Wes Anderson

By: Wes Anderson

08/27/2017

Matthew 14:14 (NASB)

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.

When Jesus walked on the cobblestone streets in Jerusalem and traveled among Galilee, people flocked to Him by the hundreds. They would make every attempt possible just to touch Him or His outer robe, often climbing and stepping over each other out of shear desperation. Others would bring their loved ones to Him, often carrying them on stretchers and on their shoulders. They did all this because they knew, based on the multitude of testimonies from friends and family, that He had the supernatural ability to reverse their condition. These scenes often likened to a crowded emergency room on a Saturday night in a populated city, where dozens of hurting, sick, and diseased stricken people desperately wait to see a doctor that could bring them some healing and relief.

The Messiah walked and lived among them.  He listened intently to their needs.  His hands, which contained immeasurable power and helped form the heavens and earth, were used with upmost precision and gentleness to touch the problem areas of their bodies.  After He ministered to them, He would often embrace them lovingly as a father would his child.  For others He simply stood and allowed them touch Him and receive virtue for whatever they needed.   When compassion and power flowed out Him healing flowed into them.  It was a beautiful exchange.  He did this day after day, and week after week for three and a half years.

Three Insights

What does His compassionate approach teach us when it comes to His healing work (whether it be emotional, physical, or spiritual)?  What made His healing touch accessible to them?  Three primary things:

His Power– Power, infused to its core with Calvary love and grace, flowed out of Him freely and expected nothing in return.  Like a divine spark, the moment it touched the point of human need, it would reverse it.

His Presence- Healing began with the actual presence of Messiah in their midst.  He was among them and made Himself fully accessible to them.  It was His presence, not some intellectual agreement to some doctrine, that brought about healing in the lives of the people.

His Purity- Their needs, no matter how destitute or grotesque they were, in no way repelled  or contaminated His purity.  On the contrary, He rolled up His sleeves and was willing to plunge His hands into the most filthiest and slimiest of any situation. When He did, His healing touch met their hurting bodies and virtue was released.

Accessible to us today

That was then, but what about today?  What about you who are reading this who may be hurting and have real genuine needs?  Can He reverse your situation, or was His healing power only reserved for those in the 1st Century?  The good news is because He lives, His love and compassion is as constant today as it was then.  He didn’t heal people to merely demonstrate His divinity.  He did it because He genuinely loved the hurting and sick and wanted to see them well.  As it was then, so it is today.

The Call for the Church

Now that He has ascended to the Father’s right hand, He desires the healing work He started 2,000 years ago continue in the world today.  As His Body, we are His extension on the earth.  He has given us His presence, for it is Christ in us.  He offers to us His power, through the promise of the Spirit upon us.  He has given to us His purity, through Calvary and the blood shed for us.  Just like Peter and John lifted up a lame man at the temple entrance, when we stretch forth our hands to touch human needs on His behalf, He stretches forth His at the same time.  With Him in us and His hand upon us, we can continue the work He initiated.  However, it must start with a genuine love and compassion for those that are hurting and lost, just as it did with Him.  Regardless of the gift, it must be rooted in the love of God for it’s effectual and complete working in the lives of others.

By: Wes Anderson
What if I asked you the following question:
Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?
You might be thinking: what a bizarre question to ask a believer?  Anyone who asks such a question is surely in deep theological error, because we all know that when we get born again we received the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, it would be an insult to the Lord to ask for something that we have already have…..right?
But what if the Apostle Paul, who wrote a large portion of the New Testament, just met you, thought you were a believer, and proceeded to ask you this question. What would be your answer?  This scenario actually took place with some people he met while traveling:
Acts 19:1 (NASB)
It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”³And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” ⁴ Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

Background and Context of Acts 19

Paul was on one of his missionary journeys.  Apollos, a ministry partner and teacher, had stayed behind at Corinth teaching and exhorting the believers there. As Paul passed through the high inland plateau of Asia Minor, he came to Ephesus, a roman province in Asia.  Coming across some “disciples”, the first question out of his mouth was the one we just read:
“Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed”?
Paul’s question revealed his suspicion that these “disciples”, as born again believers in Christ, had not actually received the Holy Spirit.  At least not in the sense that he had defined it.  He discerned that the presence of the Spirit of God was missing in their lives and in their interaction with each other. Their response was interesting. “We have never even heard of the name Holy Spirit. Who is he”? Paul, still thinking and assuming they are believers, was thinking surely you had at least heard His name, Holy Spirit, when you were baptized. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? He proceeded to drill deeper and asked, “unto what then were you baptized?” In other words, if you didn’t hear about the Holy Spirit at baptism, you were obviously not baptized in the name of Jesus. It must have been unto someone else. They then stated that they were baptized unto John’s baptism, which revealed that they were actually leftover disciples of John the Baptist. They were not even believers! Paul proclaims the gospel to them, and they get water baptized.
Now that these Ephesians were born again, Paul, with the tenaciousness of a bulldog, goes back full circle to his original question about receiving the Holy Spirit. He then proceeds to lay his hands on them, and as he does the Holy Spirits comes on them. Immediately they begin speaking in tongues and prophesying, just like on the day of Pentecost.
The fact that this was the very first question out of his mouth indicates how important it was to Paul for believers to receive.
Paul, years later wrote to them (the book of Ephesians) and reminded them of their experience of salvation and when the Holy Spirit came upon them:
Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Later on in his letter he instructs them to continue being filled. He did not want them to think that their initial experience with the Holy Spirit after he laid his hands on them was sufficient for their entire Christian walk:
Ephesians 5:18 (ISV)
Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit.
Many translations will say “but be filled with the Spirit”. In the original text however it translates ‘keep on being filled’, or ‘filling to be filled’. Implying an initial filling, and the need to keep it up.
Wait a minute, are you saying that as a believer I need to receive the Holy Spirit? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. However, we must first define ‘receive’ and understand what it means, which we will do a bit later.  But first, let’s look at some more examples where people received the Holy Spirit.

The Example of Jesus Himself

Jesus, being the Son of God, modeled aspects of His own life to demonstrate to us how we should live. In many respects, we are to walk as He walked. Below are several significant events which He modeled for us (in chronological order):

1. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, signifying to us our need to be born of the Holy Spirit
2. Jesus was water baptized, signifying our need to be water baptized also
3. Jesus received the Holy Spirit, signifying our need to receive the Holy Spirit also
4. Jesus started His ministry, signifying that we should walk in our own unique callings/ministry also after experiencing the new birth, water baptism, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit

Let’s review #2, #3, and #4:
Luke 3:22-23 (NASB)
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized (#2),and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him (#3) in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry (#4).
He then left the Jordan river full of the Spirit of God, ready to begin His ministry and destiny.

