Pioneering into Christ
Written by Sam Sullivant
There’s a beauty in the simplicity of justification by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). It’s a huge weight off our shoulders as believers in Jesus. When we turn to the Lord’s voice in humility and trust, it disables a whole list and record of wrongs that are held over our heads. We may still walk out the consequences of our sins, but inwardly there is liberty. We are never meant to exit, ignore or fall short of grace by returning to the Law in order to sort out our sins and life issues (see Heb 12:15). We always want to aspire to have a clean and free heart. Even if issues can’t always be resolved, may humility lead us to the simplicity of trusting God in all situations.
That said, there is also a dynamic in following Jesus that involves endurance, fervent pursuit and wholehearted devotion. To ignore this dynamic is to ignore the word of God. There is a lot of talk throughout church history of an inward path or inward journey, and even desert father writings that involve similar language. I’m not too interested in exploring those writers to validate or invalidate their messages. However, I do want to address the Divine call and need to pioneer into Christ.
I say this because there is a true inward journey and a myriad of false ones. The true inward journey is simple, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14). Clearly here Paul is pressing on into Christ Jesus. The inward journey is an upward call to know Jesus and that call is fulfilled in Him. In essence, if we’ve been in the Faith for any season of time we should be able to examine ourselves (2 Cor 13:5) to see if we are on the true path into Christ. Endurance alone won’t cut it, but rather faith, patience and endurance are much needed on the journey out of this world and into Jesus. We are still in the world, but we are (increasingly) to NOT be of this world. This begins internally by a work of the Holy Spirit, but this journey is meant to increase even exponentially as inward freedom and liberty from the world and its systems. This journey is ultimately unto a wholehearted yoking to Jesus Christ for the sake of eternal destiny and purpose. The enemy is very good at focusing us on our earthly destinies, when truly the temporal realm will always fall quite short of the eternal purpose in Christ. If we are going to pioneer into Christ, we’re going to have to lose our present wineskins. It’s a journey into unknown and uncharted territory for the believer. It is not safe or for comfort-seekers. So the former wineskin, or understanding, will have to be shed off of us.
What is a wineskin? A wineskin could be a tradition, a form of prayer or worship, a rhetorical method, a persuasive technique, a school of thought, a curating of spirituality, a pet teaching or practice. In Jesus’ time it was the sacrificial system, and all that may have been added to that system to reinforce a natural, earthly order. The religious form became an idol in and of itself. It is carnal to God. There can be a lot of routine, comfort and even joy found in the wineskin, it can be something that God used to be apart of, like the Old Covenant, but is no longer approving or using. That said, it is so important we avail all things on the altar of true worship (Rom 12) including our rituals, routines, traditions and more if we are to be true followers of Jesus. This means a holy discontentment with temporal things. We don’t need to disdain the natural world, but rather, all things pertaining to life and godliness are gathered into Christ. For western christians, we often dovetail our personal or group agendas into a theological view. We love our lifestyles and aspire to ideal vocations, including myself, and we spiritualize the whole package. I’m not saying the Lord isn’t at work in our lives, but I believe in that condition, our discernment is quite tainted and the relationship Christ desires is hindered.
For many believers worldwide, shortly after conversion to Jesus they are persecuted for their faith. I’m not glorifying this beyond what’s necessary, but it is truly an honor to suffer for Christ and Jesus said as much in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” Why do I bring up persecution? Because my focus on personal destiny will become quickly disrupted if I am persecuted for my faith in Jesus. Perhaps a lack of resistance against my faith in Jesus is a sign that I’m not on the right path.
When it comes to pioneering, there is nothing easy about it though the grace and power of God is given to those who dare to go outside the present religious wineskin to seek Jesus, and I mean seek Jesus… Not another form, religion, person, place or thing. To know Jesus is going to mean being pressed on all sides, thus pioneering into Christ reorients us to the true eternal Person. I believe in eternal rewards, but even rewards don’t become our object, simply knowing Jesus becomes the goal. Remember the prize is an upward call by God that is completely in the Person of Christ Jesus. Some may think that’s too vague, but truly once you hear His call and follow, the simplicity and sufficiency of Christ alone becomes quite a real experience with trackable warfare and victories to show for it.
The Lord’s goal is Light and Life possession unto spiritual fruit-bearing as right representation, but especially on a corporate level. I don’t mean “right” as in interpreted or perceived by man, but desirable in the eyes of God. Let’s not forget what Paul said concerning their apostolic ministry, “For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing - to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.” (2 Corinthians 2:15-17). If God has broken a wineskin off of you, then you will likely be an aroma of death to the former, except for those who have ears to hear. He is privileging sincerity, not to condone blindness but to free us from it. Jesus wants learners, not stubborn hearts. God is impartial in these matters, but this principle is the difference between spiritual blindness and true discernment. In this regard natural gifts are worthless, only the Life of Christ is worthwhile in spiritual discernment and direction. Do we believe He is available in such a capacity?
The truth is that if we enter the Lord’s narrow path to purity, holiness and indwelling Life, we will surely suffer. But the goal is to know Jesus in suffering and may we count it all joy. What awaits us on the Lord’s path is always an increase of His Life, not head knowledge and status. He is not just offering life in type or shadow, but an increase of the revelation of Jesus Christ inwardly. That is Resurrection Life. The test of whether we are on the true path or not is Jesus Christ as Life in us. Sounds simple and mysterious, but is quite true and tangible when we experience Him as Life. May we pass our tests in the race of faith and press on into Christ!
“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:4-5)