The Assassins Among Us

This is Part 10 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 9: THE OFFERINGS OF CONSECRATION

Numbers 7:1-3, 10-11 records the leaders’ offerings:

“On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached and brought their offerings before the LORD, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle… And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. And the LORD said to Moses, ‘They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar.'”

Notice what happened: All the leaders brought offerings over twelve days. Each tribe brought the exact same offering—there was no competition, no comparison, no one trying to outdo the others. This showed unity in worship.

UNITY BEFORE BATTLE

But here’s what this reveals: Before Israel could move forward into battle, they had to demonstrate unified worship of the one true God.

Division in worship means division in battle. When God’s people are fragmented in how they approach Him, when there’s competition instead of cooperation, when there’s pride instead of humility in their offerings—they cannot stand together in warfare.

Psalm 133:1-3 declares the power of unity:

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, and life forevermore.”

“There the LORD has commanded the blessing.” Unity in worship isn’t just nice—it’s where God commands His blessing. It’s where His presence manifests most powerfully.

JESUS’ PRAYER FOR UNITY

John 17:20-23 records Jesus Christ’s prayer for unity:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Notice what Jesus prayed for: “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.”

The unity Jesus desires isn’t organizational unity—churches all using the same programs or following the same structure. It’s spiritual unity—believers dwelling in the same Spirit, worshiping the same God, submitted to the same Lord, pursuing the same purpose.

This unity is only possible through the Holy Spirit.

THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 4:3-6 commands us to maintain this unity:

“Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Notice: “the unity of the Spirit.” Not the unity we manufacture through compromise or organizational structure. The unity that the Holy Spirit creates among those who are genuinely in Christ.

One body. One Spirit. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One God and Father.

When this unity exists, worship becomes powerful. When believers come together with the same heart, the same Spirit, the same focus on glorifying God—His presence manifests.

But when division exists, worship becomes empty performance.

THE WARNING AGAINST DIVISION

1 Corinthians 11:17-20 warns about divisive worship:

“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.”

Paul says when there are divisions among you, “it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.” You’re going through the motions of worship, but it’s not true worship because you’re fragmented.

THE QUESTION FOR BATTLE

The question for the battles ahead: Are we unified in our worship?

Not: Do we all agree on every doctrinal detail or every ministry method?

But: Are we one body, animated by one Spirit, worshiping one Lord, pursuing one purpose?

Here’s where this breaks down in practice:

Pride in offerings—”My ministry is more important than yours. My gifts are more valuable. My service matters more.” This destroys unity.

Competition in worship—Churches competing for numbers, leaders competing for recognition, ministries competing for resources. This fragments the body.

Division over preferences—Worship style, teaching emphasis, ministry focus becoming grounds for division rather than diversity within unity.

Sectarianism—”We’re the real Christians. We have the truth. Those other believers are compromised.” This grieves the Holy Spirit who unifies the body.

The Numbers 7 principle was simple: Each tribe brought the same offering. No one tried to outdo the others. No one withheld because they felt less important. They came together in unified consecration before they could move forward in unified battle.

ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE

Acts 2:1 shows this principle in action:

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.”

“All together in one place.” Unified. Waiting. Worshiping. And then the Holy Spirit fell with power.

Acts 4:32 describes the early church’s unity:

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”

“One heart and soul.” This is the unity of the Spirit. Not forced uniformity, but genuine unity produced by the Holy Spirit among those who are truly in Christ.

THE WARNING FOR BATTLE

The warning for the battles ahead: You cannot fight effectively in a fragmented body.

When believers are divided over non-essentials, competing for recognition, prideful in their offerings, sectarian in their attitudes—the enemy has already won. He doesn’t need to attack a body that’s attacking itself.

But when God’s people come together in unified worship:

His presence manifests powerfully His blessing is commanded His power flows unhindered The enemy cannot stand against unified faith

ONE VOICE

Romans 15:5-6 gives us the goal:

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Together… with one voice.” This is the consecrated offerings principle. Not twelve different voices competing for attention. One unified voice glorifying God.

APPLICATION

1. Are you contributing to unity or division in the body of Christ?
2. Are your offerings (your service, your gifts, your worship) given in humility and unity?
3. Is there pride, comparison, or competition in how you approach ministry?
4. Do you see other believers as partners in the same body or competitors for recognition?
5. Are you seeking to be recognized, or seeking to glorify God alongside your brothers and sisters?

The tribes of Israel came together in unified offering before unified battle. The same is required of us. Division in worship means division in battle.

But unity in the Spirit—one body, one heart, one voice—that’s where God commands the blessing and manifests His power.

TOMORROW: Element 10: The Lighting of the Lamp – Maintaining the Light

We’ll discover why preparation isn’t a one-time event but an ongoing discipline.

