We were in service recently during our annual Supernatural Convention; suddenly the Spirit of God began to move His church as a unit we began to worship without words.
No man conducting the service, just the Spirit leading His church. It is a unique experience that I have only ever seen in GSWMI gatherings.
A true Christian experience is not defined by religious debate, outward ritual, or allegiance to an old covenant structure, but by life in the Spirit through the new covenant established by Jesus Christ. This writing argues that the church must move beyond infancy, human performance, and institutional theater into mature, Spirit-filled worship, service, holiness, and unity. The true body of Christ is a living temple where believers serve one another, welcome the presence of God, and submit to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Introduction
I work to challenge believers in Christ with my writings as I feel the Lord compels me. I do not imply that I am perfected or absolutely transformed in my journey, and I doubt anyone can claim that. However, the Spirit gives me glimpses of what He desires and His intent, often beyond what can be acquired by readings or debates. Some time back, I was inspired to write an essay on my faith journey. It was a strong compulsion, and I started a journal and wrote over a year to add to it. I had help from a believer on Medium to start the process of editing the journal into a document I had considered publishing. What I have learned in that process is how Satan and his hordes complicate our intent, and the document remains incomplete. Still, I need to provide what my vision on the spiritual aspect of a believer’s life could be. This writing is a synopsis from that initial writing, but not just my personal experiences.
The One True Covenant
Today, there are Christians who continue to debate the covenants of God: His initial covenant with the children of Israel and the new covenant with the church. Sadly, this conflict continues; some seek to recreate the Jewish legal experience and enforce the Laws of Moses as a requirement for being a Christian, even if they are Gentiles by birth. Such Judaizers cannot be talked out of their perspective, and it is in vain to do so if they are completely committed. Some on the Evangelical side feel that God’s covenant with Israel still stands and that there is no reason to convert them to Christianity, but the church should support the Jewish nation’s ambitions. There are so many variants on such religious inclinations that the Christian faith is thrown into a large debate field of differing camps.
In scripture, the Lord clearly told Israel through the prophets that He was creating a new covenant for Israel, as clearly the old covenant wasn’t producing the fruit that God desired. Verses like Jeremiah 31:31–34, Hebrews 8:8–10, 2 Corinthians 3:1, Ezekiel 36:24–28, John 13:31–38, and Luke 22:20 should leave no doubt that God has created a new covenant relationship through Christ, which supersedes any covenant made before. The perfect replaces the incomplete. So, the old covenant isn’t a separate, self-standing covenant still enforced just for Israel or Gentiles attempting to be Christians. This does not imply that God doesn’t recognize the descendants of Abraham any longer; indeed, He does! However, their religious practice is not the covenant that God now has with them, or anyone called into the Christian church. For further study on this, I recommend a study of Romans chapters 1–15 and Galatians chapters 1–5.
What Makes the New Covenant Special?
There are many verses explaining the many benefits of the new covenant over the old one, such as Hebrews 8:6–13; Hebrews 10:1–18; 2 Corinthians 3:6–18; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 3:6–9; Hebrews 9:8–15; 2 Corinthians 3:18; and 2 Corinthians 5:17. I will not review those passages, but only state that there is a significant quality difference between the old covenant and the new one. The primary difference is the Holy Spirit and being born into the family of God in the Spirit. We understand this was only possible by the sacrifice for the remission of sins made by Jesus. To write on these things is to continue to circle around the elementary teachings and will not lead to maturity.
One of the largest issues in Christianity is that numerous members are infants or without the Holy Spirit. Those stuck in this phase will never understand the big picture that Jesus intended for his church. Another large obstacle is the modern anti-supernatural perspective that limits people to only having a physical worldview. Those of the 1st century had a spiritual worldview that could more readily fit within the vision Jesus was sharing. Even then, the people were overwhelmed by the large variety of mystical and religious beliefs that conflicted with the message of Jesus. No matter the age, the social norms work to cloud the vision of the people, making them resistant to the more profound things of God. Our scientific rationalism makes the deeper matters difficult to believe or accept. We are often taught to block out the great potential that Jesus came to provide for us.
Opening the Doors of Heaven
The first covenant opened the doors for judgment. It gave a chosen people a blueprint on how to live within the laws of God as given through Moses. It did not provide a means to do so, and for that reason, the people repeatedly failed. You might say the Old Testament is summed up in that fashion, except for a promise to make things right. The New Testament was the introduction of the means for making things right through the Word of God made flesh—Jesus Christ. Many know the story, but few understand the goal. Many think we just get a pass on sins committed and all is good. Nothing is further from the truth.
While we are forgiven, we are commanded to live like Jesus and not to sin. If we are left in that state alone, we are no better than the children of the old covenant, told to meet a bar we would never climb. That was not the purpose of Jesus, and while He shared much with His disciples, He knew He could not teach them the more profound things, as they were not prepared to understand them in their mortal minds (John 16:12).
The same is true for today’s believers who are not prepared to receive it. As Jesus neared His departure, He shifted His teachings to emphasise the helper that would come. It was, in fact, better for the disciples for Him to depart; otherwise, the Spirit would not come.
That alone should tell us that only the helper to come would make the mystery of the gospel real and understandable.
