God's Spirit Is Upon His Servant
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: . . . . (Isaiah 42:1)
"I have put my spirit upon him."
The term Christ means Anointed One. Christ is the One who is anointed with the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God.
The reason why Christians are given the Holy Spirit is that we may be created the Body of Christ, the fullness of the Servant of the Lord (Ephesians 1:22,23). The peoples of the earth who are not Christians do not have the Holy Spirit of God abiding in them.
It is significant that the holy anointing Oil is abiding in and upon us. It is a priestly anointing. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of the Anointed One, into the Servant of the Lord.
During the present age the Holy Spirit is recruiting members for, and building up spiritually, the Body of Christ, of the Anointed Deliverer. During the Kingdom Age, which will be instituted at the return to earth of Christ, the Spirit of the Lord will empower the Servant of the Lord to bring forth justice to the nations of saved peoples of the earth.
Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. (Psalms 96:13)
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment {justice} in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:4)
The scepter of Christ's Kingdom is a scepter of justice!
Our physical body is composed of a great number of contributing parts, some external and some internal. Yet we possess only one body even though there are many systems and parts that operate in it.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (I Corinthians 12:12)
It is true of Christ, of the Servant of the Lord, that He includes a great number of contributing members. Christ is the exalted Head of the Body of Christ. The Body itself is made up of a multitude of saints, each of whom makes a unique contribution to the Body.
This fact in no manner detracts from the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, it glorifies Christ; for He always is glorified in us, in His Bride.
The emphasis in the mind of God the Father is not that there be many replicas of Christ in the universe. The Scripture may appear to teach this in some passages, but it is not true.
What God has in mind is to enlarge Christ.
The Holy Spirit is forming Christ in us; not Christ-likeness, but Christ ! Christ is dwelling in us and His Divine Substance is being formed in us.
When the process has been completed we will be in the image of Christ, it is true, but it will be an image flowing from Christ who is dwelling in us.
We are an integral part of Him! He is an integral part of us! It is a marriage, a union, a pounding together of molecule into molecule until separation is impossible. It is an eternal welding of two personalities into one Personality, neither identity being lost.
God the Father always retains His identity. Christ always retains His identity. But all that the Father is the Son is, and all that the Son is the Father is. The Father and the Son are One.
The Lord Jesus Christ always retains His identity, His uniqueness. The Father always retains His identity. The members of the Servant of the Lord always retain their identity. But when the process of reconciliation has been completed it will be true that all that the Father and the Son are the saint is (except in realms of authority and greatness), and all that the saint is the Father and the Son are. The Father, the Son, and the saint shall be one!
What is the motive behind the program that is proceeding from the Father in Heaven? There is but one motive; there are not two motives. The motive is Divine love.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (I Corinthians 12:13)
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:16)
There is only one Body of Christ. When a person becomes a Christian, a true, born-again saint (not according to the undemanding ritual that passes today for conversion or for being born again), the Holy Spirit comes upon him and baptizes him into the Body of the Servant of the Lord, that is, into the elect Israel. The Servant of the Lord is true Israel, the Seed of Abraham, the Anointed One who will bring justice to the nations of the earth.
The Kingdom of God will come to the earth, under the administration of Christ in His Church (which is true Israel, consisting of both Jews and Gentiles), and the will of God shall be done in the earth as it now is being practiced in Heaven in the Presence of God.
The Church of Christ, being the Body of the Servant of the Lord, is to be filled with the Spirit of God.
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; (Isaiah 11:2)
It is the will of God that the Church, the Body of Christ, be filled with these several aspects and abilities of the Spirit of God. The reason we do not possess the fullness of the Spirit of God is that we do not beseech God in Jesus' name for the Spirit. When we ask, seek, and knock, diligently, consistently, and continuously, never, never ceasing, then God will give to us the fullness of the anointing God's Word promises to the Servant of the Lord.
The Spirit of wisdom is necessary if the Church is to know what to think, say, and do as it encounters the dilemmas, confusions, and catastrophes of our time.
Ours is a day in which more people than ever before in the history of the Christian Church are acquainted with the gifts and ministries of the Spirit. Great opportunity is before us and also great danger.
