This blog uses evidentiary law as a metaphor for spiritual evidence of Gods Kingdom. In this post I will use one of evidentiary law’s legal metaphors as my metaphor. The exclusionary rule is a part of Constitutional Law and is designed to exclude evidence obtained in violation of a criminal defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights. This amendment guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The metaphor I want to use is called Fruit of the poisonous tree which logically means that if the source of the evidence (the “tree”) is tainted, then anything gained from it (the “fruit”) is tainted as well. This rule and metaphor is all about the authenticity of the source of evidence and how it was obtained. This is particularity true when it comes to the spiritual evidence of God’s Kingdom.
John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Matthew 21:33-35 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
Spiritual evidence does not originate in this material realm. Therefore the source of real spiritual evidence when gathered and presented says something about the relationship between the presenter and the source. In the material world there is always a question that must be satisfied, and it is, how was the evidence obtained? If it can be proven that during the gathering of evidence, the rights of the defendant were violated, the evidence is excluded.
As joint heirs to the Kingdom of God, spiritual evidence reveals our relationship to the source of the Kingdom. Since Jesus is the way, there is only one gate to this evidence and that is through Christ. The vinedressers in the parable got greedy and failed to recognize the owner of the vineyard and the ones he sent. Scripture reveals that the carnal mind or material mindset cannot understand spiritual relationships.
Like Christ when we present spiritual evidence the jury in the material world naturally tends to view that evidence as having come from a physical source and does not understand the spiritual source. But we are children of God and sent ones and therefore the evidence belongs to the source and not the messengers. Our eyes have been opened to the Spirit of God and that was a work of God’s Spirit. We now understand that we humans are vessels and have the capacity to carry the Presence of God’s Spirit. We have become the “Dominion of God” Himself.
As Disciples of Jesus we are learning to fill our vessels to overflowing and carry our Father’s Presence so that others might take, eat and become awaken, like we have become. But if we try to force that awakening we will have violated their rights and the spiritual evidence we carry will be dismissed or excluded and our reputations as vessels will discredited. Jesus stood at the door and knocked and we must do likewise.
1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
God is All in All, but each individual consciousness must freely open up in order to experience Father’s indwelling Presence. The Presence of God’s spirit that we carry is born out of intimacy and a trust that He will forgive us when we open ourselves to Him. People in the material world tend to resist opening up if they have experienced a violation of trust. Many religions and cults cross this line of sovereignty in their zealousness to help people experience the freedom that they have come to know.
One of Jesus favorite sayings after He has carried in Father’s Presence, is that “your faith has made you whole”. A sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to enter into the intimate place and open up to our spiritual Father so He can fill us to overflowing with His Presence and then carefully and respectfully carry His Presence into the material world so people can freely take from what has been freely given to us. If we manipulate people in to taking something they are not ready for the result is never good. Likewise if a prosecutor thinks someone is guilty and fixes the evidence to get a verdict, he performs a miscarriage of justice.
Jesus operated from a place of Sabbath rest trusting that God’s Spirit would not return void but that our Father’s Spirit would accomplish His will. Jesus from a place of complete trust said “Not My will but Your will be done”. Our goal as Disciples is to become like our master by taking on His yoke (teachings, mind-set, and instructions). We must willingly become Disciples of Jesus if we expect others willingly chose to be Disciples. When Jesus laid His life down He did it trusting that our Father’s Spirit Words, left in the hearts of His disciples would get the job done.
Intimacy leads to freedom, and forgiveness, trust, and rest leads to intimacy.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
EVidence LOCKER 