Lord I Give You My Heart, I Give My Soul, I Live For You Alone

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit— so if our spirit and the Holy Spirit are made one in Christ, then that means that salvation is perfected in our spirit with God, but is it okay to just stay in this spot, where we are one with Him only in the level of our spirit?

I can tell you that that the simple answer to that is NO!

1 Thessalonians 5:23

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

New life in our spirit is the starting point of new life, and it’s the place from where the Lord spreads His life throughout us, permeating who we are and changing who we were from the old creation in Adam into the new creation in Christ; however, our (free will) must be willing to work with Him.

Proverbs 20:27

The spirit of man is the candle (lamp ESV) of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly (innermost parts ESV).

A while back I made the comment about this scripture…Leviticus 25:23

The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

What I said was that the Lord was showing me how everything we know and see belongs to Him, but because Satan deceived Adam and through Adam’s own willingness to yield to Satan by giving him his will, Satan was able to usurp the dominion and power that was given to Adam by God and arrest it for himself. God has a right to do what He wants because He is creator, but He created all this for His creation mankind, going back to the thought that He desires an eternal family. In His justice and holy character, He chooses to operate in such a way that it includes the free will of His creation. But He started redemption by making a promise to Abraham that He would give him land for a people and a plan. Looking backwards, we see what He did. He gave them the land, created the nation, and gave the world Jesus.

But the point is that through this little sliver of land He created for Himself a base of operations to take it all back, it’s such a huge deal, because He’s saying, “I’m taking the whole thing back one piece at a time, but I'm doing it in partnership with a people that will yield their will to my will.

“Don’t sell the land, it is mine”. You are strangers and sojourners with me. Your father Adam pushed me out of the picture through the defiance of his freewill. But I’m taking it back one piece at a time, and I’m recruiting a people through the ages that are going to walk and believe with me.

As the sliver of land we call Israel is to the taking back of the physical world, so our spirit is to the soul and body as He takes the individual human back from the captivity of Satan. His will is that we partner with Him in allowing our whole person to become His property. Through the implantation of His Spirit into our spirit, and these being fused into one. He has formed a base of operations where He will begin the plan of His entire take over.

1 Corinthians 2:16

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Part of the truth that our spirit is one with His Spirit is the fact that we have also been given the mind of Christ in this transaction. Because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, the mind of Christ is in us and we know the truth… AMP 1 John 2:20 But you have been anointed by [you hold a sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from] the Holy One, and you all know [the Truth] or you know all things.

But we aren’t always yielding to the will of God or allowing the mind of Christ through the unction or anointing of the Holy Spirit to have His way— in believing God’s truth.

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Flesh & mind

Ephesians 2:3

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

This is a good example of how the flesh and the mind are closely related. The flesh gives the mind a base of operations. In this case, the soulish man (mind & will) and the fleshly man (carnal nature- I want what I want) are working together to entertain or give action to the desires of the sinful nature.

Heart— kardia— of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the place of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions__ Strong’s

Heart," kardia, is the place of feeling, intelligence, moral choice__ Wuest

Ephesians 5:18

The Greek is, "the eyes of your heart," the heart referring not only to the emotional nature, but also to the reason and to the faculty of intelligence__ Wuest

The ancient Hebrews regarded the heart as the organ of the intellect, and the mind, that of the desires and affections__ Wuest

Many people serve the Lord from their soul with their mind; rather than what God seeks after according to Jesus’ comment to the Samaritan woman… John 4:23-24

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.-

The heart is related to desires and emotions of the mind/ intellect. This part of the man can be affected negatively by the world through the flesh, engage fleshly lusts of the world through our members, or positively through the Spirit of God’s grace as we engage God’s will through our spirit.

The way we process the world’s sensualities is through our soul: the mind, will and emotions. In order for the heart to be affected by God, the soul must be influenced by the Spirit. The Spirit of God is one with our spirit; however, the more we feed the soul fleshly appetites, the more we suppress our intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, which prevents our soul from being sanctified/ our mind from being renewed.

