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Gospel of John Commentary by Ian W.
I am writing briefly on the subject of opinions. It seems that there is a conceit that we may have our own opinions (read judgments) as long as we keep them to ourselves. What we conceive in our heart is what will be birthed in our experience. We are to have the Mind of Christ, who conceived all there was to be in Himself before there ever was any manifestation of it to behold. This is why we, made in His image and likeness, must guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issuings of our lives. We cannot hold our opinions while holding our tongue; they must be cast down as the high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. We do not, nor dare not, have the luxury of an opinion, all such judgment is antichrist – it denies and contradicts Christ.
We are taught to conceive of God as “The Word” and so also to value our own word accordingly – this creates the inverse perversity of us valuing OUR own word (opinion/judgment) too much, thinking that we are being as God in this wise. But God is MANIFEST in Christ Jesus – Jesus was and is the MANIFESTATION of God. He is the EVIDENCE of God. It is what we MANIFEST that determines how we conceive of God – our shiny, well buffed, carefully considered words just do not do it. We may fool others temporarily and ourselves persistently, but it is what is MANIFEST – the fruit which is evident, that is what determines whether what is conceived in our hearts is really of God, or simply an expression of our own heart held opinions about ourselves and others and the product of the complexities and duplicities of our own double-minded imagination.
There is an industry, which has developed around personal fulfillment and development, around the processing and preservation of who you are. This, I believe, denies the finished work of Christ in us – it is antichrist. So called “positive thinking” is so often simply our own self defined good which screens and conceals the issues which keep us from the inner governance and inhabitation of the kingdom – it is our own kingdom existing in contradiction to Christ. Vainly we seek to define God and so confine Him when it is He who must define us. The only thing which keeps us from the kingdom is unbelief, but to try and reconcile unbelief by psychological processing simply reinforces it and is a counterfeit of the transforming of the mind which occurs in communion with Christ. The flesh must die, and indeed in Christ it already has. The reason why so many Christians mill about like salmon at a waterfall is that they had bought into the world’s model of redemption through works. By saying that there is something that we yet have to do in order for us to be fit to serve puts the onus and emphasis back on us – there is only one thing that remains for us to do, simply love one another as He first loved us, believe and let Him set our steps, which is kind of three things, but then who is counting. This may in turn require some degree of preparation to take us into what he wants for us, but do not confuse preparation with processing. It is like the difference between a freshly prepared meal and a processed/preserved meal. Jesus wants to sup anew with you and me daily; when the King comes to dinner will you feed Him canned goods or Big Mac? There is a big difference between being seasoned with salt and preserved with poison.
We cannot, indeed dare not, try and win the world without our own heart being won over, and if Christ is our foundation and our head, then He will play the instrument which we are and He will strike a chord with others. If we substitute love with works then we will simply be a clanging symbol (sic). Wanting to achieve for God is so often simply a mechanism for our own ambition – the greatest thing we can do for Him is simply to love and release one another and find that inner governance of peace in His Kingdom, then we may truly be of service. If there is contention, strife, warring, party spirits etc around us then we need to retreat to that place of peace and let Him fight for us, for the battle is not ours, but the Lords. If our willful head is ruling our heart, then it is like us setting the tension on the strings of a guitar when we can only guess at what “tuned” really is – we will make an uncertain sound but to us it is still music and we want others to dance to our tune.
There are so many fakes, frauds and counterfeits of Christ, all saying that He is. Remember how it was when we first believed, how nothing seemed impossible for God? But then we got leavened – filled with conditionality, and faith died – the law came, sin revived and it slew us. But this happened for a reason, it happened because we began to inject ‘me’ back into Christ, instead of allowing Christ to rule and reign in your heart. I only know this because it is what happened to me and to virtually every believer I know. If we go back to the law, it will always slay you; it serves that purpose. It was set to slay Jesus for us, and it will continue to slay those who deny that finished work. Let’s indeed get back to the beginning, to the basics of simply believing, and let Him take care of the details, for we are all His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, before the worlds began. We were created perfectly in His image, in His imagination. If we conceive of or recreate ourselves in our imagination we will invariably end up in a ditch. If God is not moving us, learn to be still until He does, the soul prepared to wait forever will not have to wait for long. For now, forsake self-determination and striving – for in the end it really achieves nothing of lasting value except that it may bring us to the end of ourselves, for even that which we conceive of ourselves will ultimately serves God’s purpose, even if it is to simply bring us to our senses so that we may return to The Father.
I have included this from Victor Alexander’s website – mediate upon it as it is powerful beyond mere words. I have added the emphasis.
The literal translation of the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 1 to 5 is as follows:
1. Brasheeth* there was the Milta.**
And that Milta was with God;
and God was that Milta.
2. This was brasheeth with God.
3. Everything was created by His hands,
otherwise nothing that is would exist.
4. Through him there was Life,
and that Life became the spark of humanity
5. And that fire lights the darkness,
and the darkness cannot put it out.
*Brasheeth does not mean: "In the Beginning." It really means "before the beginning;" that is "before the foundations of the universe," or "before Creation."
**Milta does not mean: "Logos" or "The Word." The term was coined by John to mean that Jesus was God in Action. I have chosen to translate "Milta" as "Manifestation." Jesus is the Manifestation of God, or He is God Manifest.
http://www.v-a.com/bible/john.html
To you it was shown; that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; that there is none other besides Him. Deut 4:35.
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Although Christianity is under attack in the world, we need to stay objective in discussing the origins of the Scriptures. The Internet provides an opportunity for free discussions. Thank you for participating and expressing your opinions, as I have.