1 John 2:20-29
20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One,
and ye know all things.
21 I have not written unto you because ye know
not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that
Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath
not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye
have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning
shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that he hath
promised us, even eternal life.
26 These things have I written unto you
concerning them that seduce you.
27 But the anointing which ye have received of
him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as
it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him;
that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before
him at his coming.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
The paradox
of Christians who are called to the “fivefold ministry” is laid out in
simplicity by the apostle. The new covenant that Jesus established with Israel
was prophesied by Jeremiah many years before The Word was manifested in the
flesh.
This prophet
arguably had the hardest and most unaccepted ministry that we have record of in
the scripture. Perhaps as way of consolation God gave to him the most beautiful
sight of the result of promised Messiahs coming. This new covenant may have
been understood and appreciated more by this prophet than it is by many of
those who live in its benefits.
The paradox
begins for us with this prophet when He tells us that in the new covenant “…they
shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying
know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest…”
Jeremiah 31: 34. John affirms this in his listeners by saying they have an anointing
and know all things and also He says they have no need that men teach them.
Yet our Lord
who established this covenant told His disciples when you are converted strengthen
your brethren, He told Peter if you love me feed my sheep, and His Spirit
through Paul tells us that when the anointed one ascended He took us, who were
the captives of the grave in the earth, as captives of the life in heaven with
Him. He tells us we are hidden in Him and seated in His heavenly places. Also
at His ascending He gave gifts unto us the so called fivefold ministry for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ till we are all brought to that perfect man and unity of the faith.
The word
know, as in you know Him, is about being joined with Him not a scholarly knowledge.
So if by faith I am joined to Him then when He died I died, when He was buried
I was buried, when He was resurrected I was resurrected, and when He ascended I
ascended.
These things being true why is my body still
living here? My body is not my own it is literally the body of Christ, the
Spirit of God quickens my mortal body and both the Father and the Son and I
abide here. God has made us one so now we are a package deal; if He is in
heaven so is I, if He is in me so am I and not I alone but all who are of the household
of faith.
These things
being true why at times (many more than I wish) do I sin; how is it even
possible after what we have just discussed? The unity of faith is not about the outside of
you and your brother, but instead about your fight of faith within. We all to
some degree have a mixed trust reliance and expectation of Christ to live
through us and ourselves to live through us.
The trials,
temptations, chastisements, failures, victories, and blessings of our Christian
life all serve to show us that we must let go of our old self and let ourselves
be completely crucified in Christ in order that the oneness of God and us,
sharing His life, may be manifested.
Now many who
read this may have never heard such a thing stated but if you are Christ’s you
know it is true. This is the purpose of a minister; not to teach you what you
should know, but to stir up the gift that is in you. It is the anointed one
working in us to encourage you to trust His working in you for it is in Him
that we move and breathe and Have our being.
Any man that
believes he can give you life by his teaching or work is at best deceived and
at worst trying to make you into merchandise. You are anointed of God because
you are made one with Him and it is The Holy Spirit that works in you to teach
and to will and to do.
As much as
your faith is in Jesus to live through you His glory rest on you. As much as
your faith is not in Him you are in the flesh and He shares His glory with no
flesh.
As a last
point fear that you will fail is the exact opposite of faith that He is your
maker and author and finisher of your faith. He is able to make you exactly
what He desires…FEAR NOT ONLY BELIEVE!!
