The Path to Freedom 633
contrary, the restoration of consciousness is evidence that the former
invader has departed from his senses. Thus at this stage he should
proceed faithfully until full freedom has been restored. He should be
wary of contentment with a little gain; he should not stop until his
normalcy is recovered entirely.
True GuidanceWe need to comprehend the true way by which God leads man,
and the relationship between man’s will and the will of God.
The obedience of the Christian to God ought to be unconditional.
When his spiritual life reaches the summit his will shall be perfectly
one with God’s. This does not imply, however, that he has no more
volition of his own. It is still there; only the fleshly control of it is
gone. God always requires man’s volition to cooperate with Him in
fulfilling His will. By beholding the example of our Lord Jesus we
can be assured that the volition of anyone fully united with God is
still very much with him. “I seek not my own will but the will of him
who sent me”; “not to do my own will but the will of him who sent
me”; “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (John 5.30, 6.38;
Luke 22.42). Here do we see the Lord Jesus Who, though one with
the Father, yet possesses His Own personal will apart from that of
the Father. He has His Own will but neither seeks nor does that will.
The implication is obvious that all who truly are united with God
should place their will alongside His. They should not annihilate
their organ of volition.
In true guidance the Christian is not obligated to obey God
mechanically; instead he must execute God’s will actively. God takes
no pleasure in demanding His own to follow blindly; He wants them
to do His will in full and conscious exercise of their total beings. A
lazy person would like God to act for him so that he can simply
follow passively. But God does not desire His child to be lazy. He
wishes him to prepare his members actively and obey actively after