In some places, gladness and joy are used interchangeably. The Bible talks about the oil of joy as the spirit of gladness (Isa. 61:3). Joy is secreted from gladness; while gladness is a concretized form of joy. Gladness is a property of the holiest of all; it is the gift and blessing of God. There is also a measure of joy in the holy place. The church that was written to in 1 Peter had not yet come into the holy of holies but they already had joy unspeakable (1 Pet. 1:8). They were waiting for the last joy.
Salvation is the realm of the last dominion. The church in 1 Peter had already started partaking of sufferings but were yet to receive the final work of salvation. Salvation is the subject matter of the last time and it is very valuable to God and His angels. This is why the angels desire to look into it, waiting to see what manner of salvation is about to befall mankind (1 Pet. 1:12). Salvation is not a new message, it only seems new because it is yet to be fully seen.
There is a difference between the Spirit of the Lord and the Spirit of God. The seven Spirits of God are in the holy of holies (Rev. 4:5) and their operation is different from the menorah (seven Spirits of the Lord) in the holy place (Isaiah 11). Another manifestation of the seven spirits of God is seen in Revelation 5:6. The first manifestation of the seven spirits of God is seen as the burning lamps, while the other is seen as the eyes of glory (eyes and horns). There are several kinds of eyes in scripture depicting various things (Ezk. 10:12, Rev. 19:12).
The first operation of the seven spirits of God is represented as burning eyes (Rev. 4:5), while the last operation is the person of Jesus as depicted by the eyes upon the lamb (Rev. 5:6). When God wants to administer judgement through the Lord, the eyes of Jesus take on the form of a flame (Rev. 19:11-12). However, when the Lord assumes the seated position, His eye takes on the form of a human eye. The grace and peace in Revelations chapter one is not the grace and peace of the Lord but that of God. The peace of God is higher than grace. Grace leads to peace. Whosoever partakes of the grace of our Lord Jesus has divorced the world.
As we engage the doctrine of God, the doctrine of Christ and the milk of the word will be clearly understood. The fullness of the milk of the word and the meat of the word has not yet been fully spelt out. As the strong meat of the word is engaged, their wholeness of these doctrines would be clearly seen.
The milk is designed to work on the soul of a babe (or baby) Christian and make him/her a child. Every babe is originally flesh. When a soul migrates from the stage of a babe to a child, it is yet to be completely free from the carnal nature. Carnality does not automatically mean a soul is condemned, it only speaks of the kind of laws the soul still responds to at its level of migration towards God. However, some souls offend such laws whilst still in carnality like Annanias and Sapphira did (Acts 5:3). It is also possible to migrate from carnality to spirituality. Both the carnal man and the spiritual man have laws that they obey. This is why pardon that can be granted to a carnal man many not be granted to a spiritual man.
To seal a person in Christ Jesus is to build a man upon the foundation of the teaching of Christ. The teaching of Christ prepares us for God. God only shows himself to anyone who has received the materials of the building of Christ. The building of Christ is a gradual process that takes hearing and hearing. Christ should have been taught unto both the gentiles and the Jews but Satan went ahead to fight churches and darken their sight from seeing the light. Until about 600 years ago when the light of the glorious gospel came, the church was not completely representing the order of Christ. The church that was present to experience the Pentecost move did not move deeper into the word of God and therefore could not proceed into the next allocation of the speakings of God. The church must be taught the doctrine of Christ to get to God. As the doctrine of Christ is being taught, natures that are not in alignment with the life of Christ would be dealt with. Only the church has the honour to hear and receive the doctrine of Christ.
True dominion can only be exercised when the doctrine of Christ has been formed in a person. Any dominion that is exercised without the nature of Christ is not a dominion and would be reigning with death. Christ is the first lordship of God and anyone who has not submitted to Christ has not been led. Both the Lord and God lead his children at different stages in their journey to God. Christ is the Lord that leads to God. Anyone who has the Christ nature has the ability to abstain from iniquity except one still chooses to continue therein. Christ is the purity of God and we must pass through Christ to be purified according to God's standard. A well-built man in Christ is a foundation for God upon which God can rest.
There are two dimensions of God; one of Christ and the other of God. The spirit of wisdom and revelation is the spirit of the Lord. Christ has God's knowledge in a dimension. This knowledge was not present in any creation, except in Christ. Christ is the new creation of God and only those who follow in Christ’s path can be accepted by God. Therefore, Christ must be taught to Christians.
