We know that the intensity in spirit with which we pursue everything that God sets before us is not the achievement in itself; but it is a means to reach the goal. We want to win a decisive victory. Soldiers in a battle are not primarily concerned about confronting the enemy and shooting at him. They want to win a victory. The spiritual victory that we want to win is the high level of worship that God is setting before us. In a few of our services we have touched this level, when our intensity broke forth into a celestial, awesome worship. All of our former worship seems shallow when compared to what we have been looking for God to bring forth.
We need to be intense in spiritual warfare because we know that the first objective is to break through the demonic spirit realm. This realm is so close to us in its vibration that it is sometimes frightening to see how much the human senses are still in tune with it at this time, while the physical body is largely yet in its unredeemed state. Almost any effect can be produced by sound or light or other stimuli. We are very easily moved by the physical senses. We desire to be liberated from that and to come up into the pure realm of spirit.
Can we accomplish this by contemplation or meditation? Will we find God by going off alone someplace and meditating for several days? That method never has worked. Since the days after the fall, all religions have been based upon some form of inner meditation, an inner revelation of self; and this does not work. What about psychoanalysis? Will it help you if you are oppressed? It is considered by some to be the most effective method of healing. It tries to delve inside the person and find out what is frustrating and bothering him. Yet it has a recovery rate of only one out of four; whereas with no treatment, two out of three patients recover. So it appears that its benefits are quite minimal.
You do not find answers by looking inward to contemplate and analyze your confusions. You find answers by breaking through all of the things that oppress you. You affirm, “There is a way, by the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, that I can approach God (Hebrews 10:19). I have a High Priest, and He tells me that I can come boldly to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:14–16). In that boldness, you come to meet God; and as you meet Him, you will have an entirely different reaction. You will forget all about the intensity and simply fall at His feet as one who is dead (Revelation 1:17).
We will be awestruck and speechless when we break through to the fullness of the Parousia. We are at the beginning of it now. The Parousia does not and will not automatically and spontaneously happen to people; they must make it happen to them. They must break through to their own awareness of the Lord. From the Scriptures, it is very evident that some will live during this period who know nothing about God. They will have no eyes to see or ears to hear (Isaiah 6:9–10; Matthew 13:13–15; Jeremiah 5:21). They will have no awareness at all. But those who have within them the hope of seeing Christ will purify themselves, even as He is pure (I John 3:2–3). They will reach into that perfection with an intensity. They will worship Him with all of their heart, all of their soul, all of their mind, and all of their strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37).
For a people to worship God with that total intensity has not been the course of Christianity, past or present. Such intense worship is not acceptable to the flesh. The flesh has been, and still is, the basis of all religion. During the thousand years of the Dark Ages, religions developed rituals and forms, with the result that the people finally worshiped their dogmas. The flesh loves to say, “What does God want? Give me a little time and I will come up with a reasonable facsimile. You will see how religious I am.” Religious flesh always produces a phony, synthetic product without reality. Consequently, when people go to church, they often fall asleep. Even sincere believers get caught in doctrines or forms, and these are not an expression of the love of God. Without God’s love, people become fearful; and in their fear, they put up walls against one another (I John 4:18). Prejudices are not overcome by anything religious, because the flesh still clings to separations, to seditions and factions (Galatians 5:19–20).
As we press into this total intense worship and move into a higher spiritual level, the Lord will teach us about our relationships with one another. He will stir us to relate to each other on the right plane. A key to help us understand this relating is found in Ephesians 4:14–16. We are familiar with the previous verses (11–13) which speak of the gift ministries. Verse 14: As a result (of all the gift ministries and their functioning within the Body of Christ), we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine … These verses are important to us as we feel the tidal waves coming against us in the spirit. They come to toss us about and move us. One of the first results of the functioning of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is that we find ourselves in a category where we are no longer children who are hit by these waves. As we lift ourselves up into another realm, into God’s love, the waves will not be effective. We will soar above them.
It is like a relationship that might exist in a family between a brother and sister who continually fight with each other. The striving between siblings in a household is very common. But when they are taught to love each other and they come to love their parents more, then the contention lessens because they are put in another category. The same is true when a couple get married. The first year is usually the hardest because it brings a lot of testings. After a while they become dedicated to live with each other. No longer is the relationship based only upon an attraction for each other and the fact that they like their mate better than anyone else and prefer living with him. They come into a much deeper motivation; they are dedicated to their mate. I am convinced that if we reach into the love that God wants us to have, any marriage will work, with one exception: if one partner turns away from the Lord.
