SUBMISSION TO HIS
TIME
"Be eager to be found by Him (at His
coming) without spot or blemish, and at peace —-in serene confidence, free from
fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts. And consider that the
long-suffering of our Lord (His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the
world) is salvation..." [2 Peter 3 14-15, Amplified].
Time is the battle of
the natural mind of man, either we are racing the clock, or else we seem to be
trying to speed it up. Our relationship to time seems to be confused- some
events that happened long ago will seem like yesterday, and other events
recently come our way fade into dim history more quickly. Then, to bring this
"time element" into the spiritual realm of our life, we find that to receive a
vision, and then have its fulfillment prolonged, that is a test indeed. There
are those moments when clarity of new moves seems to be more real and urgent to
us, and we are sure that rapid changes are on, and then we find that their sense
of imminency recedes to await another cycle. We chafe at the delays, and wonder
why the time seems to be so long. The spirit of the world today is RUSH-RUSH,
and we are very prone to inject this into spiritual things with our constant,
"Hurry, Lord, hurry, and do this right now."
Our heart cries out,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." [Revelation 22:20], because the desire burns within
us that we might enter into the fulness of that new creation life which we shall
have in Him, as He brings us to the completion of redemption. And we cling to
the promise—"for the elect's sake those
days shall be shortened." [Matthew 24;22], and again, "He will finish the work,
and cut it short in righteousness." [Romans 9:28]. It is certain that things are
increasing their tempo in this hour, particularly in natural events. But when it
comes to the needed transformation of our own life, for divine reality which we
desire, then things seem so slow, and often that accomplishment appears to be
nil.
How we need to steady
our hearts before the Lord, and become "followers of them who through faith and
patience inherit the promises." [Hebrews 6:12].
When self has a program
that it wants to evolve, it promptly tries to rush into action, and folk often
quote the verse, "The king's business required haste." [1 Samuel 21:8]. But when
one examines the context from which this quote is taken, we find that David
spoke it when he was fleeing from Saul, on the run from his enemy. Hardly, a
passage of scripture to use to justify our supposed haste in working for the
Lord, especially when it is man's program we are promoting.
"He that is SLOW TO
WRATH is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."
[Proverbs 14:29].
Our ponderings on being
"submissive to God's time" also deals with the long-suffering of God. The word
"longsuffering" in our text is made up of two parts in the Greek, "makro-thumia"
meaning FAR WRATH, or wrath that is a long ways away, or wrath that is slow in
coming to the fore. Revelation, chapter sixteen, tells of an hour when the vials
of the wrath of God are poured out. Truly in due time God shall execute
vengeance upon all unrighteousness. But right now, we need to ACCOUNT THAT THE
LONG-SUFFERING OF OUR GOD IS SALVATION. He that is slow to wrath is one who is
long-suffering, and it denotes one of great understanding. But he that is hasty
of spirit exalteth folly. What a challenge, both for the natural and spiritual
realms.
"An inheritance gotten
hastily at the beginning; the end thereof shall not be blessed." [Proverbs
20:21]. Jesus spoke the parable of a certain young man who came to his father,
and said, "Father, divide unto me the portion of my inheritance." He was a young
man, and not mature in handling wealth or power. And we read on how he became a
prodigal son, squandering his inheritance in riotous living. How true this is of
many spiritual inhertances, also. If we are not fully prepared and transformed
into the image of Christ, with a renewed mind so that receiving of our
inheritance we have the wisdom to handle it correctly, we also would become
prodigals. Self would waste spiritual substance, consume it on its own lusts, or
over-desires.
How tragically true
this has been already manifested in some who have but received a "part" of their
spiritual inheritance. People beseech God to give them a portion of spiritual
substance, enduing them with power, and then they go out to spend it in riotous
living—to make personal gain and build
big kingdoms for themselves. No wonder James wrote, "ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume upon your lusts." [James 4:3]. Therefore it is in the wisdom of God,
HIS great understanding of HIS creatures, for He knoweth our frame, and
remembereth that we are dust, and therefore His long-suffering results in our
salvation, when HE withholds from us the fulness of our inheritance, while He
prepares us to be ready to receive it. To receive too much, too soon, would
be to our own destruction, not to our salvation.
