The Revelation of Christ in All - pt. 6

Alright guys, well we are back for the final

teaching in this series of the revelation of

Christ in all this is week six We'll jump into

something else next week. I have an idea of where

I'm feeling led to go Another thing that I'm

willing to challenge and help Help us to get

maybe a better revelation a better understanding

on But I want to up to this point. We've kind

of talked about things such as union as Christ

holding all things together as darkness as deception

and not absence but now we arrive at a place

where revelation Begins to become deeply personal

Because if Christ is truly in all then the categories

we've used to separate people Must be re -examined

So today we're going to talk about holiness and

more specifically whose scripture says is holy.

This is one of the first pushbacks that I began

to receive when I would announce that Christ

is in all and I would use scripture to back this

up. Such as Colossians where it says that living

within you is the hope of glory And the first

thing that I would get hit with is well that

was written to believers And we'll dive into

that we will we will get into Some of that as

we progress through this series today So let's

start with the text in Colossians chapter 1 verse

Colossians 1:2

2. It says Timothy and I uh send this letter

to all the holy believers who have been united

to jesus so i want you to write off the bat i'm

going to hit it as hard as i can hit it right

off the bat let's address this issue he said

i'm writing to the holy believers who have been

united to jesus as beloved followers i want you

to begin to ask the question who was not united

to Jesus. I want you to answer that question.

Who was not united to Jesus? With all that the

Christ accomplished, with all that Jesus did,

who did he fail in his reach of uniting them

back? Because here's the thing, and I'm sure

I've mentioned this over the past few weeks at

least once, that if we are being led to believe

that somehow no fault of our own, we were included

in Adam when he fell and all he did was take

a bite of fruit. Then how could it not be true

that we were also included in what Christ did

with everything that he did while he lived, going

through the beatings that he went through, the

crucifixion, the resurrection, all of this. How

could all not be included in that? Well Chris

everybody is included but you have to make a

decision really because I did not have to make

a decision to get into Adam. I did not have to

make a personal decision to be affected by Adam

but now all of a sudden because of what all that

happened I have to make a decision over here

to be associated with Christ. Make that make

sense to me because again all Adam did over here

was take a bite of fruit. Jesus going through

all that he did, how much more so are we associated

with the last Adam than the first? And if I am

to really believe that on the cross it was the

Adam nature that was crucified by Jesus, which

means that Adam was and is still crucified on

that cross. That man is dead. Think about this.

The Adam nature was effectively dealt with by

Jesus and he united not just a few members of

humanity No, he united all of humanity to himself.

These are the questions we have to learn to ask

right out the gate when we read this and again

When I earlier on in my life and when I started

in ministry and growing up in church These are

not questions that I asked In fact, and I'm not

saying again. I have to go back to probably my

first teaching on this I'm not attacking any

individuals the pastors the leaders that I had

in my life. I honor them. I respect them Again,

I think all of them did the best they could with

the knowledge they had Most of them for that

as far as I know are still doing ministry today.

I know that they love God. They love people So

it's not attacking anybody. And I'm not saying

anybody came out and expressed this, but it's

certainly the culture that was created that I

had growing up. And it was simply this. You don't

question the man of God. That's not something

you do. Whatever the pastor says, that's the

word, like that's scripture. You don't question

that. So I never felt safe. to ask these types

of questions until probably the last couple years

when i began to read certain things and i'm like

wait a minute kind of like when you read john

10 and 10 again this would be a lesson for uh

later on but i'll just throw this out there is

you got john 10 and 10 that says the thief comes

to still kill and destroy well that was always

taught to me that the thief is the devil And

while, yes, I could probably take that and argue

that point, if you read that John 10, 10 in context,

in the first 10 verses, in John 10, one through

nine, it's talking about false teachers and the

Pharisees and all these different things. It's

talking about coming in another way. It has nothing

to do with the devil. And so when you begin to

read just small things like that, and you're

like, hold up, that's not what I was taught.

It really starts I forget who I heard talk about

this It may have been Jason Clarke with rethinking

God with tacos great podcast. You should go check

it out when you get time But he may have been

him that I heard in an episode talking about

it's like playing with the ball of yarn and Once

you begin to unravel it It just sends you down

this thing of now. I'm I'm diving here. I'm not

taking a man's word I'm actually getting to this

thing myself and allowing Holy Spirit to teach

me. I'll never forget a guy by the name of Lance

Johnson. He's an amazing man of God, evangelist,

pastor. He has, I believe, an apostolic ministry

on his life, a call on his life. I was in a church

service and I had went up to the altar and the

words he spoke to me... was said, the Holy Spirit

will be the greatest teacher you've ever had.

