November 1924
692
T H E , K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
Our Continual Need of the Hoi}) Spint for Service By Dr. P. E. Marsh, England In the first installment of this illuminating message on “ The Holy Spirit’.’ “ (which appeared in the October issue) Dr. Marsh proves conclusively that the believer who is filled with the, Spirit will be (1) Full of faith for the, conversion of the lost; and (2) Full of the truth in testimony. Here he, emphasizes the fact that the Spirit-filled believer will be (3) Full of the life of God Himself; (4) Full of power; (5) Full of blessing for others. III. One who is filled with the Holy Spirit is full of life.
and his responsibility to Rome, those under him would not recognize him. In like manner, as we are. under the authority of Heaven, we have authority; but we have no power, save as we recognize the power of God. The Lord will never give us power that it may be a feather in our cap, so that people shall say, “What a powerful preacher he is!” And if, when the Lord uses us> people should speak as though we had power, we shall silence them by saying, as the Apostle did, “Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we” have done this ? 1 “ 1 . . God . . . hath glorified His SonvJesus.” It is only as we feel our weakness, and acknowledge it, that the power of Christ’ shall rest upon us, and then we shall bear Micah’s testimony, “ I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” Not our power, hut full of power because full of the Spirit. An old German minister thus expressed it in prayer one day: “ O Lord, since Thou hast all power, we will have no power.” That is it. What we want is not the power of intellect, the power of argument, the power of science, or the power of philosophy merely, but the power o f God. Then what was said of Stephen, when full of the Holy Spirit, shall be Said of us, “ They were not able to resist the yrisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” God wants— not our power, but our weakness; and as His love has been perfected in our unworthiness, so is His strength made perfect in our weakness. Raul’s might lay not in enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in “ demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Many pray earnestly for power in and with their work, and receive it not, because they do not accept the only posture in which the power can work. We want to get possession of the Power and use it. God wants the Power to get pos session of us, and use us. If we give up ourselves to the Power to rule in us, the Power will give itself to us to rule through us. V .1 ' One who is filled with the Spirit is full of blessing for others. Paul, in writing to the Saints at Rome of a visit he hoped to make, says, “ And l am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.” (Rom. 15: 29); or, more correctly, “ I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” . How is it Paul could speak so confidently? Because he recognized that the channel of blessing was Christ, who was living, dwelling, and working in him mightily by the Holy Spirit; and since he had Christ and Christ had him, he was sure that He would communicate blessing through him to others. The secret of Paul’s ministry was that he recog nized that he was an instrument to be used, a vessel to be filled, a channel through which blessings could flow from Christ to others. Some time ago a friend remarked to me, “ There are three ways of spelling Christian Worker by simply trans posing the letters” ; and, though the transposition is very simple, I give it here, as it illustrates three stages of Christian experience, and leads on to the highest and most effectual way of Christian service. (Continued on page 746)
HE trees of the Lord are full of sap”— full of life. We shall he full of life as we are continually in touch with Him who is the Spirit of life, by Gffi? Sir) abiding in Christ. It is not for us to waste time in vain regrets over the past, or to bemoan our inability as we face the future; but to respond to God’s ability. I always like to think of responsibility as being man’s response to God’s ability. As the life in the oak enables it to spread its branches, and strengthens it against the tempest, so, filled with the Spirit we shall be able to weather the tempests of trial and temptation. As the life in the fruit trees causes them to bear refreshing fruit, so filled with the Spirit of life, we shall bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in its nine-fold cluster, refreshing the heart of God and the souls of men. As the life in the tree causes it in the spring-time to throw off the remaining dead leaves of autumn, so, filled with the Spirit of life, evil habits shall be thrown off by Him who fills our being. As the life in the flowers causes them to beautify the earth and perfume the air, so shall the Spirit of life manifest the loveliness of Christ, and the odor of His presence through us. A.S the life in the sea monster causes it to plough its way through the mighty , deep, so shall the Spirit filling us cause us; to go forward in Chris tian activity. As the life ,in the bird enables it to soar on glad wing above the clouds into the clear sunshine of heaven, and there sing its thrilling'song, so, filled with the' Spirit, we shall mount above the dust and din, the clouds and commo tion of earth, into the clear sunshine of the Lord’s presence, to have hallowed communion with Him: and there shall we sing with glad hearts and thankful Spirit to Him who loveth us. Paul says, “ Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to your selves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” As we note the boldness of Peter, the love of John, the holiness of Paul, the sufferings of Stephen, the consecra tion of Barnabas, the joy of the early Christians, and the activity of the women who labored in the Gospel, we ask, are these qualities natural to them? and our answer is— No. These are the actions of Another Person who is living within them by the Spirit through the truth. It is the boldness of Christ that is seen in Peter; it is the love of Christ that is seen in John; it is the holiness of Christ that is seen in Paul; it is the sufferings of Christ that are seen in Stephen; it is the consecration of Christ that is seen in Barnabas; it is the joy of Christ that is seen in the early Christians; and it is the activity of Christ that is seen in the ministering women. IV. One who is filled with the Spirit is full of Power. “ I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, ‘Go,’ and he goeth, and to another, ‘Come,’ an^ lie cometh.” The reason why the centurion had power to command the soldiers under him was, that he was under the power of Rome, and hence he had all that power at his back. If he failed to recognize his position
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