Now that we have considered consecration, we must look into various dealings. “Dealing” implies that we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to purge away all the difficulties which hinder the growth of life. The more we are being dealt with, the more God’s life grows in us. The more God’s life grows in us, the more we are being dealt with. These two cannot be separated; they are two aspects of the same matter. Therefore, the dealings constitute an extremely important position in our experience of life. We can say that this is a major portion of experience in life.
Why do we approach the subject of dealing directly after consecration? Because it is the natural result of consecration Once we have consecrated ourselves to God that He may use us. God must cleanse us, deal with us, and purge away all our problems so that we may be fit for His use. If we wish to use a glass, we would first want it to be washed. When it is completely clean, it is a glass which we can use. Before we consecrate ourselves, or when we depart from a consecrated position, we do not realize that we need to be dealt with. When we consecrate ourselves, or when we return to the position of consecration, we immediately discover that there are many difficulties in us which prevent God from using us. Therefore, if we desire to fulfill the purpose of our consecration, we need to have all our difficulties dealt with one by one. When we have purged ourselves in such a way, we will become a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master’s use (2 Tim. 2:21). We should, therefore, deal with ourselves directly after consecration.
Of course, in the clearance of the past when we were newly saved, there were many dealings involved, but these dealings were primitive and shallow. The thorough and deep kind of dealings take place after consecration. We have said that under normal circumstances, once a person is saved, he will have a proper clearance. This proper clearance will bring forth a sound consecration. However, after we have consecrated ourselves, we discover that there are more things to be dealt with, and we deal with them more thoroughly. Thus, sound consecration brings forth proper dealings. The stronger the consecration, the more severe are the dealings; the truer the consecration, the more thorough are the dealings. When we have been completely dealt with so that there are no further difficulties in us, we shall be wholly used by God, and the purpose of consecration will be fully attained.
Among all the difficulties which need to be dealt with, sins are the crudest, the most defiling, and the most evident. After having consecrated ourselves, the first thing we need to deal with is sins. Dealing with sins is the first lesson in our experience of dealings.
The following references give the scriptural basis for dealing with sins:
Matthew 5:23-26, “If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.” Here, “reconciled” and “agree with” refer to dealings concerning our relationships with others.
Second Corinthians 7:1, “Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Here, “cleanse” also refers to a kind of dealing.
First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Here “confess” is again a kind of dealing.
Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.” Here “confesseth” and “forsaketh” speak also of a dealing.
We see from the above scriptures how we are to deal with sins: towards men, we must be reconciled with them and agree with them; towards God, we must confess our sins; and concerning sin, we must forsake it. These kinds of settlement of sin are what we mean by dealing with sins.
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