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Acts 12:11 says,

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

The word expectation in the Greek is prosdokia. The Greek root prosdokaō means “to watch toward, to look for, expect” (pros, “toward,” dokeo, “to think:” dokao “does not exist”), is translated “expecting.”¹

Hebrews 11:1 says,

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Simply put, the carnal expectation comes by sight and what is seen with the eyes. This expectation is external, whimsical, and fragile. If an event changes such as Peter being released from prison then the expectation is not lasting.

People put expectation or carnal hope into a slot machine, stock market, exercise (which is good for you, but is not true hope), relationships, food, intellectualism, philosophy, success, and the list goes on.

What did Paul say in Phil. 3:7-8 ?

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ”

Spiritual expectation is rooted and originates by grace through revelation of God’s Son. The revealed truth comes by grace which enables hearing, then hearing the quickened word. This quickened word creates faith. Hope hinges on faith. God’s hope is not of this world. It is inherently disseminating to the one possessing hope or rather being possessed by hope. This hope is supernatural. In this spiritual hope, there is always expectation of a good report, healing, resurrection, deliverance, wholeness, peace, mercy, and so on.

Christ is the hope of glory in us! Col. 1:27

He is the hope of our calling, Eph. 1:18

Heb. 10:4-10

Verse 4, “For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Verse 5, “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me:”

Only Christ could have been the sacrifice because we are not goats or bulls. We are not animals.

In order for our internal conscience to be purged from the consciousness of the guilt and penalty of the law or self-imposed law He had to become like us, a human or man, Heb. 2:14. In doing so, He annihilated the power of death. And by His death on the cross, he took the judgment of sin in Himself because God so loved the world and Jesus came to do the will of Him who sent Him. He resurrected by the glory of the Father. Christ was and is never able to die. It is not His nature with is righteousness and truth. In His incorruptibility, He is our High Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek who was not of the Aaronic priesthood which was according to Mosaic law. Christ, by His death, nullified the earthly priesthood and eternally ordained in Himself an everlasting priesthood which no longer requires man to present his sacrifices, works, or any performance on his part originating in his self-strength.

Christ gave himself freely to purchase, redeem, and reconcile man back to God in Himself. I no longer “owe” God because of Christ’s sacrifice and death, 1 Cor. 3:5 (NLT). Christ said, “It is better to give than receive.” This giving expects nothing in return, but has an affect on the receipt. We receive His love and forgiveness by grace. In return, this “receiving” of His love and forgiveness changes our spirit, soul and even body. This love is so powerful, or rather ALL-POWERFUL, that it cannot be contained. It must be given away again exactly the way He gave it to us. I say exactly because that is the only way to give His love. There is no other way. In this act of giving, which is enabled by the grace of obedience through revelation, it truly is HIS will manifesting in us towards others. His will grows by revelation of His only Son Jesus. Revelation comes to us by grace not tap dancing or whipping ourselves. Jesus said we must be born again and become like little children. Little children hear differently than adults who have been contaminated by this world and with its deception and lust. They do not have filters of religion, culture, or ego, but have ears to hear. So, in the immersion into the Holy Spirit, revelation comes by hearing and hearing the unveiled Christ in our hearts and minds by grace. I cannot become the child Christ speaks of unless I am born again by His grace and revelation. He is the way. He is the way to the holy of holies unto the Father.

1 Corinthians 13:10 Aramaic, “And when perfection comes then that little becomes nullified.”

When Christ reveals Himself, truth, righteousness, hope and love, the little that is left of the unregenerate me is nullified in that particular revelation. This process continually happens. I am filled and full in the Spirit by this. This typifies Gal. 2:20. In this process of nullification of the little and finite, Rom. 1:5 occurs. Obedience grows in me by grace and revelation of Him according to the word.

The little is not life. The little is finite. The little lacks. The little is fragmented.

He is Life. He is the resurrection from death to die no more in me. He is more than infinite. In His presence, ALL fullness dwells with no lack. All things will align to Him in truth. He is the author of salvation. His salvation makes me whole: SPIRIT, SOUL, BODY.

Nullify:

1. to render or declare legally void or inoperative: to nullify a contract.
2. to deprive (something) of value or effectiveness; make futile or of no consequence.

Someone or something dead is NULLIFIED. He who is dead is FREED or liberated from sin and its power, Rom. 6:7. In Christ I AM DEAD to the world and legal power of the Mosaic or self-imposed law in my heart, Col. 3:3.

This is why I do not crucify my flesh. Truly, it is impossible to do so unless I fall from grace into legalism. Christ accomplished and shelemed the crucification of the flesh for us at His cross. My cross is me dead on it. I partake in His death by baptism into Him, Rom. 6:4. I died with Him at the cross. I resurrected with Him when He resurrected. Now, in Him, I am growing from His glory to His glory forever.

I am nullified in Christ and He lives now through me by His faith.

One definition I found for obligatory was this:

1. creating or recording an obligation, as a document.

