2 Cor. 2:10, “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one* for your sakes in the presence (person) of Christ,”
Presence or person could also mean “pros, “towards,” ops, “an eye,” lit., “the part round the eye, the face,” in a secondary sense “the look, the countenance,” as being the index of the inward thoughts and feelings.”
Christ is the person in performing the seeing and “willing” the forgiving.
Eph. 2:15, “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one new man, [so] making peace;”
I create enmity, animosity, hostility, antagonism in myself and put on myself through self-imposed law in my heart.
What?
If I am unable to meet my perception of God’s standards (which I can’t) then these things below are created because I cannot fulfill my self-imposed law in my heart.
I’ve added the prefix self- and italicized words.
self-Enmity1: The quality of being an enemy towards self and others; hostile or unfriendly self-disposition. A state of self-opposition;
self-Animosity2: A feeling of strong self-(dislike, ill will, or enmity) that tends to display itself in action: a deep-seated animosity between two sisters; animosity against one’s neighbor.
self-Hostility3: self-Opposition or self-resistance to an idea, plan, project, etc. This sounds similar to another blog, Anarchism in the church – pseudo-godliness. Makes sense if there is strife in church, family, teams, and so on.
self-Antagonism:
After reading these definitions, it seems as though if I have a perception of God’s standard in my life based self-imposed law and I fail to meet it then perfect Love is not casting out fear4 and I am not walking in the Spirit or liberty that I have in Christ. I am walking under judgment due to the failure of not keeping my self-imposed law. This creates self-enmity and no Godly love of myself or in myself. If I have fear or timidity of not keeping the God-standard I think I am supposed to keep then I am making myself a slave by the spirit of fear unto bondage5.
So, why is perfect Love not casting out fear? I receive faith by hearing and hearing the Word of God. This faith brought by revelation makes me a new creature. It supernaturally changes my nature into righteousness like God my Father by His Son Jesus Christ. Revelation of His nature is also of His Love nature. He IS Love. This Love grows in me by grace through faith based on hearing and hearing the Word of God. Revelation casts out fear. Just as darkness is cast out by light. Once you have light, darkness cannot be dark anymore or dwell with light. This is all based on grace and revelation of Christ in us and not what the perception of His love is. My self-imposed law perception apart from Christ is a total contrast than walking and living in Him or revelation unto faith in Him.
2 Cor. 2:10-11, “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
Paraphrase of verse 11.
“Lest the adversary (Satan) should lit., “to seek to get more”, take advantage, or covetously attempt to steal more.”
More? More of what? Our life! Christ life in us. All the good things in Christ, Philemon 1:6. “More” could be anything Christ has given us through His death and life. The enemy in his evil nature, jealously and selfishness does not want you or me in Christ to have anything from Christ. I say, “Devil, demons and all unclean spirits, read Col. 2:15, Luke 8:31, James 2:19, 1 Cor. 15:55-57.” That’s enough scripture for now.
So, back to 2 Cor. 2:10-11, what really happens if I have unforgiveness in my heart towards whosoever? Apparently, it potentially gives the enemy a window of opportunity to gain an advantage in my walk with the Lord.
I saw today that if I hold a grudge against whosoever including myself and God then I am putting myself under my law in my heart. Whoever I have the animosity and resentment towards is not meeting my expectation of what I think they should do or be. Does it matter if they are knowing or ignorant of their offensive act towards me? It does if my self-imposed law contains a by-law. As I actively put myself under this self-imposed law based on unforgiveness I do something else. I enable self-strength in my life! Ah hah!, now we’re getting somewhere. If the enemy can get me into self-strength then I am destined for constant perpetual spiritual failure with no end.
What is the answer? Some say, “Well brother, you gotta forgive.” That is not complete truth and is not quickened in me when I hear it. If I listen to “I gotta forgive” then I will TRY to forgive based on my perception of forgiveness. Is this real forgiveness? I say No. Chapter and verse please?
