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Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
IN HIM LIFE, For A Light
by Ray Prinzing"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:4-5).
There is an earnest prayer that is rising from the heart of God's people in these days, and knowing that His Spirit searches all things, including what is in the heart of man, we are persuaded that our desires are open before Him. How we long for that free flow of the Spirit of life to satisfy the thirst within. Yea, that we might have a deeper heart to heart, spirit to spirit communion with our God, as He opens our understanding to the truths which are so vital for these times. How thankful we are that He can lead us far beyond the confines of our human comprehension, and open up to our inner man the vision of divine reality. In His own unique way He brings our thoughts and imaginations into conformity to His will and purpose. How we pray for a break-through, beyond all the barriers which have held us in limbo, in dimensions of emptiness, waiting for His time and season of refreshing. Verily, "He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in..." (Deut. 6:23). Called out of the world, called out of religious Babylon, called out of self with its own will and way, to be brought into the FELLOWSHIP OF THE SON-- to partake of Him, be BROUGHT IN-- TO BE FOUND IN HIM-- the unlimited expanses of His love, where we might walk that path which the vulture's eye has not seen, bringing us into His glory. May He lift us up from the low way of religion, into the HIGH way of His Spirit. "If by the holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit." (Gal. 5:25, Amp.) Amen!
It is to be noted that LIGHT IS A RESULT, but LIFE IS THE VERY ESSENCE AND FIRST CAUSE OF LIGHT. "In Him was LIFE; and the LIFE was the LIGHT of men." He did not say that the "light" was the "life." There are those who think that because they have a little light, that they have arrived into life, but this is not so. Whether you have light, or darkness, you can still have LIFE. You might react differently to the darkness, than you do towards the light, but you still have life. Walking in light you might do many things, while in the darkness you rest and wait for the light to dawn again. Birds soar into the heavens in the light of day, while they fold their wings and sleep in the dark of the night-- but they have LIFE regardless of night or day. As early dawn begins to lighten the world, they stir and begin to chirp, sing, responding to the light, but they possessed LIFE all through the night, else they would not be able to react to the dawning of the day. How we need this basic understanding, that HIS LIFE ABIDES WITHIN, whether we are walking in the light, or silently waiting out the dark night of testing and trial. And it is because HE IS THE INNER LIFE, that in due time He will cause His light to shine upon our pathway again.
Isaiah 45:7, God says, "I form the light, and create darkness." The ETERNAL LIVING GOD-- WHO IS LIFE, then brings forth an expression of Himself, in the form of light. Note also, that the sequence is most correct, He first forms the LIGHT, and afterwards creates darkness-- lowering the vibration of light, until all is dark. When He restores back to its first form, we have LIGHT again. Were it the other way, that darkness was the first form, then followed by an expression of light, every time you restored back to the FIRST FORM, you would have darkness again. But HE BEGINS WITH LIGHT -- and all restoration back to the beginning, means a return to the light!
Genesis 1:3, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
The FIRST CAUSE is LIFE-- and GOD IS THAT LIFE-SOURCE. Any return unto the Lord means a return unto LIFE. For years the Spirit has dealt with us about "death to self, and the way of the cross," "laying down our own life," etc. all of which is so essential, and so true, "for he that is dead, is freed from sin," (Romans 6:7), yet there is a need for BALANCE, lest we become utterly frustrated, and only death- conscious, and so it reads on, "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also LIVE WITH HIM." (v.8) Furthermore, Jesus declared, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22:32), even though He is declared to be "the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." For, Paul wrote, to be "absent from the body" (Greek, to be away from one's people) meant that he would "be present with the Lord." (2 Cor. 5:8), and to be WITH GOD, IS TO BE IN THE REALM OF LIFE. We do not fully KNOW HIM while we are passing through the death-process. In fact, often we are far more conscious of our selves, and our dying, than we are of God, and His life. But it follows, HE has the keys of death and hell, and after He has used these to work His purpose in us, then we shall also rise to walk in the newness of HIS LIFE.
This also is an established fact, "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, WE ARE THE LORD'S. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." (Rom. 14:8-9).