Salvation is not a rash
act of God, but the outworking of His purpose which He planned long before sin
ever existed. Long before there was a need for its process, salvation was
ordained in the counsels of God. Christ was a "Lamb slain before the foundation
of the world." [Revelation 13:8]. No one shall disannul God's plan, or ever turn
it back. We need to be rooted and grounded in the truth that God is carrying out
a purpose which no man can frustrate, no evil force can hinder, but all that
transpires is of His allowance and foreordained purpose. All that happened in
the garden of Eden, resulting in the manifestation of man's fall into selfhood,
was not an interference in God's plan to cause it to fail, but it all was apart
of His Plan. Full well God knows what will happen, and how He shall direct its
course. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt
thou restrain." [Psalm 76:10]. When we are grounded in this knowledge of God's
omnipotence and great wisdom fulfilling His own sovereign purpose, then we are
able to move in the royal dignity of full assurance and confidence that every
day will perform its task, and that God is neither too slow, nor too fast, and
thus we are able to submit to His time.
Yes, we long to see
things happen- but we question: how much of our unrest is the sign of
immaturity? When our attitude and spirit become mature in truth, we know that
God is fulfilling His plan on schedule, and we are able to then account the
long-suffering of God SALVATION.
"He that believeth
shall not make haste." [Isaiah 28:16]. And Paul quotes it this way,
"whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." [Romans 10:11]. Yes, when we
believe, then we will not move hastily, and shall not be brought to shame. When
the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son to redeem us, and He was
manifested in flesh, after the seed of Abraham. And when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, the Spirit was poured out to dwell in the hearts of those who
received Him. And it will be at the proper moment in His purpose when He shall
appear again, unto those who look for Him, who love His appearing.
There are, however, a
few times in the King James version, where they use the word "hasten" in
connection with the Lord. One especially we would point out, and give the
correct Hebrew meaning. Jeremiah 1:12, "I will hasten My word to perform it."
Here the word "hasten" is actually the Hebrew word meaning TO WATCH OVER.
Praise God, He watches over His Word to perform it. So this isn't with reference
to time, that is, in relation to speed, but with the certainty of fulfillment.
It emphasizes the assurance that He will perform His word, whether it be today,
or a number of days hence.
"Thou, O Lord, art a
God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and
truth." [Psalm 86:15].
"It is of the Lord's
mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not."
[Lamentations 3:22].
How great is His
faithfulness! Plenteous in mercy and truth! Were we to receive immediately the
just due for every mistake we make, we would be consumed. But His compassions
fail not— His long-suffering is our
salvation. Yet we so often beseech God to execute judgment upon another,
according to our "time table", and fret because He doesn't do so. How we need to
learn of His mercy, and to manifest more of the same to those about us.
"The Lord is not slack
(sluggish, slow) concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is
long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentence." [2 Peter 3:9].
We find a very
interesting case here in the words "slack" and "slackness". As we have pointed
out in the past, the Greek language is in the various genders, masculine,
feminine, and neuter; thus relative to the spirit realm we find the words are in
the masculine gender. Things relative to the soul realm are in the feminine, and
the body is neuter. Applying this to these two words before us, we find that the
first word "slack" is in the masculine case, while the word "slackness" is in
the feminine gender. As far as THE SPIRIT OF THE SITUATION, God is not slack
concerning His promises, but with men's SOULISH VIEW-POINT it seems that way to
them. As to the spirit of God's working, He is not sluggish, while men with
their carnal minds interpret it to be so.
The carnal mind, with
its human interpretation of events, views a circumstance, and says, "that sure
is slow in its operation," because it is a flesh-viewpoint. But when we are in
harmony with the Spirit of God, we know that God is not slack or sluggish simply
because HE moves in accordance with divine wisdom. It depends on whether we are
facing the situation with SPIRIT UNDERSTANDING, or the natural mind dominated by
the flesh. But God is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentence. Praise His name!
Peter also writes how
"the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a
preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." [1 Peter
3:20]. What was the condition of man in Noah's f day? "God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." [Genesis 6:5]. Yet, in view of
all of that, God did not swiftly execute His wrath, but He was long-suffering
while Noah built the ark, to the saving of eight souls. There was but a remnant
to be saved out of all that race, and how much iniquity God endured until things
were prepared for that remnant. Likewise today, there shall be a FIRST FRUITS
brought forth, a glorious remnant, election of grace, and God waits till these
are fully prepared before the full fury of judgment shall be given to correct
the nations and establish righteousness in the earth.
Paul also writes in the
same line of truth, how "GOD, willing to shew wrath, and to make His power
known, ENDURED WITH MUCH LONG-SUFFERING the vessels
of wrath fitted to
destruction: that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of
mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory." [Romans 9:22-23].
God would make known
the riches of His glory through vessels of mercy—but
it appears to take a long time to prepare such vessels, longer than it does to
bring forth a vessel of wrath. Man, born in sin and shapened in iniquity, has
the root of the mystery of iniquity working in him from the moment of his
natural birth, when he begins to breathe the atmosphere of this world's system.
