DEDICATED TO AN EXPANDED AWARENESS OF GOD'S "MYSTERY ... WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU"

Vol. 1, No. 3

September, 1976

We have many members in one body (but) all members do not have the same %unction. Romans 12:4

As our country celebrates its bicentennial year and starts its third century, Maranatha Center starts its first year. Though no ministry develops and operates independently of the whole Body, and without the direct operation of hundreds of the children of God, the vision for the ministry of Maranatha Center was specifically given to three men. Those three men are pictured on this page standing in front of their portraits in the main meeting room of the Center. Each man has had a very different function in bringing the Center to its present operational phase.

(continued)

PUBLISHED BY MARANATHA CENTER

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By Bill Volkman

In no area of life is the little childrenyoung men-fathers sequence of growth more apparent than in the area of prayer. A person's prayer attitudes and habits will reveal a lot about his true spiritual maturity and his understanding of union-life.

Do your prayers take the form of asking, anticipating or affirming? Is your concept of prayer petitions and persistence, or praise and performance, or spontaneous words of faith and authority spoken as part of your life for others?

ASKING

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Lk. 11:8,9

God always deals with us where we are at. When one of the disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray,'' Jesus gave them a model prayer for beginners - The Disciples' Prayer. "Our Father who art in heaven," etc. However, we must not assume that we should forever pray in that fashion. We frequently call this the "Lord's Prayer," but Jesus never prayed like that. For example, compare the real Lord's Prayer, as found in John 17 with the Disciples' Prayer. Because Jesus understood a level of prayer beyond their present comprehension, He prefaced His illustrative prayer for His disciples with these words, "For your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him" (Matt. 6:8). Yet to accomodate them where they were at, He still taught them to ask for needs.

Both Matthew 6 and Luke 11 give the disciples' Prayer and teach the concept of importunity, that is, persistent asking. Jesus told a parable to illustrate the certainty of unanswered prayer. The parable seems to stress that it is not the relationship that brings results, but the persistency. Even

though the neighbor is a good friend, he responds to the request to borrow some food at midnight based on the need and persistency, not on the basis of friendship. But Jesus knew that the emphasis needed by the immature at that point was that of involvement by importunity.

Jesus then goes on to talk about the father-son relationship, and concludes, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit (the indwelt, permanent gift of "all things") to those that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13). But to conclude from this that we should "ask for the Baptism of the Spirit" or for any other supposed "need" is to miss the point.

In a continuing spiritual infancy, many of us insist on focusing on our needs, especially external physical needs, such as healing and monetary prosperity. We continue to plead and beg and ask because we have learned little of the blank check inherent in the name God ascribed to Himself - I AM. What kind of a name is that? It is a name that is pregnant with potential. He is total sufficiency to each of us according to whatever we envision our needs to be. But because of our separated outlook, we see God as a distant, sometimes reluctant, dispenser of gifts.

Our supply is therefore limited by our unbelief, and by our limited perspective of God. Because our God is too small, our supply turns out to be meager, just as the Egyptian provision turned out to be meager for the Hebrews. As long as we look to our personal effort and the world (Egypt) for our supply, we will sense inadequacy just as the Israelites did.

Because we see God as a helper, at best, we tend to physically and mentally sweat for the fulfillment of our needs. When that does not provide adequate supply, we work at "prevailing prayer" to convince God that we are needy and serious. But self-effort of any brand is not God's way. The priests were told to wear linen clothing in the temple, and not to wear "anything which makes them sweat" (Ezek. 44:18). This was God's way to teach them that God's mercies are always dispensed solely on the basis of grace. We must learn that prayer is not getting God to do something, but letting God press through in love to us.

Gradually our focus changes. As spiritual young men we begin to recognize something of God's preexisting supply. As the Godhead provided for our salvation before the foundations of the world - before we even sinned - so we begin to see the unrealized potential of God's supply in all other situations. Since our supply is proportionate to His supply (which is obviously unlimited), we finally come to see the supply in every manifested need. We move from the level of asking to the level of anticipation.

ANTICIPATING

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19

But at this stage we still have many reservations. Being performance Christians, we stress the "if" in that glorious prayer verse, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 14:6). Though we believe we positionally abide in Him, our separated focus sees our experience at variance with our position. So when we do not "see" results of prayer, and assume they are not answered, we maintain the integrity of Scripture by acknowledging that it is our fault, not the Lord's. Unfortunately, this is a negative acknowledgement - the acknowledgement of an illusion - because God has pronounced that we do abide in Christ, and that His words do abide in us.

