WE return to our look at “A Guide to Spiritual Growth” in The Complete Green Letters, having completed Chapter 62, “The Holy Spirit’s Ministry,” and now turning to Chapter 63, “The Spirit’s Goal.”
I’VE heard it said long ago that the wisdom of the ages is to see which way God is going and to walk with Him. Who said it and where I heard it, I have no memory. But there is truth in this thought considering that this was an established and blessed daily pattern from the beginning of time, lost by our ancestor Adam the moment he allowed sin to enter into his thoughts and actions, and ceased his daily walk with his maker (Gen. 3:8). This was a pattern of life most treasured by Enoch (Gen 5:24) and Noah (Gen. 6:8-9). It is a chief characteristic of our Lord and the Apostles of our faith, teaching us what ought to distinguish us as “followers” of Christ. (John 21:22b; 1Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1)
TO walk with Him, to follow after Him, to learn from Him and understand the direction, purpose, and goal of the journey He would have us diligently pursue. Whenever I find a believer struggling, confused, or disheartened with what may be happening in their life, I never get weary of asking, “So how much time do you spend with Lord?” – following up that question by pointing them to Romans 8:29 and showing them the Master’s objective goal to bring them into conformity to Himself. This is “the good” that all things– both positive and negative – are working towards from Romans 8:28. The flesh does not cooperate in this process (Eph. 4: 22); the “putting off” of the old man and “putting on” of Christ can be, and is, quite difficult and painful. Yet, we are not in this alone. We are not given over to ourselves in this struggle, but to the Holy Spirit for the working out of these things! (Eph. 4: 22-24 cp. Phil. 2:12-13)
THIS is the Spirit’s goal. As Paul puts it: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you… (Gal 4:19)
So, let’s get to it!
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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Chapter 63 — The Spirit’s Goal
The pride of self has come from another; our humility of life must also come from Another. The Lamb of God said of Himself, “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). It is the Lamb-life that the Holy Spirit ministers within.
We are exhorted in the Word neither to “grieve” (by sinning) nor “quench” (by resisting) the indwelling, sensitive Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). But this we do daily in the course of our spiritual development. Nevertheless, in the midst of the grief we cause Him by our sin, He carries on the work to which He was commissioned by our risen and glorified Lord. He does not sulk and quit His ministrations.
The Holy Spirit took into consideration beforehand all that He would have to endure. He simply turns from fruit-bearing to conviction, and to chastening (child-training). Painful as it is, His conviction brings us to confession of sin and restoration to fellowship with Himself, with our risen Lord, and the Father (I John 1:9). The chastening may well be “grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them who are exercised by it” (Heb. 12:11).
