Jesus said the Father was in Him and He was in the Father. They were one. There is much more in that statement, than we can get into in this article. However, I do want to make the reader aware of the significance of Jesus being in the Father. We speak of Christ within us, yet the Scriptures also tell us “in Him we live, and move, and have our being…” (Acts 17:28). This must be more than mere words. This must become our reality. This must not be something on the other side of the grave, or in a future age. There is a city, a kingdom and we must receive our strength, our orders, our food from this dimension.
I may be an American citizen, but if I am physically in Russia, my American citizenship may not buy me the delicious food I can purchase when physically in America. However, the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. One’s physical location does not prevent one from receiving the strength, the protection, the wisdom and the life of that kingdom. So then, Christ, our food-His will and work-must dwell in us, and we must dwell in Him. The two must become one even as Jesus and the Father were in each other. We must live in the kingdom and its authority if we are to receive its benefits. J. Preston Eby in one of His recent Bible studies said it so well when he wrote,
“There is a deep design. Paul wrote that if any man be in Christ he is a NEW CREATION. Not only is he himself new, but he now lives in a new world, on a new “planet,” as it were, in an entirely new order of things. The things, the environment of the old creation have passed away and ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW. Every created thing has its environment. Every created organism, on earth or in any other world, has to live and move and have its being in its particular environment. The eagle is not afraid that when he flies in the sky he will have too little wind currents. Imagine a fish crying, Cast me not into the water, lest I drown!’ Imagine a sunflower refusing to turn toward the sun lest it get a sunburn.
The environment of the New Creation is the Father in the Son. Ah, precious child of God, you can no more live and grow up into the image and likeness of God apart from daily and constant and intimate and vital union with the Father than a fish can live without water. Jesus forcefully expressed it thus: Abide IN ME…he that ABIDETH IN ME…the same bringeth forth much fruit. If ye ABIDE IN ME…ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you’ (John 15:4-7). The organisms are composed of the very same elements as its environment, but it cannot live in separation from its environment! The two must be one. The one must live by the other. We have been made partakers of the divine nature, but that fact will never bring us to mature sonship. We must live by the Father, in blessed fellowship, participation, and union with Him!
The most common error in the lives of many of the Lord’s people is the attempt to live without assimilating Christ as their environment, failing to make Him the absolute center of their existence, the sphere of their life. Friends, family, job, amusement, home, hobbies, worldly pursuits-all too often these are the environments by which we live. No words could be more solemn or arresting than the statement of Jesus, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, DWELLETH IN ME…as the Father hath sent Me, and I LIVE BY THE FATHER: so He that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:56,57). As the natural man must have sustenance from his environment, so the spiritual man. The spiritual man must come to know how to live by his environment.”
How much of our lives is spent in the mere “form” of these words, but without substance? Religious forms of creeds, rituals, routine Sunday worship services, mid-week Bible studies, Scripture memorizing, none of these things will fill the void. Our words-the shells, the coverings or containers which we send out to the world must be full of the reality of Christ. They must be able to produce an effect which manifests the kingdom of God. Otherwise they are empty, pillowy clouds with no rain.
Oh Christians, let us throw away our trinkets, our amulets, our incantations, our doctrines which offer nothing but misery to the world. Let us take the needles out of our arms which cause us to produce the works of vanity and allow our Maker to pierce our hearts! Oh, yes, the doctrines we consume often produce spiritually the same kind of effects seen in drug users in the world. Religious people can be some of the craziest people on earth and never take a drug or drink a drop of alcohol. (I have written a series of articles which explain that the world merely reflects the sins of the Church. Write for them. They are real eye-openers which may bring forth some badly needed repentance.)
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13)
And so we return to where we started… simple things which children can understand. “Unless you become as little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God.” We return to simple prayers and expect mighty answers. “Father… give us this day our daily bread.” “Ask and it shall be given unto you…” (Matt. 7:7). “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is he who takes refuge in Him” (Ps. 34:8).
When we can begin to look past the flesh in each other and look for the gift of Christ planted in each of us, it is then, that He will “clothe us with the power from on high” (Luke 24:49). We must stop feeding the flesh and we must stop seeing each other after the flesh. The treasury of the kingdom of God resides in the hearts of people. When we are bound in the unity of His love, the world will see one Jesus. First we must remove our filthy religious garments that often are many layers thick. We must have proper clothing to enter into the banquet hall. Cast off those religious rags! Come on, Christians. They are really not very becoming. They are too stiff from rigormortus. And, oh, do they stink! The King James Version uses the word “stinketh.” I hear the words “stink of death” in that single word. We need a Warm Bath.
