God wants to take us to a new level. A new level with God is going to require that we remove weight that holds us down. This is Part 2 of New Level with God. God wants to take us to a new level that requires us to be equipped with new skills and new weapons as we will face new enemies. You can’t defeat this new enemy by doing things the old ways. In Part 1, I shared that to get to that new level that God has for us requires that we learn to breathe God’s oxygen (God’s breath).
Examples of Too Much Weight
I gave the example of ascending in an airplane or climbing a mountain in Part 1 and will continue with that example. An aircraft that is overloaded or has too much weight, may not be able to leave the ground. If it does, the plane may experience problems during take off or in flight. When you climb a mountain, you want to go with only the necessary gear you need so you don’t carry too much weight in your bag. Otherwise, you will experience difficulties climbing the mountain.
Spiritual Weight
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)
Many people are carrying around spiritual weights, such as the weight of sin, that holds us down. If you do a study on the word ‘weight’, it means the following: bulk, mass, burden, hindrance (in Strong’s Concordance).
That weight can represent things as the weight of health issues, financial issues, emotional issues or weight of your past, lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). Some people have been carrying around the weight from their past for a very long time. Whatever the weight may be, it is hindering you from reaching the new heights God has for you.
Dross (Impurities)
I wanted to share what I heard the Lord spoke to me while in prayer. I heard him say that He is going to burn the dross from His church and remove the weight so the true church will arise.
Dross means waste or foreign matter; impurity (according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary). If you do a study on the word ‘dross’ in Strong’s Concordance, it means refuse, take away. It’s like taking away or removing dross from silver so the silversmith can produce a vessel, according to Proverbs 25:4 (NIV). The silversmith removes the dross with heat. The silver is refined in the fire and the dross or the impurities rise to the top, and the silversmith removes the dross.
You see it takes heat or fire to let the dross (impurities) to rise to the top. Only then the silversmith can see the impurities and remove them so the pure silver remains.
How to Remove The Weight and the Dross
How do we remove the dross and the weight that holds us down? It takes the word of God to cleanse us, and the Holy Spirit to burn the impurities from our heart.
Power of the Word of God
The scriptures below speak of how powerful the the word of God is and that it cleanses us.
- “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3 NKJV)
- “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NKJV)
Strong’s Concordance defines abide as to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for). - “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NLT)
Fire of the Holy Spirit
The scriptures below show how the Holy Spirit is like fire and burns up the impurities in us. He convicts or convinces of sin in our lives. When you read God’s word, the Holy Spirit reveals that word (truth) and exposes sin.
- “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am–so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” (Matthew 3:11-12 NLT)
- And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. (John 16:8 NLT)
Why is it important to remove all impurities from our lives? God says in His word, He is coming back for a church that is without spot or wrinkle in Ephesians 5:27. Jesus commanded us to be holy for He is holy in 1 Peter 1:15-16. Only those who are pure in heart will see God in Matthew 5:8. This topic is not preached in many churches, and it’s hard to distinguish the church from the world. The scriptures tells us clearly we must be separate.
We must have a relationship with the Holy Spirit so He can reveal the truth of God’s word to us and convict us of sin. When He convicts us, we repent of our sins and ask Jesus to forgive us, and the Holy Spirit burns up the dross (impurities) in our lives. Then, we can go to the new level God has for us.
Present Day
It’s time for the true church get ready. It’s time for the true church to arise. I will leave you with these verses which talks about what is going on now in our present day, Luke 21:25-28. Jesus was speaking and He said we will see signs in the earth and in the heavens, and people will be fearful. [Sounds like our present day.] Jesus said, when you sees these things, He said, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption (deliverance), draws near. (Luke 21:28 NKJV)
