DARK LIGHT SERIES

SEVEN

THE TWO ASPECTS OF CHRIST

VISIBLE-HISTORICAL AND

INVISIBLE-PRESENT

We have now shown that it is very probable that the vast majority of Christians were sent away from Christ because they were not regenerated, they did not enter the strait gate, nor walk the narrow way, and they did not ever have AGAPE LOVE BESTOWED UPON THEM to effect authentic union with their Lord. We have found several reasons that apparently work together to form a delusion of union, a delusion of regeneration.

1. They mistook their natural love they had within their souls, their PHILEO LOVES, as the AGAPE LOVE OF CHRIST. They made the same mistake that Peter made.

2. They mistook their CONSCIOUS MIND, HEART, AND WILL as their TOTAL BEING, when in fact they did not realize they had a much deeper heart, mind and will within that was AS A STONE TOWARDS THE LORD. This then answered our question as to how a person could be absolutely sincere and dedicated, and do the work of the Lord, ALL DONE WITH THEIR WHOLE OUTER HEART, MIND AND WILL. Because they were never aware of their inner heart; they themselves were under a total deception.

3. It was suggested that the possibility exists that the strait gate and narrow way is the process by which the HIDDEN INNER HEART IS EXPOSED TO THE OUTER MIND AND HEART. If this is indeed the case, then UNLESS AND UNTIL a soul was OBEDIENT TO CHRIST, AND DID AS HE COMMANDED, THEY WOULD NEVER KNOW IT, THEY WOULD BE TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THEIR TRUE INNER NATURE. This would then answer two questions: WHY CHRIST WAITED TO INFORM THEM, AND WHY THEY WERE SO SHOCKED AT THEIR REJECTION.

A) Christ chose to wait until the very end to inform them because they WERE IN RANK DISOBEDIENCE. The STRAIT GATE AND NARROW WAY had been well laid out before them. There was no way anyone could not realize what Christ had said. He then described the narrow way with an abundance of Scripture. He warned of, and then described the alternative way that would lead to ruin. He warned of apostasy, He warned of false teachers, and EVEN TOLD US EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD TEACH, AND HOW THEY WOULD BE IDENTIFIED. He pleaded with man to listen, and repeatedly warned of DISOBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS. He sealed the New Covenant with His blood. He rose again to prove it was all authentic, and that it has been approved by the Father. What more could one do?

B) The many were utterly shocked at their rejection because of their UNKNOWN DISOBEDIENCE. They made the mistake of thinking their outer heart, mind and will were all there was. They failed to read the Scriptures closely enough to spot an obvious error in their faith and belief system. It was glaring at them, jumping off the pages of the Bible at them, yet they could not see it. They were, as the Jews before them, involved in RANK LEGALISM, ALL THE WHILE CLAIMING THEY WERE UNDER FAITH AND GRACE.

What we are going to attempt to prove out is that THERE ARE IN REALITY TWO ASPECTS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. One aspect is grasped with the outer, conscious mind, heart and will, while the other is hidden, secret, and lies buried, deep within Christ, out of sight, UNKNOWN TO ALL EXCEPT THE FEW. We are going to prove that this hidden, secret aspect of Christ, HIS INNER RADIANT ESSENCE, can only be known by a direct act of God in a supernatural REVELATION.

The question we must ask is this: Is it possible to come to the VISIBLE, HISTORICAL CHRIST, THE CHRIST OF THE CROSS, THE CHRIST OF HISTORY, AND BE FULLY CONVERTED OVER TO HIM, TO WORSHIP HIM, TO PRAY TO HIM, TO ACCEPT HIM COMPLETELY AND YET NOT ENTER INTO UNION WITH HIM? The answer will stun you, for the answer is YES, YOU CAN.

First we should at least outline what we mean by two aspects of Christ, and how they work. When Christ came to earth and was born into our physical sense realm, He was born INTO THE CONSCIOUS WORLD OF MAN, INTO THE SENSE REALM, THE PHYSICAL REALM. It might seem obvious, but it is very important. The ministry of Christ was open for all to see and behold. Nothing was hidden; nothing was secret. The cross of Christ was also in full view of the world, as was His burial and resurrection. ALL OF THAT ASPECT OF JESUS CHRIST, THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF HIS LIFE, MINISTRY, DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION WERE OPEN DISPLAYS, and easily grasped by the CONSCIOUS MIND OF MAN.

We will prove to you that Christ warned man that there WAS ANOTHER ASPECT TO HIMSELF THAT WAS IN OPERATION DURING HIS VISIT WITH US. This aspect was hidden, secret, and unknown to the entire world. In fact Jesus said the world COULD NOT KNOW IT. He went on to say that only the ELECT, ONLY THE FEW WOULD EVER KNOW IT, AND EXPERIENCE IT. It was the second, hidden aspect to the Lord that BROUGHT UNION AND SALVATION. The physical manifested Christ performed the work, purchased the human race by His blood, and laid before us the New Covenant. He told us how we could enter into that New Covenant of a new heart of AGAPE LOVE. THE WORK WAS A PHYSICAL WORK, A WORK OF HIGH VISIBILITY, A WORK THAT CARNAL MAN, FLESH MAN, SENSE MAN COULD SEE AND BE FULLY AWARE OF.

After the resurrection and ascension, the SECOND ASPECT OF CHRIST WOULD BE SENT BY THE FATHER TO THOSE WHO WERE OBEDIENT. It was the invisible inner radiance of Christ, His inner essence, HIS PURE AGAPE LOVE, which was TOTALLY INVISIBLE, which was to come and be bestowed to those who walked the narrow way. ALL OTHERS WOULD BE HANDED A DECEPTION, A DELUSION. Because of disobedience, they would be blinded to the truth, and would not discover it until the day of JUDGMENT. God Himself warned that HE WILL CHOOSE THE DELUSIONS OF THE DISOBEDIENT. This warning applies to the Church of today, as well as the Jews, it applies to GOD’S PEOPLE.

“I also will CHOOSE THEIR DELUSIONS, and will bring their fears

upon them;

BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED,

NONE DID ANSWER;

WHEN I SPAKE, THEY DID NOT HEAR:

BUT THEY DID EVIL BEFORE MINE EYES,

AND CHOSE THAT IN WHICH I DELIGHTED NOT.”

(Isaiah 66:4)

One would do well to ponder these words. God is no longer interested in animal sacrifice, the burning of INCENSE OR ALL OTHER FORMS OF RITUAL AND TRADITION. He is not interested in solemn assemblies, in gatherings in which praise and worship are offered up BY HYPOCRITES WHO REFUSE TO WALK THE NARROW WAY TO A HUMBLE AND CONTRITE SPIRIT:

“…but to this man will I look,

EVEN TO HIM THAT IS POOR

AND OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT,

AND TREMBLETH AT MY WORD.”

(Isaiah 66:2)

Scripture proves that what God means by this is ONLY ACCOMPLISHED BY WALKING THE NARROW WAY. IT IS THE WAY OF THE SPIRIT. It is not the way of the flesh, it is not the way of carnality, it is not the way of the conscious heart, soul and mind. Notice that God says that HE CALLED, AND NONE DID ANSWER. HE SPAKE AND NONE DID HEAR. They did evil in front of Him, calling it good! What did Christ charge the many sincere and dedicated Christians of: WORKING INIQUITY, WORKING EVIL. Their religious assemblies, their prayers, their worship, everything they did was sheer VANITY. It was all a lie, a sham, a pretense, and THE LORD COUNTED IT AS NOTHING, IN FACT, HE HATED IT.

If God is the one that chooses the delusions for disobedience, then do we have the right to suggest that God chose the DELUSIONS OF SALVATION IN CHRIST, REGENERATION, AND UNION WITH CHRIST FOR THE MANY? Because of their rank disobedience to His Son, and their rank disregard of His calling them to GENUINE BIBLICAL REPENTANCE, HE BECAME THEIR ENEMY, AND DID THEM IN!

