How many of you are grownups and still think as a child? Not many I would think. As adults, you are still trying to figure things out, how things work, and what do I have to do to be saved. By doing this, you overcomplicate things and miss the whole point of why Jesus came. If you look at the old testament, Jesus was leading the Israelites to the promise land. “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Jesus was leading them to the promise land, and He is still doing that today if you will follow Him.
The promise land for us today is not physical, but spiritual. In the spirit is where Christ is, and it’s there where we can walk and talk with Him. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Jesus is teaching through Paul that we don’t live according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Living in the spirit is foolish to men, and most of the church. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” When you look at the gospels, Jesus was teaching His disciples to live in the spirit, but they didn’t get it. After Jesus rose from the dead, and they were filled with the spirit, they are now teaching you that you can live from the spirit. It’s a struggle to get to live from the spirit. Your flesh will hate it, but you are to deny yourself. Living in the spirit is the greatest way that you can glorify Father and Jesus. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” God’s will is for you to live in the spirit with Him. Don’t let anything get in your way to the promise land.
I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened to the promise land in the spirit. Like old, we will have to war against anything that will stop us from living in the promise land. The greatest enemy we first have to defeat is ourselves. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Be blessed, my friends.
