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TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks About the Healing Christ (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 31. The Limit of Our Consent
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The Limit of Our Consent
There's a remarkable bit from Paul's pen that fits in here. It says that all power needed by any one (in touch with Christ) is already within himself.
It is a matter of letting this power that is within actually meet the need. The need you feel so keenly and the power to meet that need, are close neighbours. You have both. It 's a matter of the two getting together.
The passage is in the little letter to the Ephesian church, where Paul had that two-years' remarkable healing ministry. It becomes the more striking because the particular thing being talked about in this letter is this: the power of God at our disposal to meet our need.
There's a threefold standard or measure of that power, the raising of Christ when He was dead (Eph_1:18-22), the making of a new man inside one dead in sin (Eph_2:1-10), and the changing bitterest enemies into dearest friends (Eph_2:11-22). Pretty high standard of power that could do such things!
Paul says we may expect that power, which is now within us, to meet any need for us today up to that measure or limit. That covers what we are talking about just now, and more.
The striking bit comes at the end of chapter three (Eph_3:16-20). In simple language here is what Paul is saying, in part. The Holy Spirit is power. He in Himself is all the power of God. He is now inside each of us. He comes in through the opened door of our faith. He reproduces Christ's own character in us, so far as we let Him have sway.
The big thing He does is to fill our hearts with that tender, strong passion, the love of Christ. This comes to include every other needed trait of character.
Then Paul sums up all in this: "Unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us—."
That is to say, He is able to do, not simply what we ask, but what we are thinking about that we wish He would do.
Then Paul piles things up in a rare way. He is able to do above that, then abundantly above that, then exceeding abundantly above that. That is a tremendous climax.
And the one outstanding characteristic of this power is love. It is a power of love. He can and He will. Love controls the power. That surely answers our question.
And then the measure or the limit or the extent, up to which we may expect this power is put in these words, "according to the power that worketh in us." That means up to the measure of that power working in us.
Of course, the power itself is without any limit. But the Holy Spirit always works with our consent. He does only as much as we let Him do. Everything He does is as we are willing. So the limit of the working is the limit of our consent. He'll do all we let Him.
As we let Him work in us all He wants to, He works for us all we need. If we let Him work character in us (Christ's character), He's free to work bodily healing for us.
We let Him work out His fruit in us, love, joy, peace, yes, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faithfulness, self-mastery. Then He is free to work out for us the healing our bodies need, and our circumstances, too.
Fruit-growing is a gradual thing, seed-sowing, pruning, sun and rain, dew and air, spraying for hurtful insects, then bud and blossom, the beginning of the fruit, and its gradual growth up to juicy, luscious, full-sized fruit. It's a gradual thing. All growth is. One must be patient and steady, very steady. But sometimes it is surprisingly quick when it is the fruit the Holy Spirit bears in the soil of our character.