UPGRADING THE CREATURE AND THE CREATION
Bishop Kirby Clements
The dimensions of our world increases or shrinks according to the ideas, thoughts, and people we include or exclude.

The idea that God is Creator, Organizer and Maintainer of all things is the proposition behind Divine sovereignty… Genesis 1-3 presents the Law of First Mention or Original Intent and states that the fundamental meaning and purpose is present in the inaugural appearance of an entity. Humanity is created in the image of God and endowed with rationality, creativity, dominion, community, and righteousness. Humanity is not designed to function without God and as do-regents with Divine authority, this intimate Divine/human relationship function perfectly when connected.

The idea that God periodically upgrades His creation and creature is the idea of progressive revelation. Jesus upgrades His disciples from servants to friends

PREMISE

Three are ways to influence human behavior….imposition of external laws and internal regeneration and incarnation of ideas, concepts, beliefs, and values. Laws can exact their influence through consequences for obedience or disobedience but they rarely affect the conscience. Internal regeneration affects the conscience and the internal operational behavior of the individual. Yet, without the incarnation of ideas, thoughts and knowledge even laws and internal regeneration would fall short of transformation effect.

While we live in a plural world of numerous and diverse ideas, values, and objectives there are often conflicts that evolve when contradictory programs collide. However, ad redeemed people our fundamental struggle is with God. Indeed, there is the existence of evil and demonic powers that seek to silence the consciousness of God in the world but our person al struggle is with the Lord. In all of our activities, plans, ambitions, and organizational strategies there is the constantly struggle to conform to His image and likeness. When we submit to God there is a nullification of the intention of evil. We conflicts exists between ourselves and spouses, children, or others then they are resolved or diminished when we function like Him. It is truly God with whom we have to do. WE often are resisting His beautiful offer to become like Him and to submit our bodies to God for this is our reasonable service. Reasonable means it is the logical and rational thing to do. The fact that God makes such an offer and for us to reject it is the height of confusion. If we walk in the Spirit and you will not yield to the desires of the flesh….must discern flesh and spirit….spirit always refers to revelation knowledge….flesh speaks of the absence…..natural man does not understand the things of the Spirit for they are foolishness….

PREMISE

We are a peculiar people and made in the image of God. We need the revelation of this spiritual genetic picture….people today are getting DNA profiles to trace their ancestry. ,and sometimes they are shocked with their progenitors……thieves, robbers, murderers….and even when their ancient relatives are noble they often find themselves falling short of this ancestral legacy. Creation transcends genetics and establishes the superiority/priority of Divine influence above characteristics and traits passed on from one generation to another. This revelation is presented in the Gospel…..we came from God and had earthly parents. This concept is revealed in the new birth in which creational intentions are re-introduced through regeneration, redemption, and restructuring.

OBJECTIVE

To re-examine some Scriptures that speak of our peculiarity. To discover what should be the norm for us and the exception….and what is appointed. This process is referred to as spiritual engineering…..similar to cosmetic restructuring…….

DEFINITION

Spiritual indicates that which is unseen and which exercises the greatest influence upon the natural. Spiritual relates to revelation that is to be understood by a different set of senses. Engineering relates to structuring, organizing, and designing of a thing with a specific objective in mind. It requires a blueprint or set of directives or guidelines. Spiritual engineering or spiritual re-engineering relates to the structuring of our post salvation status to produce the greatest benefits. It does not begin at the natural birth but at the second birth. It relates not so much to what we were nor our heritage…..Paul speaks of murders, extortioners, thieves, etc…..and such were some of you but you are washed…the emphasis is not “such were some of you” but on “but you were washed” or restructured. Spiritual engineering is the reorientation of our relationship with God for it is Him that we have to do. We are human potentials and possibilities awaiting to be reminded of our original status and legacy…..we were designed to be wonderful, beautiful, -. Salvation faith was the introduction of wonderful possibilities initiated by God through people with “beautiful feet” but not always with the accuracy of revelation. So the quality of our faith is dependent upon the integrity of the Word…..the proximity of the preached word to the revealed word.
Spiritual engineering is revelation conflict for it introduces ideas and values that contradict us. It includes psychological dynamics such personality types, predispositions, behavioral patterns, and belief systems. As in the engineering of any structure, there is the need of assessment (doctrinal and behavioral patterns); intervention (spiritual antibiotics, nutrition, excision of non profitable patterns (self doubt, self dislike, self condemnation, guilt, shame, anxiety, etc.), superstitions (fear and apprehensions surrounding things, objects, weather, places, and even circumstances and people), traditionalism (doctrinal, ideological, Philosophical ), recommendation (repentance both doctrinal, behavioral)
Bible mentions things and people to seek and to avoid……
*avoid the appearance of evil
*avoid those who walk contrary to the doctrine
*Seek holiness


FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS

*Christianity is a comprehensive faith…..salvation is spiritual, psychological and behavioral (1 Thes. 5:23 sanctify whole spirit, soul, body)

*Christianity is a practical faith that instructs in righteous judgment and behavior in every aspect of life (sanctification is separation from and joining to….when we say yes to one thing we say no to another)

*The incentives of repentance/righteousness are greater than the compensation for unrighteousness (Rom. 6:23 wages of sin is death)

*True Christianity enables people to improve their lives and be free of guilt or condemnation (2 Cor. 5:19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them)….this causes us to serve God out of love and not fear, guilt, nor shame….in fact, guilt, fear, and shame are sinful operational behavior patterns since they seek to contradict Salvific benefits.

