You are more than who you think you are
You are more than who you know you are!
What does it take to be a great Christian Spiritual man and a father? It takes one who consistently does not live with or within his/her conscious self alone; a person who lives outside himself or herself, a person who is 100% sure that he/she is a spirit created by God, that lives in a human body, crafted by God his/her maker, like the porter’s hands, who acts like the Holy Spirit, and not like the human flesh.
Genesis 1:26-29
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
In this passage the Lord reminds us that he created us “in his own image”, He said “in our likeness”. The word “Image” in the scripture seem to refer to something one can see, a copy or duplicate of, like a picture, statue, etc. We know who God is. He is not anything like that. He is not physical and He is no man. God is a Spirit. Then God used another word “Likeness” which seem to suggest to something similar but not exactly the same, something qualitative and quantitative, something like a character, and something you can feel with your human senses. Again, we know that God is not physical. He is Spiritual and yet He has a likeness to which man was created. Let relate to humans. If you have a child by his or her image, looks, actions, behaviors and you can look at him or her and say, he or she is like me or like his or her father.
Did you understand that God used two distinct and descriptive adjective to qualify you. “Our image” and “Our likeness”. That means that by His use of the word image, He is referring to resemblance in nature, just like your child resembles you and by likeness, He is referring to His intrinsic values and attributes, your internal state. God is referring to His character which we learn and understood often through Christ and God’s words according to the scriptures; when we search for them. As was revealed in the gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind,” John 1:1-4, we have the image and likeness of God; like whom we were created to be.
If you do not represent by your life, that image and likeness of God of which you are created, the question the Lord have for you today is this! Who are you? Are you the son of God? Do you look like Him? God is asking you, who am I? Who am I, son of man and God? Our Lord Jesus Christ asked Peter, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”… “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:13-20.
Before you answer that, please think also about who God is? Who is God? He is not a flesh and has no form like you, yet He said He created you in His Image and likeness. Why? Because God is a Spirit and He created your spirit first. You can see that in Genesis 1:26, your flesh (physical form) had not been created. God was making plan for your creation. With who? He said let “US” make mankind… Who are us? Who was God referring to as “US”? God was referring to the Holy Trinity. The father was telling His other parts, the Son and the Holy Ghost what He wants them to do; what He wants the Union to do.
God was doing what we call consensus building. One of the tool conflict managers and dispute resolution professional use in conflict resolution is consensus building. God showing us how conflict free He is in His three persons, demonstrates to us a secret tool for building peace and unity persons. In His creation of man, he demonstrates the significance of consensus building as a vital element of peace and unity among men, right from the beginning, from the creation of man. God being consistent, reiterated through Christ in his sermon in the mountain, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9. If you are son of God, those Jesus called children of God, those who are created in image and likeness, seeks peace and unity with each other, as God made us to understand in verse 27, the reading for today, that He created them man and woman. Husband and wife he created them.
Nevertheless, God being all knowing and can do whatever pleases Him seeks consensus with His other equals and persons to create man and woman. His question to you today is this: “Do you even know that you are created a spirit like me first before the flesh? Some people believe that they were created man with the flesh and body form they have. They lack the enlightenment to understand that they were created a spirit and was placed in the flesh/body. The body is not what God created first. He created their spirit first. Just as you live in a house, so did God created the spirit man and placed him in a house called the flesh/body. That why God reminded us that we are the temple of God, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 3:16. I will get back there later.
Let us go back to who you are at the time you were formed in the womb; at your creation. God just wants you to know that everything is settled first in the spirit, in God’s form and that is the man God created first. But why? God said right from His planning and consensus building with His other parts in Genesis 1:26, “so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock etc. …. This plan was executed in the spirit nature as you can see that man was created immediately after His plan was hatched and verse 27 confirms that God’s plan manifested physically after he was created in spirit. To the physical man, God repeated His instructions in details in verses 27-30. Take a minute of silence to meditate on the words we read today in Genesis 1:26-30 and try to connect with your creator, allow His Holy Spirit to connect with your spirit and minister to your spirit and your body.
You can see that in verse 28, God instructed them to be fruitful… It was after creating the spiritual man, then, the flesh man, that He gave him the ability, authority, and power to become a father through the bearing of the fruit—becoming of a father does not come before becoming a man that God created in His image and likeness; the holy man. God created them man and woman, through divine union first. What do we have today? We have a lifestyle of becoming a father or a mother first before becoming a man or a woman and before becoming husband and wife.
