I don’t know if this is revelation or imagination, but I want to write it down to contemplate.
When I took upon myself a body and came into this world, I also took upon myself a persona, or personality, which is not my true identity. God descended in the form of Jesus, “made of a woman” and also came into this world, taking upon Himself a persona and experiencing all the emotions of that persona, just as we do—so that He could take it to the death of the cross, thus destroying all persona (the devil) to free us from the bondage that we came into by fearing the death of that persona, since, in our true identity (which is the Christ) we can never die and therefore needn’t fear death.
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
This is what I’ve been contemplating this morning. We not only take upon ourselves a persona that we believe to be the reality of who we are. We also begin to attach ourselves in an emotional way to other personas that we also believe to be reality. We attach ourselves very closely to some while being relatively unaffected by others. I’m beginning to think that these close attachments that we believe to be separate from us are really an integral part of our own persona, which is why they affect us so deeply.
Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. (See The Mote and the Beam.)
The aspect of another’s personality which is causing me such grief must be transcended in my own persona before it will cease to affect me in another. The self righteousness, arrogance and religion that I am reacting to in another is actually what is in my own persona that I am finding so distasteful. If I had reckoned myself to be dead to that “sin” (false identity, sense of separation) in myself, I would also be dead to that sin in another (who is myself) and would be unaffected by it—knowing it not to be the reality of being.
Anything in another that arouses a strong emotional response (such as anger) is sure to be operating in my own persona.
We have thought that the anger of Jesus toward the religious people of His day was “righteous anger” even when we know that
James 1:20 . . . the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Jesus was none too kind toward Herod either. We can hear the sarcasm in His voice:
Luke 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Yet He very quickly turned inward and saw Herod (and all His fellow Jews) through the eyes of God:
Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
We couldn’t even entertain the thought that perhaps what He was reacting to was a part of His own persona that He took upon Himself when He descended into the material sense world.
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus was “without sin” because in that anger He never felt the pangs of conscience or any separation from His Father. But He did transcend that anger on the cross when He said
Luke 23:34 . . . Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Jesus was also a bit harsh with family members:
John 7:2 Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Matthew 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
We also see His irritation with Peter (and the other disciples) on more than one occasion:
Mark 14:37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
John 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. . . . . 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
But when Peter thought there was nothing left for him to do but return to his fishing job, the resurrected Jesus who had taken all personality to the death of the cross specifically called Peter to “Feed my sheep” (John 21). And that is His call to us, no matter what we have manifested through our personalities (false identity).
In His personality the man Jesus wanted understanding and companionship just as we do. But we, like Jesus, will have to ultimately realize that this can never come from the personality of another:
John 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
It was necessary for Jesus, as it is for us, to detach Himself from all personas (whether of family members, disciples or the religious or political leaders), knowing that He descended to this plane for the specific purpose of destroying all personality and revealing to us our true identity as children of the living God—as God in expression.
We see this detachment operating in the case of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, who were close friends with Jesus (John 11). Even though He did love them (v 5), it was not an attachment to their personalities as the Jews believed (vv 35-36). On the contrary, Jesus showed no emotion upon hearing that Lazarus was sick and even dead. He just kept His eyes on Lazarus’ true identity that could never die and used this occasion to demonstrate the unreality of what we call “death” and show Himself to be the resurrection and the life that we all desire but have difficulty believing:
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Indeed, this same detachment is evident in all the other instances where so-called “miracles” occurred, but which were “normal” occurrences when Jesus was on the scene—because He saw beyond the personality (which is able to experience illness and death) to the true identity and brought forth a manifestation of that permanent identity in “mortal” flesh.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Jesus, as well as Peter and Paul, were able to ascend beyond their personas and relate themselves to the Christ identity of those who came to them and touched their consciousness of their own Christ identity (not their persona).
They did this by not trying to improve or preserve this human life (personality), but rather by reckoning it to be dead. This is vividly illustrated in Romans 7 where Paul struggles to improve his.
Romans 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
We have to realize, as Paul did, that it is not my true identity doing the things that I hate; it is rather the persona which has a sense of separation from God (the definition of “sin”), the “flesh” wherein dwells no good:
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Romans 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Indeed, my true and permanent identity, which is begotten of God, CANNOT sin:
1John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Our humanity can never become good; it is the “devil,” the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and was destroyed by Jesus on the cross. That’s why Jesus said:
Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
We “lose” this personality life by losing our consciousness (or awareness) of it and coming into a consciousness (or awareness) of our true identity. It has already been destroyed by Jesus, but we drive it from our consciousness by neglect. We cease to be affected one way or another by what we see it thinking and doing. The writer of Hebrews calls this not having “conscience of sins” (10:2). We have thought the conscience a good thing, God telling us when we are doing something wrong. No, the conscience is the personality (that has already been destroyed by God) trying to win God’s acceptance by doing the right thing and ceasing to do the wrong. But Paul showed us the futility of that effort. We have to take our attention off the personality (ours and that of other people) altogether if we are to come into a God consciousness (the “mind that was also in Christ Jesus”—(Philippians 2:5)) and begin to operate under grace rather than the law (which produced the conscience). (See Freed from the Conscience.)
Now I wish to return to my original observation—that I attract to myself personas having the same characteristics as the persona I’ve taken upon myself and react negatively to those characteristics, because in my true identity I find them abhorrent but cannot afford to find them thus in my own persona until I am ready to “reckon” it dead (Romans 6:11)—as it indeed is:
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Jesus prayed that we would realize our oneness with one another and with God (John 17), and instructed me to love my neighbor as I love myself (Matthew 19:19). It is only because I haven’t understood that whatever I detest in my own persona has been destroyed at the cross so that I can manifest my true identity (the Christ) in this temple body—that is the only reason I am critical toward my neighbor. When I forgive myself for taking on an identity that has no reality and which has characteristics that are reprehensible to my true identity, then I will be able to forgive others for doing the same. I will be able to fulfill Jesus’ command to love them as I love myself.
When I am able to look beyond this persona and see myself as God sees me, as I truly am, I can do the same for all those around me—but not until then. As I set myself free from the belief that this persona is who I am (remove the “beam” from my eye), I begin to set others free from the personas they have taken upon themselves and believe to be themselves (remove the “mote” from their eyes)—because I can love them as I love myself. And love never fails (1Corinthians 13:8).
This is merely the first step in ascending beyond personality. I will ultimately have to do as Jesus did, realize that each of us has to work out his own salvation (Philippians 2:12) and that in doing so, we must detach ourselves from every persona, and attach ourselves to God (our Father) alone. This doesn’t mean that I leave my relationships with all the other individualized expressions of God; it just means that I leave my relationship with the personas (the “natural” man) that they have taken on.
1Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
As Jesus’ mother, brothers and disciples (particularly Peter) in their personas did not discern what Jesus came to do
John 18:37. . .To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
—even so the people surrounding me may not understand that when I hear the still small voice inside telling me the truth that I must bear witness to, I must obey that voice, whatever the cost. When I do, I may endure persecution from them “for that word’s sake” (Mark 4:17). But I must not let anyone deter me from doing what I hear my Father say (John 12:50).
When I come to the place Paul came to
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
—when I cease to react negatively to the words and actions of the persona that I took upon myself and of all the personas surrounding me, when I stop trying to preserve this personality life that is no life, not “counting it dear unto myself” (when “none of these things move me”—Acts 20:24), I will have experienced the “resurrection from the dead,” from the death of personality; I shall have been “made alive” in Christ (1Corinthians 15:22) and am now ready “to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”