愛戀 ‧ 情曲 ‧ 神の語

 

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A publication of Peter Tan Evangelism
© 2006 by Peter Tan Volume 2.8

Through the past ten years (1997-2005), the Lord has been showing visions of the Spiritual World but over the past month of March 2006, the Lord has been taking my spirit every night into the Spirit World for over a period of about one month. I will try to put what I saw in a book on the Spiritual World but in this article I would like to just emphasize one of the points that were impressed deeply into my spirit.

I saw the heavenly realm made up of different spiritual spheres. The biggest surprise in the spiritual visions was the great number of Christians who were not prepared for the spiritual realm. Many Christians have only a mental knowledge of Jesus and did not have a corresponding transformation in their lives. True spiritual growth is not how much you know but truly how much you have become Christlike. This is not to say that they are lost but rather that they are like those in 1 Corinthians 3:15 who have only managed to scrap through to the lowest spiritual realm close to the earth spheres.

The destiny of all Christians is that we become conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). It does not matter how much you know about the Bible or what your position in the church is. It is more important whether your heart and mind have been transformed into Christlikeness. Many Christians think that just because they know that the blood of Jesus has redeemed them and that it is not by works that they are saved that they do not have to live a transformed Christlike life. It is not enough to know mentally, we have to know the truths of God in our heart to the effect that the revelation of the salvation of Christ transforms our lives and our minds.

In the Spiritual World, the only light that lights up the entire universe is the light of Christ that shines from His throne. This light does not cast any shadows but rather flows right through all living creatures in the spiritual realm. Even the light of the brightest angels is lighted up by the light of Christ. However, those who are on the earth spheres do not see the light because in the spiritual world you need the same equivalent spiritual level to see in that same level of spiritual light.

While on this earth we have the opportunity to be transformed from glory to glory as one beholds the greater and greater glory of Christ revealed to us through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:17). We are told to be transform by the renewal of the mind (Rom 12:1, 2). This transformation is not by our effort but rather by the impartation and the revelation of Christ within our spirits. For this reason Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would have their inner man strengthened that Christ might dwell in a greater degree in their hearts causing them to be rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:16,17). There are so many Christians who live without the love of God. They remain unloving, selfish and materialistic in spite of the fact that Christ has shown them that His greatest commands are that they love God and love on another as Christ loves God and loved us.

These Christians will get the biggest shock of their lives when they go into the spiritual world and find that they are at the lowest spiritual level. Of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love (1 Cor 13:13).

The true measure of spiritual growth is not the measure of your knowledge or your outward proclamation, but rather the greatness of your love for God and for others around you. And how can one say that they love God if they cannot love those who are around them (1 John 4:21). And this commandment we have from Him; that he who loves God must love his brother also (1 John 4:21). In one of the visions, I saw the spirit of a minister who left the body and was expecting to ascend to the highest position in God. Instead, the minister found himself in the dim light of one of the earth spheres. He looked around expecting to see Jesus but instead was met by one of the ministering angels. He was told that he had been harsh and unloving while on earth. He had not made use of his time to develop Christ's nature but rather have been proud of his doctrines and philosophies. He thought that just claiming the redemption of Jesus was sufficient to earn him the highest position in God's kingdom of glory. He was told that the tree is judged by its fruit. The greatest fruit of love had not been present in his life and thus he needed to learn that God is love and only as one's character is transformed into the holiness of God's love is one able to dwell in the same degree of God's love and glory.

This transformation of our character into Christ's character is not by works but rather by the indwelling of Christ in our life. While we are in this earthly body, we need to allow Christ in us to live through us – in the fullness of His love, character and power. How transformed are we now? The following are some checks to evaluate ourselves:

1. Are our thoughts constantly holy and loving thoughts towards God and towards people?
2. Are our motives pure when we do good and loving deeds towards others or do we seek some gain from others? We should not expect anything in return but do deeds out of a heart filled with the love and compassion of God our Father.
3. Do we operate out of a loving compassion or out of righteous indignation? The righteous edict of the law without love is justice without mercy. The greatest attribute of our God is mercy – the seat in the holy of holies is called 「the mercy seat.」
4. In our prayer lives, are most of our prayers for ourselves or for others?
5. Be honest, are we still basically self-centred or are we self-sacrificing like Christ? Would you lay down your time, your money, your career to help another person?

I will try to write more on this subject after I have meditated on the visions and study the Word in relation to the things revealed. True Christianity is being transformed followers of Christ who are Christians not just in word but in deed and in truth.

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