Mailing # 68 Our Old and New Will Chapter 2 Part 5 (Word to the Church)
THE WAY TO VICTORY
THE FIRST FACT is that the victory does not come to us the way we expect or prefer. The darkness and death in our old soul cannot possibly predict what the new Life will do, how It will enable our soul to “live It”, how the Spirit of Life will express Himself through our soul.
THE SECOND FACT is that we will have to learn – slowly and painfully – to start doing things we never did before and to stop doing some things we always did! Does this sound reasonable? Of course, it does. THIS IS THE WAY to abandon, deny, lose our old soul life and start gaining the new Life of Christ. (Mt. 16:24,25) This is a lifelong process and it never goes according to our expectations, prayers, wishes or logical explanations. Even our reasoning may be set aside and many of our former strong beliefs and persuasions may also need drastic revisions or modifications.
One big problem is that we cannot just “walk away” from our old life, old character, old creation, old habits, old ways! Often, we must be “torn away” from it step-by-step by the power of the Holy Spirit, which may be painful and a totally unpleasant, impolite, “unchristian” action!
Another big problem is that whenever the Spirit leads us to practice Mt. 16:24,25, we do not start DENYING ourselves, we start DEFENDING ourselves! Have you ever observed this powerful feature of your character? Just try to “walk away from it” and you will experience its power. So, even after some years, we must never think or believe that “now we are perfected and can minister flawlessly”.
We all know how difficult it is to change any of our old habits and learn a new one. That includes the habit of how we conduct our ministry! While we were children, such a change was rather easy (especially seeing a belt in our father’s hand), but after being fifty, or so, it is a “pain in the neck”. Fortunately, this effort is not to be all ours and we are not the only ones trying such impossible feats. Let us remember that without the Lord we can do nothing! (Jn. 15:5) Also, we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. (2Cor. 13:8) And the Lord without us will also do nothing! It is both ways or no way. If we ask and seek, we shall receive and find. (Mt. 7:7,8)
THE THIRD FACT is that in the process of this renewal and revival of our soul – during the walk on this narrow way – we will be progressively discovering two most important pillars of our future spiritual knowledge:
a) We will begin to know the LORD HIMSELF, His mind, heart, thoughts, intentions, goodness, judgments; also His true love, patience, power, wisdom, grace and other beauty and virtues. It will not be just the knowledge ABOUT HIM but OF HIMSELF!
b) We will also begin to discover and know OURSELF as we never knew ourself before and ALL the things we never thought were in our heart. I guarantee you that you do not (and cannot) know yourself before you start knowing the Lord. It is in the Light of His Personality that you can start seeing yourself. We need His Light to see ourself, even our sinfulness. We cannot see our true character and personality just because somebody tells us about it or we read a book (such as this one) or a letter written to us. We have to see, be aware and also hate our sin if we are to truly repent and be delivered and cleansed from it. We have to start seeing our heart before we could start opening it to the Lord.
After this discovery, we will also begin to see better why it must be “here a little and there a little” (Is. 28:10)and why the Lord cannot renew us and give us His Life in one “big bang” but that this process must be progressive and protracted.
THE FOURTH FACT is that whatever the Lord renews, recreates, revives in us, is an ETERNAL, permanent work and can never disappear or be destroyed by any power. The Eternal Life, which the Spirit of the Lord brings into our spirit and soul can never die or be destroyed, hence, His work in us can never be destroyed either. However, it may happen from time to time that we will feel as if we had lost what the Lord had given us and we might even end up in despair. There are three possibilities here, which we should ponder and understand:
a) The Lord may choose to keep you unaware of His work in your heart in order that He may build a higher, stronger or purer faith in you. To teach you not to depend on your own heart (its feelings, emotions) or on your own mind (its thoughts, reasoning, understanding) but that you would stand on your existing faith (spiritual knowledge, understanding, vision in your conscience)! Also, you may be led to remember your previous experiences and work that the Lord had already done in you and which cannot just disappear “into thin air”, as we say.
