“For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”
The Epistle To The Hebrews 13:9b
Now, If grace be not grace, what value do the good works of any have, if they have the dross of vanity in them? How shall we assure ourselves, and how shall we prepare our hearts and cleanse our minds, that we have soundness of Christ-mind? The law, being introduced by Moses, whereas grace through Jesus Christ, of whom Moses spoke of, saying as much; ‘one like unto myself, a prophet; him you shall listen to;’ found grace in the sight of God, having sought it carefully, even patiently, forty years in the desert.
That work of grace in us being OF God, and not OF us who walk in the good works ordained from before the foundations of the world were established, that we might have life in the way and manner of God, praising him through the thanksgiving of our good works; these showing our faith in the Spirit set in us, and we, hereafter, giving the glory unto God, that God be ‘all in all.’ Thence, that work of God in Moses: of calling his heart out of the false security of spiritual Egypt, a half-life of slavery unto Pharaoh; calling him into the wilderness, wherefore Moses patiently endured the renewing of his life, not through will worship, that is, not through the mental resolution to persevere without glory unto God, but through the yearning of a greater life brimming with joy in God. This Moses, having been a prince of Egypt, became a shepard and a man of family, living peaceably, and in all quietness; altogether preparing his heart and mind in his approach unto God; yet not Moses, but God preparing the heart and mind of Moses towards the Lord. As the Lord emphasizes in the Book Of Psalms, he has moved our hearts that we seek after him and be found of him; therefore has the Lord waited patiently that he may be gracious unto all his children through Christ Jesus, his only begotten son, of whom this world was found wanting, and not worthy of his majesty, for he forsook what creation could offer, being by and through whom all things were created, he set himself a little lower that he might gain, in all holiness, all unto the Lord.
Therefore, harden not your hearts, for today is the day of the Lord. Harden not your hearts, for today is the day of the Lord, and he is knocking on the door of your heart and mind; his Father, the LORD Almighty, of whom all things are, having set forth a propitiation for us, his called and elect, that we, having been predestinated unto the holy family of God, find grace in his sight, being called the sons and daughters of God. The Word, being published abroad unto the four quarters of the world and unto the end of the world, remaining a steadfast rock of Truth and fountain of living water: being a stumbling block to those who would entangle themselves with its meats, having not approached with prepared hearts in all lowliness and meekness of heart as Moses; having not opened the door of their hearts unto the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God, upon such, that Rock, even Christ Jesus, will fall upon them and be a curse, whereas, unto those that stumble on it, having their hearts become broken and there spirits contrite, upon these, the beginning of life, even an effectual dood of hope is opened whereupon Jesus sits in the throne of our heart, and us in meekness, and not through an allowance unto him, but through meekness, depart from spiritual Egypt, making our way quickly through the wilderness, and approaching the realization of the promises of God, we falter not at the tribulations, sights, nor great challenges of this ungodly world, but having faith in Him who was nailed unto the cross to show his enduring strength over life, death, and hell; conquering all these and remaining the loving and kind Lord, merciful and gracious with longsuffering.
Therefore, shall we look into the hard sentences of the Words of God with an eye of crafty gain and advantage, that we may advance our position amongst ourselves in the sight of ourselves, whereas the Lord seeth all things; and us appearing small and petty, vain and desolate of heart, greedy for the temporary gain that we may enjoy earthly commendation for a season, or shall we, with all peacefulness, having faith in the quiet assurances of the Lord have our hearts prepared, even the doors of our heart and mind open that the Lord himself may enter and sit with us? The Holy Spirit rightly dividing asunder the thought and intentions of the heart, discerning the soundness within us; our countenance and conversation with the Lord proclaiming the degree of faith we have unto his Word and Spirit. For, if grace have no value, and vanity reign triumphant, what life is this of peace, of joy, and of love unfeigned? What greater than ourselves shall save us from this narrow end of desolate heart and mind? Through what means and on what terms shall we ‘arrive’ into that promised land, if not through Jesus, the Christ of God?
Is it not so that the Sun Of Righteousness has presented himself victorious and unspotted from the wiles and vanities of this temporal world as a living sacrifice, being that necessary propritiation, God himself on the cross, delivering himself from death and hell, that we might find confidence in the faith, even he who is called ‘Faithful and True’ (Christ Jesus), wherewith God The Father has set him us whom have been given mercy in that God has lightened our hearts and minds that he enjoin our soul with his heart, as co-heirs with the Christ of God in us; the new song in our life proclaiming the grace of God according to that pattern of his Word and the Spirit of His Word; that we might increase the degree of our zeal according to the pattern of Christ Jesus, lowly and meek, Him in us and with us wearing him as a garment, rejoicing as a strong man ready to run a race, if we harden not our hearts, but receive Him that he may sit in that empty throne within us, entering through that door of our hearts and ‘sup’ with us; we becoming new creatures in Christ, even the enjoying of out soul and His Holy Spirit, thereby having access through the confidence in the faith that is the gift of God in us, of the holy intelligence of the Lord, who is Wisdom and Understanding.
Seeing such great and marvelous work that the Lord has done in us, for now we enter into the assurances of peace, joy, love, faith and immortality with God; now we enter into the assembly of the Holy Flock, we notice thanksgiving in us: God has shown mercy and the beginning of grace has entered as a light into our hearts; how shall we not praise him, for we have a new song in our hearts, even praises unto Godo f whom we are now known of. Howeversobeit, we shall know the Lord, and how he knows us according to the degree of our faith; the degree of our meekness to follow Jesus in all things, yea, in Truth and in Righteousness: through all his Words, praying for the correct discernment of understanding of the Holy Spirit of His Word, that we may see we have power to minister, even as he ministers unto us; producing good fruit unto all liberally.
In such manner was the heart and mind of Moses brought to the beginning of meekness before entering the wilderness at the age of forty years. That work of God in him already working in him whereas he was still in Egypt; his heart being softened and turned unto the Lord, the Bishop Of Our Souls already. This Moses, refusing to remain in the enjoining of his life unto the strength of Pharaoh, choosing instead to enter into the pavilion of God, choosing a life of goodness in loving God and living in the liberty of joy in and through God, with all desire for peacefulness, sound mind and gentle-heartedness, that he might be in and of the inheritance of God; that his life may be of value unto God; and that new heart being accounted unto him as the work of God in him: the righteousness of God; the evidence that the grace of the Lord was ‘with him’ and ‘in him,’ that because of that he abounds holy in sincerity in all things producing the things that are acceptable unto God; whom the Lord called the meekest man on earth; living not according only to the law, but with his heart having faith in the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the promises contained in the law, altogether represented as Christ Jesus, the Sun of God.
Henceforth, pray for the strength of godly meekness that you may be able to open that effectual door of your heart and mind unto Jesus who is knocking on your door, through the reading and doing of his commandments; believing in the goodness and uprightness, and in the strength to deliver you from hell and death, from vanity and strife, and from all the trappings of this temporary life allowing all of the Lord into your heart, finding that a life lived fully in accordance and with the greatest degree of holy zeal to his Truth & Righteousness; that Word & Spirit of the Word, such life bringing peace, joy, love, faith, and thanksgiving; a life with a new song: praise unto the Lord from the very start of God’s movement in you to pray.
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