The Anatomy of a Fifty Foot Fall

There is another problem that I have with “deeper life” books and with the “holiness” teachings that tend to surround them. The problem is that some of them give the impression that there is a point of “arrival” where santification is concerned.

My view is that it is just the opposite. I believe that no matter how well along you think you are in being conformed to Christ’s image, there is always a brother, or a sister, or nasty suprise that can show you that you still have a long way to go. Paul’s rebuke of Peter in Galatians 2 shows this to be exactly the case.

Does scripture say “ye are complete in Him”? (Col 2:10). Yes. But it means that the completeness is in Him and we have that completeness by being in Him. We do not have it of ourselves. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil are ever-present to tempt us away from abiding in Him. And that makes it possible to have a Fifty Foot Fall.

The best way I can explain a Fifty Foot Fall is to show you a version of it that exists in the Hebrews scriptures.

2 Chr 26:1-23

1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.

2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

6 And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.

7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.

8 And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

9 Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

10 Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.

11 Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.

12 The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.

13 And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.

14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.

15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:

18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.

19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.

20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.

23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

(KJV)

A wonderful king this King Uzziah. He was wonderfully obedient to God all the days of his reign, going from strength to strength in his obedience to God. But eventually that very strength tempted him into operating contrary to the LORD, his God. And you’ll notice that it was the written word of God that he transgressed. Only the Aaronic priesthood was commanded to burn incense before the Self-Existent One. No one else, no matter how better they might be, was authorized to do so.

Here is what I believe happens when it happens in Christianity. I believe it a case where a Christian servant of many long years of experience has had so much experience of obeying and executing Christ’s will that he or she eventually comes to believe that there is no difference between his or her will and that of Christ’s. It is when that fatal misapprehension finally occurs in an old servant of Christ that the Devil finally sees his opportunity and moves to tempt the old servant away from Christ. The Fifty Foot Fall ensues.

All the great servants of Christ are given one last opportunity to destroy their ministry before they leave it to other men to carry on. This I believe.