Bible, "This Book will keep you from sinning and sinning will keep you from this Book." People may be cultured and have a large stock of knowledge but still be fools when it comes to the things of God (I Corinthians 2:14). It is the Holy Spirit who helps us. How glorious is the truth of Scrip ture in our Lord's words, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come" (John 16:13). Make no mistake, there is a real conflict these days. Paul talks about the fact that every believer can ex pect some kind of persecution if he's really living and witnessing for Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:28ff). The Bible no where represents the Christian life as a picnic. The pic ture is given of a warfare on every hand with very real enemies. It is by the Spirit that we put to death the deeds of the flesh. He is the urgent need of every believer's life. We are exhorted, "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). Our main responsibility is not to try to defeat our inner uprising but rather to bring the Holy Spirit into the conflict, turning all such mat ters over to Him. We have been promised, "sin shall not have do minion over you." Such can abso lutely be cerified. The Holy Spirit has come to meet the needs of any and every individual. Finally, we should remember that the Holy Spirit as our Helper strengthens our service for the Lord. The real business of every believer is outlined by the Lord
in Acts 1:8, "Ye shall be my wit nesses." This is what Cod wants us to do. We are saved not only to go to heaven, but also to be His testimonies. On the day of Pente cost 3,000 souls, who had the pow er to resist the Lord, were broken down and cried out, "What must we do to be saved?" This was purely and entirely the work of the Holy Spirit. Peter's sermon never could have achieved these remark able results unless it had been ul timately the Holy Spirit who did the work in conviction. What a practical thing for our lives as we consider those for whom we are praying, yearning to see them brought to eternal salva tion. May this fact be constantly before our eyes that the Holy Spir it keeps us every day in all these important ways. No wonder Paul could rightly affirm, "I can do all things through Ch rist wh ich It is interesting to note that three times in His upper room talks with the disciples, the night before the crucifixion, our Lord uses the des ignation, "Spirit of truth" (John 14:17 ;15:26; 16:13; I John 5:7). He bears a special relationship to the Son of God who is the very embodiment of truth. Had man never sinned and fallen away from Cod he still would have needed the guidance of the Holy Spirit to understand the truth concerning the great Creator. He is above and beyond the finite. We can only un derstand the truth about Him as God condescends to reveal it to us. Outside guidance is necessary to be sure. The reason is that sin has darkened our minds, clouded our understanding, and distorted Page 59 strengtheneth me." THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
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