See for more themes.
| Q11: Ch:17. Nicodemus.. Show the Desire of Ages is inspired..
(1) The flesh mind verses the spirit mind.. Jesus continued: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."By nature the heart is evil, and "who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." Job 14:4. Nohuman invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for itis not subject (huptasso) (subdued) "surrendered" to the law (torah) "teachings" of God, neither indeed can be." "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Rom. 8:7; Matt. 15:19. Thefountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reachheaven by his own works in keeping the law (torah) "following the teachings of Jesus alone" is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for onewho has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification orimprovement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new lifealtogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. Ge 2:7 does not indentify the "breath of life", but other verses do:- Ge 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath (ruwach) "Holy Spirit" of life(chay) "life force from Father", from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. Notice the poetry parallel when two breaths of life are mentioned, the first is the broken relationship of the life force with the Father, dying daily we die, and the second is the breath of salvation from the Father, daily living we live for eternity:- Job 33:4 The Spirit (ruwach) "Holy Spirit" of God (el) "Strong Authority" hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty (Shadday) "Holy Spirit" hath given me life (chayah) "carrying the Father's salvation".(KJV) With the first natural birth, the relationship of the Father via the Holy Spirit living inside us is broken and so daily dying we die. Another heavenly power over powers us, Satan, and we live according to the propensities we make habits to, and so we are found missing the powers of GOD daily...in other words we sin and transgress the principles of love. The second miracle birth, like the first birth, is the Father's life force via the Holy Spirit is imparted to the person because of Jesus, who is salvation in Personal Power, comes into our hearts and restores the relationship of Divinity, thus all our living and all our powers come from the relationship, not from human powers alone. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject (huptasso) (subdued) "surrendered" to the law of God, neither indeed can be." The flesh mind, has a broken relationship with GOD, and cannot allow GOD to subdue our nature, because we are all alone (so to speak) without a true relationship living inside us. The relationship is dead, and only "self" lives there with "Satanic agencies". He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law (teachings of J esus) is attempting an impossibility. You cannot reach heaven via the teachings of Jesus by doing what the teachings say, but having no relationship with GOD...you are alone, with "self"...there is no relationship...and thus all your doing is dead...you are pretending to be married but have no relationship to a Partner...or you are whoring around but not married to a relationship with a single Partner in love. Only a true relationship restored to GOD, you and Jesus, will such a daily power of Jesus flow...and your marriage will begin and end with Jesus...Only by abiding daily in Him, in marriage, do you remain faithful to His power that flows through you to His glory.. love cannot flow from lone souls, love is generated by relationship...We must have a true relationship with GOD and thus Jesus will love with us, and His power will flow out of us, as we enjoy His relationship... The teachings of Jesus are about His relationship with you...sadly many see the "law" as "commandments"...and for babes beginning to walk they are, but for the mature, they are principles of love, when we walk hand in hand with Jesus. Shalom For more, see SOP proving the "law" is about two stages, first the "commandments" are defined by transgressions and secondly the relationship to GOD is empowered as princples of love. See SOP define sin (2) The second birth.. Nicodemus was still perplexed, and Jesus used the wind to illustrate His meaning: "The wind blowethwhere it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither itgoeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit."The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves and flowers; yet it is invisible,and no man knows whence it comes or whither it goes. So with the work of the Holy Spirit upon theheart. It can no more be explained than can the movements of the wind. A person may not be able totell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the process of conversion; but this doesnot prove him to be unconverted. By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly workingupon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend todraw the soul to Christ. These may be received through meditating upon Him, through reading theScriptures, or through hearing the word from the living preacher. Suddenly, as the Spirit comes withmore direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is called sudden conversion;but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God,--a patient, protracted process The Spirit of Prophecy describes "surrender" as a process, something GOD does in you, if you let Him. When a Seed of Jesus is placed in the Soil of Souls, (3) The mystery of redemption.. While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spiritupon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit ofGod takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds arerenounced; love , humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place ofsadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, orbeholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrendersitself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God.It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption. Its mystery exceeds humanknowledge; yet he who passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality. The beginning ofredemption we may know here through a personal experience. Its results reach through the eternal ages.While Jesus was speaking, some gleams of truth penetrated the ruler's mind. The softening, subduinginfluence of the Holy Spirit impressed his heart. Yet he did not fully understand the Saviour's words. It is impossible to understand GOD's work of redemption in us, but sadly many try and speak of things they should not, such as the imparted and imputed righteousness of Jesus, whatever those terms mean.Also we should leave justification and sanctification definitions alone as well. Instead spend time seeking Jesus. Leave the difficult things alone. Keep salvation simple. Which it really is, a relationship with Jesus. A faviourite saying of mine :- Ps 131:1 .... neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrendersitself to God. Here SOP uses