The wedding of purity and power is a concept that the Holy Spirit is promoting among believers in these latter days. As stated earlier, in the late 1860s after the Civil War, a wave of the Holy Spirit came like a mighty wind moving across the land bringing a fresh awareness of the requirements of God to live a life pleasing to Him. This was to be accomplished by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the 1906 Azusa Street outpouring in the City of Los Angeles, the church began to be reawakened to the powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit. This too was to be accomplished by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Since the advent of the Azusa Street outpouring, the body of Christ has been divided into the purity and power camps.
For the past 100 years the Body of Christ has gotten as much attention from its wild fires as it has from its Holy Ghost fire. For the power camp the emphasis upon purity was almost anathema. For the purity camp the emphasis upon power was almost anathema. This was because each camp expressed doctrinal positions that were unacceptable to the other. They vehemently rejected each others' positions. The power camp noticed that purity expressed without power became both legalistic and limiting. The purity camp noticed that power expressed without purity became both carnal and limiting. Only by the wedding of these two beautiful doctrines can the Spirit of God gain full authority and appreciation within the Body of Christ.
In the present time, the Spirit of Christ is calling the Body of Christ to be reunited in a mighty outpouring of His Holy presence - the Spirit's wedding of purity and power. Each doctrine has something the other needs, a compliment to and completion of God's design for the wholeness of the church. The power camp needs to know of an exclusive holy love that is expressed out of a pure affection for the Holy ONE. The purity camp needs to know a holy power being expressed out of a manifestation of the Holy Spirit's gifts. The purity camp needs to share the beauty of holiness in the spirit of humility. The power camp needs to share the gifts of power in the spirit of humility. The purity camp needs to exercise the power of Christ in "signs and wonders." The power camp needs to exercise purity in "laying one's life down" for another. With a discerning spirit, each can benefit from the other, for these are perilous times in which we live.
Ezekiel added this dimension when he wrote of the prophecies involving the requirements of how the priests were to keep the holy law of the temple (Ezekiel 44-45) and when he wrote of the river flowing from under the threshold of the temple (Ezekiel 47:1-12). The purity of the priests was revealed in that they were to have a certain appearance, conduct themselves in a particular manner, and serve others in a specific way. Everything about the Holiest of All is pure: pure oil, pure clothes, a pure man placing the lamb's pure blood on the pure gold of the mercy seat. This was to be a pure presentation of righteousness, given to a pure and Holy God. The "Holiest of All" is the place of purity. It is here that the river of life has its head waters, emanating from the holiness of God.
The power of the river of God continually increased. The farther away from the temple it flowed, the deeper and wider it became. As the river flows, healing comes to everything in its path. Notice, however, it is the purity of the waters that allows it to contain healing virtue. It is the river's purity that allows the river to be saturated with holy power. By comparison, only powerful men can serve, but powerful men must serve with a pure love for God and their fellow man. It is time for a wedding of purity and power.
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2 comments:
Awesome comment, Cliff! So very true. Maybe that's why I feel like such an enigma around Tulsa. Here it seems to be either one or the other. I tend to walk somewhere in the middle, taking the FULL councel of God. That position hasn't won me very many friends around these parts. But then again, who really cares what men think? I will rather walk in the fear of the Lord.
Brother Nee wrote that the work of the Holy Spirit is two, and that one is not more precious than the other. The spirit outpoured, as happened in Acts chapter two, enables the saints to do mighty works, for in fact it is the Person of Jesus Christ dwelling in them that does these works, as Peter and John freely attested after the lame man had been healed through them. This is the Spirit outpoured.
On the other hand, the Holy Spirit also is the Spirit indwelt. Here is another precious work, that, through suffering, the brothers are transformed into the image of the First Born Brother, for which "all creation waits in eager anticipation". The fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, et al - these are the result of the Spirit indwelt.
Indeed, the hour is coming when no longer will we must needs choose between one or the other. For the elect, those who have seen the power of the cross, and who have not been offended, thw power of the indewlt and outpoured Spirit will be manifest. There will be those who still use the power without the intimate knowledge of Jesus. To those He will say, "Depart from me, I never knew thee". May those with ears to hear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
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