When people first come looking for Christ, they come for many reasons. Many come for reasons of the heart while many come for reasons of the body. When I say body, I mean not only the necessity and requirements of the physical body but from the dependency of the world. Since their dependency from the world had been a failure, they seek a higher order or answer. God will use many avenues to bring His creation back into HIM.
But once we find Truth and receive Jesus Christ, it is a spiritual transformation. Yes, there may be incidents in which God may heal some right away of our physical needs to help them believe but the order is and always have been spiritual first. Any positive manifestation of the physical is a result of the spiritual.
When many first get saved, instead of seeking the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness first they begin to seek the things of their own kingdom. This is because many have yet to grow in their faith and trust in the Lord. Many come to the Lord as a result of their distress and as I said previously, God will use the worldly sorrows to bring us back unto HIM. But once we are in HIM and He is in us, we must grow in HIM so to understand the proper order of abundant life in HIM. We may come because of worldly sorrow but His Love should lead us to Godly repentance.
When people come to the Lord, what generally are our first prayers. We pray asking God for help with our finances, job, businesses, family, spouses, health, addictions, and so forth. But scripture says to seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness first and those things will be taken care of for us.
Matthew 6:30-34 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 32 For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. 33 But seek ([z]aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness ([aa]His way of doing and being right), and then all these things [ab]taken together will be given you besides. 34 So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.
When we experience a genuine salvation, it is like finding a treasure in the field and then that person sells everything to buy that field.
Matthew 13:44-46 The kingdom of heaven is like [o]something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. 45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and [p]precious pearls,46 Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44-46 The kingdom of heaven is like [o]something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field. 45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and [p]precious pearls,46 Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.
When we find Jesus Christ, we should come to realize all the things we thought we needed from this world to feed our emotions and body are secondary. We are to sell all such troubles and anxieties laying it at the foot of the cross to obtain that treasure which is God HIMSELF.
When we seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness FIRST then we are in proper order as our spirit is first fed, then our soul, and then manifested to our bodies. And as people see our bodies, our bodies should be reflecting the glory and image of Jesus Christ as it is a manifestation of the inside or spirit.
Therefore, if our bodies are lifeless, then we better ask and examine our spirits, our walk and faith in the Lord.
James 2:26 (AMP)For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.
When Adam fell, he had sinned with his body, then it affected his soul and spirit. The spirit of God had departed. And now through Jesus Christ, God is restoring us back but the order is spirit, soul, and body. Seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all those things you are so concerned about will be added on to you. Learn to trust HIM brethren by drawing deeper into HIM for His desire is for you to know HIM more. He calls us friend now.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (AMP) And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
Fire of God Ministry
Steve Yong Kim
July 12, 2012
I think you have something. I've noticed with my own growth that my spirit first had to be affected or touched, and then this change would come from the inside out.
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