THE DEEPER LIFE
by L. M. Judd
The deeper life is something that nine-tenths of the people in the church of Christ do not know about—at least not experimentally. It is the journey from wherever you are to the heart of the Eternal. Anyone who has come into the place of inner understanding with regard to the deeper life has entered into a holy friendship with the Father; and there are so few who have come into that wonderful place of companion-ship with God to find lodgement in the heart of the Eternal. Perhaps you say, "I should like to go to that place. I think I should like the experience." Of that I am pretty sure, but I am not positive you would enjoy the journey, or that you would like to fulfill the requirements—have the sufferings, for example.
You might ask then, "How many people do you know who have the blessedness of that experience? How can I tell whether people have it or not?"
There are different ways of knowing. Time and space forbid any comprehensive talk on the subject; there is, however, a rather conclusive way to know whether people have the experience or not.
You ask, "Couldn't I tell by their testimony if they say they are dead to self and have put off the old man and put on the new?"
Well, you couldn't be sure; but there is one thing that seems to mark people who have "entered in," and that is the holiness of rest. They who have entered in to the rest of God have unbroken communion with Him; they are always walking with Him and are clothed with the light of heaven, and they have the experience of rest. They are not anxiously concerned about the war; they are not worried about their children; they do not have undue interest in food or raiment; nothing moves them. They have the rest of God, and it's the happiest, most wonderful thing in all the universe to have that rest that remains for the people of the Most High God—just to be in perfect rest, no matter what happens, no matter what people say, or what things are done. Find, then, a person who continues in that perfect rest through autumn, winter, spring, and summer, and likely that person is making the journey into the heart of the Eternal—or has succeeded in making the journey.
In spiritual matters, as in temporal and natural matters, first things come first. And there is a certain gateway to enter—if you are genuinely interested in the deeper life—in order to come into the area where you can begin to make the journey into the heart of the Eternal. You must come into that area before you can take the bus or the streamliner, or whatever way you elect to go into the heart of the Eternal. You have to enter that area before the call of the porter can be heard by the ear of your soul. For instance, if I am going to make a trip to Chicago, I have to go to the station first; so you have to come to the station to get the vehicle that takes you into the place of perfection and absolute rest in God, the Father of us all.
This entranceway is overlooked by thousands because it is so homely—even its very name is unattractive. So many teachers and preachers overlook it because it is such a homely place, and you have to humble yourself to go through it to enter the blessed area of the deeper life. Preachers and teachers themselves are not at all attracted to it; they do not all know about it and they have not all come through it. It touches the heart of a person when you talk about being in God, putting off the old man and putting on the new, being dead to the things of the world, and self-abnegation. These all sound so very grand; but there is only one way to come into the area where the Holy Ghost, the Soul-conductor, will take hold of you and take you in. Only one opening. This one way into the deeper life that is ignored in so many instances by preachers and teachers is entire consecration.
You don't like the sound of it. You are not inspired by it. You are interested, then, in the deeper life? Let me point you to the wicket, let me point you to the gate—entire consecration. If you will pass through that place, if you will pass through that gateway, ere the sun goes down tonight the Holy Ghost will begin His wonderful work of mortifying your members.
You say, "But I want it done all at once." I have heard of that, but I have never yet come in contact with a person who had it done all at once. I know that when you have passed through that gateway the Holy Ghost will take hold of you. He wants to see your members mortified.
"But what is it, anyway?" you might ask. I was asked that question some time ago, and I figured out what it is. A person who is entirely consecrated is one who is entirely given to God—spirit, soul, body, mind, and will. Entire consecration means to do the will of God in all circumstances, in all places, under all conditions, at all times—no matter what the cost.
No wonder the Holy Ghost will take hold of a person like that!
You are not so interested in the deeper life now, are you?
"But I thought it would be . . ."
Well, it won't be. It is easy to talk about these things, and people can even speak with eloquence on the subject; but to possess the experience you will first have to become a consecrated person.
"It sounds like such a simple thing, and yet so kind of homely—so unattractive," you say?
Let me read something in the Bible about it: "And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:25-27).
You can't even be a proper follower—which is what a disciple is—unless you do all these things. And Jesus meant it to be so very strong when He said, "Hate." You must love God so much that your regard for the members of your family will be as hatred compared to the love of God and His wonderful will. Not only that, but you will also have to hate your own life. These, of course, are the words of our mighty Master: "Yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." It is just doing the will of God and bearing the cross—bearing your cross, doing the will of God, and coming after Him.
"But where did He go?" He went to Calvary.
"But wasn't it all done for me there so now I don't have to do all these things?" I remind you that before He went to Calvary He was under the dark olive trees in the center of Gethsemane, and under the light of the kindly Passover moon. There He drank from a cup, and on the outside of that cup were engraved the words, "Not my will, but thine, be done." Think you then, that you will escape all these things? Following Him is the way into the heart of the Eternal.
Yes, I know you would like to have resurrection life. You would like to have the power and the authority that come with resurrection life. But there must be the journey to Jerusalem. Have you never read how He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem? And have you not bowed your soul before that marvelous scene of Gethsemane, where, while His followers slept, He drank to the dregs the bitter cup His Father gave Him, and said, "Not my will, but thine, be done."
I tell you, the deeper life means much more than claiming that you possess something. It means that you become consecrated; and when you really become consecrated, the Holy Ghost will take hold of you, and you will understand what it means to "put off the old and put on the new." "Likewise, whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
These, then, are some vital lessons about the deeper life.
