Houston Colonial Hills Conference 1995-03 Marks of a Spiritual Person — William MacDonald

We're going to turn back to first Corinthians chapter 3 and we're going to be thinking this afternoon about the marks of a spiritual person. It's a conference Saturday. It's afternoon if you've had a lovely meal and some of you will be tempted to sleep, and I want to give you a Real, I mean sincerely not a joke if you feel like nodding off.

Please do and don't worry about it. And wives don't bruise your husband if they do it. I think there's nothing worse than Fighting sleep in a meeting. I think it's better to just go ahead and have a few weeks and then enjoy the message.

The Pope has spoken First Corinthians chapter 3 and I'll just read the same nine verses again. And I brethren could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food.

But until now you were not able to receive it and even now you are still not able. But you are still carnal, but where there are envy strife divisions among you. Are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

But when one says I am a Paul another I am a polis. Are you not carnal. Who then is Paul? Who is a policy ministers servants to whom you believe as the Lord gave to each one? I planted a polish water, but God gave the increase so then neither he who plants is anything I like that neither he who plants is anything.

Nor he who waters. But God who gives the increase now he who plants and he who waters a one and each one will receive his own reward. According to his own labor, but we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field.

You are God's building. And taking up this subject I will not be speaking about what I am but what I aspire to be. I Think it's good to begin with that disclaimer and If I use again the personal pronoun he it refers equally to she.

I use it in a generic sense. Actually in the history of the Christian Church I think it'd be fair to say there are more spiritual women than there are men. I think that's fair to say. And I've known a lot of I wish some of our young people I'm speaking about our young people in California.

I wish that someone could know some of the godly men and women. I have had the privilege of knowing a Woman who could recite all of the psalms from memory all of them including 119 and I don't have to have you she was a godly woman almost any experience in life that could arise.

She'd have a verse of scripture to fit it. You with him you have a verse scripture to fit it. She lived in the Word of God. People like that people whose lives were Otherworldly almost as if they didn't belong here at all.

They were living in heaven long before they ever got to heaven and They were living quiet lives of meditation before the Lord. We live such frantic lives, don't we such busy lives, but they knew what it was to meditate on the Word of God and they had a great appreciation of the Lord and Their their motives were godly.

So talk more about that as we go on now when you come to that word spiritual I also want to issue a word of warning the word spiritual and Spirituality are bandied about a lot today by groups that aren't even Christian.

For instance, that's a very popular word in the New Age movement spiritual spiritual. Spirituality doesn't mean what we mean by it at all. A lot of the cults use that word. Spiritual doesn't mean what we mean by it at all.

So just because you read in a paper magazine or I hear the word spirit doesn't mean that it's it's of God. The truly spiritual person is one who walks under the control of the Holy Spirit of God and Manifests the fruit of the Spirit in his life.

That's what a spiritual person is. It's one of the it's a man who walks with an ungrieved woman. Man or woman who walks with an ungrieved Holy Spirit and his life is occupied with spiritual realities rather than with the things of this World.

What are some of the marks of a spiritual person? Goes without saying first of all, he has to be born again. He has to be born again. If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he has none of his. How does this miraculous?

Supernatural marvelous work take place in a person's life and because it is that it's a marvelous miraculous Supernatural work the Spirit of God. Let it take place. First of all when a person is awakened to his desperate need.

When by the Spirit of God, he's convicted of his sin. Robert Murray McShane wrote I once was a stranger to grace and to God. I knew not my danger. I felt not my load though friends spoken rapture of Christ on the tree.

Jehovah's continue nothing to me. But then he said when free grace awoke me with light from on high then legal fear shook me. I Trembled to die. No refuge. No safety in self could I see? Jehovah said can you my Savior must be.

That's how it takes place in a person's life and it's really wonderful. So the person is awakened to his desperate needs convicted of the fact that he is a sinner and Secondly he he abandons any hope of ever saving himself.

He's given up any idea that by his good works or by his good character he can contribute the least thing to his salvation a good step. And Thirdly by a definite act of faith He receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior believing that he died as his substitute on the cross of Calvary.

