2) but also prayerless Christians can be manipulated by the devil. Jesus told us to watch and pray that we fall not into temptation (Matt 26:4).

The devil can manipulate us through dreams, however God also reveal Himself to us through dreams.

Every device that God uses and the devil tries to covert it through deception, wisdom, discernment, peace and love is a divine weapon that can turn what the devil intended for evil to become good.

I will be talking on Dreams, and Divine Dreams next time. Hope you have been blessed and I will appreciate your comments and contribution of your knowledge, understanding and experience as a believer in the “word”. God bless you.

LET US PRAY

FATHER GOD I BLESS AND WORSHIP YOU FOR YOU ARE THE EL SHADAI, AND THE EL DE’OT THE GOD OF KNOWLEDGE (I Samuel 2:3). THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORD THAT COMES OUT IN POWER TO ESTABLISH A CHANGE IN MY LIFE AND MY WALK IN CHRIST. FORGIVE ME OH LORD FOR MY FOOLISHNESS AND GRANT ME THE REVELATION, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. I PRAY OH LORD THAT YOU SHOULD TEACH ME BY YOUR SPIRIT AND HELP ME TO EVER BE ABLE TO STUDY YOUR WORD AND ALWAYS TO FALL BACK ON THE YOUR WORD BEFORE I TAKE, SAY OR MAKE ANY MOVE. HELP ME LORD TO BE A REFLECTIVE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN OF YOUR WORD. THE ENTRANCE OF YOUR WORD BRINGS LIGHT AND IT IS THE TRUTH THAT CAN GO DEEP WITHIN TO DIVIDE THE DECEPTIVE AND MANIPULATIVE WAYS OF THE DEVIL FROM YOUR DIVINITY. DELIVER ME LORD FROM COSTLY MISTAKES AND  PRAY FOR ME AS YOU PRAYED FOR PETER SO THE DEVIL SEIVE ME NOT AS WHEAT. THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOR I KNOW YOU ARE MY FAITHFUL INTERCESSOR AND I SURRENDER MY WILL, THOUGHT AND ACTION TO YOU. HOLY SPIRIT I PRAY YOU TO CONSECRATE MY HEART AND BIND MY MIND TO THAT OF CHRIST SO I MAY BE A FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT SERVANT TO JESUS AND A TRUE CHILD OF GOD. THANK YOU LORD FOR HEARING AND ANSWERING TO MY PRAYERS IN JESUS NAME AMEN.