The following deals with the heart of God in gathering a people to Himself, producing a new creation, and enlarging His family by making many brothers for His Son.
In seeking to produce a family which would be alive to God, God knew from the beginning that this could not be accomplished by external regulation of law (1).
While God began with a flesh and blood community called to be His people, this was not His ultimate purpose. He was after a Spiritual community who would be His people by faith (2). God’s intention was an “Israel of faith” (3).
From the beginning God knew that this would only be possible by sending His Son (4) . Until that time He kept unfaithfulness in check by providing the law (5). When it became time for the formation of this Spiritual community, God, by His Son, met the kingdoms of this world in a head on collision! (6)
Jesus Himself became the firstborn of a new creation (7), a creation which would relate to God under a new covenant (8), a covenant made in His blood. (9) The day of Pentecost began the substantial expansion of this covenant, creating a new people, a people of faith, whose source and energy would be the Spirit of God Himself. (10)
This new community of faith would relate to God and to each other not by flesh and blood, but by revelation from the Father. Their conduct as God’s people would not be determined by external constraint, law, but by embracing God’s values from the heart. Regulation would no longer be external. It would now be internal. (11)
The cornerstone of this new community is Jesus Christ. (12) It is not possible to be a part of it without the knowledge of Him. In the past, when flesh and blood was the basis of relationship, it was possible to belong without knowing Him, but now, every member of the community knows him from the least to the greatest. (13)
It was never God’s intention to go into eternity with a people that could not be trusted, a people who needed constant watching and correction. (14) It was His intention from the beginning to call to Himself a people who embraced His values and did His will from the heart, by their very nature. (15) External constraints were provided until this could be accomplished. (16)
The establishment of this new covenant and new community made external law obsolete (17), and external law itself will be allowed to pass away as this new community is growing to its maturity or fullness. (18)
With the demise of the external law, everything and everyone outside of this community will be shattered, reduced to pieces, and “blown away like chaff on the summer threshing floor.” (19)
Once God’s intention has been fully carried out, Jesus will return for this community in its fullness, and embrace it as a bride. Just prior to His return, however, a false or anti-christ will appear (20), who will make every effort to prevent God’s intention from coming to pass (21).
The mental and spiritual environment in which the community of faith is growing is compared to labor pains (22). In effect, the old creation is giving birth to the new (23). The labor pains become more intense as the external constraints are removed, as the law passes away. The first thing that happens when the law is finally and completely taken out of the way (24) is not the revelation of Jesus, however, but the anti-christ, the man of sin, the lawless one (25).
It is the removal of the law which creates the environment (26) into which the lawless one can come and take over. God’s new community is in a war with the old creation, but the war is not with people (27), rather it is with the spiritual environment in which they are thinking and feeling (28). Viewed from one perspective, the spiritual, mental, and emotional environment is that of “iron and clay, partly strong and partly weak”, violent, but with no cohesiveness (29). This is to say, people will be hardened, even brittle in their selfishness, totally lacking in loyalty, integrity, and faithfulness (30).
This war rages in our minds (31) and can only be fought with spiritual weapons (32). From the very beginning, the battle is so overwhelming (33) that only the loud cries of the Captain of our salvation stand between this new creation and utter defeat (34). Indeed, except by His intercession and shortening the duration of the war, no one would survive (35).
From beginning to end, the new creation is built on revelation and faith (36). The obedience of faith to God’s revelation is the way in (37), the way of growth (38), the way of standing (39), and the way of victory (40).
Jay Ferris – 3/20/92
1 ROM 3:20, GAL 2:16b
2 MAT 12:46-50, Mark 10:29-31, 2CO 5:16, 20, 2PE 1:3, 4, 1JO 5:4, 5
3 ROM 2:28, 29, ROM 9:6-8
4 REV 13:8
5 ROM 2:12-15, GAL 3:19-25, GAL 4:1-11, 1TI 1:9-11
6 DAN 2:34, 35, 44
7 ROM 8:19-25, 29, 1CO 15:20, 22-28
8 HEB 8:6-8, 10, 11, EPH 2:15, 16, HEB 8:13
9 LUK 22:20, EPH 2:13
10 JOH 1:12, 13
11 HEB 8:10, 11
12 EPH 2:18-22, 1PE 2:6-10
13 HEB 8:10, 11
14 EPH 4:17-19
15 MAT 22:36-39, PE 1:4
16 GAL 4:3-5
17 HEB 8:13
18 EPH 4:11-13
19 DAN 2:35a, HEB 12:26-28
20 MAT 24:4, 5, 2TH 2:1-5, GAL 3:19b, REV 7:1-3, 2TH 2:6-9, REV 20:7
21 REV 12:4, 13:7
22 MAT 24:6-8
23 ROM 8:22
24 2TH 2:6
25 MAT 24:15, 16
26 MAT 24:10-12, ROM 1:26, 27, JER 5:1, 2TI 3:1-5
27 2CO 10:3-5
28 EPH:6:12
29 DAN 2:42, 43
30 LUK 18:8b
31 2CO 10:5
32 2CO 10:3-5
33 MAT 24:9, REV 13:5-7
34 HEB 5:7-9
35 MAT 24:21-24, ROM 8:26, 27, ROM 8:33, 34
36 MAT 16:18, 19, EPH 1:17, 18
37 ROM 3:21, 22, 4:13, 16, 5:2, 9:30, EPH 2:8-10
38 1TH 1:3, 1TI 1:4
39 ROM 11:20, 2CO 1:24, 2CO 5:7, GAL 2:20, 3:11-14, GAL 5:5-7, HEB 10:38, 11:3-31
40 1JO 5:4b-5
Loving Like God 
I have never heard these thought put quite this way but it rings true. I will meditate on this.
