Integrity- People of God

When we are born again the Holy Spirit of God comes and lives within us and we become a living spirit again. When God made mankind, He blew His breath into mankind and they became a living image of the love of God on the earth. God is love and mankind was now God’s image of love on the earth. His purpose was to fill the whole earth with this love and image of God. Mankind had a relationship with God and communion one in spirit with Him. Just as God spoke words of life and created this world and the universe, mankind, acting in one spirit with God, spoke creative life giving words in naming all the animals.

When mankind obeyed Satan, mankind not only sinned, they also lost their identity, their purpose and their relationship with God. They then took on the image and likeness of Satan. Mankind no longer spoke words of life and love but words of self-preservation, accusations and destruction. The first words of Adam after the fall were, “the woman you gave me…” God recognized the impact of mankind obeying Satan and becoming like Satan in the very beginning, but God would not leave us in that depraved state. There were consequences for their actions, but God promised to redeem mankind through the seed of the woman.

Genesis 3: 15               And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. NIV

God spoke of Jesus coming through the woman and crushing Satan’s head, his rule and authority over mankind and that there would be hostility and hatred between the people of Satan and those who trust in Jesus. God saw our need for redemption and provided a plan, His Son at the very beginning. He would not leave us in that corrupt and wicked state. Everyone born of as seed of a man is born into a fallen, sinful world and they hate the things of God. It is only after being born again with the Spirit of God in us that we can begin to transform the old nature and habits into the new nature of being in the family of God. Studying the word of God allows the word God to transform us into the likeness of our heavenly Father by giving us a new way of thinking and a new way of acting.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. KJV

So many people are born again but do not change the way they think or their actions so they end up living in a hostile world of hate. They do not have the knowledge or the power to overcome the pressures of this world. Many are like the child that is born and left to fend for himself, like the boy left in the jungle, though he survived, he was raised by wolves and lived like an animal. He did not reach his full potential until he was brought into the culture of his people and was taught the ways of his people. So it is for those who are born into the kingdom of God. We were raised in a different culture, living beneath all the plans God has for His family. We must be taught who we are in the family of God and trained to operate in the kingdom of God or we will live as outcasts far below our potential.

God’s original plan for mankind was to have a close relationship. We are to be God’s people, ambassadors on the earth changing this world to represent heaven on earth. Instead, the world reflected the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan until Jesus. Jesus came and redeemed what mankind lost in the Garden, his godlike identity, the nature of God, and fellowship in the family of God. All this is restored to those who trust Jesus as their Savior and King. Now there are two kingdoms trying to advance its culture and lifestyle in the earth.

This is why we are told to renew our minds and study to show ourselves approved unto God; that we may develop a relationship with our Father and know His heart. Many people are excited about the good news of the Gospel and yet never take time to get to know the One Who loves them. Satan tries to keep people in a place of darkness and hurt. Satan tries to develop a culture that teaches and says things that may sound right but are lies. Things like, if God is love why did He let this happen? God gave authority to mankind and mankind gave it to Satan.

It is Satan who kills, steals and destroys and then blames it on God and so many people accept it as truth. Death and destruction are the consequences of sin. God is just. He could not go back on His word, He gave dominion to mankind and they gave it to Satan and it would take a man to restore dominion. This is why Jesus had to become a man to legally have authority on the earth. Jesus humbled Himself to become a man for all eternity so that He may save those who trusted in Him.

When we take time to read the New Testament, God’s letters of love to us, then we will get to know His heart and His love for us. People who know they are loved are not easily persuaded by the falsehoods of others, because they know the one who loves them and believes in them

Just as the woman at the well, we too must listen to Jesus for ourselves that we may know Him personally based on a close relationship with God. We are adopted into the family of God as His children, because of the completed work of Jesus. We may hear about Jesus through our mothers, family or friends and we believe what they say, but it is when we hear Jesus speak to us personally through His word that we can know Him. Then we too may say “this man really is the Savior of the world.” That is knowing Jesus.

John 4: 42  They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” NIV

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.