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Hebrews 9:14; 10:1,2,22
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The books of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua portray the journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan through the intermediate wilderness. There is a message in this story that the Lord desires us to comprehend. This message will teach us how we can overcome obstacles of the flesh, world and enemy, and be the free believers that the Lord has brought us out of sin to be.
The land of Canaan represents the goal of the believer in the Christian walk. It was the "Promised" Land. And as believers, we have promises that the Lord desires us to enjoy. Canaan it speaks of the Rest that the Lord calls us into (See Hebrews chapters 3 and 4). Yet so many never enjoy these promises and this rest due to hindrances of various types. One of the greatest hindrances is a believer’s own flesh.
Let us look into the hindrance of the flesh, and discover how to cross this barrier. It blocks believers from enjoying God’s promises much like the Jordan River blocked Israel from Canaan, and the temple veil blocked the Jew from the holiest of holies.
Consider the typology in this account.
There were giants in the land that caused Israel to doubt. These obstructions prohibited them from entering the land. They could, therefore, not enjoy the fullness of rest. Their doubtful flesh was like a veil. "There is no way that we can take that land now."
This is comparable to the original sin of mankind in Eden. The first thing accomplished after sinning occurred when Adam put a veil on himself. God didn’t do it. Man barred himself from the garden as symbolized by the fig leaves he made to cover his nakedness. Man was in a state of shame. He tried to solve his problem himself. Adam’s sin came to be symbolized by the donning of the fig leaf apron. It was an act of man attempting to solve his shameful condition through mere physical means. It was an effort to improve, solve a dilemma and correct a problem independently of God. Adam tried to raise himself above guilt by using his weak, fallen, fleshly efforts. In turn, and as direct result of the independency of Adam, the Lord set up cherubim and a flaming sword at the garden entrance.
Human Contrivances of Spiritual Progress
Man cannot save himself from his sinfulness, as Adam tried to shut up the condemnation shouting from his conscience, that resulted from his sin. Man’s heart intentions were naked before God! His heart was shamefully without God’s covering. And man tried to hide that sinful state from God by mere aprons. It was deeper than physical nudity, though.
Man was never meant to solve his own problems. Its like putting a model car engine into a Tractor trailer rig. The motor will break down. The task is to much. And man finds himself having nervous breakdowns and eating nerve pills. We were meant to join to God in the garden, by eating of the fruit of life, and ingesting God’s own life (His Spirit) within. But Adam went his own way. And now the world stands apart and separated from God.
The raging of the overflowing Jordan river at the time of the crossing with Joshua speaks of the turbulence of the fearful, doubting flesh. The giants struck fear into the hearts of the Israelites. The older, doubting generation could not pass this veil.
Though Jordan was not mentioned in the first attempt to cross into Canaan forty years earlier, we neverthless see a picture of what hindered that first generation in looking at the Jordan River. Put both accounts together -- the first attempt with the doubting spies, and the second endeavour with Joshua at lead. You see that there was a barrier in both instances. It speaks of the fears of the flesh which hindered that first group from entering. But the younger generation learned to fear God more than fear the enemy. They had faith. They would see that veil rent, which formerly blockaded their parents.
Frightened flesh is like a veil. And flesh is fearful because it is so incompetent. Much of our unbelief comes from fear of inability of the flesh. We do not consider God’s omnipotence, but look at our fleshly capabilities. And, of course, flesh is too weak to conquer enemy territory for us. Such fear produces doubt. We disbelieve we can experience that which God has promised for us, and we fear.
Born in Sin
We’re all born with this veiling due to Adam. Adam symbolically threw this veil on all unborn humanity when he sewed himself a fig leaf apron. Yet when God is able to move on our behalfs, due to our faith, the Jordan river of fearful flesh is rent in two.
In the flesh is sin (Ro. 7:17-20). And we are born in sin, since our hearts are immersed beneath fleshly veiling.