And when he does believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and surely it from his heart. He's born again. We accept Jesus Christ as his only hope for heaven born again by the grace of God. Then after that a spiritual person is a person who gives a high priority To the Word of God and to prayer.

It would be hard to think of a spiritual person who doesn't do that. He gives a high priority to the Word of God and prayer. I quoted that poem of Robert Murray McShane and somebody says of him. He is the most Jesus like man.

I Ever met and that's a tribute to a person, isn't it? Robert Murray changed and he died at the age of 29. In the full bloom of his ministry left his stamp upon Scotland. His name is still fragrant in Scotland and he died years ago.

But they said of him. He's the most Jesus like man. I Ever met he spent hours in daily communion with the Lord inside the veil in rapturous praise and Adoration. Somebody said he was bathed in Calvary's love.

He would come forth from God's presence to leave the fragrance of Christ as he went from house to house in visitation. What a wonderful thing to have said about you. He left the fragrance of Christ as he went from house to house.

That's a spiritual person the person who makes people think of God and makes them think of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly. The mark of a spiritual person is he has a passionate desire to obey the Lord.

To do the thing that the Lord wants him to do and you know. In fact connection we should think of the most spiritual person who ever lived in his name Jesus. His name was Jesus. He did. I think this is marvelous.

He did only the things that the father gave him to do. He says in John chapter 5. I cannot myself do nothing. I cannot my own self do nothing. Does that mean he wasn't omnipotent of course? He was omnipotent.

But it means that he he was so yielded to the will of God the father that he couldn't do anything in self will. That's wonderful friends. He only whatever he saw the father do he did all things. He only spoke the word incidentally.

That's wonderful. He said I do always those things that please him. That's wonderful. Oh dear friends. They argue could Jesus have sinned to me. That answers it conclusively. He could only he could only do the things he saw the father doing.

If Jesus could have sinned then the father could have sinned. And where are we friends? We have no God and no Lord Jesus Christ. And He could only speak the words that the father gave him to speak. He said that He could only speak the words the father gave to speak.

I think that explains a verse like that even the son doesn't know the time of this coming. He didn't know it in the sense to tell us. Because the father had never the father had never revealed it to his servant Jesus to tell it to us in that sense.

He did not know it. The servant knows not what his master is doing. So that's a wonderful thing. A spiritual person has a passionate desire to obey the Lord. And I've often said that working with young people.

These are the young people that I know that makes the best progress for the Lord. Those who see it in the word they say that's what he says. That's what I'm going to do it. I don't care what others do it or not.

That's what I'm going to do. And next he's Christ centered. Rather than self-centered. I think one of the great marks of a spiritual person. He's Christ centered rather than self-centered. This is revealed very largely by his speech by his speech because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

His motto is he must increase. I must decrease. Not I but Christ be honored loved. Exalted. Not I but Christ be seen. He known be heard. Not I but Christ in every look in action. Not I but Christ in every thought and word he says oh to be saved for myself dear Lord.

Oh to be lost in me. Oh that it may be no more. I but Christ. That lives in me. This is so contrary to the current teaching and evangelical world. Self-esteem dear friends you have to you can't love God if you don't love yourself first.

Sell sell sell sell. Forget it, but yet. It's not of God. All of that teaching is not of God. A Sanctified self is a poor substitute for a glorified Christ. I want to tell you and the secret of victory in the Christian life to be occupied with the Lord Jesus.

Not with self. I thank God that years ago. He taught me that in me that is in my flesh. Well, no good thing never look for anything good in me that is in my flesh, and I've never been disappointed. Because I stir up all my goodness in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh. That it be no more. I but Christ that lives in me. If it makes it so ridiculous when a prominent theologian to whom I'm afraid some assembly Christian Send their money says the great the great mistake of the reformers was that the theology was God-centered not man-centered.

Imagine such heresy. Huh, he had a crystal Cathedral in California. Yeah, the great the great mistake of the reformers was that their theology was God-centered instead of man-centered. He became that marvelous.

I never saw that in the Bible before we never stopped because it isn't there people like discernment. The more to you more you get away from the Word of God a more terrible compound. This is the authority you have to test everything by the authority.