b) The Lord may choose to keep you unaware of His work in you and prevent you from using (or misusing) it when you are found in a sinful situation, unrepented sins or rebellion, which means, unwillingness to stay His Course, His Plan, His Judgment. Let me underline at this point that here we are not talking about misusing the gifts of His Spirit, which is possible to do whereas misusing His Life is not possible to do.
c) There is a danger in the Scripture for born-again believers to lose their Salvation under certain conditions[7]. SUCH BELIEVERS MAY HAVE BEEN ANOINTED BY HIS SPIRIT FOR A MINISTRY IN HIS CHURCH BUT THEY KEPT GOING THEIR OWN WAY, DID NOT CARRY OUT HIS COMMANDMENTS, DID NOT KEEP HIS WORD AND FEARED PEOPLE MORE THAN GOD. THEY NEVER DECIDED IN THEIR HEARTS TO DENY THEIR WILL AND DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER. (Mt. 26:39// Lk. 22:42) The time may come when the Lord removes His Spirit from such believers (1Sam. 15:1-3,9-11,21,23; 16:14; 18:12) and they will not even have to be aware of it! Instead of a victory, they will end up in tragedy.
* * *
I am constrained by the Spirit of the ONE LORD of both Testaments to declare the following truth.
Every biblically educated believer knows that the men and events in the Old Testament also have a spiritual meaning and significance. And every man and woman of God in the Old Testament typifies someone or some spiritual principle in the New Testament.
Saul was the king of Israel anointed by the LORD and that through Samuel the prophet. (1Sam. 15:1) He typifies the rulers in Israel who feared people more than they feared the LORD or they did evil in His sight or did not carry out His Commandments (His Word) or did not enquire of Him, but enquired of flesh. Therefore, THE LORD KILLED SAUL AND HIS THREE SONS! (1Sam. 31:6// 1Chron. 10:13,14)
GOD, WHO IS LOVE (1JN. 4:8) AND WHO IS THE FATHER, THE SON JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT – KILLED HIS ANOINTED KING OF HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE! THIS HAS HAD AND WILL HAVE ENORMOUS REPERCUSSIONS FOR THE CHURCH.
SAUL TYPIFIES ALL THOSE NEW TESTAMENT RULERS AND LEADERS OF THE CHURCH WHO ALSO FEAR PEOPLE MORE THAN GOD, WHO DO NOT ENQUIRE OF GOD AND DO NOT OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS, HIS WORD! Saul and his people spared Agag, the king of Amalekites, and the best of their possessions and did not destroy them utterly as clearly commanded by God. (1Sam. 15:9)
A very brief picture summarizing this passage of the Old Testament is as follows. Amalek was the grandson of Esau, the father of Edomites (Gen. 36:9,12) whom the Lord hated. (Mal. 1:2,3// Rom. 9:13) Esau hated Jacob his brother and planned to slay him. (Gen. 27:41) Amalek was thus the enemy of Israel and fought Israel in Rephidim. (Ex. 17:8) He who defeated the Amalekites was Joshua and he brought Israel into the Promised Land. (Ex. 17:10-14) The Amalekites “laid wait for Israel in the way when they came up from Egypt” and were headed for their Promised Land. (1Sam. 15:2).