Whenever we fear and doubt, we must remember to trust God. God is love. Complete, perfect love. And perfect love casts out all fear. We will find that our flesh, that hinders so often by means of inflicting fear as an obstruction, will be removed. It will no longer block our progress. That is not to say that we will not have "flesh," but it says that the fleshly barrier of doubt and unbelief will be removed.
God will circumcise our hearts free of the doubtful, fearing flesh factor. Our fear is thereby cast out as flesh is circumcised by the God of love.
Our hearts are born with veils on them. 2 Corinthians chapter 3 refers to these veils. They are removed only when we turn our hearts to Jesus (v. 16). The removal of these veils, we are all born with, was foreshadowed by the need of circumcision for men who desired to be known as God’s people. Under the Old Covenant, men were born with the need to be circumcised if they desired to be an Israelite -- one of God’s people.
Today, the reality of this shadow is the need for all mankind to be circumcised in their hearts, and to unite to Him in spirit. This alone makes us the people of God. Yet that veil can creep up again after one is saved. And unbelief stirs again and like a cataract reinstates itself to that from which it was once removed. We find ourselves, once again veiled over with fleshliness.
The people had to cross the Red Sea barrier. But then, later, had to likewise cross the Jordan barrier long after they were set free from Egypt. So we see that flesh yet serves as a barrier to folks who have known God for quite some time.
Circumcision of the Heart
From the male element of humanity are the issues of life which initiate human reproduction. The Bible says the heart is the source of the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Therefore we find a type developing here. And just as Adam veiled the most intimate part of his physical body, we see our hearts are veiled with fleshliness, rendering the most intimate part of our beings, our hearts, in need of circumcision (Ro. 2:29).
Reaching to unite with the heart of man is the goal of God. It is what man removed from Him through Adam’s transgression. Yet God is repelled from the heart by the fleshly veiling. Man caused this veiling with his sin -- as, again, symbolized by the donning of the fig leaf apron. Since sin is in the flesh (Ro. 7:17,18,20), God is repelled by that flesh, and is hindered from reaching the heart within the veil.
How wondrous a display of God’s love as He removes our fears and all the other fleshly elements that hinder us, and the barrier that repels Him from our hearts. Yet we must first answer His call, as Adam finally answered God’s call for him in the garden.
God asked Adam where he was. God knew, but he wanted Adam to realize it, himself. Adam initially hid, but then came out. Then God removed the apron and replaced it with His own covering.
After having removed our veiling, God then leads us triumphantly into a land of Rest, just as Israel passed the rent Jordan, and entered Canaan! And "rest" is the opposite of fear! Rest is perfect union with God in the heart. This is what the writer of Hebrews referred to when writing of "the rest" that remains to people to this day in Heb. 4:9.
Unbelief causes fear. Fear will not be tolerated in a land of rest (He. 4:1). God will not allow it to come upon us. We will find rest in the fullness of Christ by believing God to see us through.
Paul noted this in Philippians 4:6,7. He said that if we will trust in God when calamities arrive, God’s peace will stand guard over our hearts against all fear and anxiety! Our hearts are the targets of doubt inflicting fear. God’s peace will "keep" our hearts, or "guard" them.
Wilderness Wandering
People wander in fear, as the Jews wandered outside of fullness in the wilderness. People who doubt God and never trust Him wander for years. Think of how different the forty years of wandering could have been had they believed instead of doubted. They would have enjoyed a land of milk and honey for forty years. They would not have experienced forty solid years of misery.
Unbelief and fear keep multitudes out of full rest for years. There are so many who never see their fears cast away. They never believe God when the things they fear approach them. They shy away from entering uncertain situations for they do not trust that God can deliver them safely through fearful walls and barriers. Many never think to simply ask God for deliverance.
The Veil of Christ’s Flesh
Jesus’ body was rent on the cross the moment the veil in the temple was divided by the power of God. This is significant. When the flesh was broken in death, the veil was rent. This gives us the meaning of the veil.
Similarly, the Levites who bare the ark of the covenant, stood in the Jordan waters. They approached the barrier. They actually waded into the turbulence. Figuratively, they stepped right on into the fears and doubts of their flesh. And only after they entered these waters did the river rend in two.
