“God’s weight [is to] stop up [a] word; king’s weight [is to] penetrate [that] word.” (Proverbs 25:2)
Would you like to think in the same manner as God thinks?
Why is it necessary to think like God?
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
“And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
Jesus said…
John 15:17-20 (KJV)
“17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”
God’s Word says also…
Galatians 5:13-17 (KJV)
“13 For, brothers, you have been called unto freedom; only use not freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would.”
What does that mean?
It means that you cannot obey God unless you are transformed. You cannot “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” if you are acting according to your flesh.
The world thinks according to how they feel in their flesh.
James 3:11-18 (KJV)
“11 Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
Jesus said…
Matthew 5:9 (KJV)
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
The world thinks according to their how they feel. They think based on their senses, but their thinking is earthly and from the Devil because “…the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other…” (Galatians 5:17)
Proverbs 16:25 (KJV)
“There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
John 8:51
“Firmly, firmly, I say unto you, If a man guard my saying, he shall never see death.”
The word ‘guard’ means ‘defend against.’
If a bank’s security guard lets a thief walk right past him, knowing that it’s a thief, and lets the thief steal from the bank without stopping him, who will be blamed?
The thief will be blamed for stealing. The security guard will be blamed for not trying to stop the thief because the security guard knew that he was supposed to stop the thief and did not even try to stop the thief.
James 4:17 (KJV)
“Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.”
Isaiah 55:7-11 (KJV)
“7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not to there, but waters the earth and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
God’s thoughts are higher than the world’s thoughts. God’s ways are higher than the world’s ways.
So how can we think like God?
Jesus said that without Him we cannot bear fruit and that we need to abide (‘abide’ means ‘live in’ and ‘make your home in’) in Him if we want to bear fruit. Jesus said that if we guard His commandments, we will abide in His love (John 15:10).
The Bible says that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6) and that faith is a ‘fruit of the Spirit.’
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, cheerfulness, peace, longaminity (long endurance while suffering), usefulness (doing things that are useful), goodness, persuasion (usually translated as “faith,” but really means ‘able to be persuaded that what God says is true’), gentleness, and self-control. Truly, there is no law against these.”
The word ‘faith’ in the King James Version of the Bible is often translated from a Greek word that means ‘persuasion’ (number 4102 in Strong’s Dictionary of the Greek Testament).
That Greek word ‘persuasion’ comes from a primary word that means ‘to convince’ (number 3982 in Strong’s Greek dictionary).
Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)
“8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”
So God gave us enough persuasion to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord so that we could believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead so that Jesus can save us (Romans 10:9-10).
Why do we need to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth before Jesus can save us?
Because love does not force itself upon another (Romans 13:10).
God loves you and wants to save you, but God waits for you to give Him your permission to be saved because the only way for God to save you is if you enter into a blood covenant with Jesus Christ.
I say it’s the ‘only way’ because it is the only legal way. God’s law is based on love and God will not act against His law.
But if we want to please God, our minds need to changed to think as Jesus Christ thinks so that we can be transformed and be able to obey God in all things.
Romans 7:5-6, 22-23 (KJV)
“5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
…
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
Romans 8:1-9 (KJV)
“1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”
How can we be ‘Spiritually minded’?
If we want to be spiritually minded, we have to think the same as God thinks.
If we want to think the same as God thinks, we have to understand how God thinks.
Can we understand how God thinks?
Jesus said…
John 8:38 (KJV)
“I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father.”
Luke 6:45
“A good man brings forth that which is good out of the good treasure of his heart; and an evil man brings forth that which is evil out of the evil treasure of his heart: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Matthew 19:16-17
“16 See, one coming near said to him, Good Teacher, what good holds perpetual life?
17 And he said to him, Why call me good? No one is good, except one; He is God. But if you are determined to enter into the life, guard the commands.”
Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
“So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
God is good. God has a heart. The words that come out of God’s mouth are coming from God’s heart and God’s word accomplishes whichever tasks God sends it to.
