In 1922 Smith Wigglesworth declared in his sermon in the Wellington town hall “Step out of your soul and into your spirit” The question of how do we Step out of our soul and into our spirit without becoming a religious fanatic is a good and valid one.
The answer is found in the book of Hebrews
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 1For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:11-12 (NKJV)
This verse seems like an oxymoron as some versions say “Labor or strive to enter His rest” but the NKJ says be diligent to enter his rest. I think this fits with the original language and intent.
Make every effort to fall into Gods rest because it is in this place of rest we find the character and nature of God. If we interpret the word (Logos – Abiding word) of God through labour or striving our view of the word will be distorted by our desire to maintain our own theology. For instance most cults would uphold their teachings based on their own distorted view of the Logos (Abiding word of God) but the Character & nature of God would dismiss their view. The same is true of a religious motivation or a selfish motivation or any number of other soulish motivations.
This rest in Hebrews 4 is based on falling into Gods heart on any issue or even on the interpretation of scripture, so what we need to sort out before we even consider a matter is the motivation of our heart. Jesus himself said we don’t even know our own hearts only the Spirit of God can discern the thoughts and intents of our heart.
So where does that leave us? We have to accept that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth as declared in John 15:26 & John 16:12 by Jesus, and we have to accept that as Jesus said “The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth” This is a faith issue. By faith I accept that “He” The Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. Your Spirit man knows this is true, but your flesh and your soul will be crying out for a reference point at this stage. This is where your Spirit needs to step forward and say “Excuse me but I think the heart of the creator of he universe is a big enough reference point, step back and keep your hands in view” Your soul will gain allies in the form of religious spirits at this point with guns pointed from all angles and your flesh will be looking for the door. What is required right at this point is a sword, not just any sword but the sword of the Holy Spirit.
I can’t trust my soul to lead me by feelings or by emotion totally because my souls alley is my flesh and my flesh is in rebellion. I can trust my soul to lead me by feelings and emotions to a point but as soon as that point moves away from the character and nature of God the religious gun slingers have gained an upper hand and my flesh has seized the throne.
It is at this point that my Spirit must rise and say “Holy Spirit I need your sword” to divide my motivation of heart, and to bring these other two rebels into line. This is where you need to discern the difference between the voice of the Holy Spirit and the voice of a religious spirit. It is in this tender place before God that religious spirits love to steal and rob sons of their true inheritance and intimacy with God and send you off on some works driven wild goose chase. The best way to discern is to look at the fruit. Is this leading me into striving and labour of the flesh or is this leading me into intimacy and into the Character & nature of God.
This is the faith part of moving out of your soul, by abandoning yourself to the Spirit of truth you risk loosing the desires of the flesh and you also risk loosing the great feelings and emotions that come with a spiritual encounter. But when his sword divides it cuts at our very motivation and by faith we must choose obedience.
God (The Holy Spirit) must become the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart otherwise the rebels will maintain control of our throne and the fruit will be lusts of the flesh or religious nonsense.
It sounds hard but its not at all, because God desires intimacy with you more than you desire it with Him. But the rebels (Flesh & Soul) must learn to honour and obey your Spirit as he rules form the throne in your heart. Both the flesh and the soul can be great servants to bring you to the place of the dividing sword of Holy Spirit but they can also be totally untrustworthy if left to rule.
The alliance in most Christian hearts between flesh & soul stops us from entering the realm of the Spirit. Because when Holy Spirit comes with his sword our soul “Feels” uncomfortable and our flesh responds with the words “I am out of here I have no reference for this experience” But the key is to bow low in your spirit before the sword and allow him to discern the motivation of your heart.
Here is the tip of the day. Your Spirit knows the realm of God and wants to enter that realm but in most cases the rebels, Soul & Flesh have control of the reigns of your heart. As your spirit bows low to the spirit of truth the rebels won’t see the sword coming and by faith your Spirit enters into the heart of God unopposed.
Now I hope that helps make sense of Hebrews 4 and the words of Wigglesworth, “Step out of your soul and into your spirit”
We fall into His heart and into the rest of God, it’s not a going to sleep kind of rest, it’s a hop into the chariots of God and let Him take you to the journeys end kind of rest. Where as a SON you rule from a throne inside of Him and become the victor. That’s another message.