Another reservation comes in the form of the convenient distinction between a "need" and a "want." God will supply our needs but not our wants. If a positive supply is not forthcoming, we presume that we have asked amiss - that we have asked for a want rather than a need.

Our performance orientation also affects our prayer habits. We convince ourselves and others that the more we sacrifice in prayer time and effort, the greater the efficacy of the prayers. We assume that the difficult and impossible situations are only reversed "by prayer and fasting" (Mk. 17:21). Lengthy allnight and early morning vigils seem to get better results. Kneeling, praying with outstretched hands, holding hands, laying on of hands, and other externals all seem important to many of us in this second stage. I do not want in any way to demean these externals. At this stage in our experience, all of these

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things have great significance to us and are meaningful expressions as we try to relate to an imminent, but still distant, God. If you have what to you is a meaningful prayer life, do not try to change it.

The recent books on praise by Carothers and others have helped many to improve their focus in prayer. Thanking God for each situation, and thanking Him before visible supply becomes evident, has brought meaningful victory to thousands. The practice of focusing on and seeking the Giver instead of his gifts, on His ways instead of His words, has added vitality and reality to the prayer life of many. The Israelites experienced a wonderful and adequate provision in the wilderness. Not only was there manna, quail and water; but apparently their clothing and shoes never wore out, and their health was not impaired for the entire forty years (though many died of old age).

Although many of us experience wonderful answers to prayer, and see our external needs met by God's limitless provision, few go on to the third stage of prayer - words of faith, affirmation, spontaneous being.

AFFIRMING

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory . . . . Eph. 3:20,21

When a fixed union consciousness finally takes us, asking and anticipating are replaced with affirming, that is, fourth dimensional intercession. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 16-21 quoted in part above, is probably the best exam-ple of a mature believer's prayer. Verse 20 summarizes the three perspectives of prayer-ask, think, and affirm (according to the motivating power within you). This prayer certainly differs materially from the beginners' Disciples' Prayer and the prayers of young men.

With a union perspective, our focus is on our oneness with the Giver, and we see through every "need" to Him and His pre-existing supply. Even when we fail in "doing our part," faith realizes the supply. "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim. 2:13). Since we are "Himself," He will not deny us, for He cannot deny Himself. With a union consciousness, we do not distinguish our

selves from God, for He is us, and we are He and each other. This is why Jesus said, "If you say (not pray) to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it shall happen" (Matt. 21:21). The emphasis is on the words "beyond all that we ask or think." All of life will become conscious and unconscious worship, praise and prayer. In selfgiving love we will sometimes go through certain prayer routines for others who still cling to an external approach to prayer, but sessions that were meaningful in the past will hold no further appeal for us.

How can we pray aright? What is a spontaneous word of faith? How can we pray without ceasing? Once again, union-life gives the answer - our spirit with His Spirit. It is not surprising that the victory chapter, Romans 8, gives us the answer to adult praying.

... (F)or we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself' intercedes ,for us with groanings too deep, for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (pv 26,27).

True intercession is more than verbalizing prayer for the needs of others. Intercession is a life for others. It is "being put to death all day long" (Rom. 8:36), for others. Only with this perspective can we pray without ceasing. The plentiful Canaan provision finally becomes a faith reality as we experience abundant supply in every area of life. But there will not necessarily be any correlation between our effort and the abundant supply. Sleeping in quiet confidence will sometimes make more sense than working harder or engaging in midnight prevailing prayer (Ps. 127:2).

It is well to learn the wisdom of the expression, "Don't pray through; see through." Don't pray through the circumstances, see through the circumstances. See through the current or impending, distressing circumstances to the redemptive purposes that we know are there.

Prayer should not have as its objective changing God's mind. We are to pray, "Thy will be done," not "Thy will be changed." Prayer should not be a way to escape or avert our present circumstances, but an opportunity to confess (agree with) God in every circumstance. To pray for change is to say, "No, God; no, Master." Obviously such prayer is not prayer, it is unbelief.

