Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. When a man is awakened by the
operation of the Spirit of God to the depravity of his own heart
and made to see the great gulf that is between himself in his
natural state and the high and holy place which God occupies,
he is immediately brought into a place of knowing that unless
God shows him mercy, he will surely perish. He is ultimately
taught by that same Spirit that there must be a work performed
in him which he is unable to accomplish or even cooperate
in. The Charismatics are fond of using the term slain in the
spirit to describe someone being put into a trance-like state
by the touch of a so-called minister's hand. What we're describing here
is not a parlor trick performed by a persuasive showman. Rather,
a man who is quickened by the Spirit is truly slain before
Almighty God without the touch of anybody but the Spirit. This
slaying of which we speak has to do with being made naked and
bare before a God who hates sin and who will not at all acquit
the wicked. It is not about being seen by men or being part of
a religious performance. Thus the stage is set, and the
heart is prepared to hear and believe the gospel which is sent
by the Spirit of God, according to the direct purpose of him
who sends the preached word by those vessels he has equipped
for the task. Those who are now given the gift
of faith to believe embark on an odyssey which takes them from
the land of the dead to the realm of eternal life. Their sensibilities
have been changed and their concerns, perspectives, and fears become
totally different than those which dominated their minds.
When they walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience, they have now become new creatures.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things
are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. Now that they have been fully acquainted with the fact
that being a true child of God is not something they have the
power to control, they cannot be comforted by anything but
the witness of His Spirit. Neither the assurances of men
nor the religious formulas of the experts can give them any
solace. Their chief desire is now to
be found as a true and faithful son of God, but how to perform
it they know not. They are made to know that the
presence of Christ's Spirit produces fruit in his children, and they
desire to see this fruit in abundance, but alas, often only see scraggly
limbs which seem unable to bear their own weight, let alone any
fruit. Thus they often despair that
they are perhaps deceived in thinking that they are the true
sons of God. Yet this very scenario is at which the Lord designs
to drive them ever closer to his side, to lament their barrenness
and long for his power, which is promised to his children.
So the Lord continually chastens his own, causing them to linger
close to him and to lean upon his bosom. He is pleased to give
assurance and strength unto his own in his own time, according
to his purpose. Therefore he sends the spirit
of a son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father. The enemies of
the Lord's children can sometimes rob them of just about everything
they own, but this one characteristic can never be removed from them.
Regardless of what may befall them, they will always cry out
to Him who is their Father with filial affection, recognition,
and fear. He has made the basis of their
salvation to be the imputed righteousness of Christ rather than any act
of faith they may demonstrate. The faith which justifies the
elect of God is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Their standing
with the Lord is not dependent upon them in any way, but is
founded solely on what He has done in their behalf. Though
our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart. He gives
them a love for the brethren. There is a common bond between
all of those who bow before the throne of the one who has died
to purchase their redemption. It is this very bond which the
Lord uses to strengthen and supply the members of his body. I'm
amazed that many who claim to be his followers have so little
regard to the gathering of his saints, often relegating it to
the secondary status in order to fulfill their worldly desires.
This is not an evidence of his spirit. Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Have you been
born again by the Spirit of God, becoming a new creature in Christ?
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