October 2003

HINDS’ FEET IN HIGH PLACES

Part 13

“He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
and sets me on my high places!”

(2 Sa 22:34)

         Is it possible for a man to sincerely love, honor and serve God, and still disgrace his vows of fidelity? So long as we must inhabit flesh bodies, it is not only possible, it is the hardest of realities! Consider Peter, who was one of the Messiah’s chosen 12 apostles. This fiercely faithful follower of Christ even cut off the ear of a temple soldier who came to arrest Jesus; yet later that same night, he denied three times even knowing Jesus! And what of Apostle Paul, that staunchest supporter and sufferer for Christ? He makes an astonishing confession in Rom 7:14-24 that has provided enormous comfort to me in my times of human weakness.

“The law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin! This means I do things
I do not allow myself to do: and I do not do things of which I approve; in fact,
I do what I hate doing! So if I (am compelled to) do what I do not want to do,
my soul remains in complete accord with God’s law which is good; therefore
it is no more ‘I’ that do it, but sin that dwells in me! For I am convinced that
in me (that is, in my flesh) there is no good thing!! While the will to do right
is indeed present with me; I cannot find a way to do it! The good I want to do,
I don’t do: and the evil I don’t want to do, I do, because sin dwells in me! So
I find this law: that when I want to do good, evil is present with me; however
my inward man delights in the law of God! But I see still another law in my
members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members. O, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank my God, it shall be done by
Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus, with my mind I, myself, serve the law of God;
but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.”

         This means that our minds can inhabit the “High Places” of God, even as our flesh grovels in the sin and evil of this world! But must we remain in this hapless condition forever? God forbid!!

         When our minds are filled to the utmost with Christed thoughts, we will be possessed by the power to overcome our weak flesh! We will be able to speak- even think, what is right in the sight of God, and we will accomplish it with no effort! That is why our Lord Jesus exhorts us in 2 Cor 10:5 to “Bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ!” The New Testament makes it clear that every thought in the Mind of Jesus was unquestionably subjected to the Father’s Will! Indeed the Lord says in Jn 5:19, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.”

NOW HEAR THIS WELL:

        All sons of God are being brought to where they only “see” [with “eyes of understanding” Eph 1:18] and do, what their Father does! This, beloved, is the true definition of a FREE WILL! Only when man’s will is no more a slave to sin, can it rightly be called “free”! The will of man is not a “free, moral agent” to do what it chooses, while it remains in bondage to death; and only the Blood of the Lamb can release men from that bondage! Being allowed by God to exercise our self-wills in the pursuit of evil, is still part of the predestinated Plan set forth by His Will- that shall “work together for good” (Ro 8:28), and that “wrath of man shall praise Him; and the remainder He will restrain!” (Ps 76:10) “The Lord has made ALL THINGS FOR HIMSELF; yes, even the wicked for the day of evil!” (Pr 16:4)
          How could the Book of Ecclesiates have been written if King Solomon had not fallen from the great “high places” he once trod! How better, than by his destruction, could he teach other men this lesson: “I gave my heart to wisdom to seek and search out all things done under heaven: God has given this sore travail to exercise the sons of man. So I have seen all the works under the sun; and I see that all is vanity and vexation of spirit! That which is crooked cannot be straightened: and that which lacks is too great to count. I communed with my own heart saying, See how I have come to a great estate where I got more wisdom than all who have gone before me in Jerusalem: yes, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly! Now I realize this, too, is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom there is much grief: and whoever increases in knowledge, also increases in sorrow.” (Ec 1:13-18) Paul adds, “Knowledge (without Anointing) inflates the ego- making men haughty and proud); but LOVE EDIFIES (builds up and encourages the heart)! And if any man thinks he has knowledge about anything, he proves that he knows nothing as he ought to know! (For without the Anointing) even knowledge is dead!) But if any man loves God, that man is known (and is owned) by God!!” (1 Cor 8:1-3) Ah, beloved, this is true freedom!!

[TO BE CONTINUED]