Living The Paschal Mystery In The Mind Of The Spirit

Reference Scripture: Romans 8:22-27, 'Sure liberation, regeneration and future glory of Creation'

Key Verse: 'And God who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints, according to the will of God' (Romans 8:27).

Introduction

The Bible declares that in the perfect will of the Father (Being), the decent and incarnation of Christ (the Begotten Son) into Jesus Christ as Messiah, were facilitated and consummated in the begetting of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:30-35). Jesus' conception, birth, growth, spiritual formation, life and his teaching, liberation and healing ministries here on earth, were guided and empowered by the propagation of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3, Luke 2:52, 4:14-22). Jesus' passion, death, resurrection and ascension as LORD, were facilitated, empowered and culminated by the Being, Begotten, and Begetting of the Holy Trinity, in the mind of the spirit. 

The mystery of Christ's second coming, revelation and manifestation as LORD among men here on earth, continues to be revealed, facilitated and empowered by the begetting and propagation of the Holy Spirit, in and through Christ-centered believers, within witnessing paschal faith communities, in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups. These true witnesses choose to live their lives in the mind of the spirit. Kingdom living will be fully revealed, culminated and manifested here on earth, as true believers steadfastly follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the Spirit (Matthew 6:9-10, Romans 8:12-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17). 


Creation waits for deliverance from life in the mind of the flesh

In today's Epistle, the Apostle Paul describes how believers who dwell in the mind of the spirit discern the groaning, suffering, fear, alienation, guilt, incivility, sin and evil of the inappropriate dominion of the mind of the flesh, throughout all creation. Jesus Christ has revealed and provided God's methods of forgiveness of sins, redemption, adoption, sanctification, future glory and eternal life in the mind of the spirit, for all mankind and all creation (Romans 8:22-23, Colossians 1:21-29). In the mind of the spirit, believers discern and experience what Jesus Christ meant when he declared, "I came that you man have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).     

Life in the mind of the spirit 

Like Jesus Christ mankind's universal Savior and LORD, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based believers, in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups are iconoclast and intrapreneurs, within their own witnessing paschal faith communities. They follow Jesus Christ in pleasing God, by laying down living the lives in the mind of the flesh. They are in faith, humility and obedience taking up living their lives again and living in the mind of the spirit (Matthew 13:47-52, John 3:16-17; 10:10, 17-18).

In the mind of the spirit these believers are no longer living their lives in the pain, frustration, suffering, spiritual blindness, spiritual deafness and hardheartedness of the mind of the flesh. In the mind of the spirit, they follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit. Their lives in the mind of the spirit are filled with patience, compassion, civility and agape love. In the mind of the spirit they discern and participate in the casting down and destruction of the Lawless Man, the mind of the flesh, within their personal lives and relationships (Romans 8: 24-25, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).  

Witness of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit works in propagating and facilitating God's will and universal redemptive plan for all mankind to lay down living their lives in the mind of the flesh and take them up again by living their lives in the mind of the spirit.  In begetting, the Holy Spirit searches human hearts and knows the mind of the spirit. In the midst of mankind's ignorance about how to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness and infirmities (Romans 8:26-27).   

Conclusion

Are you willing to follow Jesus Christ as Messiah, Way-shower and Lord, in laying down your life in the mind of the flesh and taking it up again in the mind of the spirit (John 14:6, Romans 6:9-11)? Are you following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)? Are you willing to wait patiently in prayer, faith, humility and obedience to discern and be empowered to more fully manifest the mind of the spirit in your life, within your witnessing paschal faith community and throughout our planet (Matthew 6:22, Acts 1:8,  1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Colossians 3:1)?  

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The Greater Witness In Living The Paschal Mystery

Reference Scripture: 1 John 5:9-13, 'Faith and eternal life through Jesus Christ'.

Key verse: The Apostle John declares, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life". 


Introduction


The lesser witness in living the Paschal mystery is believing and proclaiming the facts of Jesus' passion, death, resurrection and ascension and forgiveness of sins in the mind of the flesh. The greater witness in living the Paschal Mystery also includes the personal experience of passing over from slavery to sin and spiritual death, into the freedom, agape love, glory and eternal life with the Godhead in Christ, while in our present physical bodies. It is faith, humility, obedience and following Jesus as the Son of Man and abiding in Christ as the Son of God, in the mind of the spirit. This greater witness in living the Paschal Mystery is realized when believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups follow Jesus Christ, by laying down their lives in the mind of the flesh and taking them up again in the mind of the spirit (Jeremiah 31:31-34, John 10:16-18, Romans 8:1-17, 1 John 5:6-8).


True and false witnesses 


Today's Epistle reminds us that witnesses and witnessing paschal faith communities may choose  to believe and follow Jesus Christ, in living God's New Covenant relationship with mankind in the mind of the spirit or the mind of the flesh. Those who dwell in the mind of the flesh cannot experience, nor can they dwell in the greater witness and truth of living the Paschal Mystery (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:8-12). The Apostle Paul warns believers about the deception, condemnation and destruction of the mind of the flesh (Romans 8:1-11). The mind of the flesh produces the lesser and the false human witness of the Paschal mystery through spiritual blindness, spiritual deafness, spiritual sleep and spiritual death. The mind of the flesh is hostile to God. It rejects God's divine purpose and will for human lives, as revealed in Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 3:15, Romans 8:5-8, 1 John 5:9).


