WORDS
WORTH PONDERING
1
Corinthians 2:
9:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love
him.
10:
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God.
11: For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things
of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is
of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13:
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Ephesians
1:
17: That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is
the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in
the saints,
19:
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
20:
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21:
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all
things to the church,
23:
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
It is true that the natural
man in his fleshly and worldly frame of mind cannot take in and comprehend the
heavenly things that the Spirit of God has to offer. We must repent of our sins
and die to this lustful world and give our hearts wholly to God and seek
earnestly for His rich blessings. Paul was so thankful to God for the saints at
Ephesus, and his prayer for them was that their eyes of understanding would be
enlightened. Just notice the things that he wanted them to know! These things
he listed are still the treasures that we need to be seeking for today! We do
not get them haphazardly or without diligent sincerity and prayer. One must
seek God with the whole heart and have an open mind to the Holy Bible and the
standard of life and character that it teaches. It must be the uppermost
purpose and desire of our heart. No one is going to force us to do this, but we
can do it on our own decision and purpose. How blessed are the men and women
who have found and sweetly obtained the spiritual relationship of their hearts
and minds with the Almighty God and His precious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ
[through the grace of Holy Spirit]!
– A quote from Bro. Leslie Busbee (edited and
condensed)
INSIDE THIS COVER:
1. The Holy Spirit’s Ministrations of Grace On
Behalf of Believers - -
Page 2
2. Food for Thought From Bible Lessons,
Sunday, June 22, 2014 - -
Page 28
3. Twenty-two Thought Provoking Questions from
John Wesley - - Page 29
4. A Model Consecration - - - - - - -
Page 30
5. How the Outward Ordinance of Water Baptism
Relates to the
Spirit’s
Inward Ministrations of Grace - - - - - Page 32
“Now the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power
of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:13
THE
HOLY SPIRIT’S
MINISTRATIONS
OF
GRACE
ON BEHALF
OF BELIEVERS
By Harlan Sorrell
“Wonderful grace we declare unto you,
Truly we’ve tested and proved it is true.”
– D. S. Warner, Evening Light Songs #424, verse 2
“And of his
fullness have all we received, and grace
for grace” [favor upon
favor – Greek]. John 1:16.
“All His grace is free as the air we breathe, We may
each have a full supply;
If we
will obey and His Word believe, He’ll prepare us to dwell on high.
“Praise
the Lord, I’m free, I am free indeed, In His love, sweet love, and grace for grace;
Oh, His
precious blood reaches even me, I abide ‘neath His smiling face.”
– B. E. Warren, Evening Light
Songs, #58, verse 5 and chorus
“For if by one
man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17.
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8.
“Our
God, to save from sin’s control, Gave His Son a sacrifice;
His grace, abounding in the
soul, Makes the earth a paradise.”
“His wondrous grace is all sufficient, And hours of deepest need
Are
sanctified by God omniscient, If we His promise plead.
“Within the heart His grace abounding Will give us power
to reign;
Through
Jesus, when the foe’s surrounding, The victory we shall gain.
Wondrous grace, pure gift
from Heaven! Grace to set the captives free!
Grace of God, so kindly
given By the Savior unto me.”
– Clara M. Brooks, Evening Light
Songs, from songs #43 and #45
Webster’s
unabridged dictionary has this interesting definition of “grace:” “In a
theological sense, (a) the free unmerited love and favor of God; (b) divine
influence or the influence of the Spirit in renewing the heart and restraining
from sin; (c) a state of reconciliation to God; (d) virtuous or religious
affection or disposition, as faith, meekness, humility, patience, etc.,
proceeding from divine influence; (e) spiritual instruction, improvement, and
edification.”
After Jesus paid
the price for our redemption by shedding His blood and dying for our sins, He
arose from the dead and ascended back to heaven and sat down at the right hand
of God to intercede for us. Then, He and His Father sent the Holy Spirit back
to earth to administer all the benefits (graces, or favors) He purchased for
mankind by the virtue of His atonement. The primary grace administered in the
process of man’s redemption is
The Convicting Grace of the
Spirit
Jesus said,
“When he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin.” John
16:8. And in Isaiah 53:6 we read, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [Christ] the
iniquity of us all.” In Romans 3:10, 23, “There is none righteous, no, not one:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Until the grace
of God intervenes on man’s behalf, the impulse of his nature, being carnally
oriented and bent toward self-gratification and pleasing the flesh, will not allow him to please God. Without the grace of God, man is
a bondservant of sin and a slave to his own lusts. “Whosoever committeth sin is
the servant of sin.” John 8:34. Therefore, the very fact that all have
committed sin is proof that all are born bondservants of sin, and the reason
“all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” is because of the fact
that all are born with a carnally oriented nature rather than a spiritually
oriented one. Adam and Eve sold us all out to carnality when they sinned
in the Garden of Eden. Their nature, which was spiritually oriented and holy by
virtue of a holy Creator became marred and carnally oriented when they sinned.
This marred and carnally oriented nature was all that remained for them to pass
on to their posterity. Thus, as God’s Word declares, “by one man’s disobedience
many [that is, all] were made sinners,” and “by the offence of one judgment
came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5:18-19). The only “fix” and “cure”
for this problem is GRACE!
In the 7th
chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul describes man in his natural state
as “carnal, sold under sin” (verse 14). And in verses 18 – 24 he says, “For I
know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good
that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do
that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I
find then a law [principle], that, when I would do good, evil is present with
me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law
in my members [the carnal nature], warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched
man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Only Christ
Jesus our Lord can deliver us from this law of sin and death that holds the
whole human race captive. And He does this by
“the influence of the Spirit in renewing the heart,” as Mr. Webster so accurately
defines “grace.” Jesus said, “No man can come to
me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” John 6:44. The Father draws
us to Christ through the moving of His Spirit in connection with His Word. No
one can successfully come to Christ and receive what He has to offer unless the
Spirit moves on his or her heart to do so. Therefore, the Spirit’s primary move toward renewing our hearts
and restraining us from sin is that of conviction – convincing
us of our sins, our sinfulness, and our wretchedness. In that move He makes us feel
miserably uneasy about ourselves and about our condition. He causes us to see
who we really are and how bad we really are. In this He does us A GREAT FAVOR – A GREAT GRACE! He causes us to abhor who and what
we are! He inspires in us a “godly sorrow” for our sins. Then He draws us to
Christ’s atoning blood that was shed for the remission of our sins and inspires
our faith to believe that blood is able to cleanse us and change our life. He
woos and moves the heart to repent and become willing to turn away from sin by
the grace of God, placing our faith in Jesus Christ and His cleansing blood. To
all who respond and yield to this primary grace of the Holy Spirit is opened
the next phase of His ministration of grace:
Regeneration – The
Renewing, Transforming, Soul-quickening Grace of the Spirit
In Ezekiel 36:26-27 God said, “A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take
away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh
[soft heart]. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
Until this happens to us it is impossible
for any of us to walk in His statutes or keep His judgments and do them. Our
carnal nature will not allow it. But when the Spirit of God, working in
conjunction with the Word of God, brings us to an awareness of our wretched and
sinful condition, and we turn our hearts to the Lord in humble contrition and
repentance, with a sincere desire to forsake our life of sin, asking Him to
forgive us of our sins and wash them away by His blood, He does something for
us that we cannot do for ourselves. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” The Holy
Spirit performs the washing of regeneration in our hearts by infusing the very
virtue of Christ’s innocent, atoning blood into our inner spirit. Yes, we
receive the very life that flowed through Jesus’ veins into ourselves when the
Holy Spirit applies His blood to our hearts. The application of that blood, by
the Spirit, cleanses and washes away our sins, releases us from guilt and
condemnation, brings us peace and reconciliation with God, and imparts to us
the Christ life, all in one miraculous transaction. That is what makes us a
“new creature” and causes us to begin walking in His ways.
“I came to the Lord for release, When burdened with
guilt and with sin;
He cleansed me and gave me His peace, The Spirit to
witness within.”
– L. S. Riggs, Evening Light Songs #67, verse 2
The same Holy Spirit that made us feel so
bad about ourselves in the grace of conviction, blesses, comforts, and consoles
our hearts in the grace of regeneration. He replaces our guilt and sorrow of
heart with peace and assurance that all is well now, and we are accepted into
God’s favor. As Isaiah 12: 1-3 expresses it, “though thou wast angry with me,
thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me,” and with joy we begin to
“draw water out of the wells of salvation.” We begin drinking of that “living
water” that Jesus talked to the woman of Samaria about when He met her at
Jacob’s well (John 4:10-14). Regeneration brings our spirit into fellowship
with God and we receive “the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are [or have been
accepted as] the children of God” (Romans 8:15-16). “And because ye are sons
[children], God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6. God’s Son, Jesus, our Redeemer, enters our
hearts through the Spirit in the grace of regeneration. He says, “Behold, I
stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1) because He, the Prince of Peace, has come in and
begun to sup with us and to give us to drink of His living water. Thus we
become heirs of God through Christ (Galatians 4:7; Romans 8:17). And “hereby
know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his
Spirit.” 1 John 4:13. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in
himself” (1 John 5:10), that is, the witness of the Spirit.
In John 3:3-8 we read: “Jesus answered and
said unto him [Nicodemus], Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a
man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s
womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born
of the Spirit.”
C. E. Orr tells in his book titled
“Heavenly Life For Earthly Living” about a man approaching him after hearing
one of his discourses, and saying, “I have been a member of a church for thirty
years, I have had pastors capable of giving instructions in the divine life,
and I have tried to live a Christian life, but have utterly failed. Can you
tell me the cause of my failure?” C. E. Orr simply answered, “Can a fig tree
bear olive berries?” The man replied, “I get your meaning. Is it possible I
have been trying to live a life I did not possess?”
A true Christian life cannot be lived
without first receiving and possessing the Christ life. The Christ life can
only be received by being “born again,” “born of the Spirit,” or “born from
above.” These terms all mean the same thing and refer to the grace of
regeneration. In this process of being “born again” our inner man is quickened,
or made alive and aware of the realities of the heavenly world. We become a
“new creature” and a new life begins unfolding to us (2 Corinthians 5:17)
because of the “new spirit” that God puts within us.
Have you been “born of the Spirit?” By
receiving this inward spiritual renewal and quickening from the Spirit of God,
and then continuing on to be faithfully “led” by that same Spirit and “filled”
with Him, we can have the happiest life possible here on earth and make it
safely to heaven in the end. The Holy Spirit is the divine agent from heaven
who stands ever ready to impart to us the resurrected life of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ, and the virtue of His atoning blood. The Holy Spirit is
the Administrator of all the provisions Jesus made available to us
through His death and resurrection. Whatever we receive from Christ and God,
relative to our salvation and the provisions and promises of the New Testament,
we must receive them through the ministration of the Holy Spirit. It is
the Holy Spirit who baptizes us into the body of Christ and makes us a member
of His church (see 1 Corinthians 12:13). This is accomplished in the grace of
regeneration, when we are “born again,” “born of the Spirit,” “born from
above.” “And of Zion [the church] it shall be said, This and that man was born
in her: and highest himself shall establish her.” Psalm 87:5. In regeneration
we begin drinking “into one Spirit” along with all others who have been
baptized into Christ by that same Spirit.