We are no longer to be carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ. Ephesians 4:14–15. Notice that we are to speak the truth in love. This means that there is a communication in love. Someone may confront you and say, “Brother, you annoy me. You oppress me by the way you talk and the way you act. I cannot stand it anymore. I have to pray to get victory over my feelings concerning you.” That is not speaking the truth in love. Another person may stand up and declare, “Pastor, I want to make a confession before this whole body of believers about what a terrible sinner I am. When you did not come to visit me when I was sick, I became very angry and bitter and upset. I thought this was no way for a pastor to act. I am sorry; I want to repent.” No pastor needs that kind of repentance. You do not speak the truth in love that way.
We will grow up in all aspects into the Lord, but it is all related to abiding in love. As we learn to speak the truth in love, we come into the growth and perfection that we need. Verse 16 of Ephesians 4 makes it plain that the growth of the Body is related to love. From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. The growth, the building up of the Body, and the coming into perfection are all achieved by love. Do you want to abide in the Lord so that you can grow in Him? Then abide in love. If you abide in love, you will abide in the Lord (I John 4:16).
Colossians chapter 3 also speaks of this love. Verse 14: And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The thought actually begins with verse 12. And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion … Notice that you put it on. You reach into the pure love of God, and you put it on. This is the answer for us as we face this day in which everything that is human will be inadequate. “Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). Paul prophesied of this present day and said that men will be trucebreakers, without natural affection (II Timothy 3:2–3). Do you understand how these trucebreakers, who have no intention of keeping any treaty, lead to a lack of trust between nations? An antichrist spirit comes in to manipulate and control, and if it cannot control, then it tries to destroy.
The basic integrity—the faithfulness that is normal to relationships—is lacking in our society today. Have you noticed within the past few years that an ever-increasing number of those who leave marriages and desert the family are not men, but women? In an earlier day, the mother might hate her marriage, but she stayed with her children. Now a mother often declares, “I cannot stand them,” and she leaves. Why is that? The natural affection or human love is lacking. We have reached a time when everything that is human is inadequate.
The institution of marriage is currently being increasingly challenged as we see a shift in social values. More and more so-called liberated women are refusing marriage. They may enter into a relationship, but they do not want to be tied down or to take any responsibility. In other words, they refuse to grow up; they refuse to become mature and responsible. The refusal to take responsibility in a relationship is a sign of immaturity. As these changing values sweep through the country, even a couple who love each other will see their love challenged. They will find that their human love is less and less adequate. It will either become a pure love in God, or it will be challenged and eventually destroyed.
What is to be our attitude and what will we do as we see these changes taking place? We will do just the opposite of what the world is doing. We will move out of the inadequacy that is on the human level and move as sons of God. Sonship becomes our goal. It is not an option; it is what we must have. It will become more and more imperative that we move up into mature sonship, or we will not be able to handle life in this day. Simple everyday existence will be overwhelming for everyone (I Peter 5:8–9). This day is coming as a snare upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth (Luke 21:34–35). None will escape being caught in this web.
Then what must we do? We get ready. We purify ourselves, because we have the hope of seeing the Lord (I John 3:2–3). Does this sound like the old action of self-mortification? It is, but on a high plane; it does not sink down to something that gratifies the flesh. Christians often feel that in order for them to be holy, their face must bear a pained expression. This is no guarantee that they are really spiritual and righteous. In fact, they could achieve the same effect by buying shoes that are too small. What we want to do is to eliminate the flesh nature and break through to true righteousness in the Lord.
The preceding Scriptures in Ephesians and Colossians have laid the foundation and taken us through the back door to the fourth chapter of I John which tells us more about the love of God. Verses 1–6 are fantastic, as they tell us what is not of God and what is of God and how we know the difference. They contrast the spirit of error—that spirit which denies that Christ is come in the flesh—and the spirit of truth. And this is the real issue, for we will not move in love or in perfection until we see Christ coming forth in the flesh (I John 4:2, 12). There is no point in thinking that we can reform or change the old flesh into anything that God will accept. The fleshly mind is enmity against God (Romans 8:7). We have to become new creatures in the sense that we come into an entirely new way of thinking. We have to break through to the mind of Christ.
I John 4:16: And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. As we come into the perfection of the love that God has for us, it will cast out and eliminate the last vestiges of fear. John tells us in verse 18: … perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment … We have to eliminate the torment, the insecurity, the things that make us withdraw, the things that make us put up walls because we are afraid of being hurt. Perfect love casts out the fear that opens the door to a low level of spirit—the demon activity which comes against us and preys upon our old fleshly nature.
