The Christian Life

The Book of Numbers pictures the Christian in this world, which to him is a wilderness. In time he discovers it to be a place of separation, a place of discipline, and a place of mobilization. The moment he is born again, he is separated from his old life in Egypt. He then enters God’s school of child training or discipline.

Moses’ message to God’s people was that God’s purpose for them in the wilderness was for discipline. “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep His commandments, or no.” – Deuteronomy 8:2.

God’s people need to be mobilized for the spiritual warfare that they will encounter. For mobilization purposes, there must be certain qualifications for the Lord’s army. Only Israelites by birth were eligible to serve in the army of the Lord.

So it is with God’s people today. Only those that are “Born of the Spirit” can successfully engage in the spiritual battle for the Lord. This principle is overlooked in the modern church. There are many sincere people who truly want to please God and live a good life without being born again into God’s family, trying in their own strength to be accepted before Him.

There are some who “think,” or “hope,” or “feel” that they are in the Lord’s army without the new birth. The next qualification is they must be mature in spiritual matters. “For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.” – Hebrews 5:13.

The third qualification is, he must be placed or assigned. The Lord knows His children, and He knows where each can best serve Him and places them accordingly. Each ministry that one chooses to serve the Lord in must be assigned by God. The self-chosen field of service to God is usually not richly blessed by God.