Faith
God's Wonderful Work of Soul Sanctification
A Deep Dialogue Excerpted from my novel
Tough Love in Christ's Millennium, Book Two
Which you can order online from: http://www.publishamerica.com
In this scene, Joseph, Saul's butler, has been summoned to appear before Prince Daniel, ruler of the province of Gan Nesherim.
The butler smiled. “My lord, I beg your forgiveness that I found it
difficult to see you as anything other than as a strict judge who punishes
sin. Even as I strove to reassure Susanna about the merciful nature of the
rulers of the Kingdom, there remained within me a gnawing fear that her
encounter with you would be unduly difficult. Why, O my Prince, does
such contradiction exist in me?”
“Because’” explained the Prince, “you are a triune being, even as our
God is a triune Being. The Almighty manifests Himself in three distinct
personalities, Who perform different ministries which work together
harmoniously to execute the divine will. There are the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. All these comprise the One God, and there is always
perfect love and harmony among these three Persons of the Godhead.
You, Joseph, are a living soul who dwells in a tabernacle of clay, the body.
In the innermost recess of your being resides your spirit. Your spirit is
already perfected in the sight of God. It is an unspeakably precious
treasure, a thing of holiness; for as a believer who abides in Christ, the
Living Vine, your spirit is made one with Christ’s Spirit.
“The contradictions you see within yourself stem from the soul nature,
which is yet unperfected, and still growing in grace. That part of you
which never fails to believe in the mercy and goodness of the Lord is your
spirit. Its nature is to believe every Word of God, for it possesses the very
Mind of Christ. Neither can it sin, for it is a New Creation of God in Christ
Jesus. However, the old Adamic nature still creates conflict in the soul
realm. If that contrary nature gains the mastery, you can stumble in your
Walk of Faith. Your soul can doubt the same truths your spirit
wholeheartedly embraces; thus, it can be out of harmony with your
perfected spirit.
“I am certain your words are true, sir,” said Joseph. “There have been
times when a part of me was enjoying the Tabernacle service, but my
concentration wandered elsewhere. Like a straying horse, my wandering
mind had to be reined back in to where it belonged. How wonderful, Sir,
that someday, I’ll be rid of my weaker nature for good.”
“Dear Joseph,” replied the Prince, “you can walk in victory even now.
It is your very weakness which obliges you to thrust yourself upon the all-sufficiency
of God’s strength. No righteousness lies within any of His
saints, except it were imparted by their Redeemer. Be thankful that the
image of Christ has already been fully impressed upon your spirit, and is
fully developed in the sight of God. Your soul is yet in the process of
developing. That is the daily process of sanctification. Yet through the
blood of Christ, you can always come boldly before the Throne of Grace
to find help in overcoming the resistance of the Adamic nature.”
Joseph smiled, saying: “I heard it explained in the Tabernacle
once. The development of Christ in the soul is very similar to primitive
photography. When the picture is taken, the complete picture is instantly
developed on the negative. At the New Birth, our spirit is immediately
justified. As we remain in this blessed estate of oneness with Christ by
faith, God sees us as already complete in Him. But it takes some time for
the positive image to be fully manifested. My soul is like a positive image
being developed from a photographic negative.”
“Precisely, my son,” said the Prince. “For a mortal believer, the
greatest peril is to allow a bitter heart of unbelief to supplant the true heart
of faith with which he began his walk with the Lord. By grace are you
saved through faith. By faith you stand, and are accounted as righteous.
There have been headstrong, self-serving souls who have turned aside
after their own lusts, finally abandoning their faith in the very Atonement
which had made them acceptable before a Holy God.”
Joseph trembled within. No wonder the Prince had gone to such great
lengths to minister to his employer. “That is a terrible thought, sir. But
why would anyone do anything so foolish?”
“I can reply in one word, Joseph: high-mindedness. Do you recall a
solemn warning given by the Apostle Paul to certain Gentiles? They were
tempted to be proud that they had been grafted into the Tree of Israel in
place of natural Jews who had been broken off because of unbelief.”
