God must interact with us in order to soften and subdue our wills. People with strong wills are convinced that their opinions, actions, and judgments are always correct. Think about how Paul was given the grace described in Philippians: "Do not put your confidence in the flesh" (3:3). God must also lead us to a position where we are afraid to rely on our own judgment. God will let us make error after error before we comprehend that this will continue to be our pattern going forward. The Lord's grace is indeed what we need. The Lord frequently allows us to experience severe consequences as a result of our own. The Lord frequently will enable us to experience severe repercussions as a result of our own judgements.
In the end, you will be so horrified by your mistakes that you will declare: "I'm as afraid of hellfire as I am of my own judgment. Lord, forgive me for my mistakes. I will make another mistake unless You are kind to me, unless You help me, unless You control me with Your hand." When you no longer dare to be yourself, this is the start of the downfall of the outer man. Until God deals with you consistently and after many disappointments, your opinions usually come in the way against God's will. When that happens, you submit and declare, "God, I dare not ponder, I dare not decide." When various things and various persons are pushing in from all sides, this is the discipline of the Holy Spirit.
There won't be any easing of this lesson, I assure you! Even when the availability of God's word is frequently insufficient or when other forms of grace are weak, the Holy Spirit's discipline is always present. You may argue that you have no chance to hear His word or receive what it contains, yet this is untrue when it comes to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. He is setting up several learning opportunities for you every day.
Once you've surrendered to God, this practice will far more fully satisfy your needs than His message ever could. It is not just for the intelligent, gifted, or educated; rather, it is the path for all of God's children. The discipline of the Holy Spirit cannot be replaced by the availability of God's word, the effectiveness of prayer, or the community of Christians. This is necessary because you need to be broken as well as build up in order to be freed of all the things in your life that cannot be carried into eternity.
Author: Watchman Nee
Edited and compiled by: Peter O. Olutoyese
Comments
Post a Comment