Don't you listen? You don't go by this. It's human opinion and one opinions no better than any other are no worse than any other either. A Spiritual person is never happier than when he's praising the Lord.

Never happier than when he's worshiping the Lord. This person is a real worshipper. If something has happened in his life It's as if the Lord has rolled back a curtain and he stands there before a Calvary's cross and he looks up and sees the dying Redeemer and He says to himself I Did all that to him?

He did all that for me and his life can never be the same. He has that transforming Experience of seeing Christ on the cross and he realizes with a new force. Perhaps that he never had before that it's his God who is dying for him.

Now some of you will have a problem with that. How can how can God die? I want to tell you dear friends the one who died on the cross of Calvary was God. He's the Son of God. Yes. There's a son of man.

Yes God where do you get that? Well, you get it. For instance in Acts chapter 20 Where Paul is talking to the elders of Ephesus that might eat him. He said shepherds the flock of God. Which he purchased with his own blood.

Very strong statement. It's to the deity of Christ, isn't it? Shepherd the flock of God which he purchased with his own blood. I know God he tries to soften that He says with the blood of his own. I like to leave it the way it is.

Helps me in my worship. So how can God die? Our child Wesley in that lovely hymn says to his mystery all the immortal died. Who can explore his strange design? In vain the firstborn Sarah tries to plumb the depths of love divine.

Amazing love. How can it be that? Oh my god. It's died for me now our brethren when they put that in our new hymn book. They they changed it on my lord. It doesn't leave it the way he wrote. It's right.

Oh my god. It's done. Do you know any other religion where your God died for you? That's Christianity different. Hey, well How can God die run the universe? The Lord Jesus is on earth at one moment running the universe.

And then he dies which just changes his location he's in heaven running the universe. There's no problem at all. But anyway, I think that the worshiper the spiritual man has that has a vision of this and he can never never be the same again.

His heart has been captured When he goes through the rest of his life. Worshiping you've met people like this haven't you? It's really wonderful wonderful to me so I often think of Jacob. And I in some ways I'd like to be like Jacob not in his early life in his early life.

He was a shyster. He was a con man. He was a cheat. He was a supplanter. But I want to tell you he went out worshiping. That's the way I'd like to go up to. He went up leaning on the top of his staff worshiping.

Least of his progress in his life wasn't there the spiritual man remains faithful to the Lord in spite of all the trials and difficulties of life. This is a wonderful thing a wonderful thing to see a person maybe going through the fire and Unmoved by it all being true to the Lord Polycarp one of the great martyrs of the Christian Church.

He was threatened first with being thrown to the lions. And then if he didn't recant he'd be thrown to the den of lions to the fire I mean burned at the stake. If he wouldn't renounce Christ this was his punishment.

He said these 86 years. Have I served my master and he never did me any wrong. I cannot deny my Lord and master now and he endured the fire. Rejoicing that he was counted worthy to suffer for the namesake of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritually now you and I don't have grace for that right now, but We're walking with the Lord. He'll give us grace the time ever came. The spiritual man is never satisfied with his own spiritual status.

Never said that in fact the more spiritual he is The more he's conscious of his own of her worthlessness. That's a seeming Contradiction isn't it, but it's true the more spiritual a person is the more he's conscious of his need for personal holiness and personal godliness.

The closer you get to the Lord Jesus The more you see yourself. It's not a good sight. You know here's a straight line, and I say you what's a crooked line you say well anything. That is a straight. That's right the Lord Jesus came into the world a straight line.

I stand before him. And I realize him realize how crooked I am. The Lord Jesus is the light which coming into the world enlightens every man or lightens every man. Yeah. You come into my apartment and You don't.

If it's dark you don't see the dust, but for you turn on the light to see plenty of it plenty of it. The Lord Jesus came into the world all with darkness. But he he illumined it he showed up every man, but what he really is.

That's what makes us in a hurry to come. To him the spiritual man prays Lord make me as holy as it is possible for a person to be on this night of heaven. Good prayer for all of us. So the Spiritual man grieves over the things of the world.

Applaud. I'm struck more and more by. The fact that the world today is attacking every divine Principle that we find in the Word of God. Everyone's amazing. The institution of marriage. Pre-marital sex.