The danger is that we, not knowing the mind of God, may blindly run about attempting to deliver people. This is what is taking place. The Charismatic movement is an illustration of people exalting themselves through the blind, self-centered use of the gifts of the Spirit of God. The Charismatic movement is on its way to becoming the False Prophet (Revelation 13:11).
The Spirit does not give us gifts so we may go about as so many deliverers in the earth. The gifts are given to us so we may build up the Body of Christ, but only as the Lord directs. Any ministry that does not proceed from the cross, from a minister who is living a crucified life, is in immediate danger of becoming part of the False Prophet.
We need wisdom. We need to know what Christ is thinking. It is not enough to attempt to do good in the Kingdom of God. We must find God's will for the present hour.
The Spirit of understanding is required so we may have a clear sense of the mind of God in all areas of endeavor. It is relatively easy for us to gain a head knowledge of Christ, a knowledge of the facts of theology. But knowing God Himself, understanding His Person, His way, His will, and His eternal purpose in Christ and in Jerusalem, can come only through the Spirit of understanding. We need to know God Himself, not just a set of theological facts about God.
The Servant of the Lord must not be harsh with people (which can happen when we do not have an understanding of the ways of the Lord, when we are attempting to enforce our own religious will). We may have knowledge about a situation and even a certain amount of wisdom concerning the right thing to do. But the Spirit of understanding enables us to mix judgment with a deep appreciation for the many pressures and factors that cause people to do as they do. Our wisdom and knowledge always must be seasoned with love, mercy, joy, peace, humility, kindliness, and a dash of good humor and common sense.
We need the Spirit of understanding in order to rightly interpret the Scriptures. Each passage, each verse, must be viewed in the context of the entire Bible. The Scriptures are one whole from Genesis through Revelation. If we limit our understanding of salvation to a handful of verses that support the current understanding of "how to get saved." the great bulk of the Scriptures, the types and statements, will lie untouched.
We must beware of the spirit of the Pharisee. The Pharisees obeyed the letter of the Scriptures blindly. The letter of the Scriptures forbade the drinking of blood. The Lord Jesus requires of His saints that they drink His blood. Because of this and other statements and actions the Pharisees had a scriptural basis for putting the Lord Jesus to death.
The Pharisees were not in touch with God, only with the Scriptures. As infallible and as necessary as the Scriptures are, both Old and New Testament, they are never to be a substitute for knowing the Lord Himself.
No commandment of the Old or New Testament is to be obeyed blindly. Indeed we must obey the numerous commandments found in the writings of the Apostles, but we are to look always to the Lord for strength and guidance in keeping His Word. If we do not we will be as a Pharisee, ready to murder our Christ. The letter kills but the Spirit gives life.
The Spirit of counsel is in great demand today. Many people are looking for someone who will listen to their problems and offer suggestions that will bring relief from the anxiety, confusion, and pain of living. We need to pray to God that He will give to us a word in season for the weary and distressed.
Here again we must insert a caution because of what is taking place in our time.
"Counseling" has become fashionable. The ministry instead of proclaiming the Word of Christ is "counseling" people and people are flocking to the counselors.
It often (not always) is true that people request counseling as much as they do because they are not living according to the Scriptures. They are not living according to the Scriptures because the ministry is not preaching the Word of God. It is a vicious cycle.
People today are reaping what they have sown. No amount of counseling can remove all the pressure from an individual who is being judged by the Lord. We can pray. We can advise. But there is no formula that works in all situations.
The ministers of today are studying psychology in the hopes of becoming expert in counseling. The discipline of psychology is based on research, experience, and sometimes on the Scriptures, and can be learned. (However, some of the theory and practice of contemporary psychology and psychiatry is demonic in origin.)
There often is value in psychological counseling. It is true also that the contemporary need is for people to serve God. If Satan has gained a foothold in the individual's life the expert advice may prove to be ineffective.
In some instances there are manifestations of demons in the client's home. It may be true that we will be seeing in the future a great increase in demonic manifestations and visitations. Counseling that is not godly will not be able to solve those types of problems and may intensify them.