In Ephesians 5:18, the apostle Paul also
exhorts Christians (those who have been born of the Spirit and regenerated) to
“be filled with the Spirit.” Because of the bad reflection certain religious
groups have cast on the Holy Spirit by attributing their extremism,
emotionalism, and unbecoming conduct to being filled with “the Spirit,” some
people get a little uneasy when someone goes to talking about being led by or
filled with “the Spirit.” But there is a vast difference between spirits of
emotionalism, extremism, etc., and the real Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of
truth.” We can’t get too much of the Holy Spirit. There is absolutely no danger
of becoming overfilled with Him. The more saturated we are with the Holy
Spirit the more blessed we will be. God wants that same Spirit into which we began
to drink in the grace of regeneration to become “rivers” of living water
flowing out of our inner being. (John 7:37-39.) The fullness of the
Spirit within will cause our souls to overflow with the grace and glory of
God. The Holy Spirit wants to occupy as much space in our lives as we are
willing to allow Him. He wants to impart the attributes of Jesus to us, to be
our Comforter, Helper, and Guide. It is the Spirit that helps our infirmities
and makes intercession according to the will of God for us, “for we know not
what to pray for as we ought” (Romans 8:26-27). The Spirit wants to interpret
God’s Word for us and guide us into all truth. Jesus said that the Spirit would
take those things of His and reveal them to us (John 16:13-15). It is a fact
that everybody who has ever learned the secret of living a successful Christian
life has learned it through the Spirit. “As many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14. And the Spirit of God ALWAYS
leads unerringly. Galatians 5:22-25 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance [self-control]: against such there is no law. And they that are
Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in
the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” If we will faithfully follow the
wooing and drawing of the Holy Spirit, He will lead us on to yet broader and
deeper ministrations of God’s grace than just those of regeneration. We will
experience these in:
Sanctification – The Dross-purging,
Soul-refining, Preserving Grace of the Spirit
“… For he [the Holy Spirit] is
like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap: And he shall sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi [the
priesthood], and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto
the LORD an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:2-4.
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5.
“… He [Christ] shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly
purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn
up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11-12.
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews
12:28-29.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed
to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect [complete], will of
God.”
After being primarily “born of the
Spirit,” we assimilate the lovely ways of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as
we continue to follow on and come to experience His grace in its fullness,
by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is our reasonable service. This opens the avenue for the infilling
of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. Just as God sent down literal fire
from heaven and consumed the figurative animal sacrifices presented to Him in
Old Testament times, so, in New Testament times, He sends down Holy Spirit fire
from heaven and consumes the living sacrifice of our bodies when we, as
Christians, present them to Him in consecration. When I say, “consumes,” I mean
He takes possession and control of the body we offer to Him. The fire He
baptizes us with is the fire of divine love. God is love (1 John 4:16), and He
is a consuming fire. What does love consume? Selfishness. What is selfishness?
Carnality – the inclination to pursue fleshly desires; to indulge one’s self
interests, etc. This is the dross, or “chaff,” that Christ wants to burn out of
the life of every Christian, and He burns it up with the unquenchable fire of
God’s love that is shed abroad in the heart by His Holy Spirit, after a
believer dedicates his, or her, body a living sacrifice to God. I will discuss
this in greater detail later, but please follow me closely now.
There is a beautiful prophecy of Jesus
Christ and His kingdom in Isaiah 9:2-7, and speaking of how Christ would
accomplish the conquests of His kingdom, it says in verse 5 that it “shall be with
burning and fuel of fire.” You see, Christ accomplishes what He desires to
do with and in mankind through the burning flame of love, which is fueled by
His and the Father’s indwelling presence in man’s soul and body through
the Holy Spirit. Whoever is filled with the Spirit is filled with LOVE, because
GOD IS LOVE. Love is the primary “fruit” of the Spirit (see Galatians
5:22). And divine love is the “unquenchable fire” that consumes every chaffy
element out of our hearts and lives. “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a
seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; … Many waters cannot quench
love …” Song of Solomon 8:6-7. “For the love of Christ contraineth us …” 2
Corinthains 5:14. “… Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law [God’s law –
the law of holiness].” Romans 13:10. Love overcomes the law of sin and death by
which we were all our lifetime held in bondage. Instead of the law of sin, the
Holy Spirit binds us with the law of love! “O sweet will of God! Thou hast
girded me round, Like the deep, moving currents that girdle the sea; With
omnipotent love is my poor nature bound, And this bondage to love sets me
perfectly free!” – George D. Watson, Evening Light Songs #55, verse 1.
“Enshrined within the bosom of Father’s tender love, We seem in deep mid ocean
of Heaven’s bliss above. Oh, wonders of redemption! We gaze in silent awe upon
the new creation, where love is freedom’s law!” – D. S. Warner, Evening
Light Songs #272, verse 2.
“Come Holy Fire of love to my heart, Flames of Thy
holiness sweetly impart;
Burning the dross with Thy fire of love, Kindle within
me Thy flame from above.
All to the altar I gladly resign, Yielded I lay in Thy
presence divine.
Lord, send the fire to sanctify me, Fashion my heart
in the likeness of Thee.
“Come Holy Fire of blessing I plead, Send down Thy Ocean
of fullness indeed.
Visit my soul with Thy Heavenly Dove, Pour out Thy
boundless resources of love.
Fill me and use me to witness for Thee, Perfect
salvation and heart purity.
Make me The vessel o’erflowing with love, Pointing the
lost to their Savior above.
“Come Holy Fire within me I pray, Stamp Thy own
sweetness within me to stay.
Fill with Thy holy compassionate flame, Deeply engrave
with the print of Thy Name.
Lord, by Thy love, I would ever be Thine, Walking each
day in Thy presence divine.
Oh, make me constantly tender and true, Keeping the
love of my Jesus in view.
Chorus:
“Send down the fire, my heart to refine, Fill with
Thy fullness of love so Divine.”
– Mrs. Lena Martin, Heartland Hymns #164
Jesus said, “For every one shall be
salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is
good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have
salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” Mark 9:49-50.
“Salt” and “fire” (as well as “living
water”) are metaphors of the Holy Spirit. As fire refines and salt preserves
and seasons, so does the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit filled people always have
peace one with another because of the seasoning graces of the Spirit they have
within themselves. Peace is another part of the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians
5:22). Holy Spirit filled people are full of peace. This peace of God that
rules in their hearts through the Spirit keeps them all united in Christ
(Colossians 3:15). The living sacrifice of their bodies, which they presented
to God, has been “salted with salt” and “salted with fire.” The fire of divine
love shed abroad in their hearts by the Spirit has refined their nature. They
are no longer self-oriented people.
While every true Christian has been “born
of the Spirit” and has experienced a soul quickening and an introduction to the
Christ life, not every Christian has learned the secret of being “filled with
the Spirit” and how to “live in the Spirit” and “walk in the Spirit.” Inasmuch
as selfishness and carnality still occupies a place in the heart and soul the
Christian has not to that extent yet been filled with the Spirit, is not
filled with love, and is not living and walking in the Spirit. Self must
be completely emptied out to God in consecration in order that His Spirit may
infill us. The Holy Spirit must be allowed to take over, occupy, and possess
the space in our lives that self-interest and self-desire has always been used
to occupying. “Not my will, but thine be done,” must become and remain the
attitude of the heart. Just as Jesus had to surrender His will to God in the
garden of Gethsemane, making a death consecration to face and
endure the cross, so that His body could become a sacrifice for sin, so we must
surrender our will to God in a consecration of death to ourselves, a
commitment to take up our cross and follow Jesus in a life of self-denial, that
our body can become a living sacrifice to God. The songwriter, Frances R.
Havergal, expressed it very well in verse 5 of her famous hymn, Take My Life
and Let It Be: “Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer
mine.” When we make this kind of consecration, God’s Holy Spirit then fills
us with His sanctifying grace. Taking possession of the will and the body
we offer Him, the Holy Spirit then occupies the space that “self” surrendered,
thus cleansing, purging, refining, and setting us apart as holy unto God. As
another songwriter, Haldor Lillenas, expressed it: “Yielded to thee, all my selfish
desires Perished one day ‘mid the Pentecost fires; Yielded to thee, thou
dost purge me from dross, Now with rejoicing I carry my cross.”
We read in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 about some
of the Christian brethren in the church at Corinth who were “yet carnal” and were
walking as men. Although they had been introduced to the Christ life through
the spiritual rebirth, and the Spirit had actually baptized them into the body
of Christ, they were yet babes in Christ, not yet having been filled
with the Spirit or having come “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). There was “envying, and strife, and divisions”
among them, while some contended they were of Paul and others that they were of
Apollos. Although having been primarily regenerated by the Spirit and saved,
they were not at peace one with another because of the yet carnal disposition
of their hearts. There were yet traces of the “old man” that needed to be “put
off,” that there might be a complete renewing in the spirit of their
minds, as Paul exhorted other Christian brethren in Ephesians 4:22-24. They
needed to receive the Spirit’s sanctifying grace that fills with love. When
divine love becomes the element that completely fills and saturates the heart,
this love fully puts on the new man and teaches us how to live and walk
in a spiritual way, rather than carnal, or as natural men.
It has been said, “In regeneration the
Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ; in sanctification Christ
baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit. Both these are spiritual
experiences, and both have their distinct part in the salvation of every soul. The
experience which inducts us into Christ [regeneration] must necessarily precede
the experience of sanctification. – J. W. Byers, in the Gospel Trumpet,
December 29, 1910 issue, article The Holy Spirit Life. This is very
true! It is evident that all Christians who have advanced to the grace of
sanctification and have been baptized with the Holy Spirit have been
baptized with divine love. A complete immersion and dipping in the ocean of
God’s love is the primary fruit and evidence of being baptized with the Holy
Spirit.
After we become Christ’s through the
spiritual rebirth we must “go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation
of repentance from dead works” (Hebrews 6:1), but learn how to “abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). In other words, present
your body a living sacrifice to God, be filled with His
Spirit and keep filled with it. It is the Spirit who establishes and
perfects us in the graces and attributes of Christ and God, love being the
primary attribute. Too often, Christians who fail or neglect to do this fall
back into sinning [dead works] and thereby lose the Christ life out of their
souls completely. Having departed from both faith and love, and entering once
more into a pathway of disobedience and living to please the flesh, they find
themselves in a backslidden, spiritually dead condition – as Jude describes it:
“trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by
the roots” (Jude 12). “Trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead”
means they were once quickened by the Spirit’s regeneration from a state of
spiritual death in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), had spiritual life and
bore some fruit of the Spirit for a while, but now, by failing to abide
(which means continue) in Christ, the vine (John 15:6), and having
returned to trespassing and sinning, they are once again in a state of
spiritual death. They have laid again the foundation of repentance from dead
works. [See also 2 Peter 2:20-22.] “She that liveth in [sinful] pleasure is
dead while she liveth.” 1 Timothy 5:6. “But every man is tempted, when he
is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James
1:14-15. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:20. “For the wages
of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. To suppose one can return to sin and yet remain
free from sin’s wages is a gross fallacy!
We must, as one song says, “Let self be
slain, let Jesus reign within my heart alway.” This is how we continue
to experience the resurrection power and the resurrected life of our Lord. If
we would maintain fellowship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we must
accept the fellowship of His sufferings and be made conformable unto His death
(see Philippians 3:10). “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:
but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live.” Romans 8:13. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit
that we put fleshly lusts to death and bring all the members of our body
into subjection to the will of God. “This I say then, Walk in the
Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary
the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would [or that
your flesh would]. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
Galatians 5:16-18.
