For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15
In the last article, we saw the importance of giving God the honor that is due to Him if we are to see greater measures of His manifest presence among us. The thing that displeases God greatly is when He is dishonored among His own people. Jesus left Galilee because of that and even today, it remains the single greatest hindrance in our modern culture preventing the greater manifest presence and workings of the Spirit.
Now, we need to understand that the honor God expects from us can only come from a deep sense of humility, which is expressed through complete dependence on Him. To put it another way, recognizing our utterly lowly state apart from Him (a profound spiritual reality) is directly connected to receiving a revelation of His highly exalted state—a revelation that is imperative if He is to dwell among us.
In the times we live in everything that is said and done are entirely centered on self. Today’s social media platforms provide endless opportunities for self-portrayal. While these opportunities are not inherently wrong, the culture surrounding them heavily promotes and exalts the self, allowing pride to reign supreme. Tragically, this spirit has found its way into the church, largely driven by the promotion of a self-centered gospel rather than one that is Christ-centered. This distortion is completely contrary to the Spirit of Christ.
When ‘self’ is exalted in the church, there is no room for Christ—no room for His manifest presence or for His glory to be revealed. Self must die; be denied if Christ is to reign supreme and for His Spirit to have His way. Now, the scriptural concept of dying to self does not mean we lose our identity completely or our sense of worth. In dying, we live; we find our true worth, acceptance, and identity not in ourselves, but in Christ—which is far, far greater.
One can only truly die to or deny self by first seeing their utterly lowly state without Christ—a realization for which humility is the essential virtue. Furthermore, continuing to walk in Christ after finding His acceptance and recognition requires a lifestyle of staying dead to self or denying self daily; a posture for which humility remains absolutely indispensable.
In the scriptural passage above, humility is mentioned alongside a contrite heart as a necessity for God’s dwelling. A contrite heart is a repentant heart—one that is quick to admit and acknowledge mistakes. It is soft and tender to the convictions and guidance of the Spirit.
It is remarkable that God’s dwelling place requires a people whose hearts are quick and ready to admit their mistakes; a heart that is broken and surrendered to the reign of the Spirit, guided entirely as He wills. From this passage, we must understand that holiness in His people is of utmost importance to the Godhead. Because we are frail and weak in the flesh, our hearts should always be contrite as it is essential to maintain an unbroken, ever-growing intimate fellowship with a holy God. We must possess a heart that is quick to admit when it is wrong and ever willing to change its course in order to know Him in greater depths.
In the Old Testament, the greater measures of God’s glory brought instant judgment on sin. This was also true during the time of the apostles. To believe that a holy God has somehow become soft on sin overtime is to yield to deception. While it is true that we are now in Christ—and therefore face no condemnation because His blood continually intercedes for us—this does not change God’s expectations for us. Condemnation under the law has simply been replaced by conviction under the Spirit. The Holy Spirit desires to see Christ perfected in us, and He is always working toward that ultimate end goal.
His greater measures of glory are reserved for a people who live a life of continual repentance—whose hearts are always contrite before Him. Using this sentence by itself will naturally provoke a lot of resistance within today’s modern charismatic movement. However, when viewed in context, we are all called to become more like Christ with each passing day. None of us have fully arrived at that place, and we likely never will on this side of eternity. Yet, as we press toward that ultimate goal, can we truly make progress without a lifestyle of repentance?
As said earlier, this truth stands in direct contradiction to many modern-day teachings. I will be bold enough to go further and say that those teachings directly oppose the scriptures and the genuine work of the Spirit in a believer’s life. He is here for one main purpose which is to prepare us for our Bridegroom. How can we become ready for Christ without the Spirit’s corrections and instructions to follow?
Now, what started as a much-needed truth to address condemnation in believers who are in Christ has (due to several reasons) unfortunately driven us to the opposite side of the ditch, where people have become completely insensitive to the light and conviction of the Spirit, living without any remorse for sin. (We will not go into detail regarding the reasons for this shift here, as it would deviate from the main focus of this article.) Today, people continue to harbor unforgiveness and hatred, persisting in lies and deception—yet they seem completely fine in their hearts, falsely thinking that everything is alright between them and God.
If we are not becoming more Christ-like with each passing day, then aren’t we conforming to someone else’s image? There are no other options, and there is no in-between.
We should ever forget that our God is holy, He hates sin, and even more certain actions and lifestyles are an abomination before Him. He will not dwell in a place where any sin or any kind of compromise is entertained or even allowed a little in any shape or form. If the error is unknown to us, when He manifests Himself, He will bring it to light immediately or eventually.
As harsh as those earlier statements might seem, this is precisely the spiritual awakening we need. It is the catalyst that will bring us back to a place of seeing a holy God manifest Himself in endless love and power once more to this lost world—convicting it of sin and drawing people to Himself.
In recent years of ministry especially, no matter what topic I have preached on, I have seen the Spirit bring people under His profound conviction. The clearest example of this occurred in Lonavala, near Mumbai, while I was ministering at the YWAM base. I was speaking about the Comforter, sharing how He comforts and counsels us out of His great love with the exact same sacrificial love that Christ possesses.
As I was ministering, I perceived the Spirit falling in that place. I assumed people would simply be comforted and feel God’s tender nearness. Instead, they began to repent in groups. One young man, who had not spoken to his father in years, came under such intense conviction that he pleaded with the staff for a phone (which was prohibited during the sessions). He called his father and apologized immediately. It is these distinct moments that have taught me a vital lesson: no matter what form God’s workings may take, if His Holy Spirit is involved, which is always, there will always be a drawing near to God that requires some form of repentance. For it is that which prepares the way for His glory to be revealed.
Dearly beloved, may our hearts be softened to the point of being ever ready to repent in true humility, so that He who is holy and exalted may dwell among us—the lowly and the contrite.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