If we will trust God in the midst of our fears -- if we’ll hold up faith in Him as the priests held up the ark -- if we’ll wade through what we fear and trust in Him -- He will rend our doubtful, fearing flesh. And we’ll have that barrier removed to victoriously enter!
We must initiate the miracle working power of God by first entering these fearful hindrances, though. We must make the first step! Actually He has already made the first step since He died on the cross for us. And we must take a step of faith, remembering that day! Depend upon the work accomplished on Calvary, and wade on through what normally would cause you to fear. You’ll even feel the fear start to come. This is similar to the waters of the Jordan rising up the feet of the Levites. They trusted God’s Word, though. And, soon enough, the waters began receding down their legs! Your fears, likewise will abate!
When Israel was about to cross Jordan, the river swelled! Every time we get ready to progress in the Lord our flesh swells and is stirred. It is not subject to the law of God and never can be (Ro. 8:7).
Hold Up Faith In Christ’s Work
This stirring will abate if we walk ahead as we trust in God’s power. Therefore, worry not about the approaching fear. If you will hold the Lord up in faith as the fears come, He will certainly deliver you!
Many become fearful and doubt, even after trying to hold up faith in the blood. They drop their faith and run. Its as if a Levite said, "I can’t hold this any more. Its not working fast enough for me. I’m running away!" And the ark is dropped.
Holding up the ark is holding up the fact that Jesus died two thousand years ago for us. He died for our fears and doubts. He died so we could carry Him through the barriers that challenge us to remain bound and wandering. He died to see our hindrances removed!
It doesn’t matter what fears you have, Jesus died to deliver you from their threatening faces! If you continue to hold that fact up in faith, eventually you will see your obstacles broken in two!
The blood of atonement sacrifices were sprinkled on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant forty times by the time they reached Jordan. Once every year the mercy seat was sprinkled. And they were forty years in the wilderness. (Forty is a significant number throughout God’s Word.) So in holding up the ark, with blood on the mercy seat, they held up the blood! When we are said to hold up our faith it is actually faith in the blood that we are exerting! And it is God’s mercy that we can be freed from fearful flesh!
There are so many blessed promises for the people of God. Yet the fear and unbelief in our flesh keeps the flesh as a veil blocking us from joy. And we are our own enemies.
There is the fullness in Christ, portrayed by the land of Canaan, for you to experience. In Canaan the Jews would rule, as opposed to their slavery in Egypt. Too many are between past slavery and God’s desire for them to rule. They are still in the wilderness. Yet you must break through the fearful, doubting flesh. Otherwise you’ll not enjoy this fullness. The "fullness" is the lump sum of all the promises of God. All the fullness is "In Christ." Notice the terminology in Col. 2:9 -- "In Christ". In the land of fullness, as if it were a domain.
Christ is Truth. And God desires to lead us into all truth! Into all the fullness of Christ, in other words.
It is like drawing nigh to God’s deepest presence in the holiest of holies of the temple as we confront Canaan boundaries. We’ve passed the boundaries of Egypt and the journey through the wilderness is also now coming to a close. We are at the third domain. This is like the three parts of the tabernacle -- outer court, holy place and holiest. Between the holy place and the Promises is a veil of flesh, as a veil stood between the holy place and holiest of all. Fallen flesh doubts and fears. And it is due to these characteristics that the flesh is a barrier. Had man not fallen into sin, the flesh would not fear or doubt. There would be no barrier. Yet man did sin. We must contend to breach this barrier in us all.
The Veil of Separation
What can separate us from the love of God? Paul asks this in Romans 8. He then lists all elements that cannot accomplish hindrance, except one. That one is your own flesh. It alone will hinder you and separate you from God! The veil separated the people from the presence of God on the ark of the covenant.
God knew we would have a hard time believing Him due to the flesh, even after we’re saved! So He instructed Moses to build a tabernacle with a veil inside it to protray this element of unbelief that we must see rent! This veil would eventually be rent when Christ died. After becoming temples of the Spirit, we must contend with the veil to proceed to the utmost in God.