When we agree with God in our spirit, we are free to spontaneously speak an authoritative word of faith, and a positive answer is assured. However, a visible change in circumstances is not our objective. The proper objective of prayer is to bring ourselves to the point of release. We must see ourselves released so we can let God be God in the circumstances just as they are.

But the word of faith need not always be consciously verbalized. We must come to see that all of life, conscious and unconscious, is a word of faith. The Living Word is our life. Ultimately we will see that all of life and just "being" is prayer. With a matured union-life perspective we will see ourselves as "I am." Sometimes we will "call into being that which does not exist" (Rom. 4:17) by a spoken word of faith. At other times we will say and do nothing, but eternal results will come about by the spontaneous "power that works within us.

Many use Daniel 3:17,18 as their proof text for unanswered prayer.

Our God whom we serve is able to

deliver us from the furnace of blazing

fire; and He will deliver us out of your

hand, 0 King. But even if He does not

I believe this affirmation of Shadrach, Mesheck and Abednego to King Nebuchadnezzar was a mature word of faith. I believe they were saying, "Irrespective of the visible outcome, we will know a deliverance from your hand, O King." As spiritual fathers, these physically young men saw their deliverance in realized faith, irrespective of visible circumstances.

Again, in the Disciples' Prayer it says, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt. 6:13). Then why does it say in James 1:2-"Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations." (KJ)? Such seemingly contradictory verses are easily reconciled when you see that there can be varying perspectives dependent upon our level of maturity, or inner awareness.

Mature prayer is intercession by declaration or attestation. There is an attitude of willingness to substitute and die for others with self-giving love. Examine the Lord's Prayer in John 17 and list the evidences of self-giving love. On the top of the list is Jesus' prayer, "that they may be perfected in unity" (v. 23). Our perfection comes as unity consciousness is experienced by

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faith-by our acknowledging reality. A declaration is a statement of authority. An attestation is a solemn declaration of a fact. It is not the fact. It merely certifies the truth; it affirms the fact to be genuine or true. Authoritative prayer, "saying" prayer, is the experience of spiritual fathers who have realized a unity consciousness.

But can you speak the word of faith for anything at any time? Yes, "all things" are the realized possession of those who see the All within. Mark 11:24 says, "All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." A spiritual father, a "sayer," speaks the word of faith after he has waited on God, after he knows what His will is, and after he has already realized the answer by faith. Substantive realization is not necessary; but if it comes, it comes after objective realization by faith. The Power within us is unlimited, except for the limitation imposed temporarily by our unbelief.

Some people do not understand Jesus' statement, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me" (Matt. 26:39). They confuse soul-level temptation to doubt with the sin of unbelief, or negative believing. Jesus did not sin; He merely had a human reaction of doubt on the level of His emotions. But He immediately saw the reaction as illusion, so He added, "Yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt." His human reaction was the stepping stone to His positive affirmation of faith.

Paul's prayer concerning his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-9), is another classic example of mature prayer. "Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' " In the flesh, Paul undoubtedly desired a change of circumstances. As he waited on God each time, the word came clear that God had a higher purpose in keeping the outer circumstances of the thorn in the flesh unchanged. So his outer entreaty changed to an inner consciousness that the manifestation of God's grace in the midst of unchanged circumstances was more important than any external change.

Recently my wife was scheduled to go in for shoulder surgery. The shoulder socket needed to be rebuilt so that her arm would not slip out of joint, as it had since she was a teenager. I could not pray for her

healing, for I saw no need in my inner being. I could not even expectantly praise God for what I knew He was going to do, even though by faith her restoration was already realized in my inner being. I found that I could not pray in the conventional sense.

However, for the benefit of my twelve-year-old daughter, I did verbalize and affirm Marge's oneness with Him who is Life. I affirmed the Peace and Power that relentlessly works within her, in spite of her fear and doubt at the soul/body level. During all this I experienced, perhaps for the first time, that mature, spontaneous prayer of Ephesians 3:20-a sense of oneness with Him who is the mutual Power within Marge and myself. The external outcome was obvious peace in Marge, "successful" surgery, and excellent recovery. But the visible results were anticlimactic for me, compared to my experience of spontaneous "being."

I find that to the extent that I do verbalize any prayer, it now only takes the form of affirmation. The prayer is liberally sprinkled with "I affirm," "I recognize," "I am aware that," "I say," "I declare," "I embrace the reality of," "I deny the illusion of," etc. All my words are affirmations of positive believings.