Like a computer virus

++When we bring the world into our soul, it entices our affections towards the things of the world. When we feed our spirit man the things of the Spirit, our affections for spiritual things are aroused. Unfortunately, we can also embrace spiritual things from a fleshly or soulish level in that we are just punching a God clock and not really interested in pleasing the Spirit of God by feeding our spiritual man. This will not result in spiritual life.

Religion vs relationship

Starting at verse psalm 51 verse 10 (create in me), but verse 16 differentiates between religion (sacrifice) vs relationship (a broken heart) now, the doing of spiritual practices has meaning—once the posture of the heart is proper—psalm 51 verse 19 Matt 5

Psalms 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Getting Jesus from my Spirit into my soul where He is the affection of my heart, and He is the influence over my thinking, my will and ultimately my emotions….

Psalms 42:5

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?

hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Matthew 6:21-22

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Ephesians 3:17

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

The word "rooted" has the idea of securely settled, and "grounded__ Wuest

Ezekiel 36:26-27

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

The condition of the heart is affected by what we feed the soul. When we bring the ways of the world or live for self, we allow the fallen nature and selfishness to rule in our hearts.

Matthew 12:34-35

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Matthew 13:19

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth (to consider it or act piously) it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

The seed of the Kingdom was sown into the heart. We are aware that the Kingdom is eternal treasure. It’s the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price, it’s Jesus the lover of our soul and when that seed is planted into the heart, and it’s protected and nourished, it grows. But if I treat the word of God like a common thing instead of a treasure, I’m not considering it properly or piously— meaning I’m just treating the things of God, the word of God, like a common thing.

Mark 6:52

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened [calloused]

The word "heart" here refers to the entire inner man, his reason, affections, will__ Wuest

Mark 7:6-7

6 He answered and said unto them, -- Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 7:15

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Mark 7:17-23

17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, -- That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

The heart is related to desires and emotions of the mind/ intellect. This part of the man can be affected negatively by the world and his flesh. In order for the heart to be affected by God, the soul must be influenced by the Spirit.

Romans 2:29

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Acts 7:51

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

1 Peter 2:11

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

War against— to carry out a military campaign against your soul.

++He dwells in our spirit, but are we allowing Him to dwell in our hearts

Ephesians 4:18

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

++blindness

Porosis- the covering with a callus, dulled perception— comes from poroo

poroo— to cover with a thick skin, to harden by covering with a callus, become dull, lose the power of understanding

Jesus Hates Religion

Philippians 3:9-10.   Difference between acts of righteousness and the gift of righteousness

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is

 Performance

of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith/:::/

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

This verse says being made conformable to His death. The word means that something takes the same morphology or form as something else—to be made like something or someone else. In this case, Paul is saying, “I want to take on the form of His death.” We know that the Apostle died the martyr’s death, but he is speaking of something spiritual here.

He is speaking New covenant truth—faith in Jesus makes me one with Him. I die with Him. I resurrect with Him. I become a new creation in Him with a new source of life. My new life is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the one conforming, fashioning and molding me into the image of Jesus. In this way, I must be conformed to His death. As He died, I die in Him, not physically yet. Once born again, the Matt born in Adam slowly dies as he yields to the work of the cross through the Holy Spirit, as the new creation trusts in the work of the cross, it results in resurrection power. This power brings new life. This power is the miracle working power. It is the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit!

How different Jesus and His cousin look compared to religious tradition and complacency.

John the Baptist

Matthew 3:7-12

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Talking about the root

Jesus is the vine and there are natural branches [Jews] and unnatural branches [Gentiles] that are grafted in, and the purpose of the branches are to bare fruit. The root is the foundation of the plan. The root is eternal life, eternal salvation for the lost creation. That root ultimately produces Jesus, which is the vine/ tree that the branches grow out of. . There are times where God’s work looks dead in a life or on the earth. In Isaiah, the word said:

Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod (green growth) out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him…

That’s what religion does, it sits dry, dead and idle. It cannot produce life. This prophesy perfectly describes what things looked like when Jesus came to earth. The religious system was a dried stump. Many churches are a dried stump, if we’re not careful, a spirit of religion will try to make us a dry stump.

