Communion With the Christ:: Dividing the Flesh and the Spirit,

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow” Heb:4:12a

We can read in the Holy Bible that Jesus is the Word of God, and that this Word took on our humanity through the incarnation and walked among us as one of us for all of us.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jhn: 1:1

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (14)

Jesus, as we understand, has come forth from the Father. While the Lord Jesus walked among us, he modeled what we could understand to be the perfect life, setting us an example for us to look upon and to emulated in our daily lives and he lived what the ancient Church called “the Vicarious Life” for us. In other words, Jesus did for us what he told us to be. He was perfect, not just to show us what it looks like, but he did it for us.

“Therefore, you be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect” Matt:5:48

All Have Fallen Short

Yet, each of us knows fully our inability to be perfect, we all stumble and fail, and it does not take us long to know that we all at some point gives in to the pulls of the flesh and we sin.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”; Rm:3:23

Jesus, however has not succumbed to the pulls which so often beset each and all of us.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Heb: 4:15

Jesus knows what we face in life , yet never gave into the flesh, this is important to understand that he fulfills this role for us. Jesus, has brought the life of God into our world and lives and has shown us what it looks like.

The written Word of God does for us exactly what the person of the Word does for us. Stands for us as us, the written word is the same.

The Word of God

Now, as we understand we have been provided with a written record of the heavenly life which Jesus has shown us and lives for us. That written record is the Holy Bible. This written record we know is not the product of human reason and or origins.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” 2Tim:3:16

St. Paul, is telling us that the Scripture finds itself coming forth from God himself even as Jesus has.

Many Christians embrace the Scripture as a moral guide to life or a life enhancement and the living out the Christian life. Some, approach the Bible as showing us “how to live”; and to be sure it is that and more.

Now, when we approach the Bible as a guide to Holy Living moral code we often fail in some way or another, even when we set our hearts to obtain this high standard. This failing can cause us great frustration attempting to do what none of us can do.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Rm: 7:15

When we read these lofty expectations found within the Holy Word of God and we come to realize that we are unable to live up to them we can become frustrated and even discouraged but when we read them as to who we are in Christ and understand that Jesus alone has and is this Holiness and we find that, he shares his very self with us, we then can rest in Him and be at peace.

What the Bible presents to us is “who Jesus is”, having come from the Father which is the primary subject of the Bible and how he has executed the perfect Heavenly life for us all and has accomplished our Salvation on our behalf if we will but freely receive it when we hear the Gospel message.

“Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself”. Lk: 24:26-27

The Word Divides

St. Paul recognized that he, of himself, was helpless against the constant pulls of the flesh and knew that he needed Jesus to stand for him, that is to live for him, not just “when he needed it” but always and forever. The Apostle, also came to realize that his life had two distinct realities, which in his human experience, and all of ours, simultaneously as we pass through life until we enter eternity.

“I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” Gal: 2:20

When we read the Bible, we find us confronted with the same realities that St. Paul did. We fail of our own selves but yet, we see two great contrasts given to us, the first is who we are in this life and the realities of this Earthly life, that is the flesh. We also are presented with the direct opposite, who we are in Christ.

It is as if the Bible cuts through us and severs one part of us from the other as we read in Hebrews: The spirit from the flesh.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow” Heb:4:12a

Many times, we can read these verses as the Word of God convicting us and reveals to us our true natures in such a cutting way that we brought to repentance for whatever comes to our minds; however, I would like to suggest that there may be a little different understanding of what the Holy Spirit is saying to us all.

The Word of God may be telling us that the Earthly reality of the flesh, has through the work of Jesus, has been cut asunder, divided from us, so that we might be free from it in the eyes of God and stand before him only as who we are in Jesus.

“Dividing flesh and spirit, joints and marrow”

This would free us to see ourselves through Who Jesus is, so that, when we read the Bible we read of the Earthly nature of sin in contrast with Heavenly Nature of perfection, so the Bible is, in effect, tell us, this is who you were in Adam, sinful and broken, and this is what life was like in Adam and at times still is. But now, this is who you are in Jesus. Perfect and whole.

When we read the Bible, we should read it for who Jesus is and for who we are in him. This view acknowledges our eternal dependence on and for Jesus, but also allows us to see who God sees each of us to be in his Son. When we fail, we thank God for the Salvation which is ours in Jesus and move forward trusting in Jesus’ vicarious humanity for us.

This is what St. Paul wanted Christians and all people to know and understand when he preached the Gospel. See yourself as God sees you and how he experiences you through Jesus.

“God has divided the flesh from the spirit.”

Jesus’ vicarious life is the vantage point by which God looks upon you. Where we see failure, he sees success, where we see brokenness, he sees wholeness. The Word of God is not there to condemn us but to present to us these realties and who Jesus is for us all.

“There is now no more condemnation to those who are in Christ” Rm: 8:1

When we read the Holy Word of God and we see the presentation of Holy living; this should encourage us to know that this is how we are viewed by our Heavenly Father in and through Jesus Christ.

Benediction: May we each and all give thanks to God for his Holy Word that sets us free from the Earthly Life of the flesh so that we might live the Heavenly Life in Christ, today, Tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.