2 Corinthians 5 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 For we know that if our tent [earthly body] of this earthly tabernacle [a temporary habitation] were dissolved, we have a building [new body] of God, a house [spiritual body] not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly longing to be clothed upon with our house [spiritual body that clothes the spirit] that is from heaven; 3 So that being clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tabernacle [earthly body] groan, being burdened; not that we want to be unclothed , but to be clothed upon, so that what is mortal might be swallowed up by life. 5 Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest [down payment] of the Spirit.1 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord; 7 For we no longer walk by sight, but by faith.2 8 We are confident, I say, but prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we labor, that whether present or absent we may be acceptable to him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; so that everyone may receive what is due him, according to what he has done in the body, whether it is good or bad.3 [From the word of the Lord within: "Everyone is expecting Jesus to be their excuse. All men are without excuse; if I were silent, they would have an excuse. I've warned them and given them the requirements and preached the exclusions; they should not expect anything else or conclusion. No man is promoted or excused that repeats sin. You are without excuse O man. People must stand the price for their very brazen behavior. The way is clear: listen and obey. There are two things I hate: pride and an excuse for failure."] 11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are clearly visible to God; and I trust we are also clearly visible in your consciences. 12 For we do not recommend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an occasion to glory on our behalf, so that you may have something to answer those who glory in appearances, and not in the heart. 13 For whether we are beside ourselves [out of our mind], it is for God; or whether we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us; because we are convinced that if one died for all, then all were dead. 15 And that he died for all, so that those who live, should not from this time forward live to themselves, but to him who died for them and rose again.4 16 Therefore from this time forward we regard no man according to the flesh; yes, even though we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet from this time forward, we know him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.5 [To be in Christ is to be an entirely new creature; the world and all its things have passed away from your sight. From the Word of the Lord within: "If anyone is standing with a new heart, he is a new creature. To be in Jesus is to be in truth. He who is in my name is part of my body." When you are in Jesus, or in truth, or in his name, you have been freed from even the desire to sin, translated into the kingdom, in union with Him, and sitting with Jesus in heaven under his full control of your words and deeds. Anyone who claims to be in Christ when they are not crucified is taking His name in vain; or doing anything while stating you do it in His name or in the name of Jesus is also taking His name in vain.] 18 And all things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God appeals to you by us. We beg you on Christ's behalf to be reconciled to God. 21 For God has made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |
1 The seal of the Holy spirit is the earnest (down payment) of the final promise -the union that is to come. See the Interim Reward for more. When you have suffered awhile in crucifixion and pass the test(s), Christ will give you more of his Spirit, Oh! Joyous day! That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, [the word of truth is not a book], the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise. Eph 1:12-13. Here is where we hear the good news of our salvation to come and receive the Holy Spirit of promise.
2 Paul said: while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord; We no longer walk by sight, but by faith,(6-7). When you are translated into the Kingdom of Heaven, as Paul and others were, your sight and consciousness are no longer in the dimension of this physical world. The Apostle Paul helps us understand the Kingdom of God within and among us, writing in the Bible's book of Acts: God .. is not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being, (Acts 17:27-28) — but we are not aware of this, because we are in a lower physical dimension. The physical dimension shares the same space as the higher spiritual dimensions; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Eph 4:6. To enter the Kingdom of God within and around us, is to be dramatically translated to the spiritual dimension of consciousness and sight, in union with Christ and God, but walking on earth by the light of God. The world passes away from our sight when the Kingdom is entered. Paul said: We no longer walk by sight, but by obedient faith, (7), as the Spirit of God prompts and leads us. Jesus asked the Father to not take his followers out of the world, but he wanted them to be with him, to see his glory; so we walk on the earth, but our sight is in the Kingdom of Heaven.
3 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; so that everyone may receive what is due him, according to what he has done in the body, whether it is good or bad. Note! Just because you say you believe in Jesus, does not exempt you from judgment, according to your deeds and words. As with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. Every man must pass through the fire: that man's work will be exposed. For the day [of the Lord] will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will try and test every man's work, of what sort it is. 1 Cor 3:13. Christendom falsely teaches that whoever believes in Jesus will not be judged, will not have to pass through the fire — which is one of their many lies and severely contradicts scripture, which they profess to be their rule and judge.