Jesse is King David’s father. The promise was that a King would be born of David. God stayed true to His promise. And a green sprout shot forth out of what looked like a dead, religious stump.

A green shoot would come forth and the Spirit of the Lord would be upon Him. That is how God works, the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

But religion is the works of man’s hands and man’s plan. The Lord showed me an axe head and it was chopping in a downward motion.

Then this scripture came…the axe is laid to the root. As the days grow darker and God’s light shines brighter, we do not want to be caught under the influence of a religious spirit that prevents the Holy Spirit from having His way. Whether it’s corporately or individually, we want to allow God to have His way in our lives.

The spirit of religion manifests itself in many different ways/

1. It wants to be seen and get its recognition —Matt 23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others/::/— John 12:42-43 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

2. It wants its dignity and respect more than God’s will— Matt 23:6 they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others— /::/Matt 20:20-21 sons of Zebedee

3. It can’t see the value in someone else’s ministry—Matthew 26:8-9 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

4. It has malice in its heart towards others— 1 cor 13:4-5 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful

5. It is controlling and thinks that it’s the only one that can help you— Luke 9:49-50 49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us—Numbers 11:27-29  27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!—Philippians 1:15-18

6. If it feels threatened by you, it will try to make you ineffective, trying to kill you or your ministry—Luke 4:27-29 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff

Matthew 23:1-12

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

So when we are being made conformable to His death and knowing Him and the power of His resurrection, we are not only being set free from the bondages of sin like drugs, alcohol, fornication…, we are also being set free from the bondage of religion and becoming a vessel where His Spirit of truth can flow out of us in love. Rivers of living water bring life.

Jesus exhibited selfless actions long before the cross

Jesus had things heavy on His heart. His cousin just died:

Mark 6:27-29

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Mark 6:30-31

30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mark 6:33-34

33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. 34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:35-36

35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. Do you ever feel that way, just tired and feel like go get your own bread?

Mark 6:37-38

37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? 38 -- He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

The disciples had to be willing to work even though they were tired

If either one those things breaks down, the miracle does not take place.

In order for this miracle to take place, the disciples had to be willing—they were tired, they were hungry.  The people had to be willing to believe that God could meet their needs and to sit still and wait.

Jesus understood that the disciples were tired and hungry, it was His recommendation that they rest and eat; yet, when he saw the people’s needs, He was moved with compassion.

What happens here if the disciples are just too tired think that Jesus is insensitive and they decide to go home for a week or two?

After all, they were just on an amazing evangelistic crusade, they healed the sick, they casted out devils in the name of Jesus, can’t someone else organize this buffet and pick up the scraps? I’m tired.

He takes what we have

He uses it and

He multiplies it

Commitment vs compromise

Commitment- the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause

Compromise- the acceptance of standards that are lower than desirable

The New Covenant Made You His Temple

He is clearly addressing believers

Courtroom

1 Corinthians 6:6-20

6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. 9 -- Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

1. Unrighteous wont/ righteous δικαιοσύνη will

2. Justified δικαιόω—Jeremiah 3:11

3. Such were some of you

12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

2. 18 your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Righteous God, righteous people to reveal to an unrighteous world

Deuteronomy 4, 6, 8

Jeremiah 31:31-33

31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts,**** be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Previously, there was no indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant

Ezekiel 36:27

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

The Old Covenant Law revealed to God’s people His righteousness and through them revealed it to the world around them. The New Covenant put God’s righteousness [Jesus] in God’s people and gives them power through the grace of the Holy Spirit to live a life of righteousness— all the time. No, really we can live a righteous life towards the lord all the time. The power of sin is broken. The problem we have now is that we need our own will broken. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to break our will and crucify our flesh. In order for that to happen, we must joint participate with the Holy Spirit: 2 Corinthians 13:14 KJV The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

                                              Fellowship ESV

Through the cross, there is an empowering grace supplied

Colossians 2:14-15***the cross purchased grace and gives victory over the power of sin—you have to know it & believe it… faith

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 6:15

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Romans 6:16

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:17

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

What form of doctrine? The form that was delivered to you and delivered you!!

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Romans 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:1-3

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?