The newness of God is Christ; He is the new being of God. (2 Corin. 5:17). New things are the things of the doctrine of Christ. The reason for the five-fold ministry is to teach the church till darkened understanding is completely gone. The antidote to vanity is Christ (Eph. 4:17). The “life of God” that darkened understanding veils us from is not eternal life but Christ (Eph. 4:18). A chaste Christ is the only one who can be loved by God. We learn Christ in different measures as we journey from the outer court, through the inner court and into the most holy place. The outer court is the first place in the kingdom where, after a soul completes its course here, it is crowned with righteousness. The next is the holy place and the final place is the most holy place which is the very Kingdom of God.
The breakthrough for walk in the spirit can only be supplied by the five-fold ministers and the church cannot make progress without them. To defeat vanity in the mind, the five fold ministry must continue to preach. A true five-fold minister is a prisoner for the preaching of Christ, bound by the chains of Christ as apostle Paul was (Eph. 3:1). The life that men are living is a fallen angelic life which was orchestrated by Satan and sold to men. To destroy this, the angelic frame has to be out-run/undone by the building of the nature of Christ in men. Angels are generally doctrine inclined. Therefore, it is only the doctrine of Christ that can defeat the operation of the fallen angels that is at work in man.
The Adamic life was cut short by Satan and men no longer express that life today. Man now lives a lower life that is given and driven by Satan himself. This life must be purged out of the church. The milk of the word can not adequately deal with the gods in men. The life of Christ is the life approved by God for man to live by until God Himself is drawn towards him so that His very life (eternal life) can be given; Only the life called Christ can approach God. This life is administered solely by God. This life is good and one must have received good tidings to have it. This life is the power of God that man must live by. The reason Satan has captured many is because they live by his own power and not by the power of God.
What makes up the old man is found in his configuration and not in what he expresses outwardly (Eph 4:18). The old man is a spirit that can only be knocked off by the tools of the spirit; the preaching of Christ. He is far more intelligent than the wisdom of carnal weapons; he is an angelic product. The old man is wiser than Adam; he is smart and deceitful. For the old man to be crucified, Christ and His crucified life must be preached (1 Cor. 2:2). The cross must be administered for the old man to be completely crucified.
The answer to darkened understanding is the opening of the eyes (Acts 26:18). Darkness is the power of Satan by which the old man lives; it is a life against God's life. The commission of Paul was to turn men from the power of Satan unto the power of God so they can be changed by Christ, the power of God in order to be presented to God. Satan is higher than his power just like God Is higher than His own power (1 Corin. 1:24, Rom. 1:16).
Being kept is not a guarantee that we are saved; we are only kept to be saved (1 Pet. 1:4-5). The leading of the Spirit is to help us put off the old man and his deeds. The old man is a chaff of the soul that must be put off. When the Holy Ghost leads you the old man is put off. He is like the wind that blows away the chaff of the old man.
Christ is the embodiment of God in flesh. While Jesus walked amongst His disciples, He raised them up to a measurable stature of Jesus. This measure of Jesus was what these apostles preached after Jesus ascended until they touched the Christ dimension of His person; but not fully. Paul was raised to preach Christ; he began to seal churches with that name.
The Kingdom of heaven does not begin at the measure that is not yet Christ in stature; only Christs can enter the kingdom. The fruits of the spirit are called the first fruit, they are to help Chrsit to grow. They are the accomplices of Christs and are fruits that every Christ should produce.
There is a love that is of God, a love of Christ and a love of all the saints. It will be difficult for any Christ that has the fruit of the spirit to fall. The spirit of a new man has these fruits but the soul does not. This is why it is only Christs that God saves; God cannot save any man less than Christ. God brings a man into his christhood before He saves him.
The first kingship of God is the Christ of God, Christ is the way into God. Jesus has many kingly expressions and the last king that He is the king that would break into the holy of holies. The Lord strong and mighty in battle is the one who has overcome the dragon (Psa. 24:8). Glory must first be communicated at the entrance of the gate (Psa. 24:9), after which we would begin to journey from glory to glory. There is no glory outside salvation and there is no communication of salvation without glory. The matter of salvation is the matter of God.
The singing of praise is the communication of entrance into the holy of holies (Heb. 2:12). The first door into glory is praise, then honour and finally glory. God has to take us through completing the course of the holy place before His trust can be bestowed upon us (Heb. 2:13). There must be a declaration of that name which is more excellent than the name of angels (Heb. 1:4). Death came from the ministry of an excellent angel (Satan). Therefore, to overcome death, a higher ministry must be taught..
Jesus has the key of death and hell (Rev. 1:18) - the secret that can dissolve death in everyone. Death is a highly perverted light that even the light of the Menorah cannot detect. Only the light of God can x-ray and destroy death. The celebration of victory over death can only be done by a people who have journeyed to a height, to a holy mountain upon which Jesus can teach them how not to depart from the living God. The only thing that has victory over death is the seal of the name of God.