Today, the Amalekites represent the SPIRITUAL ENEMIES OF THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD – THE CHURCH – and they “lay wait” for them as they come up from their “Egypt through the Red Sea”, which is their Salvation and head toward their Promised Land, which is the Kingdom of Heaven! These “spiritual Amalekites” are the powers of evil and darkness who take a stand against them and against their “going on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1) and entering the Kingdom of Heaven. These spiritual powers of evil were in Pharisees and are also today in the believers and ministers with pharisaic hearts. (Mt. 23:13)
Therefore, THE LORD COMMANDS THE RULERS AND LEADERS OF HIS CHURCH WHOM HE ANOINTED TO ALSO FIGHT AND UTTERLY DESTROY THESE POWERS which oppose all those believers who decided to keep walking to their perfection and to the Kingdom of Heaven! The LORD had also sworn that He will have “war with Amalek” (his forces) from generation to generation, which means, to the end of the age until they are UTTERLY DESTROYED. (Ex. 17:16)
Hence, all those rulers and leaders in the Church who refuse to fight these powers and to lead their people to also fight them and keep destroying them, will be in grave danger. THE LORD MAY ONE DAY “KILL” THEM AND THEIR SONS (killing means separating them from His Presence).
THESE ARE THE LEADERS WHO FEAR PEOPLE AND DO NOT FEAR GOD, WHO DISOBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS (HIS WORD) AND DO NOT ENQUIRE OF THE LORD BUT SEEK ADVICE FROM FLESH… AND THEN FOLLOW IT IN THEIR LIFE AND MINISTRY.
And as Saul did not know what was waiting for him and for his three sons, so also these leaders of the Church do not know what is waiting for them, and for their families – unless they pause and seek the truth from the Lord – and repent and change their ways… if it is not too late!
Saul admitted he sinned and asked for pardon, but it was too late, for the Lord rejected him to be king over Israel! (1Sam. 15:24-26) If you have a heart to see and understand this both in the spiritual world and in today’s Church, then see and understand.
* * *
THE FIFTH FACT is that the Lord may never choose for us a man, vessel, instrument, which we would choose and prefer. And if we do like that man from the beginning, later on he might “disappoint us” in speaking truth to us which might be ever more bitter than any time before. Whoever is “cutting” our heart, our feelings, whoever opposes our good reasons and many excellent excuses – that man is not welcomed in our life any more! Is that true? You may have your very own experiences even in this area. We never look at ourselves whether that bitter truth might be correct and applicable to us. NO! We first look at our “tormentor” and try to find out everything unacceptable about him. This is our old human and filthy nature.
But this is EXACTLY THAT DEVILISH THING IN US, which the Lord is cutting out of us that He may replace it with His Divine Nature. This takes a heart, which is unconditionally and truly after the Lord and is willing to suffer that little pain, pay that little price and continue unto his perfection.
THE SIXTH FACT is that only FEW BELIEVERS FIND the narrow way, which leads to Life (Mt. 7:14), which means, to the Victory. Why? Because ONLY FEW BELIEVERS SEEK IT! Those that seek, find (Mt. 7:8) and those that seek not, find not! But why do only few seek it? What is the true reason?
One reason is that this truth is never preached so believers are ignorant of this truth. The second reason why the majority of believers do not seek it even after being told is that THEY DO NOT WANT TO SEEK IT… THEY DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE! But the Lord cannot help the unwilling. Their hearts refuse to seek the narrow way, the Kingdom (Mt. 6:33) as well as to seek the Lord. (Deut. 4:29// 2Chr. 15:2,12-15// Ps. 9:10; 22:26; 27:4// Acts. 15:14-17; 17:26,27, etc.)
I would like to quote at this place from the letter of brother Arthur Pink (page 16[13]) written on September 5, 1933 to a man named Lowell Green :
“Now in Matthew 7:14 the LORD Jesus declares there are ‘few’ who find the narrow way which leads to life, and were I to tell you that these ‘few’ are much fewer than nearly all the Bible teachers, preachers and evangelists of this day believe, you might think I was too pessimistic. Again, in Luke 12:32, Christ declares that God’s ‘flock’ is a little one; and were I to tell you that it is probably much smaller than you now suppose, that there is a vast difference between the actual size of His flock and the totality of Christian workers and church-members, you might be far from agreeing with me.
