February 11
The law was put in
charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith
has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law (Galatians 3:25
NIV).
Sometimes revelation
will bring to us the fact that things have been but tentative, provisional....
As Paul puts it: "a schoolmaster," to bring us to Christ,
to lead us to Christ. The test for Saul of Tarsus is as to whether he will
adjust to the light of the fact that, while he has been right, up to a point,
that was only intended to lead him to something else. The Lord, in His
sovereignty, allows us to come into something which is only tentative, but not
in His final and full thought. That should lead us to a certain point, and at
that given point something else is coming in. At that point a revelation will
be given us which will make us say, "Well, that has served its purpose,
but it has come to an end now, unto the greater fullness." It depends upon
whether we cling to the thing that we say the Lord led us to and make it the
final thing, when the Lord only meant that to lead us to another thing. So often
in looking back upon a thing that has been used of God, and perhaps blessed of
God, people say, "Well, if that is the case then we should cling to that
way, should stay with that, or in that." Not necessarily. For Paul the
challenge was whether now, with the fuller revelation in the light of which he
saw that this first thing while not wrong was only provisional, he was prepared
to leave that and come on into the fullness and adjust to the fuller
revelation.
In all these connections
you see that it is a matter of obedience to the heavenly vision, because this
obedience to the heavenly vision is marked by cost. There is a price attached.
In every case mentioned we see there was a cost. It meant that a price had to
be paid, or, in other words, it meant that difficulties had to be faced. There
would be a great deal of misunderstanding, a great deal of having to go on
alone. Others who had not seen would not be able to follow on. There would be
loneliness, misunderstanding, and in many other ways difficulties would arise
in relation to obedience to the heavenly vision.
I don't know who took this photo, but isn't it great?!?!
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