Personal Foundations:
Worldly & Eternal
“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts become burdened by excessiveness and drunkenness and cares and anxieties of life, and that [Judgement] Day comes on you unexpectedly. For as a snare it will come on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Therefore watch always and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)
As we are responsible with our worldly foundation, we must not neglect our eternal foundation in which Jesus implores us to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God”
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Traversing through our lives we strive to live the best we
can by all that is worldly. If responsible, we do not neglect what is needed to
provide for self and family. To be successful requires a worldly foundation to
respond with effective action. As we are responsible with our worldly
foundation, we must not neglect our eternal foundation in which Jesus implores
us to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33)
Yet, what we believe and choose depends on our worldly wisdom, or even a worldly
religion or perhaps no religion. Still, Jesus confronts us not with a religion
but with becoming heirs in the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 3:29, Hebrews
6, 1
Peter 1)
How then can we have the Kingdom of God as our eternal foundation? If we accept
Christ’s challenge to “seek ye first the Kingdom of God,” we must comprehend what
the Kingdom of God is. The Apostle Paul provides this definition: “For the
Kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) So, we are to be “in the Holy
Spirit,” but how?
Jesus had to become sin for us, by the Blood of Christ that redeems us and
provided for the “Promise of the Father,” the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:49,
Acts 2:1-4) Throughout Christ’s entire ministry He proclaimed Holy Spirit as the
“Counselor, Advocate, and Comforter.” (John 14:16) Jesus in addressing the
eternal foundation offered: “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them,
I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
Jesus made clear we must “know” the Father, which is “hid” from our worldly
wisdom and foundation: “I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto
babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things are
delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father;
neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son
will reveal him." (Matthew 11:25-27)
So how does God “reveal these things”
that we may “know” the Father? Job shared this:
“But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them
understanding.” (Job 32:8-10) Jesus said: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all
that I told you.” It is when we are “in the Holy Spirit” that “these things” are
“revealed.” The Disciples were with Jesus three years, yet He declared: "I have
yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He,
the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." (John 16:12-13)
“The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it does not see Him,
neither does it know Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you, and will be
in you.” (John 14:17) “When He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of
God would come, He answered them, ‘The Kingdom of God does not come with
observation. Nor will they say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For remember,
the Kingdom of God is within you.’”
How then are we to be “in the Holy Spirit” and have the Kingdom of God “within
you?” Scripture says we are “created in His image.” (Genesis 1:27) Scripture
reveals the Godhead (Colossians 2:9) is threefold: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(1 John 5:7, John 1:1-3)
Paul describes our whole being is also threefold: “And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Adam did not become a “living being” until God “breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) Paul also
confirms: “There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is
written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [Jesus] was
made a quickening spirit (John 4:24, 6:63) and “…flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:44-50)
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return
unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly I
say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit.’” (John 3:5-6)
“He (Paul) said unto them, ‘Have you received the Holy Spirit since you
believed?’ They said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy
Spirit.’” (Acts 19:2) If we remain worldly, we are but “flesh and blood.” If we
are to seek His Kingdom in the Holy Spirit, we must be “Born Again” of the
Spirit, “born of God.” (John 1:12-13).
Why did God create us? “He did not create it in vain, He formed it to be
inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) “You have created all things, and for Your pleasure
they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) Jesus prayed to the Father: “This
is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) If Jesus also made this clear: “‘I never knew
you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.’ (Matthew 7:21-23) To “know” the
Father and Jesus is “eternal life.” Jesus makes this clear in no uncertain
terms: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth. … It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 4:24, 6:63)
“The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of
the belly.” (Proverbs 20:27)
See also: John 7:37-39, Mark 16:15-20, Acts 2:1-4, 10:44-48,
1
Corinthians 14.
“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this
world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world
is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own
craftiness.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19) The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God
(2 Timothy 3:16) and as Paul and Jesus declared, it is the Holy Spirit that reveals
the Word of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Matthew 11:25-27,
John
17:3)
And after Y’shua came into the region of Caesarea Philippi He was asking His
disciples saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said,
“Some indeed John the Immerser, and others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets.” He said to them, “And who do you say I am?” And Simon Peter said,
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” And Y’shua said to him,
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because, not flesh and blood, but My Father,
the One in the heavens, revealed this to you. And I am saying to you that you
are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build My congregation and gates of Hades
will not prevail against the congregation. (Matthew 16:13-18)
Know also, there is a difference between "receiving" (John 1:12-13) the Holy
Spirit by being Born Again (John 3:3-6) and being Filled or Baptized in the
Spirit (John 1:33, Acts 19:2-7) as evident before after Pentecost. When Jesus was arrested Peter denied Him three
times (Matthew 26:69-75) and after Pentecost: “When they (Sadducees) saw the
boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were illiterate and
uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized that they had been with
Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
Peter's response to "What shall we do?":
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter
and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:37-39)
(Scriptural details of and edification insights are available at
EarsToHear.net.)