Dear Ones:
When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he dealt with subject of being accepted by God, and this by being rendered righteous…the perfect righteousness of Christ being GIVEN to him (and us). (Romans 5) The Apostle then proceeded to convey to the Romans something of the work of Calvary, in particular that of the believer’s union with Christ. In God’s eyes, the believer died with Christ, was buried, raised to walk in newness of life, and called to life of victory over sin. The reason for this was simple. The believer now, because of the gift of God, has eternal life through Jesus Christ. However, at this point, when all seems to be doctrinally correct, the theology being based on the truth of God’s revelation to his heart, the apostle then writes of a lack of CONTACT. He seems to hit a brick wall in his spiritual experience, and the truth alone will not allow him to climb over that wall. He is at an impasse that will not move, or go away, and stands in opposition to all that he knows, but which cannot be lived out in his experience. What a terrible moment it is when from the depths of his heart, he cries out: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24) It is out of this terrible, and wrenching experience, that Paul makes a discovery, one that will change his life, and that of all who are open to finding GOD’s way of victory. Simply put, that way is the Spirit…contact with the living Christ, by the Spirit.
When Jesus said that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, He did not put any “add-ons.” He ALONE IS our salvation, our Life, our All. But even in knowing these blessed truths, it is not enough to enable us to live this victorious life, His life. In chapter 8 of Romans we find the basis for all that Paul will write in his epistles concerning a life lived by the Spirit of God. He begins by speaking of “the LAW of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” What does he mean by this, this LAW? It is an absolute principle, truth, and reality. It is a directive of God, derived from the heart and mind of God, that we should abide by it…for ever. What is this LAW in essence? It is simply that he who would live victoriously in this life must do so in absolute dependence upon, and in submission to the Spirit of Christ. When Christ comes into the heart, He does not come to occupy space, but to reign. Paul puts it like this in 2 Cor. 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, THERE is liberty.” Where Christ, by His Spirit, is Lord, there is life and liberty.
Where is the beginning point of this life lived BY the Spirit, where contact is made in a very real way, with the living Christ? That point is unveiled to us by a declaration of a truth: “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:9) We know that when we come to Christ, God puts is IN CHRIST, to be inseparably one with Him for ever. He also, by doing so, puts us IN the Spirit…of Christ. We are one with the same Spirit. Why? That we might grasp in an ever-increasing manner, that we are called to walk, and live, and work, speak and “preach” BY the Spirit, trusting the Holy Spirit for all…and believing Him for His fullest blessing. “All in Christ, BY the Spirit, for the glory of God, all else is nothing.” (T. Monod)
There are really only two reasons for which we do not live daily in the power of the Spirit. First, we have not seen or grasped the work of Christ which declares our oneness with Him. Thus, faith does not lay hold on Him for all, and every need. Secondly, there may arise a cloud between us and the Lord, some sin or point of unbelief that is unacceptable to God, and thus, He withholds His blessing. What a wonderful declaration the Lord Jesus made to the disciples when He said: “NOW ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.” (Jn. 15:3) What a wonderful thing it is to be cleansed by His precious blood, with no cloud between us an Him. This only takes 20 seconds to be honest with God, and confessing and repenting of the matter. Cleanness is promised! THEN, we can take Him BY THE SPIRIT, by faith, and receive all from Him. “How shall He not with Him (Christ) freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32)
Love, Dad