Let it be clear-- "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalm 24:1). "Behold, ALL SOULS ARE MINE." (Ezekiel 18:4). When we confess HIS LORDSHIP, we include this truth that He is LORD both of the dead, and the living. And because HE IS LORD OVER ALL, and because He is LIFE, therefore "IN, (with, by) Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor. 15:22), even though it be "every man in his own order." To return unto God, is to return unto LIFE!
Under the ministration of the old covenant, death was very prominent. "The soul that sins, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4). Furthermore, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23). "And so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Rom. 5:12). Condemnation unto death! And because the vast majority of Christen- dom still think in terms of the old covenant-- condemnation, and death, they view death as an enemy. Negative powers long used death to destroy. And the devil has long used the fear of death to bring men into bondage. But, Jesus taught, "When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace: BUT WHEN A STRONGER THAN HE SHALL COME UPON HIM, AND OVERCOME HIM, he takes from him all his armour wherein he trusted..." (Luke 11:21-22). Jesus is that One who is "stronger than he." HE HAS OVERCOME, "Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (or, in Himself)." (Col. 2:15). It was through His own death that He conquered, "that through death He might destroy (make of none effect) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14-15). And now, AS LORD both of the dead and the living, He says, "Fear not, I am the First and the Last: I am He that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Revelation 1:17-18).
HE WHO IS LIFE holds the key of death! Now HE uses the death- process to accomplish His own purposes, and so we need to DIE OUT to self and sin, to come alive unto God. But, in-as-much as we already were DEAD in all of our trespasses and sins, it becomes self-evident that we cannot DIE TO SIN till first we have received a measure of His life, to enable us to walk out this death process. Only that which is alive can die. What is dead cannot die. Preachers wax eloquent telling sinners to die to their sin, but they are already dead IN their sin, how then can they die to it? Not until first there is an impartation of HIS NEW CREATION LIFE, can one begin to die out to the old realms of self, sin, etc.
Indeed, it requires the ANOINTING OF HIS SPIRIT to enable us to walk out all the way of the cross, etc. Even though Jesus was FULLY ANOINTED, "For God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him," (John 3:34), yet to serve as an example for us, shortly before He faced the cross, "Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment." (John 12:3). When some became indignant about this, and thought it to be a waste, Jesus answered, "In that she has poured this ointment on My body, SHE DID IT FOR MY BURIAL." (Matt. 26:12). How we all need this ANOINTING FOR BURIAL-- the inflow of His Spirit to enable us to face all the way of the cross, and A BURIAL-- so that the old is laid to rest, to be seen no more, that we might then rise up to walk in the newness of His life. Not until we have tasted of the reality of HIS LIFE can we begin to die out to the world, to self, etc. Thank God, He does give us power to lay our life down, and then power to take up a new life in Him.
Significant that Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10). And methinks there is a PROCESS WROUGHT between receiving life, and receiving it more abundantly. We first receive a measure of His life-- AN ANOINTING FOR BURIAL, and after that inworking, we come into His MORE ABUNDANT (resurrection) life. I have yet to meet one who lives in the "more abundant." But we constantly meet those who have received His life and are now in the process of dying out to self, to their own will, etc. But, this is a prelude to the greater, and far beyond all that we can ask or think, is this life yet to be received.
Even Paul acknowledged, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14).
May He truly become the central supremacy of our life. LORD OF ALL within!
Now, though betimes it seems that its vibration is very low, very dim, it is also self-evident that wherever there is any degree of light, there has to be LIFE undergirding, and from which the light proceeds. Since HIS LIFE is the light of men, then wherever we find HIS LIGHT, we'll also find His life. Even when the light is very dim, and there seems to be more shadows falling across our path, than beams of light, nevertheless, LIFE IS THERE-and because it is there, "A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory." And so He will nourish it, encourage it, add thereto until a life comes forth that is to His glory and praise. It is this truth we would now pursue as we ponder the Scriptures.
"Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I AM THE LIGHT of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have THE LIGHT OF LIFE." (John 8:12). So again the principle is clear, the light is OF the LIFE-- life is the cause, light is the outward manifesta- tion. And if we are following Him, it is a pre-requisite that we have HIS LIFE to do so, as we cannot rightly follow the Lord by our own self-life, self-efforts, etc.