1 Cor. 13:5 (NIV), “It (God’s Love) is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Real forgiveness forgives as Christ did based on revelation of Him by His word through His grace and not my perception. If I know His forgiveness by faith then I can forgive and release myself from my self-imposed law or old self by His power! This is so awesome. Reminds again of 1 Cor. 15:55-57. No self-help book can do this. Self-help books will actually give the enemy and book publishers more advantage and money. Pushing a million peanuts cannot do this. Only Christ in me and you can do this. This is His power in me. The power to truly forgive.
Eph. 2:13-16, “…Having abolished in his flesh the enmity…” Even self-imposed law can be enmity1.
Col. 1:14, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:”
Last night, I installed some blinds in our master bath. I had to step in the tub and left a few spots, but figured next bath time the running water will wash it off. My wife noticed it and commented. I did not think it was a big deal. Later, I half-heartily decided to clean up the smudges. Then I went into the kitchen and I asked her to do something (can’t exactly remember what) and she did not do it. This thought came to mind, “I put law on myself in the master bathroom.”
I was reminded of Christ saying in Matt. 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” I thought the Lord was referring only to not judging others, but it doesn’t say that. It says, “Do not judge…” I was reminded of Peter in Galatians 2:11 (ESV), “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” He stood condemned or was “self-condemned.” He was under law in some areas of his life apparently and Paul opposed him to his face in front of everyone. Wow.
I think what happened was I cleaned the tub because I thought I had to. Cleaning the tub was like bringing a sacrifice or gift to the brazen altar in the outer court of the tabernacle. Heb. 10:5 says God does not desire sacrifice and offerings, but willingness. The willingness though is not my willingness, but His willingness in me. Heb. 10:10, “And by that will (of Christ), we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” This is by grace through revelation of Him based on hearing and hearing His word. Paul says in 1 Cor. 4:4 that he does not even judge himself.
If I stand condemned then naturally I would expect others to stand under my self-imposed law. I think this could be looked at as judging others. In my opinion, this is not God’s will.
This blog builds a little more on The beauty of nullification. “Someone or something dead is NULLIFIED.”
Phil. 3:13, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
The Greek word for forgetting is epilanthanomai. The tense is passive deponent or “having a passive form with an active meaning, as certain Latin and Greek verbs.”
I remember times when I have quit smoking. Three days go by. One week, three weeks, and then it’s three months. I’m driving in my car and the thought occurs, “Cigarette.” I consciously have to remind myself at this point that I smoked cigarettes at one point. Why? Because I totally forgot I smoked cigarettes. Who I am in Christ does not smoke cigarettes, view porn, snort cocaine, use foul language, or drink excessively. That person is dead. That person is nullified and obselete.
Think of an occasion when you forgot something that someone else wanted you to remember like a birthday, anniversary, appointment, or whatever and you forgot. Why did you forget? For myself, I forgot because it was not a priority in my heart or brain at the time. I had too many other important things going on in my perspective.
I believe this is why I forgot I quit smoking because it was no longer important to me. Something dead is dead. It cannot come back to life unless I actively remember it. If I actively try to forget then I am not forgetting, but trying to erase a memory. This trying is Uzza. I cannot actively forget somethng in my self-strength, but only through the revelation of Christ and the truth in me. This truth sets me free from my old self. This old self was unable to justify itself. It was trying to justify itself by trying to forget rather than passively forgetting by grace.
This is the affect of Christ. So, why do I see brother or sisters in Christ on merry-go-rounds of sin in their life? Another blog previously written discusses this topic, No wonder I keep remembering.
Hebrews 10:2-4 (Aramaic NT) says, “– because now not being troubled in conscience with their sins who one time purified them: — but in them, by their sacrifices, they remembered their sins every year. For the blood of bulls and goats is not able to purify sins.”
It seems to me that sometimes believers can’t wait for Wendsday, Saturday or Sunday church service for a number of reasons, but a different one came to mind today.
Before elaborating, I believe some go to hear or see the ministry of the Word. Some go to hear Christ proclaimed. Some healing, singing praise and worship songs, fellowship and serving. These are the reasons worth mentioning.
