THE TRUE POWER OF CHRISTIANITY

Some of the following lessons were developed from William Arthur’s book entitled The Tongue of Fire; The True Power of Christianity. It was written in 1856.

Chapter One:

GOD’S KINGDOM WITHIN THE HEART

When John the Baptist was being used mightily by the Spirit to call people to repentance, the Jews began to say, “Surely this must be the Messiah for whom we have waited so long.” Of course, he was not the one they were seeking. John was sent to prepare God’s people to receive the Lord. He therefore said to them, “I am not the Christ.” (John 1:20) “I indeed baptize you with water {as a sign of repentance}; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16)

The Jewish people had long been expecting a Messiah. He was coming to establish a kingdom here on earth where people would live by the will of God. Their last inspired prophet had said, “Behold…the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple.” (Mal. 3:1)

The Messiah, according to the general belief of the Jews, would set up His throne in the temple at Jerusalem and begin ruling His kingdom from a physical location. He would establish His government – the kingdom of God – like other kingdoms of this world. He would then make everyone obey the laws of God. His great power and authority would enable Him to rule over all other governments and people. And many Christians still believe this way.

But this is not how God had planned to establish His kingdom. The Lord did not intend to rule over the people of the world by making them conform to written laws. God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts. And His ways are far above the ways of man.

It is God’s plan to rule His people from a throne within their hearts. The Messiah, once He was resurrected and glorified, would use His Spirit to establish His kingdom-life within the hearts of men. He would manifest Himself within the temple of their bodies so they could share with Him in His life of true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:24)

Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes… I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws… I will save you from all your uncleanness. (Ezk. 36:23, 27, 29 NIV)

In other words, the Messiah did not intend to set up a physical kingdom in this world. However, He would enable people to participate with Him in His divine nature if they would surrender the temple of their body to Him so He could set up His throne of power within their heart. (2 Pet. 1:3-4) This has always been God’s ultimate plan for redeeming fallen man. Jesus confirmed this interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies when He said, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20)

The Lord would come to immerse God’s called-out people into His own spiritual life through a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. Through this purification and infilling, He would establish His Kingdom-life of love within their hearts and enable them to fulfill all the righteous requirements of the law. (Rom. 8:3-4)

John the Baptist was a prophet sent by God to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord to His temple. The Messiah, when He came to each of His consecrated disciples in power, would enable them to overcome the flesh, the world and the devil. These people who had been called out by God through repentance, would then be able to “serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of {their} life. (Luke 1:74-75)

God had been sending this message to His people through the prophets for centuries. But when John the Baptist came on the scene, the age of fulfillment was finally at hand.

Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me {by calling the people to repentance}. And {a little later} the Lord, whom you seek {wholeheartedly}, Will suddenly come to His temple… He is like a refiner’s fire… He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Mal. 3:1-3)

The sons of Levi represent consecrated believers in this age of fulfillment.

This long awaited “Promise of the Father” that purifies the heart and fills the temple of the body with God’s life of love – His glory – is only offered to those who have previously repented and have fully consecrated their lives to the Lord. They would become the true priests of God as they “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:24)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet. 2:9)

John the Baptist, as a minister of the gospel message, served the purpose of preparing people to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. His function was to lead people to repentance and to prepare their hearts to receive the Lord and His Kingdom-life from heaven. He said to the people, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2) This kingdom of heaven {a term that Matthew uses when referring to the kingdom of God} would soon be available to them. Once this kingdom was established within their hearts, they would be enabled to serve God with the same undivided devotion that the angels serve God in heaven. While the light of their understanding would not be as great as the angels, their devotedness would be “made complete.” (Jam. 1:4)

The Spirit-baptism is only offered to people who are already living in a reconciled state. We are told that “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Mark 1:4) To people who were being reconciled to God through repentance, he said, “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight… Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance…” (Luke 3:4, 8) He knew that only a forgiven, yielded, and consecrated heart would be prepared to receive this long awaited Promise of the Father.

God had forgiven people for their sins prior to the New Testament dispensation. He was able to see the Son’s shed blood from the foundation of the world. We can therefore find Him calling people back to Himself since the fall of Adam. Crediting people with righteousness was nothing new to God. (Rom. 4:20-22)

This New Testament age of fulfillment has something more to offer than the forgiveness of sins. The Messiah came to establish His Kingdom-life of love within the hearts of God’s called-out children so they would be enabled to display His spiritual image and glory in this world. He came to enable them to serve God with the same kind of selfless love that Jesus displayed when He lived in a mortal body. (1 John 4:17)

God has provided an Old Testament “type” to help Christians understand this spiritual principle. After God’s people in the Old Testament had properly prepared a dwelling place for the Lord {a temple}, had placed the sacrifice on the altar, and had prayed to God for the blessing, the fire then came down to consume the remains of the sacrifice. God demonstrated His approval of their preparations by sending the fire from heaven. Only then was He able to fill the temple, a dwelling place they were required to prepare for Him, with His presence and glory. Scripture says, “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (2 Chron. 7:1)

On the day of Pentecost, this Old Testament “type” became a living reality in the lives of the first disciples. After they had prepared the temple of their bodies, had placed the remains of their flesh-life on the altar of sacrifice, and had offered up prayers to God, He then sent His fire from heaven to purify their hearts. (Acts 2:3)

God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them {their consecration}…for
he purified their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:8-9 Emphasis added NIV)

Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life {the Kingdom-life} which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jam. 1:12 Emphasis added)

And the Lord, whom you seek {as the One who will establish His Kingdom within the heart}, will suddenly come to His temple… He will purify the sons of Levi {the fully consecrated believers}…that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.(Mal. 3:1, 3)

There is still a remains of impurity within the hearts of new believers. It can be recognized by the various forms of self-centeredness that still exist within their lives. The Bible refers to it as “the flesh” or the “sinful nature.” The called-out children of God will therefore be tested to see if they are willing to place this old self-centered nature on the altar of sacrifice. Christ will not consume the flesh-life with His fire from heaven and establish His Kingdom-life within their heart until they have made an unreserved {unblemished} offering of themselves to God.

God will not permit the flesh-life to enter into His presence. The Lord therefore needs to do His work of removing the old carnal nature before it is possible for the believer to dwell in His presence within the Holiest of All. In other words, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14) Once the flesh-life is removed, the believer is able to enter into the holy nature of God and enjoy His presence. Their spiritual life is no longer a place of dryness and barrenness.

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary promises of Christ, let us go on to perfection {become complete in the Lord’s life of love}… Do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience {steadfastness and perseverance inherit the promises… This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure andsteadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. (Heb. 6:1, 12, 19)

Once the heart has been purified and Christ has shown Himself to the inner soul, the believer enters into a real participation with God in His divine nature. The flesh-life is consumed by His indwelling presence and the Spirit provides sufficient power to fulfill all the righteous requirements of the law. Whoever has My commands and obeys them {does his work of preparing the temple with his regenerate heart}, he is the one who loves Me…and I too will love him and show Myself to him {within the temple of the body}. (John 14:21 NIV)
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, {the law is powerless to change anyone’s nature, only God’s power can do that} God did by sending His own Son…that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled {fully met – NIV} in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3-4)

Continue to Chapter 2 pg 5 of the PDF