The Dangers of Spiritual Life 363
taught him by other apostles. This is a point of immense significance.
The gospel we preach must not be just something we hear from men
or read from books or even conceive through our meditation. Unless
it is delivered to us by God, it can serve no spiritual utility. Young
Christians today welcome the idea of “instructors” and the spiritually
mature wish to impart an orthodox faith to the second generation.
But who knows what really produces spiritual value? If what we
believe and preach does not originate in revelation it counts for
nothing. We can gather from the mind of others some beautiful
thoughts; yet our spirit remains impoverished and empty. Obviously
we are neither to expect a new gospel nor to demean what the
servants of God teach, for the Bible distinctly instructs us not to
despise prophesying (1 Thess. 5.20). We are simply emphasizing the
utter necessity of revelation.
Without revelation, all that has been written is vain. If we desire
to be spiritually effective in preaching, we initially must apprehend
God’s truth in our spirit. Whatever and however much is acquired
wholesale from men counts for nought spiritually. Revelation in the
spirit should occupy a large place in a Christian servant’s life. It is
actually the first qualification for a worker. This alone empowers one
to perform spiritual service and to walk by the spirit. How multiplied
are the workers who trust in their own intellect and mind for
accomplishing spiritual work! Even among the most evangelical
believers it is perhaps chiefly a mental acceptance of the truth and
amounts to nothing but death. Should we not ask ourselves whether
what we preach emerges from God’s revelation or comes from men?
The Attacks of SatanIn view of the significance of our spirit, which is the site of
communion between the Holy Spirit and the saints, should we marvel
if Satan is most unwilling to let us know the functions of the spirit
for fear we may follow it? The enemy aims to confine the saint’s life