Consider also these beautiful words of the
apostle Paul from Romans, chapter 6, verses 11-22: “Likewise reckon ye also
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey
it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but
under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants
to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of
sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your
flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to
iniquity unto iniquity [from one state of sin to a worse state*]; even so now
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness [being justified and
forgiven of sins and then advancing on to holy power and triumphant living by
the Holy Spirit of God]. For when ye were the servants of sin ye were free from
righteousness [not under the power of the grace of God]. What fruit had ye then
in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is
death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” [*Words in brackets
added for clarity.]
Also Romans 8:1-9: “There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the
things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the
Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so
be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his.”
What a wonderful experience – to be “not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit!” What a wonderful life! What
wonderful freedom! The orientation of our souls (which is carnal by nature)
will undergo a transformation from carnal to spiritual when we
allow the Holy Spirit to work within us to the fullest capacity. As the chorus
of song #292 in the Evening Light Songs hymnal says: “Spirit holy,
Spirit holy, all my being now possess; Lead me, rule me, work within me,
Through my life thy will express.”
Let us also ponder these scriptures:
“… But ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with open [unveiled]
face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory [from the glory of regeneration to the glory
of entire sanctification], even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2
Corinthians 3:17-18.
“ … God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth.
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14.
“Quench not the Spirit. Despise not
prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all
appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I
pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will
do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18-24.
The grace of God provided in Jesus Christ,
not only covers the forgiveness of our sins, but also the sanctification of our
fallen, carnal, self-oriented nature that makes us prone to disobedience, transgression,
and sin. Entire sanctification is the ultimate grace God is calling us
all to, and He will be faithful to perform this work of grace in us if we
will be faithful to give Him our “whole spirit and soul and body” to work with.
“Sanctification of the Spirit” is probably the
most neglected New Testament doctrine in all the realm of Christendom.
While most Protestants are ready to herald some form of gospel invitation that
calls sinners to receive forgiveness of sins, when it comes to the part of the
gospel invitation that calls Christians to sanctification and the “obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,” they shut their mouths and keep silent. No
doubt this is because very few have advanced that far in Christian experience,
therefore they don’t feel comfortable trying to proclaim something they know
little, or nothing, about. But worse yet, instead of acknowledging and
accepting the clear gospel proclamation that Christ saves us from our
sins (see Matthew 1:21) and delivers us from our sinning (see Luke
1:74-75), many today are proclaiming another gospel, a cheap gospel, that supposedly
saves people in spite of their sins and continual sinning. According to
this theory, by simply praying a so-called “sinner’s prayer” and supposedly accepting
Christ as our personal Savior, we are forgiven of all our past sins and all
the sins we are going to continue to commit. They claim that, when one believes
on and accepts God’s Son and the blood He shed for the atonement of sin, God no
longer imputes that person’s sins to them, even though their body and moral
nature will remain sinful, and they can expect to continue sinning more or less
on a daily basis. Believers are merely sinners saved by grace, they say.
But anyone who studies the New Testament
with an honest and open heart will soon see the gross error of this theology.
It is mere human thinking that seeks to excuse sin in the flesh. What
does God’s Word say? “But ye have not so learned Christ: If so be that
ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That
ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct] the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:20-24. “But if, while
we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners, is
therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.” Galatians 2:17. “For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:11-12. This is what the
grace of God that brings real salvation teaches us! It is transforming
grace. It doesn’t leave you yet a sinner, but “is able to build you up
[in Christ], and to give you an inheritance among all them which are
sanctified.” Acts 20:32.
The religion of Jesus Christ is NOT a “sin
you must, sin you can’t help it” religion. As soon as Christ began His earthly
ministry, He began to preach, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.” Matthew 4:17. To repent means to completely turn away from evil
and wrongdoing, and forsake sin. When Christ forgave the woman caught in
adultery, He said to her, “Go, and sin no more.” John 3:11. Notice, He didn’t
say, “I’m also forgiving you in advance for each time you’re going to sin
again.” God, who desires the COMPLETE spiritual restoration of fallen man,
designed through Christ, not only to forgive him of committed sins, but to also
put something within man that would purify and preserve him from the
power and dominion of sin. He made the “kingdom of heaven” available to man
through the Holy Spirit. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans
14:17. Through the Holy Spirit the righteous, peaceful, joyful reign of heaven
enters into the very bosom of man. And wherever, and in whomever, the Holy
Spirit bears rule and control, the holy and heavenly attributes of that Spirit
becomes the dominating influence.
Can we sit with Christ in heavenly places
(the station to which grace raises us – Ephesians 2:1-6) and at the same time
remain polluted with sin? Reason and common sense says, “NO!” But someone may
say, “I have accepted the free gift of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ,
my Lord. Therefore, God doesn’t impute my sins to me, even though I commit them
on a daily basis. My sins are all covered by Christ’s blood, because I believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ and have accepted His atonement for the pardon of all
my sins and my sinfulness.”
If indeed you have accepted the free gift
of God, salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord, you have accepted everything
that was included in the package. And that included entering into
the fellowship of His sufferings and being made conformable unto His death.
[Look at Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 2:11-12; Romans 8:17.] Peter also says, in
1 Peter 4:1-2, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm
yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the
flesh [crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts – Galatians 5:24] hath
ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the
flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”
How much plainer can language be? There’s
a song that says, “Heaven’s grace is all we need if we the consecration make.”
In fact, if you make the consecration, grace will take over from there, as the
power of the Holy Spirit flows in! The reason some have a hard time ceasing
from sin is because they have not made that consecration. They have not become
willing to enter into the fellowship of the sufferings of their Lord and be
made conformable to His death by likewise dying to their flesh and their
self-life. Christ died for sin so that we could receive the
empowerment of grace to die to sin (see 1 Peter 2:24). Since
He offered His body a sacrifice for our sins, it is only reasonable that we
offer our bodies a living sacrifice to Him in death to sin. That is our
“reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). Also, since it is in God, and by God, that
“we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28), and our bodies are such a
marvelous masterpiece of His creation, that fact in itself makes it reasonable
that we should offer our bodies back to Him in holy consecration.
I will not take the space to quote it
here, but I would encourage everyone to read carefully the 3rd
chapter of the book of Colossians. Here we get a vivid picture of the true
Christian community. It is not a community of sinners making a fruitless
profession of salvation by grace, but a community of ex-sinners whom
grace has transformed into saints! Paul addressed the book of Colossians
“to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse” whose
“love in the Spirit” had been reported to him (Colossians 1:2, 8). The love of
God shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost had made them new men, dead
to sin, “risen with Christ,” and “hid with Christ, in God.” And Paul was
exhorting them in this 3rd chapter to “put on” an even greater
measure of grace and love in the Spirit, allowing the peace of God (another
part of the Spirit’s fruit – Galatians 5:22) to rule in their hearts, and
Christ’s Word to dwell in them richly.
Paul exhorted the Ephesians likewise: “Be
ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ
also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. … For this ye know, that no …
unclean person … hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. …
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as
children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” Ephesians
5:1-2, 5, 8-10. Whatever falls outside the boundaries of goodness,
righteousness, and truth is not the fruit of the Spirit, and is unacceptable to
the Lord.
In the 52nd chapter of Isaiah
we read: “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful
garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come
into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. … Be ye clean, that bear the
vessels of the LORD” (verses 1 and 11b). The apostle Paul says in Romans 2:29,
“he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in
the spirit.” And in Colossians 2:11, “ye are circumcised with the circumcision
made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ.” Again, Paul says in Romans 13:14, “But put ye on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the
lusts thereof.” And in Philippians 3:3, “For we are the circumcision, which
worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence
in the flesh.”
Let’s consider circumcision for a little
while. The literal circumcision of the flesh that God required under the Old
Testament law was a figure (or type and shadow) of the spiritual circumcision
that God now requires under the New Testament law. If you have not put off
the body of the sins of the flesh, you are not yet spiritually
circumcised. You are still a natural man. You must allow the natural
fleshly inclinations of your heart to be cut off. [Read Deuteronomy 10:16 and
Jeremiah 4:4.] And yes, circumcision involves suffering in the flesh!
But if you are willing to suffer it, the Spirit of God will cut off those
selfish tendencies, carnal affections, and carnal desires that are so much
a part of the natural you, and that cause you spiritual trouble and
hinder you from putting on and experiencing the fullness of Jesus Christ. This
is sanctification – spiritual circumcision. But here is the great
blessing and GRACE of it: after suffering your carnal nature to be
circumcised, it becomes relatively easy to cease from sin and keep clean!
Your part in the matter is just to present your body a living sacrifice
to God in complete consecration. The Holy Spirit then performs the needed heart
surgery within the body you consecrate to Him.
Circumcision does not take place in the
birthing process. It has to take place after one has been born. And
just as one must first be born of the flesh before he can receive “that
circumcision which is outward in the flesh,” so one must also first be
born of the Spirit before he can receive “the circumcision made without
hands,” “that of the heart, in the spirit,” by the surgical operation of the
Holy Spirit. This is the circumcision of Jesus Christ that puts off the
body [that is, the substance, the cause, the principle, and source] of
the sins of the flesh, which, in fact, is the law of sin that
wars in our members, as described in Romans 7:14-23. This is what we need
to have circumcised. Why? Because it wars against the divine nature that we
received in the grace of regeneration. While it is true that there is a cutting
off of the practice of sin in repentance and grace of regeneration, and regeneration
does empower us to suppress and overcome the law of sin that is in our members,
yet the real circumcising of the heart is deferred to the subsequent
sanctifying grace of the Spirit. The grace of regeneration (spiritual rebirth) prepares
the heart for the circumcision that will be provided for it later in
sanctification – the cutting off of its carnal inclinations. As in literal
circumcision the natural flesh with which one is born is cut off, so in
spiritual circumcision the carnal nature, or sin principle, with which we were
born is cut off. This gives the divine nature, the Christ life that was infused
into our spirit and introduced to us in regeneration, full capacity to work, so
that our “whole spirit and soul and body” can be preserved
blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Regeneration
introduces us to holiness; sanctification perfects, establishes, and preserves
us in holiness. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1. In other words, let the
Holy Spirit circumcise your carnal nature.
D. S. Warner, commenting on sanctification
in the December 1, 1884 issue of the Gospel Trumpet, says, we “must be
‘holy both in body and in spirit.’ 1 Corinthians. 7:34. ‘But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall
quicken your mortal bodies, by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.’ Romans 8:11.
This language clearly alludes to the thorough work of entire
sanctification. The Spirit already dwelling in the justified soul, comes
in His fullness, as the sanctifier, and quickens, spiritualizes,
refines the mortal body into the same state of holiness that the soul is raised
to; so that the ‘spirit, soul, and body’ are ‘preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; faithful is He that calleth you, who also will
do it.’ 1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24.”
