Greetings to you all!
What is the proper container for God's spirit today? A Ming vase? A gem-encrusted jewelry box? A velvet ring case? Nope. Look in the mirror. There it is, in all its frailty and flaws. Your weak and wobbly frame is where God puts the treasure of His spirit. Why does He do that? It seems rather careless.
The treasure of God's spirit, today, is superior to the spirit given to believers of old, before the gospel of the grace of God went forth from the pen of Paul. How is it superior? Spirit is spirit, isn't it? Yes, but it is the VOLUME of spirit that is different today. It takes luxurious amounts of spirit to believe that God brings the highest messages of blessing to the lowliest people. To believe that God is good to worthy people,
well, an ounce of spirit will suffice for THAT—as marvelous a revelation as it is.
In Israel, one had to be worthy to get a reward, for example: "The meek shall inherit the earth." This was in accord with the gospel of the Circumcision, where works accompany grace. In the gospel of the UNcircumcision, grace is everything. In THIS gospel, idiots and incompetents inherit heaven. Is this fair? Well, no. Fair has nothing to do with it. It is, however in accord with the delight of God's will (Ephesians
1:5).
Here is the guiding principle, 2 Corinthians 4:7: "Now we have this treasure in an earthen vessel, that the transcendence of the power may be of God and not of us."
Got it.
I recorded this message on November 1, 1996 at the Ladies Literary Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Back in those days we recorded messages on audio cassettes. Not many people can play these today. But fear not! Thanks to Rodney Paris of Texas, this message (and others) has been digitized and put to some really spectacular video so that you can relive it.
Truth never ages.
I commend this presentation to you with thanksgiving to God, thanksgiving for YOU, and a great amount of thanks to Rodney Paris who works tirelessly, on top of a full-time job, to bring these treasures to you.
From the edge of the bottom of the Floridan peninsula,
—Martin