If we then accept the possibility that there are two aspects to Christ, and that the HISTORICAL PHYSICAL CHRIST WHO WENT TO THE CROSS, DIED, WAS BURIED, RESURRECTED AND ASCENDED ACCORDING TO THE RECORD OF TESTIMONY; IF THE FIRST ASPECT, AND THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, THE ESSENCE OF CHRIST IS THE SECOND INVISIBLE ASPECT, THEN WE CAN OVER LAY THIS ON THE TABERNACLE OF ISRAEL AND WE FIND SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING:

You will notice immediately that the cross is in the OUTER COURT, where we suggested it should be in the previous report. This is because the CROSS IS THE VISIBLE, PHYSICAL SIGN OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE WORLD. In the cross is wrapped up His virgin birth, ministry, death and mission. THE PASSION OF CHRIST IS THE CROSS. The cross was the apex of the mission to earth. His death sealed His victory.

Notice however that the INVISIBLE part of Christ, that is HIS INNER ESSENCE, LIES IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES, BEYOND VIEW, HIDDEN BY THE VEILS OF THE INNER COURT AND ENTRANCE TO THE HOLY OF HOLIES. Only those who will travel through the inner court will ever EXPERIENCE THE REALITY OF THE INNER ESSENCE OF CHRIST. They alone will find life that is IN Christ. Only those who travel through the inner court will experience the inner reality of Christ, will meet Him, and will enter into union with Him, if we meet Him there, He cannot say, “I never knew you.”

In the drawing we have shown that the distance between the outer court and the Holy of Holies is separated by the INNER COURT, WHICH REPRESENTS THE NARROW WAY. We will prove this out even more as we go deeper in our studies. It becomes clear that the strait gate is in reality the entrance into the inner court, and that it represents the LEAVING OF THE PHYSICAL SENSE WORLD BEHIND, and that the demands of Christ that we turn our backs upon the world to find the inner truth of Jesus were not idle comments, but were literal commands. Some of the verses of Scripture you have seen before, and will see again in this Dark Light Series, for they have impact upon many facets of our search for the truth. We must examine things closely to find out what Christ consider TRUE UNION, and what He does not.

“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with

their lips; but

THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.

BUT IN VAIN THEY DO WORSHIP ME,

TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.”

(Matthew 15:8-9)

Here we have WORSHIP, PRAISE AND HONOR GIVEN THE LORD BY CONSCIOUS MINDS, HEARTS AND SOULS. That is, after all, how we worship the Lord in open, visible activity. This is the religion of the OUTER COURT. It is full of activity, full of works, full of social gatherings, a huge social structure known by the world as THE CHURCH. Notice what Christ says about them: IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME. It is to no effect, worthless, counted as nothing by the Lord. What is it these religious people are doing? They are teaching for doctrines THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. Their doctrine is NOT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IT IS OF THE EARTH, SENSUAL, EARTHLY, TO NO EFFECT. It may pose as SPIRITUAL, it may APPEAR SPIRITUAL, but it is not.

We have concluded this is true because THEIR INNER HEART, THEIR CORE HEART, HAS NEVER BEEN TOUCHED BY ALL OF THIS SO CALLED ADORATION FOR THE LORD. Their inner self still hates the Lord, is still stone cold towards the Lord. Their delusion is in the fact that the OUTER CONSCIOUS HEART, SOUL, AND WILL HAVE EXPERIENCED A TRUE CONVERSION TO CHRIST. Because they neglected to do as Christ commanded, they never discovered THE DEEPER INNER TRUTH. It will be shown that CONVERSIONS ALWAYS DEAL WITH THE CONSCIOUS OUTER HEART, MIND AND SOUL. Regeneration has nothing to do with it, FOR IT IS DONE VIA GOD HIMSELF, AND IT ONLY CONCERNS THE INNER HEART, WILL AND SPIRIT.

CONVERSIONS = OUTER HEART, MIND AND WILL – DONE BY MAN

REGENERATION = INNER HEART AND WILL – DONE ONLY BY GOD

Because God cannot interfere with your FREE WILL, and because He will not push His way into the inner heart, HE MUST USE YOUR CONSCIOUS WILL AND HEART’S PERMISSION TO BEGIN THE WORK. This is what CONVERSION is supposed to accomplish. It is a tragic mistake of modern Christian theology to claim that CONVERSION AND REGENERATION ARE THE SAME THING, OR THAT THEY OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME. It is not that they cannot, but the evidence suggest they DO NOT IN THE USUAL CALL OF GOD. They do not mean the same thing in today’s language, and one has nothing to do with the other. This will become very clear as we proceed. CONVERSION IS ALWAYS DONE BY AN ACT OF THE CONSCIOUS WILL OF MAN, AND ONLY INVOLVES THE OUTER HEART, MIND AND SOUL. It is the act of the conscious “I am” to bow the CONSCIOUS MIND, HEART AND WILL TO THAT OF JESUS CHRIST.

We are going to find that there is an OUTER FORM OF FAITH, A CONSCIOUS FAITH, which is called in the Scripture FAITH IN CHRIST. There is also an INNER HEART FAITH, A SPIRIT FAITH THAT IS CALLED THE FAITH OF CHRIST. There is a major difference between faith IN Christ, and the faith OF Christ. It will be proven that your faith IN CHRIST, is going to be tried by your walk of the narrow way, and when completed, and you have been bestowed agape love, you will also be given another form of faith: THE FAITH OF CHRIST. We are going to find the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is upon the OUTER MAN, and that the GIFTS OF POWER are always gifts that are readily seen and MANIFESTED. They concern the sense man, the soul man, and the carnal man. They have nothing to do with regeneration.

There is a difference between the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT which baptizes the believer INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST, and demonstrates POWER VIA GIFTS, and the SEALING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, which is only accomplished AFTER one has walked the narrow way and found CHRIST, AGAPE LOVE, AND LIFE. When that occurs, the Holy Spirit SEALS THE BELIEVER FOR ETERNITY.

In baptism of the believer into the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit does not REVEAL HIS ESSENCE. Agape love is neither revealed nor bestowed upon the believer at this point, as will be easily proved. This is because the Holy Spirit is working upon the OUTER PART OF MAN, HIS CONSCIOUS MIND, HIS CONSCIOUS HEART AND WILL. He slowly convicts the outer man to make an OUTER CONFESSION OF SIN. When that person CONVERTS, AND MAKES A “DECISION” FOR CHRIST, the Holy Spirit baptizes that believer INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST. They are now in the SHEEPFOLD by their profession of faith. The question is, will they now find the STRAIT GATE AND WALK THE NARROW WAY TO FIND THE DOOR?

It is then the job of the Holy Spirit to BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CONVICTING OF SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT. It is here that the sword of the Lord begins its devastating work upon the true seeker of Christ. It is here that blow after blow is felt by the believer as the Spirit starts the very SLOW process of tearing apart the soul and the spirit. Are we saying there is another process, beyond the original work? Yes. The FIRST WORK is a conscious work, to convict the believer of a multitude of SURFACE SINS. That is what the law is for. The Holy Spirit holds up the law to the believer and says to him, “look at this, and look at yourself”! The Law REPRESENTS THE CONSCIOUS, PHYSICAL AND OUTER MANIFESTATION OF SIN. The law says, “do not steal” and yet here we have a thief. The act of stealing is a physical act. The law is a VISIBLE OUTER MANIFESTATION. We read the law with our eyes, we hear by our ears, we think about it in our CONSCIOUS MIND. We decide to be obedient to it by our CONSCIOUS WILL. SINS ALWAYS CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE OUTER MAN.

Sins (PLURAL) are the OUTER, PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION of something much deeper. The vast majority of Christians run forward at church and bow their heads and confess the MULTITUDE OF PERSONAL SINS IN THEIR LIVES. They then claim 1 John 1:9 for their washing away of their sins. This is all mental conscious activity. This was the activity of the outer court. They are under the impression that this is all they are supposed to do. They are in fact told that by every Christian denomination. After having done this, and having offered up their tithes and offerings, after they have sung their songs of praise, they leave and go back to the world, THINKING THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED ALL THAT GOD REQUIRES.

The issue between man and God has little to do with the multitude of sins that man commits. He steals, lies, murders, covets, commits adultery, fornicates, makes war and a whole host of things BECAUSE OF A DEEP, CORE PROBLEM. It is the BLACKNESS OF THE HEART THAT CAUSES MAN TO SIN. Unregenerate man can do NOTHING BUT SIN. The sins are the OUTWARD, VISIBLE MANIFESTATION THAT REVEALS A DEEPER PROBLEM. The Christian claims forgiveness of sin by claiming 1 John 1:9 for themselves. The Jews washed in the brazen laver. IT IS ALL OUTER COURT ACTIVITY.

There is no difference between the outer court activity of the Jew, and the activity of the modern Christian. Both concern themselves only with THE OUTER HEART, MIND AND WILL. Does the confession of our MULTITUDE OF SINS REALLY CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS AS JOHN CLAIMS? If it is true, then why were the many not saved and forgiven of their sins? Why are the non-overcomers spewed forth as poison from the mouth of Christ? Why were the vast majority of Jews rejected by God as utter apostates, liars and hypocrites? Does your confession of your MANY SURFACE SINS CLEANSE YOU OF ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS? The answer is obvious: NO IT DOES NOT. It could not have, for the only way these people could be rejected is THAT THEY ARE STILL IN THEIR SINS. As a matter of fact, it is all vanity, a deception, a delusion. It is all OUTER COURT ACTIVITY, ALL OUTER MAN ACTIVITY, and it NEVER goes deeper.

The confession of a multitude of sins does nothing to CHANGE THE REASON FOR THE SINNING. It is like putting a band-aid on a deep wound, and hoping the inner infection will go away. To clean a wound, you have to go to the very depth of it, and clean it with an antiseptic. To cleanse the REASON for sin, we have to go to the ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. The root of the problem IS THE LACK OF AGAPE LOVE IN THE HEART. The root of the problem is an UGLY, DARK, DEPRAVED HUMAN SPIRIT AND HEART. It must be resurrected to NEW LIFE, TO NEW LOVE, TO THE LOVE OF GOD: AGAPE.

Before the vast majority of Christians stood the INNER COURT VEIL. Before the vast majority of Christians, STOOD THE STRAIT GATE. It was all clearly laid out before them. They had the option of doing as commanded, and being obedient, or refusing to do it. THE VAST MAJORITY REFUSED TO DO IT, BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT INTO A THEOLOGY THAT TOLD THEM THEY DID NOT HAVE TO. “We are saved by FAITH and GRACE!” They screamed, “And this STRAIT GATE and NARROW WAY IS A FORM OF LEGALISM, IT IS WORKS!” They did not dig deep enough to FIND THE REAL TRUTH. It was a theology of false teachers, of carnal men, of men of the flesh, VAIN DOCTRINES OF MEN. Rather than believe what the Scriptures said, they believed what the PRIESTHOOD SAID IT SAID! The blind lead the blind, and they all fall into the fiery pits of hell for all eternity.

All of this relates back to the TWO ASPECTS OF CHRIST. THE ONE ASPECT IS HIGHLY VISIBLE, AND CONCERNS ITSELF WITH HIGHLY VISIBLE WORSHIP AND PRAISE. Jesus said:

“Then said Jesus to those Jews that BELIEVED ON HIM,

IF (a very conditional word)

YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD,

THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES INDEED;

AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH,

AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.”

(John 8:31-32)

Jesus Christ stood before them. He had told them He was THE TRUTH. This highly visible Christ was speaking to highly visible Jews. This was an exchange of the OUTER MINDS, OF THE OUTER CONSCIOUS HEARTS AND WILLS. THIS WAS ALL IN THE PHYSICAL REALM, THE SENSE REALM, OF THE HEARING, OF SEEING. These Jews had ALREADY EMBRACED JESUS CHRIST AS MESSIAH. THEY HAD ALREADY EMBRACED HIS MESSAGE AS THE TRUTH. That is what is meant by the word BELIEVE. There is a conscious form of BELIEVING. It is done via the conscious mind evaluating facts, and then making a decision based on those facts. The Jews had EVALUATED CHRIST WITH THEIR CONSCIOUS MINDS AND HEARTS, AND MADE A COMMITMENT BY THEIR WILLS TO FOLLOW HIM.

It is imperative you grasp the implication of what Jesus says to them. He says that it is WHOLLY CONDITIONAL IF THEY WILL EVER FIND THE TRUTH THAT WILL SET THEM FREE. In other words, there is SOMETHING THEY MUST DO BEYOND BELIEVING. There is something THEY MUST DO beyond their ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST AS MESSIAH. He clearly says what it is: THEY MUST CONTINUE IN HIS DOCTRINE. They must abide in His teaching; they must WORK OUT THEIR OWN SALVATION. There is no question here that it is ALL CONDITIONAL.

If Christ is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, then what more is there to embrace? If all we need to do is BELIEVE UPON JESUS CHRIST, AND ACCEPT HIM BY AN ACT OF FAITH, if all we need to do is to make a ‘decision’ for Christ, then what is this OTHER TRUTH? If Christ is standing before us, and we have embraced Him as our Lord and Savior, then WHAT OTHER TRUTH IS HE SPEAKING OF? It is obvious IT IS THIS OTHER TRUTH THAT SETS ONE FREE. WITHOUT IT, WE REMAIN IN OUR SINS! WE REMAIN IN THE CHAINS OF SATAN. Is there another truth? Are there TWO TRUTHS? In graphic form, it would look like this:

If Jesus Christ is the WHOLE TRUTH, then what other truth could there be? If the HISTORICAL CHRIST IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE TRUTH, THE CHRIST THAT STOOD BEFORE THEM, THE CHRIST WHO DIED ON THE CROSS, THEN WHAT IS THIS OTHER TRUTH? And why do we have to SEARCH FOR IT? Why do we need to continue? If the modern Christian theology is correct, once a ‘decision’ for Christ is made, then we are saved, we are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Notice that the visible Christ standing before these believers IS NOT GOING TO SAVE THEM. He is quite blunt: IT IS THE OTHER TRUTH THAT WILL SAVE THEM, THAT WILL SET THEM FREE. If they do not find it, THEY ARE NOT FREE. This has grave implications for modern Christian theology, for IT IS NOT THE WORK OF CHRIST UPON THE CROSS THAT SAVES US AT ALL. It is only the preparation for a future work: IT IS THE WORK OF THE ‘OTHER TRUTH’ that ACTUALLY SAVES US!!! We already know what that other truth is: AGAPE LOVE.

This can be proved because the many obviously EMBRACED THE HISTORICAL CHRIST. They embraced Him as Messiah, as Redeemer, as Lord. They accepted His claims as the only Son of God. They accepted much of His doctrine. There is no question whatever that they embraced all of the visible, historical evidences of Christ. They made a ‘decision’ for this historical Christ. They read the Scriptures and they accepted BY FAITH everything the Scriptures had to say. They not only accepted the statements of Scripture as factual, they claimed them for their own. Yet for all that they WERE NOT SET FREE.

Had they in truth been free, then Christ could not have sent them away into eternal ruin. They WERE NOT SET FREE. But now we run into a paradox, because the ‘many’ were teachers, preachers and evangelists, and to be any of those, you must CONTINUE IN THE DOCTRINES OF CHRIST. They obviously had continued, yet they were STILL NOT SET FREE. This can occur only if the DOCTRINES POSING AS THE DOCTRINES OF CHRIST WERE NOT, THEY WERE IN REALITY THE DOCTRINES OF MEN, THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.

I have asked younger pastors who have gone to seminary what it is they study. I asked them if they ever study the SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES. The answer was very frightful to say the least. They do not study the Bible itself. Rarely do they ever look at one. What they study ARE THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BIBLE BY OTHER MEN. They study WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. They read all kinds of books, all kinds of study guides, but hardly ever, it seems, do they ACTUALLY STUDY THE BIBLE. It is small wonder, then, that these young men, eager to serve the Lord, have no concept whatever of what the Bible actually says. They were led by blind men, who make their followers blind, who in turn lead their flocks to eternal ruin.

The point is that we can prove that there are TWO ASPECTS OF CHRIST that we have to lay hold of. One is the person of Christ, His authority, His office, His majesty, His work, His passion and His mission. For simplicities sake, I refer to that as the HISTORICAL CHRIST. The historical Christ is the Christ of all modern denominations, including all nondenominational sects. This Christ is the Christ of the outer court. He is clearly visible, His worship is clearly visible, and it is all done by the conscious mind, heart and will. We lay hold of this Christ by CONVERSION.

