Tags
discerning the spirits, exhortation, experience, immaturity, love, maturity, obedience, spiritual growth, T.A. Sparks
Today I want to present you a thought-provoking article by T. Austin-Sparks that deals with our (in)ability to grow spiritually. Actually, if we do not grow, we are going to wither. Brothers and sisters, this may happen to any one of us. Don’t we think that such a temptation could always be easily discovered by our reason alone. Indeed, it is possible that we, due to our bad (or even good) experiences in life project a distorted image of man onto God and call this image God. If we cannot discern which spirit we might be of and feel therefore insecure, we ought to trust mature Christians who could help us see whether we are wrong or not.
Regarding such errors, it got quite clear to me why we should be part of the Body of Christ. A finger apart from the body is useless; it must be connected to the hand and the hand must be connected to the arm which belongs to the body so that this finger can work properly (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-27). Furthermore, the whole body must be connected to the head which is Christ in us. Without Him we would be a body without spiritual guidance and an easy prey for any deception, spiritual confusion, and eventually delusion. Below you can read Sparks’ article that points us to some mistakes we can make, but it also displays where the solution for the increase of our spiritual growth lies.
“As there are definite laws of growth in the physical and mental man, so there are in that of the “inward man”. Some of these are quite obvious, such as proper and suitable food, pure air, regular exercise, and systematic self-discipline. To violate or neglect any of these laws of body and mind is to arrest development, limit capacity, and open the door to adverse and destructive elements.
“There are corresponding laws—the counterpart of the above—in the spiritual life, with similar effects for good or ill in observance or neglect. We are not taking up these particular factors here, but are specifying three other—although related—laws of spiritual growth. The first of these is
That Unattractive Thing—Obedience.
“No one naturally likes that word. It is unpleasant from infancy onward. Its very essence seems to imply the presence of—at least—a peril of disobedience, and the universal natural dislike of it more than implies—it proves—the presence of a wish to be free from any obligation or law. Yes, that primeval revolt, and break from God which was the beginning of actual sin has entered as the Serpent’s poison into the very blood-stream of the entire creation, and the very mention of obedience stirs a secret dislike, if not resentment.
“It would take too much space to show how, through all time, the one thing which has been God’s supreme obstacle to man’s relationship with Himself has been this inherent disobedience as the active expression of unbelief. […] Here, our only intention is to point out and emphasize the fact that there is no possibility of the slightest true and genuine spiritual progress and growth beyond the point where light received, the Lord showing His mind, has not had a definite response in practical obedience. Time does not change this, and no matter how long we go on or imagine that the matter is passed over, when at length the real question of approval for particular usefulness arises, we shall be brought right back to the hindrance of that reserved obedience. It is like the presence and secret working of some injury in the physical system which flares up when a particular demand is made years after. God does not live in time. All past and future is present with Him.
“But there is a realm of obedience which is not law but love, and love transforms the unlovely to delight. […] It is those whose love for the Lord leads to swift actions in relation to light received, who make swift progress, and are seen to grow up in beauty before the Lord. On the other hand, those who are careless or rebellious when the Lord has spoken, and tardy in response— practical response—are marked by repeated defeats, recurrent bouts of spiritual cloudiness, and inability to meet an emergency demand when it arises. Too often this lack of obedience, or positive disobedience, is due to its origin in Satan—Pride.
The second thing to be mentioned here is
That Unrecognized Thing—Adjustableness.
“One of the most common causes of spiritual stultification is fixedness. It is peculiarly common in the realm where Christian truth has been reduced to a fixed form, order, system, and creed. The doctrines of Christianity are such and such; so many. The accepted and established ideas of Christian service and methods are so-and-so. Peter had his fixed position as to Jews and Gentiles, and, because of it, came perilously near missing the larger purpose of God, and presented the Lord with a real battleground in his Christianity. It has so very largely resolved itself into a finality of position, which results in a closed door to fuller revelation as to what God means by His Word. The fact is, that God only gives us enough light to get us to take the next step, but when that step has been taken, we are in the way of being shown that much more was meant by the Lord than He showed then. The first expectations of many servants of the Lord in the Bible, expectations resultant from something said by the Lord to them, were later seen to have been not all that He really meant, but there was something more, and perhaps other than they thought.