Without the Spirit, no matter the level of learning, the individual is stunted in ignorance, always learning and coming to no closure to the truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is critical and something the modern churches have all but lost.
No one can be successful in their walk with Christ without the Spirit of Christ living within. This is not a metaphor for a seminary degree in theology, and it has nothing to do with experiences outside what occurs after the new birth.
The old is dead, and the new is all that matters. I could write multiple long books just to push those outside the Spirit forward and would fail. This also applies to the babies in Christ that only want the milk of the word and refuse to grow.
A spiritual view of today’s multi-million Christians would see vast buildings full of crying infants screaming and conflicting with one another. A few that actually became born again would be toddlers sucking their thumbs and pouting. It would not be a pleasant sight.
Moving On to Weightier Matters
To move on, I will simply target those ready to grow. This will not be meaningful for infants and the non-spiritual. What Jesus accomplished beyond wonders was to build a bridge between the spiritual Kingdom of Heaven and the Spirit-filled church. Each member is like a spiritual brick that together builds up the body of Christ, which is the living holy temple of God. There is no other place on the earth for the temple than in the hearts of those who believe and have faith in Him. Each brick, or person, has a portion of the Holy Spirit that can manifest in a unique and peculiar way, but when combined with other spiritually filled believers, they express the full measure of Jesus and have authority and power to minister to one another.
There are no front-seat dwellers and no high positions, only a functional body where all members are critical for the body, the church, to function from the head to the smallest toe. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, tries to convey this bodily function in great detail—provided one has the eyes to see and ears to hear. I am often amazed how many read and reread these passages and get nothing out of them. Many still think one gift is greater than another, and they seek the most expressive gifts that draw attention to themselves. This is sad, as Jesus taught that those who would be greater had to be the slaves of the others. The race is to serve, not to lead. Our human nature makes one colossal mess out of what is a basic request: to serve and love one another. These are the only traits that matter within the Kingdom.
When the church comes together as a body filled with the Spirit, Jesus comes to dwell with them. This is likened to Mt. Sinai or Mt. Horeb in the Sinai Peninsula in Exodus 19:1–34. A sacred mountain is where God dwells, and His angels accompany Him. The Shekinah Glory is revealed—the sacred throne of God. Where this occurs, mighty signs and wonders often happen.
The fact that some churches are flat and dull is due to this quality being absent. Such churches focus on a leader, a speaker, a person dressed in formal wear with a gift for gab. All is focused on performing individuals and not the throne of the very God we are told to call “our Father.”
In the desert, even an animal that dared touch the holy mountain was condemned to death; nothing unholy could approach the presence. We, under the new covenant, are supposed to approach the throne with confidence, as children of the Father and joint heirs with Christ. This is not a sign of low-functioning symbols and tired rituals; this is active worship in the very presence of the throne of grace! Modern churches that doubt the spiritual will not and cannot access this glory and are essentially dead. That’s a hard call, but it is true.
Until the churches begin to act like the called-out ones they are and quit practising theatre dynamics to attract deep-pocket audiences, these places are no better than whitewashed tombs filled with bones.
Now, coming into the presence of God requires us to prepare ourselves beforehand. We must not offend the heavenly host that joins us in the Spirit. Our conduct must be appropriate and show the signs of compliance with God’s authority and the symbols of our authority. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians chapter 1.
There is a proper order of conduct that must be observed if there is any expectation for God to join our assembly. It is a sacred forum, and God in the Spirit is moving among the true believers. There will be prophecies, teachings, and admonitions to correct us and reprieve us from errors. We must be open to this, and most importantly, we must expect the Lord to move among us. He will reveal many deep and hidden things to the body and may call out individuals to repent.
These are the expectations of a living church. Outside the sacred assembly, we are to continue to minister to one another, meeting the needs of the body of Christ. No one should be shut out or judged. If they need help with bills, medical care, or food, the church must respond in love and compassion. Those with gifts of healing come together and lay hands-on others and pray for healing within God’s will. Maturity also tells us that not all will be healed, but whatever the burden, the prayers of the righteous will assist that believer to endure and learn from the purpose of the illness. This is not an excuse not to pray and assume all is simply God’s will. Sometimes, God allows an issue just to bring the church together in faith to demonstrate His mighty power and build up the faith of the church.
Conclusion
This writing was to focus on the operational purpose of the churches and how they function within the true purpose of scripture. This is for the spiritually mature seeking to create an environment where God is welcomed, and our human pride is reduced. Only the Spirit of Christ can do this, as, like the lives of the individual believer, the Spirit works to transform us into His image day by day.
I leave this warning once again. If one doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Him, and all they do will be in vain. Those who desire to continue in sins will not open themselves to spiritual growth and will remain infants. Such will not experience the best in Jesus, and while they may yet be saved, their works will burn up under fire (1 Corinthians 3:12–15).
The one who dedicates their life to Jesus must be willing to put on His attributes and not be sidetracked by societal norms, worldviews, or attitudes of so-called science. I also point to the fact that all scientific theories are in transition. You wait a few years, and many will be replaced. There are no absolutes in science; the deeper they dig, the more profound things become, and still there is more. The only absolute is in Jesus and our Father God in heaven. The Spirit opens the door, and we all must walk in or accept our fate here on earth and never see the true nature of the Kingdom of God.