John 1:1-4 (KJV)
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
Ephesians 3:8-12 (KJV)
“8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
Jesus Christ knows what is in God’s heart.
Jesus prayed this:
John 17:14-26 (KJV)
“14 I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth.
18 As you have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that you have sent me, and has loved them, as you have loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world has not known you: but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
How can we understand how God thinks?
By understanding the patterns in God’s heart.
Jesus revealed the beginning of those pattern.
Mark 12:28-34 (KJV)
“28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, you have said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared ask him any question.”
The word ‘soul’ in Mark chapter 12 verses 30 and 33 is translated from the word ‘breath’ (which is commonly translated as ‘spirit’).
In the King James Version of the Bible, the words ‘breath’ and ‘breathing’ have been translated as ‘breath,’ ‘spirit,’ ‘soul,’ and ‘life.’ What we think of as the ‘soul’ is what the Bible says is the ‘heart.’ I’ll write more about that in another Bible study.
Jesus revealed that the greatest commandment is ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your breath, and with all your mind, and with all your strength’ and that the second commandment is ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself.’
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (KJV)
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
Leviticus 19:17-18 (KJV)
“17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart: you shall in any case rebuke your neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
18 You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.”
The word ‘rebuke’ means ‘re-strike’ or ‘re-beat.’ In Leviticus 19:17, the Hebrew says that you are to correct your neighbour. It’s possible to correct your neighbour lovingly.
Did you notice that Jesus added to the command in Deuteronomy 6:5?
Deuteronomy is the 5th Book of Moses.
Jesus added “with all your mind” to the command.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
“And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The greatest commandment and the second commandment reveal structural patterns in how God thinks. Those patterns are shown throughout the Bible many times. If we can understand those patterns, we can understand things that are based on those patterns.
Let’s study the patterns that are in the greatest command and the second command.
First, we are commanded to love.
The Greek language has four words for love. One word for love between a parent and a child, one word for love between siblings (and friends), one word for romantic love, and the word ‘agape.’
Love between parents and children; love between brothers, sisters, and friends; and romantic love between people are all types of love that are based on ‘relationship connections.’
‘Agape’ love is pure love. ‘Agape’ is not based on a relationship, it’s a fruit of the spirit. It allows you to love your enemy even while your enemy is hurting you.
Jesus said…
Matthew 5:38-48 (KJV)
“38 You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on you right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.
42 Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not you away.
43 You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you;
45 That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if you salute your brothers only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
(In Matthew 5:47, the word ‘salute’ is translated from a word that simply means ‘greet.’ I felt the need to clarify that because a ‘salute’ is a military greeting nowdays.)
‘Agape’ love is a fruit of the Spirit. In the greatest command, God is saying that His people should bear the fruit of the Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the word ‘charity’ is translated from ‘agape’ and the word ‘faith’ is translated from ‘persuasion’ (a fruit of the Spirit). In verse 7, the word ‘hopes’ is translated from ‘expects.’ In verse 13, the word ‘hope’ is translated from ‘expectation.’
1 Corinthians chapter 13 (KJV)
“1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (agape), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith (persuasion), so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity (agape), I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (agape), it profits me nothing.
4 Charity (agape) suffers long, and is kind; charity (agape) envies not; charity (agape) vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;
6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 Bears all things, believes all things, hopes (expects) all things, endures all things.
8 Charity (agape) never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abides faith (persuasion), hope (expectation), charity (agape), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (agape).”
Why are ‘persuasion’ and ‘expectation’ important?
Galatians 3:10-11 (KJV)
“10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith (persuasion).”
Hebrews 11:1
“And persuasion is the setting-under (structural support) of expecting, the unseen proof of work.”
The greatest command also reveals that it is possible to love with all your heart, breath, works and mind. And the second command says to love your neighbour as you love yourself.
Why does God say that?