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Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 9 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 8: THE BLESSING – CARRYING GOD’S NAME

Numbers 6:22-27 records the Aaronic Blessing:

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.'”

Notice the final verse: “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

God puts His name on His people. This isn’t ceremonial language. This isn’t religious metaphor. This is covenant reality—God identifies His people by placing His name upon them, and He commits to blessing them.

AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

But here’s what most believers miss: Carrying God’s name comes with both authority and accountability.

Exodus 20:7 warns about misusing God’s name:

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

When God puts His name on you, you represent Him. You carry His reputation. You speak with His authority. But you also bear the responsibility of not profaning that name through your conduct.

This is why the blessing comes after the first seven elements of preparation. You don’t get to carry God’s name into battle until you’ve been properly positioned, cleansed, consecrated, and tested.

THE NEW COVENANT REALITY

But under the New Covenant, God does something far greater than placing His name on us externally.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 prophesied what God would do:

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Notice the transformation: God doesn’t just put His name ON us. He gives us a new heart, puts His Spirit WITHIN us, and empowers us from the inside to walk in obedience. This is internal transformation, not just external identification.

YOUR NEW IDENTITY IN CHRIST

Revelation 2:17 speaks of the new name we receive:

“To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

Here’s the New Covenant reality: God gives you a new name—a new identity in Christ—AND He places His Spirit within you to transform you from the inside out. You don’t just carry His name externally; you’re indwelt by His Spirit internally.

This is why the Old Covenant couldn’t produce what the New Covenant produces. Israel carried God’s name, but they didn’t have His Spirit dwelling within them to empower obedience. They had external identification without internal transformation.

But in Christ, you have both:

A new name (Christian—Christ-bearer, belonging to Him) A new heart (transformed desires and affections) A new spirit (regenerated, made alive) His Spirit within you (the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, empowering you)

This is the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

Romans 8:9 establishes who truly belongs to Christ:

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

This is critical: If you carry the name of Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ. The two are inseparable. You cannot claim to belong to Christ while living in the realm of the flesh, ignoring or resisting the Spirit of God who dwells in you.

The new name and the indwelling Spirit are the marks of the New Covenant. You’re not just called by God’s name—you’re transformed by God’s Spirit.

THE RESURRECTION POWER WITHIN

Romans 8:8-11 contrasts those who live in the flesh with those who have the Spirit:

“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Notice what this means: The same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in you if you belong to Him. You don’t just carry His name externally—you carry His Spirit internally. This is the source of your authority in battle.

THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME

Philippians 2:9-11 reveals the power of the name we carry:

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The name you carry—the name of Jesus Christ—is the name above every name. Every knee bows at this name. This isn’t motivational language. This is spiritual reality.

When you enter the battles ahead, you enter with His name, His Spirit, and His authority.

The enemy recognizes the name of Jesus Christ. Demons tremble at that name. Darkness flees before that name. Not because of who you are, but because of whose name you carry and whose Spirit dwells within you.

THE WARNING

But here’s the critical question: Are you carrying His name with clean hands and a pure heart? Are you living in the Spirit or in the flesh?

Acts 19:13-16 shows what happens when people try to use Jesus’ name without genuine relationship:

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

The demons knew Jesus. They recognized Paul—a man who genuinely carried Jesus’ name and walked in the Spirit. But these seven sons? “Who are you?”

You cannot carry God’s name in authority if you’re not walking in the relationship and obedience that name requires. You cannot invoke Jesus’ name while living in the flesh and expect spiritual power. The enemy knows the difference.

2 Timothy 2:19 makes this clear:

“But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.'”

APPLICATION

1. Do you understand the weight of carrying the name of Jesus Christ?
2. Are you living in a way that honors or dishonors that name?
3. Is the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—actively at work in you?
4. Are you trying to use His name without walking in relationship with Him?
5. Would the enemy recognize you as belonging to Christ—or ask “who are you?”

You carry the name above every name. You have the Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwelling within you. This is your authority for the battles ahead.

But authority without obedience is presumption. The name without the relationship is empty religion.

TOMORROW: Element 9: The Offerings of Consecration

We’ll discover why unified worship is essential preparation for unified battle.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 8 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 7: THE CONSECRATION OF COMMITMENT – THE NAZIRITE VOW

Numbers 6:2-5 describes voluntary consecration:

“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall come upon his head.”

The Nazirite vow was voluntary consecration beyond the basic requirements. This was someone giving themselves wholly to God.

CONSECRATION BEFORE MIGHTY WORKS

Joshua 3:5 gives us the preparation command:

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”

Notice the connection: Consecration comes before God’s mighty works. Before Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, before they saw God’s power manifest, they had to consecrate themselves. The same is true for the battles ahead of us.

