From “Feast of Tabernacles,” Chapter 1- Introduction
We believe the hour has come when the saints should know and understand, at least in part, the meaning of Israel’s annual Feasts, for they constitute a very beautiful type and pattern for the Church. There is a time and a season for the proclamation of every Biblical truth, and when God’s hour of revelation has struck, the Spirit of God is gloriously present to remove the veil from God’s secrets and initiate His people into the mysteries of God. Such is the office work of the Holy Spirit, to lead and guide the saints into all truth, and to reveal the things which are to come. (Jn. 16:13). A consecrated and holy walk in the Spirit, therefore, is the only genuine basis we have for a proper understanding of the Scriptures. Without that consecration and that walk in the Spirit we might acquire a considerable understanding of theology, but it will be theology devoid of Truth. After all, theology is the study about God and about Truth; whereas Truth is a living, vital, powerful demonstration of the Spirit of God, pulsating with Divine life and power and wisdom and knowledge.
JESUS HIMSELF, THE TRUTH
When Jesus declared so emphatically, “I am the Truth,” He there and then completely demolished the idea the Truth has anything in common with creeds and doctrines and theories about God and spiritual things. And not only so, for if Christ is Truth, then Truth comes to us in garments of humility and meekness and will find little acceptance at the hands of the learned or the ecclesiastical. It is strange but true that those who lead the masses in the religious realm are those who cast the Truth aside when He knocks at their door and asks for admission. There is only one answer to this strange state of affairs, and it is this: Ecclesiastical success has developed into pride of heart, and with that pride has come that Laodicean spirit so prevalent in all evangelical circles today: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing…” (Rev. 3:17). Instead of hungering and thirsting after God and righteousness, we find on every hand the boastful claims of various sects as to how much Truth they have, and how much knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Perhaps it is needless to say that such boastful claims merely establish their Laodicean condition, and hinder them from taking their places as overcomers on the throne of Christ. The people of God have yet to learn that the Kingdom belongeth to those who are and have nothing, those who are poor in spirit, and such as hunger and thirst after righteousness. God exalteth the meek and lowly to inherit the throne of princes, and the lofty and noble He sendeth away with empty hands. May God help us each one, as His people, to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face–and above all things to recognize how little we have of Truth and Righteousness, that we might be prepared to receive bountiful spiritual blessings at the hand of Him who giveth liberally to all men and upbraideth not. GHW
The Holy Spirit, although not separate in essence from the Father and the Son, has a unique ministry within the Godhead; one of help, power, and revelation. He will lead us into all truth so that we can accomplish God’s intended purpose for our lives. But, to be taught, one must know the Teacher. One must see how the Teacher instructs to be able to follow those instructions.
As I said in the last lesson, we can know the “whats” and “hows” of God, i.e., theology, but miss the “whys” that come only by relationship with the revelator. As Bro. Warnock says, “A consecrated and holy walk in the Spirit, therefore, is the only genuine basis we have for a proper understanding of the Scriptures.” Consecrated means to be set aside for service. Holiness is a quality that comes by remaining faithful to your consecration. The Holy Spirit not only sets us aside but empowers us to stay the course. This is the Spirit’s criteria for the scriptures to become alive to us, instead of just an exercise in reading and comprehension of words.
Jesus has established Himself as the embodiment of truth. The learned and ecclesiastical often miss the “whys” of His truth because they are so wrapped up in the “whats” and “hows.” Without the truth, we become lukewarm like the Laodiceans, much less than the overcomers we were designed to be. Even though it appears as truthful, anything devoid of truth is, at best, a watered-down facsimile, unpleasant to the taste and devoid of substance. When we declare, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” that is what we get. When we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, He will lift us up (James 4:10).
So, our needs are not more learning or ecclesiastical structures. What we need is more humility and openness to the Holy Spirit. Not that education and design are evil and do not have their place. But “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NASB).
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