“…the life blood encompasses the heart of the entire body (temple of the Holy Spirit) that indwells within, and mankind has received the blood transfusion of Jesus Christ for redemption. That blood is mankind’s justification for righteousness gifted at the cross where Jesus took the wrath on our behalf.”—(Part 1)

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.”—Psalm 90:17 _^(NASB)

SPIRITUAL INTELLECT

How do we discern the truth from the lie with a spiritual intellect? The carnal intellect must die through belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God who died and resurrected for mankind to be made alive, and we are in-fact—being made alive.

Since the carnal intellect dies through grace by faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve been resurrected to a spiritual intellect by the gift of God. The spiritual intellect is how the believer discerns the truth about our reality, this reality of sin and evil, a reality separated from God.

But not separated from the providence of God!

Below is a passage of scripture where the apostles of Jesus are in a boat at His [Jesus’] instruction, about 3 miles out at sea from the shore, on the fourth watch (3-6am), and are straining at the oars because the wind was against them; I imagine their straining against the oars as what we do with our carnal intellect against the spiritual intellect. But what comes next I find a bit humorous—like Jesus was pulling a prank or something.

So imagine being in the boat with these apostles straining at the oars to get to the other side, Bethsaida, where Jesus instructed us to go. It’s very early in the morning, and we’re feeling the weakness of our flesh, tired, but not giving up. Then all the sudden this ghost-like man appears walking on the water (which reminds me of Genesis when the spirit hovered over the surface of the waters) who looks to be distracted because the path of the ghost-like man seems directed to move pass the boat, not to the boat, but pass the boat; still, that doesn’t change what we’re witnessing—which is a ghost-like man walking on water!

So we all scream more girly than little boys because we’re not hallucinating what we all think is a ghost; then the ghost speaks, so we scream all the louder; the ghost says to us, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”

Still not convinced it’s Jesus, the apostle Peter demands the ghost-like man command him [Peter] to come out to Him [Jesus] on the sea. And so Jesus did.

But see the issue was that we—as though with the apostles—did not gain any insight from the miracle of the loaves that fed 5,000 people before we were instructed to go on ahead in crossing the sea. Why? Well, the scripture says it was because our hearts were hardened.

And what do you think that means, that the apostles’ heart’s were hardened?

Was it God that hardened their hearts in order that they would be traumatized by Jesus walking on the water in hopes they would understand the true nature of Jesus’ authority as the Son of God?

Lets read the passage of scripture from the gospel according to Mark:

⁴⁵ And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself *dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. ⁴⁹ But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” ⁵¹ Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, ⁵² for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.—Mark 6:45-52

So I don’t know about you, but if we’re of a spiritual intellect? I think we can discern that Jesus was intending to cross the sea without joining us in the boat, that is, until, of course, we all scream.

But that doesn’t satisfy as an answer to the original question, does it?

Was it God that hardened their hearts in order that they would be traumatized by Jesus walking on the water in hopes they would understand the true nature of Jesus’ authority as the Son of God?

It’s plausible; but being that Jesus was intending to move pass the boat indicates, initially, the motive was not to join them in the boat nor to frighten us to death.

So then what does this all mean?

It means our faith is what pleases God.

Our spiritual intellect is faith working out the issue of what is causing our unbelief, so that we can put that sin to death.

Our carnal intellect reacts in fear because of the darkness it’s of—our carnal intellect is a darkness that doesn’t understand the light of spiritual intellect. That’s why they got so terrified at what the carnal intellect reasons as impossible, completely foreign, because their hearts we hardened at their participation in the miracle of feeding 5,000; to be moved with compassion.

And by the grace of God at the reality of His Son moving on the surface of the waters shook them to the core, even to the degree of their questioning what kind of spirit would say, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”;(Matthew 14:28).

See, from what I believe to be of spiritual intellect, faith must be exercised with action; it isn’t enough to find assurance of information without faith, you will drown at sea if demanding Christ prove Himself by the nature of a hardened heart demanding, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

A spiritual intellect knows Jesus, whereas a carnal intellect does not. Therefore our security of salvation is secure on good authority.

So…

“Take courage; it is I [Jesus Christ—Son of God], do not be afraid.”