THE LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12:1-2—yes, we’re going back to this passage because it applies to both testing and consecration—defines what genuine consecration looks like:

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

The testing reveals whether you’re willing to be the sacrifice. The consecration is actually becoming that living sacrifice—remaining on the altar by choice. Not a dead sacrifice that stays put—a living one that chooses to remain there daily. Holy and pleasing to God. Not conformed to this world’s patterns but transformed by the renewal of your mind.

This transformation is the Holy Spirit’s work. The renewal of our minds cannot be achieved through willpower. Transformation cannot be accomplished through religious discipline. The Holy Spirit does the transforming work as you submit to His process through obedience and consecration.

FAITH DEMONSTRATED BY WORKS

But here’s what many miss: Genuine consecration isn’t just internal intention—it’s demonstrated in reality.

James 2:18 confronts empty claims:

“Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

You can claim consecration all day long. The question is: Does your actual life demonstrate it? What would someone see if they examined how you spend your time, your money, your energy, your thoughts?

OBEDIENCE TO THE TRUTH

1 Peter 1:22 connects consecration to obedience:

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”

Consecration isn’t a one-time emotional experience. It’s ongoing purification through obedience to the truth. It’s demonstrated in how you actually love others from a pure heart, not just how you feel in a worship service. And this purification happens as the Holy Spirit applies the truth to your life and empowers your obedience to it.

THE QUESTION OF COMPLETE CONSECRATION

What would complete consecration to Jesus Christ look like in your life? Not just doing the minimum. Not just avoiding major sin. What would it look like to be wholly given over to Him?

What would need to change tomorrow if you truly consecrated yourself for the amazing things God wants to do?

PUT AWAY THE FOREIGN GODS

Joshua 24:19-23 gives us the sobering reality of what consecration demands:

“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.'”

Joshua’s words are confrontational: “You are not able to serve the Lord.” Why? Because God is holy. He is jealous. He will not share you with foreign gods.

The people claimed they would serve the Lord. Joshua made them witnesses against themselves. Then came the test of their claim: “Put away the foreign gods that are among you.”

Not the foreign gods out there in the pagan nations. The foreign gods among you. The idols you’re harboring. The compromise you’re tolerating. The unauthorized fire you’re offering.

Consecration demands you identify and remove what competes with God for your devotion. This is the heart of the Nazirite vow. This is the heart of our choice today.

APPLICATION

What are the foreign gods among you that witness against your devotion?

1. What would complete consecration to Jesus Christ look like in your life—beyond just avoiding sin?
2. Are you a living sacrifice that remains on the altar by choice daily?
3. Does your actual life—your time, money, energy, thoughts—demonstrate consecration or just claim it?
4. What foreign gods are you harboring that compete with God for your devotion?
5. What would need to change tomorrow if you truly consecrated yourself for God’s amazing works?

With consecration complete—foreign gods removed, devotion proven, surrender established—God now does something remarkable: He places His name upon His prepared people and gives them His Spirit within.

TOMORROW: Element 8: The Blessing – Carrying God’s Name

We’ll discover how God places His name upon His people—and what it means to carry that name into battle.

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Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN – Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 7 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 6: THE TESTING OF COMMITMENT

Numbers 14:22-24 shows God testing Israel’s commitment:

“None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”

God tests what we claim to believe. Your commitment will be proven in the battles ahead.

It’s easy to claim faith when life is comfortable. The test comes when following Jesus Christ costs you something real.

A DIFFERENT SPIRIT

Notice what made Caleb different: He had “a different spirit” and “followed fully.”

Caleb saw the same giants the other ten spies saw. He saw the same fortified cities. He saw the same obstacles. The difference wasn’t what Caleb saw—it was the spirit he had. While the ten spies operated in fear and unbelief, Caleb operated in faith and obedience.

Here’s the New Covenant reality: Under the Old Covenant, Caleb had “a different spirit”—a spirit of faith and full commitment. Under the New Covenant, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. It is the Holy Spirit who is the different spirit.

THE ATTACK ON THE HOLY SPIRIT

This is why there is such an attack on—or willful ignoring of—the Holy Spirit and His work in modern Christianity. If the enemy can get believers to dismiss, minimize, or neglect the Holy Spirit, he can neutralize the very power that enables us to follow fully.

Following Jesus Christ fully requires His strength, not yours. Passing the tests of commitment requires the Holy Spirit empowering you. Maintaining faithfulness through the battles ahead requires the Holy Spirit sustaining you.

This is precisely why the Holy Spirit’s role is either attacked or ignored:

Attacked by those who fear His conviction and control Ignored by those who want compromised Christianity without the cost of authentic faith Dismissed by those who prefer religious performance over supernatural transformation

But here’s the truth: Without the Holy Spirit, you will fail the test just like the wilderness generation did. You’ll see the giants and turn back. You’ll face opposition and compromise. You’ll claim faith but refuse to follow fully.

