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This then leads us directly to th e Sixth G reat Prom ise of God fo r th e Bible S tudent an d Soul-winner. You will find it in Luke 11 :13 : “If ye th en , being evil, know how to give good g ifts u n to your children: how much more shall your heavenly l a t h e r give th e Holy Spirit to them th a t ask him .” The fifth prom ise tells us, th a t “power from on H igh,” power rig h t from God, God’s own power, will be upon us afte r th e Holy Spirit comes upon us, and th e sixth promise tells us how to make sure of the Holy Spirit coming upon you,: “ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly F a th e r give th e Holy Spirit to them th a t ask H im .” The way is very simple, ju st “ ask,” “ ask H im ,” th a t is God, th e only tru e God, th e “Heavenly F a th e r,” no t th e God th a t “ is imm anent in hum anity” of which these wise New Theologists p rate, b u t “ th e God and F a th e r of our Lord and Saviour .Jesus Christ,” “Who is in Heaven,” the Real God, th e God who actually is, and not th e God of m an’s mad imaginings. Prof. W alter Rau- schenbusch, now dead, (died in 1918) form erly “ Professor of Church H istory” in Rochester Theological Seminary, a B aptist institu tion , said, “The old con ception th a t God . . . is distinct from our human life” must give way to “ th e religious belief th a t He is imma n en t in hum anity.” Do no t ask for the Holy Spirit of such a God as th a t, ask of th e Real God, your “ F ath e r in heaven.” Prof. Royce, late of H arvard University, says, “The divine is no more separate an d aloof. I t is w ithin and organic w ith th e hum an.” The same though t is elsewhere p u t in these words, “ God is considered as th e soul of th e world, th e s p i r i t anim ating n a t u r e , th e universal force which takes th e myriad forms of heat, light, gravitation, electricity and th e like.” Do no t ask any such God as th a t to give you the Holy Spirit. You m ight as well pray to a Hindoo or Chinese idol or an A laskan totem . Prof. Gerald B irney Sm ith, “ Professor of Christian Theology” a t the present time fa Chicago University, speaks of God as “ th e sp iritu al forces of th e world in which we live, th e unseen forces of the universe.” Do not ask th a t God for the Holy Spirit. Prof. Royce defines God as th e imm anent “ sp irit of th e commun ity .” Do no t ask th a t God for the Holy Spirit. No, do not pray to th e God of
any of th is so rt of theological seminary and university professors who, “ profess ing themselves to be w ise /’ have “ be come fools.” (Rom. 1 :22.) P ra y to th e R eal God, the God Whom th e Lord Jesus revealed in His words and in His Person, our “Heavenly F a th e r,” th e God Who really is and really answers prayer, anci if you really are His child, He will answer and He will baptize you and fill you w ith H is Holy Spirit, and you will have power, and no man will be “ able to resist th e wisdom and the Spirit by which (you) speak.” (Acts 6:10.) VII. Matthew 28:19, 20. Now we come to th e Seventh and la st G reat P rom ise of God fo r th e Bible S tudent an d Soul-winner, an d in some respects it is th e best of all. I t is th e direct outcome of th e sixth prom ise and closely related to th e fifth an d fou rth prom ises. You will find it in Matt. 2 8 :1 9 ,2 0 : “Go ye therefore, and m ake disciples of all nations, baptizing them in to th e nam e of th e F a th e r and of th e Son and of th e Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all th ing s whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am w ith you always, even un to th e end o f th e world.” Oh, what a promise! The prom ise of th e personal presence of our Lord Jesus H im self w ith us all th e time, “ un til the consummation of the age,” when He will come visibly, bodily to take us to be w ith H imself forever. He is now our unseen Lord (1 Pet. 1 :8 ) up yonder in th e glory, interceding for us, (Heb.7: 25) tak ing up our case and advocating it and carrying it through. B u t He is also, even now, o u r . p resen t Lord. It is the work of th e Holy Spirit, when He comes to us, to form w ithin us an in dwelling Christ. The Lord Jesus Him self said to His disciples th e n igh t be fore He le ft them , in John 14:15-23: “ If ye love me ye will keep my com mandments. And I will pray th e F ath e r, and h e shall give you an o th er Comfor' ¿r, th a t he may abide w ith you fo rev ei, even the Spirit of tru th : whom the world cannot receive; for it behold- eth him not, neith er knoweth him : ye know him ; for he abideth w ith you, and «•hall be in you. I will no t leave you desolate: I come unto you: Yet a little while, and th e world beholdeth me no more; bu t ye behold me: because I live, ye shall live also: In th a t day ye shall know th a t I am in my F ath e r, and ye in me, and I in you. He th a t h ath my commandments, and keepeth them , he it is th a t loveth me: and he th a t loveth
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