And Abraham said, My son, the Lord will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Gen 22:8 Jesus is that lamb.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isa 7:14 This is the most amazing prophecy ever uttered.      Immanuel means 'God with us'.     This is why Jesus referred to Himself as the Son Of Man rather than the Son Of God.      Jesus is the incarnation of God, not merely His offspring.

Neither shall he stand that handles the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rides the horse deliver himself. Amo 2:15

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Mat 16:24 Your Cross and mine is personal rejection by unbelievers for our testimony of Christ Jesus.      Until we are willing to be rejected by men for Christ`s testimony we bear no cross.      It is a dangerous thing to be unwilling to suffer persecution for our testimony.     It is the next thing to outright denial of Him as Saviour and Lord.      We deny ourselves by giving all praise glory and honour to Christ Jesus at the risk of being persecuted.      So, we take up the cross of persecution - being mistreated because of our stance for Christ.      We follow Jesus is His Word and Holy Spirit, speaking as He spoke and doing what He did.      Peter`s Double Minded nature Mat 16:23 was not unique to him so Jesus addressed all the disciples so that they understood the level of commitment that Jesus required.     We must deny ourselves.      Peter had tried to intervene in the direction of Jesus` Physical Life.     So, Jesus addresses how to experience Abundant Life in our Physical Life in His comments to all the disciples.     We find Abundant Life by giving up our Self Will controlled life in obedience to the Holy Spirit and Word.      Persecution for our testimony is our cross.     Those who do not testify of Jesus Christ receive no persecution and so never bear their cross.      Jesus testified of the Father and suffered rejection and death for it.     Jesus is a stumblingblock to the rebellious unbeliever and so are we in our testimony of Him.

And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Mat 23:12 The Lord resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble.

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? Luk 10:29 Self Righteousness is no righteousness.

So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward the Lord. Luk 12:21 ` Rich toward the Lord` means having our worth in our relationship with His Holy Spirit.

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father`s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! Luk 15:17 Coming to oneself is a realization of one`s essence apart from one`s circumstances.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Luk 18:14 No one is able to stand before the Lord on their own.      But, In Christ we can come boldly to His throne of Grace Heb 4:16.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luk 24:27

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that the Lord was his Father, making himself equal with His Holy Spirit Father. Joh 5:18 In Christ the Holy Spirit is your Father as well.     Act like it and talk like it.      Jesus did not go around stating point blank that He was Mighty God, but He knew that the people knowledgable about the Messianic prophesies would understand who He was in every aspect of the Christ.

For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that himself does: and he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. Joh 5:20 The Holy Spirit shows us things and then we are to do them by His power.

For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself; Joh 5:26 The Holy Spirit is life.     He is the Father and He fills His Son.

And the Father himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me.     You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. Joh 5:37 Jesus is telling them that they have never and will never hear from the Father or see the Father except in Christ Jesus.      Jesus is the one and only expression of the Father in Word and in Spirit.     All other perceptions of Him are error.      Note that Jesus was speaking to Jews who worshipped the god of the Old Testament.     He was telling them that what they were worshipping was not really YHVH.     They were worshipping a wrong idea about YHVH.     So, He came to manifest the Truth about the Holy Spirit, YHVH.

If the Holy Spirit be glorified in him, the Holy Spirit shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Joh 13:32 Jesus did the will of His Holy Spirit and in so doing received honour and glory of Him.

For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from the Holy Spirit. Joh 16:27 The Holy Spirit loves those who believe and receive His manifestation in Christ Jesus.      By our faith In Christ we have access to the Throne Of Grace to which we can come boldly, confidently to receive whatever we have need of.     Heb 4:16

The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of the Holy Spirit. Joh 19:7 Jesus is the express image of His Holy Spirit Father.     So, in crucifying Christ Jesus they crucified His Holy Spirit.

To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven: Act 1:3 The infallible proofs were that He showed that He is alive to many people.     There is not much detail given, but I suspect Jesus rehearsed many of His teachings with the disciples so that their understanding of the Kingdom Of God was on firm foundation.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as the Lord has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Rom 12:3 Despite the induement with power, wisdom and other gifts of the Holy Spirit we are simply vessels that He uses to perform His works.     As Jesus said, `Without Me you can do nothing.`The Measure Of faith is given to every man.      So, we are not special because we attached our faith to the Faith Of Christ.     Rather we are special because the Holy Spirit drew us to Him, and gave us The Measure Of faith that we exercised to be saved by the Faith Of Christ.

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to the Lord. Rom 14:12 Jesus is our judge on behalf of His Holy Spirit Father.

Corinthians 5:18 Corinthians 5:19

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of the Holy Spirit Father: Gal 1:4 The `Who` is the Lord Jesus Christ - our God.      We are delivered from this present evil world while we are yet in it by the authority of the Word and the power of His Holy Spirit who places us in Himself.      Our Lord does not just deliver us from something, He delivers us into something.      What is that something?     It is the will of the Holy Spirit    ➛ that all men be saved    ➛ that we be Born Again of the Word 2Pe 3:9    ➛ that we be filled with the Holy Spirit.     Mat 3:11    ➛ that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds Phi 2:5 When we are Born Again, Spirit Filled and Word transformed we experience what it means to be In Christ and fully equipped to serve Him.     Eph 2:10 Newness of life is what the Lord delivers us into.      Be all that you can be in Him.     Rom 6:4

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of the Holy Spirit, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20 Water Baptism is symbolic of what actually happens in the Spirit Realm.      Paul explains that the old Sin Nature, that we were, is dead and buried with Christ so that we, by Grace Through Faith, are raised with Him as New Spirit beings with the opportunity and power to operate in the newness of Abundant Life John 10:10.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, Eph 1:5 The Lord did not create the heavens and the earth without a plan.     The essence of His plan was and is to raise up children unto Himself.     He created us in His image - specifically with Free Will, the ability to choose.      So, His plan predestined us to be His children by virtue of our exercising our gift of Free Will to receive His person, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.      If we were predestined with no choice in the matter, the whole timeline of human existence makes no sense as those predestined to be His children was already fixed just as those who were predestined to damnation was already fixed.