APPROVED BY GOD

2 Timothy 2:15 gives us the standard:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Notice the word “approved.” God is testing whether you’re a worker who can handle His Word correctly, who doesn’t need to be ashamed when examined. This isn’t about earning salvation—it’s about proving genuine faith through diligent commitment empowered by the Holy Spirit.

A LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12:1-3 shows us what that commitment looks like:

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.”

Here’s the test: Are you a living sacrifice? Or do you keep climbing off the altar when things get uncomfortable?

Are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind? Or are you still conformed to this world’s patterns?

Do you think of yourself with sober judgment? Or are you either inflated with pride or deflated with false humility?

These aren’t theoretical questions. The battles ahead will expose what’s real and what’s pretense.

THE PURPOSE OF TESTING

James 1:2-4 reveals the purpose of testing:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

The purpose of testing isn’t to destroy you—it’s to develop proven character. The testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Those who endure the test come out approved, refined like gold through fire.

But here’s what most believers miss: This steadfastness comes only through the Holy Spirit’s power, not human effort. The testing reveals whether you’re relying on yourself or on the Holy Spirit.

THE REAL TEST

When the test comes—and it will come—will you respond like the ten spies in fear and unbelief? Or will you respond like Caleb with “a different spirit,” empowered by the Holy Spirit to follow fully even when the cost is high?

The test isn’t whether you see the obstacles. Everyone sees the obstacles. Everyone faces the giants. Everyone encounters opposition.

The test is whether you have the different spirit—the Holy Spirit—empowering you to follow Jesus Christ fully despite what you see.

THE DANGER OF NEGLECTING THE SPIRIT

This is why neglecting the Holy Spirit is so dangerous. Without Him, you’re trying to pass tests in your own strength. Without Him, you’re attempting to follow Jesus Christ with human willpower. Without Him, you’re claiming faith while operating in the flesh.

The battles ahead will expose this immediately. Compromised Christianity that ignores the Holy Spirit will collapse under pressure. Religious performance without the Holy Spirit’s power will fail the test. Claimed faith without the Holy Spirit’s work will be proven false.

But those who have the different spirit—the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and leading them—will follow fully. They’ll see the same giants and trust God anyway. They’ll face the same opposition and remain faithful. They’ll encounter the same tests and come through approved.

APPLICATION

1. Do you have the different spirit? Is the Holy Spirit actively working in your life?
2. Are you trying to follow Jesus Christ in your own strength?
3. When tests come, do you respond in fear like the ten spies or in faith like Caleb?
4. Are you a living sacrifice that stays on the altar—or do you keep climbing off when it gets uncomfortable?
5. Are you being transformed by the renewing of your mind, or still conformed to the world?

The commitment required for the battles ahead cannot be manufactured by human effort. It can only be sustained by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in you.

Follow fully. But recognize that you can only follow fully by the power of the different spirit—the Holy Spirit—whom God has given to those who obey Him.

Testing reveals whether you’re willing to follow. Consecration is actually becoming that fully devoted follower—moving from proven commitment to complete surrender.

TOMORROW: Element 7: The Consecration of Commitment – The Nazirite Vow

We’ll discover what it means to be wholly given over to God—not just avoiding sin, but actively devoted.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN – Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 6 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 5: CONFESSION AND RESTITUTION – MAKING THINGS RIGHT

Numbers 5:5-7 gives the requirement:

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong.'”

This is the obvious progression from what we discussed in Element 4. Once the Holy Spirit exposes the unclean things in your life, once you identify what must be put out of the camp of your heart, then comes confession and restitution.

You can’t just acknowledge sin exists. You must confess it and make it right.

God’s preparation included a specific requirement:

Confess the sin Make full restitution Add one-fifth to it Give it to the one wronged

GOD DOES THE CLEANSING

1 John 1:9 gives us the New Covenant promise:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Notice carefully what this verse says: He is doing the work. We are only acknowledging and assenting to the purifying work of the Holy Spirit to move in our lives.

You confess. He forgives. He cleanses. You cannot cleanse yourself—remember Job 14:4, “Who can bring clean from unclean? No one!” But when you confess, God is faithful and just to do what you cannot do—cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

This is not works-based righteousness. This is the biblical pattern of sanctification. This is the way of abiding that is prescribed by the revelation of God and the witness of the Holy Spirit.

GRACE AND GOOD WORKS

Ephesians 2:1-10 makes this crystal clear:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

You were dead. God made you alive. It is by grace you have been saved—not by your works. But here’s the critical point: We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Confession and restitution aren’t earning salvation—they’re walking in the good works God prepared for us. They’re the evidence of the life God has already given us. You’re not working to become alive; you’re working because you’ve been made alive.