And those words today still ring so true in my

spirit. The Holy Spirit has proven that she will

be the greatest teacher I have ever had and still

continues to prove that. So he opens his letter.

Another translation says to the saints and faithful

brothers in Christ. So before Paul addresses

behavior before he addresses theology, correction,

maturity, or any of this kind of stuff, he establishes

identity. And that's not accidental. Paul doesn't

just write to write. This is a foundational moment

of him trying to reinforce identity. I'm writing

to the holy believers who have been united to

Jesus as beloved followers of the Messiah. So

Let's think about this. What do these words actually

mean? so The original text says To the saints

and faithful brothers, so I want to look at those

words Saints is the word and again. I am NOT

a Greek scholar I may butcher this word and if

I did then you can pronounce it as yourself But

it's Haggios. H -A -G -I -O -S. This word does

not mean morally perfect. It does not mean spiritually

elite. It doesn't mean behaviorally flawless.

No, it means to be set apart, to be marked by

God, and belonging to God. Okay? So, again, let's

stop here. And let's ask these questions. Tell

me the individual who is not currently set apart.

Point to me the individual who is not marked

by God, who does not belong to God. In fact,

let's take this a step further. Let's make this

more personal. I have three children. So you

point out what the... which of my children does

not belong to God. Please, let me walk into your

church and you point to the ones in that church

building who is not set apart already, who does

not belong to God. If this is the argument that

we want to have, then you do the legwork and

point these individuals out to me of the ones

who do not belong, who are not set apart. And

this is the next step, and I have probably done

this in previous teaching, but this is specifically

what this week is for. So I'm gonna sit here

for a little bit. And if you can point to one

of them, then the next question becomes, okay,

I need you to tell me what you did to belong

to God that that person needs to do to belong

to God. You tell me what actions that you took.

What step did you take? What decisions did you

make? What prayer did you pray that made you

belong to God? And that individual somehow does

not. Because to me, now we are back to, you had

to do something to gain something, so we are

back to this works -based, performance -based

salvation. Where I have to do something in order

to get something in order to gain something and

my friend that's simply not true But think about

this I've heard Damon's Thompson say this in

the past and he just heard him we quote this

Recently somewhere, but I want you to think about

this How could my wife and I who are born -again

believers produce something out of? Our life

that is not born again set apart sanctified You

you tell me how that works You help me understand

and grab hold of that I don't know if when you

I'm telling you when you start breaking this

stuff down and when you start asking these questions

to me it Messes with the whole ball of yarn So

this word haggis it's positional not performative

the faithful ones it's the word pistos and this

word does not mean that they never doubt that

they that they're always obedient and always

consistent no it means that they're trustworthy

it means that they're established it means that

they are um reliable because of source so again

let's take a step back let's do the same thing

here that we did with the word saints you show

me the individual who is not trustworthy ah because

now well that one lied to me that one still okay

okay okay okay but tell me the one who's not

trustworthy and tell me again what you did to

be so trustworthy Because now we sound like one

of the elites we want to start start taking this

dagger that something About me is just so trustworthy

that God would call me faithful No, he just calls

you faithful He's the father is speaking to you

about who you actually are as faithful regardless

of if your actions line up to that or not Because

here is the truth If I will continually, as a

son of God, begin to declare to you that you

are faithful, you belong to God, you are set

apart, you are established, you are holy and

righteous, you are as perfect as God is, you

are just as loved now as you ever will be, your

identity is forgiven. If I will start declaring

the truth of your being over you, eventually

something in your spirit will begin to pick up

on this and you will begin to live from the truth

of your identity and not towards it. So the truth

is everybody you see is a faithful and holy one.

They just don't understand it yet. They don't

know it yet. They're still in darkness. They're

still in delusion. They're still blinded by the

lies of the enemy. They're still blinded by the

lies of religion that tell them, no, you're just

a dirty old sinner. You'll be a sinner saved

by grace. No, my friend, you are the righteousness

of God right here, right now, before you do anything.

I'm here to tell you and to announce that you

are declared forgiven by Christ. You are holy

now. You are faithful right now. Yeah, but my

life don't line up hush. Just shut it down. You

are holy, righteous, faithful. You are loved

right now. That's your identity. Learn to live

from that place and not towards it. So again,

faithfulness here is not effort. It's about origin.