I John 4:19: We love, because He first loved us. This indicates that the love we have is the same kind and has the same quality as God’s love, because He puts it in our heart. It is not that He loves us with a divine love and we love Him back with a human love. We love Him back with the same divine love with which He loves us. If we love, we are born of God (I John 4:7). His very nature is born within us, and this means that His love is within us and we love God with the same love with which He loves us. Of course, the quantity of His love and the flow of it are greater. He loves us more because He loves us in all fullness.
Not only have we come to know God’s love, but we … have believed the love which God has for us. I John 4:16a. This is a deep truth. It is not enough to say, “I believe God.” Do you believe also in the love in the Body of Christ? When you believe and know God’s love for you, then you also love one another. It does not just automatically happen. You must come to know and to believe in the love which God has for you.
Perhaps we should even rewrite the marriage ceremony and apply this truth on a practical plane. When a couple come to be married, we could ask, “Do you know that you love each other?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe in the love you have for each other?”
She might answer, “I am a little jealous,” or he might say, “I feel threatened sometimes.”
“Do you ever withdraw from each other?”
“Yes, we withdraw from each other.”
“Do you get overpossessive of each other?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Then you do not yet believe in the love; it is not a high enough plane of love. You must not only know that love; you must believe in it.”
This is what Ephesians chapter 4 speaks about when it tells us that as we speak the truth in love, we will grow up and the Body will make increase of itself in love (Ephesians 4:15–16). The problem is that we do not love enough, and we do not love on the right plane. In their relationships, people often have problems with adjustment and communication. Then the enemy takes occasion to work on them. The solution is not to have a big counseling session where we solve all their problems. There is not enough time between now and the end of the millennium to counsel and solve all the problems. We must realize that the problems are a result of an immature, inadequate state before God as a result of walking in the flesh. The frictions and problems will disappear when we stop responding to them and rise to another realm.
An eagle never worries about swimming across a river. He is flying so high that he is not worrying about rivers. He is not concerned because he has only claws and no webbed feet like a duck so he can swim. That eagle just soars up there and flies over the river. If you live in the realm of trouble, you will have trouble. Live in the realm of Christ’s victory and His love, and that victory and love will flow into all of your relationships. Where does it start? You must have faith in it and declare, “I believe in that love.” You will have to know it experientially yourself and personally believe in it.
Verses 17 and 18 of I John 4 contain spiritual dynamite. By this, love is perfected with us … I John 4:17. By this refers back to the last part of verse 16: God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. Does this mean that we do not have to believe in God? that we just believe in love? John was talking here about divine love, and it does not exist apart from God’s personal being. The apostle John was saying, “God is love, and love is God. God is a real person, and He is the personification of love because He created it. He is a real person, and if we are His real people we will be filled with love the same way.”
We often struggle with the promise: “If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). We struggle and struggle for enough faith, but we must remember that “faith works by love” (Galatians 5:6). In the new creation, faith always works by love. Love gives the motivation to faith. Faith lays hold upon promises from God, but love provides the drive and motivation. Your love worship, your flow of love to the Lord, is as important as anything else in your intercession. You can stand and battle the devil all day, but you really win when you stay before the Lord in the love. This is the way you are perfected (I John 4:12).
How do we reach the place where we can ask whatever we will and it will be done to us? (John 15:7.) Christ gave the provision, “If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you.” We must learn to abide and stay in God’s love. Keep reviewing this verse: God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God … I John 4:16b. Do you want that abiding? How do you abide continually in God? Guard with all of your heart that you stay in His love. This is a crucial issue at this time, because your excursions from it are the occasions of your defeat. You are in a dangerous position if you think, “I guess I will give myself over to a few bitter thoughts. I need a vacation from God.” Stay in the love and you will be all right. You will come into perfection by abiding in that love.
By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. I John 4:17. In the day of judgment (which is now), we come before the Lord with boldness and intensity and a great deal of confidence (Hebrews 4:16). John assures us that if we abide in God’s love, we are just like He is in this world in every respect, in every reaction. We abide in this love in our relationships with each other. In the Kingdom, our relationships must be perfect. We cannot take with us the imperfections of relationships that we have had in the past.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. I John 4:18. The word “punishment” in this passage is kolasis in the Greek. It actually refers to a tormenting thing like the harpies in Greek mythology—the foul creatures, part woman and part bird, who came to torment. Fear has torment. When you are fearful, you always seem to be under attack and in a situation where you feel vulnerable. That is why people who love on a lower plane tend to attack each other. We need to understand that fear brings this torment or punishment. In a marriage, the “battle of the sexes,” as it is sometimes called, comes about because a husband and wife do not really love or trust each other. They have a need for each other; but they do not need the vulnerable position in which they place themselves by a low level of love. To be made perfect in love brings you to the place where you have no fear in the day of judgment. No matter what comes to shake you, there is no fear.