GOD GRANTS REPENTANCE

Acts 5:31-32 shows the order clearly:

“God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

God grants repentance. God grants forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey. Notice the pattern: God does the work of salvation, and the Holy Spirit bears witness in those who respond in obedience.

Confession is obedience to what God has revealed. Restitution is obedience to what God requires. The Holy Spirit witnesses to this obedience—not because you earned anything, but because you’re walking in the good works God prepared for you. And it cannot be achieved outside the supernatural power of God at work in your life.

You’re not earning God’s favor through confession. You’re submitting to His cleansing process. You’re acknowledging and assenting to the purifying work the Holy Spirit is already committed to doing in you.

RESTITUTION, NOT JUST APOLOGY

The hard question: Is there anyone you’ve wronged who needs restitution? Not just an apology—actual restoration of what was taken or damaged?

Most believers want to skip this step. We want God’s forgiveness without making things right with people we’ve harmed. We want to confess to God in private but avoid the humiliation of confession and restitution to the person we wronged.

It doesn’t work that way.

Matthew 5:23-24 makes this clear:

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

God doesn’t want your worship if you’re harboring unconfessed sin against a brother or sister. The restitution comes first. Then the worship is acceptable.

THE PATTERN OF SANCTIFICATION

Here’s the pattern of sanctification:

1. The Holy Spirit exposes the sin (Element 4—separation of the unclean)
2. You confess the sin to God (Element 5—confession)
3. You make restitution to those you’ve wronged (Element 5—restitution)
4. God cleanses you from all unrighteousness (His work, not yours)
5. You continue abiding in His purifying presence

This is how you stay fit for battle. This is how the unclean gets put out of the camp and stays out. Not by your willpower. Not by your religious performance. By the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to whom you’ve submitted through confession and obedience.

THE QUESTION FOR THE OBSTACLES AHEAD

Are you in the pattern of biblical sanctification? When the Holy Spirit convicts, do you confess? When confession reveals harm done to others, do you make restitution? Are you acknowledging and assenting to the purifying work of the Holy Spirit to continue in your life?

Or are you stuck in religious performance, trying to cleanse yourself, refusing the humility required for confession and restitution?

You cannot enter the challenges ahead carrying unconfessed sin and unaddressed restitution. The Holy Spirit will not empower what He has not purified. God’s presence will not lead where His cleansing has been refused.

APPLICATION

1. Is there sin the Holy Spirit has convicted you of that you have not confessed?
2. Is there anyone you’ve wronged who needs more than an apology—who needs actual restitution?
3. Are you trying to cleanse yourself through willpower rather than submitting to the Holy Spirit’s purifying work?
4. Have you been offering worship while avoiding reconciliation with someone you’ve wronged?
5. Are you walking in the pattern of sanctification—conviction, confession, restitution, cleansing, abiding?

Confess. Make restitution. Submit to the Holy Spirit doing the cleansing work only He can do.

Then—and only then—are you walking in the sanctification that prepares you for what’s coming.

But confession and cleansing are only the beginning. What you’ve confessed and been cleansed from must now be tested. The pressure ahead will prove whether your commitment is genuine—or merely emotional and self-serving.

TOMORROW: Element 6: The Testing of Commitment

We’ll discover why pressure reveals the truth about our hearts—and why this testing is essential preparation for battle.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN – Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 5 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 4: SEPARATION OF THE UNCLEAN

Numbers 5:1-3 records God’s command:

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.'”

God’s presence requires holiness. Uncleanness cannot coexist in His dwelling place.

The diagnostic question: What unclean things are you harboring in your life? What are you holding onto that cannot remain if you desire God’s presence?

WHO CAN BRING CLEAN FROM UNCLEAN?

Job 14:3-5 asks the penetrating questions:

“Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You? Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one! Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that he cannot exceed…”

Who can bring clean from unclean? No one. We cannot cleanse ourselves. But that doesn’t mean we tolerate uncleanness in our lives—it means we desperately need God’s cleansing power.

THE DEGRADATION OF HOLINESS

Here’s what modern Christianity has degraded: the absolute imperative of holiness.

We’ve ignored it and made it seem unimportant with terms like “watered down.” But the gospel cannot be watered down—it is either the gospel or it is not. This highlights the subtle way we try to have God and the world. We’ve acted like a little compromise doesn’t matter, like God grades on a curve, like His holiness isn’t really that serious.

But Scripture asks the question: Can light and darkness dwell together?

LIGHT AND DARKNESS CANNOT COEXIST

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 answers emphatically:

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God.”

Light and darkness cannot coexist. When light enters, darkness flees. The light of God’s presence dispels the darkness—it exposes the sin in our lives, everything hidden will be brought into the open.

