New & Different Dimensions in Christ, Part 2

*Let us continue now and examine Ezekiel 47:4a...'Again he measured a thousand and led me through the waters, water reaching the knees.'

Thus, every believer who is walking in water up to his knees is being led by the Holy Spirit a bit deeper. This writer also believes it is appropriate that water is reaching his/her knees. Because when a person is on his knees, he is begging for more! For the believers who are not satisfied with just ankle-deep water, it is good to be a knee-deep believer. He is not totally dependent on the Holy Spirit's leading him; but, the believer is getting there.

The most notable characteristics for a knee-deep believer are these...

...They are maturing, learning, growing, and struggling through the realities (and sufferings) of spiritual life, including understanding the existence of evil, evil principalities, and the existence of Satan and how Satan can affect those who are not equipped with the full armor of God...their shield of protection.

...They desire to grow deeper and deeper in the knowledge of Jesus through the in-depth study of God's Word.

...They hunger and passionately seek the living Lord of the Word out of a passionate love longing to know more and more about Him and dwell in His presence.

...They know that their Father in many ways including a God of Love, Forgiveness and Defender.

These believers have a half-full and knee-deep life in the Holy Spirit. These people are willing to arise in their faith and step out in greater ways then those who are just ankle deep!

However, there is even a greater dimension or level then knee-deep.

Let us now look at Ezekiel 47:4b...'Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins.'

As I grew in the First Baptist Church, some of the wording expressed didn't make sense to me.

'Reaching the loins' just were words to a young Christian. Where exactly is your loins? I could only imagine and what I imagined was not probably worth repeating.

Actually, the word 'loins' meant 'the upper leg muscles all the way up to the shoulders', or the equivalent of the 'torso'. These days, it means just the 'waist' or 'upper leg area', it is not the same.

Here are some characteristics of those who walk 'loin-deep' in Water.

...They have known Christ as their Redeemer for a while.

...They have endured the sufferings, difficulties, and struggles of life through the help of the Holy Spirit. And, because of that, they have a deeper, personal relationship with the living God. They know God 'as a person' who saves.

...They are spiritually mature, because they choose to die daily and feed on the word of God to know Him.

...They have put away the childish things such as self-centeredness and have determined to be reliant on the Lord God with all of their hearts as they grow in Him.

Certainly, Ezekiel attained this level of relationship with the Holy Spirit and the very Lord of all creation.

Let us go on now to the ultimate dimension or level...according to Ezekiel 47:5-6...'Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river.'

Before we go on...Let us look at verse 5 one more time...'Again he measured a thousand,and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded.'

It is interesting that the swimming stage appears to be bypassed when you would think there would be a stage of swimming. The critical distinction is that in the ankle, the knee, and even the torso-deep degrees. It is the person doing a certain amount of the work. The Holy Spirit doing the rest. As the person does progressively less, the Holy Spirit does progressively more.

But, there is no swimming stage. It is the critical mistake that most believers make. When they are looking for more of the Holy Spirit, they persistently choose to continue to swim on their own, which would ultimately make them go against the current.

The greatest level is just to 'Give Up'! This is the place where we don't swim but are freely carried along by the current of the Holy Spirit and God's very power controlling every part of our being, a place where we have full faith in his love and power so we can enter into that very full depth of His very presence and being.

The Lord God implores Ezekiel to go for that higher level, which he had never experienced before.

The Lord Jesus only lead that perfect life.

What are the results of Living a Life Swept Along by the Water?

Ezekiel 47:7-8...'Now, when I returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, “These water go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and waters of the sea become fresh.'

From then on, Ezekiel describes what all that water does. Somebody who lives a life like that – not by swimming, but by being swept along by the current of the Holy Spirit – is...

...Fruitful, and

...Everything around him (people, circumstances, etc.) becomes fruitful.

We want to recognize that at every level Ezekiel says 'he led me through' (see verses 3-5). Why is this important? Because man does not find his own salvation through his own leading. Man cannot get more of the Holy Spirit on his own (go to that deeper level, to the knees-loins-being swept away) by ourselves. 'God must lead him there'.*

It is of my personal opinion that the scripture which says... 'All things are possible to those who believe'...(Mark l0:27) can open many doors as we simply seek our Lord Jesus Christ with our whole hearts. As we surrender, we will grow and mature and come to abide in that passionate love affair with Him. There will be no end to what God can do in and through us.

How deep do you want to go in Christ Jesus? I just spoke to a Christian believer recently who said she wanted to jump in 'all the way'...Her goal was as much of Christ as she could attain...to reach that

'New & Deeper Dimension in Christ'.

To all who want more...We can only say...

“COME ON IN...The Water's Fine!”

*radicalgrace.com/eze 5,htm

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