The other aspect of Christ is the HIDDEN ASPECT, THE SECRET ASPECT. He is not accessible by the conscious mind, heart and will of man. Man cannot penetrate the veil to find this aspect of Christ without the help of God. It will not be shown to him unless he is obedient to the commands of Christ. This other aspect of Christ, this TRUTH THAT WILL SET ONE FREE, is in fact the INNER ESSENCE OF THE LORD, THE INNER ESSENCE OF HIS BEING. It is hidden from view. We lay hold of this Christ when, and only when, God decides to REGENERATE US. THUS:

CONVERSION = LAYING HOLD OF THE HISTORICAL CHRIST

REGENERATION = LAYING HOLD OF THE INVISIBLE CHRIST

If we could travel backwards in time, and visit Jesus, we would not see anything that would move us. The Scripture says He was not beautiful to look at. He was, if anything, the reverse to look at and behold. This was done by God to put all of the emphasis upon the WORDS OF CHRIST. All effort was made to banish anything that would appeal to the FLESH, THE CARNAL SIDE OF MAN.

This being true, then we would have to TRAVEL BEYOND THE VEIL OF HIS FLESH, DEEP WITHIN HIS BEING TO FIND THE REAL TRUTH. And that is where this OTHER TRUTH OF JESUS was held. It was His inner essence of AGAPE LOVE, THAT WOULD BE BESTOWED UPON HIS “DISCIPLES INDEED”, AND THAT TRUTH, THAT INNER RADIANCE, IS WHAT WOULD SET THEM FREE FOR EVER. Jesus said THAT TRUTH, and THAT TRUTH ALONE could set a man free, AND THEY WOULD BE FREE “INDEED”.

Jesus was not lying when He said He was the truth. He was. He is. But there is much more to Christ than His office as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. We must then penetrate His outer visage, and we must travel to the INSIDE OF HIS BODY TO VISIT AND COMMUNE WITH HIM THERE. We must commune SPIRIT TO SPIRIT. It will be proven true.

We will now turn to more Scripture to prove out this contention of the two aspects of Christ:

“Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying,

YE BOTH KNOW ME, AND YE KNOW WHENCE I AM:

and I am not come of myself, but He that sent me IS TRUE,

WHOM YE KNOW NOT.

BUT I KNOW HIM: FOR I AM FROM HIM,

AND HE HATH SENT ME.”

(John 7:28-29)

Jesus cries out to His followers that THEY KNOW HIM, AND THEY KNOW FROM WHENCE HE CAME. What does Jesus mean by this remark? What was behind His passion that made Him cry out like this? Jesus meant that He was standing in front of them. He was visible to them. They could see Him, touch Him, and hear Him. This was the Jesus in the SENSE REALM. THEY KNEW WHO HE WAS. HE WAS A TEACHER, A RABBI, THE CARPENTER’S SON. They knew all about Jesus. The whole area was abuzz about this Jesus. They KNEW THE PHYSICAL JESUS. They knew what He looked like, His manners, His demeanor, His manner of speech. They knew about His family, they probably knew every detail about Him you could dig up. He must have been the center of attention over many a dinner table. He was inspected and dissected by all the local gossips. THEY KNEW AND ANALYZED THIS JESUS.

But did they really know who Jesus was in the invisible realm of the spirit? Could they look into His soul and mind and heart? Could they penetrate the veil and see into Him, and feel and experience the wonder of the AGAPE LOVE WITHIN? No, they could not. What they knew about Him they knew FROM CONSCIOUS OBSERVATION. The facts they had were the facts of the SENSE MAN. They could see, hear, touch and smell Christ. From His statements they could consider what He said, compare it with what they already knew, and then make a choice, YEA OR NAY. Then Jesus says something important: THEY DO NOT KNOW THE FATHER, ONLY HE KNOWS THE FATHER.

Now lets go to John 8:19, where we read:

“Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered,

YE NEITHER KNOW ME,

NOR MY FATHER: IF YE HAD KNOWN ME,

YE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO.”

Now these Jews that believed upon Jesus knew Him quite well. After all, they had embraced Him and His teachings. They had embraced the VISIBLE Jesus Christ. From telling people they KNOW HIM, He turns right around and says THEY DO NOT KNOW HIM, OR HIS FATHER. How can you BOTH KNOW, AND NOT KNOW SOMEONE AT THE SAME TIME? Because there are TWO ASPECTS TO EACH OF US: THE VISIBLE, AND THE INVISIBLE. What Christ is referring to is the INVISIBLE, SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF HIMSELF AND GOD THE FATHER. They know about what they can see with their senses. What they do not know, and do not realize is that there is a much deeper, HIDDEN AND SECRET ASPECT to Him that they do not recognize or know anything about. Thus we have another confirmation that there are IN FACT TWO ASPECTS TO CHRIST.

It is the invisible truth that they do not know; it is the invisible truth that WILL SET THEM FREE. They are being confronted with the MYSTERY OF UNION, WITH THE MYSTERY OF REGENERATION, and that is something the human mind cannot comprehend unless and until IT HAS EXPERIENCED IT. We will now turn to the prayer of Jesus and again prove there are indeed two aspects to Christ, and that it is the UNION OF THE SECOND ASPECT THAT SAVES US.

“And THIS IS

LIFE ETERNAL,

that they MIGHT KNOW THEE THE ONLY TRUE GOD,

AND JESUS CHRIST,

WHOM THOU HAST SENT.”

(John 17:3)

I thought the disciples already KNEW JESUS. They had been with Jesus for over THREE YEARS. They knew all about Jesus. But Jesus says that it is His PRAYER THAT THEY (HIS DISCIPLES) MIGHT KNOW WHO THE FATHER WAS, AND WHO HE WAS. So then there must be something that the DISCIPLES DO NOT KNOW. There must be something secret and hidden from them that they have not yet discovered.

“I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU COMFORTLESS:

I WILL COME TO YOU.

Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:

BECAUSE I LIVE, YE SHALL LIVE ALSO.

AT THAT DAY

YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM IN MY FATHER,

AND YE IN ME, AND I IN YOU.”

(John 14:18-20)

This is positive proof of the two aspects of Christ. Christ stood before them in physical life, and their sense certainly knew who He was. They knew He held the keys to eternal life, they knew He was the long promised Messiah. They had embraced all of that. They had the OUTER COURT RELIGION OF CHRISTIANITY. But there was something they did not yet have, and that something was going to be brought by CHRIST HIMSELF. That something was going to PROVE BEYOND ALL SHADOW OF DOUBT, THAT THEY HAD UNION WITH CHRIST. They were going to KNOW IN THE ABSOLUTE SENSE THE TRUTH, AND THAT TRUTH WOULD SET THEM FREE. The mystery, the secret, the hidden aspect of the Spirit would be supernaturally revealed to them, and they WOULD KNOW.

“Search THE SCRIPTURES, for IN THEM ye think ye have

eternal life: and they are they which TESTIFY OF ME.

AND YE WILL NOT COME TO ME,

THAT YE MIGHT HAVE LIFE.”

(John 5:39-40)

Remember the NARROW WAY THAT ‘LEADETH’ UNTO LIFE? What does Jesus say here? YE WILL NOT COME TO ME THAT YE MIGHT HAVE LIFE. The narrow way is the ONLY WAY THAT LEADS TO CHRIST. Christ stands waiting at the END OF THE NARROW WAY. He is not at the beginning of it, He is not at the STRAIT GATE, He is not in the MIDDLE OF IT. He stands at the END OF THE NARROW WAY.

LEADETH UNTO LIFE = COME TO ME FOR LIFE

If life is the destination, then COMING TO CHRIST MUST BE THE ‘WAY’.

“HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE;

AND HE THAT HATH NOT THE SON OF GOD

HATH NOT LIFE.”

(1 John 5:12)

Do you see? There is something very important for us to recognize here. THE SCRIPTURES ARE NOT CHRIST. They are the TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST. They are not Christ. The Bible shows all about the VISIBLE CHRIST, THE HISTORICAL CHRIST, THE CHRIST THAT DIED UPON A CROSS AROUND 30-33 AD. The Scriptures are ONE WITNESS to the proof of who Christ was. The Scriptures show us His claims, His mission, His passion, His work, His divinity. They show us all about Him, even much of His thoughts. THEY ARE THE RECORD, THEY ARE THE TESTIMONY; they testify to His reality, to His authenticity.

