The Journey part 4
Two thousand years ago Jesus took a three days' journey both for us and as us. He brought us out of the bondage of Egypt (sin, death, darkness) and into the Kingdom of God. At the point the work was finished. At that point we had arrived. What I'm saying is: Everything that needed to be done... is done. We have been transformed. We have been conformed to His image. We're in the Promised Land right now. We're in heaven because heaven is in us! The journey of life is not about what we do. It's about exploring and experiencing what Jesus did. Look at Philippians 3:11-15, "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." I love this passage. But at first glance it almost seems as if there IS a journey that we have to take. We haven't apprehended, but we need to. We aren't perfect, but maybe we'll get there someday. And that's the religious mindset in a nutshell: I'm not good enough right now, but if I DO enough good stuff then maybe someday I will be good enough. But check this out: Only a few verses after saying he's not perfect Paul says, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect..." So he's not perfect but he is perfect? Well... yes, actually. You can't get any more perfect than having the Perfect One (Jesus) living inside of you. But it's only as you come into the realization and revelation of just how perfect you are that you begin to manifest that perfection. Let me say it like this: The only reason we can apprehend this thing is because we are already apprehended of it. The only reason we can BE transformed by the renewing of our mind is because we have already BEEN transformed by the finished work of the cross. The only was we press toward the mark is because Jesus--both for us and as us--has already hit the mark. We aren't doing anything apart from what He's already done. We are simply manifesting what He has already done. We don't try to be like Jesus. We simply learn of Him and then we find out that we're already like Him. As He is, so are we in this world. We are His body and He is our head. There's no difference and no separation. So instead of trying to get somewhere, we need to focus on where we are. We need to focus on what the three days' journey of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection accomplished. And what it accomplished... is us. A New Man. A new creation. An everlasting journey of revelation. Leaving the former things (Adam) behind, and pressing on the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus... which IS Christ Jesus... in and through and as us!