*True Christianity is a propositional faith with experiential consequences…..it is principle-centered….If you believe in your heart and confess……in My name you will cast out demons and speak with new tongues…..if you come to God you must believe that He is…..when you stand praying, if you believe…..if you seek first the kingdom them all these things….

*We live between two worlds….one seen and unseen…..diverse principles, precepts, values, objectives, and authority (idea of Biblical paradoxes)

*The center of our world this not political, social, nor economical but it is spiritual…..we seek help from this dimension of the unseen for therein is this power, resource, and dimension of nurturing and concern….it is from an atmosphere of eternity

*Our major concern is centers around several basic questions:
1) How to get God to help us?
2) How do we acquire enabling power to help us in the atmosphere of life? Need, health issues, relationships, occupational matters
3) How do we manage pain, anxiety, uncertainty?
4) All addiction is not chemical…..relational, doctrinal, chronological (nostalgia, futurism, detachment)
5) Health evaluation uses vital signs as indicator of presence of absence of disease…
There are indicators of salvation health/welfare and there are spiritual/psychological nutrients available
1) Godliness with contentment
2) Emotional stability
3) hope, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, charity,

THE PECULIARITY OF OUR STATUS EXPRESSED IN BIBLICAL PARADOXES

*We find by losing….Mt. 10:39…He that will find his life must lose his life for My sake….the operative word is…..My Sake…To find our life without God is not profitable….what does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his own soul….the Psalms says He gave Israel the desire of their heart but leanness of soul….We are not constituted to live without God….Romans 12 say s submit yourself to God which your reasonable or logical service….

*We see the unseen…..2 Cor. 14:18…we look at the things unseen for the things seen are temperorary……Hebrews 11 says Moses forsook the things of Egyptian accounting that the things of God were more precious….To see requires s different set of sensory organs which are given by redemption….our citizenship is in heaven…Revelation speaks of “earth dwellers” who are people who are confined to this time/space world and it evidence by their preoccupation with their occupation, profit-loss, building, age, etc. … 1 Corinthians 2 says the natural man does not understand the things of God …what did the rich young ruler see when Jesus instructed him to sell all and follow Him? For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross….until that which is set before us is clearly seen in its majesty and power then the momentary alternatives of this life will sift us

*We are exalted by being humbled…Promotion comes not from east nor west…all power comes from God…Joseph is exalted by God not because the wine taster remember Joseph could interpret dreams but because God brought Joseph to the wine taster memory….there is such a thing as time in God……it is appointed..

*We rest under a yoke….Mt. 29:30….Jesus said His burden is light and His yoke is easy….we are all under some yoke…Satan yoke offers no rest….always wars, crisis, conflict, contention….There is the gift of rest,,,,notice Jesus said I will give you rest and there is the discovery of rest for Jesus said learn of Me and you will have rest.

*Become great by becoming little…To become like a little child….there can be no life without being in touch with God….To wait on the Lord and He shall exalted….humble yourself under the hand of the Almighty God…wait on the Lord….to wait is not simply self humiliation but it is to be subject to God

*We conquer by yielding….Romans 6:13-15…We conquer by yielding to God…walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…flesh is tendency to self gratification….to walk in the Spirit is to build yourself up by praying in tongues and being conscious of redemptive truths…to seek to forsake sin or destructive habits without turning or yielding to God ends in failure….prohibition increase desire….Paul says he would not have known sin except by the law. There are some things the Bible say to simply flee or avoid…the appearance of evil….flee lust…our conscience is not the moral motivator of our behavior it is a reminder….only the Word is motivator and profitable for doctrine, reproof and a standard of righteousness …no moral dynamic in our conscience
Mention the idea of chronic faith and acute fear…..one has been there a long time and the other simply appears

*Set free by becoming slaves…Romans 6:18….everyone is a slave….be a slave to Jesus and righteousness.

*Strong when we are weak……2 Corinthians 12:10…Paul takes pleasures in infirmities and necessities for when he is weak then is he strong….must redefine weakness and strength

*We know the unknowable..Ephesians 3:19….the love of Christ that passes all understanding….to see rationality in irrationality…..I know in whom I believe….the idea of persuasion…can we have revival without questions? Healing without exaggeration? Meals for Jesus that He did not order?...cannot believe in sovereignty of God and sovereignty of man simultaneously

*We are rich when we are poor…James 2:5…the poor of this world who are rich in faith ….must define true riches….Christian are relative poor and not members of the elite class