What is the difference between loving God ‘with all your heart, breath, works, and mind’ and loving your neighbour ‘as yourself’?
That is revealed in the law of love.
Loving your neighbour ‘as yourself’ means that God expects you to love your neighbour equally to how you love yourself. That reveals that God wants you to behave equitably.
But it also reveals a difference in measurements.
God did not say, ‘Love God as you love yourself.’
God did not say ‘Love your neighbour with all your heart, all your breath, all your works, and all your mind.’
God wants you to love your neighbour as you love yourself. God wants you to love God as God loves you.
Think about that briefly.
God wants you to love God with all your heart, breath, works and mind because God loves you with all His heart, breath, works, and mind.
God does not expect you to love your neighbour the same as you love God. God expects you to love your neighbour as you love yourself, because God knows that you do not love yourself with all your heart, breath, works and mind.
God does not expect you to love your neighbour more than you love yourself. But God told us how to love our neighbours, and in doing so God told us how God wants us to love ourselves.
The one measurement system is a portion of all that you have. The other measurement is a portion of what you have, measured in units. The law that God gave to Moses reveals the measurement in great detail, but Jesus also showed us an example.
Mark 12:41-44 (KJV)
“41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and says unto them, Firmly I say unto you, That this poor widow has cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”
Jesus told us that some people gave more money than the widow did, but the widow gave more because she gave everything that she had. In that, Jesus reveals something important: The portion that you give out of everything that you have takes priority over the amount when measured in units.
The widow had less money, but she gave more because she gave all that she had.
Likewise, God does not expect us to love Him in the same quantity as he loves us. God expects us to love Him with our ‘all‘ because He loves us with His ‘all.’
I’m going to quote from my book because there are some things that I cannot write better than what is in my book.
Quoted from How To Craft a Story.
“All the good things and bad things that you do can be measured in units and degrees.
For example, if you give a cup of water to a person who is thirsty, that can be measured as ‘one cup’ or it could be measured as a percentage of what you have. It can also be measured in importance. The ‘importance’ is a measure of love that is related to the act. If that cup of water is the only water that you have, but you can get more, then the ‘degree’ measurement is ‘all that you have.’ If that cup of water is all that you have, and you cannot get more, and that cup of water was the only thing that was between you and death, then the degree is ‘all that you have’ and the importance is ‘willing to risk your life.’ By ‘willing to risk your life,’ you show that you value the other person’s life more than your own life. You are showing a great degree of love to that person because you are risking your own life to prevent that person from losing their life.
You may have guessed by now that the measurement of ‘bad’ things that you do is a measurement of ‘hurtfulness’ that you inflict and the measurement of ‘good’ that you do is a measurement of ‘love’ that you give. If you are indifferent toward a person who needs your help, the indifference is a form of hurtfulness because the emotional information that you’re conveying to that person is that you don’t care about that person. You are conveying that the person is denied access to your love.
This reveals a basic law. We are expected to do good. ‘Good’ is our ‘default setting.’ The word ‘default’ is made out of the prefix ‘de-‘, which can mean ‘removal’ or ‘separation,’ and the word ‘fault’ which means ‘to be wrong.’ ‘Default’ means ‘away from wrong’ or ‘separated from wrong.’ In computer settings, a ‘default’ setting is the setting that the computer will use if the user does not override it. In sports, if a person ‘defaults,’ it means that the person has failed to act in a way that is in accordance with the rules that could have changed the outcome of the game. In law, if a person ‘defaults’ it means that the person has failed to do something at the appropriate time that could have affected that person’s legal case. In all of those examples, the ‘default’ is the basic standard that determines an outcome if a person does not do anything to change the outcome. If a person does something that is ‘bad,’ that person is doing something that is not in accordance with the basic manner that we behave in.