This is absolutely true, and this is how
the sin principle, or law of sin that is in our members (Romans 7:23), is
circumcised. By cutting off this part of the natural man, the life of Jesus is
then “made manifest in our body” – “in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians
4:10-11) instead of the carnal nature. Our members become sanctified and
hallowed by the Holy Spirit who takes full possession of the body we
presented Him as a living sacrifice. The holiness of the divine Spirit then
becomes the law that governs our physical members, as He writes God’s law on
the fleshly tables of our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3) and in our minds (Hebrews
8:10; 10:16). The Holy Spirit pulls down every strong hold of evil inclination
in our nature (including pride), casts down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalts itself against the knowledge of God [our natural human pride being
one of the highest of those things – 1 John 2:16], and brings into captivity
our every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Thus we
become fully renewed in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23), and being
divested of our carnal mindedness, we take on “the mind of Christ” (1
Corinthians 2:12-16) – the meek and lowly mind (Philippians 2:5-7; Romans
12:3). And this is how we obtain and share in “the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ,” as Paul mentions in 2 Thessalonians 2:14. This glory is Christ-likeness.
A sanctified life reflects the life of
Jesus. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.”
Acts 10:38. And Jesus prayed thus to His Father: “the glory which thou gavest
me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know
that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John
17:22-23. Yes, Jesus Christ (the anointed One), “that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and
his Father” (Revelation 1:5-6), wants us as His “royal priesthood, chosen
generation, and peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9), to be anointed with the same
Holy Spirit that He was anointed with. Thus we receive the glory that His
Father gave Him. Has the Lord ever willed us anything that He refused to give
us? Can we really be filled with the glory of the Christ life? Certainly we can
if we make the consecration required to receive it.
“Lord, I am waiting at Thy feet, My consecration is
complete;
Nothing from Thee would I withhold, Let me Thy
glorious face behold.
“Emptied of self, and filled with Thee, Spirit of
God, abide with me;
Help me to die to self and sin, Spirit divine, come
in, come in!”
– Haldor
Lillenas, Great Gospel Songs #1
“O King of love immortal, Reign in my heart alone,
And flood this earthen temple With glory from Thy
throne.”
“Do you feel the mighty, living power, Filling all
thy mortal frame?
And does all thy heart forever pour Streams of glory
to His name?”
–
D. S. Warner, Evening
Light Songs #264, verse 5, & #222, verse 4
“Glory from heaven shineth Into the lowly breast,
Glory of Christ’s own presence, Richness and peace and rest.
“Grace and glory, poured on us from on high, Will
gladden our days
And fill us with praise; God give to us grace and glory” [Psalm 84:11].
– C. W. Naylor, Songs of Grace and Glory #1,
verse 3 and chorus
Holy Spirit filled people are a people
whose hearts are filled with praise and thanksgiving! Praise and thanksgiving
are some of the “spiritual sacrifices” that they, as a “holy priesthood” (1
Peter 2:5), offer to God continually (Hebrews 13:15). “Therefore with joy shall
ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say,
Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people,
make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath
done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout,
thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of
thee.” Isaiah 12:3-6. “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the
will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks
always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” Ephesians 5:17-20.
By being filled with His Spirit we
assimilate the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit’s “unction,” or “anointing” (1
John 2:20, 27), is what causes us to think like Jesus thinks and to see light
in His light (Psalm 36:9; 18:28). It gives us understanding of what the will of
the Lord is. “This is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1
Thessalonians 4:3). The sanctifying grace of the Spirit transforms us from
worldly conformity to divine conformity, enabling us to “prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). God has called us
unto holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Peter 1:14-16). In the beginning, He
created man in that state, but Adam and Eve sold us out when they partook of
the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil. By that one act of
disobedience they acquired a carnal mind and a carnal nature, not only for
themselves, but also for all their posterity. However, Christ came with a plan
of redemption that, not only paid the price for the pardon of the sins we
committed because of our carnal nature, but also redeemed the state of holiness
for us. Christ “loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27. We can now “enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the
house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water [the pure water of the Word].” Hebrews 10:19-22.
The three elements that accomplish our
sanctification are the fire of the Holy Spirit, the water of the
Word, and the blood of Jesus. These are the “three that bear witness in
earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”
1 John 5:8. It is the Spirit who applies the virtue of Jesus’ sanctifying blood
to our hearts and fills our hearts with burning love. “And it is the Spirit
that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:6. The Spirit also
shows us how to apply the Word of God to our lives and thus wash our bodies
clean of all sin in the flesh. So we see
that by the blood of Christ and by His Word and Spirit, God’s “divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby
is given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye
might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:3-4.
Holiness, simply defined, is conformity
to the likeness of Jesus Christ. He “is made unto us sanctification,”
as well as wisdom, righteousness, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:17). The
apostle John says, “that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we
shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3. This indicates the necessity of the thorough
work of entire sanctification in us, and shows that our transformation into
Christ’s moral likeness must take place BEFORE we see Him. Christ
provides that transformation for us NOW, through his Blood, Word, and Spirit.
If we will not quench the Holy Spirit, but allow Him to lead us and guide us
into all truth, as He desires to do, He will conform us to the image of Christ,
and thereby establish our hearts unblameable in holiness before God (1
Thessalonians 3:13), as God designed man to be in the beginning. And, “Herein
is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
because as he is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17. Our security,
hope, and “full assurance*” [*consider Hebrews 10:19-22 & 1 John 3:19-22]
depends on our being conformed to Christ’s moral likeness “in this world.” If
we do not, through the Spirit, obtain the glory of His moral likeness here and
now we cannot enter into it in the world to come. “Follow peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord [in peace].” Hebrews
12:14. “… Be diligent that ye may be
found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14. In other
words, be diligent to avail yourself of the GRACE provided you through the
Holy Spirit to make and keep you without spot and blameless. All you have
to do to avail yourself of this sanctifying grace is, die out to your “self
life,” keep consecrated and yielded to the will of God, and set apart for His
sacred use and service. The Holy Spirit, then, will automatically respond
to you with His infilling and cleansing power.
“Oh, make of me what Thou wilt have me to be, As clay
is so I am to Thee;
Just fashion me to Thine own pleasure, Till Thou shalt
Thine own image see.”
– W. J. Henry, Evening Light Songs #237, chorus
Here is a scripture we should always
remember: “… The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor and some
to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a
vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and
prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow
righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a
pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:19-22.
Ephesians 1:3-4 tells us that God has
“blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” and has
“chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love.” So we see that holy living was God’s
design for man before the foundation of the world, it is restored to fallen man
through Christ, and it comes to us in the element of LOVE. Love is
the key to (and the motivation of) holiness. We cannot live in a state of
holiness without living in a state of love. And “the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans
5:5). Therefore, the more filled we are with the Holy Ghost, the more filled we
are with love. And the more filled we are with love, the holier we are. John
refers to a state of “perfect love” (1 John 4:12, 18). There is no way we can
fulfill the law of Christ in turning the other cheek, loving our enemies,
blessing them that curse us, doing good to them that hate us (Matthew 5:39,
44), and all the other things He commanded us in His sermon on the mount,
without this love. The natural man (the uncircumcised in heart) cannot
do this. It was this love that enabled Jesus to endure the cross. And it is
this same love that enables us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23) and
follow in His footsteps. This is divine love, agape love, the kind the apostle
Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, that is longsuffering, kind, not
envious of others, not boastful of self, not puffed up, does not behave in an
unbecoming manner, is not self-seeking or selfish, is not easily provoked,
thinks no evil, never rejoices in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears
all things, believes all things [that are true], has hope in all things, and
never fails. These are the elements that the Holy Ghost sheds abroad in our
hearts.
“Oh, how sweet is Thy abiding! Oh, how tender is the
love
Thou dost shed abroad within me From the Father-heart
above!
“Thou has cleansed me for Thy temple, Garnished with
Thy graces rare;
All my soul Thou art enriching By Thy fullness
dwelling there.”
–
C. W. Naylor, Evening
Light Songs #292, verses 2 &3
Wherever and whenever this love is
lacking, the fullness of the Spirit is lacking. The same could be said
regarding all the other aspects of the Spirit’s fruit – joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance
[self-control]. Inasmuch as we find ourselves deficient in these, we need a
greater measure of the Holy Spirit. Why, then, should we not seek to be as
filled with the Spirit as we can be? What is there about the Spirit that we
need to draw back from? If you desire a sanctified life, “quench not the
Spirit.”
Here are some important questions of
self-examination that we should ask ourselves. An honest answer will tell us
whether, or not, we are “filled with the Spirit.”
1. Am I full of love? Jesus prayed
to His Father, “I have declared unto them they name, and will declare it: that
the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in
them.” John 17:26. John said, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the
love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” 1 John 2:5. And, “No
man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and
his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,
because he hath given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:12-12. The songwriter D. S.
Warner, said:
“Is the Spirit glowing in thy heart? Oh, my brother,
can you say
That you feel the burning love of God In thy bosom day
by day?
“Yes, ‘tis love, ‘tis burning love divine, Filling all
my soul’s desire;
Oh, how sweet its glories ever shine! Now I feel the
glowing fire.”
– Evening Light Songs #222, verse 1 and chorus
2. Am I full of joy? Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto
you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
John 15:15. The apostle Paul said, “Rejoice evermore” (1 Thessalonians 5:16),
and, “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Isaiah
61:10 says, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my
God.” One old song says:
“Joys are flowing like a river, Since the Comforter
has come;
He abides with us forever, Makes the trusting heart
His home.
“Everything is turned to gladness, All around this
glorious Guest;
Banished unbelief and sadness, All is perfect peace
and rest.
“Like the rain that falls from Heaven, Like the
sunlight from the sky,
So the Holy Spirit given, Falls upon us from on high.
Chorus:
“Blessed quietness, holy quietness, Blest assurance in
my soul!
On the stormy sea, Jesus speaks to me, And the billows
cease to roll.”
– Mrs. M. P. Ferguson, Evening Light Songs #161, verses 1-3 and
chorus
Joy is a part of those “rivers of living
water” that Jesus declared would flow forth from the inner being of those who
believed in Him, when he spoke of the Holy Spirit that they would receive (John
7:37-39).
This does not mean we will never
experience seasons of “heaviness through manifold temptations,” as Apostle
Peter says in 1 Peter 1:6. But as James says in James 1:2-4, “My brethren, count
it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the
trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting [lacking] nothing.” There will be
times when we have to “count” things joy when we don’t feel joyful.
Therefore, “we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh
patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not
ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us.” Romans. 5:3-5. And love “Beareth all things, believeth
all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7. So we
see how the flavors of the Spirit’s wonderful fruit all blend together.
D. S. Warner was a Holy Spirit-filled man
who went through some of the greatest tribulations, trials, troubles and
sorrows any mortal ever endured, yet he wrote the following verse of song:
“Jesus bids be joyful ever, He Himself the wondrous
Giver,
Flows within a constant river, And my spirit must
rejoice.”
– Evening Light Songs #66, verse 5
The eloquent words of another Holy
Spirit-inspired song also convey the same wonderful truth:
“From wells of everlasting joy Our strength by faith
we bring;
The joy that thrills my ransomed soul Can make the
dumb heart sing.
“How sweet the soul that’s purged as pure As gold
without alloy!
How peaceful is the flowing stream Of deep eternal
joy!
There’s joy, glad joy, Now flowing from above,
There’s joy, glad joy, In the fullness of His love.”
– D. O. Teasley, Evening Light Songs #61, verses 2 -3, and
chorus
3. Am I full of peace? Jesus said,
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” John 14:27.