"For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should FOLLOW HIS STEPS (literally, in His footprints, i.e. His exact walk)." (1 Peter 2:21). This is not speaking of the literal footprint on the shores of Galilee. But of that same SPIRIT, a conformity to His image, expression of His nature, coming INTO HIM until we both possess Him, and are possessed by Him-- "and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20).
How clearly John writes it, "He that HAS the Son has life."
(1 John 5:12)Therefore the question is: HOW MUCH do we have the SON? For in the measure we possess Him, we possess life, and its following result, LIGHT. "He that has the Son HAS..." Has life, has light, has all that he needs! No wonder we read that "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day." (Proverbs 4:18). We receive of His life and it becomes a light upon our pathway, we walk on in that light and it leads us into greater measures of His life, which in turn increases our light-- thus ever onward, ever expanding, we are "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:18)
In reference to John the Baptist, "He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." (John 5:35). They would rejoice in "his" light, even reflect the same for a while, but they refused to pay the price for THE LIFE out of which his light came. It happens over and over again-- people will find a "live group," and gather in to rejoice in its "light" for a season, but if they refuse to receive of the LIFE SOURCE, in time that light will turn to darkness in them, and they will go wandering off to find another "live" group. They want the light of that group, but they will not lay down their own life, to receive HIS LIFE, And thus the whole thing turns dark and dead for them. You cannot long live in the light of a borrowed revelation, you must have that PERSONAL QUICKENING OF HIS LIFE, so that the light becomes your own to walk in. Rejoicing in another's light will not sustain you through your own dark night of the soul. Seasonal rejoicing-- reveling in another's light-- does not make for stability, and a positive growth in Christ. We need to come into contact with the SAME LIFE SOURCE, to receive the same inner anointing, if we are going to continue walking on in the light.
A note of caution would be in order here. There are times when people are willing to "rejoice in your light," though it be not their own, and because you long for fellowship, you impute to them light they do not possess. They speak your terminology, talk of how great the light is-- but with no INNER LIFE of their own, in time they will turn from you, to seek another light to excite them for a time. You wonder what happened-- if they had light, why did they fall away? Ah, they were seasonally rejoicing in your light.
The more we HAVE THE SON within, the more "You are the light of the world." (Matthew 5:14). But the purpose of our being "lights" is to point them to HIM who is THE LIFE SOURCE, that they might receive His life and have this light in themselves. This takes on tremendous challenge for us, since it becomes evident that before we can BE LIGHTS, we must have HIS LIFE. And in view of the fact that we are still being made conformable to His death, and sharing the fellowship of His sufferings, we can see why, as yet, there has been no great light to illumine the world. THE LIGHTS ARE STILL BEING PREPARED-- prepared by daily partaking/receiving of His life.
Of our Lord it was written, "The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." (Matthew 4:16). We know this is true of Christ. Nor would we in any way take away from His glory. But I dare say, what was true of our Lord, shall also be fulfilled in His corporate body, as we become "lights" in the world. However, since it is HIS LIFE which is the cause for our light, then "WITHOUT HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING." We borrow from His analogy of the vine. He said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me." (John 15:4).
So we paraphrase, "Abide in Me, and I in you. You cannot shine of yourself. Except you possess My life, you have no light. Therefore abide in Me."
Our TRUE LIFE, the REAL life, is found in Christ. This Paul writes, "For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, WHO IS OUR LIFE, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory." (Col. 3:3-4). Your manifestation "as a light" is concurrent with His appearing. "If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified TOGETHER." (Rom. 8:17). There has to be this TOGETHERNESS, since apart from Him we are nothing. The LIFE is in Him, and it is ours as long as we are IN HIM. Any time we seek "to shine" apart from Him, we would be like a falling star that fades into the darkness. Our light is drawn from His life! Only as He appears, can we appear with Him in glory. The world may well be looking for the manifestation of the sons (lights), but those who are sons, growing up into Him who is the Head, they are looking for the appearing of THE SON, for all of their glorification is in togetherness with Him. Hallelujah!
No wonder He has been purging and purifying His people so that no longer do we look upon men, as the bright star on our horizon, nor even look upon our own shining, (we grow so weary of people speaking of 'my ministry'), but we would look only "unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith." For "when your eye is single, your whole body also is full of light." I dare say, it requires a lot of His processing to bring us to the state of having A single eye, to see only HIM. People talk about seeing "Christ" in one another-- and that is true to a point, but it is very easy to start seeing the person, instead of the Christ-- and then we start to exalt the person. It's because we have not yet come to that "single eye" dimension in Christ. Surely all the shadows and twilight zones have to disappear when He becomes the central supremacy of our life-- and His life becomes the light of men.
