But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Galatians 6:14

The freedom from this life is the freedom from all of its desires, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Yet, this is not asceticism, or the simply turning away from the things of the world, as if to nothing, but it is turning to a greater thing, a thing of true worth, and a thing of lasting enjoyment.

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The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:

1 Corinthians 2:15 NIV

You see, it is the spiritual man that is free.

According to Paul, he, the spiritual man, judges all things, and yet is judged by no one.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

1 Corinthians 2:15 KJV

He that is spiritual judges.  He that is spiritual is not subject to other men’s judgement.

The man led by the Spirit is not under the law.  He neither looks directly to it for his direction nor does he receive criticism or accusation that he has violated it or has transgressed it.

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And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end is with a flood, and till the end is war, determined are desolations.

Daniel 9:27 YLT

We are cut off from this world, and we have nothing in it (Galatians 6:14).  In baptism, Jesus was cut off from this world.  While He lived among those of the flesh, and He was perfectly sinless before and after, from the outpouring of the Spirit upon Him, He no longer interacted with the world in the same way.

We too, through baptism into Christ, are baptized into His life and His resurrection, and are cut off from this world and everything in it.  It is a spiritual circumcision in Christ, of the heart, and not of the flesh, but leaves us, not orphans alone in a world with nothing else, but with the greatest treasure, even greater than the whole universe and all of the heavens combined, the great Holy Spirit, God Himself, dwelling in us bodily.
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[W]e know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (portion)

Love builds up.  It edifies.  It substantiates.  Love is the substance of the Gospel.  The man without love is without God, for God is love.

The Kingdom of God requires diligence, patience, long-suffering, peace, and trust, because these are what love are.  Perhaps one of the greatest equalizers in the universe is the power of love.  Both kings and those who the world regards as “nobody”s can have it, and it can make either of their hearts warm, and soft, and alive.  Both can possess everything that matters in this life, and never lack, because love is enough.

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The church must change.  And, by this, I do not mean the way many people mean that it must change.  The church must go back to her roots, back to her source, and back to her faith!

The church is no longer what she once was even a decade ago.  She is filled with the sins of the world, and carried along by every wind of doctrine that comes along, good or ill.

Not all churches are bad, but many are struggling under the load of the filth of this world, simply because of it being brought into the church.

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When all is stripped away, and nothing else remains, you can trust in His love.  His love remains, when everything else is shaken (Romans 8:37-39), and by it, we live without fear (1 John 4:18).

Into His love we commend ourselves each day.  Further into His glory, His goodness, His mercy.

All we need is His love.  Our only true possession in this life is this place of union.

The life of the flesh doesn’t matter in the end.  What matters is Eternity.  According to Isaiah 40, all of man’s pomp and pride fall away into the dust and ashes they came from, and all that remains is faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

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In case you want to know, it costs everything.

Jesus said, Unless you hate your life, you cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26).  He said that unless you forsake everything, you cannot be His disciple.  He said, you will always love one and hate the other.  Wavering between two opinions only lasts so long.

In case you want to know, it does cost everything.  And, you can’t go back.  If you look at the life of Lot, you can’t even LOOK back (Luke 17:32).

Consider it this way, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.  There was nothing in your old flesh that could be patched up.  God didn’t fix your heart, He gave you a new one!

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Give yourself to the Master.  Unreservedly.  Whole-heartedly.  He is a treasure worth buying.  He is a pearl worth selling all for.

Absolute bondage to the Spirit is absolute freedom from sin.  Self seeking, self promotion, and selfish ambition are slavery, and provide for nothing.

Until you are willing to die, you will never live.  Until your life ends, you life, not Him.  Unless you hate your life, you are NOT His disciple.  Luke 14:26.

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