“For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her [the
church] like a river.” Isaiah 66:12. D. S. Warner wrote these beautiful
verses of song one time while sitting on a log, meditating and worshiping the
God he loved, beside the Ohio River:
“I’ll sing of a river divine, Its waters from trouble
release,
More precious than ‘honey and wine,’ That river, sweet
river is peace.
“It reaches from Heaven to earth, It issues from under
the throne;
Great peace! Oh, Thy infinite worth! Sweet peace in my
Jesus alone.
“Oh, wonderful life-giving flood, Thy waters so
crystal and pure,
Make glad all the ‘City of God’ [Psalm 46:4], Forever
Thy blessings endure.
“Oh Jesus! The tempest of sin Is hushed into heavenly
rest;
Since tasting the pure living stream That flows from
Thy crucified breast.
“Oh, this river of peace …, Makes me perfect and
whole, ever perfect and whole;
And its blessings increase, ever joyful increase,
Flowing deep in my happy soul.”
– Evening Light Songs #57, verses 1-4 and chorus
Peace is also a part of those “rivers of
living water” that flow forth from the inner being of all who are filled with
the Spirit. All who have ever been Spirit-filled know just exactly what D. S.
Warner is talking about in the verses and chorus of the above song. How often I
have sung this song and felt the deep, moving current of that wonderful river
flowing in my bosom! It is wonderful! It is peace that passes all understanding
and goes beyond the expression of words! It is a peace that dispels all gloom
and sadness, even in times of adversity and distress.
4. Am I full of longsuffering?
Colossians 1:10-11 says, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of
God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all
patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”
5. Am I full of gentleness? “Put
them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates,
to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but
gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” Titus 3:1-2. “The
servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men,
apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves …
.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” James 3:17. “Thou hast
also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath
made me great.” 2 Samuel 22:36. [See also Psalm 18:35.]
6. Am I full of goodness? “For the
fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth.”
Ephesians 5:9.
7. Am I full of faith? “… And they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost … And
Stephen, full of faith and power, did great miracles among the
people.” Acts. 6:5, 8. “… And they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as
far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and
exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith:
and much people was added unto the Lord.” Acts 11:22-24.
8. Am I full of meekness? “Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even
as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on
charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:12-14. “But thou, O
man of God, … follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love , patience, meekness.”
1 Timothy 6:11.
9. Am I full of temperance
[self-control]? Apostle Paul said, “And every man that striveth for the
mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as
uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under
my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.
Apostle Peter said, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and
to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you,
and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind,
and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old
sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling
and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to
put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be
established in the present truth.” 2 Peter 1:5-12.
In the light of the above self-examining
questions and accompanying scriptural declarations, can we honestly say we are filled
with the Spirit? The measure of the “fruit of the Spirit” produced in us will
testify as evidence to just how filled we really are! Also, our measure of
grace, spiritual victory, and overcoming power will be determined by how filled
we are with the Holy Spirit.
When traveling, we have to remember that
our gas tank doesn’t stay full unless we stop frequently and fill up.
It works the same way relative to our keeping filled with the Spirit while
traveling our pilgrimage to heaven. Just as surely as, when taking a long trip,
our gas tank will eventually run out of gas without frequent fill-ups along the
way, if we don’t frequently fill up with the Spirit along our journey to
heaven, our love will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and we can even run empty
(Revelation 2:4-5). Without being rekindled on a continual basis, love will
grow cold in any relationship. Therefore Jude admonishes us, “But ye, beloved,
building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Keep yourselves in the love of God …” Jude 20-21.
Keeping filled with the Holy Spirit,
living in the Spirit, and walking in the Spirit keeps us full of the love of
God. And divine love prevents us from stepping outside the boundaries of
holiness in whatever we do and say. It enables us to do all to the glory of
God, whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). It
seasons our speech with salt and grace (Colossians 4:6). As we continually
submit our will and our flesh to the Spirit’s control, that good thing which
was committed to us (salvation, a clean heart, and clear conscience) will be
kept and preserved from defilement by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us (2
Timothy 1:14). “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath
anointed us, is God: Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the
Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. God establishes us in Christ,
anoints us, and seals us by His Holy Spirit, but we must continually
subject our will to the Spirit’s leadership and control, and keep our body
offered a living sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the
holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed [preserved] unto the day of
redemption [the day of Christ’s second coming when your redemption will be
consummated in a glorified, incorruptible and immortal body, fashioned like
unto His glorious body, that can never again be temped by fleshly lusts –
Romans 8:23; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2].” The way we keep from grieving
the holy Spirit of God is just to simply let Him have His way in us on a
continual basis. By dying daily (1 Corinthians 15:31) and keeping our
will surrendered we give complete right-of-way to the “Spirit of grace,”
and thus our hearts become established in grace. It is the Spirit who ministers
the “abundance of grace” and “gift of righteousness” that enables us to “reign
in life” by Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:17). “This is the true grace of God wherein
ye stand” “and “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (1 Peter 5:12; Romans
5:2). The abiding Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is “the earnest [down payment] of
our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [the
redemption of our mortal body]” (Ephesians 2:14). Think about the words of the
following song. They reveal the secret of a victorious Christian life.
He Wants His Way In Thee
“God has sent the Holy Spirit to our hearts an honored
Guest,
To deliver us from evil, and to bring us peace and
rest.
He has come to work within us, Heaven’s purposes so
blest:
He wants His way in thee.
“Let the Spirit do the planning, point the way thy
feet shall go;
Greater than thine own His wisdom, He the will of God
doth know;
Better, wiser than thy choosing is the way that He
will show:
He wants His way in thee.
“He doth sometimes work in silence, when thou dost not
know at all;
He doth sometimes speak so softly thou must listen for
His call.
But if thou wilt trust Him fully, He will be thine all
in all:
He wants His way in thee.
“All thyself to Him surrender, as He pleases let Him
do;
In the paths He leadeth, follow, whether they be old
or new.
When the tasks seem hard before thee, He with power
will endue:
He wants His way in thee.
Chorus: “Yield unto the Holy Spirit, Let Him have His
way with thee;
Be thou ready to obey Him, He leads to victory.”
– C. W. Naylor, Songs of Grace and Glory #93
The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:32, “I will
run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.” J.
W. Davis, commenting on this scripture, says, “Surely if a vessel is
enlarged it can be filled again and again; our attainments may be
higher and still higher until we reach a state of perfection*.” – The Gospel
Trumpet, October 15, 1884 issue, article Filled With the Spirit.
[*That state will be reached in its fullness in the world to come,
following the resurrection and redemption of our bodies, as I mentioned above –
see also Philippians 3:11-15.] Let us observe that in Acts 4:31 some of the
same Christians who were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost were
filled again on another occasion as they all sought the Lord in
earnest prayer. Is this not a good example for us today? L. S. Riggs [who also
wrote song #67 in the Evening Light Songs hymnal] wrote the words of the
following song in the 1800’s:
“Holy Spirit, fill us now, While beneath the cross we
bow,
Fill us full of peace and love, Holy Spirit from
above.
“Holy Spirit, full of grace, Show us now the Father’s
face;
Brightly shining from on high, Through a bright and
beauteous sky.
“Holy Spirit, full of love, Coming like a
gentle dove,
Come, baptize
our hearts anew*, Sweetly gently, like the dew.”
– Songs of Victory #49
[*See D. S. Warner’s interesting
comments in his article on the meaning of “one baptism” in Ephesians 4:5 and
“the doctrine of baptisms” in Hebrews 6:2.]
Another old song from the early 1900’s, by
Mrs. C. H. Morris, says:
“For a fresh anointing, Lord, for
service, Come we now in Jesus’ precious name;
For the blessed Pentecostal fullness,
Every heart with heavenly love aflame.
“Make us free to tell the gospel story, Liberty in
service may we have;
Showing forth the Savior’s grace and glory, Telling of
His wondrous power to save.
“Bringing all we have in consecration As a
living sacrifice to thee;
Trusting for an uttermost salvation, Jesus precious
blood our only plea.
“Let the great Refiner throughly purge us,
Purify our hearts like as by fire;
While for all the sanctifying fullness
Here our waiting, longing hearts aspire.
Chorus:
“Send a new touch of fire on our souls, Lord, send it
now, Lord, send it now, Lord;
Touch our lips today with the living coals [Isaiah
6:6-8], Send a new touch of fire on our souls.”
– Reformation Glory #73
“Purify each heart with refining fire, Let perfect
love in us abound,
With all dross removed and each vain desire, Oh,
Father send the power down.” [Acts 1:8]
– Ulysses Phillips, Evening Light Songs #468, verse 2
I believe that the area in which we, as
Christians, too often fall short, is that of the “Pentecostal fullness” – the
refining, sanctifying, dross-purging, love-inducing, power-enduing fullness of
the Spirit. Too often our focus becomes diverted too much to the cares of this
mortal life (vain desires) and there is not enough self-denial, fasting,
praying, and sacrificing for Christ and His cause on our part for the Spirit to
work in and through us to the extent that He would like. Thus, without even
realizing it sometimes, we quench the Spirit, and consequently, we experience a
spiritual power shortage. If we find ourselves experiencing a spiritual
power shortage (a shortage of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, etc. – it all goes hand in hand with power
and is a part of our power – “for the joy of the Lord is your strength,”
Nehemiah 8:10) we can be sure that the fullness of the Spirit is lacking in us.
It is then time to apply the “fix” to the problem! We need a “fresh anointing”
and a “new touch of fire on our souls,” as the above songwriter stated. A renewal
of the consecration we made when we first presented our body a living
sacrifice to God for sanctification will restore the anointing, the fire, and
the power.
The measure of grace, spiritual
blessings, and overcoming power administered to us by the Spirit will be
proportionate according to our sacrifices, self-denial, and dedication.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:6, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” This
law holds true relative to our sowing to the Spirit. Where there is little
fervency and praying in the Spirit there will be little blessing, outpouring,
and manifestation of the Spirit. But where there is great fervency and earnest
praying in the Spirit there will be great blessing, outpouring, and manifestation
of the Spirit. We will find this true in our individual lives as well as in our
gatherings as a church. We receive of the Spirit as much as we put in for, and
according to how we apply ourselves to God’s conditions and requirements!
Therefore, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall
ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he
ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg,
will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:9-13.
Oh, how greatly we all need “to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may
dwell in your [our] hearts by faith; that ye [we], being rooted and
grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye [we] might be filled with all the
fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us
[through the Holy Spirit], Unto him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:16-21).
It is amazing grace
indeed that the great God of heaven has made a way that we, who are
inherently evil by nature (Ephesians 2:2-3), can “have this treasure in earthen
vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7) – the indwelling of His own Almighty presence
through His Spirit, and thus be “sanctified by the Holy Ghost (Romans 15:16).
Another old song says, “By the Holy Spirit’s power He will keep me every
hour.” Truly, the excellency of the power is all of God, and not of us.
And, as yet another old song says:
“I am only an earthen vessel, All excellence is
of the Lord;
For alone I am worthless and empty, And nothing of
profit afford.
“I am only an earthen vessel, The graces within
are not mine;
For the love and power and glory Belong to the Savior
Divine.
“I am only an earthen vessel, But Jesus has pleasure
in me;
While I gladly submit to His purpose, A vessel to
honor I’ll be.”
– C. W. Naylor, Evening Light Songs #147, verses 3-4 &
chorus
All God needs from us is an offering of
our soul and body that will give the Holy Spirit the room He needs to work His
divine will and purpose in us.