Love is a basic need. It is the reason why we form relationships. Love is good. Our bodies are designed to work properly when we give and receive love. Our minds are designed to give and receive love. When most people think of love, they think of romantic love. They don’t think that giving a cup of water to a person who is thirsty is an act of love but anything that we do that shows mercy, kindness, or compassion is an act of love. A small thing, such as giving a friendly smile to a person, is an act of love.
Love is what the law of equity is based on. A relationship in which one side only ‘takes’ and the other side only ‘gives’ is a relationship that is unequal and unhealthy. Every person has needs and that is why there is ‘give and receive’ in a relationship.” — Measurement: Units and Degrees, Chapter 3
Quoted from How To Craft a Story.
“I could write a book about the law of equity (‘equity’ as defined as ‘treating equally’), but the basic idea is this:
The way that you treat other people is how you will be treated and the measure by which you judge other people is the measure by which you will be judged.
That does not mean that a specific person will treat you exactly the same way that you treat that person. It means that, in general, you or your descendents will reap the benefits or face the consequences (unless you are forgiven) of the way that you treated people.” — Law of Equity, Chapter 3
Matthew 7:1-2 (KJV)
“1 Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
Romans 4:3
“What reason does the Scripture lay? but Abraham had persuasion in God and took equity into himself as inventory.”
Genesis 15:6 is quoted in Romans 4:3. The word ‘rightness’ is used in Genesis 15:6, so we see that ‘equity’ is ‘right’ and ‘rightness.’
‘Equity’ is a spiritual substance (Job 29:14). Equity is made into clothes (Revelation 19:8, Psalm 132:9, Isaiah 61:10), girdles or belts (Isaiah 11:5), armor (2 Corinthians 6:7, Isaiah 59:17), a breastplate (Ephesians 6:14), a sceptre (Hebrews 1:8) and a crown (2 Timothy 4:8). Equity can be liquid and solid (Hosea 10:12, Amos 5:24, Isaiah 45:8, Isaiah 48:18). You can eat equity and drink equity (Matthew 5:6) as solid food and milk (Hebrews 5:12-13). It’s a fruit (Hebrews 12:11, James 3:18, 2 Corinthians 9:10, Philippians 1:11, Amos 6:12) that grows on trees (Isaiah 61:3). It’s bright (Isaiah 62:1).
In the King James Version of the Bible, ‘right,’ ‘rightness’ and ‘equity’ are often translated as ‘righteousness.’
When Jesus was transfigured before His disciples, what did his disciples see?
Mark 9:2-3 (KJV)
“2 And after six days, Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.”
Luke 9:28-29 (KJV)
“28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”
Matthew 17:2 (KJV)
“2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”
His disciples saw Equity shining out of Him and saw Him wearing a shining garment of equity.
Does that remind you of another passage of scripture?
Exodus 34:28-35 (KJV)
“28 And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come near him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came near: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”
2 Corinthians 3:2-13 (KJV)
“2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excels.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remains is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope (expectation), we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:”
Guess what Adam and Eve looked like and were wearing before they sinned.
I’ll write about that in another Bible study.
Adam and Eve both had their own equity. When Eve sinned, she did not die because she was covered by Adam’s equity. When Adam sinned, both Eve and Adam were uncovered because neither of them had equity.
That’s why Adam and Eve knew that they were naked. Before they sinned, they only saw with their spiritual eyes because they could see God who is Spirit (John 4:24). When they sinned, it opened the eyes of their natural bodies (Genesis 3:7) so that they saw both spirit and flesh and both good and evil.
Before they sinned, Adam and Eve were wearing spiritual clothing made of equity. They were not wearing clothing on their natural bodies. Their natural eyes were not open. That is why they were naked and knew not that they were naked. They did not see their nakedness because they saw the spiritual clothes on their spirit bodies. When Adam sinned, the natural eyes of Adam and Eve were opened and their spiritual clothing left them because they were not equitable. Then they saw their naked bodies. (Genesis chapter 3)
In that, it’s revealed that a person can be covered by another person’s equity.
How is that done?
