127 – Compatibility with God
I am on ground that I pray is more stable than it may appear, as we search the scripturestonight. This study is born out of working with people in recent weeks, and finding one thing common to everyone: A feeling of compatibility was ambushed or has been lacking in every person. “Compatible,” according to Webster’s online dictionary, means “capable of existing together in harmony.”
I sought the Lord about this, because the word arose in every case recently, and it came up multiple times in the process of working with members of the Body of Christ whom we know, love, and serve.
Here’s what I believe the Lord is revealing so far, and I pray to be able to walk through the scriptures together to establish the revelation in God’s word, and to point us in a direction by which to resolve the issue each of us faces, I believe, to one degree or another.
Mark 10
17 And at His going out into the road, lo! one certain rich man, running toward Him and falling on his knees before Him, inquired of Him, "Good Teacher! What shall I be doing that I should be enjoying the allotment of life eonian?"
18 Now Jesus said to him, "Why are you terming Me good? No one is good except One, God.
19 With the precepts you are acquainted: You should not be murdering. You should not be committing adultery. You should not be stealing. You should not be testifying falsely. You should not be cheating. 'Be honoring your father and mother.'"
20 Now he averred to Him, "Teacher, all these I maintain from my youth."
21 Now Jesus, looking at him, loves him, and said to him, "Still one thing you are wanting. Go. Whatever you have, sell, and be giving to the poor, and you will be having treasure in heaven. And hither! Follow Me, picking up the cross."
God seems always to be pointing to THE ONE THING.Let’s just finish this story, because there is appoint to make at the end:
26 Now they were exceedingly astonished, saying to Him, "And who can be saved?"
27 Now, looking at them, Jesus is saying, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all is possible with God."
Take note of this statement, because, as we have seen many times before, the Lord expresses a principle in answering a seemingly simple question. READ AGAIN
Let me ask you, “Why is it impossible for men and women to save themselves?” This is not an idle or only rhetorical question. Keep it in mind as we go on, because the answer will become evident soon enough.
28 Peter begins to say to Him, "Lo! we leave all and follow Thee! What, consequently, will it be to us?"
29 Jesus averred to him, "Verily, I am saying to you that there is no one who leaves a house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, on My account and on account of the evangel,
30 who should not be getting back a hundredfold now, in this era, houses and brothers and sisters and mother and father and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming eon, life eonian.
31 Yet many of the first shall be last, and the last first."
32 Now they were on the road, going up into Jerusalem, and Jesus was preceding them. And they were awe-struck, yet those following feared.
“They” are the 12, and The 12 were “awestruck,” while “those following”— the rest of the people – feared. Jesus told everyone within earshot that day what following Him would cost, AND what would be the reward. We can understand being “awestruck” as were the 12, but why did the rest “fear”? Could it be because they were “incapable of existing together in harmony” with God; with His sovereignty over their lives and His purpose for them, BECAUSE of the cost involved? The 12 were awestruck, but were not fearful, possibly because they’d already signed on to whatever Jesus was about. They’d been hand-picked, remember, and, as Jesus intimated in John 17, the Father had given the 12 to Him. Everyone else was a hanger-on – a “roadie” – so to speak.
Psalm 27:4 –
One thing I have asked from ` Yahweh— Only ` it am I seeking :That I may dwell − in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, To perceive ithe pleasantness of Yahweh, And to make my quest − in His temple.
David focused on ONE THING, and remember that the scripture in Samuel refers to David as, “a man according toMy heart,” in Acts 13:22:
He rouses David for their king, to whom He said also, in testifying, 'I found David, of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who will be doing all My will.'
Make a note of the words, “according to My Heart,” because this IS the solution to the challenge I’m presenting to us tonight
Genesis 1
27+ So Elohim| created `. humanity in His image; in the image of Elohim He created`it: male and female He created ` them. 28+ Elohim| blessed ` them, and Elohim| said to them: Be fruitful and increase; + fill ` the earth and subdue it. + Hold sway iover the fish of the sea and iover the flyer of the heavens, 7+i over every domestic beast n ,7+i over all the earth0 andiover every animal. thatis moving on the earth. 29 And Elohim| said:bdSince I have givenyou` all seed-yieldingherbagew that is on the face of the entire earth, and` every.treeion which there is the fruit of a seed-yielding tree, it shallb be yours for food. 30 And to every animal of the earth,+ to everyflyer of the heavens, and to every creeper| on the earth in which there is a living soul, I have given` all green herbage for food. Andit came to| be so. 31 AndElohim| saw` allw that He haddmade; and behold, it was very good.