If we study the Scriptures, and memorize them all, we then know ALL ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. We know all about the plan of God, the mystery of Israel, and the mystery of the Church. We can embrace all of this by simple faith as being true. We simply read the Scripture, and BY FAITH WE CLAIM IT IS TRUE.

“But WITHOUT FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM:

FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD

MUST (FIRST) BELIEVE THAT HE IS,

AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM

THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.”

(Hebrews 11:6)

Before anyone would believe that Christ was the Messiah, they would first of all have to believe that GOD IS. Anyone who embraced Christ as Messiah would first of all have to believe that CHRIST WAS. The first step towards UNION with Christ is the EMBRACING BY FAITH THE FACTS OF SCRIPTURE. It is this first step of faith, done by the conscious mind, heart and will, that STARTS A PROCESS. Notice what it says next: it says that God is a REWARDER OF THOSE THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM OUT. The reverse would also be true: HE DOES NOT REWARD THOSE WHO DO NOT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM OUT.

How do we seek Him out? Via the Scriptures. We search the Scriptures daily, thinking that IN THEM IS ETERNAL LIFE. Surprise, surprise! Eternal life will never be found in the Scriptures. The Scripture contains ONLY OUTER COURT KNOWLEDGE. THEY CONTAIN ONLY OUTER COURT FACTS. They are only a “testimony” of Christ ABOUT CHRIST. Knowing all about Christ, and embracing all of these facts about Christ, DOES NOT BRING US TO ETERNAL LIFE. Jesus is clear and blunt: YOU MUST COME TO HIM. Therefore:

READING AND MEMORIZING THE SCRIPTURES IS NOT COMING TO CHRIST!

EMBRACING THE SCRIPTURES AS TRUE BY FAITH IS NOT COMING TO CHRIST!

Jesus is picking up the Bible and waving it at us. He says this is the testimony, but it is not me. He says YOU MUST COME TO ME IF YOU WANT LIFE. Obviously then, we have THE TESTIMONY OF THE HISTORICAL CHRIST, AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER ASPECT TO CHIRST; THE LIVING CHRIST: “ME”. The two are a strait gate and a narrow way APART:

THE BIBLE = TESTIMONY OF HISTORICAL CHRIST – ACCEPTED BY FAITH

THE LIVING CHRIST = SPIRIT TO SPIRIT COMMUNION – REGENERATION ONLY

The Bible is a book. It is pieces of paper with ink on them. It is bound together with glue, and if you spend a little more money, you can even have a leather cover. You can read and study this book. You can embrace all the promises you want by simple faith out of this book. You can bow down and worship this book. You can hold it high in your hands and praise it all the way to hellfire. The Bible is NOT ALIVE. It does not speak; it does not say anything at all. If you throw it on the coffee table, it will lay there until you pick it up. If you put it on a bookcase, it will stay there until you take it down. It does not get up and walk around by itself. It does not do anything at all. It will burn as easily as any other book.

When I was a Gideon and went to the prisons, we left this book with many prisoners. Some of them would tear out the pages, and roll cigarettes with it, for the paper is fine, like cigarette paper. Others would use it as a coffee coaster. Still others would throw it in the corner. Others would slash it to ribbons. Some of them, a FEW of them, would treat it with respect.

But then there is the LIVING Jesus. He is very much alive and lives in Heaven. He is INVISIBLE, UNSEEN, HIDDEN, A SECRET. He looks down upon the sons of men, gazing to and fro to find those that are diligently searching Him out. To them alone will go the promise: AGAPE LOVE BESTOWED. The Christ of heaven speaks, moves, and rules the heavens. He rules over His Church. He is ALIVE AND WELL, AND IT IS HIM THAT WE MUST MEET, IT IS HIM THAT WE MUST COME INTO UNION WITH.

The Bible does not save you. Embracing the facts and promises of the Bible does not save you. The many embraced all the promises of the bible, all of the facts of Scripture. They appropriated all of it by ACTS OF FAITH. They claimed their UNION WITH CHRIST BY AN ACT OF FAITH. All of what they did, they did by faith, by belief. You cannot embrace the Bible any other way. The conscious mind is so made that it works upon FAITH. Embracing the promises of the Bible will not avail you of anything, because THE BIBLE IS NOT JESUS CHRIST, IT IS ONLY THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST.

The promises of the Bible will do nothing for you at all. You can sit there and conjure up enough faith to EVEN MOVE A WHOLE MOUNTAIN and it will not avail you one thing. You can embrace the promises of the Bible by FANTASTIC BELIEF, and it will avail you nothing whatever. You can even do much of what it says we ought to do, and it will still avail us nothing.

Eternal life is NOT IN THE PROMISES OF GOD. Eternal life is not IN YOUR FAITH IN THE PROMISES OF GOD. Jesus warned us here not to TURN THE BIBLE INTO HIM. He is telling us that ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT IN THE SCRIPTURE, NOT IN THE VERSES, NOT IN BOOKS, NOT IN THE CHAPTERS. It is simply not there at all. If you remain only in your Bible, and place your faith only in the promises, then you have TRANSFORMED PAPER, GLUE, INK AND LEATHER INTO THE LIVING CHRIST. You have lifted a book of words into GODHOOD STATUS, YOU HAVE MADE THE BIBLE INTO AN IDOL. You have in fact transformed a book of testimony into the LIVING JESUS CHRIST.

The Word of God is to be used by the man of God to teach, to rebuke and to reprove. It is to bring him to a KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT HE IS TO DO, AND THEN HE IS TO BE OBEDIENT TO REVEALED TRUTH. If he is, more truth will be given, if he is not, truth will shut its door upon that soul. But the bible itself is USELESS UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS TRANSFORMED IN YOUR MIND, AND THE RENEWING PROCESS IS ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE.

The vast majority of Christians took the Bible and by faith made it into Jesus Christ. They made FAITH ITSELF into Jesus Christ. The modern faith movement, which began in earnest in the 1700’s, TOOK FAITH, WHICH IS ONLY A DYNAMIC, ONLY A FORCE, AND CONVERTED IT INTO THE LIVING JESUS CHRIST.

Let’s take an example to show what is meant here. Let’s say you are in New York City. You have a car and you have been told the PRIZE TO BE WON (1 MILLION DOLLARS) is in MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. In order to GET THE VICTORY, you must ARRIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND CLAIM YOUR PRIZE. Let us further say that THE GASOLINE THE CAR BURNS TO PROPEL YOU DOWN THE HIGHWAY IS FAITH ITSELF. THUS:

So now we have our car, (OUR BODY) and we have our GAS (OUR FAITH) and in order to GAIN THE VICTORY, we must ARRIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS, go to the correct address and LITERALLY AND PHYSICALLY CLAIM OUR 1 MILLION DOLLARS. Only then is it ours, and only then DO WE HAVE VICTORY.

Now then, THE GAS is used to PROPEL THE CAR. Without GAS it will not run. It will not move. ONLY WHEN WE PUT GAS IN OUR AUTO DOES IT RUN AND MOVE. You say, that is obvious, so what? The GAS IS THE DYNAMIC OR PROPELLANT THAT MOVES THE CAR OVER THE GROUND, OVER THE HIGHWAY (‘WAY”) UNTIL WE REACH OUR DESTINATION. It is THE GAS ITSELF THAT GETS US THE VICTORY, FOR WITHOUT IT, WE COULD NEVER MOVE.

Now then, we have in our hands a LITTLE BOOK that says IF WE WANT TO ATTAIN TO THE VICTORY, WE MUST DRIVE TO MINNEAPOLIS VIA A SPECIFIC “WAY”. If we fly to Minneapolis, we have come in “SOME OTHER WAY”, and we are EXCLUDED. The contest rules are VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ROUTE. Any violation of the rules, and we are instantly DISQUALIFIED.

Now let’s ask some questions. Is the GAS, which REPRESENTS FAITH THE ACTUAL PRIZE ITSELF? In other words, is our GASOLINE THE ONE MILLION DOLLARS? Or is the one million dollars still sitting in Minneapolis? You will answer and say that THE GAS IS NOT NOW, NOR EVER WILL BE THE MILLION DOLLARS. GAS IS GAS, AND A MILLION DOLLARS IS A MILLION DOLLARS, WHY WOULD YOU ASK SUCH A STUPID QUESTION! Are we agreed? Then what is the gas? Why, you say, “it is the propellant, that if WE PUT IT IN THE CAR, AND GET IN THE CAR AND TRAVEL THE WAY, IT (THE GAS) will ALLOW US TO REACH OUR DESTINATION AND CLAIM OUR PRIZE!” You would be right.