“Who will offer soul and body On the altar of our God?
Leaving self and worldly mammon, Take the path that
Jesus trod?
“Who will suffer for the Gospel, Follow Christ without
the gate?
Take the martyrs for example, With them glory at the
stake?”
“Have you made a consecration Of yourself and earthly
store?
Have you died to all but Jesus, And His will
forevermore?”
– D. S. Warner, Evening Light Songs #241, verses 2 & 3 and
#90, verse 2
Whoever thus offers himself (or herself) a
living sacrifice to God, and maintains that consecration, will be salted with
the salt of the Holy Spirit and with the fire of divine love. “Then do not
falter, stay on the altar, Christ is our strong high tower.”
– B. E. Warren, Evening Light Songs #115. And may the words of the
following songs be our continual aspiration:
The More I Learn About Jesus
“The more I learn about Jesus, The more I know He
loves me;
His love is greater and stronger Than human love can
be,
The more I live in His presence, The more His trueness
appears,
The more I’m learning to trust Him, Through all the
changing years.
“I long for greater compassion, I would more sympathy
show,
And be more tender and holy, More of His fullness
know.
I would be gentle and lowly, Display His love so
divine,
And have submission and meekness, And more of His
life in mine.
“The more with Him in communion, The nearer heaven I
rise;
And sweeter far is our union Than any human ties.
I thirst for more of His Spirit, His will to
work in my soul
I want to be in His image, While ceaseless ages roll.”
– B. E. Warren, Melodies of Zion #27
I Would Be Closer to Thee
“I would be closer my Savior, Yes, closer to Thee each
day,
Filled with thy Spirit and power, And walking the holy
way.
“I would be closer for shelter, Just leaning upon Thy
breast.
Trusting my all on the altar, Thou givest me sweeter
rest.
“I would be closer for guidance, Oh, let me not go
astray,
Feeling the blessed assurance That brightens my hope
each day.
“Closer to Jesus, my helper, His merits I humbly
plead,
Drawing from heaven my treasure, The grace I shall
daily need.”
– B. E. Warren, Echoes From Heaven #10
We draw down this wonderful treasure from
heaven – GRACE – by communing with Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
– 2
Corinthians 13:14
Food for Thought from “Bible
Lessons”
(Sunday, June 22, 2014)
The kind of fruit we bear in our daily
lives in our homes, at work, in our neighborhoods, and in all our relationships
with our fellow creatures of earth is of vital importance before our great and
wise Creator. He wants His children who profess His name to bring forth in their
conversation and actions the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We must yield our
hearts and lives completely to this precious Holy Spirit and learn how to speak
and conduct ourselves in a manner that would be pleasing to Him and a blessing
to others. It takes earnest daily prayers and special times of worship and
fervent seeking the Lord and living close to Him. We want those fruits of the
Spirit to be manifested in our daily conduct. There are trying things that we
face, things that are unpleasant and provoking. We must be watchful and very
diligent to control our words and attitudes to what is pleasing to God and not
hurtful or discouraging to our fellowman. [Remember, “temperance,” or self-control,
is part of the fruit of the Spirit.]
James 3:2 says, “If any man offend not in
word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” God
is able to help us to control our tongue, but there are times when we may be
chastened and corrected by the Holy Spirit concerning something we have spoken.
Oh, how we must keep our heart and mind open to His reproof and correction! We
are bringing forth fruit that our fellowmen of earth will notice. We need to
seek the Lord for guidance and grace to keep ourselves in the love of
God and control our feelings and thoughts in subjection to His will.
Natural fruit is a wonderful blessing! How
we enjoy apples, peaches, grapes, plums, dates, figs, oranges, and other
wonderful things that God has created for us to have and enjoy! Let us be
diligent to bring forth and enjoy the spiritual fruit also for our good and the
good of others.
– Bro. Leslie Busbee
One of most powerful prayers in the midst
of suffering was uncovered from the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp.
Ravensbruck was a concentration camp built in 1939 for women. It was in this
place over 90,000 women and children perished, murdered by the Nazis. Corrie
Ten Boom, who wrote “The Hiding Place,” was imprisoned there as well. A prayer
found in the clothing of a dead child was as follows:
“O Lord, remember not only the men and
women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the
suffering they have inflicted upon us: instead, remember the fruits we have
borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another,
our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has
grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all
of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.”
As we face the hardships and trials life
inevitably brings, let us be challenged that by the grace of God we
bring forth the kind of fruit this child so beautifully expressed.
– Sis. Julie Elwell
Twenty-Two Thought-Provoking
Questions
From John Wesley
1. Has there not been a larger measure
of the Holy Spirit given under the Gospel than under the Jewish
dispensation? If not, in what sense was
the Spirit not given before Christ was glorified? (John 7:39.)
2. Was that glory which followed the
sufferings of Christ (1 Pet. 1:11) an external glory, or an internal, namely,
the glory of holiness?
3. Has God anywhere in Scripture
commanded us more than He has promised to us?
4. Are the promises of God respecting
holiness to be fulfilled in this life, or only in the next?
5. Is a Christian under any other laws
than those which God promises to write in our hearts? Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:10.
6. In what sense is “the righteousness
of the law fulfilled in those who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit?” Rom. 8:4.
7. Is it impossible for anyone in this
life to “love God with all the heart, and mind, and soul, and strength?’ And is the Christian under any law which is
not fulfilled in this love?
8. Does the soul’s going out of the
body effect its purification from indwelling sin [the principle or law of sin
in our members – Rom. 7:14-23 – the carnal nature]?
9. If so, is it not something else,
not the “blood of Christ, which cleanseth” it from all sin?
10.
If
His blood cleanseth us from all sin while the soul and body are
united, is it not in this life?
11.
If
when that union ceases, is it not in the next?
And is not this too late?
12.
If
in the article of death, what situation is the soul in, when it is neither in
the body nor out of it?
13.
Has
Christ anywhere taught us to pray for what He never designs to give?
14.
Has
He not taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is done in
heaven?” And is it not done perfectly in
heaven?
15.
If
so, has He not taught us to pray for perfection on earth? Does He not, then, design to give it?
16.
Did
not St. Paul pray according to the will of God, when he prayed that the
Thessalonians might be “sanctified wholly and preserved” (in this world, not in
the next, unless he was praying for the dead) “blameless in body, soul, and
spirit, unto the coming of Jesus Christ?” (1 Thes. 5:23-24.)
17.
Do
you sincerely desire to be freed from indwelling sin [the law of sin in your
members – Rom. 7:23] in this life?
18.
If
you do, did not God give you that desire?
19.
If
so, did He not give it you to mock you, if
it is impossible
it should ever be fulfilled?
20.
If
you have not sincerity enough even to desire it, are you not disputing about
matters too high for you [when you argue against the doctrine of sanctification]?
21.
Do
you ever pray to God to “cleanse the thoughts of your heart that you may
perfectly love Him?”
22.
If
you neither desire what you ask, nor believe it attainable, pray you not as a
fool prayeth?
-- Published in The Gospel Trumpet,
March 1, 1881
A Model Consecration
A covenant is an agreement of two
parties in which both voluntarily bind themselves to fill certain conditions
and receive certain benefits. God is the party of the first part of the
contract and has bound Himself.
1. “I will put My laws into their minds and write them in
their hearts.”
2. “And I will be their God.”
3. They “shall know Me from the least to the greatest.”
4. “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness.”
5. “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
more.”
O thou most holy God, thou hast left this
covenant in Thy Holy Book, saying, “If any man will take hold of My covenant.”
Now, therefore, in holy fear and reverence
I present myself as the party of the second part and subscribe my name to the
holy article of agreement, and following thy example will here and now write
down the conditions on my part.
“They shall be My people.” (Jer. 31:33.)
Amen, Lord, I am forever Thine.
The vow is passed beyond repeal,
Now will I set the solemn seal.
Lord, Thou hast been true to Thy covenant,
though I have been most unfaithful and am now altogether unworthy to take hold
of Thy most gracious covenant. But knowing that Thou hast bound Thyself in Thy
own free offer to “be merciful to their unrighteousness,” I take courage to
approach Thee and would most earnestly beseech Thee to fulfill Thy wonderful
offer to BE MY GOD: and I do most joyfully yield myself entirely TO BE THINE.
Therefore this soul which Thou hast made
in Thine own image is placed wholly in Thy hands to do with it as seemeth good.
This mind shall think only for Thy glory
and the promotion of Thy cause.
This will is Thy will, O God!
The spirit within this body is now Thine;
do with it as Thou wilt, in life and death.
This body is Thy temple forevermore.
These hands shall work only for Thee.
These eyes to see Thy adorable works and
Thy holy law.
This tongue and these lips to speak only
holiness unto the Lord.
These ears to hear Thy voice alone.
These feet to walk only in Thy ways.
And all my being is now and forever Thine.
In signing my name to this solemn covenant
I am aware that I bind myself to live, act, speak, think, move, sit, stand up,
lie down, eat, drink, hear, see, feel and whatsoever I do all the days and
nights of my life to do all continually and exclusively to the glory of God. I
must henceforth wear nothing but what honors God. I must have nothing in my
possession or under my control but such as I can consistently write upon,
“Holiness unto the Lord.” The place where I live must be wholly dedicated to
God. Every item of goods or property that is under my control is hereby
conveyed fully over into the hands of God to be used by Him as He will, and to
be taken from my stewardship whenever the great Owner wishes, and it is not my
business at all.
She whom I call my wife belongs
forevermore to God. Use her as Thou wilt and where Thou wilt, and leave her
with me, or take her from me, just as seemeth good to Thee and to Thy glory.
Amen.
Levilla Modest, whom we love as a dear
child bestowed upon us by Thy infinite goodness, is hereby returned to Thee. If
Thou wilt leave us to care for her and teach her of the true Father and Owner,
we will do the best we can by Thy aid to make her profitable unto Thee. But if
Thou deemest us unfit to properly rear her or wouldst have her in Thy more
immediate presence, she is Thine, take her. Amen and amen.
And now, great and merciful Father, Thou
to whom I belong, with all that pertains to me, and Thou who art mine with all
that pertains to Thy fullness and richness, all this offering which I have made
would be but foolishness and waste of time were it not for what I have obtained
to confirm the solemn contract. For were it not that Thou art my God, my
promises would be but idle words. I could fulfill nothing which my mouth has
uttered and my pen has written. But since Thou, Almighty, Omniscient,
Omnipresent and Eternal God art mine, I have a thousandfold assurance that all
shall be fulfilled through Thy fullness.
My ignorance is fully supplied by Thy own
infinite wisdom. My utter weakness and inability to preserve myself from sin is
abundantly supplied by Thy omnipotence to Thy everlasting praise.
Glory to Thy holy name! Though I have
solemnly pledged all things to Thee, yet, as Thou art my ‘all and in all,’ I
have nothing to fear. Now, O Father! My God and Savior, I humbly pray Thee so
to keep me that all my powers of soul, body and spirit, my time talents, will,
influence, words and works shall continually, exclusively and eternally glorify
Thy holy name through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen and amen.
In covenant with the God of all grace and
mercy, Who has become my salvation, my all, and whose I am forever, to the
praise of His glory. Amen.
Entered into by the direction of the Holy
Spirit and signed this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord,
Eighteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven.