Cohabitation outside of marriage. Extramarital as sex. The family under attack. Even some of the people of the world are acting aghast as what's happening to the family in our country in the terrible consequences.

The headship of men under attack. The obedience of children to their parents. Children can now in some places divorce their parents. How do you like that for a form of insanity? The authority of human government.

See bumper stickers. What does it say question authority. Never says something like that? Question authority. Open defiance of authority. The sacredness of human life. Abortions. And if you do it with abortion you can do it with anything.

The practice of justice. What a joke. The trial it had just taken place in in Los Angeles. Justice. There's two kinds of justice in the United States. One of the defense lawyers said one for people who are wealthy and one for people Who are not wealthy?

When I was in school, I heard that Dean Pound of the law school and he said. He said if you want law go to law school. If you want justice go to theological school. Which was the decision you don't get justice if you go to law school.

And he was the dean of the law school. The evil of habit-forming drugs and alcohol. Spiritual men grieves over these things and and turns them into prayer, you know for this lost and bleeding world. The spiritual man mourns over anything that brings dishonor on the name of the Lord Jesus.

We talked last night was it that night of today about the scandals that have taken place in the evangelical church. He hasn't gloat over them. He said these men are my brethren in Christ, you know. Think of the shame that it brings how the the media the newspapers they love it.

They love to pounce on stories like this breaks your heart. The spiritual person is faithful to the meetings of the local fellowship. He doesn't allow other activities to interfere with his attendance and participation.

When the doors are open you can count on his being there. Michael Faraday was a great English scientist Monday before a very illustrious audience. He was giving a lecture on the properties of magnetism and It was such a tremendous Lecture that he gave that at the ends of people all the people of nobility and everybody else in that Auditorium they rose and gave him a standing ovation.

And when they sat down one of the leaders rose up and proposed a motion of congratulations To Faraday, excuse me, and it was carried with renewed thunders of applause. But then they waited for Faraday to step forward.

But he didn't step forward. He wasn't found anywhere. He had left to go to the prayer meeting in his church a Church that never boasted more than 20 members. There's a man who had England at his feet in scientific circles.

But he had his priorities straight. He went to the prayer meeting. But there never was more than 20 members. Spiritual man holds a light grip on material things. He loves people rather than things. And he loved God rather than money.

It was rather shocking what the Lord Jesus thought. He said that everybody loves either loves God and hates money. Or loves money and hates God everybody. I'm kind of shocking. Isn't it? I didn't say it.

He said it. Either he won't love the one and hate the other. But I hate the one and love the other. You cannot serve God and man. See, what do you mean? Hate money? Money, all right. It's all right if you use it for the Lord.

Or use it for necessary purposes, I think David Livingston has the right idea. He said I'm determined to possess nothing except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. That's good. I'm determined to possess nothing except in relation to the kingdom of Christ.

Telling our young people about George Brewer of Operation mobilization and he had a brain that he had a computer in there and it translated everything into terms of human souls marvelously. He said in our chapel that one day he said if I believe that ten cents would buy twelve cracks and twelve cracks could be Used in the salvation of twelve souls.

I wouldn't spend a nickel on a candy bar. Revolutionary friends and came into my office one day. He was on his way out to Wheaton. He had a Coat that looked like early Salvation Army, you know on him and had a suitcase and Posted with books.

I said, where you going George? He said I'm going up to speak to the students. It was subzero weather in Oak Park, Illinois. So I said well, I said let me drive you up to the bus station. So you won't have to wait out in the cold for the bus.

So he jumped into the car with his suitcase and When we got up there the bus came in in the back of a department store. So I went around the block and I couldn't find a parking space and I Started a second time around.

I started to go into a place where I paid parking space where you think he said don't go in. There's McDonald. I said. He said you'd have to pay it. I said George. And I'm not gonna let you stand out here in the cold waiting for us for weakness.

He said drive around the block George I've already been around the block. He said drive around again. He must have prayed all the way around because when I got back to the bus stop there was an empty parking space there for me.

And when the bus came in he grabbed his suitcase and got out of the car and left the door open long enough for this Parking cell folks. He said if somebody told me there were $5 ,000 at the end of ten city block and I could have them by crawling on my hands and knees.

