Three Transforming Experiences - Part 16
The first qualification to enter into this last great move of God—the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles—will be humility. Just as in Gideon’s time, the first qualification is a quality of character.
Also, just as in Gideon’s time, there is a second qualification. To be considered worthy to be a part of the army of God in Gideon’s time, God’s people were tested with water.
“But the Lord told Gideon, ‘There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.’”— Judges 7:4 (NLT)
There will be a second qualification for the people of God to meet on the Day of Atonement. Anyone who is found working on that day will not be allowed to continue on into the Feast of Tabernacles.
“As for any person who does any work on this very day, that person I will eliminate from among his people.”—Leviticus 23:30 (NASB)
I believe that “work” is used here to represent religion without relationship.
The second qualification that will be required for a believer to participate in the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles will be to have a close, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Religion without Relationship
If you witnessed the activity in the Tabernacle of Moses, it would be very easy to get the idea that a life dedicated to God meant a life of work.
There was a lot of work going on in the Tabernacle. In the Outer Court, priests were sacrificing animal after animal, which involved a lot of physical labor. In the Holy Place, the lampstand, the table of shewbread, and the altar of incense required constant attention. Oil had to be produced to constantly keep the lampstand supplied. The wicks of the lamps had to be trimmed regularly. The bread on the table had to be replenished every few days. Burning coals and incense had to be constantly supplied for the altar…
As a priest in the Tabernacle of Moses, it would be very easy to believe that a life dedicated to God is all about ministry—that it is all about doing things for God … until we get into the Holy of Holies.
There is nothing to do in the Holy of Holies. In Moses’ time, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to place the blood of the sin sacrifice on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant. But now, Jesus, our High Priest, has placed his own blood on the Mercy Seat in Heaven, once and for all (Hebrews 9:12). There is nothing more to do there. No work is allowed in the Holy of Holies. Jesus has done it all. There is nothing we could do to add to what God did.
This is where we finally find the REST that is spoken of in Hebrews chapter 4.
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.** For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. **Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”—Hebrews 4:9-11 (NKJV)
In that place, we finally realize that life in God finds its fulfillment, not in doing something, but in fully *being *sons and daughters of God, conformed to His image, in intimate relationship with Him.
God didn’t tell Moses to come into the Holy of Holies to work. He specifically told Moses that when He came into the Holy of Holies, it was for intimate communion with God Himself.
“There I will meet with you and, from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the Testimony, I will speak intimately with you of all which I will give you in commandment to the Israelites.”—Exodus 25:22 (AMPC)
This is a major stumbling block for many believers. Spiritually, we enter into the Outer Court experiences of Salvation and Water Baptism, and we see a lot of ministry going on around us in Christian communities. Many believers stop there, but some press on into the Holy Place experiences of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Sanctification through the revealed Word of God, and looking around, there is still a lot of ministry being performed. It is so easy to believe that the Christian life is all about ministry and doing things for God.
Martha believed this.
“But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.’”—Luke 10:40 (AMP)
If we believe that the Christian life is all about ministry involvement, then Jesus’ response to Martha will make no sense to us. Jesus flatly refused to send Mary to help her sister with the ministry work. Instead, He pointed out that Mary had made the better choice of relationship over ministry activity.
“The Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.’”—Luke 10:41-42 (CEV)
Many believers will never learn this truth until it is too late. Having dedicated their lives to ministry work, they will be deceived into a false sense of security. It will only be on Judgment Day that they realize their folly of pursuing religion without relationship with God.
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”—Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV)
Many believers are complacent in their false belief that they will rule and reign forever as the Bride of Christ, only to discover too late that they will not even be allowed to attend the wedding feast because they never developed a relationship with the Bridegroom.
“But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked. Later the others also came, and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.’ But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].’”—Matthew 25:10-12 (AMP)
Three Transforming Experiences
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