The Great Sin 


The Old Testament, New Testament and Apocrypha scriptures reveals and proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They affirm that as the Son of God and LORD, Jesus Christ is the full incarnation and full manifestation of the Godhead in human flesh (Colossians 2:9). As the fully orbed Son of Man and LORD, Jesus Christ is the way, truth, life. Jesus Christ is full revelation of God's plan of forgiveness, salvation, redemption, eternal life and kingdom living, here on earth (John 14:6). Those who believe in the Son of God, have the testimony of God's New Covenant in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony God has given concerning his Son (1 John 5:10).


God's Great Gifts


The testimony and true witness of the Gospel of Christ, as revealed in Jesus Christ, is that God has always given the great gifts of his image, likeness and eternal life to all mankind. The apostle Paul declared that down through the ages and generations, the mystery Christ, God's image and likeness, in the spiritual body of all mankind, has been hidden from all mankind, by the mind of the flesh. In the mind of the spirit, this mystery is now revealed to believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, who believe in Jesus Christ as God's Anointed, Messenger, Messiah and LORD (Genesis 1:26-31, Colossians 1:1-27). God's gift of eternal life is in God's Only Begotten Son, (CHRIST, LOGOS, ADONAI, JEHOVAH, LORD), who in the power and begetting of the Holy Spirit, came down from heaven, and became fully incarnate and fully manifested in Jesus Christ, the Son of Man (Matthew 1:18-25, 1 John 5:11).


CHRIST is eternal life 


The greater witness in living the Paschal Mystery is found in witnesses and witnessing paschal faith communities who steadfastly follow Jesus Christ in laying down their lives in the mind of the flesh and taking them up again in the mind of the spirit (John 10:14-18). By steadfastly following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups now have eternal life. The sure promise of eternal life is realized in those who believe in and have a personal relationship with and abide in God's Begotten Son, the LORD (CHRIST, LOGOS, ADONAI, JEHOVAH), as revealed in Jesus Christ as LORD (John 3:11-18, 1 Corinthians 15:45-52, 1 John 5:12).


Key to this Epistle 


The Apostle John wrote today Epistle, so that believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups would choose to live their lives in the mind of the spirit. John wanted believers to have the assurance and experience of eternal life in Christ, while in our present physical bodies. He declares that eternal life is realized in those who believe in the name of the Son of God. What do you believe about the name, nature, presence and work of the Son of God in your heart, mind, life and relationships (1 John 5:13)?


Conclusion


Are you following Jesus Christ by laying down your life in the mind of the flesh and taking it up again in the mind of the spirit (John 10:14-18)? Are you numbered among those believers who have chosen the greater witness of the Paschal Mystery, within your witnessing paschal faith community? Have you chosen to be a true witness and beacon of light, by living your life in the mind of the spirit? Or have you chosen to be a lesser witness and salt without savor, by living your life in the mind of the flesh (Matthew 5:13-16)?


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Overcoming Faith And Living The Paschal Mystery

Reference Scripture: 1 John 5:1-6, 'The faith which conquers the world'.


Key Verse: The Apostle John declares, "...for whoever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith" (1 John 5:4)


Introduction

A vital fact in living the Paschal mystery is that believers conquer the world. By faith in Christ, believers pass over from the spiritual death of the mind of the flesh, into the new, glorified and eternal life, and fellowship with the Godhead, in the mind of the spirit, while in our present physical bodies. The divine initiate in this transforming experience of the Paschal Mystery is revealed in the agape love, self-emptying, self-sacrifice, and full incarnation of the Godhead, in and through Jesus Christ as the Son of God.The human initiate in this overcoming and transformation is revealed in the faith, agape love, humility, obedience and total surrender of Jesus Christ, to God's commandments and will for his life in, as the Son of Man.

Conquering faith

Believers who are born of God believe and know that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Anointed One. They believe Jesus Christ taught and fully modeled the conquering faith and relationship with God, which conquer the world. They therefore love and follow Jesus Christ as the Son of Man, in daily practical application of the same agape love for God, fellow believers, their enemies and all persons, which Jesus Christ practiced. By abiding in Jesus Christ, as the Begotten Son of God, and full incarnation of the Godhead through Christ (LOGOS, ADONAI, JEHOVAH), they realize the same incarnation and manifestation of the Godhead, in their mindsets, relationships and lives, which Jesus knew, while here on earth. Victorious believers are called by God to steadfastly follow Jesus Christ as the Beloved Son of Man, in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit (Mark 31-36, 1 John 5:1).