Now then, THE INVISIBLE ESSENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IS OUR ONE MILLION DOLLARS. HE LIVES IN THIS EXAMPLE IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN. He has given us specific instructions IN OUR LITTLE BOOK on how we must travel over A NARROW WAY. He defines the narrow way for us. He says we must use FAITH (GASOLINE) to carry us OVER THE DISTANCE OF THE NARROW WAY. If we will use FAITH, He says, WE WILL REACH OUR DESTINATION AND BE ABLE TO CLAIM THE PRIZE. WE WILL HAVE FOUND “THE TRUTH”, and OUR VICTORY WILL HAVE BEEN IN OUR “FAITH”. This is so because without GAS we could not GO THE DISTANCE.

Do we accept what it says in the LITTLE BOOK? In other words, do we honestly believe that what the little book says is true? We have reports from others that INDEED IT IS TRUE, AND THERE REALLY IS A MILLION DOLLARS IN MINNEAPOLIS WAITING FOR US. How do we then accept the claims of this LITTLE BOOK? BY FAITH ALONE. How do we accept the ONE MILLION DOLLARS? Be careful, IT IS NOT BY FAITH. WE CAN ONLY CLAIM THE ONE MILLION DOLLARS (THE HIDDEN ESSENCE OF CHRIST) BY GOING THE FULL DISTANCE TO MINNEAPOLIS! If we sit in NEW YORK CITY and CLAIM THE PRIZE BY FAITH ALONE, BY SIMPLY EMBRACING THE LITTLE BOOK, AND REFUSING TO DO AS IT COMMANDS, WILL WE EVER GET OUR ONE MILLION? NO!

So we immediately begin to realize that there ARE TWO ASPECTS TO FAITH. One is a simple BELIEF AND EMBRACING; the other is A DOING, AN OBEDIENCE TO THE RULES OF THE GAME. The DOING FAITH is the putting of the gas into our car and actually MAKING THE JOURNEY TO FIND OUR PRIZE. If we sit in New York City and claim OUR GASOLINE IS THE PRIZE ITSELF, we NEVER WILL COLLECT OUR MONEY. We will never find it. If we sit in New York City and attempt to claim we ARE IN MINNEAPOLIS, AND CLAIM OUR MONEY BY FAITH ALONE, WE WILL DIE BROKE AND DESTITUTE.

Do you see? We converted our GASOLINE (FAITH) INTO THE MILLION DOLLARS! We failed to realize there are TWO TYPES OF FAITH. One simply embraces facts as being true; the OTHER ACT OF FAITH, allows US TO MOVE, TO BE OBEDIENT AND TRAVEL THE DISTANCE OF THE “WAY” TO CLAIM OUR PRIZE. If we refuse to DO AS COMMANDED, we are NOT OBEDIENT, AND WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CLAIM A VICTORY. We then have ONE TYPE OF FAITH, BUT NOT THE OTHER. We in fact DO NOT BELIEVE IT ENOUGH, HAVE FAITH ENOUGH, TO ACTUALLY DO WHAT WE ARE TOLD! Thus FAITH ITSELF, AND THE ACT OF SIMPLE EMBRACEMENT OF SPECIFIC STATEMENTS BECOMES A SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL OBEDIENT FAITH, THE FAITH OF DOING.

Now you might say all of this is OBVIOUS. If it is so obvious, then why do millions upon millions of Christians EMBRACE THE GASOLINE AS CHRIST HIMSELF? Why do they sit in New York City, CLAIMING THE PRIZE, CLAIMING THE VICTORY, WHEN THEY REFUSE TO MOVE ONE INCH IN SIMPLE OBEDIENCE? How is it they are able by AN ACT OF FAITH TO LITERALLY JUMP TO MINNEAPOLIS AND CLAIM A PRIZE BY FAITH ALONE, RATHER THAN THE WAY THE BOOK TELLS THEM? They are claiming a prize they do not have, they are claiming a victory they do not possess, and they REFUSE to do as commanded to OBTAIN IT, FOR THEY CLAIM THEY ALREADY HAVE IT! They are under RANK DECEPTION, AND IT COSTS THEM ETERNITY.

The “many” were idol worshippers and did not even know it. They had faith, they had belief, they had sincerity, and they had dedication. All of their faith, all of their belief, all of their dedication was TO A BOOK OF PAPER AND INK. They were ever studying the book and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth because THEY REFUSED to comply with THE DEMANDS THE BOOK MADE. ALL OF WHAT THEY DID, THEY DID BY FAITH. BY FAITH THEY TRANSFORMED THE BOOK INTO THE LIVING JESUS CHRIST, BY FAITH THEY TRANSFORMED THE BOOK INTO REGENERATION AND ETERNAL LIFE. They were warned not to do it, but they did it anyway.

It is imperative you understand this, for this is precisely what the vast majority of Christians do not understand. Christ is the not the Bible, and the Bible is not Christ. Eternal life is NOT IN THE PROMISES OF GOD. Eternal life IS NOT IN THE TESTIMONY OF GOD. Eternal life resides in, and is only granted by THE LIVING SON OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST. THUS:

Notice in the graph the GULF BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND CHRIST. That which separates them is the STRAIT GATE AND NARROW WAY. That which separates them is OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF CHRIST AND THE FATHER TO KEEP THE SAYINGS. That which separated the many from the few was this little word OBEDIENCE TO THE HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS. Putting your faith in a bunch of promises and claiming them for your own is the mark of rank DISOBEDIENCE. Obedience to Christ means that YOU DO EXACTLY WHAT HE SAYS. He said to enter the strait gate, and He said to travel the narrow way. Either you do it, or you are lost forever, and it does not matter what your opinions might be on the matter, because God is sovereign, and God HAS DECREED IT SO. CASE CLOSED.

True faith always has a WORK. Faith without works is no faith at all. Love without action is no love at all. FAITH AND AGAPE LOVE ARE ACTIVE, THEY REQUIRE YOU TO DO SOMETHING, THEY REQUIRE YOU TO ACT, which we will see a bit later. If you refuse to go beyond the Bible to SEARCH OUT THE LIVING CHRIST, AND COME INTO CONTACT WITH HIM, AND ENTER INTO UNION WITH HIM, you are lost. It is that simple and that blunt.

But again we find there are two aspects to Christ. The bible records the SENSE KNOWLEDGE, THE WORLDLY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE MESSIAH. It gives us great detail into the place of salvation. All of this is DONE OPENLY AND IN THE WORLD, FOR ALL MANKIND TO SEE. IT IS SENSE KNOWLEDGE, CONSCIOUS KNOWLEDGE. We read the bible with our eyes; we then transform what we see into thought, which is then filed away in our computer banks for future retrieval and comparative study. ALL OF IT IS SENSE MAN, SOUL MAN, CARNAL MAN, FLESH MAN.

Christ on the other hand is SPIRIT. When we meet Christ, we meet Him in the inner chambers. We always must go to the inner chamber, the Holy of Holies to meet the King. That is where the INNER HEART IS, AND THAT IS WHERE JESUS IS. The Holy Spirit works from the outside in, and then when we have walked through the inner court to the Holy of Holies, we will hear Christ knocking at the door of our inner heart. He will speak to us ONLY IN THE CORE OF OUR HEART. SPIRIT TO SPIRIT, INNER HEART TO INNER HEART. There is no other way, there are no options, for God has so decreed it.

“All the King’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know,

that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall COME UNTO THE KING INTO THE

INNER COURT,

WHO IS NOT CALLED,

there is one law of his to PUT HIM TO DEATH,

EXCEPT

SUCH TO WHOM THE KING SHALL HOLD OUT

THE GODLEN SCEPTRE,

THAT HE MAY LIVE:

but I have not been called to come in unto the king these THIRTY DAYS.”

