[I goofed! I typed in the wrong article in In-depth Biblical Teachings blog this morning. The article was supposed to be in The Sovereignty of Heaven blog. Since I goofed on that one, I am now typing in the article which was supposed to be in In-depth Biblical Teachings. I just re-arranged the articles only for this morning. Sorry about that. I'll be sure I get them in the correct blog tomorrow!]
Practical Devastation of Our Old Humanity (continued)
A Man Who Did Not Know Himself
Now let us come nearer still, perhaps to the innermost circle, Simon Peter. Simon Peter is a man who did not know himself and who thought so differently about himself from what was true: "I will never forsake Thee, I will go with Thee even unto death. Though all men forsake Thee, yet will I not. I will not," - "I will," - "I". Where did that begin? You have heard this before. Blinded by this ego, this selfhood, oh, Simon Peter, you do not know yourself, but the Cross is going to uncover you, find yo out, and expose you and devastate you. You will go out in despair of yourself and shed many tears. The Lord will have to send someone searching for you with a special message: "Go to My disciples and to Peter ... I know what is happening there, I know where he is and what is happening."
Poor, poor Simon Peter. What was happening? Well, the Lord told Simon Peter what would happen, and Simon Peter did not understand it until afterwards. "Simon, Simon, satan has desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat" - strip off that false covering of selfhood that covers. Really, Peter, what is there, you do not know ... sift you as wheat.
Simon Peter found that the Cross is a very searching and a very devastating thing to any kind of self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-interest, or anything of self. It is going to simply desolate that kind of humanity.
Men Without Anything Left
Now I take just one other instance after He, Jesus, is crucified, after that part of the drama is completed. Two of them, two of His disciples, went on that day to Emmaus, a village. You know the story in Luke 24. As they talked sadly, this stranger drew near to them (their eyes were holden that they should not recognize Him) and He said: "What manner of conversation is this that you have as you walk, sad?" They replied: "Are you only a visitor to our city, have you only just arrived, have you not known what has been happening in the last few days?" Then the Lord inquired: "What things?" He is drawing them out - "What things?" They said: "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth. He was a Prophet mighty in Word and in deed. We hoped that it had been He that should redeem Israel, but our rulers crucified Him." In other words, they said, "Our hope is all gone, all of our expectation is destroyed. We are men without anything left."
Then this stranger took the Old Testament (I do not think He had it in His hand: they knew it, they had it in their heads) and He started at the beginning and worked His way all through the Scriptures. And as He opened to them the Scriptures, their mouths opened, their eyes opened, and when they arrived ... you know the end, they sat down to a meal, He took the bread, the loaf, and blessed it. Eyes were opened; they knew Him, and then He disappeared from their sight.
What has been disclosed? What has been exposed? This - you can have your head absolutely full of the Scriptures and know them up there, and they will never save you in the day of crisis. The very thing that is written by God for our salvation does not save us when the Cross is planted right at the heart of our lives; it is a crisis in which we collapse. That is a terrible thing. You can know all the Scriptures, and yet when it comes to the test of some tremendous experience, some devastating experience, all that we have read and heard and thought we knew is no good to us.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 12)
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
What Makes for an "Authentic" Christian?
