Mr Bill -
I had a question that I was seeking God to answer it was "what was the difference between a Great man of God and a normal Christian"
The answer was simple - Holiness
This then me in another quest - the quest for Holiness and I devoured book after book after book on the subject, while all the while seeking to be taught and led by the Holy Spirit.
It was Hudson Taylor that termed the expression "the exchanged life"
The exchanged life can be summed up in this scripture "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me" Gal 2:20
Identification - it not surrender that you need you'll just plain old wear yourself out going down that road and end disillusioned and worn out.
Read the words of Hudson Taylor closely - "The Lord Jesus tells me I am a branch. I am part of Him, and have just to believe it and act upon it"
Do you see the revelation that Mr Hudson received to make him fully aware of his identity in Christ.
Here another man called Derek Prince - I remember my mum saying to me you must come to church, the blind see, they deaf hear and demons are being cast out... What I saw in that meeting that night I will never forget. However I have never came across anything like it since. So I knew that this was a man I had to investigate as he was different - the authority he carried with him was not man made it was supernatural.
Here is how the revelation came to him and truly became identified with Christ.
But one night during this period I had a very vivid dream. And in my dream I saw a typical open air meeting. A circle of people standing around and a man in the middle preaching. And as I watched the man and listened to him I said to myself, "What he’s preaching is pretty good.” But there was something I didn’t like about the man. It was like he was hunchbacked and he had a club foot and altogether he looked crooked. So I woke up and I thought, "I wonder what that meant,” and dismissed it. But about two weeks later I had the same dream again. So this time I said to myself, "God must be trying to tell me something. I wonder who the man is?” And it was like the Holy Spirit said to me what Nathan said to David, "thou art the man.”
And it opened up to me a completely new aspect of salvation. I was soundly saved by most standards, baptized in the Spirit, serving the Lord, but there was something in me that was crooked and unacceptable to God. It was the old man. I didn’t have any gospel understanding of God’s program for the old man. I had to find my way through these things.
Well, about the same time Easter was coming on and because of the Easter season somehow I had in my mind a mental image of the hill of Golgotha [or Calvary] and the three crosses on it. But the middle cross was much taller than the other two. And it was like the Holy Spirit put me through an examination. He said, "Now tell me, for whom was the middle cross made?” But it was as if he said, "Be careful before you answer.” So I stopped and thought and I said, "It was made for Barabbas.” And he said, "That’s right.” Because it really was not made for Jesus. Do you understand? Barabbas was due to be executed. But he was released at the last moment, Jesus took his place. So then he said, "But Jesus took the place of Barabbas.” I said, "That’s right.” Then the Holy Spirit said, "But I thought Jesus took your place?” I said, "Yes, that’s right.” Then he said, "You must be Barabbas.”
And at that point I saw it. I never try to argue with people about that, it’s a revelation. But I saw that I was the criminal for whom the cross was made. It was exactly to my measure. It was appropriate for me. But Jesus took my place.
That made it so vivid to me, God’s program for dealing with the old man. This is quite distinct from the forgiveness of sin. The forgiveness of sins is wonderful but you’re never going to have a life of victory or real fruitfulness as long as that old rebel is still alive inside you. God’s provision is the execution of the rebel. God’s mercy is the execution took place when Jesus died. Our old man was crucified with him. The Old King James says "is crucified” which is the perfect tense. But the more correct translation is "was crucified.” It’s a simple past tense, it’s an actual, historical fact that took place.
This doesn’t matter whether we know it or believe it, it’s true. But knowing it and believing it is going to change you and me.
"And at that point I saw it" Derek became identified with Christ and as Derek says:- knowing it and believing it is going to change you.
Hope that helps...
