The Courtship of the Spirit
Greetings and good morning brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series
where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years,
the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them
with you. This morning we seek to understand the courtship of the spirit.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
The Courtship of the Spirit
Jesus said, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all that which he hath
given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day." And this is the
will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John, Chapter 6, Verses 39 and 40.
Brothers and sisters, there is a process in which the spirit of Jesus courts us and induces us
to become one with him and accept salvation. Let us consider this material analogy to help
us to grasp the courtship of the spirit. A child is conceived. For nine months the child
develops until it is ready to begin life outside the womb, to begin a separate existence apart
from its mother. At birth the child becomes a bona fide human being. It soon gains self
consciousness. It continues to develop physically, intellectually, and morally.
It enters the realm of adolescence. At this point, it feels stirring by the opposite sex. And then
almost over night, an explosion of hormones (sex) floods the brain, causing a whole new set
of sex emotions. An intense interest develops in the opposite sex while the urge to mate
grows stronger and stronger.
Soon primitive courtship patterns emerge. This is a fickle period where individuals fall in
and out of love almost daily. This soon gives way to the more serious pursuit of a permanent
mate as the individual enters the adult years. Mates are selected, and after a period of mutual
discovery and preliminary knowledge of each other, the couple agree to marry, to bond. A
betrothal is made.
During this period all phases of the relationship except the consummation are explored. The
couple really discover each other, gain significant knowledge of each other, and become
deeply bonded to each other. For practical purposes with the exception of the consummation,
they are as one. They are as if they were already married, and they enjoy all the privilege of
being married. The only difference is that before the consummation, they can turn back and
decide not to mate.
After the marriage, they cannot, for they have become one by joining with each other to
produce offspring. Finally the day arrives, the union is consummated as the couple joins in
union producing offspring. They have known each other. This offspring is neither the mother
nor the father, but a union of both. And none can tell where the father begins or the mother
ends. A new creation is conceived.
The courtship of the spirit is similar. The soul is conceived in our minds by the spirit of the
heavenly Father. The conception of the soul is manifested by the transition from the moral
conscious to the moral self consciousness. As with the developing human child, the soul
continues to develop until such time as it is ready to be born. This is the second birth-the first
occurred when the human child was born into the material world.
The birth of the soul into the spirit world while all the time remaining in the material mind
is signaled by the soul's response to spirit realities--the truth, beauty, and goodness of the
Father's love. The soul has become aware of its mate (spirit). As the soul continues to
develop in the spirit world, the quality and quantity of spiritual fruits continue to increase.
At some point in this relationship, the soul becomes self conscious of its spirit mate. This
constitutes the betrothal of the spirit. The soul agrees with the permission of the will to
become one with the spirit. Then follows a period of intense courtship where the soul more
fully explores the spirit. The spirit not being limited by time and space considers the union
a completed fact and behaves as if it were already a divine union, thus manifesting the
continuous flow of the fruit of the spirit. "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth
in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing."
Under the constant flowing of the fruits of the spirit, the soul under the guidance of the Spirit
of Truth falls in love with the Father's spirit. The soul has in truth become a son of the
Father, a son of divine love, and becomes a revelation of the Father. He who has seen the Son
has seen the Father. For all practical purposes they are one. But, as in the material courtship,
the distinction is that the soul can still break the courtship, can still choose not to be one. As
long as the soul is in the flesh, it can choose to break the relationship. This relationship has
not been consummated yet. But the fullness of time brings perfect synchronization in which
the soul is able to make a final decision. This is signaled by the union of the spirit and the
soul (the actual fact). This forever seals their union, and a new son of the Father emerges, one
that reveals the Father all the time under all circumstances. The two have become one. The
courtship has been consummated.
This concludes today's message on understanding the courtship of the spirit. We hope you
find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day. Until next
time, this is Dr. James Perry
Inspirational Messages
By Dr. James Perry
Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!
The Courtship of the Spirit
