Page 77 - Christ in You - The Hope of Glory

has had time to dry, the finish will suffer in quality and appearance.
A young boy will not naturally be willing to exercise the patience necessary to do a job
correctly, nor does he yet have the skill which comes only from experience. Should his
father let him enter the work too soon, he will produce a flawed piece of work, and will
inevitably meet with disappointment. If the son doesn’t share the same spirit as his father
who is a master craftsman valuing quality, beauty and integrity, he will not be willing to
submit to the discipline required to acquire the skill manifested by the father.
Many of God’s sons today do not value things as He does. Their hearts are filled with
another spirit. They are seeking pleasure and ease and comfort and things for self.
Accomplishing the work of the Father is not something that grips their heart. Due to this,
they are unwilling to submit to the preparation which is necessary for their equipping.
There is much that seems tedious, difficult, and dreary to them. They reason, why should
I make my life a drudgery when others are enjoying many pleasant pursuits?
Whatever the Spirit would direct us to do now in this age is merely preparatory for the
greater works to come. Do you think any who walk in careless disregard for the Father’s will
in this age will be automatically transformed by the process of death and resurrection and
be counted among the faithful in the ages to come. I tell you they will not. Those who resist
the discipline of sons now in this age, will disqualify themselves for the crown that could
have been their in the age to come.

Revelation 3:11
“I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take
your crown.”

Several decades ago Bill Britton related a vision he had that brings forth the truths in
focus here, making them easily understood.

The Harness of the Lord (Bill Britton)

There is a terrific operation of the Spirit going on today to bring the Sons of God into
an absolute confinement to the perfect will of God. This is the Day of His Preparation, the
day in which He is preparing the channel through which He shall pour forth His Glory for
all the world to see. This channel is His Body in the earth, that glorious company of people
who are being conformed through much tribulation and fiery tests to the Image of the Son
of God. This is His "battle axe and weapons of war" with which He shall subdue kingdoms
and overcome all His enemies. This is His "mighty and strong One" to whom He shall
commit the work of judging this world. This is His Overcomer, His "great army" with which
He shall bring the nations into submission. The weapons of their warfare are not carnal,
natural weapons, but they are mighty weapons, mighty through God to the pulling down
of strongholds. These are those who shall "be strong and do exploits."
But before God can commit this great and tremendous ministry into their hands, they
must submit themselves to the discipline of the Lord, letting Him truly be the Lord of their
entire lives. We have long since dealt with the question of open sin, but now God is dealing
with the inward rebellion of our own wills. Some good Christians are not now being so dealt
with, for they are not in this Firstfruits Company, but nevertheless there is a real dealing
of God going on within those who are called into the High Calling of God. This is a very real
thing, and is the work of the Refiner’s Fire. To those who are going through it, some of its