What Makes for an "Authentic" Christian?by Greg Laurie |
| Let's take a look at five earmarks of authentic Christianity, taken from 1 John. First, an authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as Lord (1 John4:15). Christianity must begin with a verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. The Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). True Christians should be able to say that Jesus Christ is their Lord. Second, if you are a true Christian, you will be unhappy or miserable when you're sinning (1 John 3:9). This doesn't mean you will never sin if you are a Christian (1 John 1:8). But there is a difference between recognizing that we will fail in some way, shape, or form in the future and going on a willful, continual track of sin. If you really are a child of God, you will have a sense of discomfort when you sin, because you know in your heart of hearts that what you are doing is wrong. Third, an authentic Christian enjoys fellowship with other believers (1 John 5:1). A true Christian will want to be around other Christians. Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). After all, why should God go to your house if you won't go to His? A lot of us want all of the fringe benefits of Christianity without applying ourselves. Fourth, an authentic Christian obeys the commands of Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer, then you will obey the commands of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:3). I will not deny that the Bible is filled with so-called rules, but their purpose is not to make our lives miserable. Rather, they protect us from potential harm. The person who blatantly and continually breaks the commandments of God simply does not know Him. Finally, an authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word of God (1 John 2:5). You cannot effectively live the Christian life without a love for, and obedience to, God's Word. All true disciples of Jesus Christ will be students of Scripture and will walk according to its teaching. This is vital to authentic Christian living, because the Bible is indeed the very textbook of life (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet so many believers will not read the Bible. They don't realize that success or failure in the Christian life depends on how much of the Bible they get into their hearts and minds on a regular basis. We have to do it. ~Greg Laurie~ |
Monday, August 17, 2015
Thy Kingdom Come # 6
2. The Kingdom and Spiritual Warfare
Daniel 10:1
Spiritual warfare is one of the most important factors in the great issue of bringing in the kingdom. Those who are fighters by nature, however, must beware - for this is no natural conflict, but a spiritual. Could we have seen the young Daniel arriving in Babylon as one of a weary band of defeated captives; could we later on have heard him mildly 'requesting' that he might be excused from eating the king's dainties, and still later prefacing his sensational revelation of the kings' dream by the modest denial of any natural wisdom on his part; could we have earnestly pleading with his nation's most hated enemy to humble himself so that there might be a lengthening of his tranquility, or seen him being cast into the lion's den without expostulation or argument, though he was a great political figure as well as a servant of the Most High God; still more if we could have seen him at prayer, pouring out his heart in penitence and confession, or, later, down on his face before the Divine glory, with neither strength nor self-esteem - we should never have described Daniel as a fighter. Yet he was a great warrior for God, perhaps the greatest of Old Testament times. As we have said, this is not a natural fight, and it demands qualities which are very different from the aggressive or pugnacious temperaments which belong to those who are born fighters.
Not Carnal But Spiritual
A simple story, and a true one at that, may serve to illustrate this point. A young soldier, who had been a ringleader in evil, was brought before Christ in the Soldiers' Home at Woolwich. His open confession of Christ brought him much ridicule from his former companions. Previously they had been rather afraid of him, but not he became a harmless butt for their scoffing and contempt until, relying on a Christian meekness which they expected to be limitless, one of them went too far and roused his hot anger. He rose up from the meal table, told the offender that he would deal with him outside, and withdrew to remove his tunic and roll up his sleeves ready for the fight. The others did not come out at once, so while he waited to took up his pocket Bible to seek some text of encouragement for this conflict for the truth, rather expecting something about 'fighting the good fight of faith'. To his surprise, however, his eye lighted on Ephesians 4:32, and he found himself challenged to "be ... kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God for Christ's sake forgave you". Just then his persecutor emerged, white of face and fully expecting a thrashing. To his amazement, it was not a fist which greeted him, but an outstretched hand and an apology for angry words. The fight was over, and won, but how differently from what had been expected. Moreover the other young soldier was soon won for Christ, which made the victory still greater.
Yes, this is essentially a spiritual conflict, and for that very reason is no place for 'natural fighters'. There are not a few Christians who are today bruised and battered just because they have tried to fight the Lord's battles with natural strength. Take the case of Moses. He had a true vision, but he tried to fight it out in the heat and energy of his natural life. He lost the fight. It broke him. Forty years afterwards, when, humanly speaking, he had no more fight in him, God brought him back to Egypt to lead the people of God in the first great campaign for for the kingdom. He was a different kind of warrior now. Nevertheless the fight was very real. When they moved out from Egypt, Moses sang of the Lord as "a man of war" (Exodus 15:3), and, when his leadership had brought the people to the very verge of the land, the Lord said to him: "Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people" (Numbers 31:2). It had been a fight all the way, right to the very last; yet it had been a spiritual fight, fought with spiritual weapons by the man who was "very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). The final conflict and victory for the Kingdom is to be celebrated in "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb" (Revelation 15:3). Moses the natural fighter, Moses the Egyptian warrior, Moses the zealot, Moses the reformer, was an abject failure. But Moses in fellowship with the Lamb triumphed gloriously.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 7 - (The Issue of the Kingdom)
Daniel 10:1
Spiritual warfare is one of the most important factors in the great issue of bringing in the kingdom. Those who are fighters by nature, however, must beware - for this is no natural conflict, but a spiritual. Could we have seen the young Daniel arriving in Babylon as one of a weary band of defeated captives; could we later on have heard him mildly 'requesting' that he might be excused from eating the king's dainties, and still later prefacing his sensational revelation of the kings' dream by the modest denial of any natural wisdom on his part; could we have earnestly pleading with his nation's most hated enemy to humble himself so that there might be a lengthening of his tranquility, or seen him being cast into the lion's den without expostulation or argument, though he was a great political figure as well as a servant of the Most High God; still more if we could have seen him at prayer, pouring out his heart in penitence and confession, or, later, down on his face before the Divine glory, with neither strength nor self-esteem - we should never have described Daniel as a fighter. Yet he was a great warrior for God, perhaps the greatest of Old Testament times. As we have said, this is not a natural fight, and it demands qualities which are very different from the aggressive or pugnacious temperaments which belong to those who are born fighters.
