It seems obvious that doing anything in the power of the
Holy Spirit will have results that fit the will of God but doing anything by my
own power will not.
Tozer says this about Christian living in a more vivid way:
“When the Holy Spirit is ignored or rejected, religious people are forced
either to do their own creating or to fossilize completely. A few churches
accept fossilization as the will of God and settle down to the work of
preserving their past — as if it needed preserving. Others seek to appear
modern and imitate the current activities of the world with the mistaken idea
that they are being creative. And after a fashion they are, but the creatures
of the creative skill are sure to be toys and trifles, mere imitations of the
world and altogether lacking in the qualities of eternity — holiness and
spiritual dignity. The hallmark of the Holy Spirit is not there.”
I agree, but this pinches me when I think of my own
efforts. Tozer’s selection of Scripture eases the pain of realizing that God
will not punish me for all those times I thought I could ‘do it myself’ like an
impertinent little child. By God’s grace my folly is not held against me!
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1–4)
Jesus Christ takes care of the guilt, yet there will be a
judgment for Christians. It is called the ‘bema seat’ when God examines what I
have done and under whose power . . .
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11–15)
Tozer offers this sobering thought: “It is hard to imagine
a more painful disillusionment than to come to the judgment seat of Christ and
find that all our earthly lives we had been striving after the flesh and never
permitting the creative Holy Spirit to work in us that which was pleasing in
His sight.”
Many times, I’ve said no to requests and offers from
others. Very often they cannot understand why I turned them down. I usually pray
and if the Holy Spirit is not in it and God is not indicating that I should say
yes, it does not matter how good it sounds, I must decline. God may be at work
in their project but He is not telling me I should be involved.
The leading of the Spirit is hard to explain, even to
other Christians. This does not make me a super-saint. I’ve made the wrong
choices many times, and learning the hard way is not the best way to learn.
However, God seems to speak more clearly as the years go by, and the
uselessness of the flesh becomes more important to avoid. I do not want the
things I’ve done be labeled wood, hay or straw, nor do I want to waste the rest
of my life as I’ve wasted much of it already.
Tozer adds, “There is a way of release from the tyranny of
the flesh. It is by the cross of Jesus.” As he says, the power to live free
from self-centered effort comes from the Holy Spirit.
^^^^^^^^^^
Lord Jesus, in my sinful humanness I have this self-sufficient
tendency and often jump right in when opportunities present themselves. You are
patiently teaching me that this is childish and a total waste of effort,
redeemed only by the fact that I learn from failures. I know that the Spirit
urges me to pray about everything, even those things that appear to be godly
choices. I cannot do all that needs to be done in the kingdom of God. If I try
things that You have not put on my to-do list, then I miss out on what is
needful. Help me to pay attention, listen, and only be engaged by a ‘yes’ from
You and by the filling of the Spirit. Only in You do I have the motivation and Your
power to move forward.
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