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The Spiritual Condition

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8 NIV)

It is absolutely useless, dear friends, to refer to tradition and say, ell, God did this in the beginning, and this is the place where the oracles of God are found and the temple of God is and the great tradition of Israel as the chosen people. It is here, and we rest on that.No, tradition will not support now. History will not support now. Institutions will not support now. It seems as though God has no regard, at length, for temple or ark or altar or priesthood. He cries through the prophets: em>Away, away with you. I want none of your sacrificesIsaiah 58. What a chapter! em>Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice.Then, what follows? em>Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways. will have none of it says the Lord. will have none of it. These are not the sacrifices I want. This ritual is not what I am after. This traditional system is not what I desire. It is a spiritual state.And only on that can the Lord associate Himself, ally Himself, to Zion....

If you look again at this letter to the Hebrews, you will see that we are come to Zion. We are not come to some thing, some religious thing, some tradition, we are not come to historic Christianity if I may put it that way we are come to a spiritual situation which is calculated to startle us. Oh, we say, e are in the day of Grace. This is the dispensation of Grace.True! Is the Letter to the Hebrews on any other ground than the ground of Grace? Surely not, but do you know that in this letter the most awful things in the Bible are written? em>How shall we escape (we, we escape, we Christians, we believers of this dispensation) how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? ...Our God is a consuming fire... it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.This is said to these people, these Christians; and other things like that are said. But I am pointing this out, that this letter is written in the day of Grace; and it is a day which brings into view not some new Christian system, not the formation of a new Christian tradition, but a spiritual condition, without which everything else is as nothing. You have come to Zion, yes, but you have come to the controversy of Zion. You have come, we have come, to the great battle of Zion; and it is a spiritual battle.

Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Get wisdom! Get understanding! § The wisdom that is from above. § The deep says, “It is not in me”; and the sea says, “It is not with me.” § We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. § [God] made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. § Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility.

Col. 3:1;  Prov. 4:5;  James 3:17;  Job 28:14;  Rom. 6:4,5;  Heb. 12:1;  Eph. 2:5,6;  Heb. 11:14;  Zeph. 2:3

Nicodemus . . . came to Jesus by night.

Peter followed Him at a distance. § Among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. § The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. § A bruised reed.

He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench. § Faith as a mustard seed.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. § Little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. § Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

John 7:50;  Matt. 26:58; John 12:42,43;  Prov. 29:25;  John 6:37;  Isa. 42:3;  Matt. 17:20;  2 Tim. 1:7,8;  1 John 2:28;  Matt. 10:32

The Real Enemy

For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14).

Hatred for others comes easy for some; but to fully hate one's old man comes hard for all. The Lord Jesus loves us too much to allow us to go on loving ourselves.

"The Christian's victory is not over others, but over himself. His sword is drawn, not to slay his fellowman, but to slay himself. He wins by losing. He triumphs by being defeated. He lives by dying. His crown is a crown of thorns. His throne is a Cross. His weapon is not strength but weakness.

"His victory is not found in establishing his own cause but in establishing that of his fellow-men; the poor, the sick, the disinherited, the brokenhearted, the wayward, the lost. This may be foolishness to men. But we must not forget that the foolishness of God is stronger than men' (1 Cor. 1:25). -F.J.H.

"How blessed it is to know, and at the same time how solemn to realize, that the sin of the child of God is against his Father, and that it is the love of relationship that is called into exercise about it - love which acts towards us for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness'" (Heb. 12:10).

"It is impossible that He should treat it lightly; and it will be impossible in the end for any one of His own to treat it lightly either. Grace abides towards us; and because grace abides, sin cannot be permitted to have sway over the objects of it." -W.K.

"Let not sin, therefore, reign. . . " (Rom. 6:12).

Mystery of God’s Intention - Study in Prayer (4)

Every Yearning Satisfied