A Believer’s Will 583
determines the measure of our union with God, for nothing hinders
that union more than the energy of the soul. The more the soul’s
vitality is crushed the more our will centers on God. The new life in
us inclines towards Him, but it is suppressed by the old life of the
soul. Committing the soul life to death is therefore the way to mount
the peak of spirituality.
The man outside God is lost and the thing outside God is vain.
Whatever is outside God comes from the flesh. Any strength or
thought other than His is accursed. The believer must deny his own
strength as well as his own pleasure. He should disregard himself
completely in every respect. Let him do nothing for himself but trust
God in all matters. Let him proceed step by step according to His
way, waiting for His time, and fulfilling His conditions. Let him
receive willingly from God his strength, wisdom, righteousness, and
work. Let him acknowledge God as the source of all things. Thus
shall harmony be attained.
How this indeed is the “narrow gate” and the hard way! It is
narrow and hard because God’s will must be the standard for each
footstep. It has but one rule: make no provision for self. The least
deviation from this rule shall take man out of the way. Nevertheless
it is not impossible, for as the soul life is lost by its habits, tastes,
desires and longings being gradually broken, there shall remain no
more resistance to the Lord. How lamentable that so many Christians
have never passed through this gate and walked along this path;
while others may have entered, yet do not patiently walk thereafter.
Regardless how long or how short that difficult period may be, this
alone is the way of life. This is God’s gate and God’s way. It is true
and secure. Anyone who esteems the abundant life must become its
pedestrian.