A baby can manifest its own self-will when just a few days old. Self wants some
attention, and how fast they learn how to receive it. But to prepare a vessel of
mercy takes the tender care of God as little by little HE gains full control of
our life. Therefore HE ENDURES, He is patient under, He continues a long time
with all these vessels of wrath while waiting for maturity in those whom He
calls to become His vessels of mercy. Just like HE endured the whole wicked
stream of humanity all those years while Noah constructed the ark.
Paul goes on in that
same chapter, Romans nine, of how God is bringing forth a remnant, and while He
has laid in Zion a chief corner stone, most people seem to be stumbling over it,
but nevertheless, HE is bringing forth a remnant in whom He is doing His work,
cutting it short in righteousness. What grace—
what condescension— to endure all the vessels of wrath, though it takes so long
to prepare His mercy—remnant.
"I saw four angels
standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God:
and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt
the earth and the sea, saying, HURT NOT...till we have sealed the servants of
our God in their foreheads." [Revelation 7:1-3].
Hold the winds back—hold
everything in restraint for a moment! Endure all the corruption, WHILE THE
SERVANTS OF GOD ARE SEALED IN THEIR FOREHEADS. It would be wonderful if the
sealing of our mind could happen in one climactic moment. Yes, if someone, by
praying or laying hands on us, or something, could accomplish the process, but
that is not the case. No man's program is capable of sealing out the world, and
sealing us into the truth. In fact, the more we try not to think on a certain
thing, the more we succeed in building up that thing. To concentrate the mind on
not thinking on a thing, is to inadvertantly think upon it from the reverse
side. To conquer it at all it is necessary to turn the mind far away from that
subject, and to focus one's attention on something else. Paul wrote to the
Colossians about "wi1l-worship," and how it is useless for self to try and
crucify self, saying "Such practices have the outward expression
of wisdom, with their
self-imposed devotions, their self-humiliation, their torturings of the body,
but they are of no value; they really satisfy the lower nature." [Colossians
2:23, Williams trans.].
Beloved friend, we
cannot seal our own minds into the things of the Spirit, it takes the sovereign
intervention and illumination of the truth of God to rid us of the carnal mind.
No man can seal anybody else's mind from the system of the world, but it will
require that "line upon line, precept upon precept," as the Spirit quickens the
truth to you. He alone, by illumination of the truth, is able to dissolve the
shadows and bring forth the light of the mind of Christ, until we are cut off
from minding the things of the flesh, and sealed into the mind of the Christ.
God is doing a real
work today in the "transformation of our mind," but we recognize that it has
been a slow process. And when, on occasions, God does give us a little larger
revelation in one portion, our minds literally reel under its impact, and we
find it hard to bring every thought and imagination into obedience to such a
staggering truth. Thus, the Lord endures with much long-suffering our "slowness
of heart to believe", and He gently leads us along until we are merged into one
with the truth, and are ablaze with the added light of His knowledge. What
patience, what condescending to men of low estate, as He endures with much
long-suffering our rebellious nature, until He brings us to the place of
submission to His will and truth.
So, while the ARK is a
preparing, while God is bringing forth His remnant, the first fruits of His new
creation, a new creation in Christ, imagine what He is enduring while He beholds
the extent of iniquity today, and yet says to the angel of his wrath, "Hold
back, hurt not, until... "
"And now ye know what
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity
doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of
the way ." [2 Thess. 2:6-7].
Already the mystery of
iniquity is at work, the anti-christ spirit is rising up against all that is
truth and righteousness, but it is being ENDURED WITH MUCH LONG-SUFFERING, and
God is restraining its "boiling over the pot", restraining His wrath against it
for yet a little while. The words in King James version, "he who now letteth
will let" actually come from the Greek words meaning, HE WHO HOLDS DOWN WILL
HOLD DOWN, until...Until what? The words "be taken out of the way" are from the
Greek word TO BECOME. God is holding down, restraining the full impact of this
chaotic condition UNTIL HIS REMNANT BECOMES FROM THE MIDST. There is something
BECOMING. They are the vessels of mercy, the first fruits of His new creation,
and not until they have BECOME, matured into the fullness of His image and
nature, will He allow the age to climax as it will.
Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of our Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the
precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience (or, has long-suffering) for
it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient
(long-suffering) ; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth
nigh." [James 5:7-8].
"Shall not God avenge
His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long (be
long-suffering) with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." [Luke
18:7-8]. What beautiful balance—
long-suffering with His creation, and yet when He does move, it shall be done
speedily. God holds the balance, it is for us to be SUBMISSIVE TO HIS TIME, and
gird up our attitude by reckoning that the long-suffering of our God is
salvation.