Listen, Paul's not saying that you've proven

yourself faithful. He's saying you belong to

the faithful one. I am trustworthy because I'm

in Christ. Christ is in me and in that day you

will know that I am in my father you are in me

and I am in you in that day when is that day

it's not a future thing out there it's just simply

the day that your you begin to take on this revelation

and begin to live from it and not live toward

it quit striving to get somewhere that you already

are all right calm down just a little bit here

So who's Paul talking to? Paul's not writing

to spiritual superheroes. The Colossians here,

they struggled with false teaching. They are

struggling with immaturity. They are struggling

with confusion. And yet Paul calls them saints

and faithful ones. And he doesn't call them this

after correction. He calls them this before it.

And why does he do this? Because identity precedes

transformation. He didn't come and bash them

for their false teaching, their immaturity, their

confusion. He didn't come and beat them over

the head with all this and say, now you better

change your life now. Repeat this prayer with

me. And then, now that they repeated the prayer,

now you are holy and faithful. No, he begins

his letter by writing and calling them by their

identity in Christ. This is why Paul says, I

know no man after the flesh, but after the spirit.

Man, if we would just pick up on some of this.

Because he sees them as included in the work

of Christ. He knows who they are in Christ. He's

trying to speak to them about who they are as

an individual, as sons and daughters, one with

Christ. That's why he opens up the letters to

the saints and the faithful ones. And here's

the crazy thing that just had me thinking one

day And I'm not saying I'm always right, but

it just it's a thought that I've had But if we

want to use the argument that well, this was

not written to The unbeliever it's only written

to the believer then my friend we never get a

chance to read it Because you tell me at what

point without reading this understanding that

that's you that That caused you to believe We

have to allow this stuff to teach even and I

like the way dub Alexander says it Allow we have

to allow this to get into the minds of the pre

-believer to help them believe We have to allow

this stuff to get into us so that we can share

with the pre -believer How included they are

in this revelation in this life of the Trinity

in this zoe life the God kind of life How included

they are in all of this? So that what so that

they will begin to awaken to the truth of their

identity and go from pre -believer to believer

Man this stuff is good So, again, let's bring

it home. Let's do the whole family thing. I really

want you to think about this. I know I did it

earlier, but now it's in my notes, so we're gonna

do it again, because I think it's important.

Because I want you to look at your own life.

If you have more than one child, ask yourself,

which one's not set apart? Which one is not holy?

Which one is not yours? Maybe you have brothers

and sisters look at your siblings and point to

the one who's not set apart. Oh Well that one

over there acts like a hell. I didn't ask you

what they acted like the truth Listen because

back to what I have said before Your belief does

not make something true or not the truth is They

are the holy and the faithful ones. The truth

is they are loved the truth is they are forgiven

Maybe their behavior does not match up to that

revelation yet, but it does not change truth

in their life and This is how you and I have

to begin to see all these individuals that these

every individual we encounter is already inside

of Christ they're already holy and faithful ones

and set apart and they belong to God and it's

up to us as sons and daughters to release the

kingdom around us to to to to to to to share

the invitation to all of these people that they

already are invited to the party that they're

already included in the finished work of Christ

now just come on in enjoy being loved enjoy the

joy of the Lord Enjoy peace. Man, if we would

catch this. Because here's the truth, even when

a child is rebellious, when they're struggling,

when they're making poor choices, their behavior

does not remove their status. Ask yourself, if

you're a parent watching this, even when your

child misbehaves, does that mean that they're

not your child any longer? Again, think about

this. When your children are in rebellion Does

that mean that they're no longer your children

your child and you just cast them away and throw

them away? Because I'm telling you a good father

does not Do we understand the prodigal? Man this

story messes with me the prodigal son, which

is really more of a story about the father Do

we understand the culture? That when that son

returned home that there was a law that said

that the father should take his son to the city

gates and let the elder stone him and Yet when

Jesus is telling this story that he knew the

Pharisees would pick up on what should be done

And yet he says no, but the father in this story

runs to the son and embraces him To do what?

to make sure nobody gets to stone this son. Why?

Because I'm the father, this is my son. Now go

get me a ring and a robe. And let's throw a party.

So they may not be living from who they are,

but they've not stopped being who they are. And

here's the question. What did your child do to

become your child? Think about this. And if you

don't have children, just think about the question.

What did your child do to become your child?

