Self-will is a monster. It is part of us until bearing our cross after the Lord Jesus kills the tendency in us to follow our own plans instead of waiting patiently on the Lord.

It seems to me that self-will and disobedience are best addressed during our lifetime on the earth. Even our faithful Lord Jesus learned obedience to the Father while on the earth, and He learned it through suffering. Yet Jesus in the form of the Word has been with God from the countless ages of eternity. Why wasn't He perfected in obedience to the Father before He came to the earth?

Perhaps the witnesses who are surrounding us learned obedience while they were on the earth. Think about the following:

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:35-40—NIV)

Notice in the above that these witnesses were not seeking to go to Heaven but to have a better resurrection. Notice also that we have something better so they cannot be made perfect apart from us. This is why they are surrounding us. They want to partake of that "better thing" and thus have a better resurrection.

We are being given the understanding today that God wants all worldliness, sin, and self-will driven from us that we may be reconciled completely to Him, that we may rest in untroubled union with the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Such understanding has not always been as widespread as it is today. The witnesses standing around us are learning of this and participating with us, I believe. In this manner the entire Body is growing up in the Head in preparation for its appearing with Him.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:15,16—NIV)

One time when I was a student in Bible school I had a problem forgiving one of the local church leaders because of something he had done. So I went to prayer, beseeching the Lord to enable me to forgive.

The moment I did this my spiritual eyes were opened briefly and I could see that I was surrounded by many people who were ringed about me in some kind of amphitheatre.

Immediately the word came: "You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God."

To be continued.