Your personal approach to prayer might vary considerably from mine. Do not try to change your prayer attitudes or methods. As you come to see and know more clearly who you are in Christ, changes will come about spontaneously, without self-effort. "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). But I predict that your prayers will progress from asking to anticipating to affirming and spontaneous being.

by Dan Stone

Union-life is the summit position for living the Christian life. You know the truth of the above sentence if you have personally discovered union-life. Union-life testifies to a union of believer and Christ.

Many know the unsettleness produced when their Christian knowledge is restricted to the Christ of history coupled with a vague idea of the Person of the Holy Spirit. It is a life of spiritual "Highs and lows." However, let me hasten to add that the Christ of history is still the saving Christ of the Cross. That is, we first know Him in this revelation: the Christ of the Cross.

The typical Christian's response to this limited understanding of Christ is to try to offer Him his best in personal commitment. This commitment takes the form of religious service, activity, and an outwardly moral life. Ah, but we are all familiar with the results. They are defeat, discouragement, and disillusionment. We are left with religion separated from life. Most of us finally ask ourselves, "Have I been cheated?"

I have experienced this sequence myself. I was saved, so I wanted to offer God something in return to show my gratitude. So I did. The result was an inner spirit of frustration. Some good was accomplished; no doubt about that. But I had no abiding sense of His eternal Presence within. It was as if He were "out there", remote from what was taking place in my life. I was unsure of myself. Re-dedications to do good were frequently made in my "secret closet." I would run the maze and once again exit at the same end: frustration.

I have concluded that the revelation of the Christ of the Cross does not reveal to the believer his full and complete victory. It only confirms to him his justification from sins.

Victory Life is. different, though Christ is not different. Only our revelation of Him is altered. I have likened the difference to the view a theater audience has of a stage. When the curtain is only slightly open, they see a part. But when the curtain is fully extended, they see it all. The stage scenery has not changed; but the view has

What are some of the altered views in the Victory Life?

1. FROM EXTERNAL TO

INNER REALITY

A person with the union-life

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perspective transfers from the external Christ, who works for him and for Whom he works, to the internal Christ. This internal Christ lives in him as his "I". Paul states it so well in the familiar Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Of all the New Testament writers and figures other than Christ, Paul was the unparalleled exponent of this .,mystery".

Once a believer discovers the inner Christ, usually he seeks a special gift as the confirming sign of the Indweller. At this point the Holy Spirit is more likely to be viewed as a Power than as a Person. But as his vision matures, the believer moves from an absorbing concern with ecstasy and external miracles as confirmations of the Holy Spirit's Presence, to a fixed awareness of His inner Presence.

Compare it to moving to a new home; you consciously remind yourself of its location, the telephone number, and maybe even the house number. You even consciously point the car in the right direction at 5:00 p.m. But as soon as you are settled in, you live spontaneously. You are the unconcerned occupant of the new home. You are fixed in the awareness of where you live.

2. FROM DOUBLE TO SINGLE VISION

One of the Biblical statements of the Victory Life position is "seated in the heavenlies." The statement has to refer to an inner position, for there is no way to conceive of this position literally. This statement represents the believer who sees himself in the Victory Position. This position causes a Christian to see God in all circumstances.

With our spiritual vision we see with the single eye (Matt. 6:22,23 KJV). Single vision sees through the external appearance of separated opposites and declares God is the One working in every event to accomplish His own purposes.

As products of the Fall we start by seeing all things in terms of opposites: light and dark, sweet and sour, good and bad. The fallacy of this viewpoint is to consider these opposites as truly separated rather than complementary.

Union-life does not deny what is seen; it does deny the finality and reality of what is seen. Union-life says that God is using every event to cause the person or persons to come to Him. Single vision says God is the only real Person in the universe. The entire universe is form through which God manifests Himself.

Thus, persons occupying the Victory Position see God operating on

that side of the opposites where we usually deny His Presence.

3. FROM TIME CONSCIOUSNESS TO NO-TIME (ETERNITY)

Another consequence of Victory Life is the awareness of the timelessness of the "heavenlies". Previously, we were imprisoned by the necessity for God to constantly manifest Himself to us in order for us to be sure of Him. But once we experience Victory Life, we sense that time, as we use the term, is not a reality in the spirit realm. A study of scripture shows that things are considered as completed now in God's sight. Our fixed inner awareness tells us that events are completed which may not yet be finished in the earthly time sequence.