God has not called us to patch up the woes of mankind. God has called us to proclaim the will of God. Christ will heal those who are walking in righteousness, after they have suffered for a season while they are learning of God's holy Person and ways.
To attempt to solve the problems of disobedient Christians through counseling techniques is not a proper use of the Spirit of counsel. The Spirit of counsel is for those who are ready to serve the Lord, not for Christians who want to get repaired so they may continue in their self-seeking, lustful ways.
The Spirit of might, of the miracle-working power of the Kingdom of God, must come to the Church in these days so we freely can demonstrate in advance the glory that will come to the earth with the return of Christ. Until the signs and wonders are following the Gospel we have only half a Gospel. The peoples of the earth must behold as well as hear the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Once more the danger flag must be raised. During the twentieth century we have seen powerful gifts of healing, of faith, of miracles. Thank God for them!
But self-seeking entered along with the gifts of power. Miracles are attractive to people, and soon the minds of the ministers and of the people were turned away from what the Lord desires. Evangelists began to argue among themselves about who had the largest tent. Money became a temptation because of the willingness of the crowds to give money when they saw the power of the Lord.
When the Lord gives a gift of power in our day it sometimes is perverted into a tool to exalt the recipient. He or she becomes the new idol of the believers, particularly the Charismatic believers.
In some instances the exalted minister is not adhering even to the basic principles of Christian living. He becomes a kind of God and his publications and institutions proclaim his name throughout the world. It is the False Prophet!
The "two witnesses," that is, the anointed saints of the latter-rain outpouring of the last days, will be "clothed in sackcloth" (Revelation 11:3). They will have been purged of self-seeking and self-aggrandizement. They will reveal in themselves the Glory of the Lord. They will be as little children in their heart, trusting the Lord with their hand in His.
In the eyes of God the character of the saint always is more important than his ministry. His or her ministry during the present age is for the briefest of periods. But the saint will be God's servant for eternity.
God may take steps to purify some of His "stars" so God does not lose His servants because of their exposure to success and prominence. In other cases the ministers who are working unrighteousness will pass into eternity, there to be driven from the Presence of the Lord. Success in ministry never is a substitute for godliness.
God will give His saints the Spirit of knowledge of facts and events past, present, and future if they will pray for such knowledge. The Body of Christ is not to be blind to the future, as is the world, but must be shown by the Spirit the things that are to come to pass.
Tremendous changes are to occur in the immediate future in both the Church and the world. It is a fact of the Scriptures that God warns His prophets, and through them His people, of the things that are to come to pass in the earth. Knowledge and warning concerning the future is one of God's provisions for His elect.
But ye, brothers, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (I Thessalonians 5:4)
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (Isaiah 42:9)
Lot was ignorant concerning the forthcoming overthrow of his city but Abraham was not.
The Spirit of the fear of the Lord , a godly fear, must return to the churches of Christ. Our overfamiliarity with the things of God and our notion that God and His Christ exist for our pleasure are not founded on truth. Paul persuaded men because he knew the terror of the Lord--what it will mean to fall into the hands of God.
The Christian churches have been deceived concerning the fear of the Lord.
We have been led to believe that God is anxious to play our little games. We do not know God as well as we think we do. We have not seen Him !
When we do see God and come to know a little of His Personality we shall obey God in godly fear. God is the greatest of all kings. He deserves and demands the reverence due the mightiest of monarchs. That God loves His elect dearly and is using every means to enable us to make a success of our calling does not change the fact that we should be rendering to Him the obedience and respect that are the right of the most awesome of all potentates.
Why must we have the Spirit of the fear of the Lord? Apart from the fear of the Lord there is no way in which we can gain and keep a correct perspective on life. The plan of redemption cannot be understood and the Kingdom of God cannot gain ground in the earth apart from an awe of, a respect and reverence for, a genuine fear of, the Lord of Armies.
People today are teaching that it is not appropriate for the saint to fear God, only to reverence God. By this teaching they are revealing that they are coming short of the Glory of God and that we are in the last days. It is the influence of Antichrist and humanism.
Reverence and fear are not the same attitude. One may reverence the statue of a famous individual or his memory. But this is not the same as fearing the statue or the memory. Wisdom teaches us the fear of the Lord as well as love for the Lord.