The "measuring line" speaks of the initial judgment that comes on us when we are first saved. God requires that we repent of our former worldly ways in order that we may receive His forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.

This is a beginning righteousness and a beginning deposit on the fullness of life that will be ours if we remain faithful to God. It is water that is ankle-deep.

Many Christians never get past this beginning stage of salvation. They are in the water of life at one moment and back into the flesh the next.

He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. (Ezekiel 47:4—NIV)

I like to think of the water to the knees as the Pentecostal experience. We have moved further into resurrection life. It is becoming increasingly easy to remain in the Spirit of God. Yet we can, if we choose, churn our way back to life in the often-sinful passions and appetites of the flesh. The measuring line now begins to reveal the sin that is in our personality. The Holy Spirit leads us and enables us to put to death the deeds of our body that we may attain resurrection life.

"Water that was up to the waist" symbolizes our willingness to enter the sufferings of Christ; to forsake our own will in favor of making God's will the main consideration of all we think, do, and say.

The issue facing the Charismatic move of today is that of the water to the waist. Are we willing to give our gifts back to Christ and seek His will in all we do? Or are we going to save our life and attempt to use the things of Christ to accomplish what we desire?

The recent "prosperity message" reveals the readiness of Charismatic people to attempt to make Christ their servant. They think they are building His kingdom. The truth is, they are seeking to use Christ to build their own kingdom.

If we have been as far as Pentecost we need to recognize that we have not as yet died to our self-will. We have been saved, and in some cases have made progress in deliverance from moral sin. But the big issue is self-will.

God gets at our self-will by putting us in various kinds of prisons, as Paul indicated when he mentioned his tribulations. Every kind of denial and suffering is sent our way in order that our self-will may be struck down and God's will revealed.

There is much talk today about power and about worldwide fruitfulness in the things of God. Power and fruitfulness will be given only to those who are willing to lose their own strength and wisdom that Christ may become the power of their life.

This is water to the waist. First we die to the world. Then we die to the lusts of our flesh. But the third death is by far the most important in terms of entering our land of promise. It is death to our self-will, to our right to be ourselves, in order that we may become part of God.

To be continued.