“Yes, sir, I do remember that scripture. Be not high-minded, but fear. For
if God did not spare the natural branches of the olive tree, beware lest He not spare you, either. There was a strong exhortation to His people to continue in His
goodness, and a reminder that the Gentiles were wild olive branches
which had been grafted into a cultivated olive tree. Not only could
backsliders be broken back off, but those natural branches which had
earlier been severed from the tree could be grafted back in if they did not
persist in unbelief. I believe it is possible for a careless believer to become
so high-minded that he ceases to depend upon the unmerited mercy of
God in Christ, and deludes himself that he needs no further help from
Him in continuing life as an upright individual. Instead, he becomes a god
unto himself, so to speak, and foolishly kicks out from under himself that
very Bridge which would have conveyed him safely over the pitfalls of the
flesh to blessed immortality.”
Joseph was rewarded with a smile glowing with divine love. “What a
blessing you are to my soul, Joseph,” he heard the Prince say. Faithfully
have you laid up the Word of our Lord in your heart, as Hidden Treasure
to bring forth in due season.”
“The pleasure is mine, sir,” said Joseph, bowing deeply. “How could
I ever have misjudged you so? The only experience more delightful than
being with you now would be to behold the face of the Majesty in Zion.
But truly, my lord, your visage reflects His great glory, and your own
presence here imparts the savor of His own. The Love of God manifests
in and through you, and your words bring me great joy.”
Prince Daniel had a very wise answer for Joseph. It gladdened his heart
that his subject had truly come to know him, trust him, and love him.
“Joseph, do you remember the story of the prophet Samuel visiting
Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel?”
“Yes, my lord, I do.”
“The prophet Samuel’s visits to Bethlehem always instilled dread in
the heart of Jesse, the father of David, as well as in all the other elders of
the town,” began the Prince. “They asked Samuel: ‘Do you come
peaceably?’, fearing that he had come to visit the judgment of the Lord
upon one of them for sin. Yet he had come for a different purpose
altogether. His mission was to hold a sacrifice unto the Lord their God,
and to anoint young David to be their future king.
“Our God has likewise suffered such misunderstanding, throughout
all generations of mankind since the fall of Adam. Too many of His
creatures see Him only as a mighty Avenger, Who diligently searches for
just cause to afflict the souls which He has made. Yet it is written that He
takes no pleasure in afflicting or grieving the sons of men. Am I better
than my own Maker, that I should be spared such misunderstanding of
mortal men?”
“Oh, my Prince, how great is the wisdom which the Lord imparts
through you, and how glorious is His Reign!” exulted Joseph, falling at the
feet of his ruler.
“I thank you for feeding my soul today, my most blessed Prince,”
Joseph added. “My heart pains me that I have not yet been perfected, as
you have been.”
“My son, I have nothing which I did not receive through the sacrifice
of my Blessed Redeemer,” said Prince Daniel meekly, lowering his head.
“Had it not been for the goodness and forbearance of our God, He would
not have provided a perfect Substitute to take away my own sins. Then I
would long ago have perished, and my resurrected being would not be
standing here before you today. Your own change shall also come in
God’s time, for He delights in you, Joseph. He is able to perfect you into
His own image and likeness, even as He did for me.”
The Prince reached down and drew Joseph up to his feet. “Truly you
worship that Holy Presence within me,” he said.”I am blessed to be an
instrument in His hand, to help administer His Righteous Government.”
“My lord,” said Joseph, “your coming here has been an unspeakable
blessing to this house, although the circumstances which occasioned it
were extremely sad. I marvel greatly that no one was informed in advance
of your coming.”
“My son, we were not permitted to give the servants, or even the
members of the family, prior notice of my official visit. Do you not know
why it was to be kept a secret until the last moment?”
“I believe I know why,” replied Joseph thoughtfully. “The same
reason that the Father in heaven kept the day and the hour of His Son’s
Appearing for the Church a secret known only to Himself. He could not
even divulge that information to His own Blessed Son. For indeed, if His
Spirit-filled followers possessed the Mind of Christ, and, therefore, access
to the revelations of Christ, would they not also have known that most
wonderful of secrets?”
“Indeed, Joseph, that is true,” said Prince Daniel, beaming with
pleasure. “How could the Bridegroom have concealed such knowledge
from His beloved Bride, had it been in His possession?”
* * * * *
I do not subscribe to the Private Messenger Service. I can be contacted at:
[email protected] http://www.kingdomageministry.com
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