The Spirit Without Measure

Before Elijah was taken up into heaven, he did a miracle in the sight of Elisha and the sons of the prophets:  he rolled his mantle or cloak and struck the waters of the Jordan river which parted, and they passed over on dry ground.  2 Kings 2:9-10 reads, "And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." ¹⁰ So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."  Elisha saw Elijah ascend to heaven in a whirlwind, and tore his clothes.  2 Kings 2:13-14 then says, "He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over."  There was no power in the cloak in itself, but in fact God parted the waters for Elisha as He had for Elijah confirmed the Spirit of God rested upon him as prophet.

When people perceive someone to be gifted and anointed by God who is nearing the end of their lives, some desire this "power" or "authority" for themselves so they too could have sway with God.  Perhaps because of the unique situation with Elijah and Elisha they hope to receive spiritual power by succession, to inherit a portion or a double portion of believer they admire and desire to emulate.  David Ravenhill wrote in the preface to Revival God's Way concerning Leonard Ravenhill, the famed revival preacher, "Prior to his death in 1994 he told me he had received a number of requests from seminary students who wanted to come and see him for the sole purpose of having him lay his hands upon them in order to receive his "mantle."  With his typical dry British humor, but at the same time deadly serious, he said, 'Everyone wants to have my mantle but nobody wants my sackcloth and ashes.'"  His retort shows great insight into the hearts of men who look to men they admire rather than seeking Christ themselves in prayer.  They would have been better served to look to Christ who gives the Holy Spirit without measure than to be the next Leonard Ravenhill, for there cannot be another.

I am convinced if there is a mantle of spiritual power and authority today it is only Jesus Who has it, and He will not share His glory with anyone!  Oh, that we would look to Jesus Christ with such devotion, admiration and desire as we can the saints God has used as His vessels to show forth His glory!  Church history is littered with pedestals erected for "giants of faith" who were exceedingly small in their own eyes because they knew the almighty, glorious God they served.  Blessed is the man who is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, the one who is given the privilege of access to God's throne room of grace.  We follow the LORD Jesus Christ upon Whom our eyes are firmly fixed, for He is the Head of the church and we have been made one with Him and one another by grace.  Under the new covenant revealed by Jesus Christ the concept of a mantle passing from one person to the next is an archaic notion when we know Jesus who has called, saved, gifted, and made us fruitful by the Gospel.

Seek the LORD of hosts, not His power; praise the Giver instead of exalting a spiritual gift.  Know that God rules over all and He is worthy.  I am grateful for the testimony of godly men and women who serve our LORD Jesus Christ, yet let us not desire their mantles when we have a Saviour clothed in glory who draws us to Himself.  John 3:34 says, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  Why settle for a double portion when overflowing Living Water, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is provided by Christ Himself?

Better than Compensation

After I injured my knee playing baseball years ago, I was amazed how the body unconsciously adjusts to avoid further pain by compensating.  Without thinking I favoured my other leg and learned how to avoid uncomfortable positions.  By the time I was diagnosed with a torn ACL and and had surgery to replace the ligament, I suffered a significant amount of muscle wastage on the affected quadriceps.  What was once my dominant leg had become less used and weaker due to over-compensation for the injury.   Because the leg hurt I didn't use it as I should even after the surgery, and it took a long time with intentional effort to be restored.  It is natural for us to avoid pain when we can, yet doing so can prevent us from seeking help.

The example of the results of over-compensation to avoid pain are not only seen in the physical bodies of people.  A hidden wound in our hearts and minds can lead us to withdraw from social interactions or to over-compensate with gregarious carelessness.  The person who senses a lack in one area of their lives is spurned on to great achievement or acquiring much in another area.  Like a pendulum in a clock swings from one side to the other, inner hurts pushes people to pursue pleasure to mask or cover them.  Many under the conviction of sin or in the depths of grief have sought to numb the pain with drugs or alcohol.  In many cases there is a real risk of spiraling into ruin unless the source of the hurt is exposed before the LORD for healing and restoration.

