Page 20 - Christ in You - The Hope of Glory

desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

There are Christians in this hour who are falling into temptation which will result in
ruin and destruction. They have taken the gifts of God and sought to use them to fulfill
“foolish and harmful desires.” If you and I are wise, we will plead with God to withhold His
power from our lives until we have been thoroughly broken and humbled before Him.
When we are content with whatever He chooses for us, being content to have nothing
beyond food and raiment, when we are desiring His will and pleasure above all else, only
then will we be ready to receive His power.
This age is designed to ready the sons of God for the age to come. God will deal with
our flesh severely in order to prepare us to walk in a “taste” of that which is to come. Even
this taste can undo a man who has harbored some idol in his heart. If he seeks anything for
self, the power of God can be his undoing. Some men, finding that God will not give them
this power apart from the cross, open themselves up to seducing spirits from Satan. These
unclean spirits will give men spiritual power apart from the requirement of being broken
first. The use of this power is always attended with fleshly manifestations. Ministers who
have not crucified the flesh offer a fleshly appeal to many. Carnal and immature believers
are promised a release of finances, of worldly success, and even of spiritual power, yet apart
from the working of the cross.
The apostle Paul was among the most mature spiritual sons of God in his generation.
Even so, because of the surpassing nature of the power revealed in his life, and the
exceptional nature of the revelations given to him, it was necessary that God preserve him
from the corrupting influence of pride by giving him a thorn in the flesh.

II Corinthians 12:2-7
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know,
or out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a man was caught up to the third
heaven. And I know how such a man - whether in the body or apart from the body
I do not know, God knows - was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible
words, which a man is not permitted to speak... And because of the surpassing
greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there
was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me - to keep me
from exalting myself!

Paul does not identify the nature of the revelations given to him. He declares that he
“heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” These revelations were
a taste of things to come. In the coming age man will have the honor of being privy to some
of the deep things of God that are at this time inexpressible. There is no way to make them
known to man in his current sinful state without risk of injury to the man.
What is the nature of the risk? According to Paul, the danger to man is pride. Paul
buffeted his body in order to keep it under subjection. Yet the revelations given to him were
so great that his own ability to rule over the flesh’s tendency toward pride was insufficient.
It became necessary for God to give Paul a thorn in the flesh to humble him. This was an
act of grace. The thorn served to deflate the pride of the flesh. The thorn served as a needle
to poke a hole in the inflated balloon of the flesh letting the air of pride out.
Once Paul understood the reason for the thorn in his flesh, he no longer asked God to
remove it. When we understand the power that Yahweh plans to entrust to His sons, we will