But as your experience widens and you come into closer contact with, or have business dealings with church-members, you will find that all is not gold that glitters and that there are multitudes who call themselves Christians who have never passed from death to life spiritually – Proverbs 30:12. It is only as one comes to learn this personally, that one gradually discovers and discerns how empty and worthless is much of the zeal, toil and activity which is going on in the religious realm; that, after all, it is but the energy of the flesh with a coat of religious paint over it.”
(underlining and bold lettering is mine)
However unbelievable or illogical it may seem to be, but the truth is that the majority of believers has decided in their heart NOT TO SEEK their own Life, Truth and Victory! According to my faith already expressed above, only two reasons may exist for such a tragic decision:
(a) they are deceived and nobody tells them anything,
(b) they love their old life and do not want to lose it.
If they are deceived, they have a chance HERE AND NOW to receive the truth from the Scripture quoted and discussed also in this book. The Light of the Word will effectively and permanently destroy all their deception in this area.
If they love their old life, I have for them only one Word of God, namely, Mt. 16:25. Let them choose.
THE SEVENTH FACT is that there are three types of success, three types or degrees of victory that may be distinguishable in the life of believers:
a) The first victory is in the fact, that believers may study the Word of God diligently and sometimes acquire very extensive and excellent intellectual knowledge of the Word of God. They are then able to teach it, preach it, discuss it or argue about it intelligently and persuasively, yet, remain on the intellectual level and have no spiritual discernment. They cannot distinguish spirit from soul, spiritual life from spiritual death. They have no sensitivity for the Spirit of God, for His voice or guidance. They have none of His spiritual senses working in their lives, chiefly an eye to see, ear to hear and heart to understand. This is an “intellectual victory” and though it is a desirable stepping stone for the next 2 victories, it is still useless in itself, inadequate and cannot produce spiritual fruit of any kind.
Unfortunately, most believers do not achieve even this first success or degree of victory. Most ministers of the Word of God, who have achieved this first victory, do not have it in their heart to go on to achieve the second and third victory!
b) The second victory which the Spirit leads us to is to acquire the spiritual knowledge where we see and understand the breadth and length and depth and height of the Word, which we never saw or understood with all our intellectual knowledge. We also begin to acquire the knowledge of the Lord Himself since He and His Word are One. This comes when we learn obedience by the things we have to suffer (Heb. 5:8), when we are subjected to Him and His Word with the necessary seriousness and have a true fear of the Lord; when our basic pride, arrogance and selfishness is at least reduced sufficiently to permit this kind of spiritual understanding.
Then we begin to SEE OUR SELVES in the Light of the Lord! We begin to see and understand in our own heart that ALL OUR INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE IS INSUFFICIENT AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OUR SALVATION! That our ways and deeds are not all clean, wise and marvellous… as we believed before we saw ourselves. That the Lord weighs, judges our spirits and not our knowledge. (Pr. 16:2)
c) The third and final victory, which is the most precious in the sight of the Lord is the victory in overcoming our old man, old character, old self and in putting on the Character of Christ, in acquiring His love, meekness, lowliness of heart, grace, mercy, forgiveness, patience, wisdom and longsuffering. This far surpasses all the knowledge and understanding that we may have ever acquired in our life and all the good deeds and activities that we may have ever done or undertaken in our entire earthly life.
THE EIGHTH FACT is that nothing in this world is perfect and nothing goes as we expect it! Our best, most desired, most noble or perfect wishes, plans, intentions or expectations do not come true, and if some do, it may be a pure miracle. Equally, neither in the Church, nor in our Christian life anything is or ever will be perfect except for the Spirit of Our Lord and His work within us.
Hence, the conclusion to this section “The Way to Victory” is rather simple. What we have done or gained in this physical world is not truly important and it is not our true victory. (2Pet. 3:10-12)
WHAT WE HAVE DONE AND GAINED IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, THAT IS JUDGED AS OUR TRUE VICTORY IN THE EYES OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. (Rev. 12:11)
* * *
To be continued next week in part 6
brother Hanola
…