“Can anyone really dispute that full light very often means a shedding of things and ideas that we thought were of God? Is it not true that, as we go on, we find that certain leadings of the Lord were tactical, intended to get us to a certain place where alone we could learn of a greater necessity? There is very much of this kind of thing in relation to both doctrine, practice, and service—its nature and ways, and while Divine principles will never change to all eternity, the clothing of those principles may vary and change with both dispensations and generations and stages of our own lives.
“In all this—while Truth remains unalterable—the only way to grow is to be adjustable and not static and fixed. Do your religious traditions bind you in such a way that you are not free to move with God? If He sees this to be so, He may not give you the light necessary to enlargement. But if He sees that, although you may be in a comparatively false position, your heart is really set on His fulness at any cost, He may present you with light which will test your adjustableness severely. See the case of the disciples of John the Baptist transferring their discipleship to Christ. See the case of Peter and what happened in the home of Cornelius. See also the case of Apollos in Acts 18:24–28; as also the disciples mentioned earlier in that chapter.
Our third principle of growth is
That Crisic Point Of Committal.
“Very often the whole mounting avalanche of Divine working in our lives—an avalanche built up as silently and slowly as the added snowflakes in the Alps—just waits to move with power and overwhelming for that final—yet all-inclusive—act of committal. We wait; we think, wrestle, contemplate, analyse, go round-and-round; we reason and argue; we recognize that there is nothing else for it, and even say so; we even come to the point when the matter is settled in our conviction and acceptance, and we think that we are over the hedge, but nothing happens, nothing eventuates. Why is it? The Lord knows more than we do about the deceitfulness of our hearts. A covenant has two sides, and in the Old Testament two sacrifices were connected with a covenant; one representing God, the other the offerer; both were killed and the two parties to the covenant were represented as passing between the two (See Abraham in Gen. 15). There has to be a slaying of something on our side! In other words, God is waiting until we have burned our boats behind us. Though we may have approached the shore of His will and way for us, there will be nothing from God’s side while our boats are just left on the shore so that, if things don’t go quite as we expect, we still can retreat. That boat is an evidence of doubt or reservation. It must be burned, so that—whatever the consequence—we have no alternatives.
“The young believer will not grow unless he or she makes a committal in testimony, so letting others know where they stand. The law holds good in every stage of development and progress. If policy governs, or fear, or how such a step will affect our prospects, or any consideration which conflicts with what we know in our deepest hearts is the way indicated for us—for us—those things are boats or bridges representing a false “Safety-first” policy. As when the bleating lambs were preserved by Saul—the finger of God will point to them and say, What mean those boats? God will wait for the full and final capitulation without a reservation, and to defer is only to be involved in confusion, and either becoming a misfit, having missed God’s first best, or losing out altogether.”
http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/001606.html
“In keeping with T. Austin-Sparks’ wishes that what was freely received should be freely given and not sold for profit, and that his messages be reproduced word for word, we ask if you choose to share these messages with others, to please respect his wishes and offer them freely – free of any changes, free of any charge (except necessary distribution costs) and with this statement included.”
Michael said:
Thank you for sharing this, Susanne. Wow! After reading this article I just got a flash of new revelation from an old familiar passage, the very thing that Sparks is pointing us to, being open to fresh life changing insight from the Lord. So often we make of no effect the commandments of the Spirit as He tries to lead us into new light by hanging on to our current understanding of an old familiar verse in the Bible or the rigid dogma of a church statute (see Matt. 15:3-6). Now to that passage I spoke of…
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:1-2, ESV2011)
This term “living sacrifice” is what just jumped into my mind with new meaning as I read your article.The light of the Lord cleanses us of all darkness within us, but first we must allow the cross of Christ to kill that thing within that still clings to that darkness. This is a process. Oh, that we could die to that old Adam once and for all, but like Peter, and the others named above in the TAS article, the dying we must go through is a continuing and progressive process as the Lord shines His light into us. In this process we literally are LIVING SACRIFICES! We must continually present ourselves to Him as He kills our adamic flesh (our strongholds) in stages and brings forth the Light of Jesus Christ within. This is true worship! Or like David wrote,
”For you will not delight in [animal] sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering [our religious service to Him]. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Ps 51:16-17, ESV2011)
We worship God as we make ours lives living sacrifices, letting Him kill everything in us that resists His leading and this is done when we fall down before Him as Lord as that living sacrifice with a broken and contrite heart as He shows us what must go within us (Abraham obeying God and offering up Isaac, his son of promise, to God comes to mind).