Confirmation that believers are children of God  

In today's Epistle, the Apostle John declares that believers are assured that they are Children of God, by their agape love for God and their obeying God's commandments. In the mind off the spirit, believers discern that God's commandments are not burdensome, vital to their Christ-like spiritual formation. They know and gladly keep God's commandments as revealed in Jesus Christ, because they are God's sure way of delivering all mankind from the bondage and slavery of the sins of the mind of the flesh. Through faith, humility and obedience, Christ-centered believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups pass over into the freedom, agape love and glory of the Godhead, as revealed in Jesus Christ, while in their present physical bodies (1 John 5:2-3).

Faith that overcomes the world

The faith, which overcomes the world, is found in believers who know, follow and abide in Jesus Christ as the full incarnation and manifestation of the Godhead in human flesh. Believers who overcome the world, in the mind of the spirit, are born of God, born for above and born of water, the blood, the Spirit and fire (John 3:1-17, Romans 8:1-17). By laying down one's life in the mind of the flesh and taking it up again the mind of the spirit, believers are redeemed, beloved and adopted by God, empowered and assured by the Holy Spirit, that they are children of God (Ephesians 4:1-17, 1 John 5:4-6).

Conclusion

Do you believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah and the Anointed One? Do you love God, your neighbor and yourself with the agape love, which God makes available to all who choose to practice it? Do you choose to obey God's commandments, in the mind of the spirit, as revealed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:17-20)? Have you chosen to lay down your life in the mind of the flesh and be born from above, by taking it up again in the mind of the spirit (John 3:1-7)? Have you chosen to follow Jesus Christ in faith, humility, obedience and truth, by witnessing and living the Paschal mystery, in the mind of the spirit, within your tradition, religion, culture, ethnic and secular group?

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Living The Paschal Mystery By Dwelling In Agape Love

Reference Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21, 'Agape Love is from God'


Key Verse: The Apostle John declared, "God's love was revealed among us in this way, God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him (1 John 4:9).


Introduction

In today's Epistle 1 John 4:7-21, the Apostle John assures us that in Jesus Christ as the Son of Man and Lord, believers will share the same (beloved) agape love relationship, which Jesus Christ shared with the Godhead, while here on earth (2 Corinthians 3:1-6). Jesus described God's covenant love relationship with those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ, through the witness within Jesus Christ's witnessing paschal faith community (Mark 8:31-35). In John 10:17-18, Jesus declared God's agape love initiative in these word, "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down and take it up again. I have received this command from my Father".

Jesus' discourse on agape love 

In the Gospel of John 17:20-24 the Apostle records how Jesus Christ commissions and empowers believers within his witnessing paschal faith community, to work in the same agape love, which he knew with the Father in this prayer. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may be one. As you Father are in me and I in you, may they also be in us, so the world may believe that you sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, so that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so the world may know you have sent me, and love them as you have loved me". These covenant promises between God, Jesus Christ and believers are paraphrased and restated by John in today's Epistle, 1 John 4:7-12, 'Agape love when expressed through mankind, it is always God's initiative".

Witness of the Holy Spirit 

Through the power, indwelling and begetting of the Holy Spirit, witnessing paschal faith communities are called by God to follow, imitate and fulfill Jesus Christ's mission as the Son of Man and Lord, here on earth (John 14:6, 21:20-24). In his redeeming work as Suffering Servant, Way-shower and Anointed Lord, Jesus Christ took upon himself, the sins of all mankind (Isaiah 53:1-12). Jesus then sacrificed and laid down his life in the mind of the flesh, for the atonement and forgiven of the sins and works of the mind of the flesh, in all mankind. In taking up his life again in the mind of the spirit, Jesus Christ confessed Christ (LOGOS, ADONAI, JEHOVAH) as indwelling and incarnate LORD, in his life and lives of believers, to the glory of the Father. In living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit, Jesus Christ as Lord (Son of Man) and LORD (Son of God), overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven, to Christ-centered believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, who steadfastly follow him in living the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit (Mark 8:31-34, John 10:10, 1 John 4:13-16).

Agape love casts out fear and inspires confidence 

Within witnessing paschal faith communities, agape love casts out fear, inspires confidence and engenders holy boldness and righteous living in the souls, hearts, minds, relationship and lives of believers, who embrace, glorify and abide in the incarnate Christ, as LORD. In the mind of the spirit. Spiritually awake believers discern that like Jesus Christ, they are the image of God, now following Jesus Christ in becoming the likeness of God, here on earth. Agape love is the believers certain covenant promise and mandate, as they grow in Christ likeness, by follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery in the mind of the spirit (1 John 4:17:21).

Conclusion

Through humility, repentance and obedience and faith in the name of Jesus Christ as Lord, are you claiming forgiveness of the sins of the mind of the flesh? By laying down your life in the mind of the flesh, are you experiencing the forgiveness and atoning work of Jesus Christ as Lord, who lived the Paschal Mystery, by shedding his blood and laying down his life in the mind of the flesh, for all mankind (John 3:16-17, 14:6)? By abiding in Christ as indwelling and incarnate LORD, are you following Jesus Christ in taking up your life again the mind of the spirit, within your traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups?  Are you now experiencing the unity, alignment, at-one-ment, and incarnation of the Godhead, which Jesus Christ knew, as you follow Jesus as Lord, in living the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit (John 3:16-21)?


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