A New Person In An Old World

"And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God" (Micha 5:4)

The Christian who has dedicated his life to God and has shouldered his cross need not be surprised at the conflict in which he at once finds himself engaged. Such conflict is logical; it results from the nature of God and of man and of Christianity.

He will, for instance, discover that the ways of God and the ways of men are not equal. He will find that the skills he learned in Adam's world are of very little use to him in the spiritual realm. His tried and proven methods for getting things done will fail him when he attempts to apply them to the work of the Spirit. The new Adam will not surrender to the old Adam nor gear His new creation to the methods of the world. God will not share His glory with another. The seeking Christian must learn the hard way that it is "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).

Oh, how long we struggle!
Oh, how hard we try!
Helplessly we labor,
Helplessly we sigh
Till Thy Spirit gives us
Power from on high.

~A. W. Tozer~

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The Blissful Center

"He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity ... Behold, God exalteth by his power" (Job 36:10, 22)

The work of God is not finished when the first act of inward adjustment has been done. The Spirit would go on from there to bring the total life into harmony with that "blissful center." This is wrought in the believer by the Word and by prayer and discipline and suffering.

It could be done by a short course in things spiritual if we were more pliable, less self-willed and stubborn; but it usually takes some time before we learn the hard lessons of faith and obedience sufficiently well to permit the work to be done within us with anything near to perfection.

In bringing many sons unto glory God works with whatever He has in whatever way He can and by whatever means He can, respecting always His own gift to us, the freedom of our wills. But of all means He uses, the Bible is best.

The threefold purpose of the Bible is to inform, to inspire faith and to secure obedience. The Holy Scriptures will do us good only as we present an open mind to be taught, a tender heart to believe and a surrendered will to obey.

~A. W. Tozer~