Not Carnal But Spiritual
A simple story, and a true one at that, may serve to illustrate this point. A young soldier, who had been a ringleader in evil, was brought before Christ in the Soldiers' Home at Woolwich. His open confession of Christ brought him much ridicule from his former companions. Previously they had been rather afraid of him, but not he became a harmless butt for their scoffing and contempt until, relying on a Christian meekness which they expected to be limitless, one of them went too far and roused his hot anger. He rose up from the meal table, told the offender that he would deal with him outside, and withdrew to remove his tunic and roll up his sleeves ready for the fight. The others did not come out at once, so while he waited to took up his pocket Bible to seek some text of encouragement for this conflict for the truth, rather expecting something about 'fighting the good fight of faith'. To his surprise, however, his eye lighted on Ephesians 4:32, and he found himself challenged to "be ... kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God for Christ's sake forgave you". Just then his persecutor emerged, white of face and fully expecting a thrashing. To his amazement, it was not a fist which greeted him, but an outstretched hand and an apology for angry words. The fight was over, and won, but how differently from what had been expected. Moreover the other young soldier was soon won for Christ, which made the victory still greater.
Yes, this is essentially a spiritual conflict, and for that very reason is no place for 'natural fighters'. There are not a few Christians who are today bruised and battered just because they have tried to fight the Lord's battles with natural strength. Take the case of Moses. He had a true vision, but he tried to fight it out in the heat and energy of his natural life. He lost the fight. It broke him. Forty years afterwards, when, humanly speaking, he had no more fight in him, God brought him back to Egypt to lead the people of God in the first great campaign for for the kingdom. He was a different kind of warrior now. Nevertheless the fight was very real. When they moved out from Egypt, Moses sang of the Lord as "a man of war" (Exodus 15:3), and, when his leadership had brought the people to the very verge of the land, the Lord said to him: "Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people" (Numbers 31:2). It had been a fight all the way, right to the very last; yet it had been a spiritual fight, fought with spiritual weapons by the man who was "very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). The final conflict and victory for the Kingdom is to be celebrated in "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb" (Revelation 15:3). Moses the natural fighter, Moses the Egyptian warrior, Moses the zealot, Moses the reformer, was an abject failure. But Moses in fellowship with the Lamb triumphed gloriously.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 7 - (The Issue of the Kingdom)
Opening Our Ear to Hear
God said to Isaiah: "Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed" (Isa. 6:9-10, NIV).
This type of judgment is articulated by Paul in Romans 1: "Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done" (v. 28, NIV).
The worst punishment that can befall us is to be given over or abandoned to our sin by God. This anticipates God's verdict at the final judgment: "Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile" (Rev. 22:11, NIV).
Every time God's Word is proclaimed it changes all of those within its hearing. No one ever remains unaffected by God's Word. To those who hear it positively, there is growth in grace. To those who reject it or are indifferent to it, calluses are added to their souls and calcium to their hearts. The eye becomes dimmer and dimmer, the ear heavier and heavier, and the mystery of the kingdom more and more obscure. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God
Ask God to open your ears to hear His voice, to clear your spiritual eyes, and to let you understand with your heart.
For Further Study
Isaiah 6:9-10: "And He said, 'Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."
Romans 1:28: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting."
