Winter 1993

The Establishing of Divine Government
Nancy Warner

The Lord is viewed by some as the creator of the universe, or as a distant Saviour who redeemed them. But once we are saved, the Lord desires our submission to Him that we may come to personally know Him. Along with this, He desires to establish His governmental rule within, and then through us.

In my old life, my self will and carnal desires reigned upon the Throne of my heart. I was under the control of "The Law of Sin and Death." In my new life, He reigns upon the Throne of my heart and establishes His government over the totality of my life.

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death" Rom 8:2.

This new principle of life is not a list of demands as to what I may, or may not do. Rather, it is the outworking of a love relationship that I have developed with the Lord.

The Word tells us to "taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8). He desires to give us a "taste" of His presence, and of His rule over our lives. As we realize how superior this is, we will make ourselves more available to Him. Once His presence is firmly established in our lives, we will desire yet more.

Salvation begins with the forgiveness of sins through His blood. Then through regeneration, there is an impartation of life by which our spiritual perception is recreated and begins to function. This restored spiritual perception brings us into an active relationship with our Creator.

God's Word instructs us to purify our souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit. We are not expected to endure this process alone, but are given the Holy Spirit. I daily ask the Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit that His power will enable me to choose according to the claim and outworking of His governmental rule in my life.

In Old Testament times, there were those who desired to obey, but they were unable to do so. In the New Testament, grace is made available through the infilling of the Holy Spirit whereby the ability to obey is given. As we obey, a process of purification within follows.

How does this change in our nature take place, and how does our flesh get crucified?

"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the
truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of
the brethren, see that ye love one another with
a pure heart fervently" I Peter 1:22.

Those who were the most religious crucified the Lord. There is a crucifixion of the flesh that comes through those who are close to us. But as we determine to love the brethren, a purification of our souls occurs. We are purified as we love.

When we are in circumstances which deal with our flesh, it is easy to accuse those who are being used to accomplish this. As we submit to the cross and surrender our own ways however, there will come a transformation in our character which will turn us from being an accuser to being an intercessor.

My entering a ministry of intercession will occur as I yield to the working of the Holy Spirit concerning those who seemingly violate my rights. For example, someone close to me may offend me, but rather than accuse, I intercede and ask the Lord's highest for the offender.

As I overcome my tendency to criticize and begin to love and intercede in their behalf, the Lord will hear my prayer and at the same time a purification takes place within my heart. I am being cleansed because the Lord is changing my nature.

The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. There are two spirits that come before the Throne; one is accusation, the other is intercession, and we become channels for one or the other. What we hear may be true, but the wrong spirit may be attached to it.

We are to become a channel for intercession, even in our closest relationships. At home when things are not going right; on the job when the boss does not give us the pay raise we deserve; in Church when another talks disparagingly about us, we are to intercede for that person and pray for the Lord's highest for them.

"And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called
by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall
name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the
hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand
of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate:
but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land
Beulah: for the LORD delighth in thee, and thy
land shall be married" Isaiah 62:2-4.

This will manifest the Kingdom of God in our midst as no other means. Our intercession will usher not only ourselves, but all those around us into the center of the will of God. The Government of the Kingdom will be in full operation and display.

No longer will we be called "angry." No longer will our name be "jealous." No longer will we be known as "accuser." Our new name is "intercessor" and "overcomer," as the Lord names what He sees.

At times, everything seems to go wrong and my response corresponds. Later, I am broken hearted because my attitude was not right; but when my heart turns toward the Lord and I cry out to Him, He will show me the path to overcoming. We tend to see only the difficulty we have passed through, but He sees us as one who has pressed through, and is again seeking Him.

If we hold fast to the ground we have gained, the next time, we will first turn to the Lord. As we intercede, His governmental rule will bring all into divine order and function, and now, that which once ruled us no longer does. There has been a dying of our flesh, and a Throne established in our lives. The one sitting upon this Throne is an intercessor. He will give us the heart

Recently I talked to someone who had just come through a very difficult situation. As we talked I kept repeating, "I give you a crown." Later, I pondered this expression since it is not common to me. When I consulted my concordance, I began to understand.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised
to them that love him" James 1:12.

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into
prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life" Rev 2:10.

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou
hast, that no man take thy crown" Rev 3:11.

We may see ourselves as defeated, but the Lord sees one who loves Him and desires to be faithful to Him; one who is turning back to Him. Therefore, the Lord says, "I call you overcomer and give you a crown of life." We are to identify with the name the Lord has given us, not the name that defeat would give us.

We are to walk in this new life in Christ Jesus. Not only are our sins forgiven, but a regeneration process is imparting into us daily, a vitalization of our spiritual man. As a result, divine government is being established, first in us, then through us. This is a process that will lead us to His Throne.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
me in my Throne, even as I also overcame, and am
set down with my Father in his Throne" Rev 3:21.