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“Projecting God’s Increase”
Increase, of a spiritual kind, is God’s present tense agenda concerning the movements coming from the heavenly realms as they are now impacting the earth realm. Also, in this increase, the people of God are feeling the effects of spiritual warfare as God’s enemy seeks to resist God’s purposed increase. For this cause, spiritual minded men and women are purposed by God to increase in strength and power and to accomplish God’s great cause and purpose. God’s cause is for a people to become the kingdom of God as they establish that kingdom over all the earth. This is God’s time for manifesting all that Godly men have received with purpose. Col. 2:6-7 declares, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him [in Him denotes being or remaining within in continuance], rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving”.
This word “established” above, speaks loudest when used as the like kind word “confirming”. Confirming speaks of “to make firm, secure and guarantee”. This points to the miracles that accompanied the early day disciple’s ministry which confirmed before the people the truth that the messengers spoke. The speakers were, through the Holy Spirit, backed up with supernatural phenomena, revealing the new manifestation of God’s age of grace. Likewise, this also points to the age which is now upon us, the time of God’s coming kingdom. In considering the word “abounding”, it is a word meaning “to have in abundance”. This abundance gives us the assurance that the faithful use of God’s callings, concerning men, will increase in the use thereof.
This stated truth points to the assurance given, that through faith in God’s purpose, this faith roots and grounds the vessel in God’s love. Eph. 3:17, That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love”. Note also, that God is a purposeful God when enlarging His people. Eph. 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly [infinitely, surplus, superabundance] above [more than a measure] all that we ask or think, according to the power [the power to reproduce itself] that works in us”. This word “works” is a word meaning “energy”. It speaks of the active operation or working of the Holy Spirit’s power with its effectual results.
Therefore, when a vessel receives Jesus as their savior, they are given the privilege of spiritually maturing until seeing themselves standing before God. With Jesus Christ being receiving man’s Savior, He becomes man’s Savior from everything that is not of God. In this, we have the right to claim union with Jesus Christ unto perfection. Note Col. 1:28 which states, “Him we preach [to bring God’s Word to anyone, to bring it home by setting it forth], warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, the we may present every man perfect [that which has reached its end according to God’s purpose, in the sense of initiated] in Christ Jesus “. While noting that perfection may not yet be manifesting from the outer man (body), we know that in receiving Jesus as our absolute Savior and Lord, His position in God becomes ours until the finishing up of the complete man (spirit, soul and body). That is, being sanctified progressively until the whole complete man knows the manifesting state of perfection outwardly from within.
Progressive sanctification, as it is submitted unto, progressively matures each yielded vessel which then changes the thought patterns of the person. This change instills a knowing that growth reveals a new and living way which Jesus Christ afforded for us. This means receiving man can now go straight to the heart of God concerning man’s progressive growth which determines his wants and needs. Our thought life is then centered upon what Jesus Christ is to us. In seeing and knowing the Christ, man’s faith encourages him. As we stand in obedience, the increase of maturity reveals the Christ through us. In this realm of being in Christ, and the understanding of who we are in Him, it begins manifesting our standing with Him. Remember, as we have received, we are to walk in Him.
In considering this word “walk”, its true meaning is “character” which points to and speaks of our thinking patterns that are rightly related to God. Our thinking is that which causes our reaction in difficult situations, which will then expose our true character. Herein, walking in that which we have received enables man to rightly relate to God as He enables us to draw upon God’s grace. This reaction to maturity of spirit, through sanctification, enables man to cease from dependency upon his own ability which forever has spiritually failed him.
Let us remember and recall a life-style which was molded and shaped after the carnal minds activities in creating for themselves a carnal world after their own thinking. In this, we have or shall soon find out that we can never trust in anything that promotes such a realm of death, humans own created world. But, in Him, Christ Jesus, we began to know that all things which produces a God-life within us is ours in Christ Jesus. As the scripture in Colossians has said, our strength is “rooted and built up in Him”. This speaks of that strength which is given to us as being in Christ and is the same strength that was manifested when Jesus’ body was raised from the dead.