~R. C. Sproul~
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Thy Kingdom Come # 6
The Kingdom and Revelation (continued)
Cooperation
Furthermore, the proper effect of revelation from God is inspiration and action, or perhaps we can describe it as spiritual cooperation. True revelation means that we know what God intends to do and are convinced that He will do it - so convinced, indeed, that His objective becomes the great aim and end of our own lives. The simple illustration of this was in the windows which Daniel kept open towards Jerusalem. To him the immediate expression of the kingdom of heaven was "the city which is called by thy name" (9:18). God had decreed that this city was to be re-built. Nothing seemed less likely at the time, for even those who were true to the Lord were doing nothing about it; but Daniel had 'seen', and therefore felt constrained to make this the one great purpose of his life. And because he was so true to the light he had, the Lord gave him more and more light, until he came to understand that the real end in view was not earthly at all or local, but the bringing in of the eternal kingdom of Christ to possess all things for God. The "stone ... cut out of the mountain without hands" (2:45) is no vague or shapeless weapon which the Lord seizes impulsively to do a job for Him; it is a city, a community of redeemed saints, vitally related to Christ the King, suitably shaped and prepared for its great vocation.
Daniel's vision governed his whole life. His prayer was centered on one objective, but it was more than a prayer, for his whole life was behind it. And he persevered and saw the matter through, even though he had to go into the lions' den because of it. What that amounts to is this. If God shows us something, He means us to shoulder the responsibility of it, to take it up and see it through in humble dependence on Him. It makes nothing of us personally, for it is the coming of the kingdom which matters, not our place in it. There was a sense in which Daniel and his friends had no care or concern as to what happened to them. They said, "It does not matter if we go into the fiery furnace; it is the kingdom which matters. It does not matter if I go into the lions' den, so long as the prayer watch for Jerusalem goes on." Being thus happily delivered from all self-interest, they became men of one purpose - God's purpose. That is what vision does for you. The time will come when the kingdom will come, when the saints of the Most High will possess it. They will have it because they have seen it afar off, laid hold of it by faith, kept true to it, and suffered for it. The New Testament tells us that we are to "inherit" the kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9), to be "receiving" it (Heb. 12:15) and to "suffer for" it (2 Thess. 1:5).
We shall see, as we go on, that revelation leads to warfare, spiritual conflict. Daniel was no mere visionary; he entered into close cooperation with his Lord for the realization of what had been revealed to him. Because he suffered for the kingdom of God, he was counted worthy of it. May the Lord make us strong to fight His battles and to possess the kingdom for His Son.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 7 - (2. The Kingdom and Spiritual Warfare)
Cooperation
Furthermore, the proper effect of revelation from God is inspiration and action, or perhaps we can describe it as spiritual cooperation. True revelation means that we know what God intends to do and are convinced that He will do it - so convinced, indeed, that His objective becomes the great aim and end of our own lives. The simple illustration of this was in the windows which Daniel kept open towards Jerusalem. To him the immediate expression of the kingdom of heaven was "the city which is called by thy name" (9:18). God had decreed that this city was to be re-built. Nothing seemed less likely at the time, for even those who were true to the Lord were doing nothing about it; but Daniel had 'seen', and therefore felt constrained to make this the one great purpose of his life. And because he was so true to the light he had, the Lord gave him more and more light, until he came to understand that the real end in view was not earthly at all or local, but the bringing in of the eternal kingdom of Christ to possess all things for God. The "stone ... cut out of the mountain without hands" (2:45) is no vague or shapeless weapon which the Lord seizes impulsively to do a job for Him; it is a city, a community of redeemed saints, vitally related to Christ the King, suitably shaped and prepared for its great vocation.
Daniel's vision governed his whole life. His prayer was centered on one objective, but it was more than a prayer, for his whole life was behind it. And he persevered and saw the matter through, even though he had to go into the lions' den because of it. What that amounts to is this. If God shows us something, He means us to shoulder the responsibility of it, to take it up and see it through in humble dependence on Him. It makes nothing of us personally, for it is the coming of the kingdom which matters, not our place in it. There was a sense in which Daniel and his friends had no care or concern as to what happened to them. They said, "It does not matter if we go into the fiery furnace; it is the kingdom which matters. It does not matter if I go into the lions' den, so long as the prayer watch for Jerusalem goes on." Being thus happily delivered from all self-interest, they became men of one purpose - God's purpose. That is what vision does for you. The time will come when the kingdom will come, when the saints of the Most High will possess it. They will have it because they have seen it afar off, laid hold of it by faith, kept true to it, and suffered for it. The New Testament tells us that we are to "inherit" the kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9), to be "receiving" it (Heb. 12:15) and to "suffer for" it (2 Thess. 1:5).