In summary, the word “bread,” as used in the Bible speaks of many things. Humility, sacredness, covenant, nourishment, strength, sacrifice, enlightenment, and much more are all wrapped up in the simple word “bread.” Oh, that our Western minds might stop feeding from the meaningless nonsense which flows from the antennas of our nation’s lofty sky-rise towers which seem to pierce through the heavens themselves in their determined attempt to capture our minds. Oh, Lord let us turn off our dials, tuners, scanners, and other gizmos used to tune into the noise which the Prince of the power of the air hopes we would feed upon. May we humble ourselves and learn the simple truths found by simple shepherds and farmers in such simple items as bread. And please don’t turn my words regarding television into a law. There is nothing evil about that box. Just look at the content of the words and pictures which are going into your mind. What do they say? What do they glorify? What are they producing?
Western Christians, in general, eat a very poor quality bread, quite puffed up with the leaven of the Pharisees. We must change our eating habits!
Eating, in Scripture, is often associated with seeing and hearing. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” What we take in through these senses is what we become. The images, sounds, and words we consume from the media and the pulpit will one day manifest in our lives. We must be careful what we eat. Some foods can cause one to become blind or deaf. Some foods open the eyes of understanding and enlighten the soul. Our hands can turn off the TV. Our feet can walk out of a church where the body of Christ is not broken in the real way. The ritual of eating crackers and grape juice, no matter how solemn the music and the tone of voice of the speaker, is a poor substitute for the real body of Christ coming together to break through the flesh and receive Christ in each other.
After a good healthy meal, the body wants to just relax for a while. Eat the Bread of Christ. He will give rest to your weary soul. He will settle your soul into a peace that passes all understanding.
Eating bread is an experience which engages some of our senses and produces an effect on our bodies, hopefully a positive effect. Eating the body of Christ should also engage our spiritual senses and produce an effect. However, it is vitally important to differentiate “reading the Scriptures” and eating the body of Christ. William Barclay says it well in His spiritual autobiography:
“The Christian point of view is not unintelligent acceptance, nor is it total dependence on human reason. The Christian point of view was long ago perfectly summed up by Anselm: I do not seek to understand so that I may believe; rather do I believe that I may understand.’ The Christian does not begin with what the human intellect has discovered. The Christian begins with what God has revealed. Faith is founded on revealed truth. First, the Christian accepts that which God has revealed; in that revelation he believes by faith. And then, and then only, he applies reason to it, that faith may be a rational understanding of that which has been believed.
The Christian mind, the Christian reason does not operate within a vacuum; it operates within the sphere which revelation has provided and upon the material which has not been humanly discovered, but which has been given by God. To put this in another way, Christian thought and Christian experience will go hand in hand. As Anselm had it: He who has not believed will not experience, and he who has not experienced will not understand; for just as experiencing a thing is better than hearing about it, so knowledge that stems from experience outweighs knowledge derived through hearsay.’ So then it is not: I think and I believe;’ it is: I believe and I think.’ It is this combination of divine revelation and human reason which produces the real certainty.” (William Barclay, A Spiritual Autobiography, p. 43,44)
Faith is a substance!! It is not blind belief in something because it is in the Bible or because someone you trust told you so. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of one’s faith. That means He originated it or gave it to you and He will stir you to walk in it. Just look for Him.
Take a moment right now and leave the distractions all around you and invite the Holy Spirit to lead you to the throne of Grace. It is hidden deep within your very own heart. Set aside for a moment the other kingdoms you serve: your church, your denomination, your country, your husband or wife, your political party, your business, your hobbies and entertainment world, etc. Cast them aside for a moment and let Him lead you to the deepest place of your being. There you will find the Most Holy Place, as foreshadowed by the tabernacles and temples of the Old Covenant. Truly the way to this place has been opened for you by Jesus Christ Himself. The way is a gold street purified by His own blood (Life).
Here is a place of True communion-fellowship with the Creator of the entire Universe. The King of Righteousness, Melchizedek, resides in your very heart. This One…He is your Father. This One has prepared for you a life overflowing with joy! This One has prepared a life for you created from the foundation of the world. This One has given you His very own Life. Enter into the throne room of your heart and receive daily His Word, His Work, His Will, and yes, His very own Life. It is a rich Life, full of grace, mercy, love, joy, peace, humility, wisdom and understanding, glory, honor, and power. Allow the Holy Spirit to break away the chaff covering your heart. Allow Him to strip away those carnal religious layers of pride, self-righteousness, and all manners of uncleanness. As these come off, our eyes will be opened to what has always been there…true Life!