Exploring the Spiritual Landscape

    Getting the lay of the land--both internal and external

This teaching on exploring the "invisible" landscape of our new life in Christ is a practical application that companions the lessons set forth in our workbook for personal transformation, "Matters of the Heart."  All of the 24 lessons will be helpful to the person seeking restoration and freedom and have been posted on this web site. They are available as a complete set in our workbook which can be purchased as a download or ordered through the mail. The lessons are also available on CD and DVD as 24, 1/2 hour teachings. All scriptures are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
 

Diagram of the 7 levels of reality scripture reveals

Can you see what is real? 
Only one of these seven realms of Reality is actually observable by our science and understandable by common sense alone--no wonder the unbelieving world is so totally in the dark.  Only the grace of revelation can open our blinded eyes to see the realms we are actualy living in close quarters with! Note the fallen counterparts of spiritual darkness to those of Light (in vertical correspondence) and how both are converging on the earth. Exploring the spiritual landscape around us would be all but impossible without the Word and the Spirit to light the way.

1) Heaven
—eternal dwelling of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, angels, saints
   (1 Peter 3:21)

   2) Kingdom of God
     —invisible, spiritual realm surrounding earth
        (Romans 14:17)

        3) Church
          —the Body of Christ, partly visible, humanity organized by God
             (Matthew 16:18)

             4) New nature
                    —the new creation, Christ's life in us, regenerated spirit
                       (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:27)

                  5) Earth and its heavens
                    —natural/physical realm of 5 senses and matter
                      (Psalm 24:1-2)

             6) Fallen nature
             —the flesh, Adam's life in us, spiritual death 
                (Romans 8:6-9)

        7) World
        —the Kosmos, partly visible; humanity organized by Satan
           (John 12:31; 1 John 2:15)

   8) Kingdom of darkness
   —invisible, spiritual realm surrounding earth
      (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:13)

9) Hell
—eternal place of punishment for Satan, fallen angels, demons, the damned
   (Matthew 5:30)
 

Descriptions of self

There are three ways in which we can see and understand ourselves.
This is the ever-shifting reality of our internal life. No wonder that trying to explore the spiritual landscape inside of us (without the Word and the Spirit to guide us) can become so confusing.

1) True self—who I am in Christ, new creation life, released by trust and obedience.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.   2 Corinthians 5:17

2) False self—who I am apart from Christ, fallen nature, restrained by inward crucifixion.

And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   Galatians 5:24

3) Actual self—who I am at this moment, a mixture of the two, revealed by testing.

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.   Deuteronomy 8:2

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.   Jeremiah 17:10
 

Interested in going deeper?

Don't just give these truths a "once over lightly"!
For further study and for help working these truths into your heart and life, see The Keys to the Kingdom (Main Healing Lesson 3) and The Keys to the Kingdom part 2 (Head to Heart Guide 3) and "work out" with more teachings, exercises, discussion questions, review of main points, digging deeper, more scriptures, model prayers, renunciations/affirmations and practical steps of life application.  Please also refer to Our True Identity (Main Healing Lesson 9) and the Our True Identity part 2 (Head to Heart Guide 9).

Or better yet, let us minister to you in person
     --at one of our Savannah Seminars...