What we have sensed in our inner consciousness will be manifested at some time. But our anxiety, or our "taking thought" over that anticipated manifestation, is erased, for we have already seen the conclusion in the spirit realm. The need for physical proof is removed. We see it done. God is bound; He will manifest. We rest. We praise. We thank. We need not ask again.

4. FROM STRIVING TO RESTING

Though the list of Victory Life byproducts is long, the last one I want to discuss here is Rest. When you see God only (single vision), you have seen the heavenlies where God alone is Sovereign. When you have moved into eternal time where the Sovereign is the Conquering King, you have the desires of your heart, for your heart is His heart. You have entered the Sabbath-Rest. Of course, rest does not mean inactivity; it means activity from the position of full supply-the position of a co-son and joint heir. You are the vessel of the Victorious King. You live easily and spontaneously, calling the things that be not as though they were (Rom. 4:17). You know who you are!

CONCLUSION

This Victory Life is the overcoming position. I am persuaded that the Holy Spirit desires to lead every believer to this position. I am further persuaded that God uses all events of our lives to press us into seeing this position as our resting place. For it is only here that we operate as fully-functioning sons.

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Q I have always tended to be overweight. It is - not a gland or health problem; I know it is accentuated by frustration and times of pressure in my life. If self-effort and personal discipline is not the answer, what is? If you want to change a bad habit, whether it is over-eating, or laziness, or smoking, or nail-biting, what should a person do?

A How does one change a bad habit? Don't try. . But much more radical than that, change your whole negative outlook on yourself. Instead of seeing yourself as a poor, weak human with some distressing habits (over-eating, smoking, or what not), see and delight in yourself as God sees and delights in you - as His precious possession, as His dwelling place, as His holy temple.

You should admit to yourself and to Him that there are certain things you like and to which you are partial. Admit that you are tempted to feel guilty about doing those things, and that it might be better if you were rid of them. But also honestly admit that a main reason for wanting to be rid of them is because they hurt your own self-esteem or reputation in the eyes of others.

Then tell the Lord that since you like them, you will go on with them; it's no good trying to stop doing them, and you are not going to bother about it. But being His, if He wants you to stop them, then you take the position of faith that He will do it in His own way and in His own time. Meanwhile you are free, refusing the guilt or condemnation of others. You continue to "love God and do as you like!" And God does have His ways of doing things!

Q. Can you know God without knowing Christ?"

A .Son; You can only come to God through the

.Son; redemption is through Christ alone. However, even in those cases where Christ has never been manifested in the world, the Bible says He was available in the Spirit before He ever came in the flesh. Speaking of the children of Israel, 1 Corinthians 10:4 says, "they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." And in Hebrews 11:26 it says that Moses "counted the reproach of Christ greater than the riches in Egypt." 1 Peter 1:10,11 says that the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets of old - before Christ ever actually came in history. Christ is the Eternal Person, the Lamb slain from the foundation

Q of the world (Rev. 13:8). In God's sight He has always been the slain Christ. Explain the term 'fixed inner consciousness.'

Doesn't this have to be experienced on the soul (mind and emotion) level? Is this an experience common only to union-lifers, or was this the basic experience of many deeper-life exponents?

Fixed inner consciousness is a condition of

A. spirit, not of soul (reason or emotion). Consciousness is knowing something. "Knowing" in Bible terms means "being mixed with the thing we know." (That is why the word "know" is used when speaking of sexual intercourse in Genesis 4:1, etc.)

Such "knowing" is possible for the human spirit on a human or temporal level. Thus, a competent professional man "knows" his profession and can operate at ease in it. He has a "fixed inner consciousness" of his profession.

But the true knowing (fixed inner consciousness) is a Holy Spirit's knowing, in the same way in which the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - know each other in a fixed consciousness. We, the redeemed, enter into this in seed form when "the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."

Then when we come into an inner knowing of our union with Him, ("He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit"), confirmed by His inner knowing in us, we come to a more mature form of eternal fixed consciousness. In time we learn to discern between soul and spirit, and no longer confuse emotional disturbances or rational questionings for the stillness of the fixed spirit-knowing (which is really "being"). For "we know" that "we know" that "we know" - which was John's final emphasis in his great first epistle (1 Jn. 5:18-20).

