Entering the Holy of Holies -- Part 5

"Entering the "Holy of Holies" - the "Most Holy Place"' - Part 5 "Why is my life such a battle?" I used to ask myself. Things seemed to always be a struggle and not going "right" by my standards, and people just were not doing things my way. Then I realized that this life is a battle -a spiritual battle. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, describes this and how to be prepared for the battle. I am in a daily warfare because if the idols of my heart - the things that Satan wants to keep me bound with, that center around me (self-sins). The things I have done, the accomplishments I have achieved, that I am able to do this and that, are what is important to me for significance and recognition. But then my focus is not on God, and the battle will continue. Amy Carmichael says in "Edges of His Ways", "It is not the place where we are, or the work that we do or cannot do that matters, it is something else. It is the fire within that burns and shines, whatever be our circumstances." That fire is the Spirit of God as was present in the Holy of Holies and now indwells us as believers.
When the "old self" dies, we experience the resurrection to a new life of the glory and power of Christ in us. The pain of the cross is forgotten for the veil is removed and we can live in the spiritual presence of God. When the veil of self is removed from our hearts, the pretense is gone, that also removes the veil from our face and our countenance is changed. See 2 Corinthians 3:18. We won't have to pretend; we will have the real reflection of the glory of God through His Spirit dwelling in us.
Our part is to stay focused on Christ and not allow self-focus to veil our hearts and cause separation from the intimacy with God that He desires to have with us. Have you trusted Christ as Savior? Have you entered the Holy or Holies? Renounced those self-hyphenated sins that keep you just outside?
May our Prayer be: "Lord, how excellent are Thy ways, and how devious and dark are the ways of man. Show us how to die, that we may rise again to newness of life. Rend the veil of our self-life from the top down as Thou didst rend the veil of the temple. We would draw near in full assurance of faith. We would dwell with Thee in daily experience here on this earth so that we may be accustomed to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to dwell with Thee there. In Jesus' name." Amen. ---Quoted from The Pursuit of God, Tozer/Draper, 1995, p. 64)

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