Have you ever had a relationship in which you were afraid to truly trust the other person completely? Would you say that is true about 99 times out of 100? Have you ever assured one of the brothers that you love him, and at the same time you had to repent for being critical of him? If you have the love that casts out fear, you will not be afraid that your brother will betray you or do something wicked to you. Fear has torment, and there will be a torment in your relationships if that quality of fear is present.
Fear leads to a deep torment in all relationships. Many pastors who have started out in the ministry in recent years do not know exactly how to approach things. Because of this, they may become a little afraid and possessive of the people. They may manipulate or do things that they should not do because they do not yet completely trust God in the situation. They have not learned to commit it to the Lord. After a while, you find them very vulnerable as they go through difficult situations themselves. They almost withdraw, when all they actually need to do is to know and believe the love that God has laid on them. They must believe it and have faith in it. You will never see a man defeated who really believes in this love and has an element of it in his spirit.
There is no point in looking at your own faults or insecurities in forming your relationships. One individual may be headstrong or have some other fault; another may not even know what he wants in a relationship. However, none of that is really the issue. The problem is that love is missing. You will not find a perfect relationship by looking for the most perfect individual in the world to relate to, whether it is in a marriage or with a pastor, an elder, or some other ministry. They could be absolutely perfect, but if you enter into that relationship with an imperfect love, there will be a torment in it until you get rid of the fear.
Are you afraid to let go of your fears? Remember—no one can do anything destructive to a perfect man. Even the devil cannot destroy a perfect man. God may let the devil bring him right down to the edge of death, but only so that God can give him twice as much (Job 2:6; 42:10). When Satan came against Job, he could not destroy him. Job was preserved and God gave him a double portion at his latter end. You cannot destroy someone who loves perfectly. If you have been hurt, it is because you let down your guard and became vulnerable to destruction.
Perfect love becomes a shield; it has an ability to expel and cast out fear. Perfect love throws away fear. What is this fear? A little timidity? No, it is real, ungodly, tormenting, destructive fear—phobos in the Greek. That Greek word is incorporated in many English words. There are all kinds of phobias; for example, claustrophobia, the fear of closed places. As we learn how to walk with God with a perfect love, He will cast fear out of us and we will be without torment. We will learn to live in this perfect love and never deviate from it.
Fear mingled with faith dilutes the intensity and the perfection of the answers to our prayers. When faith is diluted and is not pure, it seems as if we are always getting shortchanged in the answers. God is opening the door for us to reach into a pure love and faith in this day. He is dealing with us about the level of our relationship with Him and the way we walk with one another.
Some may come into our midst who have been totally uprooted and are without any security. All they will have is the assurance that they come in God. When we see them, let us not be fearful, but let us open our hearts to love them.
Do not allow something to disturb you because of the immaturity of your own approach to God. When people are on top spiritually, nothing will insult them; you cannot say anything or do anything to make them angry. But someone who is down in spirit becomes very vulnerable. The simple raise of an eyebrow may cause him to stop walking with God. Your problems are not the problem. They never were the real problem. Set your heart to walk in the love of God, totally and perfectly. Believe that you can have it. It is not something to talk about as much as it is something that you appropriate.
Desire to be filled with a love from God that is real and genuine. Then determine to stay in that love. If you can stay in that love for half an hour, you can stay in it for an hour. If you can stay in it for an hour, you can stay in it for a day. Let this be your deep concern—that you stay in the love of God.
We find this concern voiced throughout the Scriptures. Jude exhorts us to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21). He was speaking to those who live in this day of judgment, at a time when everything is falling apart. John tells us that when God’s love is perfected in us, we will have confidence in casting out fear in the day of judgment (I John 4:17–18). It is vital for us to understand that the whole purpose of apostles, prophets, and the other gift ministries is to bring us into a state where we are speaking the truth in love. As we grow up in Him, we come into that perfection where we are not moved or swayed by anything that happens (Ephesians 4:13–15). Stay in the love of God!