The above may be printed and distributed for the glory of God.
by L. M. Judd
The deeper life is something that nine-tenths of the people in the church of Christ do not know about—at least not experimentally. It is the journey from wherever you are to the heart of the Eternal. Anyone who has come into the place of inner understanding with regard to the deeper life has entered into a holy friendship with the Father; and there are so few who have come into that wonderful place of companion-ship with God to find lodgement in the heart of the Eternal. Perhaps you say, "I should like to go to that place. I think I should like the experience." Of that I am pretty sure, but I am not positive you would enjoy the journey, or that you would like to fulfill the requirements—have the sufferings, for example.
You might ask then, "How many people do you know who have the blessedness of that experience? How can I tell whether people have it or not?"
There are different ways of knowing. Time and space forbid any comprehensive talk on the subject; there is, however, a rather conclusive way to know whether people have the experience or not.
You ask, "Couldn't I tell by their testimony if they say they are dead to self and have put off the old man and put on the new?"
Well, you couldn't be sure; but there is one thing that seems to mark people who have "entered in," and that is the holiness of rest. They who have entered in to the rest of God have unbroken communion with Him; they are always walking with Him and are clothed with the light of heaven, and they have the experience of rest. They are not anxiously concerned about the war; they are not worried about their children; they do not have undue interest in food or raiment; nothing moves them. They have the rest of God, and it's the happiest, most wonderful thing in all the universe to have that rest that remains for the people of the Most High God—just to be in perfect rest, no matter what happens, no matter what people say, or what things are done. Find, then, a person who continues in that perfect rest through autumn, winter, spring, and summer, and likely that person is making the journey into the heart of the Eternal—or has succeeded in making the journey.
In spiritual matters, as in temporal and natural matters, first things come first. And there is a certain gateway to enter—if you are genuinely interested in the deeper life—in order to come into the area where you can begin to make the journey into the heart of the Eternal. You must come into that area before you can take the bus or the streamliner, or whatever way you elect to go into the heart of the Eternal. You have to enter that area before the call of the porter can be heard by the ear of your soul. For instance, if I am going to make a trip to Chicago, I have to go to the station first; so you have to come to the station to get the vehicle that takes you into the place of perfection and absolute rest in God, the Father of us all.
This entranceway is overlooked by thousands because it is so homely—even its very name is unattractive. So many teachers and preachers overlook it because it is such a homely place, and you have to humble yourself to go through it to enter the blessed area of the deeper life. Preachers and teachers themselves are not at all attracted to it; they do not all know about it and they have not all come through it. It touches the heart of a person when you talk about being in God, putting off the old man and putting on the new, being dead to the things of the world, and self-abnegation. These all sound so very grand; but there is only one way to come into the area where the Holy Ghost, the Soul-conductor, will take hold of you and take you in. Only one opening. This one way into the deeper life that is ignored in so many instances by preachers and teachers is entire consecration.
You don't like the sound of it. You are not inspired by it. You are interested, then, in the deeper life? Let me point you to the wicket, let me point you to the gate—entire consecration. If you will pass through that place, if you will pass through that gateway, ere the sun goes down tonight the Holy Ghost will begin His wonderful work of mortifying your members.
You say, "But I want it done all at once." I have heard of that, but I have never yet come in contact with a person who had it done all at once. I know that when you have passed through that gateway the Holy Ghost will take hold of you. He wants to see your members mortified.
"But what is it, anyway?" you might ask. I was asked that question some time ago, and I figured out what it is. A person who is entirely consecrated is one who is entirely given to God—spirit, soul, body, mind, and will. Entire consecration means to do the will of God in all circumstances, in all places, under all conditions, at all times—no matter what the cost.
No wonder the Holy Ghost will take hold of a person like that!
You are not so interested in the deeper life now, are you?
"But I thought it would be . . ."
Well, it won't be. It is easy to talk about these things, and people can even speak with eloquence on the subject; but to possess the experience you will first have to become a consecrated person.
"It sounds like such a simple thing, and yet so kind of homely—so unattractive," you say?
Let me read something in the Bible about it: "And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:25-27).
You can't even be a proper follower—which is what a disciple is—unless you do all these things. And Jesus meant it to be so very strong when He said, "Hate." You must love God so much that your regard for the members of your family will be as hatred compared to the love of God and His wonderful will. Not only that, but you will also have to hate your own life. These, of course, are the words of our mighty Master: "Yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." It is just doing the will of God and bearing the cross—bearing your cross, doing the will of God, and coming after Him.
"But where did He go?" He went to Calvary.
"But wasn't it all done for me there so now I don't have to do all these things?" I remind you that before He went to Calvary He was under the dark olive trees in the center of Gethsemane, and under the light of the kindly Passover moon. There He drank from a cup, and on the outside of that cup were engraved the words, "Not my will, but thine, be done." Think you then, that you will escape all these things? Following Him is the way into the heart of the Eternal.
Yes, I know you would like to have resurrection life. You would like to have the power and the authority that come with resurrection life. But there must be the journey to Jerusalem. Have you never read how He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem? And have you not bowed your soul before that marvelous scene of Gethsemane, where, while His followers slept, He drank to the dregs the bitter cup His Father gave Him, and said, "Not my will, but thine, be done."
I tell you, the deeper life means much more than claiming that you possess something. It means that you become consecrated; and when you really become consecrated, the Holy Ghost will take hold of you, and you will understand what it means to "put off the old and put on the new." "Likewise, whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
These, then, are some vital lessons about the deeper life.
The above may be printed and distributed for the glory of God.