Eph. 1:19-20, “And what is the exceeding [surpassing] greatness of His Power [inherent power; the power to reproduce itself] toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power [refers to God’s kingdom authority, dominion, and majesty; His power shown effectively in a reigning authority] which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places”. Can we, a people called and chosen by God truly believe? Can we not behold the purpose of God, who from the beginning was to have for Himself a family of sons? That is, a people made into His likeness and image, a manifestation of spirit and soul, manifesting through man’s body. This truth speaks to us loudly, that His purpose will be completely fulfilled because He is the one at work through yielded vessels. Eph. 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.
In the above verse the word “workmanship” speaks and signifies of that which is manufactured. It emphasizes that God is the master designer with the universe being His creation. He also appears to bring a rebirth to the redeemed believer as His new creation. Remember, before conversion our lives had no rhyme or reason, but because of Him, conversion brought us balance, symmetry and order. We, the new creation man, is God’s work of art. Notice also the word “good”, from the above verse, speaks of a physical and moral sense that produces benefits. This speaks of a people who exercise faith which establishes enlarged faith. Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
When speaking of all things, every spiritual blessing becomes ours as we become those born-again ones who live in Christ. These spiritual blessings remain ours because we now have a continual relationship with God through Christ Jesus. This relationship causes spontaneous obedience because faith becomes ours naturally. Therefore, we can do all things, because they become possible through the new incorporated Christ nature within. That is, now a people doing what comes naturally.
Eph. 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ [being and remaining within Him], just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will [that which is willed, designed or desired], to the praise [not just praise for what God does for us, but also for who He is, recognizing His glory] of the glory of His grace [causes rejoicing] by which He made us accepted [treated with grace] in the Beloved”.
Herein redemption is at work to complete that which God has purposed from the beginning. Redemption is the supernatural act of God that enables us to think the thoughts of God. A knowing that the power of reason given to us, our intellect, is purposed to be a servant of God and not our dictator. In this, our intellect must be a receiver to receive from God and not yield to the reasoning power of carnal man’s own heart. As our intellect receives from God, it is God’s Spirit that creates from within us. 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone be in Christ [having the mind of Christ], he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”. “New creation” as used here has the meaning of a new establishing, settling, and formation. It is used to denote both the act of creating and the product of the creative act. Living in Christ gives a person the status of being a new creation. In considering the word “new”, it is a word meaning new in regard to form or quality, not new in reference to time.
With our God being a God of increase, He is a God desiring to project Himself throughout His creation. In this projection, a knowledge is needed to know that increased spiritual maturity is not revealed or understood by the fallen carnal natural man. Therefore, the things of God only increase within the vessel as that person is converted to a new birthing into God’s heavens. This speaks of being re-born in spirit, soul and also the body, a moving beyond just being forgiven of past sins. In this, progressive obedience increases the spiritual realm happening and manifesting from within. A people knowing the reality of a heavenly Father manifesting Himself through His new creation people as His kingdom is established upon the earth. This is God’s purpose from the beginning.
2 Peter 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night [place and space, denoting a passing on to union and fellowship with the Lord], in which the heavens [man’s old fallen spiritual condition of spirit within the fallen man] shall pass away with a great noise [with a rushing sound – remember the upper room on the Day of Pentecost], and the elements [elementary rules of the natural man] will melt [be dissolved] with fervent heat [burnt up, remember God is a consuming fire]; both the earth [type of corruptible man] and the works that are in it will be burned up [man’s old corrupt character dissolved]. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct [behavior] and godliness, looking for [expecting and waiting for] and hastening [an earnest looking for] the coming [presence] of the day of God, because of which the heavens [old nature] will be dissolved, being on fire [God’s presence], and the elements [basic carnal character] will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to His promise [God’s purpose], look for a new heaven [new character, freshly made in Christ nature] and a new earth [incorruptible bodies] in which righteousness dwells”.
Increase, the results of God’s progressive sanctification and justification are now maturing a people into a new expression. This new expression shall establish God’s kingdom in the earth as the kingdoms of this present tense world fall. Faithfulness to God’s promise is to usher in a new world wherein God’s kingdom rules forever. Rev. 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded [a time for completeness and perfection]: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms [sovereignty] of this world [a system alienated from and opposed to God] have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ [the head and many member body]; and He shall reign forever and ever”. God’s people, even now, are destined and maturing to project God’s continual increase. Amen and Amen.
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