(Esther 4:11)

This passage is fraught with deep meaning to us. Remember back when Moses was commanded by the Lord to SET BOUNDS FOR THE PEOPLE, LEST THEY BREAK THROUGH AND GAZE UPON THE LORD AND PERISH? Remember that they had to undergo THREE DAYS OF PREPARATION, AND THAT ON THE THIRD DAY THE LORD WOULD COME DOWN AND VISIT THE PEOPLE? That of course has tremendous PROPHETIC IMPLICATIONS, but let us look at this from a salvation standpoint.

The law says that anyone WHO GOES INTO THE INNER CHAMBER TO FIND THE KING, IF HE BE NOT CALLED, SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH. It is but another proof that the LORD OF LORDS, THE KING OF KINGS, RESIDES IN THE INNER CHAMBER. We must then travel through the outer court, the inner court, to the very center, the KING’S INNER CHAMBER. Notice also that the king can make an exception: HE CAN TAKE HIS SCEPTER AND hold out that scepter to the person who has entered, and they may live.

It is at the option of the sovereign. The word “scepter” is ‘sharbiyt’ and it means ROD OF EMPIRE, STAFF OF SOVEREIGNTY. Sovereign rulers generally had four items that signified to others of their position of rank and authority: A CROWN, A RING, A SEAL AND A SCEPTER. IT WAS A GRAVE THING TO VIOLATE THIS LAW, AND IF YOU WENT IN TO THE INNER CHAMBER WITHOUT BEING SUMMONED BY THE KING, DEATH WOULD RESULT.

“Go, gather together all of the Jews that are present in Shu-shan, and FAST YE

FOR ME,

AND NEITHER EAT NOR DRINK

THREE DAYS,

NIGHT OR DAY:

I ALSO AND MY MAIDENS WILL FAST LIKEWISE;

AND SO WILL I GO UNTO THE KING,

WHICH IS NOT ACCORDING TO THE LAW:

AND IF I PERISH, I PERISH.”

(Esther 4:16)

Esther is going to violate the law. SHE IS GOING TO FAST FOR THREE DAYS. It is important to notice that ON THE THIRD DAY SHE WILL ENTER INTO THE INNER CHAMBER TO MEET THE KING. Is it not odd that Christ was buried for THREE DAYS, AND ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE TO NEW LIFE? Remember the THREE DAYS OF PREPARATION before God came down to the Mount? What is this fast, what are these THREE DAYS TRYING TO TELL US? Is the STRAIT GATE AND NARROW WAY THE FAST OF THE LORD? Is the narrow way a WAY OF PREPARATION THAT WE MIGHT BE READY WHEN WE SEE THE KING?

“Now it came to pass ON THE THIRD DAY,

that Esther put on her ROYAL APPAREL (MADE HERSELF READY),

AND STOOD IN THE INNER COURT OF THE KING’S HOUSE,

OVER AGAINST THE KING’S HOUSE;

AND THE KING SAT UPON HIS ROYAL THRONE

IN THE ROYAL HOUSE,

OVER AGAINST THE GATE OF THE HOUSE.

AND IT WAS SO, WHEN THE KING SAW ESTHER THE QUEEN STANDING

IN THE COURT, THAT

SHE OBTAINED FAVOUR IN HIS SIGHT:

AND THE KING HELD OUT TO ESTHER THE GOLDEN SCEPTRE

THAT WAS IN HIS HAND. SO ESTHER DREW NEAR, AND TOUCHED THE

TOP OF THE SCEPTRE.”

(Esther 5:1-2)

Esther drew near and TOUCHED THE SCEPTER. She had prepared herself for THREE DAYS by fasting and prayer, and then putting on her ROYAL CLOTHING. On the THIRD DAY she stood in the inner court, in the PRESENCE OF THE KING. He held out his scepter and she found favor, she would live. The believer must likewise undergo a preparation, a FAST OF THE LORD, which is called the NARROW WAY. When the believer comes into the presence of the Lord, in the Holy of Holies, the inner chamber. CHIRST WILL THEN HOLD FORTH HIS GOLDEN SCEPTER. If you KISS THE SON, YOU SHALL LIVE. IF YOU REFUSE, YOU SHALL DIE.

By Christ ripping apart the veil, He made the way for us to enter the inner chamber. He made the way for us to enter the New Covenant. Anyone is invited into the inner court. You need not fear death by entering, but if you ENTER UNPREPARED, IF YOU BURST UPON THE LORD, AND GAZE UPON THE LORD AND YOU ARE NOT READY, YOU WILL PERISH. The “many” were not ready; they had refused to prepare themselves as Christ commanded.

We will return to the three days of the Lord in a later report, for they are a clue as to the length of time it takes to travel the narrow way to the inner court. We are now going to turn to more Scripture to prove out the TWO ASPECTS OF CHRIST:

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,

I say unto you,

EXCEPT YE

EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN,

AND DRINK HIS BLOOD,

YE HAVE

NO LIFE IN YOU.”

(John 6:53)

This is a rather blunt statement. Some would say CRUDE. But there is a very important message embedded within it. This is not an idle statement, but it is instead a direct command. Does Christ want us to literally attempt to eat His flesh and drink His blood? Are we to become cannibals? It is one of these symbolic remarks that has a very literal meaning to it. We unravel the mystery of it by other Scripture.

Jesus relates His FLESH AND BLOOD WITH LIFE. He says that HIS FLESH AND BLOOD ARE LIFE. We must EAT IT, OR INGEST IT INTO OUR OWN SELVES. IT MUST BECOME A PART OF US. When we eat food, we take it in and digest it. That which is good flows throughout the entire body and brings life to it. We absorb it into our very cells, and it becomes a part of us, a literal part of us. We take a carrot, or a hamburger and we turn it into literal tissue, flesh and blood.

The skin hides the flesh and blood from our view. The only time we see blood is when we are wounded, and the blood flows out of the body because of blood pressure within. The point being that the blood is INVISIBLE, BENEATH THE SURFACE. We know that it is there, we are aware of it, yet we do not see it. The flesh is likewise. It lies beneath the skin, and is what is placed over the bones so we are not walking skeletons. BOTH ARE INVISIBLE TO OUR SIGHT.

Blood is the LIFE OF THE PHYSICAL BODY. Blood is the most important part of the body, as is the heart. Without the circulatory system, we could not live. The blood flows to every part of the body, picking up impurities and giving new life. It is the very substance of life itself. Is this why the Bible says:

“For it (blood) is THE LIFE OF ALL FLESH;

the blood of it IS FOR THE LIFE THEREOF:

therefore I said unto the children of Israel,

ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh:

FOR THE LIFE OF ALL FLESH IS THE BLOOD THEREOF:

Whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”

(Leviticus 17:14)

We would then ask, what is the blood primarily composed of? The answer is WATER. That which is behind the blood is water. Without water there would be no blood, and without blood there would be no life. If blood and water are the SOURCE OF ALL LIFE IN MAN, that is, that which makes him ALIVE, what is the source of all life in the SPIRIT?

WATER AND BLOOD = PHYSICAL LIFE

AGAPE LOVE = SPIRITUAL LIFE

Therefore we will find that BLOOD and WATER are a code word for AGAPE LOVE. Without agape love, there is NO SPIRITUAL LIFE. Without AGAPE LOVE BLOOD WITHIN YOU, YOU HAVE NO SPIRITUAL LIFE. Just as a person would die without water and blood in the physical realm, so too does death prevail for those who do not have AGAPE LOVE. Just as blood is hidden from view by the veil of the skin, so too is agape love hidden by the veil of the skin. BOTH LIE WITHIN, BEYOND THE SIGHT.

It is interesting to note that Jesus just finished saying in John 6:31-51 that HE WAS THE BREAD OF LIFE, AND THEN HE COMPARED HIMSELF TO THE MANNA THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. The bread, the manna that comes down from heaven is THE AGAPE LOVE BESTOWMENT. It is granted ONLY TO THE OVERCOMER, FOR IT IS THE OVERCOMER ONLY THAT IS GIVEN TO EAT OF THE HIDDEN MANNA:

“he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH

WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE HIDDEN MANNA…”

(Revelation 2:17)

The word “hidden” is ‘krupto’ and it means CONCEALED, COVERED, SECRET OR HIDDEN. In other words, NOT VISIBLE, NOT KNOWN BY THE SENSE MAN, THE SOUL MAN. We have already proved to you that MANKIND LOST AGAPE LOVE AT THE FALL, he does not have it; he cannot know it. It is beyond him, beyond his nature. He cannot learn it; he cannot obtain it via any normal learning process. It is not granted to man in that manner.