It reminds me of 2 Cor. 3:6, “The letter killeth” and Rom. 7:11 which paraphrased, “Sin used the law (even a self-imposed law in my heart) as a basis of attack against me to eventually kill me.” Glory!

Romans 8:14 speaks of being led by the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3:17.

According to the New Covenant given by the Testator, Jesus Christ, we walk in liberty in the Spirit of God and not obligation. I am not obligated to serve Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:5-10 clearly indicates I am not obligated to serve God. I will not serve God and His Son Jesus because I have to. Otherwise, Christ’s death was for nothing.

Christ wills in me, by revelation of Himself in me, to do and be, Col. 1:29. My righteousness is by His faith in me, not by obedience to a “do and do not do” list. The “do and do not do” list can only bring knowledge of sin and that is one of its purposes.

The law brings knowledge of sin. The revelation of Christ imparts His faith and righteousness by grace.

If walking in the Spirit is obligatory. It is not walking in the Spirit. It is religion. We are in His rest from dead works, Heb. 4:3. So, one might say, “Well, sometimes we are obligated.” No, we are not sometimes obligated. If we are reacting on any obligation we are rebuilding that which was destroyed, Gal. 2:18.

In contrast and no comparison, there is an obedience that exists because of the body of Christ Himself, Rom. 1:5, Heb. 10:10, John 17:17,19. This obedience is imparted, diffused through osmosis by grace in the revelation of Christ. As I grow in the revelation of Him, there is a righteousness revealed from faith to faith, glory to glory, Last Adamic pattern to another Last Adamic pattern according to Christ and His eternal nature. In the unveiling of His nature and Him, His will diffuses into my will and my will diffuses into His. This all occurs by grace again and again and again with no end because it is His nature. Glory!!!

Ephesian 5:31, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.”

The Greek word for ‘agree’ or ‘acknowledge’ is symphoneo. It is akin to symphony. The definition is: lit., “to sound together” (sun, “together,” phone, “a sound”), i.e., “to be in accord, primarily of musical instruments,” is used in the NT of the “agreement.”

The Greek word for ‘confess’ is homologeo and it means lit., “to speak the same thing” (homos, “same,” lego, “to speak”), “to assent, accord, agree with.”

When both man and wife are in homologeo and symphoneo they are creating their unique anointing together even in the bond of peace. Their ONE FLESH is under grace and the authority of Christ in both the man and wife. In Christ, and the revelation of Him, both the man and wife possess and grow in the same understanding (by faith), mind, and grace together in unity. Their flesh acts together or coalesces, Col. 2:19, as ONE FLESH because of the regenerative, sanctifying, empowering, liberating work of the Holy Spirit in the spirit and soul of each spouse. Their ONE FLESH is under Christ power and authority.

A previous blog, Harmony, contains more information on homologeo and symphoneo.

Earlier this month, I meant to write about this, but didn’t get around to it.

On the 5^th of this month, my younger son, five years old, accidentally broke his older brother’s paper airplane. Ben, my younger son, approached Aaron, my older son, and said, “Aaron, I broke your plane. It was an accident.” Here was Aaron’s awesome response. He paused, thought about it, and said, “It’s okay Ben.”

I stopped Aaron right there and said, “Aaron, do you know what you just did?” I think he said, “No. What?” I said, “You just showed Ben mercy, son, and that is powerful. God shows us mercy through His Son Jesus. You just showed your brother mercy because you love him.” His posture seemed to align even more straight after I said that and he had a little strut in his walk. I very was proud of him.

I have had the privilege to seen my sons give, protect, share, forgive, love, be patient, and now show mercy when they did not have to. If I learned these things at their age I can’t imagine where I’d be right now. I do not regret where I am. I am here now for them and have the opportunity to pour into them what is in me and what more can I ask for. To see God’s plan and fruit in my children manifest.

I read the 14^th chapter of John today and read John 14:27. At one point Jesus says,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.“

I have read this so many times and today it jumped off the pages into me.

The phrase popped in my mind, “We do not owe Him.” What does this mean?

Romans 3:24 says our justification is given freely. We are justified. Moreover, in Christ, we ARE HIS Righteousness. His actual nature.

In Ephesians 4:7 it says, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

If someone gives me a gift I am not obligated to repay the gift. Otherwise, it is not a gift, but an obligation, Rom. 4:4.

In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” This could easily sound like an debt of obligation, but it isn’t.

Isaiah 28:10 says, “For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:” 1 Tim. 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

So, if I rightly divide the word and read in 1 John 4:19 which says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” And in 1 John 4:8 (NIV), “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Then I have a better understanding of John 14:15. I love God if I know He loves me which implies I know Him as well.

So, if I give anything to Him it is because of His love and power He has unveiled in me and because He has revealed Himself to me. In this revealing, His grace enables me to give freely. Grace enables to give and not owe. This grace is the power to those who believe, Eph. 1:19.

This grace comes by revelation. Revelation comes by grace. Revelation comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, Rom. 10:17.

John 14:26 says, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

We do not walk in the Spirit by our understanding, but we have understanding by His faith, Heb. 11:3.

