Tribulation from the inside out (Part 1)
Tribulation happens from the inside out, because change happens from the inside out. Tribulation is simply the evidence... the turmoil produced by... change. If you want real change, then you are wanting, consciously or not, some form of tribulation.
Because mankind is triune... spirit, soul, and body... change has to take place in three areas. There is a divine order to it: spirit, the soul (mind, will, emotions), then eventually our bodies. This works both ways... for life or death.
When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of darkness...the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... death entered their frame. First their spirit died and shame filled the void left by the departing of the Holy Spirit, who is the connection to divine leadership. Then their hearts began dying... choice by choice veering further from the perfect leadership of God who IS the source of life. Eventually, their bodies that were made to live forever died, being so distant from the light of mankind... the source of life.
God promised them they would die if they ate of that tree. They did. But, it happened in the divine order: inside out.
Renewal happens the same way. Jesus renews us in three parts:
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate (spirit); for wide is the gate and broad is the way (soul) that leads to destruction (body), and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Jesus is a GATE... that is entrance into eternal life...and a WAY... going further into life...what finally results is either a body that can never die or a body that will forever die.
When you get "saved" your spirit gets completely renewed, and the Holy Spirit comes and lives on the inside. That is walking through the gate. That is salvation, but there is much more that should take place. You want to start following Jesus in the WAY... that is how your heart's rebirth takes place. you pick how much of your heart will get renewed... in fact, you pick every part. No one can force salvation on you, and no one can force "sanctification" (the renewal of your heart) on you. You pick going further down the way by directing your desire. You "buy" each step with your words. "Jesus, take me deeper. I want to get closer to you"... then you walk through the doors he opens... Narrow is the way that leads to life. Praying always... asking and receiving always...is the only way down that road. The only way little children get anything of value is to humble themselves, ask for it, and receive it:
Matthew 18:3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Someday, your body will be resurrected and it will reflect how seriously you took this process of steering your desire towards holiness...renewal into purity... while you were in the very short time of renewal:
I Corinthians 15:40-42 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
The moon reflects the sun. The craters and pits on the moon... the imperfections, result in dark spots on the moon. the more seriously you take the renewal of your heart, the more you will reflect Jesus' glory forever. The renewal process creates tribulation, and that tribulation, creates renewal...deep to deep...glory to glory... it is a cycle that builds if you are willing to enter into it. The tribulation is simply evidence it is working and incentive to go a little deeper! Here, David describes the trouble and the hope!
Psalms 42:5-8 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life.
That is why Paul said he "gloried in tribulation"
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
... justification... getting saved, made him READY for the incremental TRIBULATION, that was renewing his heart. He could see the whole process working and producing perseverance, and his character began changing... that means his values started changing and what surprised him was that as his character changed in response to tribulation he became MORE hopeful, not less. Tribulation produced MORE hope, not less.
Many are hoping to avoid the end time tribulation, not realizing they are actually forfeiting HOPE! Right now, embracing tribulation, which IS embracing change, is what will help YOU change from the inside out into a part of the pure and spotless Bride...deep to deep, strength to strength, glory to glory!
Tribulation is important personally, but it is also important GLOBALLY. I'll write about that next!
Because mankind is triune... spirit, soul, and body... change has to take place in three areas. There is a divine order to it: spirit, the soul (mind, will, emotions), then eventually our bodies. This works both ways... for life or death.
When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of darkness...the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... death entered their frame. First their spirit died and shame filled the void left by the departing of the Holy Spirit, who is the connection to divine leadership. Then their hearts began dying... choice by choice veering further from the perfect leadership of God who IS the source of life. Eventually, their bodies that were made to live forever died, being so distant from the light of mankind... the source of life.
God promised them they would die if they ate of that tree. They did. But, it happened in the divine order: inside out.
Renewal happens the same way. Jesus renews us in three parts:
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate (spirit); for wide is the gate and broad is the way (soul) that leads to destruction (body), and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Jesus is a GATE... that is entrance into eternal life...and a WAY... going further into life...what finally results is either a body that can never die or a body that will forever die.
When you get "saved" your spirit gets completely renewed, and the Holy Spirit comes and lives on the inside. That is walking through the gate. That is salvation, but there is much more that should take place. You want to start following Jesus in the WAY... that is how your heart's rebirth takes place. you pick how much of your heart will get renewed... in fact, you pick every part. No one can force salvation on you, and no one can force "sanctification" (the renewal of your heart) on you. You pick going further down the way by directing your desire. You "buy" each step with your words. "Jesus, take me deeper. I want to get closer to you"... then you walk through the doors he opens... Narrow is the way that leads to life. Praying always... asking and receiving always...is the only way down that road. The only way little children get anything of value is to humble themselves, ask for it, and receive it:
Matthew 18:3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Someday, your body will be resurrected and it will reflect how seriously you took this process of steering your desire towards holiness...renewal into purity... while you were in the very short time of renewal:
I Corinthians 15:40-42 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
The moon reflects the sun. The craters and pits on the moon... the imperfections, result in dark spots on the moon. the more seriously you take the renewal of your heart, the more you will reflect Jesus' glory forever. The renewal process creates tribulation, and that tribulation, creates renewal...deep to deep...glory to glory... it is a cycle that builds if you are willing to enter into it. The tribulation is simply evidence it is working and incentive to go a little deeper! Here, David describes the trouble and the hope!
Psalms 42:5-8 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life.
That is why Paul said he "gloried in tribulation"
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
... justification... getting saved, made him READY for the incremental TRIBULATION, that was renewing his heart. He could see the whole process working and producing perseverance, and his character began changing... that means his values started changing and what surprised him was that as his character changed in response to tribulation he became MORE hopeful, not less. Tribulation produced MORE hope, not less.
Many are hoping to avoid the end time tribulation, not realizing they are actually forfeiting HOPE! Right now, embracing tribulation, which IS embracing change, is what will help YOU change from the inside out into a part of the pure and spotless Bride...deep to deep, strength to strength, glory to glory!
Tribulation is important personally, but it is also important GLOBALLY. I'll write about that next!
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