I’M going to limit my opening to today’s reading so that we may focus upon the text below without commentary and little more at length. There are things that need to be said, but I’m going to reserve that for next time.
SO, taking up where we left off last time in Chapter 40—Principles of Reckoning, we continue.
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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Chapter 40—Principles of Reckoning – Part 2
Reckon, continued
It may be helpful to observe that there is a pattern throughout our spiritual development. Whether it was realized or not, we began to “reckon” at the very beginning of our Christian life. As lost sinners, we were convicted of our need and shown in the Word that the Savior died on the cross to redeem us. By His grace we reckoned upon the truth, and received Him as our personal Savior.
With hearts full of love and zeal, we became active for the Lord as the new life began to emerge. All went well for a time, possibly several years. Then, imperceptibly, a deadly declension set in. We had been so busy enjoying the new experience and activities that we inadvertently began to neglect the Source of all true life and service—both the written and the Living Word. The inevitable result was the reassertion of the enslaving influence of sin, self, law, and the world. Almost before we realized it, we were defeated, heartsick, and wretched.
Finally, after years of failure in both life and service, we were prepared to see something of the wonderful truths concerning our identification with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. We saw that He not only freed us from the guilt and penalty of sin, but also from the power and domination of the principle of sin. Here we see the pattern of the experience of “babes in Christ”: we believed, we struggled, we failed.
Now, what of the pattern of our adulthood, when we come to the place of reckoning upon the identification truths? Just as in our counting upon the justification truths for the initial steps of birth and babyhood, so in our reckoning upon the identification truths for growth: we start immediately to work for the Lord in testifying of our new experience. We want everyone to know of our new joy and freedom through reckoning.
Not only do we seek out opportunities to share and teach these new-to-us truths, but, where necessary, we make openings. We are surprised to discover that few, if any, fellow-believers prove to be receptive. As a matter of fact, many become antagonistic, and some even accuse us of falling into error. There are times when we limp home not quite as sure or enthusiastic about it all as when we started.
Then too, we begin to grow careless about our reckoning. We forget about the liberating truths for longer and longer periods of time. Once again we are relying more upon our experience than we are upon our Source (the risen Christ) and the means (reckoning) of receiving His abundant life. And what is the sure result of concentrating upon experience rather than truth? Defeat! Thus the pattern is completed: our failure in the identification realm parallels our failure in the earlier justification phase.
At just this point many believers begin to waver in their hope and expectation of freedom from the old life and abundant growth in the new. Their confidence in the truths of identification begins to wane. How many defeated Christians have exclaimed bitterly, “I tried Romans Six, but reckoning didn’t work for me”!
Most discouraged ones turn back to the futile struggles of Romans Seven as a result of this seeming failure. Some even follow the alluring experience-centered errors of the so-called “holiness” groups. But whatever it may be, all, all outside the realm of Spirit-taught and Spirit-ministered identification truth results in compounded failure and bondage. “Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect [mature] in the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3).
Patterns spring from principles. There is a definite and essential principle underlying this pattern of seeing the truth, reckoning upon it, experiencing the good of it for a time, and then—failure. Therefore, take heart, fellow-believer, for our Father is ever working according to His principles, patterns, and purpose for us.
When the Holy Spirit brings us to a new and higher plateau of truth in the process of our growth, we see, we reckon upon, we appropriate that which we understand. But the important thing to remember is that this is only the beginning of a new spiritual plane. At the outset of our reckoning upon the identification truths, all is exciting and wonderful, and we are given a taste of the reality of these facts we are counting upon. However, tasting is not eating. This initial experience is but a token of all that lies ahead in the long, slow, growing process. Our early enthusiasm makes it all seem clear and simple, but there are infinite depths and heights in every realm of truth into which He intends to bring us and establish us. This will require both time, and eternity. ….to be continued