Job 33:29-30, "Lo, all these things works God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living." ALL THESE THINGS works God-- indeed, working them all "together into good." Beloved friend, whatever God allows into your life, is being used for a purpose-- that it might be another instrument in His hand, to bring back your soul from the pit, that you might be enlightened with the light of the living. There is nothing overtaken you, but He is in control, "working all things after the counsel of His own will," (Eph. 1:11), into our good, and for His ultimate praise. We are to be ENLIGHTENED, quickened with the light of the living-- LIGHT that emanates out of HIS LIFE.
How marvelous! There is not a "death experience" of any kind appointed to us, that has not already been undergirded by the purpose of God to bring us into more of His life. For, "I have ordained a lamp for Mine anointed," (Psalm 132:17). But since there cannot be light without His life, it is self-evident that HE HAS ORDAINED MORE OF HIS LIFE FOR YOU at the end of every dark tunnel (pit) that He causes you to go through.
Nor do we have to try and live by past experience-- like when Job recounted his yesterday, "When His candle shined upon my head, and when by His light I walked through darkness." (Job 29:3). Once he had the light shining upon his way, but now it is all dark and unknown. Ah, he was yet to learn the reality of the promise spoken of by Isaiah (51:4), "I will make My judgment to rest for a light of the people." Job may have thought that the judgment of God had only extinguished his light, but actually God was preparing Him for an even GREATER LIGHT, a double portion-- the more abundant.
Now, since His judgments are purposed to bring forth LIGHT, "when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Isaiah 26:9), it also becomes self-evident that there has to be LIFE IN HIS JUDGMENTS. They certainly cannot bring forth light, if there be no life. So, judgments are to do more than bring you to the light, to an understanding of God's ways, but when you follow up that BEAM OF LIGHT, you are brought right INTO HIS LIFE. The effect leads you to the Cause. Who ever, in Christendom, has taught that HIS JUDGMENTS ARE UNTO LIFE? They all view the judgments of God as negative, bringing death. How far man has drifted from the truth. The Psalmist knew differently, and said, "For I have hoped in Your judgments." (Ps. 119:43). Again, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; THAT I MIGHT LEARN Your statutes." (verse 71).
Learning bespeaks of illumination, received understanding-- and this is the outworking purpose of His judgments. They rest for a light. Significant that the Hebrew word used here for "rest" is "raga" meaning: to cause to give rest, to give quietness. But three times it has been translated as "divide" in the phrase, "He divided the sea when the waves roar." When the strong winds blow, mixing with the waves of the sea, there is a turbulence, and a roar. When all is divided, separating the wind from the water, all is quiet again, calm, serene. "The wicked are like a troubled sea, driven and tossed..." Motivated by the lusts of the flesh, agitated by self-will, etc. there is a restless roar. When His judgments come into our life, they separate, winnow, sift, shake-- and we LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS. Coming into His light, and LIFE, and then all is at peace. What a wondrous working of God!
All of our present process of BECOMING is to ultimately result in a STATE OF BEING, when we become HIS LIFE PERSONIFIED, and then, possessing His life we too become the light for men. Since a result bears witness to the cause, then our shining as His lights, bears witness that HE is our LIFE. The light does not bear witness to how great is the lamp/vessel, but to the fact that there is His generative life bringing forth this manifestation. The witness is TO HIM, just as Jesus constantly bore witness to the Father. With this fact established, we then see the blessedness of the promise, "I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you may be MY salvation unto the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6). We are not saving men unto ourselves-- it is HIS salvation, and it is a bringing HIM to all men.
Then it can be said, "Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you.,, (Isa. 60:1-2). To say "your light is come," is to also say "YOUR LIFE is come." For HIS LIFE is the light of men. And not until the GLORY OF THE LORD is risen upon us, can we manifest its victory in the earth. Evermore He has the pre-eminence in all things! Thank God for every ray of light penetrating our darkness, for His light is leading us into HIS LIFE-- till all within us redounds to His praise. amen!