Our old natures find it easy to be conformed to this world system that is lorded over by the prince of this world. The flesh (soulish-ness of man) is his breeding ground for rebellion against God. We must be transformed into God’s NEW creation and given the mind of Christ if we are to prove that His will for us good and acceptable, no matter what our old nature tries to convince us of to the contrary. I thank God that we can be God’s living sacrifices, always coming into greater revelations of His riches in glory IN Christ Jesus as we die daily.
God bless you, dear sister!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Wow too, Michael! 🙂 Your explanation of the living sacrifice makes a lot of sense to me. Excellent! ⭐ I do hope, though, that this sacrifice which consists of our old Adam’s destructive tendencies to rebel against God’s will for our lives will be fully dead one day, killed by Him, so to speak. I know I quote this quite often, but I will do it again, speaking of what the apostle Paul once said as he was through it all.
“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:19-20 ESV)
God’s law kills us finally and then it is only by faith that we receive the demanded righteousness IN Christ as we no longer live according to our old nature but empowered by His Spirit to live Christ’s life in the midst of our individual circumstances. And all of this happens by grace, as always.
God bless you too, dear brother!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Michael said:
Yes, dear sister. It is just like it says in Zachariah chapter four. “Grace, grace unto it… Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” We need our lamps to be plumbed into Christ, our golden bowl atop the lamp stand with Christ as our Head from whence comes the oil of the Spirit from heaven.
God bless you too and thanks always for the light you share with us. ⭐
LikeLiked by 2 people
Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
I have always loved that Scripture, Michael. Thank you! I try to keep walking in His light… not always easy, I admit.
God bless you immensely in the days ahead, my brother.
LikeLiked by 2 people
totellthetruth1962 said:
Thank you again Dear brother Michael, and Sister Susanne! I did not even know you had written another article and was curious to know and googled up Spiritual death and your name. Hahaha. I need to be fed. Now I am basically a slow learner and desire to be obedient to God, but recognizing some ugliness in me that needs to killed is painful. I do feel stagnant and yet wanting to move forward, I must exercise patience and endurance.
Making decisions when confronted first with one choice which gave me a sense of peace and seemed most logical, then being given three more choices which caused me to feel confusion and fear. So I had been feeling quite perplexed and wanting to make the right move but cannot until I feel the peace. None of the four choices would be easy, but I think I want to lean on the first choice. And to be honest I am not sure if any of these would be Holy Spirit Led. But I pray that no matter the choice but as written above about the ……
What mean those boats? God will wait for the full and final capitulation without a reservation, and to defer is only to be involved in confusion, and either becoming a misfit, having missed God’s first best, or losing out altogether.
I believe that I need order in my life and not confusion. And I cannot rely on the many voices.
So thank you very much for this article.
I hope and pray all is well with you! God bless you.
Love always,
Stacey
LikeLiked by 2 people
Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You’re very welcome, dear Stacey. ❤ Indeed, google can be a great help at times… 😉
Peace is always the best starting point. Endurance and patience develop over time, my sister, and I do not have them by nature, either. Quite the contrary! 😛
Regarding these choices, I pray that God shows you the right decision and gives you a confirmation too. As for these boats, they left me wondering too… maybe Michael has an explanation?
I am doing pretty fine, thank you, Stacey.
God bless you and keep you in His great LOVE!
In Him,
Susanne
LikeLiked by 2 people
Michael said:
Stacey and Susanne,
I believe that burning our boats refers to the tradition of what Cortes did when they invaded Mexico from Spain in 1546. It was said that he had all their ships burned so that the men knew that there was no going back until the land had been conquered. Thus Sparks wrote,
“There has to be a slaying of something on our side! In other words, God is waiting until we have burned our boats behind us. Though we may have approached the shore of His will and way for us, there will be nothing from God’s side while our boats are just left on the shore so that, if things don’t go quite as we expect, we still can retreat. That boat is an evidence of doubt or reservation. It must be burned, so that—whatever the consequence—we have no alternatives.”
God bless you both richly in Christ,
Michael
LikeLiked by 2 people
Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Very enlightening explanation, Michael. Thx 4 sharing! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Let this Mind Be in You « A Wilderness Voice
Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you very much for the link to my blog, Michael. I am glad you were encouraged to write an article of your own, my brother. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person