2 Corinthians 3:7-11
“But if the ministry of death, WRITTEN AND ENGRAVED ON STONES, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the MINISTRY OF CONDEMNATION had glory, the MINISTRY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS MUCH MORE IN GLORY. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”
We discussed in part 1 that there are 613 laws in all which includes the big Ten. The only part of all those laws that was "WRITTEN AND ENGRAVED ON STONES" was the ten commandments.
We also discussed in an earlier portion that, though laws are recorded in the book of Leviticus, what puzzled King Solomon was this law about the red heifer is NOT recorded there.
When the devil comes to attack us he uses the law. Unfortunately, he gets a lot of help from the pulpit however unwitting. He whispers that you've done this or you haven't done that OR that you didn't do enough of this or enough of that. It never ends. He uses the law to try and accuse us and put us under condemnation. He knows full well that when we feel condemned, guilt comes in, then fear, then stress and, ultimately, death
That's why, in the opening verse, Paul calls the law "the Ministry of death."
Water containing the ashes of the heifer under the Old Testament could only clean a person on the outside, meaning they were only physically healed. Under the New Covenant we have both inside AND outside cleansing, meaning Jesus heals us inside--morally/spiritually--and outside--physically, making us WHOLE AND HEALTHY.
These words, "spílos and rhytis" refer to both physical AND spiritual spots and wrinkles, meaning we are healed of diseases and infirmities both inside and outside that might come from hearing law-centric teaching or from worries and cares.
In the upper room, when Jesus washed the disciple's feet, Peter, who always felt he had to open his mouth, asked Jesus to wash not only his feet but his head and hands. Well, hands imply work. That's why in the Old Testament they washed their hands AND their feet. But under the new covenant THE WORK IS FINISHED! No need to wash our hands. We already HAVE CLEAN HANDS AND A PURE HEART. His blood took care of that.
The Lord replied to Peter in John 13:6-8 “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."
Peter replied to Jesus "....You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part WITH ME."
He did not say that Peter would have no part "IN ME," implying salvation, but "WITH ME," implying a walk.
Once you have been CLEANSED by the blood of Jesus, the ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL bath, you are COMPLETELY CLEAN. You don't ever again need to be bathed in the blood of Jesus. You cannot be born again and again and again. There is no such thing as being bathed and re-bathed and re-bathed in the blood. Once you have been cleansed by the once-for-all bath, YOU ARE COMPLETELY CLEAN.
YOU ONLY NEED TO WASH YOUR FEET.
You see, as you walk through life, things begin to attach to you like dust: Worrisome thoughts, doubts, fears; you see things you shouldn't see, you hear things you shouldn't hear. All these things can begin to cling to you, make feel dirty. You become defiled in a sense, though you are still completely clean before God. Since you have already been bathed in the blood of Jesus, you only need to wash the "dust" off your feet with the water of the word.
You are always IN Jesus. But in order to walk in sync WITH Jesus, you need to wash the dust of the world off your feet. Otherwise you'll be either ahead or behind. That's why Jesus said, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is COMPLETELY CLEAN;”
How do you wash your feet? As you read the words of this study or listen to anointed preaching (anointed being the OPERATIVE word) or read a grace-based book, Jesus is working through me or the preacher or your book to cleanse you and sanctify you by the WASHING of WATER by the word.
Don't have some religious idea of sanctification. The word simply means "to make holy; to set apart." To be set apart means we are separated "FROM "something "UNTO" something else. For example: You are separated "FROM" sickness "UNTO" health; "FROM" confusion "UNTO" peace; "FROM" poverty, the curse in the world, "UNTO" abundance!" AMEN!
This is why God's people are peculiar. When the world is stressed, we are at peace. When they're going through a crisis, we are not going through any crisis. When they're lacking we have abundance.
Please proceed to part 9.
http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-in-your-water-part-9-of-9.html?m=1
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