Throughout the book of Hebrews we are encouraged to hold to the faith and confidence. This will take us past the barrier. It clears our consciences. Note the terminology in Hebrews 2:1; 3:6,14; 4:1; 6:18-19; 10:23,35. It refers to holding onto faith as the priests held up the ark with blood on it. This will clear our consciences.
The Conscience
Ah, the conscience. Now, here we come to the culprit.
Our spirits must be circumcised. Remove flesh from the spirit. This is the message of Hebrews 4:12 -- separate soul (the fleshly part of you) from spirit. Within our spirits are our consciences. The doubtful, Jordan, fleshly veiling affects our consciences.
Once our consciences are circumcised, we may draw nigh to the holiest. The holiest is where the full glory is! Only with the blood could the high priest pass the veil.
"But into the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood. . ." He. 9:7
Even Jesus, Himself, took His blood to enter this deepest domain. And He is there, waiting for us to join Him in His fullness. Heb. 9:12
Our consciences condemn us as we exert fleshly effort to overcome our weaknesses. These weaknesses are in our flesh. How can flesh overcome a problem embedded within itself? It cannot. And when we attempt to take control, so that we might not be held back any more, our consciences condemn. Its like Adam again. Adam weakly made an apron to cover himself. Yet he was still incomplete. And he ran in condemnation when God’s presence was made known. He, who thought he had solved his naked problem, realized he had not, when God came! We are doomed to failure as we try to help ourselves overcome fears and doubts.
Positive thinking simply falls short here. We do not need positive thinking. We need faith in the blood!
We must take Jesus’ blood if we want to enter the domain of rule with God successfully, without condemnation (Hebrews 10:19)! Many are God’s people, but many do not rule in life (Romans 5:17) just as the Jews didn’t enter Canaan after freed from Egypt, to rule their own land.
Condemnation barks out as we make an attempt at progress with our flesh. It yells, "No! Not good enough yet!" And many people forever try a better approach. But flesh will always produce flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh -- and always will be flesh. Only the blood of Jesus can silence the condemning conscience!
Sin in the Flesh - The Cause of Failure
Jesus was sinless, unlike our sin infested flesh. We have been forgiven of our sins, yet if we continue to live by the flesh we will commit sins again -- for sin is in the flesh. Sin is a principle. And sin causes sins, which are acts. If you have sin -- you will commit sins. And since all our flesh has sin in it, we must not live by the flesh. If we live after the flesh we will sin, and we will have condemnation.
(Look carefully at Romans 8:1 to see the difference between walking after the Spirit and after the flesh. You will have condemnation, even though you’re in Christ, if you yet walk after the flesh. There is nothing to condemn if we walk after the Spirit -- for trusting in the Spirit to work out the good we need in our hearts and lives leaves the flesh laying there unused. And the Spirit is pure and holy.)
Faith in the blood means this: We remember that Jesus died to allow God to influence our lives. Unless we believe He died for us, we enter not into covenant with Him. We simply must believe in Jesus’ death. The manner we must believe is as follows: Realize that God cannot help you with His divine influence. You must believe Jesus was required to die for you.
Connections
In the natural, many people with influence have helped many others go ahead in business ventures simply because of the friendship shared, or family connections. This made way for much promotion in the business world. Connections are simply a benefit to those desiring to rise in this world.
We can have connections with the Creator! We must enter into fellowship with Him. I cannot stress this point enough. We must believe that Jesus died so that we could have God’s divine influence work for us! We need His influence to work for us when it comes to overcoming our fears. Our frail flesh cannot cut it when it come to delivering itself from its inherent fears. Believe in this and repent for forgiveness of sins. Then live for the Lord and not for yourself. Abide by the covenant -- you’re united to Him. Let Him do the work.
The word we use to describe this divine influence is one we have all heard of, but may not have truly understood -- "grace."
Paul was what he was by the grace of God -- not by his fleshly will power urging him to be great for God. God’s power made Him successful in the ministry.
