By Elias Aslaksen Part 1 The Spirit can move and be wherever He wants; but where He rules, there liberty rules—not for evil but for good; not for the flesh, but for the spirit. It is rare for the Spirit of the Lord to rule in the assemblies of God’s people. The leadership, the direction, usually does not come from the Spirit but from people who seek to manage everything as well as they can according to their own ideas or the habits and customs of their forbears, and thus they resist the Holy Spirit. In most assemblies it is the same in these days as in the days of Stephen, when he said, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” Acts 7:51. They know words and letters by heart; they steal them one from the other, as the prophets have said. They find them in the Bible and in a multitude of literature. Meetings are begun by praying a few nice words about the Spirit of the Lord leading the meeting, and they continue by lying and saying that they are leaving everything up to Him. However, this is something they neither do nor want to do. They absolutely do not believe in the leading of this Spirit. They are afraid that something could be said that those who are highly regarded—those who have the most money and the greatest influence in the world—may not like. Then, according to their earthly way of thinking, things would go completely wrong. And what is even worse to them—if the Spirit were to rule who, knows if the pastor himself wouldn’t end up in the background and some poor servant girls and some common laborers who didn’t have the honorable, black tailcoat to wear would come to the foreground. No! This would be impossible! It wouldn’t even look good. This leading of the Spirit with its accompanying liberty is something uncertain. Therefore the pastor himself takes command (he thinks he has good reason to do so) of the church of God—the very church to which the Holy Spirit was sent in order to lead it into all truth. Like a tyrant, like one of the rulers of this world, the pastor uses the baton, and everything and everyone had now best dance to his leadership. If it points at Hansen on a rare occasion, he performs; if it graciously falls on Pettersen, he has to step to it whether he wants to or not. Nevertheless, people are flattered by such honor and grace, not just from God, but from the pastor. The person who is highly regarded in this world is usually given the opportunity to say a few words at the end, and someone who is regarded as being more lowly in people’s eyes is favored with the command (enveloped in sweet words) to pass the collection box around. The tone as well as the look in the pastor’s eyes, impart the unmistakable understanding to the person being addressed that the sweet words in which the order was enveloped were not calculated to invalidate the order itself, but rather to strengthen it. They think that such intimate brotherhood, and such liberty, is worthy of admiration; that it is such magnificent fellowship, such an exemplary imitation of Christ Jesus and His teaching—He who washed His disciples’ dirty feet and who said that the one who wanted to be greatest among them should be the servant of all. If the baton indicates long movements, the poor servant of man follows accordingly, and if it makes short movements, he follows promptly. If by chance there should be a poor soul in the assembly (someone who is led by God’s Spirit to speak the truth to souls because he loves them), it is vital to stop him as quickly as possible. Such things are not allowed—loving souls without further ado and without first obtaining the leader’s permission to do it. “But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you . . . .” Mark 10:42-43. But now we ask: “Isn’t this precisely how it is?” Yes, this is how it is almost everywhere. However, mustn’t the priest or the pastor lead everything and decide everything? Doesn’t he have the authority and worthiness because he was educated to be a priest?! Not at all! All such things are the work of man and thought castles that oppose the work of God. It is a command-like authority that has been seized and is being exercised as the rulers of this world do it. It is a sensual, tyrannical power to which we do not have the least right. Those who submit to it become slaves of men. Therefore Paul exhorts us: “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1 Cor. 7:23. In the old covenant the Levites were priests according to the law of a fleshly commandment. Heb. 7:16. Who is a priest now? All the members of the church, every one in particular according to the gifts and the grace he has received. Peter says, “You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . that you may proclaim the virtues of Him . . . .” 1 Pet. 2:9. What is it that makes us priests for God? It is the power of an endless life, according to God’s calling, and His work in our inner man. There is no other priesthood in spirit and in truth. The first priesthood was instituted by God and was replaced by a priesthood with God’s only begotten Son as High Priest. There is no third priesthood. We are all brothers as royal priests. We cannot have a greater worth. Who has the right to command and rule? No one. Who has the right to love and serve? Everyone. Who has the most right? No one. Who has the right to speak first? Everyone. Who has the right to speak the longest? Everyone. Who can speak most often? Everyone. Who has permission to invite sinners? Everyone. Who has the right to pray with them? Everyone. Who has the right to love and serve them most? Everyone. To give them most? Everyone. Who shall speak unto repentance? Who shall speak unto victory over sin? Who shall speak unto sanctification? Who shall speak about being broken, and who shall speak about edification? Who shall speak so that people are comforted? Who shall instruct, and who shall read out loud? Who shall exhort, and who shall sing? Who shall pray? Who shall begin and who shall end? Who shall take care of the children, and who shall take care of the poor and the sick? Who shall wash the floor of the meeting hall, and who shall air it? Who shall be in charge of leading the meeting? Who shall tend the lambs, and who shall watch the sheep? Who shall feed them? Who shall find the pastures, and who shall find water? Who shall resolve an argument between brothers? Who is best at announcing the meetings? Who is going to take care of the collections? The one who believes! “We also believe, and therefore speak.” 2 Cor. 4:13. The person who is constrained to do it by the love of Christ! “The love of Christ constrains us . . . .” 2 Cor. 5:14. The one who is led by the Spirit. Rom. 8:14. The one whom the Mediator, the Spirit of truth, leads to a truth. He shall guide us into all truth. The one who has a revelation. “But the revelation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” 1 Cor. 12:7. The one who has received grace for it. 1 Pet. 4:10-11. The one who is fervent in spirit. “Be . . . fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Rom. 12:11. “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.” Jas. 5:13. Whom shall we ask for permission? The one who rules. Where a person is in authority, you have to ask nicely and respectfully for permission to serve souls for their eternal well-being. What irony! This entire question becomes superfluous where the Spirit of the Lord rules, for it is He who constrains us to serve, and we can’t very well ask the One who constrains us for permission. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Where there is no liberty, there the Spirit of the Lord is absent. There He does not rule, there He does not have power. “Ascribe power to God” (Ps. 68:34) over yourself and over the assembly. “‘Let Me rule,’” says the Lord.” Who are the shepherds? Those who are found taking care of the sheep. Who are the teachers? Those whom we find engaged in instructing; those whom the Lord finds engaged in these works when He comes. Who are the priests of God? Those whom you encounter proclaiming His virtues. Who has appointed them? The One whom they serve, whose virtues they proclaim, the One whom they love. How can you know that? It is seen and known by their words and deeds. It is noticed by the Spirit they possess. Now let us imagine a faithful soul who, driven by faith and love, takes care of souls. We meet him in his sacrificial ministry, and so we say, “We are going to elect you to be a shepherd.” We think that he has been elected. What has happened? What change has taken place? What was he before? He was found to be a shepherd. What is he now? He is found to be carrying out the same ministry. Therefore: no change. Let us again imagine the same faithful man in his work. The assembly is carnal and people are offended by him. They remove him and elect someone else as a shepherd according to their own thinking. What was he before? He was a shepherd. What is he now? You will find him among the sheep, loving and serving all of them who are willing to be served, carrying a strong shepherd’s staff, sufficiently tough and thick to break the wolf’s neck. Therefore: no change.