To have more enlightenment in the creation of things in the spirit form first before the physical form, let us go to Genesis 2:4-9
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Look at verse 5 again and see that “No shrub had yet appeared” even though it was stated in Genesis 1:9-13 ————– the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
You can see that God created the vegetation including the shrubs referred in in Gen. 2:5 on the second but it did not yet appear until the 6th day when God was ready to create man, and He had not send the rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. However, God had seen in His Spirit the form of the vegetation which He created on the second day. His creation manifested in the sixth day. Then God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being.
You can also see that the vegetation God created on the 2nd day did not come to be until the 6th day. God made prepared the ground with water coming from under the ground, wet the ground and God used the dust to form the man and breathed the spirit man he created into the dust man and he became a living being. So the Spirit man lives in the dust man, the spirit man is the one who came into the dust man that became flesh when God breathed His Spirit into it. From God breathing His spirit into the dust man he formed, He gave life to man. That is why your body is the temple of God and God lives in your body in which He had breathed life into, because His Son and Spirit lives in it. If God, His Son, and Holy Spirit does not live in your body, you are simply a dust, the work of a master potter, that is just going to live and die, to become a dust, without achieving your purpose, you have no source of God, then very open for the devil to occupy and use. They are the ones asking foolish questions and working against you in everything you do. Hear the Lord speak, “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? Isaiah 29:16.
If God made plan with His other parts, and forms consensus about what He wants to do, if God even though He can do what he wants but agrees with His Son and His Spirit about his plan before making decision to create man, how many of you live like God in whose image and likeness you were created. Do you listen to your spirit man that lives in your body, do you take time to consult with your spirit man and seek consensus, come to agreement with the spirit man, then consult with the Spirit of God, which was breathed into you the day you were formed, do you consult with the Son of God with which you have been sealed for the day of redemption through his Holy Spirit, which you received when you became born-again or do you just do whatever your mind tells you to do, you listen to your flesh man, your mind which rules over the flesh-man and ignores the spirit man, and the spirit of God, and the son of God. Do you make plan with your other parts who is in you and in whom you are one through Christ or do you plan alone in the mind of the flesh-man and yet you complain why your prayers are not answered, your plans fall apart and do not yield you the profit you expected, you wonder why your life is falling apart, why you are not succeeding in what you are doing? If you are in unity with your other parts, and yet did not get the unmerited favor granted to you through grace, then, be steadfast because the Lord is with you, be patient in your perseverance because after that comes the blessing that God had prepared for you, James 1:2-8. The Lord said, “13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 3:13-18.
Let us bring it home! Those that are married and therefore united to become one, did you truly become one with your spouse, and do you seek consensus with him/her, do you consult with him/her, even though you are the man or woman and can do what you want of your God given freewill? Do you consult with your spouse, do you seek consensus, and do you seek agreement before making your decision? If you are not married or at your job, do you have necessary consultation or do you just do whatever you want because it is your right to do so?
You that is father or mother, even though that you can do what you want with your child, do you consult your child or seek consensus or give them choices and let them ? As God saw your need for help and created Eve so that she can be your helper, how much are you preemptive, seek to identify the needs of those in your household, and provide them their needs?
Those that are employers or employees, do you treat your employees or employers with as such consideration as God has shown you, by providing your need; by taking a piece of your rib to create Eve? First God took a piece and in return, He gave you a whole. How much do you consider your employees or employer who take a piece of your revenue or time and in return make you whole so that it will be well with you? Do you seek consensus, do you seek agreement with your employees or employer?
The spirit man will obey the word of God in Ephesians 6:4 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
The spirit man is the one who obeys the word of God in Romans 13:7 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
The spirit man surrenders to the authority of Him who gave him life, in Whose Spirit he was created, in Whose image and likeness he was created to live, in whose Son his salvation depends. Such a man is the one we call a Godly man, like Abba, the great One who provides for you according to your needs, so you shall provide for your children, wife, and family, Matthews 7:7-9.
Continue next time and rephrase below messages
What Promises has been made to all spiritual men (man & woman)?
