Janet Smith – 1-21-18 ©gardenministries.org
A Plumb Line Messenger of Faith (PLMF) carries a message that is completely founded and centered upon Jesus Christ as the only true God and the only way to eternal life with God. When a Plumb Line Messenger of Faith prophesies, it is recognized as the very Word of very God because when their message is delivered, it is incontestably true. Such Messengers do not just operate in the 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14 gifts of the Holy Spirit, they also carry and manifest the Holy Spirit’s fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
In their completed state of becoming one with Jesus Christ, Plumb Line Messengers of Faith are filled to the fullness of the 7-fold Holy Spirit. Like Jesus modeled, they can accurately discern what the Father is doing, and they only do and say what they see the Father is doing and saying. The gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit will testify to the fullness of Christ residing within the Plumb line Messenger of Faith along with the undeniable evidence of the spirit of prophecy resting upon them. Revelation 19:10b “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
PLMF’s were once spiritual children (Greek: teknon) and through faith and patience, have matured into full-grown (Greek: huios) “sons” of his-or-her Heavenly Father. Amidst the many fiery trials and tests, these overcomers wholeheartedly seek to know Jesus as their First Love and hold fast to His Word as they steadfastly trust and obey all that He has clearly spoken to them. Upon growing up, these mature male-or-female “sons” enter into perfect alignment with the 7-Spirits of God and as a result, innately know by the Spirit, how to rightly divide the Word of God, precisely discern truth, and deliver righteous judgments in their sphere(s) of influence.
Just like how Jesus walked the earth, the Plumb Line Messenger of Faith’s character will consistently shine forth Christ’s Philippians 2 character. They will automatically discard all opportunities for self-promotion, self-preservation, and personal opinion in favor of accurately discerning and doing the proper, perfect, and pleasing will of the Father. Obedience is no longer a struggle for PLMF’s. It is their great joy to obey their Lord!
While this may all seem far-fetched and sound unrealistically too ideal, the Bible actually describes an end-time generation of matured messengers who have completed a process of preparation and who shine brightly with unusual insight. In the midst of escalating evil, these shining ones carry the plumb line truth of God to the nations and their living testimony of faith in Jesus Christ leads many to righteousness.
Daniel 12:3 Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Matthew 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
Romans 12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
2 Peter 15-11 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Even in the Old Testament, before the Spirit of God indwelt the faithful, we see an example of plumb line wisdom in 1 Kings 3:16-28 when Solomon righteously judged the two women who claimed the same child. Solomon discerned the two women’s heart motives and then provided a shockingly shrewd exercise to provoke the incontestable truth about what he discerned. The results of the exercise provided the undeniable evidence of who the true mother was, and a just verdict could then be rendered on her behalf.
A New Testament example is found in Matthew 21:23-27 when a group of religious authorities, consisting of chief priest’s and elders, challenged Jesus and His “source” of authority. Jesus discerned their motive and first offered a piercing question of them. His question provoked them to either accept, agree, and align with the truth or fall silent and drop the issue. The same thing happened in the John 8:1-11 story of the woman caught in adultery and about to be stoned to death. Jesus revealed the secrets of their hearts with one question and caused them to drop their rocks and walk away.
Just like a plumb line determines horizontal and vertical center in construction, plumb line truth is dead-center and always confronts that which is not in union with it as being “off-center.” Plumb line truth is a gift to those who seek it and will only look and sound “negative” to those who don’t want the confrontation. Jesus is the Source of all plumb line truth. By His very nature and His Word, the Spirit of Truth, who is Christ, will always confront all that is not in union with Him. Thankfully, God’s profound grace allows for our process of repentance. Seeking to accept, agree, and align with the Truth will set us free to wholeheartedly love God and people and worship Jesus Christ as Lord as He so deserves.
John 4:23-24 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.