Grace alone will accomplish the rending of the flesh. Conscience can rest if we could only overcome our failures and fears successfully! Otherwise our’s will be a life of constant condemnation. And when God’s influence takes over to work for us, we are sure to see our consciences rest!
That which the flesh fears is the condemnation from the conscience. How many are already condemned in their own minds about themselves? Check the psychiatric rosters and see the masses suffering from inferiority.
Children are raised in homes where their parents fight and feud. They grow up thinking they aren’t good as a result. Battered wives blame themselves for their abusive husbands’ acts. They look in the mirror so lowly at themselves. Spouses mess around in extra-marital sex affairs, and leave their mates in frenzied loneliness.
As the years pass by, the veils of humanity’s fleshly fear grows thicker. There is not only the veil of being born in sin, but a heaped on increase of fleshly damages due to experiences that hurt and wound. There are more acts of adultery, more child abuse, more fighting in homes today than in any other previous generation. More and more damage is being experienced in souls today. The veil is thicker than it has ever been. The Jordan is swelling its banks.
Jesus Never Fails
When Jesus takes the controls we can have no short-comings. Jesus never comes short! Yet believers in these dark days of rampant flesh will see these obstacles overcome as we enter into the Holiest -- the land of all truth -- the Promised land of Rest! The Jews referred to themselves as grasshoppers in the sight of the giants of Canaan. They were correct. In comparison to the giants they really were as grasshoppers.
Yet God is bigger than any giant in our eyes. And if He fights for us, we will not lose. And we will not be condemned by a conscience which reprimands human incompetence.
Giants fall before grasshoppers who trust in God! David... Gideon...
Its like telling the conscience:
"Conscience, you can rest now. This faith I hold up, this blood, is being sprinkled on you to remind you of something. This believer is not depending upon human weakness to overcome. I am trusting in God’s power -- His influence. You will not be condemning me for any failures in this battle. Since God is taking over on my behalf, there will be no failure for you to condemn."
"The fears that stopped me from even trying to overcome were rent away with the flesh they dwelt in. I believed God so much that I walked into the midst of one of my fears and believed God would remove it. I could never see these fears removed earlier. But fears from mortal flesh could not stand up against the divine influence of God Almighty! These fears were rent asunder.
"Conscience, the goal was to calm your condemning. You have been the culprit all along. You began working when man fell from the garden. And ever since you have hammered the soul of mankind, reminding him of his weaknesses.
"Now you are appeased. Rest now, conscience. I was held back from appeasing you due to the fears in my flesh. As long as flesh was involved in trying to improve myself, you were there to condemn. I have banged my head against this wall long enough. Only the blood of a sinless person could get me past my own fears and appease you. This blood proves that no condemnation will evermore be necessary. A sinless person never fails. And this is the blood of the sinless Jesus Christ. You are unemployed in your condemning duties."
The Veil Render
Since fear is from our flesh, we see the fleshly veil removed as we trust Jesus’ blood!
No more veil! The enemies in Canaan are the multitudes of condemnations. These exist in the human spirit’s conscience. They come at us like armies from hell. And, indeed, Satan’s hordes likewise attack. But the flesh is most of the problem.
God not only delivered us from fear, but also smites the foes we face, which we alone could never defeat!
In the book of Joshua we find people defeating their own fears -- the giants -- in God’s power! They were then bold as opposed to their fearful past, for He removed their fears. (Compare with Hebrews 10:19-23). He removed Jordan first. Then He emboldened the nation to confront their giants with valour!
Enter into your fears! But hold up the blood as you enter. You will find your own fears vanish.
Paul promised us, through relating to us his experience, that God would send vigils of His peace to guard your heart from distress, if you will go to Him in need. Remember Philippians 4:6-7.
"Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."
This means that all of our trials do not have to make us careful, or fearful. We pray for help in these trials, and what would normally scare us will not do so again. God’s peace will protect our hearts like a soldier guarding a fort. And it is through the blood of Jesus.
