R. H. Hitchcock
December 1999
Sugar Land, Texas USA
The GreaterReality
There are two realities to life. The first reality is one that all menare aware of: it is the reality of the five senses. This to the most of mankindis the real world. It is their only reality. This reality is knownto all by what they can see, what they can hear, what they can feel, whatthey can smell and what they can taste. Their bodies and minds are fullyequipped to register the effects of these individual and collective stimuliand endeavor to correlate them into what they call "life."
The greater reality is the realm of the Spirit. God inhabits this realm.This realm supersedes the reality of the five senses. Only by the spiritcan this realm be known. This realm is Eternal. The written and revealedWord of God reveals this realm.
John 1:1-4
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning withGod.
3 All things were made by him; and without himwas not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the lightof men.
(KJV)
In the beginning were God and His Word. There were no five senses' realitiesfor man because there was no man. God was the first reality. God made allthings that are now present in the senses' realm, both the things that providestimulus for the five senses and the senses that register their effects.He precedes all natural knowledge. There is absolutely nothing in this worldthat did not first have its origin with God.
Col 1:16-17
16 For by him were all things created, that arein heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they bethrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were createdby him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all thingsconsist.
(KJV)
Not only did God precede the natural realties, He also preceded the spiritualrealities. God created all things that are in heaven and that are in earth,both natural and spiritual. God created the spiritual being known as angels.God created the heaven and the earth. God made, formed and created man. Godis before all things: He is the greater reality because He has defined, byHis Word, both the natural and the spiritual realms and their respectivelaws. He is before all things and by him all things consist.
Gen 1:1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and theearth.
(KJV)
God, alone, was in the beginning. In the beginning there were no factsto get in the way. It was God, and God did what was right and God did whatwas pleasing to Him. He created the heavens and the earth.
Heb 11:3
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds wereframed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made ofthings which do appear.
(KJV)
The worlds, the "kosmos", were framed by the Word of God. God said, "Letthere be light," and there was. Every other thing known to man has also comeby this means. Man without spirit can only see the things that do appear.They are his life; they are his reality. But the things that are unseen arethe greater reality. The things that are unseen, of course, are the spiritualthings.
Rom 1:19-20
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifestin them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creationof the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are withoutexcuse:
(KJV)
The man of the world, the earthly man, the natural man can evidently seethe creation of the world. He lives here. He knows all about the creation.He has studied it. He has catalogued it. He has analyzed it. He has categorizedit. He has discovered many truths and facts about it. Our libraries are filledwith them. Our universities and schools continue in the pursuit of the knowledgeof the natural realm. What tremendous learning there has been: man can nowtravel outside of the earth and into the heavens themselves!
However, in that pursuit, man left out the most important part of life,the spiritual realm. The superb natural realm that God created demonstrateseven to the natural man that there are greater realities than the world inwhich he lives so that man is without excuse. "For the invisible things ofhim from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood bythe things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that theyare without excuse:" The invisible realities are the greater realities.
A man can say that there is no God, and a man can say that there are nospiritual realities, but he has to be lying because they are clearly seenby the witness of the natural realm to him. He is not ignorant; he is arrogant.He is not blind; he is foolish. People look up to the heavens and see thestars and the expanse and say "There has to be something out there." Well,they are surely correct!
John 3:6
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; andthat which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
(KJV)
The flesh, which represents the five senses' natural realm, is in a distinctand separate category than the spiritual realm. The flesh and the spiritdo not overlap. They are separate and distinct categories of life.
1 Cor 15:44
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritualbody. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
(KJV)
The natural body is in the natural realm, but the spiritual body willbe in the spiritual realm. Again, the natural and the spiritual realms areseparate and distinct.
1 Cor 15:48
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that areearthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that areheavenly.
(KJV)
Earth is earth and heaven is heaven. They are not interchangeable. Withouta knowledge of the spiritual, man is totally bound to earth in his living.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, andsharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder ofsoul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thethoughts and intents of the heart.
(KJV)
The Word of God defines for man the spiritual realm. No other source isaccurate. No other source is reliable. No other source is true. No othersource is needed. The Word of God framed the heavens and the earth. The Wordof God reveals to man the true spiritual nature of life. It is life giving,it is powerful, it is sharp and it is truth. The Word of God gives to manthe knowledge of how he can receive the spirit of God, thereby giving himdirect access to the spiritual realm.
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word istruth.
(KJV)
God's Word is truth. The world gives us facts. Facts by the score, factsby the thousands, facts by the gigabyte. Facts vary; facts are often inaccurate,facts are not truth. The natural man can only receive facts for he lacksthe spirit that is needed to receive information from the spiritual realm.The natural man has no choice: he is limited to the choice of the earth.For the born-again one, he or she has a choice.
2 Cor 4:18
18 While we look not at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal;but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(KJV)
For the believer, there is no replacement for the knowledge of God. Itis the knowledge of God that enables us to live victoriously even thoughliving on the earth. Man can only look at the facts of life: the believercan look at the truths of life. Man can only look at that which is seen:the believer can look at that which is not seen.
Facts are real. Truth is "realer." The believer registers the same fivesenses' effects that the natural man does. Pain. Tribulation. Lack. Sorrow.Illness. Persecution. Distress. The big difference is that the spiritualman has a choice. The believer can walk by the spiritual knowledge of God'sWord rather than just by the natural knowledge. The believer can utilizethe spiritual realm to overcome the natural realm.
The believer has a choice now. We can either walk by the natural meansor we can walk by the spirit. It is the spirit that enables man to do andto be what he could not by the five senses. It is the spirit of God in aborn-again one that puts him back into the right category. It puts him backinto the category of the supernatural and it puts him back into direct contactwith God. In the realm of the supernatural we have love, we have joy, wehave peace, we have longsuffering, we have gentleness, we have goodness,we have faith, we have meekness and we have temperance. Certainly those spiritualrealities are far greater than anything the senses' has to offer.
Eph 1:19-23
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his powerto us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mightypower,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised himfrom the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenlyplaces,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might,and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but alsoin that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gavehim to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that fillethall in all.
(KJV)
Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God and he is far above all.He is far above all sense knowledge. He is far above all spirit power. Hehas a name that is above every name, not only now, but forever.
God put all things under his feet. That puts to rest any notion of thenatural world that would try to overcome the believer. That puts to restany notion of the spiritual world that would try to overcome the believer.The church, the Body of Christ, is far above all in the natural world andin the spiritual world for all things are under our feet, too!
Rom 8:35-37
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killedall the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerorsthrough him that loved us.
(KJV)
Which is the greater reality?
Persecution or Jesus Christ?
Distress or Jesus Christ?
Peril or Jesus Christ?
Which is the greater reality?
Facts or Truth?
The natural world or the spiritual world?
Which is the greater reality?
The five senses or the spirit?
Nay, in all these things (the lesser realities) we are more than conquerorsthrough him that loved us (the greater reality.) There is nothing in thenatural world that can overcome the spiritual world. Our life and our joyis to believe God's Word and to walk by the revealed Word and Will of Godand to bring God's deliverance into the senses' world for ourselves and forall men. This is accomplished by walking upon the revealed Word of God andoperating the manifestations of the spirit in love.
For the believer, the spiritual realm is our greater reality. We are seatedin heavenly places even though still living here on earth. At the time appointedof the Father, the Church will be gathered together to live Eternally. Certainly,that will be a greater reality than anything on earth ever was.
God and His Word are the greater reality.