"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."
(Hebrews 5:12)
Salvation depends on revelation. When your own nature is revealed to you, you repent. The more you dig into your nature, the more you find out that your nature is undependable, and that it is dangerous for your life and for those that depend on you. When God's revelation comes to you, you not only know the wretchedness of your condition but also the purpose of God in creating you. If you really progress in the correct direction, you will call God as your 'Father'. You will hallow His name. You will wish for His kingdom to come and that His will may be done in your life. As angels haste to do God's will, you also will wish that His will may be done on earth. But, there is a drive in you that makes you run counter to God's will. That is the deceitfulness of your heart. Man chooses to run after sin and the heart becomes even more deceitful. Such evil is in our blood. "In sin did my mother conceive me." It means she had a body of sin, with sinful emotions. "Create in me a clean heart", is the prayer of a Christian.
When by faith you obey the first principles of the gospel, you feel the joy of salvation. But your old nature tries to woo you back into the life of sin. People who never had a revelation from God, mock at Christian life. The beginning of salvation is by revelation. Christianity was not something that originated in man. It was revelation. But Buddhism originated in man, and it teaches a man to kill his instincts. It does not lead one anywhere. When revelation came to St. Paul, he knew that there was nothing good in him. Next he had further revelation and said, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Then by revelation he was attracted to the Cross. Sorrow for sin makes you to see in the Cross the great power that lifts you. You were self-centered once. But now that self- centeredness gives place to concern for others. You are saved and you seek to save others. As you seek to save others, you see that there are hindering forces in you and you humble yourself further and seek God's help. You grow humbler and humbler. If you do not seek to save others, it means there is something wrong in you. If you cannot help even those you love, what is the use of your life? You love your children; but are you able to give them anything lasting? If not, your love is not true love. Once a small child began to swallow some pills which were within her reach. The mother did not bother to stop it. The child came nigh to death. They treated her and saved her life, but those pills which she had swallowed created a permanent weakness in her. Was this true love?
When I was a student, God used to give me a message everyday and I used to give others that message when I was prompted to do so. One day God gave me a message, and on my way back from prayer I saw a group of carpenters. I sat with them and gave them the message. One of them got converted and became a preacher of the gospel. Have you got a message for others? Or are you still drinking milk? If you are able to eat meat, you will have strength to feed others. When you are eating meat, you are always ready to give a message to others. Many young people were saved when I gave my witness to them as a student, because I gave it with all my heart and with a clean heart. Can't we have victory over the love of money? Can't we have victory over selfishness? We can! It is possible!
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