4 to live to Christ. What does that mean? Titus 2:13-14, gives us more understanding of why he wants us to live to Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawless deeds, and purify for himself his own peculiar people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14. This zeal for good works can change the world; consider the accomplishments of the short outbreak of the true church again in the 17 Century by the early Quakers. From the Summary of George Fox's Life and the History of the Early Quakers:
Under Fox's leadership, the early Quakers initiated social reforms that are still beneficial to us today. They forced prices to be marked in stores, rather than all pricing being negotiable, even for food and clothing. They reformed the treatment of the mentally insane from being chained in dungeons. They initiated education for women in the trades. They provided rest homes for the aged, unable to work. In 1688, Pennsylvania Quakers passed an anti-slavery resolution in their colonial governing body, initiating slavery's long demise in America. Their suffering and patient appeals to the governments resulted in religious toleration and freedom throughout Europe. Their ideals even influenced the United States Constitution in its separation of powers, the separation of Church and State, and the United States Bill of Rights, (William Penn's Frame of Government for Pennsylvania implemented a democratic system with full freedom of religion, freedom from unjust imprisonment, fair trials, elected representatives of the people in power, and a separation of powers. Ahead of his time, Penn also submitted a written plan for a United States of Europe.)
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The Quaker colony of Pennsylvania was first sought by George Fox, twenty years before William Penn made it a reality. In France and on the continent of Europe the great men and writers seized upon The Holy Experiment of Pennsylvania as the most remarkable occurrence of the age. Voltaire was delighted, and from that time he loved the Quakers; and even thought of going to Pennsylvania to live among them. To these men, brought up under the Roman version of Christianity and accustomed to the atrocities and horrors inflicted by Cortez and Pizarro on the natives of South America, the thought of Christians keeping their promises inviolate for forty years with heathen Indians was idealism realized. It was like refreshment in a great weary desert of previous Christian failures.
5 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. When you become a new creature, you enter a new dimension. From the word of the Lord within: "The new life is as radically different as a man who has lived underground his whole life, suddenly coming above ground to see the sun, the sky, the plants, the animals, the wind, the stars" — all things have become new, and he no longer sees the underground; old things have passed away. In his Journal, George Fox described it as follows:
Now I came up in spirit, through the flaming sword, into the paradise of God. All things were new, and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness, innocence, and righteousness,..
You see from an entirely different dimension, which shares the same physical space; but you see with the eyes of God. You walk by faith, not by the light of the sun or moon; you walk as God directs you with his sight and words, and in faith you obey.
- And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever. 1 John 2:17. So the world with its lusts and passions disappear together, crucified by the aid of the Spirit. After we are purified, Christ returns to establish his Kingdom within us, and the world as we know it disappears. We enter a different dimension — paradise or the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have [past tense for some then already] come. 1 Cor 10:11
- But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise,
and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 2 Pet 3:10-12
(Peter here is saying to those not yet in the Kingdom: the day of the Lord is coming soon; be obedient; be holy in conduct; be godly to get ready. This is not 2000 years later.
As the eyes of Adam and Eve opened to this dimension, dropping them out of paradise, this is the eyes being closed as one is being restored. As a purified Christian goes back into paradise, this dimension disappears in a roar as though the heavens and elements melt in burning; it is like a tent stretched over them dissolves. Think about it. How else could being transformed into another dimension be described 2000 years ago?
Now notice, not only the earth burns up, but the works. This is man's judgment, and a purified Christian eagerly goes into this burning light, the consuming fire, because his works were prompted by the Holy Spirit, and will be preserved. But on the normal death of an unpurified man, he hates the light and all his works are burned up. And this coming, this judgment, this end of the earth, this melting of the heavens — was coming — so 2000 years ago they were told by Peter to look for and hasten that day.)
To be in Christ is to be an entirely new creature; the world and all its things have passed away from your sight. From the Word of the Lord within: "If anyone is standing with a new heart, he is a new creature."
John also explains who is in Christ: whoever obeys his spoken words [obeys the Lord's commands spoken to him], truly the love of God is perfected in him; by this we know that we are in him. 1 John 2:5. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12. Notice, this is to be "in Christ" — to have the love of God perfected in you. Paul further explains who is in Christ: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:1. If you are walking after the impulses of the flesh, walking according to your own carnal mind, you are not in Christ Jesus. You cannot please God living according to the impulses of the flesh. Rom 8:8. To walk through life according to your own mind is worse than worshipping idols because you have made yourself god. To walk according to your own mind is exactly what Satan promised Adam and Eve — they would be like God and know good and evil; they would be able to decide for themselves what was good and what was bad. Their first decision was that they were naked and that was bad. When you walk according to your own mind, you are making your own decisions, based on your selfish rationalizations — at best, you are capable of only making the least evil decision; without God's direction, you have no idea what to do that is his will and truly good. You cannot still be in the flesh, still sinning, walking after the flesh, and be in Christ; they are mutually exclusive conditions. To believe differently, supposes that Christ embraces sin within his bodily members, supposes that he would join in a marriage to a sinful person, to suppose that light fellowships with darkness, and righteousness with unrighteousness. But those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with its passions and desires [lusts and affections]. Gal 5:24
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