I also believe some go because being under the law all week will wear you out, Luke 11:46 (NLT). When I sing, fellowship, and hear the Word my faith grows, I am filled, revelation occurs.
What if some believers were not “under the law” all week and then came into a service? What does this mean? Here are some previous blogs discussing legalism,
If you query “under the law” 7 pages of blogs will be displayed.
A generic definition of under law would be it will wear you out spiritually and kill you spiritually, Rom. 7:11. If this is true then this should be a real concern for my spiritual walk with Christ.
During lunch today, I was listening and singing a little in my car during lunch. I perceived my inner man being edified right then and there.
Reminds me of Eph. 5:18-20, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
Being filled could be like wind filling sails in sail boat.
Ephesians talks about being filled with the Spirit. These are external forces. The wind creating lift for the eagle. Negative pressure created from an airfoil enables the sailboat to move.1
Being filled here also can me an effervescent type filling like champagne or Alka-Seltzer.
As I sang in my heart unto the Lord or even just sat there and listen I perceived my inner man being built up, stirred, encouraged, moved, emboldened and diffusing peace. Thank you Lord! This was not hard to do. There was no conjuring up. It was naturual and is real.
1 Cor. 14:38 (KJV)
“But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”
1 Cor. 14:38 (NIV)
“If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored.”
If I do not see or know the truth or light then the truth will not shine in my heart or spirit. I will be ignoring myself because I am not being true to who I really am in Christ.
There is a contrast between a lifestyle or practicing sin versus not practicing. The contrast is will. It is His will in us. If I practice sin in my life then I do not know who I am in Him. I have not seen Him or known Him.
1 John 3:6 (NIV)
“No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
If I am growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 3:18, then I am growing away from the old towards His nature in me which is my true identity. In Him, I am not the old, but a creature of righteousness! His very nature, essence and substance is what I am growing towards and into. His nature is truth. The old (who I was) is not truth.
Gal. 3:23, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”
I am no longer shut up or literally in the Greek, “Enclosed on all sides.” Faith to faith, Rom. 1:17, is being revealed in me over and over. In this faith, His faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, it is affecting me. It is changing me inside out. Like a caterpillar or tad pole, but more! The Last Adam is being created again in me and in he or she who believes that He is. In this believing, there is a power towards them that believe, Eph. 1:19, “And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe.”
This power bears His nature and manifests His power according to His word.
In Christ, my conscience, is intrinsically or inherently good.
The writer in Heb. 13:18 says, “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”
Good here means: that which is inherently excellent or intrinsically good, providing some special or superior benefit.
My true nature, identity, essence and even substance is in Christ. In my true nature and identity in Him, my conscience is intrinsically good. It is growing unto wholeness, purity, and sanctification by grace through revelation of and in Him. It is not aware of the judgment or penalty of the law or even any self-imposed law in my heart. It is good. In Him, it is incapable of being aware of anything else because of His fullness which is the nature I partake of and am growing into by grace and revelation according to the Word.
How can I be saved and not have a good conscience? Why am I not aware of my good conscience in Christ? What did Christ’s blood really do for me?
1 Cor. 8:7-8,
“However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.”
Paraphrase of 1 Cor. 8:7-8,
Not everyone in Christ has knowledge through revelation. We are all growing “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ1.” Prior to Christ, their conscience was conscious of the idol and its supposed power. They still believe and view eating this particular food would be considered as unto an idol. They are under a law in their heart still and their mind is growing in Christ. They believe in their heart if they eat the food offered to an idol they are condemned and their conscience is smeared. It is smeared with the judgment of the law written on the heart condemning them for not keeping their self-imposed law. Food does not represent us before God. If we eat the idol meat or not, we are no better or worse. Our righteousness is by His faith in us through grace. Some though are eating because other brothers are using their liberty to eat the meat and are not considering the brothers whose conscience is not as strong causing them to stumble. Those brothers whose consciences are weak are eating and putting themselves under self-imposed law. In doing so, they are smearing their consciences unto self-judgment. They are missing the mark according to the law of Christ. They are rebuilding what was already destroyed in Christ attempting to attain righteousness by mere human effort and self-will.