guage has now taken possession of him. This is what I have refer ence to in connection with our re lationship to Christ. He said, "I am your life. I am totally and entirely living within you." This is the se cret and the key to effective Chris tian faith. Sometimes problems occur as we seek to find our way into a settled realization of union with Christ. This might be called "the blurred image." It reminds me of the occa sion when Christ touched the blind man the second time, restoring his sight fully. Perhaps for a period we only see men as trees walking. Then, continuing through to real ity, we find the second touch and the full revelation of the fact that Christ has come to dwell within us. A friend of mine said, "A way into the heavenlies is through the heavens." He meant that often a real effective spiritual life leads through the disillusionment of self. The Bible contains numerous ac counts of how men who were found of God still had to learn how self had to operate in their new relationship. The Lord had to bring His servants to an end of them selves. First of all we see ourselves as sinners. The second touch brings us through the fact that we are helpless saints. As a sinner, I have to learn my guilt. As a saint, or a Christian, I have to learn my help lessness. The self life has to be changed by God's power. Some how our old nature leads us to be lieve that we have to work for God and call upon Him to assist us to do the work. That is quite back wards. I am sure we are familiar with the oft quoted line: "Only one life 'twill soon be past;
Only what's done for Christ will last." That last phrase should really be: "Only what's done by Christ will last." He alone is the Doer of His work. He does it through us! This can be a painful period of learn ing and unlearning. Consider the life of Moses who was learned in all the arts and crafts of the great Egyptian nation. Yet, he set aside all the treasures of Pharaoh "for the reproach of Christ." Yet, the outer foresaking had not yet touched the inner. A man is called to forsake himself as Jesus so frequently said. As it came time to approach the monarch, fear filled Moses' heart. He missed God. His only power was in Moses the man and so he ran to hide in a cloud of dust for 40 years. This was his great let-down. The action was called for but the power was miss ing. Why did God not honor His ser vant? The sad truth is that the Lord has to let us fall on our faces. Seemingly, the sooner the better to drive us to an understanding of the fact that the power is not in us. God eventually brought Moses into line again. This time he tries to beg off. God says, "I am come down." It was not to be Moses working for God, but the Lord do ing it by Moses. We are talking about the marvel of an inner union with the Almighty when we be come the means of Christ's mani festation. A whole army of Egyp tians, including their equipment, was buried in the Red Sea. Forty years earlier one single Egyptian was buried in the sand and Moses ran for his life. Now, Pharaoh is on the run. God's people are de livered. But what a price Moses Page 31
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