Man was not created a beast or a monkey. He has a much higher form of life. Thus he has the concept that he should behave according to a high standard of morality. This desire to be ethical is natural and also somewhat off. It is not that God wants you to behave immorally; His standard is far higher than yours. Nonetheless, the concept of being ethical is contrary to God’s desire for man.
Man wants to do things for God. He wants to carry out his religious obligations. Yet what he does for God he does apart from God. All man’s doing for God yet without Him is off.
You may have noticed that in the Lord’s recovery we do not speak of having a devotional time. To be devotional without the Spirit is also off.
To be pious is to love and fear God and to try to behave in a way that is according to what God is. The concept of being pious is very strong among earnest Christians. In Germany there was a group who were called Pietists, who sought to practice piety in all aspects of their living.
James 1:27 speaks of “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father.” Some would quote this verse in protest to what I am saying. How deeply ingrained is this concept that we must act in a pious, religious manner! However, to be pious without the Spirit is also off from the central line of God’s economy.
Denominations have been formed around this concept. Those who belong to them are called holiness people. What do they mean by being holy? Their members are not supposed to wear short skirts. They must not use makeup. They must be sure their bodies are well covered. Such is their concept of being holy.
The Brethren have this as their standard. They evaluate things as being scriptural or unscriptural. This is right. However, you may be true to your understanding of the Scriptures, yet, if you are void of the reality of the Spirit, you are nonetheless off from the central vision of the Apostle Paul’s completing ministry.
Among Christians there is the concept that we must be spiritual. What is actually meant by this word is hard to say.
Some Christians are impressed by those whom they regard as having pentecostal power. A certain evangelist, in their eyes, is a powerful speaker. He may be powerful, but he is still off in life from the central vision of Paul’s completing ministry.
Healing, speaking in tongues, filling teeth, and leg-lengthening are all found in today’s Christianity. Those who are into the miraculous are off.
There is the widely held concept of working for God, of going to the mission field to win souls for Christ. This concept also has a great discrepancy compared with Paul’s completing ministry.
There was recently a message given by a visiting brother which I am sure you found very helpful. He said that the garden of Eden was a garden of joy, not only because of the tree of life and the flowing river, but even more because God was there walking with man. Later I spoke with this brother and pointed out to him that his emphasis should have been just the opposite. The garden of Eden was a paradise not only because God was there walking with man, but far more because the tree of life was there, indicating that God one day would enter into man to be his life. To walk with God is far inferior to having Him live in us as our life and our food. Yes, God did walk with Adam in the garden, but God had more than that in mind. His ultimate purpose was to enter into Adam, to be Adam’s life and life supply.
In “The Practice of the Presence of God” Brother Lawrence teaches that we need to practice living in God’s presence all day long. Such a teaching is according to the Old Testament. In the New Testament there is no such term as living in God’s presence. The New Testament tells us to walk in spirit (Rom. 8:4). Rather than practicing the presence of God, we live one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17). Do you see the difference? Walking with God seems wonderful, but it is an Old Testament concept. In the New Testament we are one with God. When I walk, He walks with me; when He walks, I walk with Him.
Too many Christians today treasure the still small voice; they think this is the way the Lord leads them. Again, this is an Old Testament concept (1 Kings 19:12). There is no need for us to listen for a still small voice. We have the indwelling (Rom. 8:11) and the anointing, which abides in us (1 John 2:27). This is far higher than the still small voice. In the time of the Old Testament God had not yet entered into man. In our day, however, God in resurrection through Christ has entered into us as the Spirit, is now indwelling us, is one with us, and has made us one spirit with Himself!
When you hear a message inspiring you to seek to have a walk with God, you feel that you have been greatly helped. Yes, you have been helped, but you have been helped to be frustrated from getting onto the central vision of the Apostle Paul’s completing ministry. The thought of walking with God is altogether other than the central vision of the Apostle Paul’s completing ministry. If Paul had been listening to that message, he would have interrupted and said, “Brother, don’t go on. We are not living today in the garden of Eden. We are in the church!”
I realize it is hard for you to catch what I am saying. The old concepts have covered your eyes, occupied your thoughts, and dominated your way of living. You came from that background. You remember how Enoch walked with God for three hundred years. You recall how Elijah listened for the still small voice. How you admire them! How you wish you could be like them!
Elijah would say to you, “Foolish one! It is for me to envy you. Even John the Baptist was greater than I; but you are far greater even than John. Why would you want to be like me? John the Baptist was greater than I because he was closer to Christ. You are not only closer to Christ; you are one spirit with Him! Am I greater than you? I want to follow you. I will gladly give up the still small voice. I want to walk according to the indwelling, according to the abiding, according to the anointing, according to spirit!”
May the Lord open our eyes to see what is off and what is not off. All the “off” concepts fit our natural mentality. It is not easy to see the difference.