the term "surrender" rather than "subdue" because the term "subdue" means to allow GOD to walk over us and take control...but we humans have to allow this process to happen, hence the term "surrender".This is not something we do to ourselves, it is something GOD does, we just have to allow it to happen, hence "we allow GOD to subdue us" or in fewer words "we surrender". Notice the SOP says "While Jesus was speaking, some gleams of truth penetrated the ruler's mind. The softening, subduinginfluence of the Holy Spirit impressed his heart." The SOP equates the Hebrew term "subdue" with the English term "surrender". It is a work of the Holy Spirit during the second birth process. Read through the whole of Psalm 51, the picture of the second birth is here, and notice that there is no mention of subdue or surrender, but there is a process pictured here. Ps 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God (elohiym), according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions (pesha). David starts as a babe pleading for mercy because of his transgressions..he has broken rules and trampled upon God's laws.. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity (avon) "guilt", and cleanse me from my sin (chattaah) "sin-offering". David's guilt is confessed unto a sin-offering, who is a symbol of Jesus, and David knows this aspect of salvation..as we will see in this Psalm later.. 3 For I acknowledge (yada) "know" my transgressions (pesha): and my sin (chattaah) "sin-offering" is ever before me. David knows his transgression, but His sin-offering is daily before him... 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned (chata), and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (tsadaq) "straightened" when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Notice David is wanting back th e RELATIONSHIP, against thee have I missed (chata), notice he does NOT use transgressions (pesha), he speaks maturely, not as a babe, David wants the relationship restored, he wants GOD straightened, not himself, he wants GOD to judge. Many people assume GOD straightens us, but David is praying for a relationship restored, so GOD is straightened... notice the difference.. 5 Behold, I was shapen(chuwl) "brought forth in child birth" in iniquity (avon) "guilt"; and in sin (chet) "noun of chata" or "completed missing" did my mother conceive me. David speaks of his birth beginning with his mother making David's birth one of trickery, or completed missing..his mother tricked her husband to have sex with her..as her husband despised her.. In order to see the horrible conditions of David�s birth we need to see behind 'the holy writings' to other Jewish writings that describe the life of David and his mother. Source: Nitzevet, Mother of David The Bold Voice of Silence, By Chana Weisberg. See the Author's study of Scripture, defining sinning. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Despite David's epi-genetics formed by his Mother's sinning, David longs for a deeper restoration that only God can provide.. 7 � Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. David asks for the mystery of salvation...that God does in us...David wants GOD to subdue him.. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. David asks for the joy of forgiveness.. 9 Hide thy face from my sins (chata) "missing", and blot out all mine iniquities (avon) "guilt". Finally David confesses his broken relationship and guilt that spoils his relationship to GOD, and David wants back the relationship. 10 Create (bara) "engineer" in me a clean heart, O God (elohiym) "heavenly powers flow"; and renew a right spirit (ruwach) "Holy Spirit" within me. Here is the second birth, being prayed for, David wants a created renewed character from GOD that comes via the Holy Spirit. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit (ruwach) from me. Notice the relationship is prayed for, the agency of relationship exactly mentioned by name : the Holy Spirit. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation (yesha) "Jesus is called Yeshua"; and uphold me with thy free spirit (character of Jesus via the Holy Spirit). Now notice the details inside "elohiym" the personal Being "yesha" and the "free" spirit or "Free character" of Jesus comes to us via the Holy Spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. When this relationship is restored, David promises to witness and tell others.. 14 � Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God (elohiiym), thou God (elohiym) of my salvation(tashuw`ah) "related to Jesus on the cross as our salvation": and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. Yeshua on the cross (t) hence the word "tashuwah" is Jesus bringing his righteousess to us... 15 O Lord (adonay) "LORD JESUS", open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. Here Jesus is named in the OT as "Adonay"...David knew this... See studies proving that Jesus is "Adonay". 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. David realizes that human works cannot secure salvation from Jesus, even the ceremonial works do not bring salvation for David... Only that which David cannot offer, unless David dies himself, his own broken character must die, something a human alone cannot do, otherwise his flesh also dies.. David realizes the limitations of human works do not bring salvation... 17 The sacrifices of God (elohiym) are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God (elohiym), thou wilt not despise. The process of salvation begins with RELATIONSHIP begins...when GOD breaks your old character and creates a renewed relationship of character in us. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Finally David places "human works" where they are: a response to GOD doing love in us, and we "with human works" response to that love... not to secure our salvation, but because we are saved by the RELATIONSHIP we continue to grow in. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.(KJV) Only when we understand LOVE is relationship with GOD, do our works show our love response, that GOD is pleased with our fruits of HIM in us. Did you catch the second birth process? This is the only place in the Holy Writings where such details are clearly spelled out, not even the New Testament details the second birth...only the former teachings of Jesus does...the latter teachings of Jesus, like the latter rain are a testimony to Jesus living in you.God bless your reading and reading of this wonderful Psalm of salvation. (4) The trap of legalism.. While they weresticklers for the letter of the law, they were constantly violating its spirit. Their great need was that verychange which Christ had been explaining to Nicodemus,--a new moral birth, a cleansing from sin, anda renewing of knowledge and holiness. There was no excuse for the blindness of Israel in regard to the work of regeneration. Under theinspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah had written, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all ourrighteousnesses are as filthy rags." David had prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew aright spirit within me." And through Ezekiel the promise had been given, "A new heart also will I giveyou, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and Iwill give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in Mystatutes." Isa. 64:6; Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26, 27. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must theSon of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."Here was ground with which Nicodemus was familiar. The symbol of the uplifted serpent made plainto him the Saviour's mission. When the people of Israel were dying from the sting of the fiery serpents,God directed Moses to make a serpent of brass, and place it on high in the midst of the congregation.Then the word was sounded throughout the encampment that all who would look upon the serpentshould live. The people well knew that in itself the serpent had no power to help them. It was a symbolof Christ. Read through Psalm 51 again, and ask yourself, what is salvation ? Is salvation a process by which humans are empowered by "elohiym" alone?Or is salvation an eternal Being called Jesus, a relationship...Jesus and the Father,The Father and the Holy Spirit, and finally Elohiym with Mankind. If you never see "salvation" (yeshua) as a Personal Being, you will never see The Relationship that saves. Do not ask, what can I do to be saved ? Pray, Lord Jesus, now that you have saved me, we are a relationship, what can I do for you? Washing dishes as a child is a humble task, because our parents want us to grow in their love, but we children grow in selfishness instead...We assume our little works earn us the right for our parents attention, but our parents love us despite our works..If there is no joy in childish works, then it is clearly not based on parental love, but human selishness.Parents could easily wash the dishes themselves, but this does not train a child to respond to love... love is relational...(God could have easily granted Jesus to us for our salvation, without His teachings, but than there would be nothing for humans to respond to, to allow love to be demonstrated...there would be no human response...) so children need little tasks of love to do as their response to parental love but often children grow up living alone, and this means their power is based on selfishness. Our parents are a figure of "elohiym" and our understanding of salvation and love comes from examples such as our parents.Sadly many homes are filled with legalism, human powers alone...even the so called good ones in religion are nothing but legalism, that means nothing to GOD. For more, see a study of "baal" , the Hebrew word that means "master", a person doing and living as he or she pleases. (5) Look for Jesus in His words and live.. We must look and live. Nicodemusreceived the lesson, and carried it with him. He searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for thediscussion of a theory, but in order to receive life for the soul. He began to see the kingdom of heavenas he submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same way as the chief of sinners. ThanChrist, "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts4:12. Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Saviour. It earns nothing. It is thehand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannoteven repent without the aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of Christ, "Him hath God exaltedwith His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness ofsins." Acts 5:31. Repentance comes from Christ as truly as does pardon.How, then, are we to be saved? "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," so the Son of manhas been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live."Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the Page 176 world." John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us toHimself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for thesins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in thesoul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience t o the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, arecreated anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Notice the SOP begins with the word "submit"and ends with the word "subdue"... this is the same process of surrender, when we allow GOD to come into our lives in a relationship to walk with us and control us, with a partnered relationship that creates a partnered character, that makes GOD straight again.Than we delight to do His will, we love to acknowledge the 'straightness of GOD' and His ways are true and good for us. (6) The soul soil receives Seed Jesus.. But Jesus was acquainted with the soil into which He cast the seed. The words spoken at night to onelistener in the lonely mountain were not lost. For a time Nicodemus did not publicly acknowledgeChrist, but he watched His life, and pondered His teachings. In the Sanhedrin council he repeatedlythwarted the schemes of the priests to destroy Him. When at last Jesus was lifted up on the cross,Nicodemus remembered the teaching upon Olivet: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth Page 177 in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Everything for a divine power flow is packaged in the SEED, and thus Jesus begins to grow in your life...You need only receive th Seed, and wait in faith and hope for the Seed to germinate and begin it's flow of power each day in your life.As the Seed of Jesus begins and grows, you will want to feed the seedling with more of Jesus words (food for the relationship) and pray for the Holy Spirit (water for the relationship) so the relationship can endure the tribulation of the day (enduring the quickening process of the Father's light without fainting), but every day we grow and do in relationship until we are exhausted and faint, so we wilt and rest a while while taking up more food and water for the relationship that promises a walk of joy, endurance and patience. This Nicodemus experienced, and is something we all can experience. It is not something difficult for us to do. The next chapter of Desire of Ages..we look Jesus speaking to a woman at Jabob's well also seeking salvation... we will discover Jesus presenting His salvation (a verb) to a man and later to on a woman... Many assume salvation or Yasha or Rescue is a "noun" something Jesus does once...but the word is a "verb" the rescuing is daily, every day your character is growing in relationship... and every day your relationship responds to Him... |
Created by Rob Thompson. Hosted since 10/01/2012. Visitors HOSTED by Prologic, my Son. A thin website.
the Seed lies in the dark recesses of sin, but many forces are placed upon it slowly and gradually, and suddenly the Seed bursts into germination and ongoing life begins. 
This process is a mystery, a patient protracted process, when GOD begins in your heart, with His power of relationship with you. O joy ! Shalom 
