Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty

Part 2

We have all been joined together in one body according to the gifts God has given us. And what God has thus joined together, man cannot—neither shall he—separate. Neither shall man glue together what God has not created and joined together to be one. He created man in the beginning, and He is still creating. Eph. 2:14-16; 4:11-16.

The election and the appointment that the Bible mentions is done in a godly manner and not in the normal, human way. For example, when Titus, who was a spiritual man, a seer, appointed elders, his work consisted of being able to see who was an elder in the Lord in spirit and in truth, who was the oldest in God’s wisdom and understanding—for that is the true old age and the true gray hairs. They are found on the heads of the righteous, and they are a lovely crown.

Titus revealed to the assembly—most of whom were of course babes in Christ living on a human level—who was the eldest among them. This strengthened each individual’s confidence in the person who could best help them and strengthen them. The gray-haired apostle Paul who possessed God’s hidden wisdom thought that this was prudent and beneficial for the churches on the island of Crete because of the state they were in.

When the churches find their own way in these matters without such guidance from an apostle or a spiritual person, you can be certain that any kind of appointment is mingled with vain grasping after wind. Besides, the majority of preachers and others are so human that in all probability, appointing the right people would in the majority of cases be extremely rare. Those who exalt themselves the most, who in their self-confidence are the most prominent and possess the biggest preacher’s itch, who preach most about peace and love, they would be appointed; while the God-fearing, those who have the most content in their life, the most prudent, they would mostly go unheeded and overlooked in the vicinity of the threshold by the door.

Let us hear what the wise man has to say about that: “This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks around it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. Then I said: ‘Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.’” Eccl. 9:13-17. “There is an evil I have seen under the sun, as an error proceeding from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, while the rich [in wisdom] sit in a lowly place. I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants.” Eccl. 10:5-7.

“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” 1 Cor. 14:26. This mutual ministry for edification (not for a cozy gathering) usually does not exist at all or very rarely.

I wish that this glory of the kingdom of God might come abundantly among believers in accordance with the perfect laws of the Spirit of life, of liberty, and of love. Yes, dear good God: Your kingdom come! Why is there so little of this blessed edification? There is both a lack of a desire for it and an understanding of it!!! People don’t know what it is; they don’t hear about it, they don’t see it, and they don’t believe in it.

Either the “pastor” preaches a sermon as in the State churches, or there are traveling preachers who preach for almost the entire meeting to the unconverted or as entertainment for the converted, who are mainly consigned to filling the empty benches, admiring the speakers’ ability and giving as much as possible in the collection. Wherever it is supposed to appear really pious the leader graciously condescends to let a couple others—preferably those who have a reputation in this world—chirp for a few minutes before the end of the meeting, and preferably someone who is known to be able to say—with some well-chosen words—a few flattering things about the great speech that they have just heard.

The time for prayer is also limited, but that is of little consequence because one actually does not expect to receive an answer from God to one’s prayer. There is no time either to think about or to expect anything like that. Things are done in a business-like manner. Two or three people recite a prayer, then the assembly wriggles with their feet, gets up off their knees, and so they wait for the next act.

When a leader has preached for ten to twenty years in a place, having gathered together an assembly of several hundred souls and then has to go away for a few days and finds it necessary to engage a leader from another assembly to take care of the meetings in his own assembly, you have reason to ask: What is the result after all these years of working among so many souls? What about the ministry that has been given to each of the members?

What has happened to growing up to Him as the Head in everything, being equipped for every good work? And the transformation into God’s image of which everyone is a partaker who beholds the glory of the Lord? What about liberty? I wonder if the Spirit of the Lord has been ruling without having managed to fully equip anyone among so many. I wonder if they believe in the members’ growth at all! I wonder if the leaders love to see the individual members grow up at all so that they become more superfluous on the speaker’s podium themselves? I wonder if they wouldn’t rather love to see themselves as the shining central point in a large assembly of fellow brothers who have not grown that much. The leader goes away for a few days. He thinks that he should borrow another leader to replace him. In this way the members’ growth has been choked before and it will also continue like that in the future.

The Spirit rules only where no other person or power is permitted to rule—where people deny themselves and all that is of themselves. There the Spirit gladly takes the lead; people will not pray in vain for it. He works with understanding, therefore He makes use of everything and everyone; He distributes as He wills and enables each one to what he is most suited for. He prefers using God-fearing souls who do not have a reputation in this world in order to put to shame the mighty things of this world by the things that are lowly. This is a very profitable, faith-strengthening work.

When each one inwardly presents himself to God, loving Him and hating everything that comes from himself, the Advocate directs everything for everyone’s best. Then God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. His will is our sanctification, our edification, our transformation into the image of Christ. His will is that we partake of divine nature. It is our perfection according to the conscience and the completion of our obtainable goal. Then He works both to will and to do. Then building is taking place in the true sense of the word. Then one stone is put on another, one plank on another, one truth on another, and mercy is added to mercy.

The various testimonies, prayers, and songs complement each other and result in a harmonious work.

Doesn’t it go wrong with the building if someone comes with something of his own? Not at all! It is simply put aside as a cracked stone or as a cracked board—as materials that are useless. We must accept that. In such an instance it is important to be forbearing with each other, to be longsuffering with the others as God has been with us. If something should happen that is beyond unreasonable, then the Spirit will surely constrain someone to give the necessary guidance.

If someone comes with a useless plank or stone, it is not worth making a fuss about it; you just put it aside quietly or let it fall down from the scaffolding. But if the same person came only with such things, then it would be necessary to draw attention to the mistake. When something irrelevant, something from the flesh, sticks to the materials, but they are essentially good, you can just remove that part first (if you have grace to do it) and then use the materials.

Where the Spirit of the Lord rules, there is therefore liberty for spirit and truth, for faith and love, and for everything else that is good. Everyone who serves in these things is acceptable to God and men. However, there is no liberty for the flesh, for lying, and unbelief and everything else—whether they are pastors or kings—who want to make an appearance.

On the other hand, in congregations where the Spirit of the Lord does not rule there is liberty for pastors and professors, for those who have a reputation in this world, for those who are good orators and are richly endowed with the things of this world—even if they are ever so lifeless—while the Holy Spirit is denied to work through poor and unassuming souls, even though they possess ever so much life and abundance of life.

What should a person do who finds himself in such a congregation or synagogue? He should speak straight to the point; he should proceed according to the truth of the gospel. However, if they wanted to continue as before without liberty, then there is nothing else to do but to go outside such a camp of stiff necks who resist the Holy Spirit. Outside—bearing the reproach of Christ—there are of course like-minded ones who have gone the same way. See Acts 19:8-9. There you find those who desire to walk according to the perfect law of liberty in order to be built up together with the others into a habitation of God in the Spirit, those who do not acknowledge other lords and rulers besides Jesus Christ (epistle of Jude, verse 9), but who sanctify Him as Lord in their hearts and in their assemblies so that His Spirit can rule, with the result that there is liberty for everyone to develop and grow up in all things into Him who is the Head.

My personal testimony is this: It is unspeakably blessed to gather as brothers in Jesus’ name and let His Spirit rule so that the things which are the work of man are torn down (2 Cor. 10:4-5), and God’s kingdom finds expression in everyone through the effective working by which everyone does his share.

Blessed is every one who follows the example of the Chief Shepherd.