Friday | 08 November 2024
The apostle Paul declared, ‘Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’ 2Co 3:17. The liberty that is ministered from the lordship of Christ, by the Spirit, is the power for us to walk blamelessly in the fellowship of Christ’s offering. This capacity is expressed by the name, El Shaddai, or God Almighty. We note, in this regard, that it was El Shaddai who met Abram, saying, ‘I am Almighty God [El Shaddai]; walk before Me and be blameless.’ Gen 17:1.
Through this encounter, the Lord gave Abram and Sarai new names. He did this by placing an element of His own name (YHWH) within Abram’s natural name, indicating that Abraham was joined to the fellowship of the name of Yahweh and had received a portion of the capacity that belongs to the name of Yahweh. Gen 17:5. Abraham’s new name represented his share in the divine nature of God. Notably, Sarah did not receive her name directly from the Lord but, rather, through His word to Abraham. Gen 17:15.
We demonstrate that we are receiving the power to walk blamelessly, which is liberty received from the lordship of Christ by the Spirit, as we lay down our lives in love, and serve one another in the order of headship. As the apostle Paul noted, ‘For you, brethren, have been called to liberty [through the lordship of Christ, by the Spirit]; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another’. Gal 5:13.
Jesus demonstrated the power to lay down His life. He testified, ‘No-one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.’ Joh 10:18. Importantly, Christ’s power to lay down His life in offering was not sourced from Himself. It was received through the agency of the Spirit as He, ‘through the Eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God’. Heb 9:13-14.
Further Study:
HEBREWS 9
References:
2Co 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Gen 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.’
Gen 17:5
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
Gen 17:15
Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.’
Gal 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Joh 10:18
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.
Heb 9:13-14
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?