Understanding the Sabbath
Today’s Focus: Characteristics of the Soulish Life
Scripture: Genesis 3:7; 1 John 4:18
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
We know that the soul became man’s dominant view to the Earth after the fall. Genesis 3:7 states this:
Genesis 3:7: And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
The first characteristic is nakedness. Now nakedness has been viewed in various lights depending upon the people who you ask. Now, to be naked is to be without covering. When mankind sinned, they lost the covering of God, the glory of God. When this happened they became exposed and vulnerable. How many people are spiritually naked, exposed and vulnerable. I will take it a step further, How many sons of God “feel vulnerable and exposed”. This is the most detrimental feeling to be truly clothed but mentally feel naked. So nakedness is a characteristic of one who lives a soulish life.
The second characteristic is alternative coverings. Adam and Eve tried to cover up their nakedness with fig leaves but nothing can cover spiritual nakedness but the glory of God. But what carnal people do they start taking on the ideas of man, titles, worldly education and sadly these like the fig leaves are all perishable. Let me give you this vivid picture. In this current season we have a epidemic of bishops. They have specific uniforms, robes, collars, chains around the heart and special colors. Now the unique thing is these men are anointed and can rightly divide the word of truth. Now you may say well what is the problem then? If you took away all of the physical things that make them stand out, they feel naked and feel they cannot “perform” without the robes or collars or special colors that say “I am the bishop”. The anointing does not validate man. The anointing validates God.
It is sad the way we maintain these titles and vestments and much of what we see in the church today is a Nicolaitane doctrine. If you do not know what the Nicolaitanes’ doctrine is,it is a doctrine promoting lawlessness and taking the grace of God as an occasion to sin. It is a doctrine that means what it is named after: To conquer the laity. Jesus says in Revelation 2:15 that He hates the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.
The third characteristic is lost of the Spirit to spirit communication. When they lost this intimate relationship fear now set in and moreover we see the first sign of intellectual deterioration in man. What was that? Adam and Eve thought that they could hide from God.
1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
So the fear that took hold of Adam and Eve after the fall was not of God because before the fall they feared nothing.
The final characteristic of a soulish life is one who loves to find blame. When someone is always seeking blame for everything going wrong, they are clearly not at rest. Remember when God confronted Adam about what he did and what did Adam do? He tried to blame God for the woman He gave her. But just some time ago, Adam was making the beautiful declaration that this is flesh of his flesh, bone of his bones. She is my wife and I am cleaving to her. The only difference between that time and the “that woman you gave me” time is the change of mindset from being Spirit lead to being soul lead. Because God was displeased with Adam and Eve, He cast them out of Eden. We know that the Garden of Eden is the place where man and God fellowshipped together, hence it is a type and shadow of the Body of Christ where man and God will be fellowship once again.
In the next message we will switch gears and start looking at how we solve the problem.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
