By: General James Green – 12/13/23
Churches are full of them! Yep, FULL of professing believers but LACK the Spirit. Paul, in writing to the believers at Rome gave a whole chapter to the “Spirit” vs the “Flesh.” He points out the difference between the “carnally minded” Romans 8:6-8 & those who have the “Spirit” -v.9. He writes: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. NOW if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness,” Romans 8:9,10., NKJV. [note: take notice of how many times Paul uses the “if” word –v.9-twice, v.10-once, v.11-once, v.13-twice, v.17-twice, v.25-once, v.31-once. See my teaching on the “if”/ “then” clause].
What did Paul mean “… Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His,” v.9? Can a Church-goer not have the Spirit? Yep! Sure can. This is the reason for this article.
What Paul is saying is that those of the “natural” order, i.e. “flesh” do not have the “Spirit,” “supernatural” order. The possession of God’s Spirit constitutes “life” in Christ. The Spirit of God is the self-authenticating presence & power of God. Furthermore, it is the seal of the Resurrection & the sure sign that the New Age was already beginning. Jesus’ Resurrection from the DEAD started the building of what is called the New Age movement. So much for the World’s imitation. The Spirit (described in Rom. 5:5 as “God’s love… poured into the believers’ heart”) is therefore the empirical ground of faith & hope. Without God’s Spirit, one cannot actually have an anticipatory enjoyment of the life of the New Age! The Old Age, i.e. “natural order” will pass away, as will all who do not have His Spirit. [note: the Scriptures use such words as “the Holy Spirit,” “the Spirit of God,” simply as “the Spirit,” as the “the Spirit of Christ,” all meaning the same.] To know Christ (personally via repentance unto salvation), to be in Christ, to be in the Spirit, to have the Spirit, to belong to the body of Christ – these are all ways of alluding to the meaning of the same experience; & the apostle uses them almost if not quite interchangeably.
Moffatt believes that, “If Christ is within you, though the body is a dead thing owing to Adam’s sin…” (see Moffatt’s Trans.).
In short, we either have His Spirit (by repenting of our sins & asking forgiveness) or we don’t. Churches are full of dead men/women, religious mausoleums if you will. Carnal life but no Spirit life. I’ve talked to those who called themselves “Christian” but never repented of their sins. These are “religious dead.” Likewise, I’ve talked to “ministers” that were still DEAD in trespasses & sins (as in Eph. 2:1 -) If we do not have His Spirit, we are NOT His! Period!
I like the way Wuest’s N.T. Expanded Trans. Reads; “But, as for you, you are not in the sphere of the sinful nature but in the sphere of the Spirit, provided that the Spirit of God is in residence in you. But, assuming that a person does not have Christ’s Spirit, this one does not belong to Him…” -Rom. 8:9
Sadly, the Church (Ekklesia) over the centuries has slowly-but-surely allowed all manner of secular/demonic powers to come, all forms of heresy and corruption, which appeared and reappear from time-to-time under new names and aspects, overruling the providence of God, promoting lies and unrighteousness. One main false teaching is that one can be a “Christian” no matter how in the HELL they live. This is the twin of once saved always saved false doctrine.
We are living in an heroic age of the Church where just about every sin is allowed – sinfulness unfolds before us like never before. WOKEISM is the new “darling” that is sweeping the already Stinking Rotting Corpse, aka. contemporary Church. Superstition/Paganism/Demonism… giving birth to “religious” bastards, mere religious freaks that have not the Spirit of God… nor do they desire it. Despite this, there are those theological warriors/Spirit-filled warriors that continue to CONTEND for the faith that once was given to the early Ekklesia – contending with intensity & determination for the FAITH once for all entrusted into the safe-keeping of the saints. Jude tells us that certain men entered surreptitiously, perverting the grace of God into moral anarchy & lack of self-restraint, & denying the only absolute Master, even our Lord Jesus Christ. -Jude 3,4
Today’s Church (with few exceptions) reminds me of Ezekiel’s version of “dry bones:” “And He (God) said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ So I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Again He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, & say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the Word of the LORD! Thus says the LORD GOD to these bones: ‘Surely I will cause breath (i.e. “Spirit”) to enter into them, & you shall live.’” -Ezek. 37:3-5
Can today’s “Dry Bones” live? I believe so… if it allows God to breathe life (“Spirit”) into it. I believe a revolution is coming in which this VACANT/DREARY/SPIRITLESS thing, a religious mummy in praying posture, covered with worldly trophies, but WITHERED & UNCLEAN. We could stay in the mental attitude, “Let the DEAD bury the DEAD,” for we prefer to live among the LIVING. But let us not give in to total despair. True, at times, even the LORD GOD grew weary with His backsliding people–even threatened to do away with them but relented/repented (see my article). So, naturally we’re going to feel this way at times – to HELL with the Church!!!
The Church of today, in truth, is DEAD, ROTTING, STINKING. She can either be put underground or upon a scaffolding, the STENCH is unbearable.
How can anyone with the Spirit of God give prominence to a corpse?
The bold & scorching criticism of the modern WOKE Church is ongoing. Thank God! It must not stop! We must continue to strive to please the Holy Spirit… Conducting “seek-strike-destroy” operations against the enemies of the True Ekklesia. Keep it clean & heathy. Divine distinctive character must be the object of rescue. We need Rescue Rangers. Piety, not perversion needs to be preeminent. We do not need sexual perverts – LGBTQ+ behind pulpits; we need Spirit-Filled, On-Fire, Sword-Swinging Christians Soldiers for Christ… Spirit trained, Spirit anointed, Spirit appointed. Let’s go to WAR!