"Flesh-Lethal" = "Spirit-Life"!

"FLESH-LETHAL" = "SPIRIT-LIFE"!

These four "steps" are lethal to the flesh, but Life to the Spirit! Zeph 3:2 "She (Jerusalem, put for carnal nature) obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God." [We have this choice: "Chastened" or "Condemned" {as in 1Cor 10:32}] Mic 6:8 "He hath shewed thee, O man (who would be righteous, and Live!), what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

#1- It is GOOD to OBEY the Voice of the Lord -AND - REQUIRED!
#2- JUSTICE is receiving God's CORRECTION!
#3- TRUSTING the Lord teaches the LOVE OF MERCY (GOD)!
#4- Only "DRAWING NEAR" "WALKS HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD"!
(Jesus said, "COME UNTO ME!"). Let's look at them in sequence:

#1- OBEY ("Required" and "Good!")

#2- SUBMIT (God's Correction is Just!)

#3- TRUST (Learns to Love Mercy {below}, God {above})

#4- "COME" (Walk with Me in "My Spirit, Humility")

Why obey? Because when your Maker ("My Voice") Spoke, you were Created! His Word is Life to you! When He Speaks now (as then!), you receive His Breath (Spirit) (your life!). For you to refuse (not obey) is destruction or death to you! When He "exhales" (Speaks), we must "inhale" His Breath (receive, respond or obey), or die (for lack of life!). Man "lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!". Obedience is compliance with Life! God said, "LIVE!". It is for man but to receive & obey the Word of God!

Why submit? What God made was "lost" to Him by sin which He Cursed! God Cursed His Beloved because of sin! Man must be -Corrected- (sin destroyed) if God is again to have the pleasure of His Beloved!

God has taken a solemn Blood Vow to bless (faith-ful) man! But remember, it's not Adam's "seed" (seed="passed-on") (Adam "passed-on" corruption through sin), but *Abraham's* "seed" (Obedient FAITH) which God Promises to Bless Via a One-Way Blood Oath ["Transfusion"] which places God's Life [Blood, Spirit] in man!

Remember, Jesus died for you whether you ever accept, allow, and receive it, OR NOT! But the Promises were made only to those who will submit to Salvation's Initial condition; REPENTANCE!

This is why I maintain that submission is 9/10 of the (Spiritual) Law (Love!)! It is by our "turning loose" of this life, this world, our ways, that we ASK with open (empty) hands and receive (are filled with) what God Prefers! In this manner only do we truly acknowledge Him as Lord God, and ourselves, His Servants!

WHY TRUST? Faith is what God Gives, and is all about Receiving! Trust is what we give, and is all about loosing, turning loose, giving up! Jesus died that God might Give us His Faith in His (our) Father in Heaven! But God has Privileged man with the Honor of Co-Operating ("Walking/Talking/Naming") with Him by our "free will" choice!

Faith is a Gift from God He expects us to "Operate" (use) in our choice of Trusting (Loving) Him, even as He has Loved us! As He Laid down His Life for us, He now allows (expects) us to lay down (give up, turn loose of!) our lives (by our own free will) to Him by Trusting Him with "control" (or, the outcome)!

But we can only do this as we Love Him! And we only Love Him by the Power of the Holy Spirit TEACHING us, and Leading us into all Truth! ["Rightly-Dividing His Word of Truth"] It is by this process of setting us Free to choose Him (Even when that may mean our death!) that the Holy Spirit Encourages, Develops & Sustains us In Christ!

No one trusts a stranger! Who expects them to? Sin makes God a "stranger" to us! But Christ brings a "sword" (actually, a scalpel!) to separate, sanctify, set free and Perform the Promises in us by circumcision of our ears, eyes and hearts! Going "under the knife" requires we trust the Surgeon! Will He "hurt", or "heal" us? And the real test, (as with Job!), is, ...will we Trust Him - ANYWAY?

Is it "allright" with us? Trusting teaches Love! Odd how the more we *HAVE* Trusted Him, the more we *CAN* Trust Him! Just like Love! The more we Know Him, the more we Love Him! Why? What's not to Love? He *IS* Love! When I learn of Him, I learn of me ...AND Love!

But when I Trust Him, I also HONOR Him as well! Oh!, such sweet Design of God, that Bids me Love and Trust, then Honors me with Honoring HIM! It's as though God Knows the BEST thing of ALL is Loving and Giving, and He's actually made provision for me to Love and Give to Him even as He Loves and Gives to me! Trusting learns to [Teaches] Love!

And finally, WHY COME? The very best answer to this question is because it will Please your Father in Heaven! After all, you didn't seek Him out - He sought you! You didn't Love, Hunger for, Miss, Yearn for, Desire Him first - He Loved you even when you didn't know Him; when you were afraid of Him; when you hated Him! Why Come to Him? Because He needs you, Loves you, wants you... BACK!

Many people talk of all the benefits to us in "coming", as "called". But what about Him? He called you for Himself! He gave Himself for you! He calls you because He wants you with Him! He misses you! He wants you back!

I think we all may go to Him first because we're out of control; our life has become carnivorous; we're tired of being a failure; because we hurt so much inside, and we're so afraid of this hateful world, we need a Saviour, a Friend - someone to Love us! But then we fall in Love with Him.

We begin to see He has feelings too, and He gets lonely for us! That really hurts, because we've grown to Love Him! We soon become humiliated by our callousness; our thoughtlessness; our sinful nature!

It is then we begin to learn that only Humility truly draws near the Throne of God! Only a contrite, humble Spirit can worship at the feet of Holiness! Only Christ-like Meekness Walks with the Almighty!

Here is "Salt", as He is our "Light"! There's nothing here for flesh, but what Abundant Life for the Spirit! To "walk humbly with our God" IS "Christ-in-us, our Hope of Glory"! H-a-l-l-e-l-u-j-a-h-!