BIRDS
OF PREY
Against
the entire sanctification of believers Satan brings to bear all his
devices, his sophistical arguments, and the full force of his
powerful will; but the resolute soul, determined to be all the
Lord's, will find him a conquered foe, with no power but to deceive.
The way to overcome him surely is to will to steadfastly believe and
agree with God, in spite of all Satan's suggested doubts.
In
the fifteenth chapter of Genesis, we have an account of Abraham's
sacrifice, which is very suggestive to the seeker after full
salvation. Abraham took certain beasts and birds, and offered them to
God. But after he had made the offering, and while he was waiting for
the witness of God's acceptance, birds of prey came to snatch away
the sacrifice. Abraham drove them away. This continued until the
evening, and then the fire of God consumed the offering.
Just
so, he who would be entirely sanctified must make an unreserved
offering of himself to God. This act must be real, not imaginary - a
real transfer of self, with all hopes, plans, prospects, property,
powers of body and mind, time, cares, burdens, joys, sorrows,
reputation, friends, to God, in a "perpetual covenant not to be
forgotten." When he has thus given himself to God, to be
anything or nothing, go anywhere or stay anywhere for Jesus, he must,
like Abraham, patiently, trustingly, expectantly wait for God to
witness that he is accepted. "Though the vision tarry, wait for
it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry ... but the just
shall live by his faith" (Hab. 2:3, 4). Now, during this short
or long period of waiting, the devil will surely send his birds of
prey to snatch away the offering.
He
will say, "You ought to feel different if you have given
yourself wholly to God." Remember, that is the devil's bird of
prey - drive it away. Feeling is always produced by some appropriate
object. To have the feeling of love, I must think of some loved one;
but the very moment I get my thought off the object of my love, and
begin to examine the state of my feelings, that moment my feelings
subside. Look to Jesus and pay no attention to your emotions; they
are involuntary, but will soon adjust themselves to the fixed habit
of your faith and will.
"But,
maybe," something suggests, "your consecration is not
complete; go over it again and be sure." Another evil bird of
prey - drive it away. Satan becomes exceedingly pious just at this
point, and wants to keep you eternally on the treadmill of
consecration, knowing that, as long as he can keep you examining your
consecration, you will not get your eyes on the promise of God, and,
consequently, will not believe; and without faith that your offering
is now accepted, it is only so much dead works. "But you do not
have the joy, the deep and powerful emotions that others say they
have." That is another bird of prey - drive it away.
A
woman recently said to me: "I have given up all, but I have not
the happiness I expected."
"Ah,
sister," said I, "the promise is not to those who seek
happiness, but, to them "which hunger and thirst after
righteousness, they shall be filled." Seek righteousness, not
happiness." She did so, and in a few moments she was satisfied,
for with righteousness came fullness of joy.
"But
faith is such an incomprehensible something, you cannot exercise it;
pray to God to help your unbelief." The devil's bird of prey -
drive it away.
Faith
is almost too simple to be defined. It is trust in the word of Jesus,
simple confidence that He means just what He says in all the
promises, and that He means all the promises for you. Beware of being
"corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor.
11:3). I tell you, dear comrade, everything that is contrary to
present faith in the promise of God for full salvation is one of the
devil's birds of prey, and you must resolutely drive it away if you
ever get saved. Quit reasoning with the devil! "Cast down
reasonings (2 Cor. 10:5, margin), and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God," and trust. Reason with
God. "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord"
(Isa. 1:18). At one of our watch-night services, a man knelt at the
table with quite a number of others, seeking a clean heart. He was
told to give himself wholly to God, and trust. Finally, he began to
pray, and then he said: "I do give myself to God, and now I am
going to live and work for Him with what power I have, and let Him
give me the fullness of the blessing and power just when He chooses.
He
has promised to give it to me, and He will do it, will He not?"
"Yes, my brother; He has promised, and He will surely perform,"
I replied.
"Yes,
yes; He had promised it," said the man. Just then light shot
through his soul, and his next words were: "Praise the Lord!
Glory to God! "He reasoned together with God, and, looking to
the promise, was delivered. Others about him reasoned with the devil,
looked to their feelings, and were not sanctified.
But
after you have taken the step of faith, God's plan is for you to talk
your faith. The men of character, of force and influence, are the men
who put themselves on record. The man who has convictions, and who is
not afraid to announce them to the world and defend them, is the man
who has true stability. It is so in politics, in business, in all
moral reforms, in salvation. There is a universal law underlying the
declaration: "With the mouth confession is made to salvation."
If you are sanctified, and would remain sanctified, you must at the
earliest opportunity put yourself on record before all the devils in
Hell and all your acquaintances on earth and all the angels in
Heaven. You must stand out before the world as a professor and a
possessor of heart purity, of "Holiness to the Lord." Only
in this way can you burn all the bridges behind you; and until they
are destroyed, you are not safe. The other day a lady said to me: "I
have always hesitated to say, 'The Lord sanctifies me wholly'; but
not until recently did I see the reason. I now see that I secretly
desired a bridge behind me, so that I might escape back from my
position without injury to myself. If I profess sanctification, I
must be careful lest I bring myself into disrepute; but if I do not
profess it, I can do questionable things and then shield myself by
saying, 'I do not profess to be perfect.' " Ah, that is the
secret! Be careful, dear reader, or you will become a religious fence
rider, and the devil will get you; for all who are astride the fence
are really on the devil's side. "He that is not for Me is
against Me." Get away over on God's side, by a definite
profession of your faith. But the devil will say: "You had
better not say anything about this, till you find out whether you
will be able to keep it. Be careful, lest you do more harm than
good."
Drive
that bird of prey away quickly, or all you have done thus far will be
of no avail. That bird has devoured tens of thousands of offerings
just as honestly made as yours. You are not to "keep the
blessing" at all; but you are to boldly assert your faith in the
Blesser, and He will keep you.
Only
yesterday a brother said to me: "When I sought this experience,
I gave myself definitely and fully to God, and told Him I would trust
Him; but I felt as dry as that post. Shortly after this, a friend
asked me if I were sanctified, and before I had time to examine my
feelings, I said 'Yes'; and God that minute blessed me and filled me
full of His Spirit, and since then He has sweetly kept me." He
talked his faith, and agreed with God.
"But
you want to be honest, and not claim more than you possess,"
says Satan. A bird of prey!
You
must assert that you believe God to be honest, and that He has
promised that "What things soever you desire when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you shall have them" (Mark
11:24). Count God faithful.
A
former soldier of mine gave herself to God, but did not feel any
difference, and so hesitated to say that God had sanctified her
wholly. "But," she said, "I began to reason over the
matter thus: I know I have given myself wholly to God. I am willing
to be anything, do anything, suffer anything for Jesus. I am willing
to forego all pleasure, honour and all my cherished hopes and plans
for His sake, but I do not feel that God sanctifies me; and yet He
promises to do so, on the simple condition that I give myself to Him
and believe His Word. Knowing that I have given myself to Him, I must
believe or make Him a liar; I will believe that He does now sanctify
me. But," said she, "I did not get any witness that the
work was done just then. However, I rested in God, and some days
after this I went to one of the holiness conventions, and there,
while a number were testifying, I thought I would rise and tell them
God sanctified me. I did so, and between rising up and sitting down,
God came and witnessed that it was done. Now I know I am sanctified."
And
her shining face was a sufficient evidence that the work was, indeed,
done. Dear reader, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you." Give yourself wholly to God, trust Him, then confess your
faith. "And the Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His
temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom you delight in:
behold He shall come, says the Lord of Hosts" (Mal. 3:1).
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