We shall see, as we go on, that revelation leads to warfare, spiritual conflict. Daniel was no mere visionary; he entered into close cooperation with his Lord for the realization of what had been revealed to him. Because he suffered for the kingdom of God, he was counted worthy of it. May the Lord make us strong to fight His battles and to possess the kingdom for His Son.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 7 - (2. The Kingdom and Spiritual Warfare)
Set A Prisoner Free
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
—Romans 12:17
We have all been hurt at one time or another in our lives. Someone may have wronged us, mistreated us, or slandered us. We didn't deserve it; we were innocent. So we think, I will never forgive them.
We need to forgive them. Even if we don't want to, we need to. Why? Because Bible commands us to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 says, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." And Colossians 3:13 tells us, "Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
In what we call the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught, "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:9–12).
And think about this for a moment: we need to forgive for our own sake. Why? Because it tears us up inside. It also turns us into mean, bitter people who are no fun to hang around. All we want to do is talk about what happened to us and how these people hurt us. It is changes us for the worse. We need to forgive.
When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free: yourself. Forgiven people need to be forgiving people. And if you are not willing to forgive someone else, then I have to wonder whether you understand what God has done for you.
We don't deserve forgiveness. Yet God, in His mercy, forgave all our sins. And there is no greater example of forgiveness than Christ himself hanging on the cross.
We need to forgive them. Even if we don't want to, we need to. Why? Because Bible commands us to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 says, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." And Colossians 3:13 tells us, "Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
In what we call the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught, "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:9–12).
And think about this for a moment: we need to forgive for our own sake. Why? Because it tears us up inside. It also turns us into mean, bitter people who are no fun to hang around. All we want to do is talk about what happened to us and how these people hurt us. It is changes us for the worse. We need to forgive.
When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free: yourself. Forgiven people need to be forgiving people. And if you are not willing to forgive someone else, then I have to wonder whether you understand what God has done for you.
We don't deserve forgiveness. Yet God, in His mercy, forgave all our sins. And there is no greater example of forgiveness than Christ himself hanging on the cross.
~Greg Laurie~
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Thy Kingdom Come # 5
The Revealer of Secrets (continued)
After all, when we set aside the particular prophetic element of Daniel, which none of us can have, what remains as a lesson for us? There were three means by which spiritual sight came to Daniel. He saw by the Spirit of God: even an earthly man like Nebuchadnezzar knew that (4:8). He saw by the Scriptures, the books (9:2). And he saw in answer to earnest prayer (2:18, 19). All these three means are available to us. Daniel had the Holy Spirit, the Holy Scriptures, and the Holy Place of Prayer; he had them - and, what is more, he used them. We have them too. Let us be sure that we use them.
The Importance of Discrimination
Revelation brought various values to Daniel, but the first which we shall consider is the power to discriminate. Paul prayed for the Philippians that their 'love might abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment', so that they might 'prove the things that differ' (Phil. 1:9, 10). Revelation brings discrimination, ability to detect the true nature of things behind the mere appearances. By this first vision Daniel was made to realize that the imposing and popular kingdom is not necessarily the lasting one. He saw that, however much the Lord may permit what is of the earth and seem to prosper it, we must not be led astray and imagine that i can truly serve Him. It is not what He wants, and it is doomed from the start. More than that, as vision succeeded vision Daniel came to realize that the final development of this kingdom must result ultimately in antichrist. There are many kings and princes described here; there is no need for us to try to identify them, but let us observe that in their final issue they all produce a personage who is directly opposed to Christ. "He shall speak words against the Most High" (7:25), "he shall also stand up against the prince of princes" (8:25) and "shall speak marvelous things against God of gods" (11:36). It is an enlightening but most sobering fact that the kingdom which has its origin in the natural heart of man, however good it may seem in its beginnings, and however much it may seem to be permitted and even supported by God, will be found in the end not only to be not of Christ but to be His rival for the throne. Let our own hearts witness how true this is.
