The Great Hindrance
A sHoRT time ago I received a letter from a minister in the Transvaal, asking me to come and hold special services for him. At the end of the letter he said: ‘* When will the Revival in the Church come for which we have so long prayed? What can be the hindrance?”
This is a question of the deepest importance, which many of God’s children are asking, and to which a definite answer is greatly needed. But the answer will not help us much, unless we are ready to obey what God’s Word shows us to be His will in the matter. I invite my readers to consider earnestly and prayerfully with me what Scripture teaches on the subject.
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We find the first answer in the words of our Lord Jesus, when His disciples asked him, ‘‘ Why could we not?”’ — ‘“* BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF.”” God’s promises concerning the power of the Holy Spirit, with which His servants
- should be endued for their work in the
world, are so clear and definite that if we only had the necessary faith, the promise would assuredly be fulfilled: ‘**He that believeth in Me, out of him shall flow rivers of living water.”
God waits for the believing prayers of His people to give the power of the Holy Spirit in full measure. But we too often lack the faith and the child-like confidence that can claim the promise. Even those who pray most earnestly acknowledge that it is hard to attain to the full assurance of faith that the blessing will come.
This brings us to the second question, a word of still deeper meaning: Why were the disciples, who had formerly cast out devils, now lacking in the necessary faith? Christ gives us the answer: “This kind goeth not out, BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.” That is to say: “You have prayed, but your prayer was not the prayer of self-sacrifice that is so essential in the fight with the power of the Evil One.” Fasting signified the sacrifice, not only of what was lawful, but of whatever tended to the gratification of the senses and occupied the mind with that which was seen and temporal. And the prayer that avails much demands self-denial and the giving up of all that would hinder the soul in its approach to God.
David said of such prayer: ‘“Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.’ The evening sacrifice was the lamb that was laid on the altar each evening as a burnt offering, to be wholly consumed by the fire. David’s longing desire was that his prayer should be such a sacrifice.
Such was the prayer of our Lord when ‘‘in the days of His flesh He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.”’ That prayer was the full surrender of His will to God.
Such was the prayer of which Isaiah says: ‘* There is none that calleth upon Thy Name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee.” The disciples too had lacked the prayer of self-sacrifice, and so their faith had failed. Many a one who would fain pray in faith finds that he has not the power to do so, because he has not surrendered his will unreservedly to God, and he lacks the self-denial and self-control which are essential.
Is there not something wrong with our Christianity that God’s children know so little experimentally what the prayer of faith is as a result of God’s grace in the heart? We read this solemn word in Isaiah: ‘‘ When ye make many prayers I will not hear.” Are our prayers not too often a form of words alone? God has graciously granted us blessing in the past in the conversion of souls. Many of God’s children feel deeply that a victorious life of prayer in the Church is not more visibly manifest, or the power from on high to win souls for the Kingdom.
We must ask ourselves if there is not something fundamentally wrong in the state of the Church all over the world to account for its feeble condition. May we not find an explanation in these words of Paul: ‘“‘My preaching was not in persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power; THAT YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE WISDOM OF MEN, but in the power of God.”
The Reformation — as even the Reformers themselves acknowledged — was more a reformation in doctrine than in life. On the Day of Pentecost there was a complete change in the spiritual life of the disciples; the joy and the love and the holiness of heaven came down to earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. And the preaching of the Word was manifestly “‘in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”’
After the Reformation the doctrines of justification by faith and the forgiveness of sins by God alone were taught by the Church, but too often “in persuasive words of man’s wisdom.” Unfortunately this is still the case. ‘““The demonstration of the Spirit and ‘of power” is lacking in much of our present-day preaching.
We put our trust in man’s wisdom rather than in the almighty power of God. The whole education of our ministers tends to teach them to regard the preaching of a good sermon as the test of a good minister. Our Lord’s command was: “Tarry ye,’ — wait, — do not preach, — ‘‘ UNTIL YE BE CLOTHED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH.” With Him the first great need of the preacher was the baptism of the Spirit. Is this not the reason of the feebleness of the Church, that our faith is in man’s wisdom more than in the power of God?
Is this not the reason that with all our efforts to believe and to pray aright we are powerless to take God’s Word and hold on to it in faith? Is this not the reason why many of God’s children are discouraged and deeply convinced of their own inability to pray the effectual fervent prayer that prevails with God?
But there is more. Shall we not go a step further and ask: What is the teaching of God’s Word by which we may regain the first joy and power of the Church of Christ? We must first learn how impossible it is for us to attain to a life of faith in our own strength or by efforts of our own. We must acknowledge our impotence, and expect God by the continual inspiration of His Holy Spirit to work in us a full and strong faith in the promises of His Word.
Christ said to His disciples, in regard to the rich young ruler: ‘“‘ How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!’’ And when the disciples said: If it is so hard: ‘‘ Who then can be saved?” The answer of Jesus was: “With men it is impossible, but not with God.”’
We imagine that we understand the meaning of that word “impossible,” and yet our grasp of it is so superficial that it does not help us. We need to realize that as little as mortal man can create an angel, so little can he increase or nourish the life of God in his soul. It is only when we have reached the point of utter despair in ourselves, and realize the impossibility of attaining to a new life in our own strength, that we shall learn to take our right places before God in full dependence upon and obedience to His Spirit.
Our grasp of the meaning of the word “possible,” or ‘possible with God,” is equally defective. We need to come under the deep impression of what the word “impossible”? means, and then only will the eyes of our hearts be opened to see what is implied in the words: “possible with God.” Let us keep in mind these two thoughts — with man it is impossible to increase the life of God in the soul, with God it is both possible and certain that He will, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, work the Divine life within us in power. Then we shall be able to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit with a true expectant faith..
When the soul is burdened with a sense of its own impotence, and trusts in God alone, then hope will spring up that God in His infinite mercy and love will sustain this heavenly life within us from hour to hour. And at last we shall begin to understand that this life is an immediate continual receiving from God through Christ and the Holy Spirit from moment to moment. Brethren, is not this the great hindrance? We have failed to grasp what God’s Word teaches of the work of the Holy Spirit, and this has prevented us from praying the effectual fervent prayer that brings the blessing. Our prayer and faith will not avail unless we are ready to sacrifice much that is pleasing to the flesh, and that nourishes the life of self. We have in the past put our trust too much in our own wisdom, in trying to grasp spiritual things, and have not listened to the voice of Christ saying: ‘“* The Spirit shall teach you all things.” ‘‘No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost.” If we have at all taken these thoughts to heart, we shall be brought to a state of despair in ourselves and our own wisdom, and the new life of faith, which God alone can and will work in us, will have a birth in our souls.
Beloved Christian, the question, What can the hindrance be? comes to each of us as a personal one. If others around you are indifferent, will you not step out in faith and have definite dealings with God in the matter? Cry to God in His boundless mercy to hear you, and continue in prayer until you come under a sense of your own ignorance and misery and of the riches of His grace which waits to take possession of you.
Let the thought constantly occupy your mind — the one thing lacking is the power of the Holy Spirit. Beseech God to reveal to you clearly and distinetly what the hindrance in your life is that He cannot fill you with the Holy
Spirit? Is it the power of unbelief, or the lack of prayer and self-sacrifice, or the too great confidence in man’s wisdom? Whatever the cause of the evil may be, let us firmly trust in God’s everlasting love to bestow on His waiting children in full measure, the wonderful promise of the Father, THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.