God makes all things beautiful in it's time.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A DIAMOND BUT FEW ARE WILLING TO SUBMIT TO THE CUTTING PROCESS. It takes time to cut the perfect facets into a precious stone and we are God's precious jewels. Isaiah 62 1 For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes forth as brightness, and its salvation as a lamp that burns. 2 And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. 3 You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, said the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him. God places a throne, a mantle and a crown for each of us on the top of His mountain and we are called to grow into it because His kingdom is not for babes and toddlers but for those who have been brought to maturity to be placed by the Father in a position of responsibility and authority. WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOD'S SONS WILL ALL PASS UNDER HIS ROD OF DISCIPLINE TO BE BROUGHT INTO FRUITFULNESS AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY. Hebrews 2:10 For it befitted Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare Your name unto My brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I sing praise unto You. 13 And again, I will put My trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children whom God has given Me. We must be taken by the God who is an all consuming fire through a thorough cleansing for us to become a holy and pure revelation of the image of Christ. He says in Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for His own, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you. The Lord God is a holy God and He desires to dwell within a purified, consecrated, devoted and a holy temple of living precious stones precision cut and carefully and skillfully shaped by the master craftsman himself to rise into a suitable habitation for God in whom He shall be glorified. WE ARE CALLED TO BECOME THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD AND TO LAY DOWN OUR IDOLS OF DISTRACTION AND WORLDLY DESIRE. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part has he that believes with an infidel? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Why come out from among them, and be you separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, said the Lord Almighty. Those who desire to be raised up, to be trained in godliness in the way of Jesus Christ to become a praise unto God within the earth and a purified vessel sanctified and equipped for every good work must submit themselves to the purifying fires of seasonal trials in the pressure cooker of the LORD which is the work of the cross through a baptism of suffering - Mark 10:37-39. WE ARE CALLED TO ENDURE UNTIL THE FRUIT OF PATIENCE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MATURITY - James 1:1-4. The Lord declares of His sons and daughters in Malachi 3 1 Behold, I will send My messenger, and He shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who may endure the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appears? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. God says in, Ezekiel 36:23 And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. Isaiah 8:13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. 14 And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.(TRUE FOLLOWERS) 17 And I will wait on the LORD, that hides His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given Me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwells in mount Zion. Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. To become a mature fruitful manifested son and daughter of the living God after the order, the likeness, the similitude yes even the image of Christ the firstborn Son will cause suffering because God is a supernatural God who dwells in a supernatural world and for natural man to be brought into the glorious supernatural world of his God through transition means that we must be taken and transformed out of the old sinful carnal fleshly world in which we use to dwell through a process of transformation like a caterpillar that must undergo a complete metamorphosis within it's cocoon of transition to become a new creation butterfly. The earthy worm (THE FLESH) must undergo death to become a beautiful butterfly that can fly on and enjoy the currents of the wind (THE SPIRIT) Our old man is in enmity against God as the scripture declares in Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. God's solution that deals with the fleshly old man is the cross that Jesus instructed those who desire to become like Him to bare. He never told His disciples to take up His cross. He said in Mat 16:24 If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Why? Because His cross saves us from sin unto salvation whereas our cross delivers us from everything sinful, earthy, sensual, fleshly, carnal and devilish through a circumcision of the heart done by the Spirit of God. Colossians 2:11 In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Jesus is the Great Physician and Word of God that cuts to heal according to Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He is not a legalistic butcher that cuts to kill. WE ARE CALLED TO OVERCOME We receive this Spiritual progressive circumcision much like a surgical operation because the Lord loves us and sin kills and corrupts and destroys us. So God puts us under the knife, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, because He has to renew and purify our hearts and minds to bring us into agreement with the way He thinks and operates. He rescues and delivers us out of a world full of sin and wickedness by which we defiled ourselves. We come out of a world of use and abuse, a world of selfishness, of hurt, of pain, of death and destruction. The carnal world of the old earthy and fleshly man must be taken out of us through major Spiritual surgery which is a very painful process like any major operation because the Lord desires to save us from ourselves and set us free. We discover in the following scripture that the cross we are called to bare as followers of Christ is a powerful weapon by which God delivers His people from the destruction of the flesh. We are commanded by God to arm ourselves with the same mind and attitude of His Son Jesus Christ because the cross is the power of God to set us free. 1 Corinthians 5:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God. As we can see it's not water baptism that crucifies us with Jesus Christ, as Paul declares that Christ sent him not to baptize, it is the Spirit of God through the power of the cross. This is the baptism by His Spirit and fire through the power of the cross of which we also read in Romans 6 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over Him. 10 For in that He died, He died to sin once: but in that He lives, He lives to God. We see the exact same work of the cross in the following scripture and that it's purpose is to live for God and not ourselves. WE ARE COMMANDED TO ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE ARMED AND EMPOWERED THROUGH THE CROSS 1 Peter 4 1 For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. The cross is a Divine weapon that will destroy the kingdom of darkness within you. Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Dying to the selfish and sinful desires of the flesh and everything that distorts our pure devotion to God will cause suffering because the old man that belongs to the natural world is contrary in nature. Paul bemoans this inner conflict and battle in the following scripture. Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I know not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that which I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Paul says that he desires to obey what the word of God requires of us but because he is in a personal battle and struggle with his fallen nature he finds himself enslaved within himself but then he declares that God will deliver and rescue him through His Son Jesus Christ and the work of the cross and we see this in Romans 8 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(WE SUBMIT OURSELVES TO THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH THE POWER OF THE CROSS) 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT BECAUSE HE DESIRES TO SET US FREE) God condemned sin in sinful man through the work and the power of the cross and in the next few verses of Romans 8 we see that as we take up our cross to follow Jesus through the cross we shall find our deliverance and our freedom as He raises us up into a reigning position. If we want to share in His likeness and in His glory then we must submit ourselves to the work and the sufferings of the cross. Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, so that we may be also glorified together.
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