Luke 8:17 warns:

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

Everything hidden will be exposed. Every secret sin. Every tolerated compromise. Every unauthorized thing we’ve been harboring. The question is: Will you allow the Holy Spirit to expose it now in private conviction for repentance? Or will it be exposed later in public judgment?

THE WARNING OF UNAUTHORIZED FIRE

The warning from Leviticus 10: Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, and fire came out from the Lord and consumed them.

Are you offering unauthorized fire in your worship? Are you approaching God on your terms rather than His? Are you harboring uncleanness while claiming to serve a holy God?

This isn’t a game. God’s holiness is real, and it demands purity from those who serve Him.

Hebrews 12:29 reminds us:

“For our God is a consuming fire.”

The same fire that warmed Israel in the wilderness and led them by night is the same fire that consumed Nadab and Abihu. God’s presence is holy fire. It purifies what submits to it and destroys what profanes it.

THE HARD TRUTH

The hard truth for the battles ahead: You cannot carry unconfessed sin into spiritual warfare and expect God’s power to manifest. You cannot harbor compromise in your life and expect His presence to lead you. You cannot offer unauthorized worship and expect His blessing in battle.

The separation of the unclean wasn’t optional for Israel. It’s not optional for us.

THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU

What unclean things are you harboring? What sins are you minimizing? What compromises are you tolerating? What darkness is diminishing the light of truth in your life and displacing the position of the presence of God as purifier and sanctifier?

The light will dispel the darkness—but only if you stop protecting the darkness, stop making excuses for it, stop pretending it’s not that serious.

God’s holiness has not changed. His standards have not lowered. His requirement for purity in those who carry His presence has not been adjusted for modern convenience.

APPLICATION

Before you can face the battles ahead, the unclean must be put out of the camp. Not hidden. Not minimized. Put out of the camp of your heart.

Ask yourself:

1. What unclean thing am I protecting or making excuses for?
2. What “unauthorized fire” am I offering in worship—approaching God on my terms instead of His?
3. Am I tolerating compromise because I think “a little” doesn’t matter?
4. Have I degraded God’s holiness in my mind to make room for my sin?
5. Am I willing to let the Holy Spirit expose what’s hidden NOW, in private, for repentance—or will I wait for public judgment?

Once the unclean has been identified and put out of the camp, the natural next step is making things right with both God and others. Separating from sin leads directly to confession and restitution.

TOMORROW: Element 5: Confession and Restitution – Making Things Right

We’ll discover why separation from sin must lead to restoration with God and others.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 4 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 3: THE DUTIES OF THE PEOPLE – KNOW YOUR ROLE

Numbers 1:3 establishes who would fight:

“From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.”

Numbers 1:47-50 sets apart the Levites for different service:

“But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle.'”

God assigned specific roles:

The Levites: Set apart for service to the Tabernacle The Warriors: Numbered for battle

Key principle: Not everyone has the same role, but everyone has a role in the body of Jesus Christ.

ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT

But here’s the deeper reality: We are all members of one body, animated by one Spirit—the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and amongst us.

Romans 12:3-5 establishes this foundation:

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.”

Notice what Paul says: Each member belongs to one another. You’re not an independent operator. You’re not a lone wolf Christian. You are part of one body with many members, and your role matters to the whole.

Scripture consistently teaches this. In 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4; each member of the body of Christ has a distinct role and function, appointed by God through spiritual gifts for the common good. The metaphor is powerful: just as a human body has many parts, each with its own function, the church is made up of many members who are all necessary and interconnected.

GOD ARRANGED THE MEMBERS

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 18-20 drives this home:

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many… But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

The critical truth: It is one Spirit—the Holy Spirit—who baptized us into this one body. It is one Spirit who animates all the members. The same Spirit dwelling in you dwells in every other believer. We are not just organizationally connected—we are spiritually unified by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

This changes how you view your role. The question isn’t “Am I as important as someone else?” The question is “Am I fulfilling the specific calling God has given me in this one body animated by His one Spirit?”

YOU CANNOT FIGHT ALONE

You cannot fight someone else’s battle. You must fight your own, by His prescription and power. But you also cannot fight alone—you need the other members functioning in their roles for the body to be effective in warfare.

The warning for the battles ahead: A body with members out of position, refusing their roles, or thinking too highly of themselves cannot function in battle. When the eye tries to be the hand, when the foot refuses to walk because it’s not the head, when members operate independently rather than in coordination with the one Spirit—the body is dysfunctional and vulnerable.

WHEN EACH PART WORKS PROPERLY

Ephesians 4:15-16 shows us what proper function looks like:

“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow in building itself up in love.”

Every joint. Every part. Working properly. Connected to the Head, which is Christ. Held together by the Spirit. This is what God is preparing through these thirteen elements—a body ready for battle.