"Howbeit for this cause
I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all
long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him into
life everlasting." [1 Timothy 1:16].
Had God measured to
Saul his just due, when Saul first began to persecute the christians, and the
Christians took to their knees to pray that God would take him out of the way,
we never would of had a Paul. It was God's long-suffering with Saul that
resulted in his salvation. Those who submitted to God's plan and time could
eventually see how God used all that persecution for a purpose, scattering the
disciples abroad so that they told the GOOD NEWS everywhere, and then He saved
one of the chief persecutors. Wonderful indeed, the ways and workings of our
God!
Regardless of how we
feel, or what we do, we cannot change the times, but we can change our attitude
towards the seeming delay or slowness. Acts 1:7 tells us that the times and
the seasons are in the Father's power. They are not in the devil's hand, but in
our God's control. "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny
Himself." [2 Timothy 2:13]. Thus, there is only one thing to be changed, not
the times, but our attitude towards the times. True, the first reaction of
the natural mind is, "well, if it is a long time yet, will we be able to make
it?" And it was that attitude that prompted that testimony which wearied us down
through the years, "pray for me that I'll hold out to the end." Not fully
believing that GOD was able, and would keep them, yes, not being able to account
the long-suffering of God as their salvation, they chafed beneath the bands of
time.
"In your patience
possess ye your souls." [Luke 21:19]. Here again we have a fuller meaning in the
Greek text, "IN YOUR ENDURANCE ACQUIRE YE YOUR SOULS."
"Receiving the end of
your faith, the salvation of your soul." [1 Peter 1:9].
When you first accept
Jesus as your personal Saviour, and the Spirit of God plants in you the seed of
anew life, the whole realm of your soul is not immediately brought into full
salvation. All of your thinking isn't changed, all
of your emotions, all of your
will isn't immediately one in God. Your spirit becomes joined to His, but then
there is a long battle while self clings to the flesh, and the Spirit of God
would conquer and bring it into submission to Christ. When faith is finished,
the end of your faith results in the salvation of your soul. It isn't the first
beginnings of faith, but faith brought to the FULL, consummating its work in us.
So it is in patience that we acquire our soul, or shall we say, that faith
progresses in laying hold of the prize while we are patient.
"And so, after he had
patiently endured (suffered long), he obtained the promise." [Hebrews 6:5].
"For ye have need of
patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the
promise. For yet a little while, and HE that shall come will come, and will not
tarry. Now the just shall live by faith..." [Hebrews 10:36-38].
If one has to continue
believing God in the face of much delay, while the visions tarry, and
fulfillment seems to be prolonged, then faith is not only tested, but finally
stands approved. When God speaks a word into your heart, perhaps that you are to
make a change, amove, etc. and then the heavens seem to close up and you receive
no further word, but have to hold steady in patience until He does speak again,
then "the just shall live by faith." But one thing we are persuaded of, and that
is when you have no word from the Lord, then you should do exactly that— namely, nothing. To move forward without a divine directive is
folly. It is in the processing and preparing of His remnant unto full stature in
Christ, to bring forth spiritual maturity, that we find God often causes these
seeming delays. Thus, when visions tarry, wait patiently, all He has promised,
thou, too, shalt see. Thou are becoming reality, how glorious shall be the
vision when it is fulfilled in thee. Then shall you be found unto praise in the
hour of His appearing.
SUBMISSION TO HIS TIME
He knoweth our frame,
rememb'ring we're dust,
As He frees us from sin and
decay,
Let all earth proclaim, His
actions are just,
With mercy He measures our
day.
The time may seem long,
accomplishment nil,
And we fain would press
onward in haste
As part of the throng that
cannot keep still,
Nor count they the sorrow and
waste.
But not to the swift, nor yet
to the strong,
Shall belong the fair prize
of the race,
If the soul is adrift on
currents gone wrong,
Devoid the inworkings of
grace.
Yet God has a plan which
never can fail,
Nor His chosen ones suffer
defeat,
When each step of man, His
truth shall unveil,
Is set toward salvation
complete.
So fret not the time, nor
chafe 'neath its tide,
But account His
long-suffering thy grace,
Each accent and rhyme shall
temper thy stride
To move at a victor's sure
pace.
And so it remains a principle
true,
Those who bow and submit to
His time,
Shall find that it gains an
attitude new,
Enriching their life with its
clime.
God holds in His hand all
powers that be,
While He patiently works in
thy soul,
Till at His command the
shadows all flee,
And thou, in the Christ, are
made whole.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Prinzing,
Ray and Doris. THE TRIUMPHANT WAY!. (now out of print), Boise,
Idaho 83705
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