In the last article in this series I wrote on my illuminating experience and how I came to understand the Revelation of my identity in Jesus Christ. Now we look at the “The Exchanged Life”. Kathryn Kuhlman shares her experience and reads from a letter written by Hudson Taylor, the great Missionary to China in 1869, over one hundred and fifty years ago!
The Riches of Divine Grace by Kathryn Kuhlman:
In the riches of divine grace a wonderful provision has been made for a constant, unbroken victory for everyone of God’s precious children.
A victory absolutely unaffected by circumstances however adverse and depressing these circumstances may be. Provision has been made by God for everyone of His children for literally an unbroken victory, an unbroken fellowship.
The gift in large measure is unaccepted on the ground of it’s terms. And it’s terms require a surrender which the average Christian is unwilling to make, unwilling to yield. You see, the things that you must pay the most for are the things that are more valuable and what we appreciate most.
The most extraordinary thing about the victorious life is that it’s so infrequently recognized by Bible students. That’s something that has been very difficult for me to understand. Why is it that so many men in our pulpits today, so many of our seminary students and spiritual leaders have not recognized this wonderful life of unbroken victory with the Lord Jesus Christ? Many of them who have thorough knowledge of the Bible know nothing of this truth experimentally and no minister can give to the members of his congregation more than he has experienced himself.
I do hope that there are many ministers of the gospel following me in these “heart to heart talks” not because of me, not because I’m giving them but because they are based on the very Word of God. And if you can catch the glory of the truth that I have been trying to give to you, then you can go into your pulpits and give to your people something that will revolutionize, change their entire spiritual life. And I mean exactly that!
It will change you as a minister. It’s been one of the greatest truths that has been my privilege to receive from the Master. How is it that we are so slow of heart to understand? I believe that the best way to put the case is to describe in some length the experiences of two men who had long been devoted to the service of God. Born again, I would never question the fact that they were born again. If you had read the lives of these men you would agree with me. They were God’s precious children. They were devoted to the service of God.
Like for instance Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China was one of these men. He left a letter written to his sister. A record of his search for holiness, for a deeper walk with God, a constant abiding in Christ Jesus. In this letter he tells of his total inability to see how to get and obtain it. Although you cannot help but see this truth as you read the word of God. Yet, I believe that only the Holy Spirit can make it real unto the hearts of men and women. In this letter written to his sister, Hudson Taylor that great missionary to China, expressed the deep feeling, his great search for this experience that I have been talking about in these “heart to heart talks”.
I quote from the letter: “I prayed, fasted, agonized, read the Bible more diligently, sought more time for meditation but all without an effect. Every day, almost every hour the conciousness of sin opressed me. Then came the question – is there no rest? Must it be this to the end? Constant conflict between defeat and a victory? Too often defeat. I hated myself! I hated my sin and yet I abtained no strength to stand against it. I felt and knew that I was a child of God but how to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless to see. I thought that practical holiness was to be gradually obtained by a diligent use of the means of grace. I thought that there was nothing that I much desired and needed in this world and when my agony of soul was at his very height a sentence in a letter was used to remove the scales from my eyes and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus.“
Do you want to know? Do you desire even as I desired it one day to know what was in that letter? What was that just one sentence that gave to him that which he had sought so long? Alright, I’ll tell you!
Oh, this is thrilling! This is priceless! I read from the letter:
“By faith a channel is formed by which Christ’s fulness plentiously flows down. The barren branch becomes the portion of the fruitful vine. He is the most holy who has the most of Christ within.”
Let me repeat that one sentence. It’s profound. If you forget everything else that this letter includes. If you do not hear another word that I may say in these “heart to heart talks”, remember this one sentence: “He is most holy who has most of Christ within. It is defective faith which clogs the feet and causes many to fall. Abiding, not struggling or striving. It’s looking to Him, it’s trusting Him for present power to subdue all inward corruptions. It’s a constant joy of a complete salvation. A salvation from old sin. Willing that He should truly be supreme. That is not new to me. I have seem to gotten into the edge only but of a sea that is boundless.”
Not a striving to have faith, to increase our faith! Not a struggle at all but looking to the Faithful One, to Jesus is all we need. Resting in the Lord. Just resting completely, entirely on Him for time and eternity that is the secret and that was a letter, that was the sentence which arrested Hudson Taylor’s attention. That one sentence. Not a striving to have faith but looking off to the Faithful One seems all that we need and it’s just that simple.
I shall never forget years ago after my conversion at the age of 14 in that little methodist church in Missouri and then it was sometime after that God so definitely gave me a call to the ministry and that call was as definite as my conversion. Oh, it seemed that every atom of my being cried out for more of Him. I know a physical hunger, but I have never known a physical hunger in my whole life that was as great as the spiritual hunger that I had for Him. I was so ignorant and stupid when it came to spiritual things.
I had no training, nothing whatsoever. I shall never forget those Holiness camp meetings in Iowa. Oh, that’s been years and years ago. If they still have holiness camp meetings I don’t know. I only attended years ago right after I had become a Christian. Before I knew anything about the Holy Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit. All I knew was that I’ve been born again, Jesus had forgiven my sins. I can remember that old fashion tabernacle. Maybe I’m talking to someone who has attended those holiness camp meetings.
Maybe you were there years ago when I was there? So hungry for more. And every time an altar call was given whether it was after the morning session, the afternoon session or night there was a red headed freckled faced teenage girl who was first to walk down the isle, kneel, cry and cry seeking holiness. Seeking some experience I knew not what.
After everyone of those morning services that red headed freckled faced girl would rush to the altar. My head burried in my arms weeping and crying and when the noon, the dinner time would come and everyone else would leave but she was still there. She would still be there when the afternoon service would begin. She was the first at the altar when the call was given again for those that wanted to be completely holy and seeking holiness. I never found what I was seeking there. I was that girl.
I was seeking some experience, some extasy. It was years later that I found out that Jesus is our holiness and the one who has most of His holiness is the one that has the most of Jesus. You talk about the experience of holiness, of sanctification. It’s still a matter of seeking Jesus. You talk about the wonderful experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, it’s still more of Jesus.
And even after one has been filled with the Holy Spirit remember my friend that the Holy Spirit always magnifies and glorifies Jesus. He is most holy who has most of Jesus within. No, it’s not striving to have faith. It’s not a striving for some experience, but it’s looking to Jesus, receiving more of Him and that is your answer.
If you are not saved, that is, born-again please read this article here and accept Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Saviour and Lord. He loves you too much. Please make this decision today, it’ll save your life. God bless you 🙏🏿
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