My ongoing journey with the Lord Jesus will often require a change in certain areas of my life. The Holy Spirit shines His light of conviction on the place that does not measure up to His standard. What is the standard, the plumb line, this measure He requires? It is the Cross. If it does not measure up to the Cross of Jesus Christ, and all it represents, it has no place in our lives and is baggage that will not pass through the narrow gate of our ongoing journey with the Lord. Jesus said: “Enter in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in there. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”, Matthew 7: 13 -14. Jesus’ words do not just apply to the way of salvation, but also to our ongoing journey. On the narrow way He describes, there is no room for baggage that does not measure up to the standards of His Cross.
This baggage can be defined as strongholds of wrong believing in our lives. We all have them somewhere because, as yet, none of us are walking in all the fullness of God, our birthright in Christ Jesus. God is out to break those strongholds in our lives because He knows they are holding us back.
During Jesus’ trial of temptation in the wilderness He declared to the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, Matthew 4: 4. Am I living on a past proceeding word when God wants to move me forward on a new one? If I am insensitive to the Spirit’s promptings, I can cling on to a past word and it can become a stronghold in my life that needs change. A new proceeding word negates the past one when God wants to move me forward.
Our past convictions can become our present fetters in bondage.
Hebrews 3:15 adjures us: “…..Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation”. A hardened heart is not in right relationship with the Lord and needs repenting of in humility. Most of the adult population of the children of Israel, exiled from Egypt, never entered the Promised Land because their unbelief became a stronghold of wrong believing. We are blessed to be able to learn from their mistakes.
The Holy Spirit of truth will bring a truth to me to reveal a stronghold of wrong believing in my life for change. He is our compass. He convicts to correct. As I respond to His conviction in repentance and humility, the stronghold is broken bringing freedom to move forward with His direction, a new proceeding word.
God imparts revelation, spiritual understanding, which become the bedrock foundation of our faith. God cements these strongholds of right believing in our hearts and lives, but we have to learn how to hold and live them, to His glory. When God reveals something to us, our lives should demonstrate our believing. I can present the truth I believe to another if the occasion arises, but only the Holy Spirit can impart that revelation to another. He is the Spirit of truth and will only witness to truth. If the person I am sharing with is a full vessel, (spiritually deaf, pride), he may well reject what I declare. It is not my place to put others right or try to crow bar them into what I believe. Only the Spirit of God brings conviction for change.
In our Gatherings we hear a lot of truth and revelation light comes, but the real test is in the school of life where we have to apply these truths to daily living and relationships. Only here will we have opportunity to live our lives to the glory of God, to walk in the light He has revealed to us. Our daily choices must measure up to the standard of His Cross, this is our gold, our treasure.
Philippians 3: 13-14 “…..But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to the things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
