[“And [the angel] said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left” [the governor and the high priest]. …

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [Israel’s governor]:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone [of the rebuilt Temple]
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘” Zechariah 4:2,3,6,7]

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Inward Results of Abandonment to the Holy Spirit

We now need to note the inward results of the Abandonment to the Holy Spirit.

First: Christ is more real. The Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself. He does not call attention to Himself. He always glorifies Christ (John 16:14). Notice that the striking feature of the work of the Holy Spirit in the early apostolic church was this: He caused the believers of that time to realize their identification with a crucified, risen, ascended, glorified Lord. All else–signs and wonders, miracles and gifts–were but incidental to such identification. Indeed, without the realization of their identification with their Lord, all these outward incidentals would have proven exceedingly harmful to the early church.

Second: There is a new light upon God’s Written Word. The Bible indeed becomes a new Book. It is regarded as the very Spirit- breathed Word of God and to be treated with as much respect and reverence as if uttered by the audible voice of the Lord, and is to be perfectly obeyed. The veil seems lifted from obscure passages and Christ stands revealed in new beauty and glory. Especially is the work of Christ as the Redeemer illumined and glorified. (See John 16:15.)

Third: There begins to be realized experimental victory over sin. The Christian perceives that the death that Christ died as our Representative was a “death unto sin” (Rom. 6:10), and that he is identified with Christ in this death; also that as Christ arose to a sphere wherein sin does not exist, but where Righteousness reigns, even so he is identified with Christ in this new life; and as a result of his “reckoning” (or acting) upon this truth, he realizes victory in his daily life, through the indwelling Holy Spirit who corroborates what God says, as he reckons upon it.

Fourth: The Love of God is manifested in the daily life in self- sacrifice for others. Service for God now proceeds from love, rather than from duty. The language of the heart is, “I want to do this” instead of “I must do it.”

Fifth: Increasing light upon God’s dispensational plan, especially the prophecies concerning the Coming of Christ for His saints, and His coming with them in the outward manifestation of His kingdom in this world. The Christian begins to live in the light of Christ’s Return. It is more than theory with him. It is a constant, bright anticipation and expectation. “He shall show you things to come” (John 16:13).

Sixth: The Christian perceives that as a result of his identification with Christ in His risen, glorified Life, he may realize a foretaste of the Resurrection power which will eventually change his body in the “twinkling of an eye” at translation. This foretaste, or “earnest” (see 2 Cor. 5:4-5), is indicated in Romans 8:11 as the quickening of the mortal body by the indwelling Holy Spirit moment by moment, enabling the believer to finish the work given him to do. Notice that it is the mortal body, not a dead body, that is to be thus quickened. This quickening of the mortal body does not refer to the final act of translation. At translation the mortal body is changed (see 1 Cor. 15:52), but this quickening is an every day experience.

Seventh: There is power in prayer and service because the believer is reckoning upon his identification with Christ who has “all power.”

[“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Gal. 5:22-25]

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Part 2 of 2

An excerpt from Mary E. McDonough’s study, God’s Plan of Redemption (1922).

For a comparison of “the old man” (which was actually removed as crucified with Christ, Rom. 6:6; Col. 3:9) and “the flesh” (the old conditioning that remains as a residue in the mortal body), see this article by David Needham from Birthright, first edition.

Bracketed content added – JBW

Biblical quotations (unlss indicated otherwrise) are from The New King James Version (copyright by Thomas Nelson).

Honorable Mention

Messianic believer, Larry Stamm, is in full time evangelistic and discipleship ministry. His written, audio, and video teaching brings out the Hebrew context of our biblical faith: larrystamm.org/preaching/take-a-listen/