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A KINGDOM'S ECONOMY
Understanding the Dispensation of Grace
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound unto every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:8
The flow that is required to operate the kingdom of God on earth depends largely on knowing how God's system of truth functions. In other words, we need to understand the principles of kingdom living in order to activate the economy of heaven here below. This is so essential to being the stewards we are called to be; otherwise, we might find ourselves just "spinning our wheels" and going nowhere. Paul told the church of Corinth, "And I brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ" (1 Cor. 3:1). Later on in chapter twelve, he says: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant" (1 Cor. 12:1). Here we find the word "gifts" italicized, which by many scholars means it was added by the translators and was not a part of the original Greek. If we were to read it like it should read it would say: "Now concerning spiritual, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." Paul begins by telling them "you have issues that are preventing me from talking to you on a level that has to do with spiritual." Then after addressing those issues, he says, "Alright, now let's get right to the heart of what kingdom living is all about....spiritual!"
It is very interesting to find that the Greek word for "spiritual" is PNEUMATIKOS. Here is a word that is absolutely distinctive of our dispensation. It was never used in the gospels. In fact, it is a post-Pentecost word. It has to do with things pertaining to and of the Holy Spirit. Stop and think for a moment: up until the time of the church age the ministry of the Holy Spirit was limited. He had not yet come to dwell within us, and the reason for this was that Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:39). The timing of his coming rested upon what Christ did to remedy the need that existed within man's spirit. Man's spirit was lost. He was dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). The sin issue had to be dealt with through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in order for the Holy Spirit to take his rightful place within man's spirit.
The Holy Spirit's presence now living in the heart of the church meant that the economy of God on earth was back in business!
I like to think of man's spirit like a giant, power production plant shut down for business. Man's spirit had all the God-given essentials to work the plan and purpose of God on earth, but when sin entered in it shut everything down. It would be like riding through a huge plant and seeing all its buildings, its equipment, the tools used for production, all present; and yet, no one within the facility to work it. Kind of like a deserted complex or like a ghost town with no activity and certainly no productivity. That was the condition of man's spirit after the fall.
What a lot of times we fail to realize is that the church age is really the age of PNEUMATIKOS. In other words, it is a time where we are now to function under the administrative abilities of the Holy Spirit. "Spiritual" has to do with the sacred work wrought between man's spirit and the Holy Spirit. The moment he descended upon the Church (Acts 2:1-4), everything within the heart of man was brought to life again. It was as if the power plant was reopened. The lights came on. All the tools and equipment became functional again, and man's spirit was re-energized to re-initiate production. The Holy Spirit's presence now living in the heart of the church meant that the economy of God on earth was back in business!
Unfortunately however, because there has been so little presentation of how God's economy works through the Holy Spirit, the operation of God's grace has also been limited. Acts chapter four tells us that when they prayed and the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, that the level of grace was raised to an all time high. It literally calls it "great grace," and it came upon them all! (Acts 4:31-33).
For the most part, those who are cessationists don't hold to this view. They have assigned the greater display of great grace to the early church and have left only a small portion of what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing through grace for our generation. After nearly 2,000 years removed from that day there are many who still think that grace will never work to the level it did in the early church, because they are mistakenly taught that the ministry of the Holy Spirit has somehow changed. This is not only an absolute misnomer; it is an injustice to "spiritual" and what the entire kingdom economy on earth is all about!
PRAYER
Father, help me today realize the full potential that lives in me in the work of the Holy Spirit. Forgive me if somehow I have let things slip in giving him his rightful place in me. Holy Spirit come now and fill me, use me, and empower me to function in this grace, so that I can do exploits in that name which is above every name, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
CONFESSION
I am alive unto God and my spirit has been re-energized to work the works of God. I purpose today to give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to use me and flow through me so that God's grace can accomplish all that it was meant to do.
DEFINING MOMENTS...
The whole reason Paul makes such a distinction between walking in the Spirit and walking after the flesh is because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is very little he can do in us and through us if we are not conscious of his activities and become wholly dependent upon us living a spiritual life. It is absolutely essential that we realize what has been done on the inside, in our spirit, and then hook up with the Holy Spirit. That is what will bring a greater manifestation of God's grace where our true sufficiency lies, and where we can step up to a level of productivity that enables us to abound to every good work!
In His grace,
Pastor David
Faith Harvest Church
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