Compensation means to give equal value to, and my favouring one leg over the other in walking was  revealed by shrinking muscles to be unequal.  It means I could not risk running, jumping or quick movements to stand or turn.  My knee injury affected the entire way I walked and moved.  Sometimes we might imagine a mental, emotional, or spiritual wound can be contained in one aspect of our lives or way of thinking, but this is untrue.  A broken leg or palpitating heart affects the whole body, and the lives of believers are connected as members of the Body of Christ, the church.  The effects of over-compensation are not always as easy to see in our lives as when I injured my leg, yet the reality is we must bring our hurts, pain and grief to Jesus for Him to heal and restore.

Praise the LORD He is able to identify the source of our troubles and do a restorative, healing work by His grace.  So many of our troubles come from sin and self, our pride that refuses to surrender before God in faith and obedience.  My knee injury was self-inflicted as I was simply running, and there was no one to blame for the ligament that gave way.  It wasn't because I was being malicious or self-destructive:  I was just rounding first base!  It may be satisfying on some level to blame others, our circumstances or growing old for the injuries we have picked up over the years, but this insight gives us no power to be healed or progress in joy, thanksgiving and gratitude for God's goodness and faithfulness to us.  To those who are hurting, to those with hidden pains, conviction of sin or shame, come to the LORD Jesus who loves, heals and gives rest for our souls.

When we have been wronged we may demand compensation by the guilty party, but God's mercy and grace trumps any compensation provided by man.  A financial windfall will not soothe our wounds, nor will an apology right wrongs.  Only God is righteous, just and His grace is sufficient for us.  His divine goodness according to the riches of His grace is our only hope to move forward.  Getting what you are owed or seeing justice done is not as satisfying as God's grace freely given and received by faith in Jesus.  I choose being compassed by God's grace and mercy than compensation any day.

Developing Commitment to Others

Lately I've had some meaningful discussions around the concept of biblical forgiveness.  More than "saying sorry" or "accepting an apology," forgiveness is all about releasing the offender of wrongdoing in obedience to God coupled with a desire to restore relationship with a brother or sister.  Forgiveness involves both parties, for a person must admit they have erred to receive the benefits of it.  I can forgive an offender before he admits he has done wrong, but there must be submission in love to receive that forgiveness in moving forward together.  If we are unwilling to press on in unity with a brother or sister who has admitted doing wrong and asked for forgiveness, it is a fair question to consider whether the forgiveness we are offering is genuine.

The reality is offences even among people in the body of Christ can be allowed to simmer.  Like festering wounds without antiseptic, the spiritual gangrene of unforgiveness and bitterness can begin to consume what was once a healthy limb.  Ephesians 5:15-21 says concerning our need to walk in the light of Christ: "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of God."  Being filled with the Holy Spirit is the way our lives will bear fruit of the Spirit manifested in love, joy, patience and meekness.  Being "Spirit-filled" is not primarily shown by speaking in tongues or interpretation but with a joyful attitude of thanksgiving and submitting to one another in the fear of God.

In his book God in You, pastor David Jeremiah made this useful observation I agree with:

"I have bumped around the evangelical church almost all of my life, and I am ready to go on record with this observation:  most of the difficulties we have in church, if you do a postmortem on them, arise from the fact that people have not developed a real commitment to one another.  Our commitment to each other is so shallow!  We are much more committed to our own interests.  As a result, we're ready to go to war over the most trivial things.  We're ready to die for green carpet or padded pews or the type of music that gets played during communion.

Yes, you and I may disagree about certain things.  But don't we love the same LORD?  Aren't we both committed to the power of the Spirit in our lives?  Don't we have the same goal to reach the world for Christ?  We can disagree about some of the peripheral things, but we had better stay focused on the things that bind us together.  We can't have a submissive attitude if we don't do that." (Jeremiah, David. God in You. Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, 1998. page 183.)

I don't know if there has been an age that has glorified the right of the individual against what God says more than today.  We must be willing to develop commitment to one another--not an agenda or church brand--and this means laying aside differences to embrace people.  It is easier to divide over disagreements rather than submitting to one another because this requires us to humble ourselves and extend grace to others.  God's word stands supreme and says what wisely walking in the power of the Holy Spirit looks like:  redeeming the time, speaking with praise to God, making melody in our hearts to the LORD, giving thanks always for all things to God, and submitting to one another.  People are encouraged to know they are loved, accepted and forgiven even when mistakes are made, and forgiving one another as we have been forgiven by the LORD is a huge part of daily living out our personal decision to follow Christ.  This commitment to our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ is all of grace, and may we learn to humbly extend and receive forgiveness we need to walk in agreement with God.