He said I'd crawl on my hands and knees and I'd be thinking of souls all the way. Then he left me to my thoughts. That's a spiritual man, you know. Thinking of souls. Another day he came. He was really a disturber of my peace.

He came into my room and I had an enormous library at that time, I don't know how many walls it's covered, you know and We were talking all of a sudden I saw him scanning all those books and he said to me mr. McDonald Have you read all those books?

I? Could feel the noose coming around my neck. I Said no George. I haven't read all the books and then he said do you know what's in all those books? I said no George. I knew the noose was getting tighter.

And I said, I don't know what's in all those books. Then he started to say something. He sucked the words back into his mouth. I Said George if you have something from the Lord to say to me you say it.

He said mr. McDonald When I look at all those books all I can think of is souls. What did he mean? It's a wrong for me that book? No. But he meant, you know, I knew what he meant. He meant if you if you read some of those books and you're never going to read them again.

Why don't you convert them into money for the work of God? Or if you're never gonna read I mean you've got diverse 34 writings. They make you look scholarly, but have you ever read them? No, frankly, I had never intended to either.

I Knew it when I think of all. When I see all those books all I think of. Is so a spiritual man holds a light grip on material things. He loves people more than things. He's he he practices separation from the world.

He's conscious of his heavenly calling and dignity. He studiously avoids being entangled in the affairs of this world. You know in a generation past we had him books that have not a lot of hymns about Pilgrimage and separation of the world.

Look for them today. They're not their friend. Here's one of them. Oh worldly pomp and glory. Your charms are spread in vain. I've heard a sweeter story. I found a truer gain. Where Christ a place prepared there is my love to bode.

There shall I gaze on Jesus? There shall I dwell with God. Wonderful, isn't it? All from above and heavenly men by birth who once were but the citizens of earth and It goes on to say we don't seek a home here that gave him but a grave.

You know, I quoted that in assembly lies recently as last week the two young fellows came bracing up to me after this. It's different words to that. Never heard it before. That's right. They're all deleted from the hymnbook.

The spiritual man looks at things from an otherworldly attitude. Yeah, he appreciates the truth that he's seated with Christ in heavenly places and that means he's up there looking down and dear friends when you Look down here from heavenly places things in this earth look awfully small.

Don't they you take off in a plane, you know, and the higher you go the less the things of this earth. They don't seem very important after a while today. What does it mean to be seated with Christ in heavenly places gives you a very detached view of things on the earth?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely thin and the light of his glory and grace. I've often told the story back in the war years where a young man came up to a godly Christian young Christian lad came up to a godly Christian man and Said with obvious delight.

I heard that our bombers were over Germany again last night and the man said I Didn't know the Church of God had bombers. Good. You see he was living in a different level, wasn't he? He was living in a different plane from that fellow.

He had young you're young guy. He was he was rejoicing over the slaughter of innocent women and children. That old man said I didn't know the Church of God had bombings. He didn't mean to be sarcastic.

He's just telling where he lives. That's all and that's a wonderful thing. The spiritual man estimates things by faith rather than by sight. I'd love to tell her I told this morning about Fred Elliot and how in his casket.

They had his Bible like this. I forgot to say they took it out before they closed the casket too precious a thing for that family to give up but one time I was standing in LaGrange, Illinois the front of the chapel there after the meeting talking to Fred and We were having a good conversation.

I mean he was talking about spiritual things, of course and Right, then the California Zephyr went by on the railroad track it had two gigantic diesel engines made a terrible roaring sound as it went by the Train going through the grains and of course conversation had to come to a halt when it was going through.

After it had passed Fred Put his hand on my shoulder and he said Power brother, but nothing like the power that raised him from the dead. I thought it was just a train. But he saw a spiritual lesson there.

He translated from the natural to the spiritual. I know boy. I wish I were like you Fred. And Jesus was always doing that. Talked of wind and skies and waves and birds. But as he brought heaven and earth together he brought heaven and earth together.

Wonderful thing. I counted dollars while God counted crosses. I Counted gains while he counted losses. I Counted my worth by the game by the things gained in store. He sized me up by the scars that I wore.