To do something "through Christ" is to rely upon and work through the means supplied by the work He did on the cross. He died for us. The blood symbolizes the death of the cross. So upholding faith in the blood is accomplishing a work THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
Condemnation is the thief of boldness. It casts fear on your soul as you realize your incompetence. And you dare not move ahead any more! When fears are relieved, boldness is granted. Your conscience has nothing to condemn.
The End of Condemnation
Man’s greatest goal is to bring rest to the conscience. It has plagued us since Eden. Whatever you fear, in whatever you come short, all is linked to the condemnations of the conscience. Nothing harasses you like your own conscience.
Your conscience condemns you so much that it stops you from praying to God. It puts fear in your heart and, again, the flesh becomes a barrier from the glory of God’s presence. You fear to even talk to God!
Carry Christ’s blood with you and you’ll rend that Jordan veil of the flesh. Go on in and deal with that culprit called conscience. Sprinkle it with that same blood you carried to rend the veil. Instruct your conscience about the power of the blood. Nothing will ease your conscience like the Blood of Jesus.
Jesus spoke peace to the stormy waters that day as they sought to hinder the disciples from reaching the other side. His blood will again speak peace to the troubled waters of fear and doubt which bar you from the promises ahead. The troubled waters of Jordan will vanish! You will cross as if no waters ever raged -- as if on dry land!
Our consciences like to remind us that we are sinners. Sinners are people who are not all powerful. Sinners come short of God’s expectations. And this reminder operates when we fail, and makes us feel worthless.
Man’s greatest need is to be loved. Condemnation from the conscience mars us as we experience bad relationships throughout life. We are wounded by people who should never have wounded us, and the scars remain in the conscience. Some scars so damage our consciences that they are made to operate improperly. We even condemn ourselves when we need not be condemned.
There is this improper condemnation from the conscience, but also proper condemnation. As sinners, people will always be condemned within. And rightly so. Yet we must realize that some of our convictions may actually be foolishness in reality, since we have a damaged and unreliable conscience. Many people’s consciences are faulty, and condemn themselves when there is really no grounds for condemnation. (The bible speaks of the evil conscience that must be purged from dead works mentality - He. 9:14 - you cannot serve a living God with dead, ritualistic and legalistic works). God wants Life in us - not knowledge of good and evil that prompts the flesh to fulfil the good, and striving in the power of flesh to resist the bad. His Life will do the good! Paul said, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me..." Gal. 2:20
There was the tree of Life-- and tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This portrays the two routes to take. Many believers have mistakenly chosen the "works" route.
Many do not allow that Life to live in them. Paul said Christ lived in Him, and the works he did were the result of that Life doing them. People crowd God’s Life out by doing all the works themselves.
Even Jesus said the words that He spoke were not spoken from His flesh -- but it was the Father in Him doing the works. John 14:10. He was our example. That ought to be our lifestyle, too.
Many Rendered Hopeless
Many believe one can never be free of the misery contrived by condemnation. The conscience is like a police force. Yet, we may ask, why have a police force when there is no way to keep the laws it enforces?
In like manner, why have a conscience that urges us toward doing right if it isn’t possible to always do right?
Some try solving the dilemma by searing their consciences. They stir the conscience up so much through repeated sinning that it loses its affect. And in time it does not condemn.
The conscience is like a nerve that warns us that we are damaging ourselves. When we burn our fingers, the nerves tell us to stop immediately lest we destroy that finger. Otherwise, unknowingly and unintentionally, we could lose a finger. Similarly, what the conscience warns us about is that we are heading for hellfire unless we stop sinning. Now, this condemnation is necessary and good. So the conscience was created to be our friend.
Since it is still human, though, it also is subject to damage, rendering it distorted.
The Purpose of Conscience
Conscience warns us to return to a place of safety. As nerves urge you to remove your finger from danger to safety, conscience urges you to a place of righteousness.
There is only one place of safety to which conscience directs you. And you will not know what that place is unless you hear God’s Word. God sends ministers to relay truths, which complement our consciences’ cries, to the lost world. Without these truths, conscience will do little good for us. But together with these truths, the urges of conscience to go to a place of safety are satisfied. By way of these truths we know WHERE TO GO FOR SAFETY. Everybody knows what is right and wrong. And the preaching of the goodness we should share with one another agrees perfectly with this imbred message from the conscience. Yet the conscience does not tell us where to go for safety.
