First Principles … But Keep Moving!
“Leaving the first principles … let us move on to maturity”, Hebrews 6:1.
When we consider the life of Jesus, we see Him ministering in ever-changing environments.
We see Him being the very radiant expression of the Father’s Love. At the same time we see Him being the fiery prophet scolding the pharisees.
We see Him being the grace Gift of God Himself and we hang unto His every word, dripping with sweetness, satisfying our inner-being, turn the page and we see Him pronouncing God’s judgement on those He had been sent to who received Him not!
Who is this Jesus?
What is His Message?
Is it love?
Is it grace?
Is it judgement?
… Truth is — He is all these things and so is His Message.
Our biggest problem many times seem to be that we are stuck somewhere in the principles of God that was meant to move us to the full maturity of being sons of God, sons who understand the Son!
What are these first principles that Paul tells us to move on from, let us look at some of them —
Holiness
- One of the first principles that follows salvation is holiness.
We have a deep inner desire to live clean and to live close to God. We want nothing in our lives that would cause any kind hindering in our walk with God.
Here is the problem, many never pass this first principle to grow into the principles God intended for them to grow into, so that they would become mature and complete, growing into the “full stature and measure of Christ”.
All they hang unto is holiness, and so that is what constitutes their entire relationship with God — they have to be holy, live holy and they join a holiness church and listen only to holiness messages.
They are stuck in a principle that was meant to influence them before moving them along!
Ministry
- The second principle that follows holiness is the desire to do things for God and to be equipped for ministry service.
After you have been saved for a while you develop a deep inner desire to be useful to God and His Kingdom.
You want God to use you, Mightily! This desire drives you to study and listen to as many men and women whom you perceive as having been greatly used of God and to absorb as much as you can to prepare you for your ministry and the calling you perceive to be on your life.
Many fall into the ministry ditch and ministry becomes their everything. It becomes the way in which they know and serve God. They live for ministry and it consumes their entire life.
Intimacy
- For those who do move past the first principles of holiness, love, grace and many more and of being equipped for ministry and being used of The LORD, who bypassed the ministry ditch, finding their calling and ministry without losing focus of the fact that they do not serve ministry, but that they are fore-mostly called to be sons of their Father and that ministry would be the outflow from their relationship of intimacy, in service to the Father — for them, a wonderful new principle awaits.
The principle of discovering intimacy and Revelation in God in a way that they could never imagine it could be.
They, as Mary of old, also come to discover that there is no richer place than siting at Jesus feet.
They discover the Source of all Wisdom and in doing so discover that all they had thought they knew before is suddenly dwarfed and undone!
No form of ministry, no matter how powerful or successful it may be, could ever be more satisfying than receiving intimate secrets in Revelation from The LORD Himself, while enjoying deep intimacy in His Presence.
They learn about Union with Christ and discover the secrets of the Kingdom that are reserved only to those who would enter into the principle of coming to know true Union with Christ.
For them intimacy, ministry and the Kingdom of God takes on a whole meaning and dimension – because for the first time they begin to understand it for what it really is, learning its truth, principles and ways from the perspective of the Master Himself!
Yet again there is danger in prolonging in this principle as marvelous as it is. It is possible, like Peter,
James and John, to want to stay on the mountain of His Presence and never to return!
To sit at the feet of The LORD forever, never wanting to move from that place of intimacy, Union and Revelation, forgetting about the whole world around you and living from one encounter the next and one Revelation to the next.
Maturity
- The place Paul urges us to attain to lies beyond all these former principles.
It is the place of growing into becoming all of the above, not throwing any of them away! Of allowing the Holy Spirit to transition you through every principle, while deeply impacting your lifer, as He does, so that at the end, you may emerge formed into the fullness of a mature son, who ministers, lives, walks and worships in Union with the Son!
It is when this final stage is fully developed in us, when we no longer work, worship or minister, but walk in harmony and Union with Him Who now works, inspires our worship and harmonies Himself in ministry through us!
It is here where the Character, Nature and Personality of Christ (The Spirit) has become a living part of who we are and is expressed in us in all He is, all He says and all He chooses to do through our lives.
Herein we become true sons and pure vessels of His Presence.
A fountain that produces Living Water to quench the thirsty, riverbed of His Person and His Presence!
~ Johann van der Hoven
Johann van der Hoven has been in service of The LORD since 1991 and has hosted numerous mass revival meetings in South Africa and abroad and is a published author. He is the visionary of Fellowship of the Believers, host to “Eagle Food” Apostolic & Prophetic Seminars, and currently pioneers “Deeper Life” Revival School International, from South Africa where he resides. For more info visit www.sonsofsovereignty.com
Phenomenal. Just awesome. Thank you.