Be True

Now the one joined to the Lord is one spirit.*

This word for joined means to join, associate with, cling to; (pass.) to be united. Jesus is the Truth and the Spirit is of truth so to be joined in Spirit is to be joined in truth. The concept of being united in Spirit exists because in Christ we are born of Spirit, we exist a new creation, co-heirs with Christ, joined together with Him in Spirit. And we exist the temple of the Holy Spirit, as we exist of Spirit. As partakers of God's divine nature we are indebted to righteousness not to the sinful nature we once existed. In comparison, as the old covenant temple existed on a corrupt earth so we exist a temple of God in a corrupt body. It is not I who died and was crucified with Christ, it was the old man that died and it is I the new man being raised into newness of Life, therefore I exist a new creation joined, united in Spirit. To know your identity in Christ is to live to your true self, to be true.

Not knowing that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ making a member of a prostitute? Not so!*

If I join myself with another person in marriage consummated in the bond of sex, I exist one in body with this person. We see this concept in scripture, to not care for the one I have become one with is to not care for my own body. Truly this is an issue of identity. If I am joined in covenant with Christ I exist one Spirit with Him. To not care for his body is to not care for Christ. The body of Christ is joined together in one Spirit as Paul writes we are living stones being built together into a Temple of God. This is God's workmanship created beforehand thus we can't forsake God's work, the growth of each individual member, for corporate growth of some organization, no, this is not how the body grows, but increasing in faith building itself up in agape love. 

The one freedom Christ frees us; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.*

Peter writes going back to sin is like a pig being cleansed then afterwards goes back to wallow in the mud again. More so it is submitting to slavery again or being overpowered by evil. We are set free in Christ, not to use this freedom as an opportunity to serve the flesh and its desires but to serve one another in love. This is a true sign of growth in the Church, it serves one another in love, not as some cooperate structure focused on numerical growth forsaking one another as some falsely do. We are free in Christ from the sinful nature and we are obligated to our true nature, righteousness, thus if I live in sin against my true nature I exist in a wretched state and I have again submitted myself to slavery.  If Christ forgave sin once and for all then surely there is no condemnation in Christ as all my sin has been forgiven, there is no need again for a continued sacrifice for forgiveness of sin. And since sin abounded under the Law, as the sinful nature was weak to fulfill God's laws, I am no longer bound to the Law. Christ nailed the commandments that were adverse to us to the cross, and we are bound in covenant with Christ.

All for me, however not all helpful. All things for me, but I will not be overpowered under someone.*

To be overpowered by someone is to be enslaved to them. If you have ever been enslaved to something, whether it is fear, an addiction, you understand what it is to be overpowered by it. These are the things that Christ died to set us free from, and He says this when we struggle with such things, saying did not I die for this? And truly we are set free if only we believe, but we see the need to grow, so that we increase in faith, becoming fully convinced that what God says about us, our true identity, and what he has promised, to work out all things for our good, he will do. The solution to sin is to abide in truth, then you will know the truth, and be set free. It is an amazing concept that all things are lawful for me, there is no condemnation, but there are things that are not beneficial to me, these things like sin so easily entangles us, weighing us down, keeping us from living in true freedom and life in Christ. 

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.*

The things that might be lawful to us but are against our true nature of righteousness will defile the conscious before God. It is not that God separates himself from us, because we sinned, as some would say because he is so holy, no, our sin has been forgiven and he doesn't count it against us. There is no fear and condemnation from God, this is a spirit of fear from the devil, introduced into the Church because of incorrect teaching. For those in Christ the wage of sin is not death, as in Christ we receive the gift of eternal Life. Death has no sting nor victory. But there exist concepts; sin weighs us down, it is not beneficial to us, and there is sin that defiles us. Also there is the concept of partaking from the altar of demons, a defiling of the consciousness by demonic activity and another through sexual immortality that defiles the body, the consciousness. So we see the concept that evil wages war against our soul, it easily does so through a carnal mind, bringing into captivity to sin,. But as Paul writes, it is not you, not who you are in Christ but it is sin in your body, and such is a powerful concept. 

All things for me, but I will not be overpowered under someone.*

This word for overpowered means to have, or exercise power or authority over anyone; to possess independent control over; pass. to be subject to, under the power or influence of. All things are lawful but I will not let anything have power over me. Even as a new creation in Christ it is not like God is trying to control us, contrary to some teachings and even some translations of the scriptures. So saying things like let go and let God can be better said as grow up unto salvation, or know your identity in Christ, or even said as be true, walk in truth. It is not like giving up control, though it might feel like surrender, and often like the prodigal son who came to his senses, reasoning I am not someone who wallows in pig slop my Father is good, often we need to come to the end of our self before we reason His way is ours, in such we allow God to transform us into who we truly are. Not like giving control but more like becoming who you truly are. Such requires putting off the old and putting on the new, abstaining from the things that so easily weigh us down, things that defile our consciousness and war against our soul, against our true nature. It is walking in truth, abiding in love. Be true to who you are in Christ.

Amazing Love