The promises are too many to recount. The Lord speaking through Paul said; “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’— the things God has prepared for those who love him”. 1 Corinthians 2:9. In context with my earlier discussion about Spiritual man, Isaiah 64:4-9 brings to us the good news. In the midst of our sinful nature, all we need to do is to return back to Him. God comes to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember his ways. God reminded us His ways in the last sermon about His creation of us in His image and likeness. “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Verse 8. Do not be the one to say to the Porter, you did not make me!
If we continue to be the Flesh-man, how can we be saved? To live in the flesh; the body that carries our spiritual man, we become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. When this happens, no such person who calls on His name or strives to lay hold of Him will see Him. God will hide His face from you. God would have given you over to your sins. As I had said earlier, His spirit will leave your body. For those that return to God, His promises will be fulfilled in them.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the following promises among uncountable others will follow those of you who are a spiritual person. God will supply every need you have. From the authority of His words, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Amen! Philippians 4:19. Receive my brethren this particular promise, God obligated Himself to your needs and not your wants or what the Lord called trivialities (pleasures). You know what your needs are; food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation through Jesus Christ etc. In your prayers, you must not ask wrongly, you must ask for the right reasons. Even though God knows your needs, you must still ask. God is asking you today to ask for those needs and His promises will manifest in your life. James 4:3.
God’s promise to you is going to come to pass but you have to believe that His grace is sufficient in you. Even in the moment of your weakness our Lord Jesus is saying to you right now that; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. His promises are unmerited favor; and it does not come from religiosity. He has made provision for your salvation through His grace that comes through your faith. Although you must work hard for your salvation but working hard does not produce salvation. Working hard produces good faith which is required for His unmerited grace. You must have faith that His Grace will save you. As was written; “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10.
You are being reminded that you are the work of a master porter, who with Christ created you in the beginning for this purpose. The promises God made did not exclude suffering and pains. It is not only in good times. It is also in bad times. God’s promises of unmerited favor; His grace through faith, and faith through works is for the good times and the bad times. It calls for an obedient faith. Always be obedient to Him in all things and situations.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:2.
God also promised that His children can never be overtaken by temptation. All we are required to do is to stand firm. God will ensure that we are protected. As was written in His promises, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13. Temptation which is common to man should not make you afraid. You should be afraid of not getting right back up and embrace Christ with sorrow in your heart.
The promises of God’s protection cannot be undermined by any person or power. You as a spiritual person have a part to play to save those who are under temptation. Together, God’s promised protection will be preserved for His Glory. As was written in the God’s promises,
“But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ [Flesh-man; mine] These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit [Spirit-man; mine]. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude:17-24.
If you remember Darius, King of the Medes,
” So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’ Daniel answered, ‘May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.’ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: ‘May you prosper greatly! ‘I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.’” (Daniel 6:16-26).
God has promised a spiritual man victory over death. By the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, We have overcome death. Through Jesus Christ we live. As written in God’s promises, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.” Acts 2:32. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. Through Jesus Christ, we have gained victory over all things; including death. 1 Corinthians 15 as a whole is an interesting reading.
God in His promises for you assured you that through the sharing of your abundance with one another, God’s promises are fulfilled,
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-11.
God also said, “So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’” Mark 9:23. Furthermore, to the calling you received as a child and servant of the Lord, God promised that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
Let us not forget that God in His promises assured us that all things work together for good of those who love and faithfully serve Him. Romans 8:28. After Christ’s resurrection, he made promises to us,
“’Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.’ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:16-19.
God in His promises has promised us eternal life. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.
May God through today’s message enrich you with His promises both now and forever, in Jesus name I pray, amen.
1 Kings 22 Micaiah prophesied against Ahab, God sends an Angel as deceiving spirit to confuse the prophets of Ball to advice Ahab wrongly, also see 2 Chronicle 18,
2 Kings 6:12- God reveals hidden things to you
2 Kings 1—Ahaziah sent 3 sets of 50 troops of soldiers to Elijah, Elijah commands fire to come down from heaven and consume the
2 Kings 2:42-… Elisha commanded called out bear to tear apart 42 youth mocking his looks and old age related features
Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42 Jesus spoke about tithe
Matthew 23:1-end– The Seven Woes
Mk 3:28-30 — Sin against the holy Ghost