Enter God's Rest

What treasure is found in the pages of God's word!  For the hungry soul there is satisfaction, for those overwhelmed by troubles there is comfort, for the erring there is correction and for the weary there is rest found by faith in God.  In the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia books, children visiting their uncle enjoyed exploring his palatial residence.  As if this wasn't interesting or amazing enough, when Lucy ventured into a simple wardrobe she entered another land called Narnia that was filled with talking beasts and adventure.  One sentence, one verse, a single word from God in the scripture is like that:  it opens up a new world of wisdom, light, joy and rest for the one who trusts in the LORD.

Today I was impacted by a detail I had not considered before in Psalm 95:8-11:  "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, ⁹ when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. ¹⁰ For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, 'It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.' ¹¹ So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"  Knowing the historical timeline of the events following the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt is important, for the emphasis is on the 40 years after the children of Israel were barred from entering Canaan for 40 years.  God brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and gave them His law on Sinai.  When He brought them to the promised land, they listened to the evil report of 10 spies and not to God, Moses, Joshua or Caleb.  Because they refused to enter into the land, even declaring their intention to return to Egypt, God promised for 40 years they would not enter in and that generation would perish in the wilderness.

Now if I was one of those people for whom the window of opportunity to enter Canaan was permanently closed, I would likely have regretted that decision for the rest of my life.  However, that is not what grieved God.  He did not say, "Oh, if only you had entered Canaan when you had the chance!"  His lament was during that 40 years in the wilderness they tempted God, went astray in their hearts and did not know God--despite the daily miracle of manna and His presence physically manifested before them continually.  Though they had not entered into Canaan, there was rest possible for them wherever God led them by the knowledge of God and hearts surrendered to Him in faith.  But because they did not know God or trust Him, they were denied God's rest just like they were barred from the Promised Land.

Rest is not found in a particular point on the globe, in holidays or retirement, or by sleeping in late.  Real rest is found in knowing and trusting God with all our hearts, joyfully following Him wherever He leads us.  This has tremendous application for Christians today who have been born again by faith in Jesus who can feel surprisingly restless, filled with cares, worries and fears.  Could it be that you or I am included in the number of people in the wilderness who tested God in unbelief, those who did not truly know God or walk in His ways even though they were led by God by a pillar of cloud or fire?  Jesus is the One who promised to give rest for our souls through the Gospel, and it is a rest we do not need to fall short of.  Do not imagine the rest God offers by faith is barred for you because of a decision you made 40 years ago.  If the way to rest is shut for you it is because of the unbelief and rebellion in your hardened heart before God right now, and there remains hope and rest in Him.

The writer of Hebrews made it abundantly clear this stopping short of God's rest by unbelief can describe the experience of many Christians today.  Just because the Hebrews did eventually enter the land promised to their fathers it did not follow they entered God's rest.  Hebrews 4:7-11 says, "...again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. ⁹ There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ¹¹ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."  Today there also remains a rest for the people of God, a rest made available through faith in Jesus Christ before we enter the eternal state in the presence of God in heaven, through the presence of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  Instead of believing this rest could be entered into by force (like the Hebrews who later attempted in vain to fight their way in), it is a rest enjoyed by those who have ceased to justify themselves and rely on the work Jesus has done to save, redeem and reconcile us to Himself, our righteousness having been imputed by faith in Him.

It is in this context Hebrews 4:12-13:  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."  It is through the Bible we learn of God and His ways, and God's word also has much to reveal about us too.  We might be fine with blaming our lack of rest today on our circumstances or the fact we made a regrettable decision long ago for we can be more content to play the victim than to admit we have been drowning in unbelief and rebellion against God because of our hard, obstinate hearts all along.  The word of God cuts through all our excuses and blame and goes right to the heart of the matter, that if we are not experiencing the rest God has promised and provided in Himself it is we who are responsible to repent of our sin and submit to Him, and He is gracious and merciful to change us when we yield ourselves to Him today. :)