THE KING’S BUSINESS
1053
to His wise and loving will. Let us cease attempting to dictate to the Holy Spirit, and, recognizing His sovereignty, let us put ourselves at His disposal for Him to impart to us whatever gift He sees fit and use as He will. Yet it is right for me to “desire earnestly the greater gifts” (v. 31). How clearly the personality and deity of the Spirit come out in this eleventh verse. Some strangely enough interpret it to mean that the Spirit divideth to each one as he, the recipient of the gift wills. This is contrary to the whole context and to the explicit statement of verse 18. The “he” in verse 11 , beyond a question, refers to the Holy Spirit and not the recipient of the gift. The Holy Spirit in His infinite wisdom is sovereign in the distribution of gifts, not we in our folly in the selection of the gifts.
appointed me (cf. Acts 13:2). It is not for me to choose some gift (for example, the gift of tongues, or the gift of an evan gelist) and look to the Holy Spirit to impart to me this self-chosen g ift It is for me to put myself absolutely at His disposal for Him to chose the gift which He in His infinite wisdom sees that it is best for me to have and exercise. If is at this point that many who are seeking “the baptism with the Holy Spirit” go astray. They are looking for some Divine power which they are to get hold of and use. I thank God that there is no Divine power which it is possible for me in my foolishness to get hold of and use. What mistakes I might work if there were, but I thank God still more that while there is no Divine power for me to get hold of and use, that there is a Divine Person to take possession of me and use me according
Made with FlippingBook Annual report