This first vision is basic. It revealed that after all there are only two kinds of kingdoms: one of man and earth, and so really of satan; the other of Heaven - the kingdom of God. How we need to discriminate, if we are to find out way though to God's goal, as Daniel did, without defilement and without compromise. Not that the discrimination must be only negative. While Nebuchadnezzar was being identified as the head of gold, Daniel and the others were able to identify themselves; they saw the other kingdom to which they belonged. The difference is spiritual, not legalistic. We must not draw any rash conclusions from Daniel's purpose of heart and request as to the king's meat and drink (1:8), "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). He did receive his food from Babylon (even the pulse and water), and later on he received its honors and administered its civil affairs. Yet there was a difference, for Daniel never compromised in matters of spiritual affinity and heart attachment.
One thing is very important. In spite of his clear discrimination, Daniel never permitted himself to be critical of his brethren. They failed, they compromised, yet we may look in vain in his prayer in chapter nine for any trace of superiority, of critical condemnation or of a separate spirit. He did not denounce them; he loved them, he prayed for them; in a right way he identified himself with them. This is a lesson which we must take much to heart, unhelpful. At the same time Daniel never allowed his love for his brethren to deflect him from absolute obedience to the Lord. That would be false love. We shall not help our brethren by compromising; we must be true to the Divine vision, absolutely firm and unwavering, as befits those who know that they belong to the heavenly kingdom, even though they have to live and work in Babylon.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 6 - (Cooperation)
After all, when we set aside the particular prophetic element of Daniel, which none of us can have, what remains as a lesson for us? There were three means by which spiritual sight came to Daniel. He saw by the Spirit of God: even an earthly man like Nebuchadnezzar knew that (4:8). He saw by the Scriptures, the books (9:2). And he saw in answer to earnest prayer (2:18, 19). All these three means are available to us. Daniel had the Holy Spirit, the Holy Scriptures, and the Holy Place of Prayer; he had them - and, what is more, he used them. We have them too. Let us be sure that we use them.
The Importance of Discrimination
Revelation brought various values to Daniel, but the first which we shall consider is the power to discriminate. Paul prayed for the Philippians that their 'love might abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment', so that they might 'prove the things that differ' (Phil. 1:9, 10). Revelation brings discrimination, ability to detect the true nature of things behind the mere appearances. By this first vision Daniel was made to realize that the imposing and popular kingdom is not necessarily the lasting one. He saw that, however much the Lord may permit what is of the earth and seem to prosper it, we must not be led astray and imagine that i can truly serve Him. It is not what He wants, and it is doomed from the start. More than that, as vision succeeded vision Daniel came to realize that the final development of this kingdom must result ultimately in antichrist. There are many kings and princes described here; there is no need for us to try to identify them, but let us observe that in their final issue they all produce a personage who is directly opposed to Christ. "He shall speak words against the Most High" (7:25), "he shall also stand up against the prince of princes" (8:25) and "shall speak marvelous things against God of gods" (11:36). It is an enlightening but most sobering fact that the kingdom which has its origin in the natural heart of man, however good it may seem in its beginnings, and however much it may seem to be permitted and even supported by God, will be found in the end not only to be not of Christ but to be His rival for the throne. Let our own hearts witness how true this is.
This first vision is basic. It revealed that after all there are only two kinds of kingdoms: one of man and earth, and so really of satan; the other of Heaven - the kingdom of God. How we need to discriminate, if we are to find out way though to God's goal, as Daniel did, without defilement and without compromise. Not that the discrimination must be only negative. While Nebuchadnezzar was being identified as the head of gold, Daniel and the others were able to identify themselves; they saw the other kingdom to which they belonged. The difference is spiritual, not legalistic. We must not draw any rash conclusions from Daniel's purpose of heart and request as to the king's meat and drink (1:8), "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). He did receive his food from Babylon (even the pulse and water), and later on he received its honors and administered its civil affairs. Yet there was a difference, for Daniel never compromised in matters of spiritual affinity and heart attachment.
One thing is very important. In spite of his clear discrimination, Daniel never permitted himself to be critical of his brethren. They failed, they compromised, yet we may look in vain in his prayer in chapter nine for any trace of superiority, of critical condemnation or of a separate spirit. He did not denounce them; he loved them, he prayed for them; in a right way he identified himself with them. This is a lesson which we must take much to heart, unhelpful. At the same time Daniel never allowed his love for his brethren to deflect him from absolute obedience to the Lord. That would be false love. We shall not help our brethren by compromising; we must be true to the Divine vision, absolutely firm and unwavering, as befits those who know that they belong to the heavenly kingdom, even though they have to live and work in Babylon.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 6 - (Cooperation)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)