I have just pulled from my library shelf my copy of Life on the Highest Plane, by Ruth Paxson.  The book was presented to me on August 16, 1975, by Ralph and Myra Hammond. Seeing their names inscribed on the fly leaf brings back many treasured memories. The book was presented to me several years after the truths it contained were shared with me by Ralph and Myra.  I was privileged, in the providence of God, to be a part of a small group of young Christians eager to learn the deeper things of God.  Ralph and Myra, who had discovered the deeper life teaching during a health crisis in Myra’s life, opened their home to share with others the way out of Egypt into the Promised Land of the Christian experience.

The writings of Ruth Paxson reflect the truths we were taught.  More about this in upcoming posts.

Ruth Paxson was born in Manchester, Iowa, and accepted Christ as her personal Savior when she was a child.  She graduated from the State University of Iowa, and afterward spent one year at Moody Bible Institute.  In February of 1911, Miss Paxson sailed for YMCA work in China.  Later she left that work to devote herself to evangelism and summer conference Bible teaching among missionaries in China.

Leaving China for health reasons, Miss Paxson went to Switzerland; then followed a period of Bible teaching on the European continent and at the Keswick Convention in England.

The impact of the testimony and the teaching ministry of Ruth Paxson has been felt around the world.  Life on the Highest Plane is a book that contains deep insights into the Victorious Christian life.

I have been in the Keswick circles long enough to know of the criticism that comes to the language used to describe the Christian life.  I understand it.  I think Dr. Stephen Olford had it right when he said, Call it what you will, ‘the deeper life’, ‘the higher life’, ‘the victorious life’, or ‘the abundant life’, we are talking about the normal Christian life.

I agree with Dr. Olford, forget the other descriptive titles.  What we need to understand is that the victorious Christian life should be the normal Christian life…and so on.

The following examples of Ruth Paxson’s teachings come from His Victorious Indwelling, a collection of quotes from noted Christians:

The spiritual history of every Christian could be written in two phrases, ‘Ye in me’ and ‘I in you.’

In God’s reckoning Christ and the Christian become one in such a way that Christ is both in the heavenlies and upon earth and the Christian is both on earth and in the heavenlies.  Christ in the heavenlies is the invisible part of the Christian. The Christian on earth is the visible part of Christ. This is a staggering thought. Its plain import is that you and I are to bring Christ down from heaven to earth that men may see who He is and what He can do in a human life.  It is to have Christ’s life lived out in us in such fullness that by seeing Him in us, people are drawn to Him in faith and love.

Isn’t this a great insight into the nature of the Christian Life?

I will conclude this post with one more Paxson quote.  More will come later.

God, in His infinite grace, always takes the initiative in bringing us into a fuller experience of our inheritance in Christ. So the Lord Jesus stands outside the door of every unyielded room in your life seeking entrance. If He enters, the door must be opened from the inside.

It is my prayer that these have been encouraging words to your heart and life.

RDW