What did you do to become a child of your mother

and father? What role did you play? What part

did you play? Was there an application somewhere

where you were sitting down and going, I think

I want them? What did you do? to become a child

of your mother and father if you're a parent

what did your child do to become your child and

the answer is simple absolutely nothing and what

could they do to stop being your child again

the answer absolutely nothing there's nothing

my children can do to to stop becoming my child

they will always be my daughters and my son anyhow

moving on so if we and here's the performance

trap i mentioned earlier if we can point to something

that we did to become holy a prayer a belief

a behavior a moment then we're back to holiness

is earned if holiness is earned then that makes

identity fragile and this is the kind of world

church culture that I grew up in believing that

your your salvation is so fragile I'll never

there was a meme God I wish I could remember

it like why'd you bring it up you can't remember

it I know let me see if I can remember it So

there was a meme that I saw that simply had someone

coming to the gates and said Here's here's a

believer coming and then it says I'll know he's

sin closed the gates wait. He's going to an altar

open it halfway Really? But that's exactly what

it felt like growing up is that your salvation

is so fragile you better pray and ask God to

forgive you every single night because heaven

forbid a tornado ripped through and kills you

that night or or if you're going down the road

in a car and that becomes your last and you just

told a little white lie then you're going to

hell so I remember laying in bed at night and

having to pray God forgive me of all my sins

that I've done and all those and I didn't even

know that I did I had to make sure I was covered.

You can talk about the Rapture on top of that.

I can't remember. Listen, I know this is completely

off topic, but I'll share it anyhow, because

it came up again. I can't remember even September

11th, 2001. If you were old enough to remember

that, you can probably now remember exactly where

you were. I was in middle school. I was leaving

course class, walked into my math teacher's class.

Miss Leonard, I believe was her name and that

was on the TV and I remember going to the bathroom

standing at the urinal next to a Classmate Justin

drawn and remember telling him in the bathroom

that This was it this was the end like it was

about time to get out of here this thing's winding

up and Then I remember him going back to the

classroom and telling everybody what I said And

I don't know but there was this feeling in me

like please don't say that I said that like there

was almost a cringe like oh I don't I can remember

having that feeling um but that was it but like

this stuff will mess with you you come home there's

no parents at home was the rapture happen I'm

looking for clothes there's a bunch of naked

people running around what's happening is there

any planes falling from the sky if a plane fell

then what happened is that because a pilot got

raptured out like what happened these are the

stuff that runs through your head All because

I said identity is fragile this one went done

that rabbit hole. You're welcome so If holiness

is earned then identity is fragile which means

fear becomes the motivator And that's a lot of

what I remember dealing with growing up. You

got a fear God you'd be afraid Because he beat

the hell out of his son. So he got to beat the

hell out of you That sounds like the God that

I want to serve and I did I served that God I

knew that God Until I begin to realize that's

not the God that Jesus come to reveal. Scripture

never presents holiness as something that is

achieved. It presents holiness as something that

is inherited. And that, my friend, is a very

important distinction to make. Because holiness

is not something you achieve. Holiness is something

that you inherit by simply Coming into the understanding

that you are a son or daughter of God So now

comes then come we still got a ways to go so

now comes the uncomfortable part What about the

addict What about the criminal? You know right

now in our we're dealing with these Epstein files

What about the criminal? What about the unbeliever

the violent the deeply broken? Are they set apart?

And again, let's go through this if Christ holds

all things together if Christ is in all if Holiness

is rooted in origin Then the difference is not

presence The difference is blindness The difference

is darkness delusion I was listening to a podcast

last week and I would have to agree with this

lady Where I believe it was one of the rethinking

God would talk his podcast one of the recent

ones Lisa something I believe it was and she

said nobody is born evil That's what she believes

and I would have to agree And she She makes the

point that if you look at all these people we

would deem as horrible that they've committed

horrible acts And she said if you were to sit

them down and actually be able to dig into their

life That you would find a root of shame somewhere

Because the truth is whether you and I want to

admit this or not when we struggle with guilt

and with shame If that becomes a root in our

life That can lead us down some very dark paths

Cause you to do things that you typically would

never think about doing So I would have I would

tend to agree with what Lisa said They're not

absent all these people And hear me Because I'm

not condoning the behavior But we have to separate

the individual from the behavior and understand

There's something going on in the mindset of

the individual to cause the behavior that we

would deem as despicable The truth is they are

not absent from Christ They are alienated in

their own minds They're living in a delusional

world. They're living in darkness. They're living

in blindness. And that's what, when we see the

actions that we classify and deem as sin, it's

actually because they're living in sin, ha -martia,

they're living apart from their being. They're

living without the original form, the original

blueprint. So scripture never says humanity stopped

being God's offspring. It simply says they stopped

seeing clearly. Darkness is not a change in being.

