When we bring our doctrines in line with the burden of the Holy Spirit, the writings of Paul will be comprehensible to us and will flow naturally and in an unforced manner in the course of our teaching. We will not have to bend Paul's words around our doctrines, taking favorite verses from their context and using them in a cut-and-paste, promise-box fashion. We need the whole counsel of God.

God has placed a goal before us Christians. The goal is the full possession of Christ. We should be directing our attention toward the Divinely ordained goal. We may be stagnating in a lagoon of doctrinal "correctness" when the Lord Jesus is saying to us, "Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward."

If we are genuine Christians we possess Christ in a measure. But there is more of Christ that is available to us, a definite more, not a vague, try-to-do-good, never-get-there kind of more, that we are to gain here and now.

The Holy Spirit is encouraging us to press forward and possess the good land, the definite, attainable land He has promised in His Word.

Back to Philippians 3:8:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord: . . . (Philippians 3:8)

"Excellency of the knowledge." We Christians know about Christ, but do we know Him ? Have we set knowing Jesus—really knowing Him—as the goal of our discipleship?

It is possible for a church attender to know all about the ways of the "house of God," about the vocabulary and customs of his or her group, and still not know the God of the house of God.

One may become well acquainted with Bethel (the house of God) and still not be acquainted with El-Bethel (the God of the house of God).

There can be a wide gulf between people who are active in a church and people whom God has called to His side, even though both groups attend the same worship services and are faithful, dependable members.

God comes to a person as to Abraham of old. God calls him or her out of much that is familiar. God reveals Himself in one manner or another, and then tests, prods, and deals with His saint seemingly endlessly.

The disciple is drawn to the limits of consecration many times. God is in all his thoughts. He may become an enigma, a "speckled bird," to the other church people. They in turn are little comfort to him in his quest for God. Their church routines may seem trivial to him, and at times, abominable.

When the Holy Spirit moves in a church the whole assembly may be brought closer to Christ. Or a few fervent believers may find it necessary to leave the group even though they suffer inconvenience and loss of fellowship from having to do so.

Those persons who are more involved in the church than they are in Christ may remain with the organization because it is more understandable and significant to them than is the invisible Kingdom of God. At such a time of tearing apart there may be much grief of mind and heart on both sides, and sometimes misunderstanding and bitterness for a season.

The separating of the Bride from her family is inevitable because it is a necessary part of the plan of the Father to draw out for His beloved Son a holy and devoted bride from the peoples of the earth (Psalms 45:10; Song of Solomon 6:9).

To be continued.