Freedom in the Spirit to tell others the good news
Parables are hidden and veiled truths. When Jesus is speaking in parables, he is not stating the obvious. When Jesus wanted to teach Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit, He likened the Spirit to the movement of the wind in the trees (John 3).
If the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you, it will quicken your mortal body and you become another kind of being. The bible calls this being born again. The Spirit of God dwells in the mind. We are to have the mind of the Spirit. We acquire that by hearing the Word of God. We are living souls; we can be made quickened spirits.
There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. When finally, the quickened mortal body of the believer falls into the sleep of death, their human body of flesh and blood goes back to the ground. The resurrection is illustrated by thinking of a seed which falls into the ground and dies, before it springs up a different body. It is sown in dishonour and will be raised in glory. Sown in weakness, raised in power. Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. (1 Cor 15:35-50).
Every herb, tree, and grass yields its own seed, (Gen 1:11,12,29). Each kind has its own body (1 Cor 15:38). From Eve, the first woman, the seed of the woman has been passed on. Some believe the woman’s seed is eternal. I don’t want to expound on that here, but certainly we know that every little healthy baby girl has her set number of ova ‘seeds’ already in her body when she is born.
Once fertilised the seed or the ovum of the woman begins its growth over nine months.
When we evangelise, we also go forth sowing good seed through our witnessing. Just as a natural seed is sown in the earth, so every Word of God that goes forth has its own power within itself to perform what it says it will accomplish. It has the resurrection power in it. When acted upon by faith it is fertilised and brings with it resurrection power to the hearer who believes it.
God watches over God’s Word to perform it; to do what the Word says. A seed, sown in a person’s mind, telling of God’s love, will bear the fruit of God’s love. A healing promise will bring forth and yield ‘its own kind’. Genesis 1:26-28 commands the first couple to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. Paul teaches that God is the one who supplies the giver with seed and then gives the increase, so that we will be able to replenish the earth (2 Cor 8 and 9. Here are some other metaphors for your consideration.
Salt is metaphorical for friendship; it is also known as a symbol of destruction. Salt poured on the earth will render it useless; it will not be able to produce anything. Consider the natural eyes and the need for light to enter it in order for it to have vision. ‘The entrance of thy Word gives light’ (Ps 119:30).
The church is the body of Christ; the church is a woman, the bride of Christ. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, typifies our mother. Abraham looked for a city that had foundations and she was walking beside him. The church as is the human body are used metaphorically. We are bones of his bone and flesh of his flesh (Gen 2 & Eph 5:30).
How is it that there is endless conflict about male and female in the kingdom of God? There is no understanding with those who argue men are in charge of women. This is looking at the church as if she were a physical identity rather than her possessing a spiritual identity. This is called ‘in the Spirit’, and there is neither male nor female (Gal 3:28).[1] We are all children of God and inherit the promises. Make sure Jesus is the plumbline you hold up when studying and teaching the Word; ‘In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your (study) path’
This subject is inexhaustible. There are as many examples to draw from as there are stars in the sky. Job is confronted by God the natural and material world all around him, accusing him of darkening counsel, by words without knowledge about the Creation (Job 40:15).
But ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee; or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee (Job 12:7-8).
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven? (Job 35:11)
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her meat in summer, and gathers her food in the harvest (Prov 6:6-8).
There will be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turns not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. (Prov 30:29-31).
The visible can be perceived with the natural eye. It is discernible, recognisable, and distinct. It can be described, observed and is unmistakable. It is apparent, evident, and open to view, being plain and obvious for all to see. With the visible there are no secrets and it fills the eye. The world of matter is our world of experience, of nature, of density, structure, and substance. This is the source of spiritual revelation, to see, comprehend, and understand the spiritual through the things that are seen (11 Cor 4:18).
Reasoning often becomes dulled when the gospel’s plain truths are rejected. Minds are seduced by doctrines that do not equate with the simplicity that is in the gospel.
The gospel is so simple that even a child could understand and so profound that we never will. However, turning simple truths into lengthy doctrinal discourse benefits can be of little benefit.
Concrete evidence must be presented, a construction of ideas, a foundation laid down of things (principles) that the genuine inquirer can then grasp and interpret. Intelligence comes into play; reason also, to penetrate and fathom the matter under consideration. Where plain speech, daily examples, and descriptive object lessons are used, people respond positively.
The result is the uninitiated can understand about God and eternal realities. Senses, geared to learning from the daily object lessons the Holy Spirit will give ‘through the things that are made’, are included. We are told to “Look at the lilies; the birds of the air”; see how they testify to God’s faithfulness.
Jesus said to the unbelievers of his day, ‘you can read the sunsets and the colour of the sky, yet you cannot read other signs in the elements and creation and understand the state of the world around you’.
Using the world around us teaches us about redemption, God’s love, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the coming judgment. The heavens declare God’s handiwork and the redemptive plan is written in the stars. The sun is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber to meet his bride: a daily declaration to the world to trust the promise, that Jesus will return for His bride.
This is turning water into wine.
Patricia Px
[1] Reques teaching on any subjects mentioned here or search this website. rwvm.online