Is Jay stating that flesh or physical form will be shaken and gone totally?
Me too! I thought this was a more unusual post by Jay – found it hidden in the ‘pages’, and just had to do some formatting to it. Maybe we’ll get some more conversation about it when I get a chance to repost it – or perhaps from your recent FB share :-)
A passage that I thought of after reading this, that may shed more light into the subject is 1 Corinthians 15:45-50
While this is speaking of a future time (the context is the shaking and doing away of the earthy bodies and the resurrection of our new physical one) the eternal Kingdom of God was ‘upon us’ when Christ walked the earth – and amazingly – is now IN us! :-) This ‘new Israel of faith’ Jay is talking about is a community that is so purely heavenly that it can’t help but impart a whole new paradigm on the old community of flesh relationships here on earth. (and brings warfare as well).
WOW ! Jay has left us with so much richness in his writtings !! I’m going to have to take this in little bite’s at a time ” It’s such a beautiful banquet ”
Brother Vinny , I’m leaning that it is refering more to the evil powers and principalities and how they will effect the flesh nature of mankind to the core , especially as the time grows shorter and the battle becomes greater .I’m not sure it is the physical flesh that is the focus (yet we know it can effect both) This could mean so much more then I can see right now.I’m going to have toi feast on this for awhile and I’m looking forward to yours and others insights as they unfold …. LOVE !!!
Grace is grace, but if we can only see grace a a ‘get out of trouble’ card that we wave when we screw up, we are much like little children splashing in the kiddie pool when the ocean is but a few steps away.
this grace with purpose is to refine or lives, and to define our lives as clay in the Masters hands. He will take the dried and rigid lump and moisten it so that it’s supple in His hands, and He can have His way with it. Once complete the new vessel does not resemble the previous lump. The new vessel is adorned to hold Treasure, and to express the qualities and nature of the Master Potter.
This inward working of grace is to separate ourselves from all that is false, or fallen, and to break open the jar that contains the pure nard, In this beautifully broken vessel the fragrance is freely expressed. This vessel has been purified by Loves refining fire. Grace is the ultimate inside job, so that in Grace’s timing what is ‘in’side will be displayed, and in doing so all honor and praise goes not to the vessel, but to the Glory that is displayed from the vessel.
Yes grace is free, and yes grace is costly it will cost you, and give to you a return that is beyond value, for the gift is Life Himself, and Life with abundance, Life that is ageless, timeless, and priceless.
To respond to your question Vinny…yes, yes indeed.
“BEHOLD, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness.” ~ Malachi 3
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“Is Jay stating that flesh or physical form will be shaken and gone totally?”
we do reckon the self-flesh shaken to death.
Is the matter even matter(physical substance) ?
what can be shaken will be shaken, sifted, and silenced, the false nature that is a result of our natural birth (adamic birth).
we must be born again, this new birth is a process, a work inwardly of Christ, as we rest ‘in’ Him, and as He lifts us up. as John stated He must increase, I must decrease. the battle within is played out many times over metaphorically in the 1st testament.
Joshua and the promise land, Noah, Joesph, king Saul and David, and on and on. these battles are but s shadow of the battle within as His Kingdom comes ‘in’ our earth.
Please remember Jay’s comments:
” It was never God’s intention to go into eternity with a people that could not be trusted, a people who needed constant watching and correction. (14) It was His intention from the beginning to call to Himself a people who embraced His values and did His will from the heart, by their very nature. (15) External constraints were provided until this could be accomplished. (16)
The establishment of this new covenant and new community made external law obsolete (17), and external law itself will be allowed to pass away as this new community is growing to its maturity or fullness. (18)” ~ Jay Ferris
what we must ‘see’ is the will, and the ability, the desire, and the strength are not of us, but of Him who Lives ‘in’ us.
He who began His work within us will ensure that it’s completed. He will never harm us, with His sword only remove that which is unhealthy, and do so with absolute precision, and Love.
once again His purpose is for each of us to reflect His image, Life and Love, and this is His perfect will, and may His will be done.
grace and peace to one and all
Wow! Time to embrace the shaking and allow Jesus to have His way with us.