In the process of God transforming us into the image of His Son, most of the time our focus is on the immediate—a decision, an illness, a crisis. But sometimes He presents opportunities to see a bigger picture of the path that we are following. Lately I’ve been thinking about the external forces that propel us along through our lives.
The current of this world
The apostle Paul uses a river and its current as a metaphor for the system of the world. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1-2). The course of this world is the current in a long, meandering river that has many tributaries and carries the dead toward their destruction. They would be powerless to resist, even if they were aware. This was our condition before God in mercy rescued us: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
The current of God’s Will
I recently came across a recorded message of T. Austin-Sparks regarding the will of God. Usually, my concern is on the will of God for me. But this was different. Its focus was on God’s overall will in creation, directed toward the accomplishment of His eternal purpose (a term used by Paul in the letter to the Ephesians), also known as His ultimate intention. We can call this the “Will of God” with a capital W. Throughout history this Will of God runs as another current.
I am paraphrasing from that presentation: “The significance of Christianity is that humans can get caught up in the purpose of God. Paul had been ‘apprehended’ by Christ! In the book of Acts we see a tremendous forward movement of Christ. And we have been caught up in something—taken hold of. ‘And the men that held Jesus mocked him’ (Luke 22:63, KJV): the word ‘held’ suggests an irresistible grip, and it is the same word that Paul used to mean that he had been gripped by an irresistible force and carried by it. We can get caught up in the eternal going of the eternal God in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Mastered. Carried as by an irresistible current. This is a law of [spiritual] progress.”
It goes on to say, “Vision is essential to progress. Something has opened our spiritual eyes that has revolutionized our spiritual life. Pray for genuine vision that will set us firmly in the grip of God’s current, that will keep us going on the path of transformation. ‘The power that worketh in us.’ The Holy Spirit has put a dynamic in us, and we have seen, and it will keep coming back to us to set us back on our feet when we fall. The spiritual knowledge that we have by revelation through the Holy Spirit provides us with a sense of purpose; if it were not for that we would not survive. We must have this vision to keep going in the eternal goings of God in Jesus Christ. A sense of vocation, mastering purpose. The spiritual motivation to keep looking to Jesus—vision—who started the work and will finish it. It did not begin with us, and it will not end with us. Am I a Christian of that sort? Have I come to see Jesus, and my eternal destiny as bound up in Him? Then I will be a Christian who goes on, carried by the mighty divine imperative. The God of Purpose lays hold of us, picks us up and carries us on.”
Here is a link to the entire presentation:
YouTube audio recording of T. Austin-Sparks, The Will of God in Relation to His People (part 3 of 3)
Love and the current of God’s Will
The current of God’s will operates through love. When Paul writes that “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14) he uses the Greek verb synechei, which means “to bring into continuity or coherence.” The love of Christ channels and propels us. It carries us along in continuity and coherence with the big picture of God’s plan. As Jesus told Peter, “When you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). As we pass from spiritual immaturity to spiritual maturity, more and more we find ourselves allowing our Lord to arrange our lives according to His love.
I wanted to share all of this because I found it inspiring. My prayer is that all of us who have started out in this blessed process of transformation will continue to look to Christ Jesus, to reach out to Him and surrender to the operation of His love in our lives.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a might ocean
In its fullness over me,
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Your love;
Leading onward, leading homeward
To my glorious rest above.
O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (verse 1), S. Trevor Francis
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