Examples of New Covenant believers receiving

As we are about to see, this model Jesus left us was the very same one the early church used. Those three experiences Jesus modeled (born again, water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit) were the apostles’ primary objectives for others (as seen previously from Paul’s experience with the Ephesians). They had been given the authority (the keys of the kingdom) and the command (Matthew 28:20, Acts 1:4-5) from Jesus to help facilitate these experiences for people that desired them. The delivery of specific teachings to believers came after these took place (just like the book of Ephesians was written afterwards). With new believers in the church often doctrine is offered first, and experience is offered second. With the early church, it was the exact opposite; experience was offered first, and doctrine was offered second.
Note: As we will see, sometimes people received the Holy Spirit before water baptism. So, the order between these two experiences can vary.
Example #1: The believers and apostles in Jerusalem
Acts 2:1-4 (NASB)
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance
These were saved disciples receiving a subsequent experience with the Holy Spirit. Jesus described this to them in advance as receiving the promise of the Father for power for the ministries they had been given. They received several days (at least 10) after being born again. See John 20:22 for the record of when the apostles got saved. This example is somewhat unique from the others listed below because the Lord waited until the day of Pentecost had fully come before He sent the promise of the Spirit to them (for prophetic implications). This waiting period isn’t required for new believers, as you will shortly see.

Example #2: The believers in Samaria

Acts 8:14-16 (NASB)
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them…
Philip preached and Samaritans believed. Peter and John from the apostolic community visits them for one sole purpose: To pray for them and lay hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit, because He had not fallen on any of them. Notice they had already received the word of God (they believed). The most important thing to the apostolic community was ensuring these new believers receive the fullness of Holy Spirit. They received perhaps several days after they believed and were water baptized.

Examples #3: Paul in Damascus

Acts 9:17 (NASB)
Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Saul (Paul) has a visitation by Jesus Christ Himself. He is converted and becomes blind. Ananias receives a vision by night and was sent to Saul (Paul) for two reasons:

• To regain sight
• To be filled with the Holy Spirit

Note that Ananias addressed Paul as a “brother” (a believer). Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit three days later at a house in Damascus following his encounter with Jesus on the road.

Example #4: The seekers/believers in Caesarea

Acts 10:44 (NASB)
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
Peter goes to Cornelius’ house to preach by divine coordination. The Spirit of God fell on those that heard and believed. This occurred during their salvation. Peter, a chapter later, describes the event to the Jerusalem Council as the gentiles receiving the baptism of the Spirit just as he himself did (see Acts 11:16-17).

Example #5: Timothy

2 Timothy 1:6 (NASB)
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Just like Paul reminded the Ephesians of their experience, he does so again here with Timothy. We know that Paul was talking to Timothy about receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and not some specific spiritual gift because in the next verse He says “For God has not given us a Spirit of…”. Making reference that the gift Timothy received was indeed the Spirit Himself.

Summary of Examples

Here we have five instances in scripture where the Holy Spirit came upon or fell upon believers after they became born again. Only in one instance did it occur during/around the same time the gospel was being preached.  This was at Cornelius’ house.  From the scriptural examples above, as well as numerous other biblical passages not referenced, we can conclude the following:

1. Helping and praying for people to receive the Holy Spirit was the main priority of the apostles and others (e.g. Ananias helping Paul) immediately after they received Jesus Christ.
2. The phrases received, filled, baptized, & fallen upon are all used to describe the same event.
3. Receiving the Holy Spirit is a specific and memorable event in the life of believer.  It is also necessary to achieve maximum effectiveness in ministry.
4. The Lord often (but not always) transfers this gift to believers through the hands of someone having spiritual authority.
5. The Father desires that each individual believer today receive His promise of the Holy Spirit.
6. Receiving the fullness of Holy Spirit often results immediately in some external manifestation.
7. The early church desired that each person has all three experiences (born again, water baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit) with the shortest amount of time between each one as possible.

What does it mean to receive the Holy Spirit as a born-again believer?
Here is the million-dollar question.  We do not have to intentionally receive the Holy Spirit or even have knowledge of His existence to be born again. We do however have to willfully and intentionally receive Jesus Christ to be born again. When we believe in Jesus, the Spirit of God automatically does several things for us:

• He regenerates us, causing us to be born of Him
• He causes us to immediately partake of what Jesus died for on the cross (the forgiveness of our sins)
• He plunges (baptizes) us into the Body of Christ like a fish is plunged into the sea
• He raises us to life
• He takes up residence in us
• …Much more but we cannot cover it all in this teaching

All of these things are automatically done by the work of the Holy Spirit, requiring no effort on our part when we intentionally receive and welcome the person of Jesus into our lives.
On the other hand, when we receive the Holy Spirit we intentionally focus on welcoming Him as another unique person of the Godhead (in addition to Jesus) into our lives. We do not ask Him to take up residence, since He has already done so. Rather, we ask him to take over the residence! We do not ask Him to reside in us. We ask Him to rule over us.

How to receive Him

To receive the Spirit of God after being born again is like welcoming someone of royalty into your home. You open the door for them, acknowledge their presence, and humbly welcome them to come and take over your home as they see fit. When we receive Him and He fills us, we partake of a wonderful heavenly gift.  This initial receiving or infilling empowers us, allows us to taste of His love in an intimate way, and causes us to walk in an effective manner in the calling and destiny He has for us.
Just like receiving Jesus, the promise of the Holy Spirit is received by believing and being fully convinced that the Father desires for us (who are already redeemed) to have this blessing.  We simply receive by faith. This is what Paul meant when he said:
Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Notice that he says so that we who have been redeemed might receive the promise of the Spirit. It is fully contingent on us believing that this promise and blessing is for us today.  Paul states this again with an emphasis on receiving the Spirit by faith (note that He is not talking about receiving Jesus by faith here, but the ‘promise’ as referenced in the scripture above):
Galatians 3:2
I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
The book of Galatians was clearly written to believers who had already received the Father’s promise, just like many other recipients of Paul’s letters.  Once we read the New Testament letters with this in mind, many passages suddenly become very clear.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon us it will result in such a life changing experience that if someone were to ask us if we have received, we would be able to answer without hesitation “Yes!”. Paul understood this in Acts 19 when he asked the question to the disciples in Ephesus. He would not have asked it if the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit was not a profound, real, memorable, and life changing event in their lives. Therefore, if you are not sure if you have received, then it is highly likely they have not. It may or may not result in any outward manifestation, but you will see a dramatic difference in your spiritual life and know that you have indeed tasted and experienced it.  And if you have received, continue receiving by stiring up the gift inside you and keep on being filled.
Not that this is some formula, but below is some practical advice which has helped many others in the Body receive:

• Believe that Jesus Christ actually desires for you to receive the Holy Spirit in fullness and that it is a gift for you personally
• Close your eyes, and simply focus on Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father
• Begin to open your mouth and ask Jesus for the promise, and that He would clothe you with the Holy Spirit and with power.  Feel free to lift your hands up to heaven, signifying your openness to receive and welcome the gift.
• Give a little time for the Lord to work.  Do not rush it.  Then, with full surrender begin to receive, opening up yourself to the Holy Spirit, and allowing Him to do whatever He wants to do in you and upon you.
• Begin thanking Him and giving Him praise.
• Take your time.  Receive by faith, not feeling.
• If necessary, find someone who has received and ask for their guidance.

Have YOU received the Holy Spirit since YOU believed? If not, why wait any longer?

Common Misunderstandings:

• “Being filled with the Holy Spirit was just for the early church”. No. It’s offered to every born-again child of God.
• “I received when I got saved”. My response to this is, how do you know?
• “Doesn’t the bible say we have all been baptized by the Holy Spirit?” No. 1 Corinthians 12:13 says we have all be baptized into the body by Him. Meaning, all believers were submerged into the family of God when they believed.
• “The bible says I have received all things pertaining to life and every spiritual blessing in Christ so there is nothing more for me to receive”. The authors (Peter and Paul) were talking to people they knew had already received the promise of the Father and tasted of the heavenly gift.  If Paul believed every believer receives every single spiritual blessing when they get born again then he would have never asked the question “have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed” to folks he thought were believers.

If you are having difficulty with this teaching and need some additional guidance, I am available by email and will be glad to help in any way I can. higherground@gpv.email

Teaching objectives:

1. To understand the difference between His temporary discipline and His eternal judgment
2. To understand the purpose of the Lord’s discipline
3. To be able to recognize and respond properly to His discipline when it comes into our lives

The scriptures reveal that there is a clear difference between being judged and being disciplined (corrected) by the Lord.  Judgment is reserved in the future for those that rejected Christ, but discipline and correction is reserved in the present for the children of God .  Just like a father with his children, occasionally discipline must be administered so that the child can grow into all the father desires for him.  We are exhorted to esteem highly His discipline because of what it can produce in our lives.  This discipline , when we are trained by it, causes us to change our thoughts regarding specific areas of our life which are not growing as the Lord desires.  Thus the objectives of His discipline is to grow us, increase us, cause us to mature, protect us,  and experience His upmost best for our lives.
What’s the difference between His discipline and His judgment?
The difference between His judgment and His discipline is the difference between a judge declaring a law breaker innocent  at the expense of a law keeper willing to take his place and a father disciplining His children for their continuous disobedience.
Judgment
The first situation is a legal matter where the party is spared and saved from the long term judgment they have been sentenced to for breaking the law. Indeed, it would be injustice for such a judge to not punish and convict someone for a crime committed. Jesus Christ was the substitutionary sacrifice who removed the punishment for us so that those that believe in His name would be declared innocent and free from the penalty of sin.  The eternal judgment will never be our portion thanks to the shedding of His blood on our behalf and the price He paid for us.  This is what is meant when the scripture says:
Hebrews 10:17 (NASB)
“AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”
As believers, it is not that God is somehow incapable of recalling our lawless deeds because of Christ.  For Him to fail to recall anything, even one iota of information, is a disturbing concept that would run completely contrary to His omniscient, all-knowing nature. It is however that because of Christ He chooses not to summon them up again (remember them) in the Day of Judgment to our detriment.  Therefore, we should rejoice and have full confidence in that day.  Since the cross, He refuses to judge the world in any form or fashion for sin. However, His judgment and wrath will be revealed on a certain day in the future where the sins of unbelievers will be remembered:
Romans 2:5 (NIV)
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
The Father has established an age of grace for those in the earth between the time period of Christ’s crucifixion and the Day of Judgment.  We are living in this glorious era today and it is completely void of His wrath.  He commands us not to take revenge out on anyone because He will do so on that day of judgment.  It would be injustice for someone to suffer twice (once at our hands and the other at His) for the same wrong:
Romans 12:9
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
Discipline
The second situation is a family matter, where no substitute can be offered, but rather where a son receives discipline to walk in the fullness and best the father has for him. Just like your neighbor cannot discipline your children for their misbehavior because they are not his own, The Lord will not discipline any one which is not His child.  Because of this, His discipline in our lives reveal the reality of our sonship:
Hebrews 12:7 (NASB)
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Discipline comes from the hand of a selfless and loving Father (not a wrathful one) to grow us up into maturity and the stature we are destined for.  In this context, although the Lord is completely mindful of our sin for the purposes of correction, there is no punishment, no eternal judgment, and no condemnation for it.  In this context, He actually chooses to remember (recall) them for our ongoing benefit and advantage.
So, as a Judge He refuses to dredge up our sins again against us for eternal judgment, but as a Father He is fully aware of them so discipline and correction can be exercised if or when He chooses to do so.  This is what Paul meant when he said:
1 Corinthians 11:32 (NASB)
“But when we (as believers) are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined (by undergoing His correction) so that we will not be condemned (to eternal punishment/judgment) along with the world”.
This is probably the clearest place in scripture where both the eternal judgment and discipline of the Lord are distinguished from each other.  Below is a table showing the major differences between the judgment and discipline of the Lord:

The author of Hebrews goes into extensive detail regarding the subject of God’s discipline, using Proverbs 3:11-12 as scriptural reference.  The Spirit of the Lord desires that we refresh our minds and not forget this exhortation:
Hebrews 12:5-6 (NASB)
And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”
To regard lightly the discipline of the Lord means to not esteem as highly as it should be or to take little thought of it when it occurs.
Why does He Discipline Us?
He disciplines us so that we may live and walk in His holiness:
Hebrews 12:8 (NASB)
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
It is important for us to understand that we avoid His eternal judgment by being holy and righteous, but we avoid his discipline and correction by living holy and righteous.  Let’s explore the difference.
Being Holy
We suddenly become holy in our innermost being by receiving and believing in Jesus Christ.  By believing, our spirit is immediately perfected and reflects the image and nature of the eternal Father.  This is being holy, or holiness in our being.  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ allowed this to happen:
Hebrews 10:10 (NASB)
We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
As a result, we are not to fear eternal judgment, but have confidence on that day since Christ’s righteousness has been imparted to us.  Just like in the temple where the Ark of the Covenant containing the tablets of the law dwelt in the Holy of Holies, Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled in, dwells on inside of us so that we, by virtue of His presence in us and without any effort on our part, are able to fully keep the righteousness requirements of the law in our spirit.
Living Holy
On the other hand, to live holy is the process of our thoughts, intents, and behaviors progressively reflecting the same glory of the hidden and holy nature that is on the inside of us.  In this regard, we grow in holiness.  That is, we become on the outside what we already are on the inside. This is what Jesus meant when He said:
Matthew 23:26 (NASB)
“First clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also”.
Living holy is an ongoing process which requires a regular change in our behavior and thinking:
1 Peter 1:15 (NASB)
But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
With this in mind, the primary purpose of His discipline is not to correct or change our spirit or our identity in Him (because it is perfect), but rather our thinking and behavior (because they are imperfect) so that how we live our lives reflect His holiness and the maturity He desires. We cannot live and walk in holiness in our own power. Holy living is a result of partnering with and yielding to the desires and power of the Spirit of the Lord:
Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Examples of Discipline in the Scriptures
I’d like to now explore several difficult New Testament examples of the Lord’s discipline in the lives of believers.  Unfortunately these examples have been used for centuries as proof texts to falsely teach that when a person sins God will punish them with sickness, disease, and even death.  Such dogmatic statements are erroneous.  Since we have such warnings recorded, we should understand that it is not His desire to regularly use such disciplinary methods in the church today.
The primary reason the Spirit of the Lord wanted these examples recorded thousands of years ago was to warn the church (both present and future state) of the seriousness of sin inside the body of Christ.  The author of Hebrews understood this when he wrote about how the children of Israel suffered in the wilderness:
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB)
Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
The Lord’s discipline to the Israelites included:

1. Sickness for immorality
2. Serpents for testing the Lord
3. The Destroyer for grumbling

He states that these happened to the Israelites as examples to warn the church yet to come (these accounts were recorded by Moses in Numbers Chapter 25 around the year 1450 B.C.).  Does this mean every time we act immorally, test the Lord, or grumble, that we will suffer the same consequences? No.  If that were the case, half of the church (including myself) would be in the grave. It simply means that the Lord takes these things very seriously and may choose to discipline us for them (however He wants) if we refuse His repeated warnings.
In addition to Israel’s example, the Spirit of the Lord thought it fit to record other examples of the Lord’s discipline toward believers under the new covenant.  These examples are not much different than what happened to Israel, just on a much smaller scale.  And just like Israel, most examples recorded occurred when a particular sin was being practiced and embraced by multiple believers together within the local church. These acts of discipline were more preventive in nature.
Example 1: The Church in Corinth
1 Corinthians 11:9-32 (NASB)
For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
In this situation, a group of believers in Corinth were partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily and were being judged (disciplined) by the Lord for their behavior.  As the scripture states, His judgment (discipline) upon these believers were to correct, not to condemn them. The various stages of His discipline in this example (weakness, sickness, then eventually death) indicate a progressive approach the Lord took. Some businesses and organizations use a similar tactic toward problem employees when they give a 1^st, 2^nd, and final warning where each subsequent warning contains a more severe consequence than the previous one (the 1^st warning usually being verbal).  Unfortunately, some of those in Corinth disregarded His discipline and were unwilling to change, eventually suffering harsher and harsher consequences.  Does this mean that everyone who partakes of the Lord’s Supper unworthily will suffer and get sick and die?  No.  However, could we be corrected for it in some form or fashion?  Maybe so.
Example 2: The Church in Thyatira
A very similar situation is recorded in Revelation 2, where Jesus Christ gives a message to the primary leader at the church in Thyatira.  A woman attending the Church was teaching that immorality was acceptable while at the same time deceiving several men in the church to have adulterous relations with her.  The grace of the Lord was clearly demonstrated, giving her time to repent. After she refused to change the Lord issued her and those that were in adultery with her a warning:
Revelations 2:20-22 (NASB)
But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.  And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
The Lord’s warning of discipline included:

1. A bed of suffering (sickness)
2. Tribulation
3. Death (pestilence is translated ‘death’ here in the Greek)

These were the same disciplinary methods He used with the Church in Corinth.  Note that it does not say that these things actually happened to them in Thyatira, but that He would cause them to happen if those involved did not repent of their ways.  Jesus issued such harsh warnings to this Church so that all other churches would know that He is fully aware of all activities which take place and that nothing is hidden from His sight.  Does this mean that everyone who commits adultery in the church will become sick or die? No.  Would the Lord discipline such behavior if someone refused to change?  Perhaps, but it would be to prevent such acts from getting worse and becoming widespread.
Example 3: Ananias and Saphira in the Church
Another New Testament example is found in the book of Acts when a man named Ananias and his wife lied about the amount of money they gave to the church.  They had sold land and withheld some of the money for themselves while claiming they were giving all of it to the church:
Acts 5:4-5 (NASB)
While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”  And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
His wife arrived three hours later and lied in the same way her husband did. Her outcome became the same as his:
Acts: 5-9b (NASB)
“Then Peter said to her, why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last.
In this example, the Lord’s discipline included the death of two individuals that lied in the face of the God and the early apostolic community.  There is no other explanation for this incident other than that the Lord did this.  But why such harsh discipline?  He was sending a message to His church, as He did to the church in Thyatira, that we are to take our actions seriously:
Acts 5:11 (NASB)
And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
Does this mean that anytime someone lies about money in the church they will die?  Again, not likely at all.  Even in these extreme examples recorded, they are not accounts of Christians being judged or experiencing the wrath of God, but rather receiving correction and to serve as a general warning for the entire church at large.  Each saint involved in these situations before ever receiving such correction had already been perfected in holiness in their spirit.  Those that died at the hand of God’s discipline simply fell asleep in Him with the same promise of heaven that we have today.
Didn’t Jesus heal all who came to Him?
After reading such extreme examples where Jesus caused sickness and even death within the Church, on the surface there appears to be a contradiction in the way He operated on the earth before He ascended as recorded in the four gospels and the way He does now.  Before He ascended, the scripture says that He healed all who came to Him.  After His ascension, as the examples above demonstrate, sickness and even death were the work of the same hands He healed with.  Why is there no mention of Jesus disciplining others the same way in the gospels?
Two reasons:

1. He Disciplines the Church only:

After the church was birthed following His passion on the cross (see John 20:22), it brought about sonship. This sonship opened the door for the church to be a partaker of His discipline:
Hebrews 12:7 (NASB)
God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Before the cross the Holy Spirit had not yet taken up residence in anyone and none had been born again as a child of the Father. Anyone disciplined before the new covenant initiated would have been disciplined as an orphan which would have completely contradicted the scripture above.

2. These were rare situations He used to teach the church at large about His omniscience (his all-knowing nature) and His propensity to discipline when His grace and patience are ignored over a long period of time.

As previously stated, it is unlikely that the Lord will repeat such methods of discipline in the church today because He recorded them as examples in scripture for us to learn from.
When His discipline is not required
First of all, discipline is not always necessary because the consequences of our actions, or the attractive nature of His grace and patience, are sufficient enough to cause us to repent. This was the case with the prodigal son who left his father’s house and found himself in a pig sty with no money and no friends.  Such consequences and circumstances were sufficient to cause a change of mind.  Also, the nature of his father, his patience and lovingkindness, suddenly became appealing to him again.
An earthly father may not choose to discipline his son when he is instructed to not touch a hot stove and he does anyway because the consequences of disobedience is clearly evident to the child.
When His discipline may be required
However, discipline may be required when the consequences of our sin are not sufficient enough and when the grace of God is not appealing enough to us to repent. This was the case with the children of Israel and the Church in Thyatira.  In the natural, an earthly father may decide to exercise discipline when that child slaps his little sister across the face several times because in this situation the consequences to him are not as evident, no discomfort is felt on his behalf, and another individual is hurt in the process. Discipline in the life of a child of God never comes by the gavel of an angry Judge, but from the heart of a loving and graceful heavenly Father.
The primary motivation behind the Lord’s correction and discipline is His love toward us.  He wants us to have a revelation and understanding of this truth so it can be the motivator behind why we repent:
Revelations 3:19
‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
How does the Father discipline us today?
We are not to live introspectively, constantly scrutinizing and examining ourselves with feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy. Our main focus should be Christ.  However, we must remain open to the Lord’s discipline and understand what it looks like when it comes to us.  Just like the progressive discipline approach discussed earlier, He will first correct and discipline us in the form of a verbal or written correction.  He normally will use scripture for this:
2 Timothy 3:16 (NNT)
All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for discipline in righteousness;
The phrase ‘discipline in righteousness’ is often translated ‘instruction in righteousness’ in other versions. The Greek word for ‘instruction’ however is paideia, which means to chasten or discipline with correction.  Therefore, the scriptures are the main tool He uses to correct us with and to call to account those specific faults in our lives He desires for us to repent of.  We can be sure that if a particular message comes to us multiple times within a short period of time, either by scripture or by someone with spiritual authority over us, it is Him seeking to correct us.  Such messages will cause our conscious to be pierced.  This piercing is not always pleasant and will often cause us to feel sorrowful, but if we respond to it properly it will produce the righteousness He is looking for:
Hebrews 12:9 (NASB)
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
What if we ignore His word of correction?
If we continue in the sin without heeding His word of correction, He will continue to give us ample time to repent.  If we choose not to change, the discipline may become progressively worse, shifting away from a word of correction to causing us to suffer in some form or fashion temporarily.  Just like a father who spanks his child, the purpose of this temporary suffering is so we are able to feel pain and discomfort as a direct result of the sin in hopes that we will not continue in it or repeat it.  It is important to note however that not all suffering we experience is a direct result of His discipline in our lives, sometimes it is because of the fallen world around us or our own actions.
However, if it is the discipline of the Lord, through prayer He will help our conscious to establish a connection between the suffering and the sin.  If we repent, we can be confident that any and all discipline He has administered will immediately be removed and that we will be fully restored to the condition we were in before the discipline took place.  If we simply choose to not repent in the long term, The Lord may simply turn us over to our own ways, allowing us to reap the full consequences of our rebellion (whatever physical, emotional, or relational disadvantages that may result).
Conclusion
When we learn to be trained by His discipline, and understand that it is an expression of His Love toward us, it causes us to walk in greater levels of maturity, life, and peace with Him which is His ultimate desire.
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Note that believers are judged after death also.  However, this is a judgment for rewards for the quality of work we did on the earth, and not for any sin we have committed.  This can be likened to an Olympic judge awarding the runners of a race with various medals of Honor (gold, silver, bronze, etc.).   Refer to 1 Thes. 1, Rev. 4.

Teaching objective:
To obtain a global perspective regarding the overall plan of the Father for mankind and His motivations behind it. This will in turn enable you to:

• Understand your identity, purpose, and your inheritance as a child of God
• Understand what the cross actually accomplished
• Understand the purpose of the church

Seated With Him and Our Global View
Getting ready to board a plane for a business trip in New York, I grabbed my luggage and proceeded to walk through the terminal. Taking my seat, I loaded up my carry on, tilted back, and glanced out the window. As the plane took off the run-away, my view began to drastically change. The higher the plane went in elevation the broader my view became until I began to see across counties, states, farms, fields, mountains, and rivers. The clouds, previously looking like cotton balls in the sky and distant, were now massive and within arm’s length. Lakes looked like mud puddles and trees like blades of grass as I began to see the entire landscape and how each feature was connected on a larger scale.  In that moment, as I sat in my seat, the truth of my position with Christ, actually being seated with Him in heavenly places, took hold of me. I realized this was not some abstract concept, but an experiential reality meant to be embraced.
This high and eternal position with Him, coupled with scripture, uniquely enables us to have an elevated and wide angled perspective of the past, present, and future activities in and on the earth. It lends us the privilege of seeing the entire landscape of the Father’s purpose for all mankind. By obtaining such a perspective, we are able to learn how who we are and what we do contributes and connects to the greater scope of the Father. Our perspective changes from our own individual desires to His all-encompassing eternal plans.
Like a microscope, we often focus and concentrate our energy on one specific verse, subject, or truth, while blocking out the greater context by which it is applied. While at various times the Spirit of Lord will illuminate specific truths to us, we can often lose sight of how their all connected on a global scale.  Like a puzzle, it’s often difficult to see the big picture by which the individual puzzle pieces are forming, but when the end is near and the last few puzzle pieces are being put in, you are able to see the  complete picture easier.  Have you ever wondered:

• Why did Jesus come to earth?
• Why a cross and what did it really accomplish?
• Why did our sin have to be removed?
• Why does God give us who believe the Holy Spirit?
• Why was man made?

The Heart Of The Matter, Is A Matter Of The Heart
The big picture starts with the Fatherhood of God. The essence of the heart of God is Father. A spiritual, heavenly, loving, and eternal Father. He is the Father of all spirits both in heaven and on the earth, the Father of all creation, and the Father of lights. His ultimate intention is to relate to us as mature sons and daughters and by doing so, provide us an opportunity to be a part of His family and partakers of what He has (an inheritance – more on this later).  By natural circumstances, one comes into a family through one of three ways:

1. Birth (as a son or daughter) or,
2. Adoption (as a son or daughter) or,
3. Marriage (by becoming a husband or wife)

The Trinity desires that we enter their family by birth (through the Spirit), adoption (by the Father), and marriage (as a Bride to the Son).  In this teaching however we will primarily explore our relation to Him as sons.
Before Time
He purposed our sonship within Himself before time began. Time, having a beginning and an ending, came on the scene during creation at the same time as space and matter. In the beginning (time), God created the Heavens and the earth (space and matter). The Lord used these three building blocks to construct the foundation (or the basis) of the world. Like space and matter, time is a creation of the Father also used to interject His will into our realm at various times. God dwells in eternity and is therefore ageless. The author of Hebrews alluded to this truth when he described the intercessional function of Christ as eternal (without beginning or ending) and compared it to the priestly order of Melchizekek, the King of Salem and priest of El Elyon (“God most High”), who also did not have a written genealogy of birth and death (beginning and ending).
This earthly temporal order was a mere shadow of the heavenly eternal one. Eternity is not by definition a really long time. It is that it is outside of time completely. Like someone submersing their hand into a bowl full of water, when Jesus Christ came, being an extension of the Father and from a place of eternity, fully submersed Himself into our realm. While on earth, Jesus lived and functioned both in eternity and time at the same time. This is why, for example, in the Garden of Gethsemane He was able to say that the work the Father had given Him was finished, even though He had not been to the cross or had been resurrected yet:
“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. -John 17:4
The Barrier To Sonship
Ok, so we have established so far that the Father’s overarching purpose and plan is to obtain sons and daughters and that this plan was predetermined before time (before the foundation of the world). When the sin barrier entered into the world, it caused all born through Adam (mankind) to be cut off from the commonwealth of Heaven and become orphans (without a Father) and widows (without a Husband). The sin barrier blocked us from receiving the Father’s inheritance and to share in His glory and intimacy. This is the reason why James says true and pure religion before the Father is to watch over orphans and widows because it is the very heart of God toward His family and the heart of the Son toward His bride:
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world – James 1:27
As a side note, religion, when expressed from a position of liberty in Christ, is not negative. Otherwise, James would not have mentioned it in a positive light twice in the same chapter (James 1:25-27).
The Holiness of God
Sin can only be understood in light of God’s holiness.  God is perfectly perfect. The nature of God is nothing less than pure holiness and righteousness. It is a holiness which is unfathomable to the human mind and will always remain a mystery. He always has and always will be, without flaw, without blame, and without wrong both within and among Himself (the Godhead). Because the Father’s heart is sonship, this nature of holiness and righteousness must also be inside of us in order to be in His family. We must be perfect in our nature as He is perfect.
In the natural, a son cannot be a son unless he has the nature (seed) of a father. The inward essence of the Father is holiness, and it is His desire to impart this to us in order that we may become His sons. The problem was that God’s holiness and sin cannot co-exist inside of us and therefore was a barrier to receiving  His nature and thus our sonship. Like oil and water, they cannot be integrated in the same vessel.
Because God cannot have offspring (sons) with a nature contrary to His own, before sin even entered into the human race through Adam, God made provision to take it away:
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. – Revelation 13:8
Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, God revealed His plan (the gospel) to remove the sin barrier and the authority of satan:
And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He (referring to the seed of Eve, that is, Jesus Christ) shall bruise you on the head (crushing the authority/headship of satan and sin by means of the Cross), And you shall bruise him on the heel (the nail piercings).” Genesis 3:15
He disclosed to them that the seed of the woman (Jesus) would crush sin and the one, namely satan, who influenced it on earth. Like a diamond in the depths of the earth, this plan was hidden for ages. Although satan heard this, He did not comprehend it. Had he understood it, he would have never participated in crucifying the Lord:
..we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8
The cross was not an afterthought, but a forethought in the mind and wisdom of the Father before time began designed to take away the sin barrier to sonship and to be a partaker of His holiness. Once we believe upon Jesus Christ and believe what He accomplished for us: having shed His blood and died, was buried, and resurrected to life, that the seed and holy nature of God is then imparted into us:
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. – 2 Peter 1:4
This holy nature of God is given to us for the very purpose of becoming sons and daughters in His family.  When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, our spirit is made alive again through the new birth from the seed (nature) of God which is imparted to us by the Holy Spirit. This was the primary purpose of the cross and the complete remission of our sins.
Let’s recap so far
We have covered quite a bit of ground so far. We have learned that the Father desires sons, but requires that we have His nature of holiness in us in order to become one. We learned that the barrier to us receiving His nature and holiness was sin, but He made provision to remove it from our lives before time even began. We become a son of the Father and are transferred into His family and kingdom when we are born again by believing Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected to life again. Let’s explore now our inheritance (or birthrights) as sons and the plan the Father has for us moving forward.
A Son Is An Heir
Once we become sons, we are heirs and are immediately able to partake of our inheritance:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. – Romans 8:17
If we view our inheritance from the wrong frame of reference using a worldly perspective, we can completely misunderstand what the Lord desires for us to appropriate.
What our inheritance is NOT:
A one time, single event. Unlike under natural circumstances where an inheritance is typically given at once, in the family of God it is an ongoing release of His promises in our lives over time. As sons we have all received part of our inheritance already by receiving the Holy Spirit Himself. By experiencing Him, we experience a small portion of our inheritance and a taste of what it will be like in future glory.
Like receiving an earthly inheritance. We can’t assume because we are “King’s kids” it implies we are immediately privileged to obtain earthly wealth. Paul instructed against this way of thinking:
and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. – 1 Timothy 6:6-8
While the Lord is gracious and often blesses us beyond our needs, the riches of our inheritance in the Kingdom is far superior to earthly riches and should be our primary source of enjoyment.
What our inheritance IS:
The ‘Land’ Of The Father:
“I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and an heir of My mountains from Judah; Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants will dwell there. – Isaiah 65:9
This prophetic message given by Isaiah from God is describing the inheritance of His offspring (His sons).  It is described not as a physical plot of land on the earth (as it was the case with the land of promise to the children of Israel), but a spiritual land from Heaven (mountains from Judah). Notice the prophecy states that it is only the offspring (spiritual seed) of Jacob which inherit it.
What’s in the land?
Built on the mountains of Judah were Jerusalem and the temple of God. The land of our inheritance is the kingdom of Christ (mountains of Judah), the heavenly Jerusalem, and the temple (dwelling place) of God Himself. This is not a land flowing with milk and honey, but with grace and righteousness. Just like mountains in the natural, this land is intended to be explored, experienced, and inhabited. We have the privilege of dwelling their now, but in the future, will experience it in its fullest degree and measure.
Onward and Upwards- Maturing Sons
While we have received the nature of God on the inside (our spirit) and have become children, it must be worked out and make its way to the outside (our soul and body) in order for us to become mature sons:
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, …..but speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects of Him who the head, even Christ, – Ephesians 4:14-15
But like the Holy one who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; – 1 Peter 1:15
The Father is not only looking for sons, but mature sons that bear the full image (that is to say the same inner nature, character, and mindset) of Jesus Christ.   That we would be, as it were, complete replicas of our elder brother Christ Jesus while at the same time keeping our own individuality and personhood:
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; – Romans 8:29
This full image is described as spiritual manhood. Not manhood and growth of the outer man, but of the inner:
Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16
A day is coming however when even our outer man (our physical bodies) will also be transformed into the likeness of His, ultimately causing the full man to be in conformity:
who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. – Philippians 3:21
While our sonship is immediate, our maturity is not. In the natural, a son born from his father’s seed may be an heir to all the father has, but he is still a babe. He must grow up into a man and put away his childish behaviors and mindsets:
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. – 1 Corinthians 13:11
The result of this increasing maturity of the inner man causes us to change in three primary areas:

1. The way we speak- How, when, & what we say
2. The way we think– Our thoughts become different through a continuous process of repentance and our perspective regarding the world around us aligns more with His
3. The way we reason- A child reasons in his mind that he is the center of the universe and the world and everyone in it revolves and exists to serve all his needs and desires. A mature man on the other hand looks to the desires of the Lord and makes Him the center of their universe, and looks to ways on how he can serve in the Kingdom:

This is not a maturity which we manufacture on our own, but one which requires a partnership with the Spirit of the Lord through an ongoing process.  For He gives us the motivation and desire to do what is pleasing in His sight, and as we embrace this desire, we mature.  While maturity involves a work we do (for He will give to each according to their own works) it primarily rests on the shoulders of the Spirit of the Lord and the work He does inside of us. We become what we continuously behold, for the good or for the bad. But when we continuously behold (gaze upon) the Lord, the Holy Spirit changes our image (our nature, character, and mindset) to look gradually more and more like Him:
But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 3:18
Growth and maturity is not something we feel. A child cannot feel himself growing, but it becomes evident in the eyes of others around him. Likewise, we may not feel or sense that we are growing and maturing. Although mirrors are available to give us insight regarding our outer man, there is no mirror available that we can use to show us the image of our inner man. Only the Lord sees our true image and can tell if we are maturing into His likeness.
The Purpose of All Ministries
Every God designed ministry given to the church since the ascension of Jesus Christ, from a music ministry to a motorcycle ministry, has been given for one sole purpose: to mature the sons of God. On the surface it may appear that because so many various truths are circulating in the Body of Christ that we are a divided family. While error certainly exists, we can become parochialistic when we believe we have the truth while others do not and the knowledge and understanding we possess is superior.  This simply reveals our ongoing need for maturity.  While some ministries focus only on specific functions such as missions, music, healing, signs and wonders, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, evangelism, the prophetic, etc.), each serve their own purpose and are directed by the Spirit of the Lord to address different areas of the Body requiring attention. Like a bodybuilder who only does upper body workouts will lack growth and strength in his legs, various gifts and ministries exist to give strength to specific areas of weakness in the Body. We can think of ministries like various types of exercises and weights which target various muscle groups (members) to produce an overall healthier and stronger Body.  Just like a single puzzle piece cannot see the entire image when put together, each member of the global church cannot fully see the complete image being formed but it is visible to the One putting it together, who is the Lord.
In Conclusion
Going back to our original questions:

• Why did Jesus come to earth?
• Why a cross and what did it really accomplish?
• Why did our sin have to be removed?
• Why does God give us who believe the Holy Spirit?
• Why was man made?