THE PERSONAL QUESTION

Do you know your role in the body of Jesus Christ? Are you fulfilling it with sober judgment, not thinking of yourself more highly than you ought? Are you operating in coordination with the one Spirit who animates all the members?

Or are you either inflated with pride about your role, or paralyzed because you think your role doesn’t matter?

In the battles ahead, every member matters. God numbered the warriors. God assigned the Levites. Everyone had a specific function. The same is true in the body of Jesus Christ today.

APPLICATION

1. Have you identified your calling within the body? Are you walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and operating in His gifts?
2. Are you thinking of yourself with “sober judgment” – neither too highly nor too lowly?
3. Are you operating as an independent Christian or as a connected member of the body?
4. Do you recognize that the same Holy Spirit in you is in every other believer?
5. Are you submitted to Jesus Christ as the Head, or trying to function autonomously?

Be lead by the Spirit to your role. Fulfill it through His Power. Stay connected to the other members. Submit to the one Spirit who coordinates all our movements.

Because when the body functions as God designed it—each member in position, animated by one Spirit, submitted to Jesus Christ the Head—we are unstoppable in the battles ahead.

TOMORROW: Element 4: Separation of the Unclean

We’ll discover what needs to be removed before you can move forward into battle.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES

Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 3 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 2: THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE CAMP – EVERYTHING FACES GOD

Numbers 2:2 describes the camp layout:

“The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.”

Here’s the arrangement God commanded:

East: Judah (meaning “praise”), Issachar, Zebulun South: Reuben, Simeon, Gad West: Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin North: Dan, Asher, Naphtali Center: The Tabernacle (God’s dwelling place)

Everything faced the Tabernacle. God was the center. Every tribe knew their position in relation to God’s presence.

THE NEW COVENANT REALITY

But here’s the New Covenant reality that changes everything: We are now the tabernacle.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 declares:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Under the Old Covenant, God’s presence dwelt in a tent at the center of the camp. Under the New Covenant, God’s presence—the Holy Spirit—dwells in you. You are the tent. You are the tabernacle.

This makes the arrangement principle even more crucial. If you are the tabernacle, what is at the center of your tent? What does everything in your life face toward?

WE ARE THE TEMPLE

2 Corinthians 6:16 reinforces this:

“For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'”

God doesn’t dwell in a building anymore. He dwells in His people. The question is: Is His presence actually at the center of the temple He inhabits—which is you? Is His Spirit what leads, guides, and animates you?

KEEPING IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:25 makes this the non-negotiable standard:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

This isn’t a “nice to have.” This is essential to the arrangement of the tent of our lives. If we live by the Spirit—and every believer does—then we must keep in step with the Spirit. That means the Holy Spirit sets the pace, the direction, the priorities. We align our steps with His movement.

Keeping in step requires constant awareness of His presence at the center. When He moves, we move. When He stops, we stop. When He speaks, we listen. When He convicts, we respond. This is what it means to have everything in our lives positioned around His presence.

THE DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION

This is the diagnostic question for your life: What is actually at the center?

Not what you say is at the center. Not what you wish was at the center. What does your actual life arrangement reveal? Your schedule, your priorities, your decisions, your thoughts—what do they orbit around?

Just as every tribe in Israel had to position themselves in relation to the Tabernacle, every area of your life must be positioned in relation to the Holy Spirit’s presence within you. Your work faces the center. Your relationships face the center. Your entertainment faces the center. Your finances face the center. Your ambitions face the center.

If Jesus Christ—through the Holy Spirit—is truly at the center of your personal tabernacle, everything else in your life will be properly positioned in relation to Him. If He’s not, everything will be out of alignment no matter how religious you appear on the outside.

YOU CAN’T FAKE THIS ARRANGEMENT

The reality: You can’t fake this arrangement. Israel’s camp was visible—you could see whether the tribes were positioned correctly around the Tabernacle. Your life arrangement is equally visible. People can see what’s actually at your center by observing what everything else in your life revolves around.

The warning: If God’s presence isn’t at the center of your tent, you’re not prepared for battle. You’re carrying an empty tabernacle into warfare. You have the form of the dwelling place but not the reality of His presence.

APPLICATION

Ask yourself honestly:

1. What does my schedule reveal about what’s at my center?
2. When I make decisions, do I seek the Holy Spirit’s leading or do I decide first and ask Him to bless it?
3. Are my relationships positioned around God’s presence or around my preferences?
4. Does my entertainment, my media consumption, my thought life—does it all face the center or face away from it?
5. Can others see by my life arrangement that the Holy Spirit is actually at the center?

The tribes of Israel couldn’t move forward until they were properly positioned around God’s presence. Neither can you. Before you can face the battles ahead, everything in your life must be arranged around the Holy Spirit’s presence within you.

Not around your career. Not around your relationships. Not around your comfort. Around HIM.

