First in the Natural

The Word of God contains principles which are foundational to deliverance ministry.
Adam, being the first man in the natural realm was good in every way. However, he was
only a foreshadowing and prototype of what was to come. It was through Adam that men
received their natural bodies. Jesus, the last Adam, was perfect, and it is through Him that
we receive our spiritual rebirth. Moreover, it is through His death, burial, and resurrection
that we receive our glorified bodies. Below are more examples of how the imperfect is
only a shadow of the perfect, and prefigures true realities of the heavenly things of God.

But, it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual (I Co
15:46).

There are many biblical examples of the principle of “first in the physical, and then in the
spiritual” found throughout scripture. This principle emanates from God Himself. He
prepared for man an earthly father, and He will become their Heavenly Father when they
become born again. First, man is born in the natural world, then he must be born of the
Spirit. There is an earthly sanctuary, but a heavenly sanctuary awaits those who are God’s
chosen. There was the establishment of an Old Covenant where blood was supplied by
the sacrifice of an animal, then there was the establishment of a New Covenant where the
Blood of Jesus covers once and for all the sins of those who will receive Him. In scripture
the law was written on stone in the natural first, though God knew from the beginning it
was His plan to write it on the hearts of man by the Spirit of God. Old Jerusalem will be
replaced by a New Jerusalem and the earthly army of David was only a shadow of what
is to come when God brings forth His heavenly army! The principle of “first in the
natural, and then in the spiritual” is important in understanding the cleansing process.
Cleansing under the Old Covenant was ritualistic in form and function. It was an atoning
by the slaughter of an innocent animal. Let’s look closer at some of the principles of
spiritual cleansing.

The word taher (Strong’s # 2891) in the Hebrew language means “to be clean, pure.”
Tahor means make clean, to purify, to be pure, clean and uncontaminated” thus
cleansing physically, ceremonially, and morally was a necessary ritual. God demanded of
His people a pure heart. Sin contaminates and He desired spiritual purity, as well as
moral purity from them although they were conceived and born into sin. The process of
cleansing the nation of Israel took place first in the natural through the use of the blood of
animals. Abraham was instructed by God to go to the land of Moriah and offer his only
son as a burnt offering to the Lord. Abraham prepared an altar, tied his son, laid Isaac on
the altar, and raised his knife to slay his miracle child who was conceived at a time when
his parents were well past childbearing years. The Lord called out to Abraham and the
child was not sacrificed. God Himself provided a ram for the slaughter just as He
provided His Son, Christ Jesus, as our substitutionary sacrifice---first in the natural then
in the spiritual.

This is He who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For
there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit;
and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the
water, and the blood; and these three agree as one (1 Jn 5:6-8 NKJV).

The rite of purification, dipping in the water and the blood, was once performed in the
natural and now is available in the spiritual, through the Holy Spirit. Today, Baptism by
water is, in a sense, the continuation of the rite of purification, as is the sprinkling of the
Blood. John the Baptist set the stage for one who would come after him, the one who was
ahead of him in rank, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. John testified that he baptized with water
so that the one coming, the true Messiah, would be revealed to Israel. He testified that he
saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and that the Spirit remained on Jesus
as he baptized Him in the river of Jordan. John testified to the word of the Lord stating
that Jesus was the Son of God, and in Him, God was well pleased. John said that Jesus
would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John’s baptism was a baptism of
repentance, Jesus’s, however, was a baptism of the Spirit and of fire; it was into a new
order. What was once born of the flesh was now being born of the Spirit and even Jesus,
the Son of God, went through the waters of Baptism to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus
came by water, the baptism of rebirth, and by blood, the crucifixion of the Lamb of God.
John the Baptist did not want to baptize Jesus because he felt unworthy. Nevertheless, he
was chosen to be the prophetic voice, proclaiming the Messiah, so that all that was
written would be fulfilled. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward cleansing and an
acknowledgment of the rebirth in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus came as living
water to wash us internally as the Baptism washes us symbolically from the defilement of
sin. We are spiritually reborn, and it is in the waters of Baptism that we are buried with
Christ, so that we are to be resurrected with Him in our new glorified bodies.
 
Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. While this was a display of His servant nature, 
there was more. Jesus explained to Peter, “You do not know now what I am doing, 
but later you will understand.” He also told Peter that unless Jesus washed him, He 
would have no share with Him. He would be, in a sense, rejecting the purifying grace 
of Jesus, and although he did not understand at that time, Jesus explained that the 
time would come when He would understand. That time did come. Jesus knew there 
was sin knocking at the door. He knew Peter was going to give the devil a foothold. 
Jesus knew that although Peter had given his life to serve Him, he was going to need 
a  spiritual  washing.  He  was  on  the  verge  of  denying  he  ever  knew  the  Son  of  God. 
Jesus  came  to  minister,  to  pour  out  Himself  for  the  good  of  others.  He  humbled 
Himself,  taking  the  position  of  a  bondservant  to  show  to  the  disciples  the  eternal 
principle  of  spiritual  washing  and  cleansing  of  the  body  and  the  soul  from  the 
pollutants  of  sin.  He  exemplified  the  true  nature  of  God,  and  gave  Himself  as 
sacrifice, so that we might have a share with Him, through the Blood and the water, 
both testifying to the true nature of Christ. The spiritual washing that was to come is 
an absolute necessity for having share in the Kingdom of God. Spiritual washing is 
required  to  have  a  part  in  Christ,  to  become  partakers  of  Jesus.  He  justifies  and 
sanctifies all who are His, so willingly take part in the spiritual washing provided by 
Jesus Christ through His shed Blood, the power of the Holy Spirit and the washing of 
the water of the Word! 

For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the
end. As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the
rebellion” (Heb 3:14-15).

The Blood of the Cross washes. Without the shedding of Blood, there is no forgiveness of
sin, and sin produces death. There is life in the blood. Jesus sacrificed His Blood so that
our sins could be washed away. The Blood testifies to the saving power that was supplied
by God to us through the Blood of His own Son. The blood speaks from the ground. It
has a voice, better than that of Abel, who was killed by his brother, Cain. It says to the
redeemed of the Lord, “be washed.” It covers the death produced by sin with eternal life
by faith in the Blood of Jesus. The Blood, which was shed on the Cross of Calvary, was
indeed our penalty paid!

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,
not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his
mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Tit 3:4-5).

It is the Holy Spirit that bears witness with the Blood and the Water. The Holy Spirit is
the Spirit of Truth and knows all things. The Holy Spirit landed on Jesus and God spoke
to John confirming that Jesus was indeed His Son. It was the Spirit who inspired John
even in his mother’s womb. It was the Holy Spirit who was to come to all who would
receive Him. It is by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that our souls are
regenerated, restored, and renewed. There is a process of refinement that takes place, in
all who are willing, to be purified from the defilement of sin and death. The Spirit offers
regeneration, Baptism by fire, and the refiner’s fire, which burns off all that is not of God.
The Blood, the Water, and the Holy Spirit all point to Jesus as our Savior, our Redeemer,
and our Restorer. The three testify. The three are in agreement. We are inwardly defiled
by our sin and the sins of our forefathers. We are outwardly defiled by the guilt and
shame that we wear from that sin. Just as we chose to participate in sin, we must also
choose to participate in a spiritual washing. Let’s take another look at the Old Testament
process of purification and see what we can learn from the actions that were taken.

Why was cedar wood used in the purification process? Cedar was considered the “King
of Trees” in the lands of Israel. The trees were found in the Sinaitic desert. The wood was
used in the process of purification, in connection with scarlet and hyssop, because of its
resistance to decay and its great value. Cedar trees were in God’s garden. They were tall
with beautiful branches and were often found beside the waters. Cedars were used in
building beams and pillars. The wood was also most frequently used for carved work and
was considered the most valuable kind of wood then known in that region. Hyssop is an
aromatic plant of the mint family which has a straight stalk and white flowers. The hairy
surface of its leaves and branches held liquids well and made it suitable as a sprinkling
device for use in purification rituals. The bunch of hyssop was tied together with a scarlet
thread and was used because of its medicinal characteristics as well as its structure.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow
(Ps 51:7).

Scarlet wool was used in the vestments of the High Priest, the hangings of the tabernacle,
the purification of the leper, the water of purification, and the scarlet cord of Rehab. It
represents the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Symbolically, scarlet wool may be
viewed as a type and foreshadowing of the Blood Jesus shed as He was hanging on the
Cross. It prefigures the Blood of Jesus as it is used in the process of cleansing of our
hearts and conscience from dead works, first in the physical then in the spiritual.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most High Place by the
Blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is,
His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to
God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to
cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water
(Heb 10:19-22 NIV).

For more information

Contact Robin M Bertram
robin@robinbertram.org
www.robinbertram.tv

© 2010