Your nerves inform you of severe damage in your body when you break an arm. Yet it does not supply the remedy. It just shouts, "Find remedy!"
This is similar to the conscience. It shouts go to a position where you won’t do wrong any more! Education teaches us that a hospital will provide remedy for a broken arm. And likewise the ministry informs of where to find remedy for sinful failure.
In Christ there is no condemnation! That is the place that Gospel preaching and teaching informs us to go for safety.
Paul heard the shoutings of his conscience as he sinned. He heard God’s law say that certain acts were sinful. And his conscience agreed with the law (Romans 7:16). Paul did not want to sin as his conscience reprimanded his wrongfulness. And God’s Word likewise condemned that sin. So when Paul did not desire to sin, He was in agreement with the law. Yet the law only told him to get right. How was this possible? The law did not answer that.
In Christ -- the Fullness
Paul was in misery wondering where to find remedy for his failing flesh. He found it in Christ (Romans 8:1), as if Christ was a place you could enter. "In" Christ.
The law was a schoolmaster to bring you to Christ. You knew there had to be a place of righteous living if there was a police force scolding your wrongfulness. But you didn’t know where it was. Yet it did obviously exist. And the law was teaching you to find a place of righteousness. It had to exist. Only, it did not exist until a certain time period.
Your nerves teach you a lesson. If we had no nerves that would send messages of pain to our minds, we would kill ourselves sooner or later. Suicide would be rampant in our world, though unintentional.
Conscience teaches us a lesson. Law taught Israel a lesson.
Find a place of righteousness, or you’ll find a place in hell.
Jesus is the answer.
"In" Christ there is no condemnation... IF one does not depend upon the flesh. The problem is the flesh. Paul sought deliverance from the pest called flesh. To enter Christ you must not depend upon your own energy to overcome obstacles. You must appease conscience by putting forth good works. You need to depend upon God’s divine influence to cause you to do good works. He will get you to the top!
Hold onto the power of God! Hold up the blood! There is power in the blood because your faith in Jesus’ death allows God’s power to work for you! God is looking for the blood alone to instigate Him to work for you. Throw out all the ritual and ceremony that attempts to attract God. He looks only for the blood. Nothing else will urge Him to work for you.
Abandon fleshly effort when you confront fears. You failed to overcome a thing in the past. Now you fear condemnation to return as it did the first time you failed. Yet this time you march on anyhow, for you depend now upon something greater -- God’s Power! We then overcome by faith! Not by human energy.
This causes a circumcision. The flesh that hindered is removed. Flesh is not needed since one depends upon the Spirit’s abilities now. So it is cast away. Conscience sees no need to condemn, since God deals with the hardships we face.
Finally the conscience has rested. Never before could it rest. Never since Eden’s fall could it rest! Biblically speaking, when one has experienced this stage of growth, one has abandoned the "walking after the flesh."
Conscience has caused us to search out safety. We find it in Christ.
Unless we learn about Christ, our consciences will ever condemn us. One will never find rest.
Christian believer, do you trust in the Lord to take you through your fearful barriers? Or do you learn to live with them and with the condemnation that tags along behind? You are living so far below your privileges.
Returning to the Garden of Complete Union with God
Man left God in the garden. It was then that conscience began functioning. Man knew the difference between good and evil. That kicked conscience into effect. Since we know what is good and evil, when we commit evil our consciences torment us. Therefore, to stop the condemnation of conscience, one must return to God.
Getting back to God will bring you face to face with the cherubim veil. These fearful creatures will bar your entrance. They represent the barriers within your own flesh. The reason the creatures were sent to guard paradise, was the sinful flesh which man began carrying about. Without fallen flesh, there would be no guardians of Heavens blessings.
Therefore, these creatures coincide with man’s own veiling of flesh.
The veil in the tabernacle and temple was embroidered with figures of cherubim. It reminded us of the barrier. It stopped the way to the holiest.
Only once a year could a man enter. And that only after a lifetime of dedication in training -- training that involved ceremonial cleansing and washing. Training that involved the blood of a sinless lamb. Only with that blood could the high priest enter the glorious presence of God, and sprinkle the mercy seat with atoning blood.
Jesus went past the veil with His own blood. And likewise must we take that same blood if we want to pass the veil.
The spirit in us wants to get back to God. It craves God. The spirit’s desire alone is not sufficient. We have flesh that is weak. It cannot fulfil the desire of the spirit to be back in touch with God. It can’t fight the giants nor free itself of fear of those giants.
There’s no condemnation to those in the garden, for they have no sin that they might be condemned by their consciences. And in Christ, there is likewise no condemnation.
We will not be free of condemnation until we hold up faith in the blood. This alone will remove the veil. Jordan will rend. The cherubim need not bar one who leans upon God’s energy in daily dilemmas and fears in life. Such people are already feeding from the life of God! They have eaten of the tree of Life! They have that element that has been diseased by the knowledge of good and evil circumcised!
With sin in man’s flesh, man was barred from the garden. Yet when sin is circumcised along with its host, flesh, we need no longer be barred.
This circumcision is not experienced by all believers. Too many believers live in fear. Too many believers fail to walk after the Spirit. They continue to depend upon their fleshly abilities, and continue to be condemned. And it is often due to lack of understanding.
The cherubim continue to shout, "No entry" to them. Their consciences have not been circumcised, or purged from dead works. Dead works are efforts we use to appease our consciences which fail to do relieve them. Dead works are acts of the tainted flesh which simply fall short of accomplishing anything of spiritual benefit.
Red Sea, Yes -- Jordan, Not Yet
Many have crossed the Red Sea and experienced the pillar of cloud, as Paul writes of in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2. That corresponds to water and Spirit baptism in this New Testament age. But how many have traversed the many wilderness miles? How many have approached their personal Jordan River of fleshly veiling? How many have rent that swelling barrier of flesh?
Not many.
Anybody can get saved. That’s easy and very common. But it has not been so common to see believers rend their Jordans. They do not know enough about the blood. They do not realize they are not meant to tackle the flesh with their own abilities. So they approach Jordan and look on in bewilderment. "How do I rend this flesh? How do I enter my rest in Christ? How do I obtain all the promises that are in this higher place?"
There needs to be much teaching about finishing our journeys. We all know how to get saved. We know Jesus as the Author of our salvation. What about His title as "Finisher" of our faith? Not many realize that Jesus must also strengthen us to WALK after we are saved. We are saved by faith. That’s commonly understood. But what about "walking by faith," or "living by faith?" Most people think they must fend for themselves when it comes to fleshly battles.
Many think that living by faith is simply trusting God for food on the table when you have no money. No. Living by faith is defined as being freed from fleshly failures through repeatedly calling upon God. And it is then believing that God will move in and take control to free you from whatever binds you down.
We are meant to go to God for the deliverance from fleshly battles. We cannot be delivered from flesh, itself. But we can be delivered from the battles of the flesh -- only if we call on God for help, though. This is how we believe our way to victory. This is how we overcome our weaknesses.
Moses and the Jews came to the Red Sea. Joshua and the Jews came to Jordan. Both times the barriers were breached by God’s power, not their own. Moses said, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." Too many people can’t stand still because they have never learned to wait on God to see the miracle after they pray. Their flesh is too fidgety. In fact many don’t know they’re supposed to call on God and wait for deliverance. There’s too much unbelief. Not much understanding. Its hard to stand still and wait for God when we have taken things into hand so many times, ourselves.
This is what is meant when Isaiah wrote, "They that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength..."
After you submit to God by putting the battle into His hands, you then feel the energizing of His Spirit. And you can then move on to resisting the devil. First submit. Then resist.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Without submission to God we are bait for the devil.
Then we read, after this verse, "Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you."
Go on in to victory!
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