Through Marriage. Adam and Eve were married.
1 Corinthians 7:14 (KJV)
“14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”
1 Corinthians 6:15-17 (KJV)
“15 Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know you not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, says he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”
Ephesians 5:22-33 (KJV)
“22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
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.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
So Jesus Christ’s equity can cover you just as Adam’s equity covered Eve after she sinned.
Why do we need to be covered in equity?
So that we can enter into the presence of God.
When we sinned, we broke the law of ‘agape’ love. If you break one law, you are guilty of breaking the whole law, so we need someone who has not sinned to cover us in His equity, as Eve was covered by Adam’s equity after Eve sinned, so that we can live in God’s presence and not die. Because all life comes from God, and without God we are dead. That’s what happened when Adam sinned: Adam and Eve became separated from God.
Mark 12:26-27 (KJV)
“26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: you therefore do greatly err.”
God told Adam that in the day that he eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he shall surely die. And Adam did die, because eating that fruit separated him from God as soon as he ate it, because he sinned. What was his sin? He disobeyed God and stole from God.
Psalm 24:1 (KJV)
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Adam ate the fruit that did not belong to him.
Theft is the fruit of the flesh. God said, ‘You shall not steal’ (Exodus 20:15). When Adam stole, Adam glorified his flesh.
1 Corinthians 1:28-29 (KJV)
“28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
John 4:23-24 (KJV)
“23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Galatians 5:17 (KJV)
“17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.”
What is the ‘glory’ of the flesh? I’ll write about that in another article, but think about this.
Matthew 6:22-23 (KJV)
“22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Luke 11:35-36 (KJV)
“35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in you be not darkness.
36 If your whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle does give you light.”
Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)
“14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
We can come into God’s presence by entering into a blood covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ, a covenant that Jesus Christ already made with His own blood.
Colossians 1:12-14 (KJV)
“12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
John 14:2-6 (KJV)
“2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.
5 Thomas says unto him, Lord, we know not where you go, and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus says unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, except by me.”
1 John 3:1-11 (KJV)
“1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.
8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
What have we learned?
God wants us to be fruitful.
God wants us to bear the fruit of the Spirit.
‘Agape’ love and Persuasion (faith) are both fruits of the Spirit.
There is Equity in God’s law of ‘Agape’ love.
‘Agape’ love is the most important thing.
It is impossible to please God without Persuasion.
Equity is based on ‘Agape’ love.
One person can be covered by another person’s Equity.
A Marriage covenant allows one person to be covered by another person’s equity.
When two people are married in the flesh, they are one body.
When we are married to Christ in the spirit, we are one spirit with Him.
We can be freed from the law of sin and death if we are joined to Jesus Christ in the blood covenant of marriage.
Marriage is a blood covenant.
That leads us to the next most important laws.
Acts 15:28-29 (KJV)
“28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Fare you well.”
I write about that in an upcoming article.
For now, I shall leave you with what God says about equity in Ezekiel chapter 18:
Ezekiel chapter 18 (KJV)
“1 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,
2 What mean you, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, says the Lord God, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.
5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6 And has not eaten upon the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither has come near to a menstruating woman,
7 And has not oppressed any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has spoiled none by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
8 He that has not given forth upon usury, neither has taken any increase, that has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Has walked in my statutes, and has kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.
10 If he procreate a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that does the like to any one of these things,
11 And that does not any of those duties, but even has eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,
12 Has oppressed the poor and needy, has spoiled by violence, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,
13 Has given forth upon usury, and has taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
14 Now, lo, if he procreate a son that sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and considers, and does not such like,
15 That has not eaten upon the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbour’s wife,
16 Neither has oppressed any, has not withholden the pledge, neither has spoiled by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,
17 That has taken off his hand from the poor, that has not received usury nor increase, has executed my judgments, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
19 Yet say you, Why? does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24 But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.
25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his iniquity that he has done shall he die.
27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, says the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live you.”
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