Why would the Father do all of this? Why would He go to such great lengths to give us sonship, new life, His holiness and nature, redemption, and an eternal inheritance undefiled? Why liberally impart so much into us and into the Body of Christ to bring us to a state of perfection and maturity?  Was it because of some deep revelation and mystery unknown to man? What was the grand purpose and motivation behind this wonderful plan?
It is extraordinarily simple and profoundly humbling.  The Holy Spirit says it was according to two primary reasons:

1. Because He loves us and just felt like doing it
2. To simply demonstrate the riches of His grace toward us

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, (1) according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, (2) according to the riches of his grace, – Ephesians 1:5-6

This title is one which you won’t likely find on the New York Times Bestseller’s list for financial success, however it’s principle is found in ancient scripture. While many bookshelves all over the world are stacked high with books for equipping others on how to acquire earthly wealth, very little books direct us on how to acquire eternal riches, which is of far greater value.  Jesus made a clear distinction between these two different types of wealth.  That is to say, that which is perishable from imperishable, temporal from eternal, and earthly from heavenly:
“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? – Luke 16:11
Before you continue reading I want to ensure you that I am not promoting the need to sacrifice one type of wealth for the other. On the contrary, earthly wealth and eternal riches can and do co-exist in the lives of many.  Let us not fool ourselves, throw the baby out with the bathwater and conclude that the wealth we earn will ultimately produce spiritual bankruptcy.  Indeed, it was Jesus himself which called the wicked and lazy servant the one which did not understand how to build wealth and gain a return by leveraging the principle of interest:
“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. – Matthew 25:26
With that in mind, the purpose of this teaching is to answer the following questions:

1. How do we obtain true riches from God?
2. What are some road blocks which prevent us from receiving?
3. What does being poor in spirit truly mean and how is it related to being rich is Christ?

True riches are obtained by spiritual poverty
Its paradoxical yes, but in the kingdom of God spiritual wealth is obtained by acknowledging our spiritual poverty.  Consider the following:
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? James 2:5
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3
The Spirit of God spoke through a man named Isaiah, a priest who lived in the Kingdom of Judah during the 8^th century BC, and described in detail what the work of the Messiah would look like. A sneak preview if you will centuries before the live show began.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…- Isaiah 61:1
The first objective of His mission was instinctively clear: Preach the good news to the poor. The problem is when Jesus stepped foot on the scene and the show began, not everyone He preached to was poor. Does this mean He deviated from the original assignment? Was the sneak preview inaccurate? Herein lies the difference between spiritual and physical poverty.
An example of a poor wealthy man
Simon Peter, often acclaimed as a lowly fisherman, was actually a successful business owner of an international fish trading company with several ships, employees, and a group of business partners:
When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break;
so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. – Luke 5:6
And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” – 5:10
Further historical and archaeological evidence uncovered in the last century tells us at one time he possibly owned multiple houses in Capernaum and along the coast of Galilee (likely sold them off later). Not poor by any stretch of the imagination. No wonder it was easy for him to leave his nets and follow Jesus; he had employees to delegate his work to! But why would Jesus select Peter, an apparent wealthy man, to be a pillar in the world changing movement of the kingdom of God, if as we read earlier, He was sent to preach to the poor? What made him so special? It is because it wasn’t Peter’s physical wealth Jesus was after; it was his spiritual poverty. Peter was poor in spirit and as such the kingdom of heaven belonged to him. In other words, it was Peter’s deep inner realization of his own sinfulness and need for God that caused him to be a prime candidate as a disciple.
After experiencing a miraculous financial breakthrough (a massive catch of fish) on the glistening waters of the Sea of Galilee, it wasn’t shortly afterwards Peter was at the sandals of Jesus declaring “I am a sinful man, get away from me!”.  Grace exuded.  The riches of Christ in that moment was offered in exchange for Peter’s poverty. Then came the call, “Come Simon, follow me, and I’ll make you a fisher of men”.
Power in poverty before meeting Christ
Peter’s example teaches us there is power in poverty before meeting Christ. Like an engine being primed for use, it prepares our hearts to receive Him. When we become poor in spirit, we come to the place where we acknowledge and embrace our own self destructive behaviors and sinfulness. To justify ourselves out of the necessity of Christ’s cross is to withhold His justification from our own lives. No sin, no need for a savior. It is in the confession of our own sinfulness (not individual sins) we are forgiven (1 John 1:9), but if we say we have never sinned, the truth does not abide in us (1 John 1:10). This was the fundamental issue with the religious leaders in Jesus’ day, and unfortunately, continues into the present. They claimed they could see, so they were blind. They claimed they could hear, so they were deaf. They claimed they were flawless in respect to the law, so their sin remained.  A disease never acknowledged and brought to the attention of a doctor will never receive the remedy to reverse its condition.
Around 3,400 years ago (1393-1273 BC) Moses was commanded to construct a bronze serpent, put it on pole, and lift it high among the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness. He then instructed the people bitten by poisonous vipers to gaze upon the serpent so that they may receive immediate healing and eviction of the poison infecting their bodies. Unfortunately, not all acknowledged their condition, nor the healing instrument being offered at that time. As a result, they died from their infections. Likewise, all of the human race has been infected by sin through Adam. We all have been bitten and tasted of its poison. But it is only when we acknowledge this, and gaze upon Jesus of Nazareth who was put on a cross and lifted up among us ages ago, do we immediately receive our remedy. For by His stripes, beatings, torture, floggings, and nails, we are healed.
The reason why Messiah said it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven is not because he is rich.  The reason why the entry is difficult lies in the inherit risk of becoming blind to our spiritual need for God at the expense of all other needs and desires fully realized.  It is the temporal blessings which so often blind us from the eternal ones.
Power in poverty after meeting Him
After initially coming face to face with the Christ, receiving His stripes offered for our sin and taking our first step toward following Him, we must continue in our poverty, but just not in the same way. On this side of the Kingdom we embrace our poverty not by being mindful of our sin, but by constantly acknowledging our ongoing need for His power, grace, and work in our lives to become who we were created in Christ Jesus to become. In other words, we are to be as children completely dependent upon our Father.
How earthly wealth can consume our spiritual poverty
As previously mentioned, earthly wealth and spiritual poverty can co-exist. But like a box of matches in a dry forest, the danger and risk in wealth consuming our dependence must be carefully mitigated and managed. The church in Laodicea learned this lesson the hard way.
‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, – Revelations 3:17 (NASB)
Jesus then proceeds to present a business offer on the table: “buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich”.  Immediately the connection between the wealth and affluence of their city and their own spiritual condition became clear.  The change in the Laodicean’s had to begin with their understanding of spiritual poverty. They were to labor (buy) by expending self-sufficiency and regaining dependence for an exchange of the riches (refined gold) of Christ.
Men, we are not called to throw our wealth out the window, but we are called to throw our independence out.  Becoming a man of God is less about building our kingdoms on the shifting sands of self-reliance, but more about complete dependence upon our heavenly Father for all needs, wants, and desires, whether they be spiritual or physical, and whether they be realized or not.