It's a loss of awareness. Sin doesn't remove

sonship. It simply obscures it. It again it goes

back to it alienate you in your own mind. That's

what sin does when you begin to Allow sin Allow

a distorted identity to take root into your life

Then that's what begins to produce the things

that I would classify the fruit of that sin Because

all the actions that we want to deem as despicable

or horrible or sin or classify that as sin It's

it's simply the fruit of sin That there's a there's

a belief Inside that individual of a distorted

identity that's causing them to respond and to

react and to live this way There's something

to really think about that and again When you

When you start realizing this that this message

and allow it to take root in you Yes, there are

things that people do that frustrate me But again,

I have to separate the individual from the act

I'm not saying there's not consequences from

actions. I heard this A couple years ago, consequences

are not good nor bad. They're just that. They're

consequences of a behavior, of a performance,

whatever. So there's consequences to things.

But if we could have the heart of the Father

to be able to look at an individual, even in

a moment of despicable acts, and say there's

a Christ inside them somewhere. pray if you don't

have the opportunity to do it pray that God would

put somebody in their path to speak to that Christ

on the inside of them. That Holy Spirit would

give them dreams and awaken them to the truth

of who they are because there is redemptive power.

I am proof that God can redeem and restore. Again,

I know what it is to be the abuser and the abuse,

the victim and the victimizer. Is that a word?

I know what it is to be on both ends of this.

I know what it is to hurt people and be hurt

by people. I know both sides of this. And here's

again, here's the truth is Christ was in me all

the way around. Just something to think about.

as we move deeper into this and this is because

this is where people panic if holiness is inherited

then why live rightly what what why would people

want to live like they're supposed to live and

it's simply because identity empowers transformation

fear produces compliance sonship produces fruit

We don't pursue holiness to become sons. No,

we we pursue alignment because we are sons and

Understand that I am holy Because behavior is

not the root. It is the fruit The real division

in Scripture is not Saints versus sinners left

versus right It's awakened versus blinded It's

believer and pre -believer. Light versus darkness.

Truth versus deception. Not presence versus absence.

It's not saints and sinners. It's not, it's as

simple as awakened versus blinded. That's the

truth. It's not holy versus unholy. It's light

versus darkness. And again the moment light shows

up darkness has to flee. Paul does not call people

saints because they earned it. He calls them

saints because Christ revealed it. He's not trying

to flatter people in his writing. He's trying

to anchor them in their identity Because identity

is not encouragement it can be but identity it's

it's the foundation When you begin to understand

who you actually are in Christ that's your foundation

Man think about this Because this revelation

right here changed When I really began to our

Holy Spirit began to actually teach this to me

and reveal this to me it began to change me a

lot Even how I see people and I still hold a

lot of stuff in But I see things differently

I See people differently I see them as in Christ

already. Even if they don't realize it, I see

them still in Christ. That that's who they are.

They are son or daughter in Christ. And then

you start having different conversations with

Holy Spirit. You start having different holy

conversations. About and I remember standing

in a gas station and having this conversation

like How do I partner with you to invite these

people into your kingdom To help them wake up

and see that their sons and daughters He just

whispered back he said son if you'll just walk

with me I'll show you Because the world around

us The church can't hope to fix the issues in

the world right now because we're still just

as confused We have no idea who we are. So how

can we tell the world figure out who they are?

all we're good at right now is pointing fingers

and saying you need to fix that behavior and

They can't fix that behavior without first knowing

who They are as a child of God. Listen, start

closing this out. Holiness is not something that

we chase. It's something you awaken to. You don't

become set apart. You realize that you always

were set apart. You realize you always were forgiven.

And once you see that, You stop performing You

get off the treadmill You get off the hamster

wheel and you just start becoming and you just

start being who you are in Christ I'm looking

at something I lied to you all I didn't go far

enough, none of my notes. That's okay. Um...

I am so sorry. I could cut this out, but I want

you to see the realness of this. Not one done.

I ain't figured out all the editing techniques,

so you get what you get here with me. I want

you to think about... this truth there's still

there'll still be two more weeks of this i've

got i forgot this was an eight week series and

not six weeks so i'm excited i get to keep going

with this i want you to think about this you

are holy because you belong to god you are faithful

because you came from the faithful one you do

not earn identity. You awaken to it. So my challenge

to you today is to learn to live from sonship

and not performance. Get off the hamster wheel

and just be a child of God. Be a son. Be a daughter.

That's it. That's all you got to do. Just be.

Man, I feel that. Just be. So, now that I've

went further down in my notes, I will see you

next week with week seven of the revelation of

Christ in all. Holy Spirit, bless your people.

Open their ears and their hearts and their minds

to take in what you're saying. Reveal truth to

them. expose them to who they are in you, and

let them see the world around them through your

eyes. In Jesus' name, amen. Be blessed, my friends.