The Way is Life
The Way of Life though The Word is the way of transformation, reconciliation, renewal, illumination, faith, revelation, acceptance, and love. We have the written Word illuminated by the Spirit of God at the right hand of God because Jesus ascended to heaven so we could encounter the living Truth. We are being changed from glory to glory into the image of Jesus: his nature, character, ways, power and authority while we are becoming the original God-designed blueprint at the foundation of the world in whom He created us to be. As a child of God, we have access through Him to enter the Shalom–” the optimum condition for life to unfold” which is the way to joyfully embrace this amazing journey called Life!
Natural Sight vs Faith
We do not really know who in the world we are as we just live an ordinary existence—believing “successful” and being “right” will make us happy in a land of futility, curses, the fear of death, control, apathy, information, promiscuity, ( passivity and apathy toward God) and natural sight. This is what we get as an apostate being rejecting the life at the Tree of Life whether a believer or not.
This is what we get in the world of natural sight and the Law: the spirit of control, conformity, and slavery to the dictates of natural sight. Jesus gives us eyes of revelation through the eye salve of faith to see the way.
When we live from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we are dictated by a system of “right and wrong.” Natural sight operates in this system and is the opposite of faith– producing death. The loss of dominion on the earth is all about going about life in natural sight. Natural sight insists on doing life in our own strength according to what we believe is right in our own strength. We respond to circumstances with an idea that we can solve our own problems and make our own decisions according to what is “right.” This means making choices based on what we think is right in terms of our very best thinking void of the Spirit or will of God. There is a narrow road in the way. When we walk in the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, we walk in the AWE of a face-to-face relationship with the King of Kings who leads us into the Promised Land of a life dependent on Him. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith and knows the way. The devil is the author and finisher of “natural sight” and offers an illegitimate life (in terms of lawlessness–the dichotomy in my opinion means following the Law rather than embracing the gift of Grace is actually an illegitimate existence void of peace.) Such a path leads to death–come to the Tree of Life and you will find the way–the way of your unique soul–the way to Life, Liberty, and Love.
However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God]. 10 If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides]. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you ( Romans 8).
It is Finished
Jesus finished the Law at the Cross because He fulfilled it for us. He became sin although He never sinned–What this means is that Jesus is the savior of the world who makes all things new because we are no longer subject to futility and the curses of the fall. Jesus transforms our lives so that the full purpose of our existence manifests in the abundant life God plans for us from the foundation of the world! This is the way; we no longer have to do this thing called life on our own in terms of what is good and what is wrong (The Law.) We now live in the Covenant of Love that is all about living what is LIFE. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and guide in this life. Through our relationship with Jesus, we are being submerged into a baptism into the nature, character, ways, power, and authority of the Living God so we can give life to the earth again. The Law could never accomplish this–and our gift is one of favor and grace that centuries upon centuries were denied before Jesus died and finished it.
Paradise
There were four rivers in Paradise that represent connection and life; symbolizing the Way. 0 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is Pishon (increase); it is the one which flows around the whole land of Hav′ilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon (bursting forth); it is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is Tigris (rapid), which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphra′tes (fruitfulness) (Genesis 2).
When we put these rivers together to form an idea of connectedness to a land in terms of circulations of living waters birthing increase, bursting forth life and love, fruitfulness, and the rapid Living Water flowing ever into our lives, we are embracing the will and purpose of God: to have a people in the way of life on the earth. The people of God bring a fruitfulness and the garden of Life into the earth dispelling futility and birthing more and more life through love, the New Covenant of Grace is the New Covenant of Love and Light. This is paradise. This is subduing the earth and having dominion over the darkness. “The Rivers” of Life represent the watering of the Word in our lives that work and flow together bringing Life to the Earth through the Body of Christ as we become more like Jesus: The Golden Glory, Christ in us the hope of Glory.
The Way of Life
When we abide in the Word while seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit in our meditations, we learn to hear the voice of God. We follow the voice as it lines up with the Word into the Wisdom and revelation of Jesus Christ and find the way. Jesus “moves into our neighborhood,” into our lives bringing transformation and change in our being and situations and circumstances resulting from a fallen and imperfect world.
The changes we experience line up with a repentant attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving. When we embrace change, we are like the sheep who yield their necks to the shearers hand to shed the sin of a selfish and disobedient life of self. What shall we say then? Shall I continue in the sin of ______ so that grace may abound? Certainly not, how shall I who have died to the sin of ______ live any longer in it? (Romans 6). Deliverance from sin is an ongoing process of transformation and obedience to the Spirit of God as we become more like Jesus. This is The Way.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).
The Holy Spirit teaches us how to live by faith in The Way. It is so important to develop a life of Love by returning to our first love in Jesus. Relationship with the King brings out God’s purpose. Reading the Word by the Spirit teaches us how to hear “Rhema Word.” This is the message of life in every circumstance; this is when God moves into our situation to bring resolve and radical acceptance. This is when we hear the Will of God in our heart to the point of knowing what to do in terms of right vs wrong; a walk in the will and love of our creator. This is when God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him.