by Pst. Andy Morgridge (2 September 2018)

If I ask you, who are you, I know I will receive different answers ranging from I’m a doctor to I’m a teacher…but you will only be partially correct because the man/woman that God created is of 2 dimensions. God made him twice – God created and then formed man.

Man was both created and formed. Both of these words are important and are distinctively different in the original Hebrew language. The word created is from the Hebrew word bara which means to create from nothing. And the word make is from the Hebrew word asa which means to form from something that is already created. Therefore, man is the integration of parts that were created from nothing and things that were already made. Hence the original man was physical and spiritual. Why the creation / making of the Garden of Eden? To create an environment of holiness that God could come to, to fulfill the eternal purpose for creation. This mystery describes the production of man’s spirit-being directly from the Spirit of God, thus making man a composite of the nature, attributes, and characteristics of his source, which is God, the Creator Himself. This truth is critical when discussing the spirit of dominion in mankind. It is also noteworthy at this point to understand that the word for “source” in the original Hebrew is the word Abba which we translate as “father.” This is why God is considered the “father” of all mankind. He sourced us all and thus we possess His nature and likeness.

Man was made in God’s image. The word image here is not referring to physical likeness, but is translated from the Hebrew words tselem and demut, both meaning essential nature, copy, characteristics, and essence. This denotes that man as a spirit being is an expression of God’s moral and spiritual nature and his attributes make him “god­like,” and place Him above and beyond all earthly cre­ation. In essence, man was created by God in the god-class and was given the responsibility to exercise that quality as God’s agent on earth.

God created man. This word man is important because it does not refer to gender as in male, but was the name given by the Creator for the species of spirits that came out of His spirit. In essence, man is plural in tense – and was the name given to the spirit species. It is also essential to note that spirits have no gender and thus man is neither male nor female but pure spirit – that’s the original man (Gen. 1:27 – the man and female…), but sadly people cater only for the physical, to the neglect of the spiritual. And we need to correct this as we journey towards our promised land – God demands of this.

In Joshua 1:8 the words “your Way” are from the Hebrew word Drehk which means – mannerism, conversation.  (See also Jn 14:6 WAY).

Phil. 3:17-20 speaks of CONVERSATION which is national identity, citizenship. Citizenship is a particular kind of dressing. To the Yorubas it’s Agbada, Buba & Sokoto, Buba & Iro. To the Ibos it’s Ankara down and lace up. To Deltas it’s Georgette.

God made Israel as the prototype nation and He gave Israel a particular kind of cloth to differentiate them from others (Deut. 22:5,11,12;). Other places in the Bible where people have a particular kind of dressing are:  Joseph who had a coat of many colours showing that he was the one his father loved the most (Gen. 37:3 ); Tamar had a colourful robe just like all the king’s daughters who were virgins (2 Sam. 13:18-19).

God also went on to say, I don’t like confusion, please maintain the standard I have given. Is this easy? No. because people and environment have made us into who we are today. By the fall of man in the garden of Eden we all became subject to the whims and caprices of the devil and were by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:1-3).  Whatever is shaping us as unbelievers, or for the Christian outside the word of God is patterned after the devil, for the Bible says in 1 Jn. 5:19 “the whole world lies in wickedness.” And this we see in everything around us: schools don’t emphasize morality; neither do many homes. 90% of programmes on T.V. are bad and don’t point you to God. The same for the Internet with its pornographic sites available to all and sundry. Peer pressure has pushed many into sexual immorality, violence, drug addiction and various other negative vices.  We indeed live in a mad, mad world where only under the shadow of the Almighty God can one make a headway or live a stable life.

That’s why in the New Testament we are instructed to put off the old man/nature (Eph. 4:22-30; Col. 3:8-10) and to put on- to sink into clothing. The Greek word translated to “off” means to put away (literally or figuratively): – cast off, lay apart (aside, down) put away (off). It’s time to drop carnality  (Rom. 6:8, 1Cor. 3:3). By disobedience Adam changed dresses. He lost his covering.

Sometimes we don’t call sin “sin” as the sin that we know is the breaking of the 10 commandments. But you need to see the 3 different meanings of sin in Greek to understand why you need to take heed. Running through the definitions shows that sin is missing the mark of relationship with God (Gen. 17:1)

Now to the timing and the dress we are expected to put on, which carnality is preventing us from wearing, it is the garment of the priest. God gave a standard for dressing and He commands us to maintain this standard. the Priests in Old Testament had different kinds of garments – they were garments to wear to take out ashes and another set of clothes to wear after taking out the ashes from the burn offerings.

See the dressing of High Priest –

• The stones set in the shoulder plates. 6 names of the tribes each – 12 tribes – Isa. 9:6 showing that the government is our responsibility.
• Same names but now on OUR HEARTS – we are to be emotionally/passionately involved in intercession – Not academic or mundane.
• The bells and the pomegranates arranged alternatively on the hem of the High Priest’s garment show sound (from the bell) and fruits. Today all we see is “sound,” people saying “I am a Christian” but have no fruit.

To be priests we need to die to self to enter His presence. ONLY DEAD MEN ABIDE IN HIM. To be dead in Christ and to live for Him starts from the day you got born again. You are to live for Him everyday (1 Cor. 15:31, Gal. 6:14 Rom. 8:36-37, Rom. 12:1)

1. Our real ministry now – God wants us to do the same for others. See the Ministry of Gideon (one who cuts down) that found fulfilment in Jesus, that found fulfilment in us (Luke 3:8-9; Isa. 61:1-3 as against Luke 4:18-21)

2. The key word in salvation is REPENT. But repentance cannot take place till something happens to your heart. Acts 2:37 used the word PRICKED. It means KATANUSSO – to pierce thoroughly or figuratively to agitate violently.

That can only happen when a spiritual warfare has taken place on someone’s soul and the prince of this world has been de-throned.

See Matt. 11:12; Mt. 12:28-29; Mk. 3:27