And he said unto them, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” —John 8:23
Jesus clearly identifies that He is not of this world, yes, He was physically here in it, but His mission was from above.
“From Above” is a spiritual reality that the church needs to realise and rise to.
“From Above” if we are honest with ourselves is greatly missing in too many lives.
“From Above” when discovered will revolutionise your spiritual life.
Let us take a look at this concept from the Word of God.
1 The perspective “From Above.”
2 The power “From Above.”
3 The provisions “From Above.”
4 The paradise “From Above.”
The Perspective From Above
First, the perspective of “From Above” is the perspective of Christ in His words, “I am from above…I am not of this world.” —John 8:23
He was up in the quarters of heaven in place and time. Heaven is where He lived before He came to this earth. His time on earth was limited compared to all eternity after.
Secondly, the perspective of “From Beneath” is the perspective of the world even though professing religiosity.
In John chapter 8, Jesus had been hassled and tempted of the Pharisees with the saga of the woman caught in adultery, plus they accused Him of not being who He said He was. Jesus is here responding to those 'religious bigots' when He said, “Ye are from beneath… ye are of this world.” —John 8:23
These men were from down in the quarters of this dark world. They were limited to time and space as we know it, but should have known better, being teachers of the people who followed them and their teachings. Although these words came a little later, still Jesus taught the principle, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” —1 John 2:15
The World Beneath
This world beneath offers temporal success, and a steady job. People of this world beneath gain and obtain specified characteristics, and follow one after another. Even a student who gains a degree, of even masters, has only achieved what others have achieved before them.
When the papacy took over from Pagan Rome, the principles of their religion were from the world beneath, depending heavily upon the priest and their demands upon their parishioners. They secularise the spiritual and spiritualise the secular, weakening the real Biblical spiritual message.
The people of the world, cannot comprehend spiritual things. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” —John 3:6
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.” —John 8:12-18
Jesus is identifying Himself to be true, but only true as from the witness of His Father in heaven.
“Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. ” —John 8:21-27
These poor souls just couldn't grasp the concept of another realm, as all they knew was the religious system of this world, contaminated with words from beneath. But Jesus was trying to help them see the reality of who He is representing, and the government He is representing. His whole mission was not from this earth, but to lift men's minds heavenward.
“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him.” —John 8:28-30
When He was lifted up on the cross, it revealed much as to who Jesus really was and is. It drew their eyes and minds upward to heaven, but even in His words spoken that day, many believed Him, but there were many who still didn't get it.
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.” —John 8:57-59
Ultimately, the honour of this world beneath is no honour at all. It means very little and is only an honour for a very short time. True Christian honour comes from above.
The Power From Above
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” —John 3:3,7
Jesus is here explaining there are two births, but more-so that Nicodemus needs to be born again, born from above, which is a different birth experience. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” —John 3:6
Nicodemus had been educated and lived his whole life from beneath, and it was very difficult for him to comprehend this new birth experience, and the question we have to ask ourselves is, which birth are we born into and living in at present?
Are we living in fear in our first and natural birth? “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night…” —John 3:1,2
Or perhaps we are living a religious life and our behaviour is very diplomatic fearful of being conspicuous and different? “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” —John 3:2
Nicodemus could only comprehend the carnal, the physical, the commonly known and accepted. He struggled with doubt as to new birth from above. “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? ...How can these things be?” —John 3:4,9
It could only be from the power that comes from above that Nicodemus could see and comprehend the reality of Jesus' teaching. It became obvious that he listened and thought through the words that night. Nicodemus came to the front as a strong believer to care for the body of His Lord and Saviour after His death on the cross.
In another setting from above. John the Baptist was a man sent from above and received power from above. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John… The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light… He (Jesus) came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God… John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” —John 1:6-15
Anyone who receives Jesus Christ, will receive power from above and it lifts the receiver up from the world beneath to live in the realms of heaven, which not only affects and changes the heart, but it also is manifest in the actions and behaviour of the beholder.
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” —John 6:38-40
Here is the real gift of heaven to humanity from above. He that sees, he that believes on Him will receive eternal life, and while the one who receives Jesus will be lifted spiritually above, there will come a day – the last day, when Jesus will raise the true believer from the 'beneath' to the 'above.' We must realise that it is in Christ's power to do God's will, not a hint of our own! His is power from above, ours is only from beneath.
The Provision From Above
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” —James 1:17
In this verse, James records that there is no doubt as to the source of, not only good provisions, but where every perfect gift comes from. And more than that, as this promise is made, it is always available, He doesn't change.