“Whoso EATETH MY FLESH, AND DRINKETH MY BLOOD,

HATH ETERNAL LIFE;

AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY.

for my flesh is meat indeed,

and my blood is drink indeed.

He that EATETH MY FLESH,

AND DRINKETH MY BLOOD,

DWELLETH IN ME, AND I IN HIM.”

(John 6:54-56)

The flesh and blood of Christ is now directly connected to ETERNAL LIFE. THEY ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO UNION WITH CHRIST. He also gives us the clues as to what He means by it all. He says that HIS FLESH IS MEAT. Meat is related to DOCTRINE, DEEP DOCTRINE. It relates back to the command of Christ to CONTINUE IN HIS DOCTRINES. This should not surprise us, because Jesus came to TEACH MANKIND WHAT HE MUST DO TO ENTER THE NEW COVENANT. One of the commands is to LEARN SOUND DOCTRINE.

If the flesh is doctrine, and we are to eat and DIGEST IT, then obviously we HEAR WHAT HE SAYS, UNDERSTAND WHAT HE SAYS, AND APPLY IT. It then becomes A PART OF US. Could this have anything to do with the TRANSFORMATION OF OUR MINDS? Have we not been commanded to put on the mind of Christ? The mind is for thinking; the mind is the place for learning. The mind is the center for taking in DOCTRINE.

It was the promise of Christ that if we would CONTINUE IN HIS DOCTRINE, we would find THE TRUTH, AND THIS TRUTH WOULD SET US FREE. We know that this truth we must find is AGAPE LOVE, AND THE BESTOWMENT OF AGAPE LOVE BRINGS US ETERNAL LIFE (1 John 3:1; 3:14). His blood is related to drink, and we have seen how blood relates also to the bestowment of agape love. We have come again full circle to the ONE ISSUE BETWEEN MAN AND GOD:

THE AGAPE LOVE ISSUE.

What we have then is another proof of the TWO ASPECTS OF CHRIST. ONE IS VISIBLE, EASILY DISCERNED BY THE SENSE MAN, SOUL MAN. This is the Christ of history, the Christ of the cross, the founder and finisher of our faith. MANKIND COMES TO THIS CHRIST VIA THE PROCESS OF CONVERSION, because conversion is an act of the will of man accepting the claims of Christ. Conversion brings us into the BODY OF CHRIST. Regeneration has nothing to do with conversion; they are quite the opposite. Regeneration has nothing to do with the will of man: IT IS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE WILL OF GOD.

There are many more verses to prove the two aspects of Christ, but what we have shown you should prove it out. The fact that AGAPE LOVE was lost at the fall should be enough proof to anyone. It is not the Christ of the cross that saves us; it is AGAPE LOVE LIFE BESTOWED THAT SAVES US. It might shock you to learn that AGAPE LOVE IS NOT BESTOWED AT CONVERSION. It will come only if the believer enters the strait gate and walks the narrow way to the finding of life, to the finding of the HIDDEN MANNA. We already know that the pot of manna was located in the Holy of Holies. You must go in to obtain it. To stand in the outer court, and to claim by faith you have it, is it to invite certain and complete disaster.

CONVERSION VS REGENERATION

We are now going to investigate in brief the vital differences between conversion and regeneration, for the difference prove there are in fact TWO ASPECTS OF CHRIST. Conversion is something we do by an act of our will. Conversion is always to the HISTORICAL CHRIST, THE VISIBLE CHRIST. Regeneration is something God does to us, totally BY HIS WILL ALONE, and it never concerns the outer conscious heart. It is OF THE SPIRIT.

CONVERSION = ACT OF MAN’S WILL

REGENERATION = ACT OF GOD’S WILL

It will be proven that modern Christianity is wholly wrong in claiming that God regenerates a person the instant of conversion. Nothing could be further from the truth. The error of the vast majority of Christians was right here. They were told by their false pastors and false theologians that they were REGENERATED INSTANTLY AT CONVERSION. They not only were taught that, they bought into it hook, line and sinker. But when they died, when they stood before Christ, they found out the hard way that they had been lied to, that they had bought into a SATANIC LIE OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS.

There are vast differences between the words conversion and the words used to describe regeneration. They do not even mean the same thing. The false prophets HAD TO CHANGE THE DEFINITIONS OF CONVERSION AND REGENERATION, AND TO BRING THEM TOGETHER. Here is what they did:

“LIFE”

CONVERSION NARROW WAY REGENERATION

Notice that LIFE is at the end of the narrow way. We already know that LIFE IS AGAPE LOVE BESTOWMENT. Peter said the false prophets would cause the WAY OF THE TRUTH TO BE EVIL SPOKEN OF (2 Peter 2:1-3). In other words, a theology and doctrine would be developed that would CIRCUMVENT THE STRAIT GATE AND NARROW WAY. If we remove the narrow way, then we BRING THE DESTINATION AND THE BEGINNING POINTS TOGETHER:

As you can see, if the BEGINNING IS CONVERSION, AND THE ENDING IS REGENERATION, and we remove the NARROW WAY, by denial or by doctrine; we then have brought the two together, we have made them one. We have also removed all the time element that is implied and demanded by Scripture. The opposite of patience and continuing, abiding and remaining is INSTANT. How do we do something instantly, or immediately? We do it by an ACT OF FAITH, BY INSTANT ‘DECISION’. We do it with our minds; we embrace a concept, a doctrine, a teaching as true, AND WE EMBRACE IT IMMEDIATELY AND ACCEPT IT IN OUR HEARTS AS TRUTH. Even if you do not like the idea, that is what the opposite of A LONG TIME IS. Jesus spoke of this in the parable of the sower. These people laid hold of the word INSTANTLY, IMMEDIATELY. The word was ‘anon’ and that is what it means. THAT CAN ONLY BE DONE BY THE CONSCIOUS MIND, THE CONSCIOUS HEART AND WILL.

It is a fact that all major denominations, and all major evangelists preach a gospel in which all one has to do is make a sincere decision for Jesus Christ, and WITH THAT DECISION YOU ARE INSTANTLY SAVED, AND YOU ARE GOING TO HEAVEN. They all teach that this act of CONVERSION BRINGS IMMEDIATE AND INSTANT REGENERATION WITHIN. They all teach that Christ AT THE MOMENT, VIA THE HOLY SPIRIT, COMES IN TO THE HEART OF THAT PERSON AND GRANTS THAT PERSON ETERNAL LIFE. It is in all of their printed material, it is so stated in all of their prayers when they ask people to come forward to receive Christ.

The issue is this: are they telling you and I the truth, and if so, does it match PRECISELY WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY, OR NOT? If you teach INSTANT OR IMMEDIATE REGENERATION, then where is the narrow way? The argument is often advanced that IT IS AFTER UNION WITH CHRIST. We come to Christ, we enter in to union with Christ, we obtain IMMEDIATE LIFE, AND THEN WE BEGIN our walk. I say unto you it is HOGWASH, UTTERLY FALSE, THAT PETER DECLARED WOULD SWEEP THE LATTER DAY CHURCH INTO ETERNAL RUIN. If you believe the gospel of modern Christianity, YOU WILL PERISH IN YOUR SINS, YOU WILL NEVER SEE HEAVEN.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, can mistake what Jesus Christ said. It is beyond all argument, it is beyond ALL INTERPRETATION, it is so simple a five year old could tell you where LIFE IS ON THE NARROW WAY. Whether you like it or not, whether you can accept it or not, LIFE IS AT THE END OF THE NARROW WAY. The narrow way LEADETH unto this ‘life’. It is the mark of a false prophet, a false teacher TO CONTRADICT JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE, IF CHRIST DECLARES, AS HE DOES ADAMANTLY THAT NO ONE GETS LIFE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE WALKED THE NARROW WAY, WHAT THEN MUST THE FALSE TEACHERS CLAIM?

They must, because they have no options, EITHER REMOVE THE NARROW WAY AND DECLARE IT IS NOT EVEN THERE, OR THAT WE HAVE LIFE AT THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE UNION AT THE BEGINNING, AND THEN WE WALK IT. Both are utter falsehoods, both forms of doctrine are from the pits of