It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Before going too far with what is written above, and as with any writing (or speaking) that might by pretense, presumption or some unnamable (as in inexplicable) source be found in presentation under what we might call spiritual, every man is pressed to a form of judgement in their regard. Some easily and quickly dismiss all such as useless and vain, not believing there even be any matter(s) of spirit (or spiritual) to discuss. At least according to their response in word. For only God truly knows the mind and heart.
Others, perhaps in some sort of convincing or persuasion that, to them, there are things going on not easily explained nor understood according to some simple mechanisms material, may be called, or call themselves seekers…reaching out beyond the so called physical/material to find substance there. They perceive a curtain blocking or impeding, but not without some persuasion there is something going on beyond or behind it.
Still others may yet maintain, in some religiosity, that there is indeed an all taking place (in some estate of being and by such a Being) in that beyond, but, and and, they are content in whatever form of the religiosity and religion they embrace; that all in that beyond (even the Being of that beyond) is bound to and by their doctrines, dogmas, practices, tribal grouping(s) (is even “itself” in being supported by them) and in necessary support of, their own religion. In short, they support…the god that they believe or confess, supports them. They present a mutuality and necessity of this support.
And no doubt the above is a most facile and superficial (perhaps juvenile) of treatments and description. Boundaries of (my) definitions may be far more fluid than seemingly implied, with some bleed through in any man of what appears at first, my firmness of description. No doubt. For any man is not, just as no man is, bound by my considerations and opinions of him, no matter how I may perceive of any man.
But if I count myself at all (or am to be counted) as amongst those claiming such liberty as claimed (or even glimpsed, merely) in Christ, it would be the utmost of folly to lay claim to such a thing (as given, delivered, provided) as exceeding in its nature of the One providing.
“Whom the son sets free is free indeed” (as another’s work)
For any man claiming any freedom may well be shown the fool if thinking, even while in such liberty, he can lay any claim to of ownership, or leverage by such, the very God he confesses has made him free. Do you see? The man cannot be freer nor have more of liberty (if such a phrasing can stand) than the One providing or making him free. He is yet bound therefore to the very measure by which he ascribes such binding to the Lord, or only alive to as much liberty as he can see. Or has been made real to him. Only a “free” God can make free men, and perhaps not inconsequentially, only a free man can worship (in spirit and truth) such a free God.
This should not (am I allowed to say “should not”?) be strange speaking to any man in Christ. At very least…as far as I am persuaded. Especially if we have ever mouthed, or even considered (even most barely considered) some words written by one often acknowledged as wise amongst us:
In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free — stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude; Gal 5:1 (Young’s Literal Translation for clarity)
Christ in His freedom alone, makes one free. It might not be a bad question, therefore, “just how free is the Christ I (or anyone) confesses?” He cannot be restricted by our restrictions, surely, but can we be (are we even called to be) as free as He? If His freedom alone is the measure…we can never exceed, surely, but (and if) we find some lesser notion, the only matter can be a matter of our own sight and God forbid it be blamed on, or laid to His withholding (among His own). Unless we do not yet believe this as made true to any, and such any as sought diligently to broadcast it to all:
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Remembering (and even being forbidden by spirit to forget)
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Before (we might even ask “how far before?”) that to ourselves we knew, the Christ of God prayed for us. What do we have that we have not received…even as result of that Christ…being that very who who is the Christ in His work? Or…does one think anything they have, they have come to of themselves? A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above. (Italics mine)
And so returning again to the inescapable matter of judgment(s) mentioned at the first do any receive such judgments as from above? The one denying there be anything coming from above or beyond has his own estate. The one measuring by some possibility may well only be left in doubt. And the one left only to measure by what his own religion both prescribes and proscribes can never know anything of either the liberty of our Christ and His Father, who is God over all. Until delivered he is all but left to be bound, and is he himself a minister of such bondage, even as Jesus spoke of some:
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
The bound can only minister bondage. No man can give more than he has. And at (what he might call) his best of self, his best of striving in that estate, even in all effort…will only impart to one (other) self only another self just as, if not more bound, in result.
“I can of mine own self do nothing…” Jesus said.
And no less likewise did He say (surely inclusive of those words immediately above)
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Yes, even those words “of myself I can do nothing” have and are spirit and life to the believer.
How much so, only the believer can either know or yet be informed.
Reject or accept, cast out of hand as folly, superstition, wonder over (as seeker) as possibility, or reject as being unacceptable to any religion and its religious strictures that lay bonds upon any for adherence; it matters not at all, ultimately…except, except as God alone chooses their ingrafting.
No man can convince another, nor is equipped to for any convincing of another, that the self is even insufficient to be…itself. It’s judgments are unsustainable, its view so limited by the very self it exalts, its works no less; that will and must, always appear right in its own eyes. And of which it must eventually, no matter how diligently it might be resisted by the most religious of piety, if scratched deeply enough will always betray its coming from…self.
Who can save such? Who alone?
For we know, if we have been convinced, that today’s most stridently religious man full of all persecutions may be tomorrow’s esteemed apostle. Today’s one swearing he knows Him not at all, no less. And the one wondering as seeker just “reading” may be tomorrow’s Ethiopian eunuch.
And all will be stood, if, and as ordained to be, upon its Head.
The tables are turned, even overturned in all, by spirit only.
Even and especially, all our merchant’s table.
And the church alone is ordained to pass into eternity in hold of life.
May she see where she is. Even now.
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