“Christ’s love for His children is as tender as it is strong. And it is stronger than death; for He died to purchase our salvation, and to make us one with Him, mystically and eternally one. So strong is His love that it controls all His powers, and employs the vast resources of heaven in doing His people good. It is without variableness or shadow of turning—the same yesterday, today, and forever. Although sin has existed for ages, trying to counteract this love and obstruct its flowing earthward, it still flows in rich currents to those for whom Christ died.
“God loves the sinless angels, who do His service and are obedient to all His commands; but He does not give them grace; they have never needed it, for they have never sinned. Grace is an attribute shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it; it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow grace upon all who hunger and thirst for it, not because we are worthy, but because we are unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive the gift.” — Testimonies to Ministers, p.519
Plenty are the provisions available for us from above, that not one need be lost. But every person on the earth has the gift of free choice. It is the choices that each person makes that will determine their destination. Sadly not all choices are good choices.
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” —James 1:14
In this verse, James cautions on giving way to temptations, being drawn away by our own longing for lust, being lured, seduced, enticed, and baited as sporting game, into sin, to rob us of the perfect provisions from 'Above.' But none need be caught in the snare of the enemy. The provisions from 'Above' are abundantly plenteous.
“How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings… Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” — Psalm 36:7,11; 91:1-4
The Paradise From Above
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus... —Ephesians 2:6,7 “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” —John 3:27
There is no doubt as to the prize that is available for those who receive the high calling in Jesus Christ. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians states this very clearly; “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you… For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” —Philippians 3:14,15; 20,21
Don't let any man, woman, child, or attraction from this world beneath take this Paradise from Above from you. Eternity lost, one will not know anything, for all is lost. But today, as a living, thinking being, able to reason from cause to effect, compare eternity lost with eternity gained. The contrast is worlds apart. Eternity gained is life everlasting in a kingdom, not of this world, but a world of sinlessness, of glory. It surely will be a Paradise from Above, one you do not want to miss!
Born From Above
In the early 1930's, Bakht Singh, a young man who had grown up as a Sikh with his family in India, came of age to begin studies for his future career. But those engineering studies were to take him to England, away from the influence of his home. This was against his father's wishes and it was only after he promised his mother that he would not change his religion that she persuaded her husband to allow his son, Bakht to study abroad.
Once in England, he did abandon Sikhism and went completely to the opposite direction. He cut his hair and considered himself and atheist, indulging in every kind of pleasure. He went through seven months of saving in one month, began smoking and drinking, which as a Sikh, he had never done before.
He sent false accounts to his father to give a false assurance to his family, but his life was well and truly otherwise. These self-betrayals left him unhappy. He began to view life as a “vanities of vanities.”
Sailing to Canada on a pleasure trip, he decided to attend a Christian church service abroad the ship to see what it was about. He fell asleep during the service, but when he awoke, he found everyone else kneeling. At first rebellion flared about kneeling, but then he humbled himself, “I've been to Muslim mosques and Hindu temples. I have taken my shoes off and washed my feet to show respect for sacred places. I must honour this place too, out of courtesy.”
He knelt down and immediately felt the power of Christ in his heart. Later he reported, “I began to say, 'O Lord Jesus, blessed be Thy name, blessed be Thy name.’” The transformation which began that day led him to read the Bible and become an enthusiastic Christian.
He took his stand for baptism and on February 4, 1932, he was baptised in Vancouver, Canada. The first time he stood up to give his testimony, he trembled violently. He could only say, “The Lord Jesus saved even me. I was a man who was worthy to be burnt to ashes, because my hands had torn the Bible. I was a blasphemer against the Bible and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and made fun of Christians and yet He reached out His hand of mercy to even me!”
While dedicating himself to Christ, Bakht Singh sensed that God was asking him to accept three principles. Firstly, he must live by faith, secondly, he must ask no one for anything, and thirdly, he must make no plans of his own. Binding himself to these three requirements, he sailed back to India. There he found himself homeless because he would not accept his parents' demands to keep his conversion quiet. However, because of Bakht's witness, his father soon became a Christian.
As a result of Bakht Singh's obedience to God, he won thousands of Indians to Christ and had a hand in planting many churches. So influential and beloved was he that six hundred thousand people turned out for his funeral.
This would be the ultimate example of transformation from the 'From Beneath', to the 'From Above.' Again, in closing, please consider and claim the promise, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” —James 1:17
—Message taken by Andreas Mellas, New Zealand, January 25, 202