I coveted honors and sought for degrees. He wept As he counted the hours spent on my knees. I Never knew till one day by the grave. How vain are the things we spend life to say? Spiritual outlook right.

The man of God the spiritual man the person whose roots are deep in God has a passion for souls. I told you about George and how he converted everything into souls. Passion for souls. Only like souls he says.

I see the folks there under bound who should conquer Slaves who should be kings hearing their one hope with an empty wonder. Sadly contented with a show of things. Then with a rush the intolerable craving shivers throughout me like a trumpet call.

To save thee to perish for their saving die for their life. He offered for them all a passion for souls. There's many verses in the Bible. I don't understand. But one of them is in Romans where Paul says I could wish myself a curse from Christ.

For my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh. Some of you can explain that to me after the issue was As far as I'm concerned to be a curse from Christ to suspend eternity in hell. You talk about passion for souls.

He said I could wish myself curse from Christ. For my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh. At least me each. I think of when Carrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy were in the concentration camp and the terrible treatment.

They were getting you know. The one day that she said to Carrie. Carrie, you know when we get out of here. We got to do something for these people and Carrie said of course of course and Carrie was thinking about her fellow inmates there that were suffering so.

That wasn't what Betsy was thinking about. She was thinking of her guards that were inflicting all the cruel treatments upon Her she wanted to win them to the shepherd of love. And Carrie commented. I think this is so beautiful.

She she said I wondered not for the first time. What sort of a person she was this sister of mine. What kind of road she followed while I trudged beside her on the all-too-solid earth? Betsy was walking on a higher plane mind you.

I think Carrie walked on a pretty high plane, too. Special person is willing to part with the dearest thing in life for Christ's sake. Abraham willing to part with Isaac for the sake God. Special person is quick to repent and apologize for wrongs.

He's done to others. He knows how to say I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me in the early days. Dr. Ironside was living in Oakland and one Sunday He and his wife went across to San Francisco and I tell you it was a full Sunday.

It was a full Sunday. I had breaking of bread. They had meetings and he was speaking and then they would have an open air and behave more than one open air meeting that day. And going back in the train at night.

His wife said something to him and he snapped back at her. He was it was popular for a preacher in those days to have a case of nerves and he was having a case of nerves. He snapped back at his wife and she said to him.

What right do you have to speak to me that way? Well, he said dear, you know it's been a rough day and I he started recounting the meetings he had the breaking of bread and the preaching service and the open Air and a hospital visitor.

He said do you realize I've had to speak six times today. She said yes, and I had to listen six times. And he broke the foot of the cross. He had nothing more to say. He said dear I'm sorry and I just asked you to forgive me.

Spiritual man, it doesn't mean that you never make a mistake means when you make a mistake you apologize and make the thing right again. And incidentally the apology never consists never has the word if are we in them, huh.

If I have done something wrong. Lord forgive us. I think he's going to close for this a spiritual Christian joyfully awaits the coming of the Lord. Joyfully awaits the coming of the Lord, although he's content to serve the Lord down here.

He's father rather be with the Lord at home in heaven. He longs to enter the palace and see the king in his beauty and his heart. He took a little factor when he reads in the newspaper the magazine things that Indication that the coming of the Lord may be that much nearer.

It's not afraid to die. We have a California Highway Patrolman in our assembly and he said to me recently so one of the first things I noticed after I got saved is I was no longer afraid to die. Every day he was out.

He's got a bullet. Bullet proof or bullet resistant vest on him set up without the face death every day. He's one of the first things I noticed when I talked to Christ. I was no longer afraid to die. These are just a few of the marks of a spiritual person, I'm sure you've known some.

I Aspire to be one and Inspire that for all the people I know shall we pray Lord. We thank you for creating in our hearts and appetite of thirst. That no earthly stream can satisfy a hunger that must feed on Christ or die.

Pray Lord that you'll wean us more and more away from this world with all its odd dreams litter. That we might be more and more occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ and being occupied with him might become more like him.

We pray as we go forth in this world that men might take knowledge of us that we've been with Jesus The people might say of us a Jesus like person. We can think nothing higher than this. We ask it of the Savior's name.

Amen.