We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit in keeping Christ enthroned. It is not crowning Christ as Lord that troubles many an earnest soul but the keeping Him enthroned. It is not reaching the high altitude in the spiritual realm but it is the maintaining of life on that highest plane. But for this specific purpose God's second gift, the Holy Spirit, was bestowed upon every believer. Through His indwelling the Christian He enables him to glorify Christ in character, conversation and conduct. But His omnipotent working depends upon the believer's constant and consistent cooperation. And He tells him just what he must do to cooperate.
(1) "Reckon yourself alive unto God."
Romans 6:11, "Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Through identification with Jesus Christ in His resurrection the believer has been made "alive unto God." Through the burial of "the old man" with Christ in the tomb he was completely separated from all that belonged to the old creation. Through the emergence of "the new man" with Christ from the tomb he was completely separated unto all that belongs to the new creation. This is the faultless provision of God's grace for every believer. Every believer is already in the heavenlies in Christ; Christ is now the source and sustenance of every Christian's life. All that the Man in the Glory is and has is the rightful possession of every believer here and now. But what God provides through grace He expects the believer to possess through faith. Emissaries from the realm of darkness and death will come to lure him away from his hidden life in Christ but as he "reckons himself to be alive unto God" he will be able to resist the evil one and to maintain his position in Christ. As he "reckons" upon this accomplished fact based within to make it real. As he continues to "reckon" moment by moment that he has no life but life in Christ, the Holy Spirit keeps him abiding.
(2) Make every provision for the Spirit.
Romans 8:9, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."
The moment the believer becomes the possessor of the new nature he leaves the sphere of the flesh to abide in the sphere of the Spirit, and the Spirit comes to abide in him. In other words, he is in the Spirit and the Spirit is in him. The maintenance of such a life in such a world as this requires the most careful and constant provision.
Only the Holy Spirit knows what will sustain and strengthen life in His sphere. He alone can provide that food. This He has done for every believer and all He asks is for the acceptance of the food He offers. He knows both the age and the capacity of each believer and will suit his food to his need.
1 Peter 2:2, "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby."
Hebrews 5:14, "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
(3) Follow the leading of the Spirit.
Romans 8:16, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
The only way to combat successfully the claims of the flesh is to obey implicitly every prompting or motion of the Spirit, be it ever so slight. Whether it be a warning, a check, a leading, or a teaching, all are given by Him as He sees necessary, and should be followed instantly.
(4) Yield to Christ the control of every member of the body.
Romans 6:13, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
It is utter folly to talk about Christ's control over and use of our lives if we have blinded our eyes to His vision and deafened our ears to His voice and tied our tongues as His witnesses and fettered our hands as His tools and lamed our feet as His messengers, through yielding them to the devil as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. But it is just such a stultified life that countless Christians expect Christ to use. If Christ's control is to count for anything in our lives and through us in the lives of others, every member of our bodies must be at His absolute disposal.
We must clothe ourselves with Christ.
Galatians 3:27, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."
Did you discern in reading these two verses that in the first one God declares that the believer has already put on the Lord Jesus Christ and in the last one He exhorts - may we put it stronger yet - He commands him to do so? Through the grace, mercy and love of God the believer has been unclothed and clothed upon in the new position in Christ to which he has been brought. The snow-white linen of Christ's righteousness and holiness are his. But God requires the cooperative response of the believer's love, devotion and faith in keeping these garments clean and rightly fitted to the believer's daily walk and warfare.
Dear fellow Christian, perhaps we have come to the second crucial milestone in your spiritual experience. Already you have accepted Christ as Saviour. You faced the choice of you sin or God's Son and you chose Christ as your Saviour. But have you
wandered forty years in the wilderness of defeat, of discouragement and oftentimes of despair? Are you weary and footsore? Does your heart cry out for the peace, joy, victory and power you see others enjoying? If so, are you ready just now to take the second step into the life on the highest plane by crowning Jesus Christ as Lord over your spirit, soul and body and by placing your whole being unconditionally under His control? Before you is this choice, Self or Christ?
"Oh! the bitter shame and sorrow,
That a time could ever be,
When I let the Saviour's pity
Plead in vain, and proudly answered -
'All of Self and none of Thee.'
"Yet He found me: I beheld Him
Bleeding on the cursed tree;
Heard Him pray, 'Forgive them, Father,'
And my wistful heart said faintly -
'Some of Self and some of Thee.'
"Day by day His tender mercy,
Healing, helping, full and free,
Sweet and strong, and oh! so patient,
Brought me lower while I whispered -
'Less of Self and more of Thee.'
"Higher than the highest heavens,
Deeper than the deepest sea;
Lord, thy love at last has conquered:
Grant me now my soul's petition -
'None of Self and all of Thee.' "
~Ruth Paxson~
(continued with: "Life On the Highest Plane, The Believer's Response to the Holy Spirit's inworking"; The Spirit-Filled Life)
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