From there we move on to inner knowings in the outer confrontations of life. As we see through to Him in all things, we enter into those knowings of faith that He is certainly doing this or that against all outer appearances. We "call the things that be not as though they are" (Rom..4:17). This is the "father" form of fixed inner consciousness.

Such "knowing," which is the inner fixed fact of our spirit-being, is called by Jesus, "eternal life" (see John 17:3). This is on another dimension than rational thinking; and is (whether in seed or fullgrowth form) the realized fact in everyone born of the Spirit.

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BREAKING A BAD HABIT

By Bill Volkman

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the sur
passing greatness of the power may be of God and not from
ourselves. 2 Cor. 4:7

After a full-scale rebellion for over three years, from ages 16-19, my son Scott "came home." Though drugs and strong drink miraculously became history overnight, he battled another habit for many weeks. Scott had concluded that for him, smoking cigarettes was a bad habit. This is not to say that smoking or any other habit is necessarily an absolute wrong for all. The Apostle Paul put it well when he said, "I know and am convinced that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him that thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean" (Rom. 14:14). Because of personal persuasion, Scott purposed to quit smoking.

By sheer self-resolve and careful planning (such as making his cigarettes as inaccessible as possible, and purposing to smoke only if he could "bum" one), he cut his two pack (40 cigarettes) a day habit to about five cigarettes a day. But he knew that this still was not victory and freedom when the battle raged constantly and defeat occurred five times a day. The temptations and periodic "slips" of humanity are one thing; but endless battle and defeat is another.

So the day came when Scott said to the Lord, "I am through trying. I can not stop. If you want me to stop, you will have to do it."

Scott has never smoked since that day. At the time, even the desire to smoke evaporated. In fact, smoke still bothers him.

At the time, Scott did not even recognize the key as to how his smoking habit was broken. He just saw it as another miraculous working of God in his life. All he knew was that he had "committed the problem to the Lord," and God handled it.

But Scott now sees four concepts as being basic to his breaking the habit of smoking. All four are inherent in the phrase-"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels ..." (2 Cor. 4:7).

The first truth to recognize in breaking a bad habit is that we are only earthen vessels-that apart from Him we are hopeless and helpless. We must be willing to agree "that nothing good dwells in me" (Rom. 7:18). God can not be everything to us until we first see that we are nothing apart from Him.

The second concept to recognize is that as Christians we all have a Treasure within - the person of Christ Jesus. We do not have to live by our faith; we live by His faith. The King James version of Galatians 2:20 makes this clear when it says, ". . . And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." For too long we have been

taught to have faith and to let God help us to exercise our faith. We must come to see ourselves as dead and "crucified with Him ... that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Rom. 6:6).

The third concept for breaking a habit is found in Romans 8:2-"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." These two laws must not be seen as necessitating a struggle in our lives. In spite of temptations, slips, and the illusions of battle, the truth is that only one law is operative from God's viewpoint-the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

In our dual outlook we see the law of sin and death operative on our "soul/body level," and God's Spirit of life law operative on our "spirit level." But with a unified outlook there is no room for two laws. As we are free to choose to misuse ourselves, we must see that we are also free to choose to break a particular habit. Because of union-life we are competent, volitional beings who can do all things. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). The vacillation of Romans 7:15 ("I am doing the very thing I hate") and Romans 7:19 ("I practice the very evil I do not wish") need not plague us. Because of oneness we are competent and adequate to deny the illusions of the flesh, and cling to the reality of who we are in union-life with Christ. "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who has made us adequate" (2 Cor. 3:5,6a).

Finally, we must learn to avoid regrets and selfcondemnation. If future temptations and slips in the area of the habit do come, we must not condemn ourselves. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Though we must realistically face the results of our negative believings, we must not embrace them with regrets. "Sorrow which is according to the will of God is repentance without regret" (2 Cor. 7:10 NAS). True repentance is focusing on God midst failure, not a focusing on our failure. We must allow each negative episode to have redemptive purpose in our life. We must permit each temptation and seeming defeat to establish us, not condemn us. We must acknowledge His life and faith in us, and go ahead in confidence.

Whatever the nature of your "bad habit" or "weakness in the flesh" (whether it is over-eating, or an impure thought life, or anything else), allow the insights above to bring you to the freedom which is part of your inheritance in Christ.