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Dying defines resurrection for us. Thank God, otherwise we don’t discern it. In what way define it? It removes everything that is not resurrection, leaving only the “big one”—ww-33/resurrection. What things does it remove?
First, it destroys anything that places me outside of God’s immediate presence, since resurrection implies being alive unto God, (Romans 6:11). Yah, all the feel-alone and can’t-find-Him stuff, are found prior to my death and resurrection, because, right now, in the big scheme, I am forever in His presence.
“Well, I don’t feel Him,” it is said. Old feelings feel only pre-death experiences, is why. We don’t need these aged emotions to be with God. They died. We get new ones that respond to post-cross experiences and happen automatically.
Job knew God by the hearing of the ear, and now his eyes see Him. Are you struggling to hear something? Does hearing make God real? When we see God we don’t need feelings or hearing. We are not trying to find Him, nor struggling to hear him, but no, we live in the perpetual state of having been found by Him. Then we hear Him with new ears and respond with new joy.
Job, before his conversion, looked on the left hand, and behind, and before, but could not find God. (Job 23:8). “He hides on the right hand that I cannot see Him.” Job, at this point in his terrible trial, frantically searched for God. However, he observed correctly about the “right hand” phenomena, because later he found God on this right hand, in His secret place.
When Jesus was resurrected, He ascended and sat down at the Father’s right hand. Get it? He rose and sat down there, and forever sits, till all enemies become His footstool. The meaning— “It is Finished” folks, the work is complete. So, when we sit, we find Him.
Sin consciousness messes it up also. Do we live in that, or Hebrews 10:2-3? Folks think they have a lot of sin and God can’t fellowship with sin. No, but He took sin on His own body on the tree, and became the one and only Scapegoat for sin, Jesus Himself; and sin was led away to a land uninhabited. Yes, sin separates our inner consciousness from God, but now sin has been dealt with, l don’t live in a consciousness of it, because I am accepted in the Beloved. Sin has died and so has the old self-consciousness.
Wait, what about when I really commit sins, does He not go away? Little children—if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. O yes, agree with God about the sin, as in (1John 1:9), but move on after this. Don’t walk around in guilt because “if our heart condemns us, God is greater then our heart.” (1John 3:20.) We don’t have to, the old conscience died too, and the old heart. Again we get new ones.
Next, I am dead to the Law, and married to another. This is Romans 7:4. I am not trying to earn favor with God. My will power will not access God. If I try this, I won’t find Him. The old will died and a new one born. Favor is mine as a gift.
In closing, Does the world control us? Trends, styles, customs, culture or taboos rule me? Paul said I am crucified to this world and this world to me. (Galatians 6:14) Forget what is past? How? Well, past has all been wiped out at death, amen. Living in the past limits my ability to live in the present Presence of God.
So lets summarize. Resurrection is defined by these parameters: Old feelings become abstract, old strivings and old listenings also. Sin, sins, law and the world are crucified to us. Old man mind, will, conscience and self-consciousness get the boot also. The past is removed in resurrection life, memory of sins and failures went with it as the blood of Christ erased it all except fragranced memories.
In Galatians 2:20 my old natural faith gives way to “the faith of the Son of God. My old ego met its ending.
Finally, there is a throne of grace and some go in and get mercy and grace to help in time of need. Wisdom moves us in there, but understanding moves in there to permanent residence. Not an occasional fix but a lifelong exchange highlights God’s idea!
Friends, we can quit playing in the pre-resurrection stadium, where we can never find God. Let’s get over to the home field, where we never loose Him. Love ya!