B H ut this spake he of the Spirit, which they that be lieve on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glori fied” (John 7:39). The primary meaning of this is, of course, a matter of chronology. The Holy Spirit had not yet come in fulness at Pentecost because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The primary meaning of this is, of course, a matter of chronology. The Holy Spirit had not yet come in fulness at Pentecost because Jesus was not yet glorified in His death and resurrection. It was a set event in the calendar of God and the time was not yet. But we do no violence to the text to make another application which indeed many have made and which is very obvious. The Holy Spirit does not come in power and blessing at any time until Jesus Christ the Lord is glorified in our hearts and lives and testimony. He is glorified first of all in our experience when we receive Him, are buried and risen with Him, and begin to walk in newness of life. From then on the Holy Spirit moves upon us in proportion as our purpose and practice is to glorify our Lord. The Holy Spirit does not magnify Himself. He makes real the things of Christ. It is a mis taken idea that Jesus has gone and that the Spirit comes simply to fill the vacancy. Our Lord is still with us and will be unto the end of the age. The Spirit does not supersede Him; He makes the Lord real to us. If we set out to magnify the Holy Spirit rather than our Lord we shall get into trouble. Many good people have fallen into that error. They have become occupied more with the gifts than the graces of the Spirit; they have gone in for sensational and spectacular experiences, and Jesus has not been glorified. Some have fallen into delusions and have had spiritual experiences but with the wrong spirit! We are sore beset today with religious exhibitionists like Simon the Sorcerer who would use the power of God for glory and gain. They do not exalt the Lord but rather themselves. Dr. F. B. Meyer used to warn of those who would make the Holy Spirit the figurehead of any move ment. Nothing could grieve the Spirit more, for He is here to magnify our Christ and He will empower and guide us only as we, too, seek to glorify our Lord. Too often we have only a “ project” of our own, but the Lord does not bless projects. He blesses people and only those people who are out to magnify Christ. One may do re markable things, display amazing abilities, but unless and until he is out to demonstrate Jesus it can only be said of him that the Spirit is NOT YET because Jesus is NOT YET glorified. Sometimes preachers go into a town and begin to
preach on very controversial subjects in order to arouse interest and stir up the people. But we do not have to “ create an issue” ; we have an issue—and that is Jesus Christ. But someone will ask, “ How about Ephesus, for instance? Was not Diana the issue there?” No, the issue was Jesus Christ. Paul preached Christ and when people became Christians, they had no further use for Diana. Paul did not preach ten sermons on “What’s Wrong With Diana?” But do not misunderstand me. He stirred up the devil. I wouldn’t give a nickel for any religious movement that does not arouse the bitter opposition of entrenched evil. The average series of meetings nowadays would never make Demetrius call a mass meeting in Ephesus. He could go right on making silver shrines for Diana and would never know the difference. Our Lord cast out demons at Gadara and the hog-owners begged Him to leave town. But He Himself was the issue. And the Holy Spirit never moves in His fulness until we make Jesus Christ the issue. The Spirit is NOT YET given when Jesus is NOT YET glorified. These two “ NOT YETS” are the answer to the present- day religious situation. I am not going to burden you now with a discourse on “ the situation.” I am weary of ser mons and articles on that subject. Most of the addresses I have heard relieve only the speaker but not the situa tion. You know what the conditions are nowadays. You know about the wave of religious interest, the upsurge of mass evangelism, and the increase in church activity, all of them at an all-time high and yet we do not have revival. You know how evangelical Christianity has taken off at a dozen angles like the man who leaped upon his horse and rode madly in all directions. You know about the cheap popular religious crooners and Gospel boogie. You know about the serenity fads by which religion tries to keep up with the tranquilizing drugs and “ happy pills.” You know about the new wave of intellectualism in which our heads are going by fast express while our hearts follow by slow freight. You know all too well about the unlove, the dissension, the hair splitting over the difference between Tweedledum and Tweedledee. We spend enough time and energy debating the Tribulation to start a revival. We are swatting mosquitoes when we should be moving mountains. We are drinking hot chocolate in church basements and reading the minutes of the last meeting while our civilization lies in a coma drawing its dying breaths. In all this confusion, if I should ask, “ Do you see revival in the church at large?” I think you would answer, “ NOT YET.” Thank God there are mercy drops and maybe a cloud no larger than a man’s hand but there is no sweep ing mighty movement of God in the church. We suspect that the reason is indicated in this application of our
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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