The Oath

Masterpiece 8

The Oath

THE FLESH THAT BLINDS AND THE LIGHT THAT TRANSFORMS

Those who are motivated by the flesh only pursue what benefits themselves. But those who live by the impulses of the Holy Spirit are motivated to pursue spiritual realities. For the sense and reason of the flesh is death, but the mind-set controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace. In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction, because it cannot! For no matter how hard they try, God finds no pleasure with those who are controlled by the flesh. But when the Spirit of Christ empowers your life, you are not dominated by the flesh but by the Spirit. And if you are not joined to the Spirit of the Anointed One, you are not of him.

—Romans 8:5-9 (TPT)

SPIRIT OF CHRIST

The moment of surrender is when we can no longer bear life without divine help. (A flesh based decision)

But the moment that surrender becomes faith, we release the weight of life’s situations and have hope and a future.

Hope is born when our surrender becomes unbridled faith…(Hebrews 11:1)

When Faith feeds Hope, it becomes Wonder, and we realize our restoration through forgiveness that not even death can thwart His eternal plan for us. Passion arises in us, and because of the life we have in Him, we walk in the glorious light.

Yes, that works, but that’s not the order of scripture.

Jesus was light first. The Spirit gave man life, and rescued humanity from the darkness and depths of nothing. Because of that light and life, eternity was secured and forgiveness provided. Passionately, Jesus sought relationship with us, creating this wonder of grace in which we find our hope and place our faith.

It did not start with us, our needs, or our situation. It started with the Word and the Spirit of God. Whether you believe in Him or not, There is LIGHT AND LIFE.

THE GOSPEL THAT TRANSFORMS

The Gospel transforms everything, whether you believe in Jesus or not.

HE TRANSFORMS OUR IDENTITY – HIM THROUGH US

He came to the people he created — to those who should have received him, but they did not recognize him. But those who embraced him and took hold of his name he gave authority to become the children of God! He was not born by the joining of human parents or from natural means, or by a man’s desire, but he was born of God. And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among us! We gazed upon his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth!

—John 1:11-14 (TPT)

The Living Expression—MANIFEST transforms us from simply having an identity FROM Him to finding our identity IN Him.

And it is that identity IN Him that TRANSFORMS us from blind, downtrodden, and defeated to Supernatural Victorious Kings and Queens.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

HE TRANSFORMS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – HIM IN US

Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.

—Romans 12:1-3 (TPT)

His desire to have a relationship with us motivates a response that expresses our relationship with Him. – That Expression is called WORSHIP.

The Manifestation of GOD in us (RELATIONSHIP) plus the Revelation of HIM through us (IDENTITY) is the fullness of our response to HIM. (WORSHIP)

Manifest identity in and through Him creates a transformed character in us. His desire for a relationship was revealed to us, which prompts us to express that relationship through worship.

Our transformation and our worship press us to pursue spiritual realities.
(Spirit and truth)

WE TRANSFORM OUR RESPONSE

He transforms us, and because of that transformation, we transform our response to him.

Our Response does not always reflect His Character.

The elements of His character transform the elements of our character to reflect His.

Our spiritual reality is that through Jesus, our darkness has been transformed into light, and worship has shifted from the admiration of the creation to worship of the creator. Producing a transformed and worshipful response to WHO He is.

Even taking our attention from what we are in Him to Who He is in Us!

In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him! Your spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!

—Colossians 2:6-7 (TPT)

OUR TRANSFORMATION AND OUR WORSHIP

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own as you continually surrender to my ways. For if you choose self-sacrifice and lose your lives for my glory, you will continually discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will forfeit what you try to keep.

—Matthew 16:24-25 (TPT)

THE RACE SET BEFORE US

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

—Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

Based on God’s Graciousness (Divine Decorum), we adopt CHRIST’S DEMEANOR.

And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation.

—Philippians 2:5 (TPT)

Jesus gives us a gift that explodes our creative imagination. That gift is called a FAITH IMAGINATION.

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

—Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

His faithfulness is expressed in us by our AWARENESS OF OUR DEPENDABILITY ON THE WORD.

As a result of our ministry, you are living letters written by Christ, not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God—not carved onto stone tablets but on the tablets of tender hearts. We carry this confidence in our hearts because of our union with Christ before God.

—2 Corinthians 3:3-4 (TPT)

Jesus establishes us as RIGHTEOUS by offering the ultimate SACRIFICE. He turns our self-centeredness into worshipers who are READY TO SACRIFICE.

Matthew 4:19-20 (TPT)
Jesus called out to them and said, “Come and follow me, and I will transform you into men who catch people for God.” Immediately they dropped their nets and left everything behind to follow Jesus.

God’s Word never fails. He IS integrity. Our Faith in that unfailing Word is demonstrated through our KEEPING OF THAT WORD and the KEEPING OF OUR WORD.

Psalms 15:4b (TPT)
They make firm commitments and follow through, even at great cost.

He is very ATTENTIVE to our every need. And so we worship Him and are transformed from self-focus and become ATTENTIVE TO OTHERS.

“And the King will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.

—Matthew 25:40 (TPT)

Jesus gave thanks just before He broke bread on the night He died. He was GRATEFUL to restore us to the Father, and we are released to life, being able to enter that relationship and enter His courts with THANKSGIVING.

All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

—2 Corinthians 4:15 (NLT)

The FRUIT of FAITHFULNESS is transformed into the worship expression of being those disciples, following truth, just as Jesus needs us to do so that light can be shared in a dark world. We worship Him by being faithful, COMMITTED DISCIPLINED DISCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS OF WHO HE IS.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

—John 8:12 (NLT)

He outlines the Eight Steps to Transformation and Worship.
These steps are our response. They will lead us to seal in the light and create a spirit of sacrifice – the sacrifice of our flesh and a complete transformation from dark to light.

NEXT WEEK: THE FOLLOWER

THE OATH OF AN IMAGE BEARER

Jesus, I am aware that what you ask of me will be difficult, and I will need to suffer to see your truth become a reality in my life.
But I commit that I am willing to suffer for as long as it takes to do what you ask of me.
You did it with such decorum and grace, and I will behave like you – even when it’s tough.
My destination is your truth, my focus on who you are in me.
I accept the faith-ability of being able to call that which is not as though it were, knowing you can provide more than I could ever imagine.
I will depend on your dependable and faithful Word. I will stay true to my promises, and I will not relinquish the responsibilities of my covenants. My yes will be my yes, and my no will be my no.
I will keep my word to demonstrate how you keep yours.
I will be an example to others and my family in helping those in need. I will be attentive to their actual needs, not just the need I can easily fulfill.
Bitterness and complaining will not be a sentiment I subscribe to. Instead, I promise to walk out the disciplines of thanksgiving, humility, and gratitude.
I do not subscribe to the darkness because I am a bearer of your light. Even when I feel insecure or doubt that light, I will always turn to you as you show me the fullness of the Father and the wonder of the Holy Spirit.