Regarding one another through the eyes of the Holy Spirit

I can be really hard on people sometimes.  Particularly those in leadership.  Particularly if they are misleading the people of God.  Particularly if the policies and programs they put in place enslave people .  It informs and drives my political view and the Prophetic gift I carry.  It is to watch carefully for those who would so destroy, go to them privately at first and if they do not repent publicly call them out.

Hasn't been many of those.  A few.  Some nationally.  Some regionally and a few locally.  I give more grace to those who are local since they are most easily helped back to the center of God's will.

What keeps me centered in this prophetic mission is the admonition of Paul the Apostle of God in dealing with the church at Corinth.  There had been some hard times there. One man had to be put out.  Paul was helping them see one another as who they are in Christ.  He did that a great deal with the church at Corinth.

2 Corinthians 5:
12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

16 Therefore from now on know no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

I make certain to post the whole passage in context.  It's critical to not quote as if there is no before nor after.

So what does it mean to "Know no man according to the Flesh"?  It means that the flesh is not how we judge one another.  That the flesh is flawed.  That works of the flesh are what they are, but we are to help one another put off fleshly things.

What about those who do fleshly things?  How are we to deal with them?  IF I read this right, we are to not know people according to those things. That Holy Spirit sees them as a new creation.  One made right with God thru the reconciliation of Jesus so we can be the Righteousness of God.

Yet, people Do sinful things.  What about them?  How are we to regard them?  IF we are to carry out our purpose in the earth, Restoration is the thing.

It is why a Pastor from Brazil uses this principle to build a HUGE church.  Abe Huber. One man ministers to another to restore him.  This is not the promise keeper accountability group.  It's the priesthood of believers in action.  When it works, I would have ONE man to whom I am accountable.  YET he is not accountable to me.  He is my brother in Christ who loves me and ministers to me.

I would also have men who come to me (no more than a few) needing restoration.  They are accountable to me.  The idea of absolute confidentiality of all these sessions is critical.  Unfortunately, that is not the norm in our western society.

Here's what happens,  it really works... when it's tried. 

I go to my restoration person, my priest for the moment (lower case), one who I can come to, one I can trust, one who loves me and wants the best for me.

I tell him my sorrow.  My sin, My failure, My fears. My pain. My need.  I dump it all.  He may ask a question or two.  He doesn't offer advice.  He's not my life coach.  He's my spiritual overseer at that moment. Then after I am done "confessing" he lays hands on me, prays for me, offers me reconciliation according to the word, prophesies over me, encourages me, forgives me in the name of Jesus.  In other words he does the work of the ministry.

When we are done, we love each other in the Spirit and he never tells me what is going on in his life. That's for him to go to his partner with.  EVERY person in the church has one of these people.  They are carefully selected.  There is agreement.  It is most critical that the Church LEADERSHIP, particularly the senior leader has one of these men he can trust.  It might be someone outside the fellowship.  It must be face to face.  Best if it's weekly, or at least every other week.

I wish I had such a one in my life.  I don't.  Trust is hard.  It is also critical that senior leaders have no more than a few select ones coming to them.

Paul had Barnabas.  When someone needed to stand up for Paul, Barnabas did.

I hope someday true maturity will enter into the houses of God in the USA.  It works in other countries.  It could work here... it's not been tried.