D. S. Warner
HOW THE
OUTWARD ORDINANCE
OF
WATER BAPTISM
RELATES
TO
THE SPIRIT’S INWARD
MINISTRATIONS
OF GRACE
1.
Holiness
Proclaimed in Water Baptism
2.
What Does It Mean
to Be Baptized For the Remission of Sins?
3.
“One Baptism”
(Eph. 4:5) and “The Doctrine of Baptisms” (Heb. 6:2) –
No Conflict!
(Important and Interesting
Subjects Address by D. S. Warner)
Holiness Proclaimed In Water
Baptism
By D. S. Warner
(Taken
from The Gospel Trumpet, October 15, 1884)
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death?”
Rom. 6:3.
Here we see that the act of baptism is
an act of induction: an act that puts us into something. In the above instance, it is into Christ, and
into His death. That is the act of the
Holy Spirit. “For by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one body.” 1 Cor.
12:13. Being brought into Christ, we
partake of Christ, His life, His grace, His mind and nature. But Christ is a suffering, dying Savior, so
if baptized into this Christ we must be baptized into His death, as well as
into His life. For “it is a faithful
saying, if we be dead with Him, we shall live with Him.” “Therefore (because of this induction into
His death) we are buried with Him by baptism, into death; that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also (having
in our baptismal burial professed to be dead to sin,) should walk in newness of
life.” “For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of His death, we shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection.” Rom. 6:4-5. These scriptures clearly point to our
spiritual baptism into Christ, into His death, as the cause and ground of our
literal burial in the ordinance of baptism.
And this declares the death to sin that results from our baptism into
Christ. Hence we have Spirit baptism –
death, literal baptism – burial and resurrection with Christ. As relating to Christ, therefore, baptism is
a monument of His burial and resurrection.
As relating to us, it is a figure of our death to sin, buried out of
sight of this world, and resurrection with Christ to the life of God. Baptism being a submerging beneath the water,
suggests both the idea of a burial and a washing, both of which are associated
with it in the New Testament, and both of which are striking figures of our
salvation. Hence it was said to Paul,
“why tarriest thou, arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.” Acts 22: 16.
Now that water baptism can wash away
sin literally, is impossible, for sin is not upon the surface of the body; it
must therefore do it typically. In other
words it is a figure of our purification from sin. As expressed by Peter, “the like figure
whereunto baptism does also now save us.”
1 Pet. 3: 21. It is then a
monument of Christ’s burial and resurrection, and a figure of our
salvation. Yea, it is a striking figure
of our salvation to the uttermost, a clear declaration of perfect
holiness. In this light the Apostle
brings it forward as a strong appeal to the Roman brethren to “reckon
themselves dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Christ Jesus.” This whole epistle is written to urge them on
into the grace of entire sanctification.
The argument here is this: “Shall
we continue in sin,” since even in the act of baptism you declared that you
had embraced a system of faith which produces utter death to sin and the world;
it being a burial, which always supposes death.
Here then we find the ordinance of
baptism, being a monument of the great fundamental fact in the plan of human
redemption, is a standing, perpetual institution, throughout the redemptive
age. For in all time the resurrection
constitutes the ground of the Christian hope; therefore to the end of time this
striking monument is appointed of God to tell to a lost world our triumphs in
Christ over death and the grave. The
great fact of holiness, entire death to sin and the world, being the great end
of the atonement, and the normal condition of the soul, all ages of the
redemptive period need this divinely appointed and striking declaration of the
same. Hence we find in the commission of
Christ, which extends “always, even unto the end of the world,” every one that
believes in Him, is commanded to receive (literal water) baptism by the hands
of His messengers.
The Passover feast commemorated
Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, and pointed forward to the sacrifice of
Christ; hence ceased when fulfilled in the antitype – Christ’s death. Baptism, though not an institution of the
highly typical covenant of Moses; being of the New Testament, and not of the
Old, is nevertheless both commemorative and typical, and as it was with the
former rite, is in force until that which it typifies is wholly accomplished;
namely until the last one of the redeemed shall have been “put to death” with
Christ, and cleansed from all sin by His blood.
Holiness,
then, is most emphatically taught, and strikingly portrayed by, and in, the act
of literal, scriptural baptism. And
while the Gospel continues to offer holiness, water baptism continues to
portray, teach, and confess it.
What Does It Mean to Be
Baptized For the Remission of Sins?
(“In Order
to” or “because of” – Which Meaning is Implied?)
By D. S. Warner
(Taken from The Gospel Trumpet, Nov. 15, 1884)
The language of Peter on the day of Pentecost has been a
puzzle to some minds. “Then Peter said
unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost.” Acts. 2:38.
What does it mean? What baptism is here spoken of? Evidently, literal water baptism, for the
gift of the Holy Ghost is spoken of as following faith and baptism. But if baptism here alluded to the Spirit,
there would be no need at all of the promise that followed it, namely, of the
gift of the Spirit: for it is evident to all, that baptism in the Spirit
includes, and directly implies, the gift of the Spirit.
It is also a fact that the entire
ministry of Christ and the Apostles corroborates and confirms the idea of water
baptism in the above language. “Jesus
made and baptized more disciples than John” (John 4:1). This shows that all who became disciples,
believers, Christians, under the personal ministration of Christ, were by His
orders baptized in water. His final
commission, that extends “even to the end of the world,” correctly rendered,
reads “Make disciples in all nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). First, become a disciple, then receive
baptism by the hands of the minister of the Lord Jesus.
In accordance with the commission of Christ, and the words
of Peter at Pentecost, Peter commanded the Gentile converts at the house of
Cornelius to be baptized in water, when the descent of the Holy Spirit upon
them furnished a positive evidence that they were accepted of God (Acts 10:
45,47). When Lydia and her household
believed they were baptized, likewise the jailer and his family (Acts
16:15,33). So we see the whole history
of the Acts of the Apostles agrees with a literal interpretation of the baptism
of Acts 2:38.
Now some who have been saved, and know
by experience that salvation is by faith, find difficulty in harmonizing this
text with the Scriptures generally. “Be
baptized for the remission of sins.”
How shall we understand this? The
word “for” is an abbreviation equivalent to “in order to” or “because of.”
Should you contract with a man to build a house, for which you agree to pay
$500 before the work is begun, and you should say, “I now give you the $500 for
the erection of the house,” you would mean “in order to” the erection of
the house. But suppose the contract be
such that the building be erected first, and when finished and accepted, you
say, “I give you the $500 for building the house;” then you use the word
in the sense of “because of.” Thus
you see the word “for” in the same expression may mean either “because of” or
“in order to,” just as the connection will indicate.
Therefore when Peter spake of baptism
for the remission of sins, whether he meant in order to obtain the remission of
sins, or whether it was to be done because of the remission of sins, previously
received, the Scriptures generally, and the facts of experience must
determine. And an appeal to this
standard proves the fact that baptism in water is NOT a condition of pardon,
but a public declaration of that faith which has brought pardon (*see
comments at end). It does not go
before as a means of obtaining a good conscience, but it follows as the
response, or “answer of a good conscience.”
Having examined the force of the English word “for,” and
noticed the relation of pardon and the ordinance, let us now examine the text
in the Greek. “For remission” is from
“eis aphesin.” Now this little
preposition “eis” literally means “into.”
With the Greek New Testament and the Greek English Concordance before
us, we can tell you just what its force is.
We find it translated, “into” 590 times, “to” quite a number of times,
“at, upon, in, among, etc.,” occasionally.
Besides, we find this peculiar use of the word, namely, it denotes an
act of the mind going back to something as a cause, or ground of an
action. And according to the whole tenor
of the New Testament, this is just its force in Acts 2:38.
A parallel text is found in Matt.
3:11, “I indeed baptize you with [in] water unto repentance.” The Greek is:
“Ego men baptizo
humas en hudati
eis metanoian.”
“I indeed
immerse you in
water into repentance.”
This
is just as we find it in the Emphatic Diaglott, only we do not accept the word
“reformation” instead of “repentance.”
Observe that the preposition “eis,” in this passage, sustains the same
relation to repentance that it does to the remission in Acts 2:38. Therefore, if “eis aphesin,” in the latter
place, denotes in order to remission, then “eis metanoian” in Matt. 3:11
means in order to repentance. But
is that not contrary to the facts in the case?
Did John baptize people in order to make them repent, or to enable them
to repent? No, he demanded repentance
first. Yea, he even commanded them to
“bring forth fruits meet for repentance,” before he would baptize them. All that did not believe and repent he did
not baptize. So he baptized people because
they had repented, and showed it by their fruits. Now if “eis metanoian” means because of
repentance, then “eis aphesin” means because of remission. That is, the act of baptism is to lead the
mind back into the pardon of your sins, as the ground, or occasion of that
rite.
Now turn to Luke 22:19: “This is my body
which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” The original of the last
clause is as follows:
“touto poieite eis ten emen anamnesin.”
“this do you into the
my remembrance.”
Do
this into remembrance of me because of my death. Here is a clear case where “eis” denotes the
act of the mind going back to something as the cause for an action. They were to partake of the bread and wine because
of the death of Christ, not in order to the death of Christ. So Peter commands baptism “eis” (because of)
the remission of sins, and not in order to it.
The preposition “eis” has the same force in 1 Cor. 11:25. The first words of Acts 2:25 are as follows
in the Greek:
“David gar legei
eis auton”
“David
for says concerning
him”
That is, David says because
of him – here “eis” may very properly be rendered in the sense of because
of. In Ephesians 5:32, we find this
preposition occurs twice. I speak “eis”
(concerning, or because of Christ) and “eis” (concerning, or because of the
church).
We will
give but two more instances of that use of the word, “eis.” They are Matt. 12:41 and Luke 11:32, in both
of which we read, “The men of Ninevah shall rise in judgement with this
generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of
Jonas.” The original is thus, “they
repented eis the preaching of Jonas.”
Now did they repent in order to the preaching of Jonas or because
of the preaching of Jonas? Here any
one can see that the little word “eis” has the meaning of because of. It refers back to the ground or cause of an
action. Now as John baptized the
believers eis (because of) their repentance, and the Ninevites repented eis
(because of) the preaching of Jonas: so Peter commanded those that believed on
the day of Pentecost to be baptized eis (because of) the remission of
sins. Because of being a peculiar
meaning of the preposition “eis” corresponds with the Word of God, which
teaches salvation by faith, and baptism, the duty of the saved, “the answer of
a good conscience,” after we are justified, or having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience. Hence, as we showed
in our last, baptism being the declaration of salvation, is in force as long
as the work of salvation is going on.
(*For proof, examine Luke 7:36-50,
Matt. 9:2-7, John 8:3-11, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 23:42-43. We do not take people to
the cemetery and bury them “in order to” kill them, but we take and bury them
“because” they have died. Likewise, the gospel focus is not to baptize people
“in order to” kill sin, but rather to baptize them “because of” their death to
sin. We must first “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” – Matthew
3:8. Scripture abundantly proves that the quickening of the soul from the state
of spiritual death to spiritual life takes place by the hearing of faith, prior
to the act of water baptism. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation; but is passed (present tense) from death
unto life.” John 5:24. The freeing from condemnation and passing from death to
life is an inward work of the Holy Spirit, wrought in the heart of a
penitent believer at the time of hearing and believing. As it is
written, “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10. This spiritual resurrection
from death to life, from sin to righteousness, brings “salvation,” and is the
“ground” or “cause” for which we receive baptism. To be baptized in water is to
bear witness that one has died to sin and is raised with Christ
(Ephesians 2:1-6), by His soul-quickening Word and Spirit, through the hearing
of faith. “Since to bury by immersion presupposes we are dead; Then repent and
get salvation e’er into the stream you’re led.” – Comments added by Harlan
Sorrell.)
