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Posts tagged ‘Spiritual’

Understanding the Spiritual Significance of Altars

The English word “altar” in Hebrew is “mizbeach,” derived from the root word “zabach,” which means “to slaughter, kill, or slay an animal.” The altar served as the central place for sacrifices and the meeting point between God and humans.

Notice the following altars:

Building of the AltarReference
Noah builds an altar after the flood(Gen. 8:20)
Abram (Abraham) builds an altar near Bethel(Gen. 12:7)
Abraham builds an altar on Mount Moriah and called it Jehovah-jireh(Gen. 22:9, 14)
Isaac builds an altar Beer-sheba(Gen. 26:25)
Jacob builds an altar at Shalem(Gen. 33:20)
Moses builds an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi(Exod. 17:15)
Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal(Josh. 8:30)
Gideon builds an altar and called it Jehovah-shalom(Jude 6:24)
Manoah builds an altar on a rock(Judg. 13:19-20)
King Saul builds an altar to the Lord.(1 Sam. 14:35)
King David builds an altar and stopped a plague(2 Sam. 24:21, 25)

Solomon built the First Temple to God in Jerusalem, placing a permanent altar in the outer court for daily sacrifices. Under the Old Covenant, three types of altars were made: one of natural stones (Joshua 8:30-32), a square brass altar (Exodus 27:1-2), and a golden altar in the holy place for burning daily incense (Exodus 30:1-3). These three altars symbolize three spiritual battles every believer will face.

  • Stone Altar: Abraham uses the stone altar to offer Isaac to God on Mount Moriah, symbolizing personal sacrifice and the surrender of our own will to the will of the heavenly Father. Willing to give up his best to please the Almighty, Abraham sets aside his personal feelings to serve a greater divine purpose. To understand God’s will, we must first come to this altar and confront our own desires, emotions, and self-interest.
  • Brass Altar: The second altar, known as the brass altar, is where the flesh of animals was offered in sacrifice. It symbolizes our willingness to take up our cross and follow Christ (Matt. 16:24) and to crucify our flesh (Gal. 5:24). Our bodies are “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1), with our carnal nature needing to be brought under control. Sacrifices here were bound to the four horns of the altar, representing believers standing firm in faith until God transforms them from within. The three fires constantly burning on the brass altar remind us of the Lord’s zeal that must keep burning in our hearts as we submit to God’s Spirit and bring our flesh into submission.
  • Golden Altar: The golden altar is where incense is burned each day, carrying the prayers of the righteous to God. It’s the place where we grow in worship and prayer.

At the stone altar, we learn obedience to God’s will; at the brass altar, we find freedom from sin and train our flesh; and at the golden altar, we embrace and practice daily prayer and worship.

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bible, Bible Study, Christian Living, Scriptural Articles

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Understanding the Natural, Carnal, and Spiritual Man

 
The Natural, Carnal, and Spiritual Man
 
The Natural Man 
    • The natural man is one who lives without God – who lives his/her life “in the flesh”. The “flesh” in this sense means the sinful (lower) nature- the nature which became a part of man after the fall (sin) of Adam and Eve. Now, this sinful nature is passed down to all men. 
  • The illustration shows that the door of the spirit (that part of man that relates to God) is closed. the door of the flesh is open. The natural man must be born again – his spirit made alive.
  • 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 
  • Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
  • Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
  • Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
  • Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
  • Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The Carnal Christian 
The carnal Christian is one who lives his/her life “according to the flesh” Though the carnal Christian has received Christ and is a partaker of the divine nature of God they have failed to continue to grow spiritually. The carnal Christian follows the dictates of his/her fleshly nature more often than those of his/her spiritual nature.
The illustration shows that the carnal Christian has opened the door of the spirit by receiving Christ, but has not closed the door of the flesh.
  • 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
  • Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
  • Galatians 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
  • Romans 7:15-25   For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The Spiritual Christian 
 The Spiritual Christian is one who lives his/her life “in the Spirit” – sold out to Jesus! Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, and their life is totally dependent upon Him.
The illustration shows that the spiritual Christian has closed the door to the flesh. The spiritual Christian lives in the Spirit and walks in the Spirit.
  • Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
  • Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
  • Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
  • Romans 6:12-14 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
  • I Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
  • Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 
  • Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

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Scriptural Articles, The Eternity of God

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