580 The Spiritual Man
heaven. This is permissible during that particular period for him.
After he has been taught in God, however, he knows that he has
come to believe in Him solely for the sake of His will. Even if, by
believing, he were to end up in hell, he would still believe in God. He
is no longer mindful of his own gain or loss. If his going to hell
would glorify God, he is ready for that. Obviously this is but a
hypothetical case. Yet Christians must understand that they live on
earth not for themselves but for His will. Their greatest blessing,
highest privilege and supreme glory lies in rejecting their corrupt
volition of flesh and blood in order that they may be united with
God’s volition for the accomplishment of His heart’s desire. The gain
or loss, glory or shame, joy or pain of the created one is nothing to be
concerned about. If only the Highest can be satisfied, it matters not to
what degree the humble be brought down. This is the only way for
believers to lose themselves in God!
Two MeasuresTwo measures are necessary in being joined to God in will. The
first is for God to subdue the activities of our will; the second is to
conquer the life of our will. Quite often our volition is subservient to
the Lord only in a number of particular matters, which nonetheless
prompts us to think that we are fully obedient to Him. Down within
us, however, hides a secret tendency which shall rise to the surface
when the opportunity is provided. God’s intent is not merely to
curtail the movement of our will but also to smash its inner tendency
so that its very quality seems to be transformed. Strictly speaking, an
obedient will and a harmonious one are very different: obedience is
related to activity whereas harmony is related to life, nature and
tendency. The obedient will of a servant is seen in his executing
ev0ery order of his master, but the son who knows the father’s heart
and whose will is one with the father’s not only fulfills his duty but
fulfills it with delight as well. An obedient will puts a stop to one’s
own activity, yes, but a harmonious will is in addition one heart with