We do not and cannot walk in the Spirit by obligation. This is not truth. We do not walk by sight. We walk by faith, Rom. 1:17.

Jesus is the gift given to us freely by the Father because He is love, John 3:16. His will is that all men be made triunely whole, be found in Christ, and come to the knowledge of His Son, 1 Tim. 2:4.

John 8:11 (YLT) “¹¹and she said, `No one, Sir;’ and Jesus said to her, `Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on, and no more sin.’”

This quote is from the story of the woman caught in the actual act of adultery which according to the Mosaic Law is punishable by death, Lev. 20:10. The Scribes and the Pharisees were ready to stone her until she died. Also, where was the adulterer? The man? Both should have been stoned according to the law.

So, the Scribes and Pharisees were attempting to find grounds to find accusation against Jesus, John 8:6.

I try to put myself in her shoes thinking, “I deserve punishment for my trespass, but I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be stoned to death. It is not my time. I made a mistake. I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.”

She was very well aware of the consequences of adultery. Death. The Scribes and Pharisees were there ready to mercilessly pommel her with stones every last breath from her body.

So, can you imagine what happened when she met this Jesus?

The Scribes and Pharisees bring her to Him to kill her in judgment expecting the same from the Lord.

John 8:10 Jesus says, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

Again John 8:11, “and she said, `No one, Sir;’ and Jesus said to her, `Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on, and no more sin.’”

Jesus says, “Go and sin more.” How could He say this?

This woman should have received capital punishment, but received unconditional love which ‘keeps no record of wrongs.’ Unconditional love is not able to do so. If the Son is the Son of God then He is the Son of God’s love and IS LOVE. He is the Word of LOVE. This love manifested towards this woman in kindness, goodness and mercy like she had never seen before.

Jesus revealed Himself to her by saying, “Neither do I condemn you.”

This Messiah, whom she probably expected judgment says to us, “No I love you. I love you so much that I have become like you (in the flesh), will empty myself, become obedient, even to death and even to death on a cross. On the third day of my death, I will resurrect for you and freely give you a new life ONLY because I love you. I will become your access to the Father who is love because I love you. You were created in my image.”

After receiving this supernatural, unearthly mercy, how could she desire to go back and sin?

If Christ is truly revealed to someone then His will and nature is revealed. His goodness is revealed.

In this revelation of Him in us, the affect of ‘not wanting to sin’ manifests because the desire to sin is disempowered. This is the affect of grace, truth and love, Rom 2:4.

The desire to sin is engulfed, consumed, and drowned by knowledge of the truth which liberates from fear unto the yoke of bondage.

If I a know that such a person exists who loves me like this and does not change His will, mind or nature it has an affect on me, my life and those in my life.

I do not take or have taken Abilify¹. Medication and drugs only address the symptoms of the body and soul, but not the dead spirit. Truth addresses the root or source. Truth sets me free not psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, therapeutic/remedy books, ancient herbs, mystical crystals, physical fitness, standing on one foot, the moon, stars, or planets and so on.

We are triune beings: spirit, soul and body. For some reason, only the soul and body are focused on in secular society. I believe if our spirit is dead then why would we be aware of it? Prior to knowing Christ, through Him revealing Himself, and not a Sunday school lesson or mythical story, but life-changing revelation, we were dead in our trespasses, Eph. 2:1-6.

I have done many of the aforementioned ‘remedies’ or recommendations above. They seem to work for a little while, but really don’t in the long run. Otherwise, I would have stopped looking if one of them was the ‘fix all’ solution.

Jesus is the way.

I used to think if Jesus was ‘the way’ then I would have to be religious and churchy. I do not perceive the Holy Spirit compelling me to do some of the things I see in church sometimes which makes me ask why is it happening then?

Paul speaks of a righteous revealed from faith to faith in Rom. 1:17. This is what I want. In this “righteousness” revealed, which is His nature, but more, I see me. I see Christ in me and me in Him. It is not churchy or weird, but normalcy. Normalcy with all adventure. I can’t see an infinite God being boring or calling us into boredom. That is a lie from the pit of Hell.

Jesus came to give His live and for us to partake of His life to the fullest to overflowing.

John 8:37 (Aramaic NT) “I know you are seed of Abraham: but you seek to slaughter me because my word you are not able to guard:”

NLT says, “my message does not find a place in your hearts.”

ASV says, “my word hath not free course in you.”

DBY says, “my word has no entrance in you.”

KJV says, “my word hath no place in you.”

His peace keeps me.

He is peace.

He is the revelation of peace in me. Grace and rest from any and every dead work ever conceived.

He keeps me not me.

I have no ability in myself to keep any of the law. That is not its purpose.

In John 8:19, Jesus said, “Ye neither know me, nor my Father…” In the revelation of Christ, He and the Father make their dwelling place with us, John 14:23. If a place is someone’s home then they do not leave because it is their home and they live there. Our body is His home and temple.

He guards His word.

By faith and grace, His word finds a place in our hearts.

By faith and grace, His word has free course in us.

By faith, grace and love the door to our hearts is opened by Him.