TOMORROW: Element 3: The Duties of the People – Know Your Role

We’ll discover why knowing your specific role in the body of Christ is essential preparation for spiritual warfare.

ABOUT “THE ASSASSINS AMONG US”:

A journey through the Book of Numbers that exposes the assassins working from within and without to destroy the fullness of God among us. Through the Damascus Road framework (STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE), we’re calling believers from counterfeit Christianity to authentic faith in Jesus Christ.

SESSION 1 SCHEDULE: Part 1: Introduction & Damascus Road Connection Part 2: Element 1 – An Honest Survey Part 3 (Today): Element 2 – The Arrangement Parts 4-14: Elements 3-13 (one per day) Part 15: Conclusion & Moving Forward

WATCH THE FULL TEACHING: Session 1 videos available at www.onetrulight.org or search “Assassins Among Us” on YouTube/Rumble

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 2 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 1: AN HONEST SURVEY BASED ON GOD’S WORD

Numbers 1:24 commands: “Do all according to what the LORD has said.”

Before God moved Israel forward, He demanded they measure themselves by His standard, not their own. The same is true for us today.

We must assess our spiritual condition according to God’s Word, not our feelings, not our preferences, not our traditions. The question isn’t “How do I feel about my walk with God?” The question is “What does God’s Word say about my actual condition?”

WHERE MOST BELIEVERS FAIL

This is where most believers fail. We measure ourselves by other believers, by cultural standards, by what makes us comfortable. God demands we measure ourselves by His Word alone.

But here’s the reality: we cannot do this in our own strength. This is where the Holy Spirit becomes absolutely essential.

The first work of the Holy Spirit is conviction—before salvation, He convicts us unto faith; after salvation, He convicts us unto sanctification. An honest spiritual inventory requires the Holy Spirit revealing truth to you.

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE IN HONEST ASSESSMENT

John 14:25-27 shows us the Holy Spirit’s role in this process:

“All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.”

Notice what the Holy Spirit does:

He teaches you all things He reminds you of what Jesus Christ has said He applies God’s Word specifically to your condition

This is how an honest survey happens—the Holy Spirit takes God’s Word and applies it specifically to your condition. He shows you where you’re out of alignment. He convicts you of what needs to change.

Without the Holy Spirit, you’ll rationalize. You’ll justify. You’ll compare yourself to others and feel fine. But when the Holy Spirit does His work of conviction, you see yourself as you actually are according to God’s standard.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

This is directly tied to our abiding in Jesus Christ and our effectiveness as disciples. There is more at stake here than we realize.

If we’re not allowing the Holy Spirit to conduct an honest survey of our lives according to God’s Word, we cannot be effective in the battles ahead. We’ll be fighting with unconfessed sin, unaddressed compromise, and unauthorized worship.

We’ll be warriors who look ready on the outside but are spiritually compromised on the inside.

The census God commanded wasn’t just counting bodies. It was identifying who was actually fit for battle. The Holy Spirit does the same work in us—He reveals who we actually are, not who we claim to be.

THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU

Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to conduct an honest survey of your life?

Or are you resisting His conviction, quieting His voice, ignoring His teaching?

Before you can face the battles ahead, you must let the Holy Spirit show you the truth about your spiritual condition. Not to condemn you—Jesus Christ took that condemnation at the cross. But to sanctify you, to prepare you, to position you for what’s coming.

APPLICATION

Here’s what an honest survey looks like practically:

1. Open God’s Word with humility – Not to defend yourself, but to be examined by it.
2. Invite the Holy Spirit to teach you – “Holy Spirit, show me what I need to see. Convict me where I’m compromised. Teach me what I’ve missed.”
3. Stop comparing yourself to others – The standard is Jesus Christ, not other believers.
4. Act on what He reveals – Conviction without action is just information. Let the Holy Spirit lead you into repentance and transformation.

TOMORROW: Element 2: The Arrangement of the Camp – Everything Faces God

We’ll discover why positioning matters and what it means that we are now the tabernacle.

ABOUT “THE ASSASSINS AMONG US”:

An 8-week journey through the Book of Numbers that exposes the assassins working from within and without to destroy the fullness of God among us. Through the Damascus Road framework (STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE), we’re calling believers from counterfeit Christianity to authentic faith in Jesus Christ.

SESSION 1 SCHEDULE: Part 1: Introduction & Damascus Road Connection Part 2 (Today): Element 1 – An Honest Survey Parts 3-14: Elements 2-13 (one per day) Part 15: Conclusion & Moving Forward

WATCH THE FULL TEACHING: Session 1 videos available at www.onetrulight.org or search “Assassins Among Us” on YouTube/Rumble

PATREON MEMBERS: Get the complete student workbook, teacher’s guide, and all 8 sessions: patreon.com/onetrulight

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org