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself: Eph 1:9 The Mystery Of God, the Mystery Of Christ and the Mystery Hidden are all part of one mystery which has been revealed to us.      What is that revelation?         ➛ that Jesus is Creator    ➛ that the Holy Spirit is the Father    ➛ that we were created to be in intimate personal relationship with our Creator    ➛ that our Creator sacrificed Himself for us    ➛ that our Creator has cleansed us    ➛ that we are one with our Creator by receiving His Holy Spirit in Jesus name.

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Eph 2:20 The body of Christ is construced of believers who are members in particular of which Christ Jesus is the head and Chief Corner Stone.

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to the Lord for a sweetsmelling savour. Eph 5:2 Wilfully and purposefully determine that you will walk in love which is a sweetsmelling savour to our Holy Spirit Father.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph 5:27 Christ has washed us in His blood and His Word.     He has filled us with His Holy Spirit and He will finish the work that He has started in us so that it is perfect in Spirit, soul and body and fit for His kingdom at His appearing.      We are the workmanship of Christ Jesus and He will present us to Himself.      You see, if it is good, it is of the Holy Spirit, by the Holy Spirit and for the Holy Spirit.      This is to the praise and glory of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus!

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men [as the Body Of God ]: Phi 2:7 But Jesus did not lift Himself up.     He lifted His Holy Spirit Father up and glorified Him.     Jesus humbled His soul`s will to the will of His Holy Spirit.      We must humble our soul`s will to the will of our New Spirit in order to manifest as a Son Of The Holy Spirit.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Phi 2:8 Jesus Christ is the Soul Of God in the Body Of God filled with the Spirit Of God.     (He is Spirit Soul And Body just as we are who were created in His image).      Our Creator prepared Himself a Body to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world.     Christ Jesus is God with us - Immanuel.      The Soul Of God and the Body Of God had to submit to the Spirit Of God who is the love and compassion from which Grace proceeds.

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Col 1:20 Jesus reconciled all things to Himself by shedding His blood and dying on the cross.      Why?     Because His whole purpose in creation was for us to experience His life in intimate personal relationship with Him.      He had to do it for His own pleasure.     He had to do it for our pleasure.     We are His pleasure and He ought to be ours.      When He is our pleasure, the windows of heaven open and we enter into His glory and we see it and hear it and feel it.      This is our existence in the New Birth whereby we become One with His Holy Spirit who opens up to us the power of His Word.      You were not created to trudge, you were created to fly.      In the awareness of whom Christ has called us we understand that we are Sons, we are priests, we are above, we are in Him and He is in us such that there is no difference.      He is our life and we are extensions of Himself.

Thessalonians 4:16 Thessalonians 3:16 Timothy 2:6

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Tit 2:14 Highlights of the Gospel of Grace Through Faith.

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Heb 1:3 This is an amazing verse!     Let`s enumerate the points it makes:    ➛ Jesus is the epitome of God`s glory    ➛ Jesus is how God looks    ➛ Jesus holds everything together by the Word of His power    ➛ Jesus has purged all sin by himself    ➛ Jesus is seated at the right hand of Majesty This profound statement speaks to the fact that matter exists and is ordered by the command of the eternal Word by the eternal Spirit.      It explains why science is unable to fathom the essence of matter.     They have reached the point where the energy to inspect the smaller particles moves them (Heisenberg uncertainty principle).      If they were able to keep delving they would find nothing material, only Jesus` spoken Word!      The Holy Spirit is The Majesty.     Jesus is His physical form.     The Majesty is not defined by dimensions.     He is infinite.     Jesus` body is finite but He is the focal point of The Majesty.     We cannot `see` His Holy Spirit in the same way we `see` Jesus.     - Joh 3:8

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb 2:14 The Lord took on flesh and blood to experience life as His children.     By raising Himself from the dead He has defeated Satan the death-master.

For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Heb 2:18 Christ Jesus has been through it so that He can identiy with us and deliver us.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Holy Spirit offered himself without spot to Him, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Holy Spirit? Heb 9:14 Our conscience is our heart.     Our hearts were corrupted by the Sin Nature.     Christ Jesus has made us a New Spirit being through the New Birth by His Word and Holy Spirit.      Our Lord does not want us to experience guilt.     Guilt undermines faith.     This is why we have to believe that Christ Jesus has taken all sin and all the guilt associated with it and all the punishment for it upon Himself.      Without complete exoneration we could never walk in Newness Of Life.      Believe and walk in eternal, abundant life.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of the Lord is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and the Lord himself shall be with them, and be their Lord. Rev 21:3 Is this our future or our present or both?     It is both Each of us have a body and that body is the temple of the Holy Spirit 1Co 6:19.      We are bought with the price of Jesus` blood 1Co 6:20.      We are now Sons Of The Holy Spirit 1Jn 3:2.      But, we have not yet been fully redeemed.     Our Spirit is new, but our soul and body are waiting for redemption Rom 8:23 which will occur at His appearing.      At Jesus` return we will see the perfect fulfillment of this prophecy.     Our faith will then be sight as we see Him face to face 1Jn 3:2 Until then, walk in Newness Of Life in the Holy Spirit and the Word by faith Rom 6:4 Gal 5:25.