“One Baptism” (Eph.
4:5) and “The Doctrine of Baptisms” (Heb. 6:2) – No Conflict!
By D. S. Warner
(Taken from
The Gospel Trumpet, July 1, 1885)
Among the
things that come up for comprehension in the advance Christian experience is
the doctrine of baptism. “Leaving the (first) principles of the doctrine of
Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the
dead, and of eternal judgment.” Hebrews 6:1-2.
Those in
opposition to Christ’s ordinances try to construe this language so as to make
the “doctrine of baptisms” one of the principles we must leave. But this is a
wresting of the scriptures. To leave the doctrine of baptisms it were necessary
to leave, or cast away “faith toward God, laying on of hands, resurrection from
the dead, and eternal judgment,” for the doctrines all stand in the same
position the doctrine of baptisms does. So we see the Word of God is so linked
together that he that would throw away part must deny the whole. The doctrine
of faith toward God is something the soul can advance in to the end of life.
The laying on of hands pertains to the duty of the most advanced Christians.
The doctrine of the resurrection, and eternal judgment also are for advanced
Christian minds. So you see the “doctrine of baptisms” is classed with things
that pertain to the life of Christian perfection: hence are not confined to the
wilderness, or legal plains religion, as false teachers make out.
Not long ago
we wrote an article showing the glorious holiness truth in the “doctrine of
baptism.” Now we desire to take up and consider the language of the Apostle
Paul in Ephesians 4:4-5: “There is one body (the church), one Spirit (the
Comforter), even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord (Jesus
Christ), one faith (the faith of the Son of God), one baptism (the literal ordinance).”
Two things
are desired to be understood in reference to this language. First, what is this
one baptism? Second, how is the one baptism harmonized with the “doctrine of
baptisms,” a plurality of baptisms?
A scriptural
interpretation of the first question will dispel all difficulty. What then is
the “one baptism?” Quakers, and those holding their error, say Paul here
alludes to the baptism of the Spirit. But let us appeal to the Word of God.
Paul here is urging harmony and uniformity among the believers at Ephesus. He
tenderly entreats them to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.”
That is, he would have no conflicting doctrine and practices among them, lest
any strife over such differences should break the unity of the Spirit, and thus
drive Him from them. He shows how that God has left no opposite principles in
the body upon which men might divide up. “There is one body.” No plurality of
bodies to which believers in Christ could attach themselves to and emulate
over.
There is
“one Spirit.” All that receive Christ must “drink into one Spirit.” Men cannot
form rival bodies and still all have the true Spirit of God. For that Spirit is
one. Hence to depart from oneness is to depart from that Spirit. There is one
Spirit, the real efficient power that operates all things in the members of
Christ. He convicts the sinner, speaks pardon to the penitent, and assures
adoption (Romans 8:15-16). This one Spirit also sanctifies wholly, baptizing
the soul with His refining fire. He also leads and comforts the soul, and He
imparts all the gifts. Yea, “all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will” (1 Corinthians 12:11).
There are also no rival lordships in God’s church, but “one Lord.” There is
“one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”
We see that
there are no grounds of contention in God’s church – no different faiths to
fight against each other – no plurality of God’s to erect rival altars – no
conflicting Spirits, but “one Spirit” – and no different “modes of baptism” to
divide over. Neither are some baptized in the name of one apostle and others in
another name, that one should say, “I am of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas.”
But there is “one baptism.” You were all immersed in the same way, and in the
same divine name. So there is nothing in all the elements of the church of
Christ to divide up on, and strive over. Hence all strife must come from
carnality, as Paul reasons in 1 Corinthians.
The “one baptism” is the literal New Testament
ordinance of (water) baptism, or immersion, as the word is translated in
English. This is
clearly seen from the following facts.
1st.
The “one Spirit” is spoken of in verse 4, “one body, one Spirit.” Here is the
one Spirit spoken of that operates all things in the church, including the
Spirit’s baptism. Therefore, to apply the one baptism to that of the Spirit
were a repetition of the same element.
2nd.
We have a clear Bible interpretation of this baptismal point of uniformity in
the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 1:12-16: “Now this I say, that every one
saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is
Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of
Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any
should say I baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of
Stephanas, besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.”
You should
observe that the apostle is treating on the very same subject here that he is
in Ephesians 4, namely, the unity of the church. Here he reproves because the
unity of the Spirit had not been kept in the one body, there he exhorts to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the one body. That he alludes to literal water
baptism in 1 Corinthains chapter one, no one denies or doubts. For the apostle
records the fact that the ordinance had been administered by his own hands in
the case of a few families, which were out of his ordinary practice, he usually
preferring to have some less conspicuous brother perform that service, to cut
off any occasion of Satan tempting persons baptized by him to glory in man. But
were the few he individually baptized all that received baptism at Corinth?
Nay, but every one that believed. “And Crispus the chief ruler of the
synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians
hearing, believed and were baptized.” Acts 18:18. When Paul asks the question,
“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the
name of Paul?” he reproves their inconsistent clanning off in parties as though
one person had been crucified for some of them, another for others, and each
party had obtained salvation through a different sacrifice, or as though some
had been baptized in one name, and others in another name. Such a circumstance
would necessarily lay the foundation for division, each party under the head
that was crucified for that party, and in whose name they were baptized. Such a
state of things would furnish a reason for parties. But the opposite cuts off
all occasion or ground of division. Therefore the apostle uses the same
argument to condemn the bud of sectism at Corinth as he does to guard the
Ephesians against the introduction of divisions at Ephesus. As he was grieved
over the divisions at Corinth, he is soliciting that the unity of the Spirit
should not be broken at Ephesus. As he speaks of literal water baptism, being
uniformly administered, as a rebuke to the Corinthians, he also speaks of the
same at Ephesus as a point of uniformity, with which agrees the “unity of the
Spirit in the bonds of peace.” What
baptism then is it to which Paul alludes, the uniformity of which he uses as an
argument for unity in the church? Answer: literal water baptism. As believers were not baptized in
the name of Paul, not Peter, nor Apollos, they have no excuse for dividing into
such party names and breaking the unity of the Spirit at Corinth, Ephesus, or
anywhere else.
3rd.
To apply the “one baptism” to that of the Spirit would make the New Testament
contradict itself. For it cannot be
denied that the New Testament teaches literal water baptism and the baptism
of suffering
[Luke 12:50; Matt. 20:22, etc], as
well as the baptism of the Spirit [Matt. 3:11; John 1:33, etc]. Therefore Paul speaks of the “doctrine of baptisms” (Hebrews 6:2). Now there is but
one way to produce harmony in the Scriptures, and that is the fact that there
is but one uniform literal baptism taught in the New Testament. If we apply
Eph. 4:5 to the baptism of the Spirit, that is only a figurative, or metaphorical
use of the word, and all know that there are other figurative uses of the word
baptize. So it is not that there is only one figurative baptism in the Bible.
Though the refining operation of the Holy Spirit is the real crowning, and
perhaps the most important, work in the process of our redemption, yet, that
operation as set forth some times in the figurative use of the word baptism, is
a mere incidental use of the language. The essential thing is to be cleansed by, and filled
with the Spirit. But whether
His manifestations in the soul is such as naturally finds expression in the
word baptism, anointing or sealing, or simply the filling of the Spirit, is
wholly immaterial. These are all scriptural. And as “there are
diversities of operations, yet but one Spirit,” so the same glorious crowning
work of the Holy Spirit assumes different manifestations in the consciousness
of different individuals, though the effect and the fruits are the same in all.
If I were to
use a figure that would most strikingly convey the manner in which the Holy
Spirit came upon me after I rendered my body a living sacrifice, holy
acceptable unto God, it would be that of a saturating dew that quietly and
sweetly pervaded every fiber of my entire being, clearly whispering, “holy,
holy, holy, the temple of God is holy – ye are the temple of God.” Now I know
very well that Jesus purified my soul, body, and spirit into His own image and
filled me with His presence. Yet the experience did not naturally find
expression in the language of Spirit baptism. However, I have on
frequent occasions since received such overwhelming inundations of the power
and Spirit of God that I could truly say that my soul was “baptized”
with the mighty power of God.
There is
therefore a literal water baptism. But that literal submerging may be used
as a figure to represent a hundred other things. That does not prove
there are a hundred different baptisms at all. Though the immersion of a
man under water, and raising him up again, may be used as a metaphor of the
resurrection of Christ, and also of our resurrection, and though it may be used
to describe how the Spirit of God comes to some soul, and though it may fitly
illustrate how the soul is plunged into suffering for Christ’s sake; yea,
though that literal act may shadow forth many other literal and spiritual
operations, yet that literal act is one and the same in all scripturally
baptized believers. There is one baptism. All believers received the same act
of baptism (different modes are entirely out of the question) and performed in
the same divine name.
The
ordinance of baptism then is one in point and uniformity, while the operations
of the Spirit are various. The ordinance is also one in the sense that it is
one action, not to be repeated. As translated in several versions of the
Scriptures, the word baptism is simply “immersion.” Hence the translation into
English reads, “There is one immersion.” Therefore this language of the apostle
positively refutes the trine immersion theory. As Christ only went down into
the tomb once, and came forth once; so proper baptism is a single immersion and
emersion. The act is not to be repeated at the same time, nor to be
subsequently practiced like the other ordinances of Christ. So we see that
literal water baptism is, in every sense, “one baptism,” one single act
performed once for all.
But this is
not true of the operation of the Spirit that is figuratively called baptism. Every holy man of God knows that it is often
repeated. What is
not true in fact is not true at all. And it not being a fact that the Spirit
baptism is one, it follows that Paul did not refer to that operation when he
said there is one baptism.
The world
over, the verb “plow” is literally understood as the act of turning up the
earth. Therefore to plow literally means one thing. Yet the one literal act is
used as a figure to illustrate a hundred other operations, both spiritual and
literal. Hence God says, “break up the fallow ground” – plow up your heart. The
vessel plows the sea; the tornado plows through the air. Now all these last
three uses of the word refer to a greater and more sublime thing than that of
turning up the earth. Yet, no one would therefore conclude that plow means to
run a vessel, nor yet the action of a tornado. No. Plow simply means to turn
over the earth, though other operations are sometimes figuratively expressed by
that word.
In the same
manner “one baptism” means the one literal (water) baptism; notwithstanding,
that word is sometimes metaphorically used to describe a greater operation. The
baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real and mighty work of God, but that work need
not essentially be expressed by the word “baptism.” That word is not necessary
to the operation.
So one
literal baptism does not conflict with figurative application of the word to
many other things in the Bible. But to make the “one baptism” out of its
figurative uses would set the Bible against itself, as there is a literal as
well as other figurative baptisms in the Bible. The “doctrine of baptisms,”
therefore, includes the doctrine of literal baptism (immersion) and of other
operations that are figuratively called baptism.
“One
baptism” denotes the one literal institution of Christ, without any reference
to other operations that are sometimes clothed in language borrowed from this
ordinance. Therefore the two Scriptures do not conflict at all.
