June, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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ment: O f sin, because they believe not on m e; o f righteous ness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; O f judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16 :8 -ll) . The Holy Spirit gives the new birth. “ Except a man be born of water and o f the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom o f God. That which is born o f the flesh is flesh; and that which is born o f the Spirit is spirit” (John 3 :5 ,6 ). Those who are born o f the Spirit have the new heart— are new creatures in Christ Jesus. And there is no trans formation without this new birth. Thievery is in the heart before the hand steals. Lust is in the heart before the body is yielded to lustful indulgence. Lying is in the heart before it is on the lips. Deception is in the heart before it finds expression in the life, for “ out of it [the heart] are the issues o f life.” The Holy Spirit gives assurance. “ The Spirit himself' beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God” (Rom . 8:16, R .V .). “ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4 :6 ). Scarcely anything is more potent in Christian service than assurance. D. L. Moody said he had never seen a successful soul-winner who had not reached the point of assurance in Christian experience. The Holy Spirit produces Christlike graces. “ But the fruit o f the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle ness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22, 23). Growth in grace must be growth in experience with the Holy Spirit. Victory over the flesh life is delegated to Him. This victory may be as instantaneous as the surrender is complete. And time would fail me to tell of His work in the be liever: How He assures the believer o f sonship—-o f how He seals, as a manifestation o f God’s keeping power and the pledge o f future glory (2 Cor. 1:2 2 ; 5 :5 ; Eph. 1 :13 ,14; 4 :30 ). How He fills for a victorious life (Acts 2 :4 ; Eph. 5 :18)— how He sanctifies, or separates to God for His use (2 Thess. 2 :13 ; 1 Pet. 1 :2 )— how He abides forever (John 14:16). This is the Person who is working such wonders in the .believer, and working with such immeasurable power, whom we need to direct our lives— to prompt us in all perplexities, to help us in all hazards, to direct us in all doubts, to enable us to be channels through which God Him self is articulate. In Joseph’s day, that Spirit of God gave Joseph strength to resist a lustful woman’s dirty proposal and to become fruitful in the land o f his affliction and a ruler in the land o f his imprisonment. So will He work within us today, helping us to wear the white flower o f a blameless life. In Samson’s day, that Spirit o f God came mightily upon Samson so that the ropes upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and making his hand with only the jawbone o f an ass in it mightier and more terrible than an army with banners. So will He strengthen us today, seeing to it that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, giving us victories over evil majorities. In King Saul’s time, the Spirit o f God came upon Saul, and he opened his mouth with amazing prophecies. And that Spirit will be with our mouths today, filling them with the praises o f God and giving us messages the world needs to hear. In Ezekiel’s day, the Spirit o f God set Ezekiel down “ in the midst o f the valley which was full o f bones”—bones that were very dry. That valley was a graveyard turned upside down, the ghastly, disjointed bones scattered over all parts. Scavengers had done their work—sinews gone, flesh gone, skin gone. But as Ezekiel, by the command o f
God, prophesied, “ there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone” (Ezek. 37 :7 ). And then, as Ezekiel looked upon that scene, “ the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above.’’ * . But “ there was no breath in them.” The organized bones were as impotent as a gun in a dead man’s hand—as im potent as when they lay scattered over the desolate fields. Just an organized corpse! “ Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, proph esy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live” (Ezek. 3 7 S'). Then “ the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” ! When the breath comes! Jowett said the breath of God converts an organization into an organism. It transforms a combination into a fellowship, a congregation into a church, a body of believers into an army o f soldiers o f Jesus. And when that breath of God comes into our hearts and upon our lives, we shall be giants wherever we have been pigmies, be clear speakers with tongues on fire where we have been stammerers, be God’s men where we have been only a fraction o f what we might have been, be spiritual athletes where we have been chilly and unre sponsive corpses. I know, I know. For that breath came upon a little disciple band— a band that was envious, a band that was jealous, a band that was weakened by timidity and fear, and that breath changed that band into a spiritual army that carried the gospel to the uttermost frontiers o f hea thendom, quenched the altar fires o f Diana, lit a lamp in Caesar’s palace— a spiritual army before which “ the world, the flesh, and the devil” became impotent— a spiritual army o f the living God.
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