Genesis 2
16 And Yahweh Elohim| instructed on the human, saying − : From every tree of the garden you may eat, yea eat − . 17+ But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you must not | eat from it; for ion the day you eat − from it, to die − you shall be dying.
God gave Adam six instructions:
- 1:28Be fruitful and increase
- 28fill ` the earth and subdue it
- 28Hold sway iover the fish of the sea and iover the flyer of the heavens, 7+i over every domestic beast n ,7+i over all the earth 0 and iover every animal . that is moving on the earth
- 29all seed-yielding herbage w that is on the face of the entire earth, and `every .tree ion which there is the fruit of a seed-yielding tree, it shall b be yours for food
- 2:16From every tree of the garden you may eat
- 17from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you must not | eat
Notice: Five instructions were about what TO do, and only One instruction was about what NOT to do. The final instruction was not only given, but, unlike the five that preceded it, the explanation for it was also given:
onthe day you eat − from it, to die − you shall be dying
“Here you go,” God says. “I’m giving you dominion over the entire earth and everything in it. Here’s everything you need to thrive – not just survive, mind you, but thrive. There’s only ONE thing I’m instructing you NOT to do: leave that tree over there alone. That tree is the knowledge of good and evil, and here’s why you need to steer clear: When you eat that fruit, you’ll begin a process of dying that you can’t stop and it will kill you ultimately. Your life – your awareness, consciousness, everything – will cease.” Clearly, God has always known both good and evil. In fact, He created both:
Notice here that God did not say “IF you eat that fruit,” but “when you eat it.”
And we all know what happened soon after that instruction was given to Adam, because you and I are suffering today the consequences of His action thousands of years ago, in the sense that we are aging and, should the Lord tarry, we will surely die, just as Adam and every other human being has died, save Enoch and Elijah.
So, what went wrong in that first garden? Did God speak in a language Adam couldn’t understand? No… Did Adam simply not hear God? No... Did Adam forget God’s instruction? No…What then?Here’s the key, I believe:
Genesis 1:26
26And Elohim| said: Let Usd make humanity in Our image 7 and n according to Our likeness.
Mankind was created in the image and likeness, not in the nature of God. Later on, in Genesis 3:22
22+ Then Yahweh Elohim| said: Behold, .hman has become like one f of Us in knowing − good and evil.
If Adam had been created in the NATURE of God, Who obviously DOES know good and evil (since He created both, according to ), I believe that Genesis 3:22 would not have been written. Indeed, I believe that the whole story of Mankind would have had to be very different, were God to have created man in His NATURE, rather than only “in His image” and “according to [His] likeness.”
1 Kings:9-12
9+ Will You give to Your servant a hearkening heart to judge ` Your people, to discern between good and evil; for a who | can judge − ` . this . burdensome people of You rs?
10 + The word was | well pleasing in the eyes of S Yahweh ph t because Solomon had requested ` . this .matter. 11 + So Elohim| sareplied to him, Because w you requested ` . this .matter and have neither asked for you rselfmany days, nor asked for you rselfriches, nor asked for the soul of your enemies | , + yet you have asked for you r- self understanding − to make out right judgment, 12 behold, I will do according to your word. Behold, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so w that no t one like you has been before you; and after you no t one shall rise like you.
The knowledge of good and evil, which Adam and Eve acquired upon eating of the fruit of that tree in Eden, did NOT come with the one thing necessary to handle that knowledge! Adam and Eve suddenly knew good and evil. They knew neither of those before they ate the fruit of that tree. The serpent spoke the truth about that part; however, they had no idea what to do with the knowledge they acquired instantly, and so they experienced shame, guilt, blame, and tried to hide from God. Some of us still try to do the same thing today, even after we’ve been saved! So, even SALVATION doesn’t impart the one thing necessary to “exist together in harmony” with God, i.e., to be compatible with Him, His sovereignty and His purpose.
Solomon prayed for one thing. What was it? wisdom. How many others in the scriptures prayed for wisdom? What do Solomon’s Proverbs emphasize the value of time and time again? WISDOM!I’m giving you my opinion here, but to me, knowledge gives someone certain skills, but WISDOMis what gives us the “capability of existing together in harmony” with God. WISDOM IS COMPATIBILILTY with God, with His sovereignty, His will, and His purpose. WISDOM, and therefore the harmony that follows, by definition, leads to peace in every cell and fiber, every organ and tissue, every nerve synapse and every function which enables you and me to live well in the bodies God gave us. Here’s a wild thought I never had before. See what you think: Wisdom IS inviting and participating in the presence of God in every area of our lives, and the surrender of every area of our lives to Him. Wisdom IS the recognition that our lives are not our own, as the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
are you not aware that your body is a temple of the holy spirit in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you are bought with a price.
