Page 62 - The Gate and the Way

Suffering’s Role in Spiritual Growth

There is a very important, and little understood principle, to be addressed in this
chapter. The principle can be summarized as the following:

The strength of the natural man must be broken in order for a spiritual
creation born of the seed of Christ to be revealed in us.

Whenever a man is strong in a natural sense, the development of the spiritual man is
inhibited. I would include here an excerpt from a previous writing titled The Shattered
People that speaks of this principle.

All of us are like the seed of an oak, or even the seed of a grain of wheat. The life
within the seed is there with all of the potential to grow into the pattern of that which it
came from. Yet the outer shell restricts this life from coming forth. Even as a seed must fall
into the ground and die, being subjected to freezing, flood, heat and pressure, resulting
in the outer shell being broken open, so too must the lives of the saints be subjected to
great stress in order for the life of Christ to be revealed. Christ Yahshua said we had but
two options: we can fall on the Rock and be broken to pieces, or the Rock can fall on us
and scatter us like dust (Matthew 21:44).
Recently, the Spirit revealed this truth of the necessity for brokenness in a most
poignant way. I know of a man in his sixties who has been a child of God nearly forty
years. There was much hardness in this man’s life, and the outer shell of his natural man
greatly constricted the flow of the Spirit within him. He was prone to speak very cutting
and hard words to members of his family, wounding many of them.
About a year ago this man had to undergo major surgery, and he nearly died. After
his surgery he was left in a very weakened state physically, mentally, and emotionally.
His natural strength was abated. In his weakened condition the Spirit was able to move
in his life and to express qualities of meekness, gentleness, humility and love. In his
vulnerability and weakness he expressed many words of regret about his past hardness,
and the failures of his life. He called up family members, and with tears he spoke of his
regret over his hardness, and he asked forgiveness of those whom he had hurt.
Over time this man’s strength began to return, and as it has the former hardness that
was a characteristic of his natural man has also returned. He has returned to speaking
hard and injurious words to those around him. As I contemplated this I saw clearly why
the Spirit must bring all of God’s children to places of brokenness. We all “have this
treasure in earthen vessels,” even the very life and Spirit of Christ. Yet this life will be as
a bottle of precious and costly perfume that has never been opened if we protect it and do
not allow it to be shattered. The scriptures give us a beautiful picture of this.

Mark 14:3
While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table,
there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard;
and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

John 12:3
Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet