Not only did Moses refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter through faith, but he also left Egypt by faith (Heb. 11:27). This means he left the world signified by Egypt.
By faith Moses “left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he was steadfast as seeing the invisible One” (Heb. 11:27). He saw a vision there, and he was strengthened in his faith. In that vision, it was as if he had seen the invisible Lord. He met the Lord, and the Lord was seen by him. This is a tremendous thing. I hope that all the brothers and sisters, whether old or young, could say that they have seen the Lord. Although the Lord is invisible, I have definitely touched Him. This is why I know the way I am taking, and I know the kind of future which is ahead of me. These are the footsteps of Moses.
In the New Testament we have the image of Paul. The word image signifies a character and a model. Paul was a model of one who gives up the world to obtain Christ. Paul had a lot that he could boast of. He could boast of his birth, education, upbringing, and his ambitions and goals. One day on the way to Damascus, the Lord’s light shone on him, and he fell to the ground. A voice said to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). From that time on, his eyes were opened. He also had a reckoning. He reckoned “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18).
In Philippians 3:7 he said, “But what things were gains to me, these I have counted loss on account of Christ.” The words “gains” and “loss” are both terms used in gambling. He counted all things that were gains to him now as loss because all those things which were gains to him result in the loss of Christ.
Not only did Paul reckon as loss his Hebrew heritage, his Greek education, and his ambitions and goals, but he even counted all things to be loss (Phil. 3:8a).
Paul counted it excellency to have the knowledge of Christ (Phil. 3:8b). This excellency does not refer only to Christ, but also to the knowledge of Christ. Paul considered it a matter of excellency to have more knowledge of Christ. The Jews considered the law given by God through Moses as the highest treasure in human history. This is why they were so zealous for the law. Formerly, Paul was such a person. But when God revealed Christ in him (Gal. 1:15-16), he saw a preciousness, an excellency, an unparalleled worth, and an extraordinary value that far transcended the law. Because of such a knowledge of Christ, he was able to count it a matter of excellency to have the knowledge of Christ.
Paul said, “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them refuse that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8b). Here Paul used the words “loss” and “gain” again. To the outsiders the way that he chose was a gambling. It was risky and could be dangerous. He had a very good background, he had received a high education and enviable positions, and he had a bright future. But he gave all these up for another choice. Was this not a dangerous gamble in the eyes of his contemporaries? But to Paul this was not dangerous because he knew God and His word. He knew what he was doing.
The reason I am speaking this message to the working brothers and sisters is that they are standing at the edge of a cliff. On the one side is Christ, and on the other side is the world. You can step over to the side of the world and fall, or you can step to the side of Christ and be lifted up. Today I have a burden to save your life. This is an eleventh-hour decision. You must not make the wrong choice. I am most thankful that on the afternoon I was saved in 1925, I made a right choice. I chose to have Christ and to reject the world! I have not regretted even until today. I believe I will never regret this choice.
Many brothers and sisters among you are very clear within they have to love the Lord and to stand on His side. But I am not sure about your condition. It seems that you are standing on the Lord’s side. Yet you have left a bridge that links you to the world. You have not removed the bridge, much less burned it down, after you crossed the river. Abraham our forefather went to Canaan from Ur of the Chaldees. When he became weak, however, he did not return to Ur but went down to Egypt. Egypt is a place that is easy to return to. This message is my warning. Today, not only have I burned the bridge, but I have even lost my way of return. But you are all young and ambitious, or at least middle-aged and ambitious. What then shall you do? My burden this time is to infuse grace into you, that hopefully through the grace of the Lord your problems could be solved once for all and that you could say to the Lord, “Lord, burn my bridge! I cannot burn it, but please burn it for me.” I hope that when you go home tonight, you would all have a bridge-burning prayer.
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