The blood of Jesus Christ has saved all humanity from our incompatability – our failure, really, to exist together in harmony– with God. The blood of Jesus Christ, however, does not appear to save us into actually beingcompatible with God; with His sovereignty over all creation as especially over our lives. We therefore find ourselves in a state of fundamental incompatibility with God and His purpose!
How can we know this to be true? Glad you asked:
Romans 7:14 – 8:2
14 For we are aware that the law is spiritual, yet I am fleshly, having been disposed of under Sin.
15 For what I am effecting I know not, for not what I will, this I am putting into practice, but what I am hating, this I am doing.
16 Now if what I am not willing, this I am doing, I am conceding that the law is ideal.
17 Yet now it is no longer I who am effecting it, but Sin making its home in me.
18 For I am aware that good is not making its home in me (that is, in my flesh), for to will is lying beside me, yet to be effecting the ideal is not.
19 For it is not the good that I will that I am doing, but the evil that I am not willing, this I am putting into practice.
20 Now if what I am not willing, this I am doing, it is no longer I who am effecting it, but Sin which is making its home in me.
21 Consequently, I am finding the law that, at my willing to be doing the ideal, the evil is lying beside me.
22 For I am gratified with the law of God as to the man within,
23 yet I am observing a different law in my members, warring with the law of my mind, and leading me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 A wretched man am I! What will rescue me out of this body of death? Grace!
25 I thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Consequently, then, I myself, with the mind, indeed, am slaving for God's law, yet with the flesh for Sin's law.
Chapter 8
1Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Not according to flesh are they walking, but according to spirit,
2 for the spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of sin and death.
We’ve been freed from the LAW of THE sin and THE death, but not from our fundamental nature which dies and therefore is prone to sin. Notice the order there: we sin because we are dying. Adam earned the death sentence because he sinned; WE did not EARN the sentence of death as he did, but because it was passed on to us, we sin. We may be freed from its law but not from its tendencies which are woven into our nature…unless and until we die to the flesh entirely, thereby giving up all rights to ourselves, surrendering ourselves and every aspect of our lives to God. This is our ultimate price. Jesus paid with His life, literally. We only pay with our lives in spirit. But when we do, we become compatible with God, His sovereignty over all, and His purpose. God becomes all in us NOW. Hallelujah!
Galatians 5:16-23
16 Now I am saying, Walk in spirit, and you should under no circumstances be consummating the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh is lusting against the spirit, yet the spirit against the flesh. Now these are opposing one another, lest you should be doing whatever you may want.
18 Now, if you are led by spirit, you are not still under law.
19 Now apparent are the works of the flesh, which are adultery, prostitution, uncleanness, wantonness,
20 idolatry, enchantment, enmities, strife, jealousies, furies, factions, dissensions, sects,
21 envies, murders, drunkennesses, revelries, and the like of these, which, I am predicting to you, according as I predicted also, that those committing such things shall not be enjoying the allotment of the kingdom of God.
22 Now the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 meekness, self-control: against such things there is no law.
Matthew 26:36-
36 Then Jesus is coming with them into the freehold termed Gethsemane, and He is saying to His disciples, "Be seated, till I come away and should be praying there."
37 And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He begins to be sorrowful and depressed.
38 Then He is saying to them, Sorrow-stricken is My soul to death. Remain here and watch with Me."
39 And coming forward a little, He falls on His face, praying and saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass by from Me. However, not as Iwill, but as Thou!"
…
42 Again, coming away a second time, He prays, saying, "My Father, if this can not pass by from Me if I should not drink it, let Thy will be done!"
…
44 …He prays a third time, saying the same word.
Deuteronomy 13:4
After Yahweh your Elohim shall you go, and ` Him shall you fear; + ` His instructions shall you observe, and ito His voice shall you hearken; + ` Him shall you serve, and ito Him shall you cling.
3 John 2
2 Beloved, concerning all I am wishing that you be prospering and sound, according as your soul is prospering.
Prosper in Hebrew is:to be at rest, prosper, be quiet, be at ease
Sound in Greek is:in health, without disease
Luke 10
40 Now Martha was distracted about much serving. Now, standing by, she said, "Lord, art Thou not caring that my sister left me to serve alone? Then speak to her that she may be aiding me."
41 Now, answering, the Lord said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worrying and in a tumult about many things.
42 Yet of few is there need, or of one. For Mary chooses the goodpartwhich shall not be wrested from her."
apart from