A
wonderful provision has been made for a constant unbroken victory for
everyone of God’s precious children.
A victory
absolutely unaffected by circumstances however adverse and depressing
these circumstances may be. Provision has been made by God for everyone of
His children for literally an unbroken victory and unbroken fellowship.
The gift in large measure is
unaccepted on the ground of it’s terms. It’s terms require a surrender
which average Christian is unwilling to make and yield. The things
that you must pay the most are the things that are more valuable and what
we appreciate most. The most extraordinary thing about victorious life is
that it’s so infrequently recognized by bible students. That’s
something that has been very difficult for me to understand. Why is it
that so many men in our pulpits today, so many of our seminary students
and spiritual leaders have not recognized this wonderful life of unbroken
victory with the Lord Jesus Christ? Many of them who have thorough
knowledge of the bible know nothing of this truth experimentally and no
minister can give to the members of his congregation more than he
has experienced himself. I do hope that there are many ministers of the
gospel following me in these „Heart to heart talks“ not because of me,
not because I’m giving them but because they are based on the very Word
of God and if you can catch the glory of the truth that I have been trying
to give to you then you can go into your pulpits and give to your people
something that will revolutionize, change their entire spiritual life. It
will change you as a minister. It’s been one of the greatest truths that
has been my privilege to receive from the Master. How is it that we are so
slow of heart to understand? I believe that the best way to put the case
is to describe in some length in the experiences of two men who had long
been devoted to the service of God. Born again, I would never question the
fact that they were born again. If you had read the lives of these men you
would agree with me. They were God’s precious children. They were devoted
to the service of God.
For instance Hudson Taylor a
missionary to China was one of these men. He has left a letter written to
his sister. A record of his search for holiness, for a deeper walk with
God, a constant abiding in Christ Jesus. In his letter he tells of his
total inability to see how to get and obtain it. Although you can not help
but see this truth as you read the word of God. Yet, I believe that only
Holy Spirit can make it real unto the hearts of men and women. In this
letter written to his sister Hudson Taylor that great missionary to China
expressed the deep feeling, his great search for this experience that I
have been talking about in these „Heart to heart talks“.
I quote from the letter: „
I prayed, fasted, agonized, read the bible more diligently, sought more
time for meditation but all without an effect. Every day, almost every
hour the consciousness of sin oppressed me then came the question – is
there no rest? Must it be this to the end? Constant conflict between
defeat and a victory? Too often defeat. I hated myself! I hated my sin and
yet I obtained no strength to stand against it. I felt and knew that I
was a child of God but how to rise to my privileges as a child? I
was utterly powerless to see. I thought that practical holiness was
to be gradually obtained by a diligent use of the means of grace. I
thought that there was nothing that I much desired and needed in this
world and when my agony of soul was at his very height a syntax of letter
was used to remove the scales from my eyes and the Spirit of God revealed
the truth about our oneness with Jesus.
Do you want to know? Do you
desire even as I desired it one day to know what was in that letter? What
was that just one sentence that gave to him that which he had sought so
long? Oh, it’s thrilling! This is priceless! I read it from the letter!
„ By faith a channel is
formed by which Christ’s fullness plenteously flows down. The barren
branch becomes the portion of the fruitful wine. He is the most holy who
has the most of Christ within.“
Let me repeat that one sentence.
It’s profound. If you forget everything else that this letter includes.
If you do not hear another word that I may say in these „Heart to heart
talks“ remember this one sentence: He is most holy who has
most of Christ within. It is a defect of faith
which clogs their feet and causes men to fall. Abiding, not struggling or
striving. It’s looking to Him it’s pressing Him for present power to
subdue all inward corruptions. It’s a constant joy of a complete
salvation. A salvation from old sin. Willing that He should truly be
supreme. That is not new to me. I have seem to got into the edge only but
to the edge of a sea that is boundless.
Not a striving to have faith, to
increase our faith! Not a struggle at all but looking to the Faithful One
to Jesus is all we need. Resting in the Lord. Just resting completely,
entirely on Him for time and eternity that is the secret and that was a
letter, that was the sentence which arrested Hudson Taylor's attention.
That one sentence. Not a striving to have faith but looking off to the
Faithful One seems all that we need and it’s just that simple.
I shall never forget years ago
after my conversion at the age of 14 that little Methodist church in Missouri
and then it was sometime after that God so definitely gave me a call to
the ministry and that call was as definite as my conversion. Oh, it seemed
that every atom of my being cried out for more of Him. I know a physical
hunger, but I have never known a physical hunger in my whole life that was
as great as the spiritual hunger that I had for Him. I was so ignorant and
stupid when it came to spiritual things. I had no training, nothing
whatsoever. I shall never forget those „Holiness camp meetings“ in
Iowa. Oh, that’s been years and years ago. If they still have
„Holiness camp meetings“ I don’t know. I only attended years ago
right after I had become a Christian. Before I knew anything about the
Holy Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit. All I knew was that I’ve
been born again, Jesus had forgiven my sins. I can remember that old
fashion tabernacle. Maybe I’m talking to someone who has attended those
„Holiness camp meetings“. Maybe you were there years ago when I was
there? So hungry for more. And every time an altar call was given whether
it was after the morning session, the afternoon session or night there was
a red headed freckled faced teenage girl who was first to walk down the
isle, kneel, cry and cry seeking holiness. Seeking some experience I knew
not what. After everyone of those morning services that red headed
freckled faced girl would rush to the altar. My head buried in my arms
weeping and crying and when the noon, the dinner time would come and
everyone else would leave but she was still there. She would still be
there when the afternoon service would begin. She was the first at the
altar when the call was given again for those that wanted to be completely
holy and seeking holiness. I never found what I was seeking there. I was
that girl. I was seeking some experience, some ecstasy. It was years later
that I found out that Jesus is our holiness and the one who has most of
His holiness is the one that has the most of Jesus. You talk about the
experience of holiness, of sanctification. It’s still a matter of
seeking Jesus. You talk about the wonderful experience of being filled
with the Holy Spirit, it’s still more of Jesus. And even after one has
been filled with the Holy Spirit remember my friend that the Holy Spirit
always magnifies and glorifies Jesus. He is most holy who has most of
Jesus within. No, it’s not striving to have faith. It’s not a
striving for some experience, but it’s looking to Jesus, receiving more
of Him and that is your answer.
Kathryn Kuhlman