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AN INTERACTIVE SUMMARY OF THE ETERNAL DIALOGUE
The following paragraphs are presented as a summary of The Eternal Dialogue. The review questions are designed to facilitate a clear comprehension of the thesis statements contained in that document. Click on the answer of your choice to determine the level of progress you are making in understanding the major points presented in this summary. For your convenience a link to the entire document is provided at the end of this lesson.
One of the greatest of all the misunderstandings of Christian theology is that salvation is a one-time experience that takes place as we pray the correct prayer and believe the correct theology. It is a ticket that admits us to Heaven when we die, we suppose.
It is true rather that salvation is a way of life. The righteous live by faith—this is how they live. We keep on interacting with Jesus, worshiping Him and doing what He says. He keeps on feeding us with His body and blood, with eternal life.
When we keep on eating Christ’s flesh and drinking Christ’s blood we remain in Him and He remains in us. Then we have Christ’s love of righteousness in our heart. We also have the mind of Christ. We think His thoughts and judge as He judges. This is the fulfillment of the new covenant.
The Father sent Christ and Christ lives by the Life of the Father, so it is to be true of us that we continually are to be eating and drinking Christ in order that Christ may become every aspect of our life.
This is the eternal dialogue. It is not just for our present life but for eternity. Christ eternally is living in a dialogue with the Father. We eternally will be living in a dialogue with Christ, providing this is what we truly desire. We will be following the Lamb wherever He goes.
Review Question#1. Please click on the answer you think is correct.
A simple way to describe salvation is:
As Christ is formed in us our new nature begins to express itself. Our new nature has been born of God and does not sin because it is of the Divine Nature.
First we obey the New Testament commandments. Then we enjoy the righteous nature that God is forming in us.
The Holy Spirit guides us in the way of righteousness, helping us to put to death the compulsions of our sinful nature.
As we listen to Jesus He does not take us back under the Law of Moses. He does not speak to us about the kosher regulations, for example. Neither does He speak to us about a pre-tribulation rapture. Neither does He speak to most of us about "going out and saving souls." These are the sorts of rules that bring God’s people into guilt and bondage.
Rather, the Lord speaks to us about following Him. Sometimes He leads us in ministry. On other occasions He directs us as to how we should raise our family. He may warn us of danger, or encourage us to take a specific action.
We are to press forward until we know the will of Christ at all times. This is the highest form of righteousness.
Review Question #2. Please click on the answer you think is correct.
If we listen to Jesus, He is likely to:
a. speak to us about rules concerning keeping the Law of Moses.
b. speak to us about following Him in practical everyday choices.
What is the Lord saying to you right now? Ask Him. Enter a dialogue with Him. Learn to bring all of your thoughts to Him.
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. (Psalms 10:4)
When we attempt to bring Jesus into our mind and heart so that we are in a continual dialogue with Him, we run into opposition from our adamic mind. Our adamic mind is not subject to the Holy Spirit and is the biggest problem we have.
God gave each of us an independent mind, the ability to reason. God expects us to use common sense. But our life is to be governed by the Spirit of God. We are not to trust in our own understanding but to look continually to the Lord for wisdom and strength in all that we do.
Perhaps the biggest battle we have as we learn to follow Christ has to do with our adamic mind. To let go of our adamic reasoning and keep looking to Christ in all the decisions of life is a strong challenge. Only the most mature Christians will succeed in abandoning their own reasoning that they might embrace a dialogue with the Lord.
Review Question #3. Please click on the answer you think is correct.
Our life is to be governed by:
b. using the mind God gave us and the ability to reason.
We can enjoy the Pentecostal experience of having the Holy Spirit come upon us. We can speak in tongues and prophesy, and yet maintain our own will and way.
But when we begin to pass into the Tabernacles experience in which Christ is formed in us, and then the Father and the Son come and dwell in that which has been formed in us, we cannot maintain our own will and way.
Why can’t we enjoy the Tabernacles experience and still maintain our own will and way?
It is because in the Tabernacles experience we become the throne of God and of the Lamb. We cannot maintain our own will and way and still be the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Does this mean we lose or forfeit our will, our ability to make decisions?
Not at all. Loss of our ability to make decisions is characteristic of passivity, not of the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles.
Rather it is true that the Lord dines with us and we with the Lord. He does not move us as a robot. Rather He tells us of His plans, His desires, and we choose to do what He says. It is a matter of joyous obedience, not of being an "empty vessel" with no will of our own. It is an eternal integration of God’s will and our will.
Review Question #4. Please click on the answer you think is correct.
When we move past Pentecost and enter the Tabernacles experience the Lord:
a. moves us as a robot and we become an "empty vessel."
b. tells us of His plans, His desires, and we choose to do what He says.
We need the Lord Jesus today as never before. He is in our midst; but we turn away and perform our own religious works. It is as though He is far off in Heaven and has left it up to us to build His Kingdom.
Yet, He said that He would build His Church on the Rock He Himself Is.
Our watchword should be, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit."
Today there are minister who are attempting to "put on their administrative hat" and direct the Holy Spirit. Or they may engage in physical gymnastics and contortions in the hope of "bringing the Spirit down." Maybe we should sing to the Spirit, or pray to the Spirit, or otherwise attempt to get the Spirit to do whatever we want, they imagine. They are not certain how to "get the Spirit" because they are not in a dialogue with Christ.
The truth is, God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. It is Christ who pours out the Spirit when God is ready. What we ought to be doing is listening to Jesus until we understand what He desires of us. When we do what He wants, and have prepared ourselves and others according to His will, then He will pour out His Spirit.
Review Question#5. Please click on the answer you think is correct.
To become ready for the next move of God we should:
a. attempt to get the Spirit to do whatever we want.
b. be listening to Jesus until we understand what He desires of us.
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Source Document:
Copyright © 2002 Trumpet Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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Copyright © 1997-2001 by Trumpet Ministries, Inc. / The Word of Righteousness Author of the "Words of Righteousness" - Dr. Robert B. Thompson Web Page design by True Word Designs
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