Chapter XVI
This passage is often interpreted to mean that we receive the Holy Spirit by simply believing that we are going to receive Him. This is not at all the meaning of the passage as found in the context. The Christians in Galatia had been told by certain false teachers that came in among them, that in order to be justified it was not enough to simply believe on Jesus Christ and His finished work, but in addition to this they must keep the Mosaic law regarding circumcision. Paul in the passage before us shows them the folly cf this position by appealing to their own experience. He calls to mind the fact that they had received the Holy Ghost not by keeping the Mosaic law, but simply by the hearing of faith, that is by believing God’s testimony regarding Christ and His atoning work, and resting in that for pardon.
The first step then, toward receiving the Holy Spirit, is to turn our eyes entirely away from ourselves, and anything we ever have done or can do, and fix them upon Jesus Christ, and His atoning work on the Cross, and depend upon that finished work of Christ for our pardon and acceptance before
od.: ve 2. The one who would receive the Holy Ghost must put away
all sin.
To make this clear to the inquirer use Acts 2: 38:
‘““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 recetve the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
This passage makes it clear that in order to receive the Holy Ghost we must repent. Repentance is a change of mind about Christ and a change of mind about sin. It is a change first of all from a Christ-rejecting attitude of mind, to a Christ-accepting attitude of mind. This is involved in what has been already said regarding the first step, but there must also bea change of mind regarding sin; a change of mind from asin-loving and sin-indulging attitude of mind, to a sin-rejecting attitude of mind, that is, we must renounce all sin. One of the commonest hindrances to the receiving of the Holy Spirit, is holding on to some sin. The worker should deal very faithfully at this point with the inquirer. Find out whether there is not some sin in the life that is not renounced.
Find if there is not some sin in the past that has not been confessed and straightened out. Instruct the inquirer to go alone with God and ask God to search his heart, and to show him anything in his life that is displeasing to Him. If anything is thus brought to light, insist that it must be renounced.
Tell the inquirer that every known sin must be given up.
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Dwell upon the fact that the Holy Spirit is the /oly Spirit, and that He will not manifest Himself in His fulness in an unholy heart, that is in a heart which holds on to sin. JAA che one who would receive the Holy Spirit must surrender his will absolutely to the will of God. To show this use Acts 5: 32:
‘‘And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given Zo them that obey him.”
This passage shows that God gives the Holy Spirit to them
that obey Him. Show that the essential thing about obedience is the attitude of the will, and that real obedience involves the absolute surrender of the will to God. Hold the inquirer to the necessity of such an absolute surrender to God. This is the point of difficulty in very many lives. Perhaps more people are kept out of the blessing of the conscious receiving of the Holy Spirit by a lack of absolute surrender than by any other one thing. In many an instance the Holy Spirit is given at once in fulness as soon as one is led to an absolute surrender of the will to God. If one will not thus ‘surrender, there is no use of trying to go further, God will accept no compromise at this point.
4. The one who would receive the Holy Spirit should ask God
“For this definite gift.
x o show this to the inquirer use Luke 11: 13:
“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 zo them that ask him?”
This tells us plainly that God gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. It can be illustrated by the use of Acts 2: 1-4, cf. Acts 1:14; Acts 4:31 and Acts 8:15, 16:
“‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of arushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2: 1-4. (Compare Acts 1:14. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.’’)
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,and they spake the word of God with boldness.’? Acts 4: 31.
“Who, when they were come down, frayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).’’ Acts 8:15, 16.
The inquirer should be led to at once definitely seek the filling with the Holy Spirit. It is well to pray with the inquirer then and lthere for this definite gift. O nas ad The final step in receiving the Holy Ghostts simply faith. RN “There. are many who take all the steps mentioned thus, “far, and yet fail of the blessing simply because they do not
a * believe. Mark 11: 24 can be used to make this clear:
‘‘Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, belzeve that ye recetve them, and ye shall have them.”’
The R. V. of this passage is particularly suggestive.
“All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, delzeve that ye have recetved them, and ye shall have them.”’ The inquirer should be instructed not to look to his feelings, but to the Word of God, and to believe that he has received whether he has any sensation or experience or not, simply because God has promised in His Word. In a very large proportion of cases, people receive the Holy Ghost simply by believing God’s Word, and that their prayer is heard, without any feeling; and afterwards what they believe they ‘‘have received,’’ they do actually obtain in personal experience as a conscious possession. Great help will be found in showing the inquirer how to receive by faith, in 1 Jno. 5: 14, 15: ‘‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, 7 we ask any-’ thing according to his will, he hearethus;: and if we know that he hear
us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we destred of him.”
Make it very clear to the inquirer by the use of this passage that when we ask anything according to the will of God, we know that He heareth us, because the passage says so, and when we know that He heareth us, we know that we have the petitions we have asked of Him, whether we feel it or not.
Then show the inquirer that when we pray for the Holy Spirit we pray for something according to the will of God. The following passages make this clear:
“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: 13.
“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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.’’ Acts 2: 38, 39.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but de filled with the Spirct.’’ Eph. 5: 18.
Then have the inquirer kneel down and definitely pray for the Holy Spirit. When he has offered this prayer, ask him if he has received what he sought. If he is not clear about it, open your Bible to 1 Jno. 5:14, 15 and lay it before him and have him read it, and then ask him if he has asked for something according to God’s will, and when he says he has, ask him, ‘‘What then do you know?”’ and hold him to it until he says, “‘IT know that God has heard me.’’ Then have him read the 15th verse and ask him, “If you know that God has heard you, what further do you know?’ Hold him to it until he says, ‘‘I know that I have the petition that I asked of Him.”’ Then ask him, ‘‘What do you know you have received?” and hold him to it until, resting upon the simple naked promise of God’s Word, he can say, ‘‘I know I have received the Holy Ghost.’ Many are waiting for certain estatic experiences of which they have heard others speak. In dealing with an inquirer, do not deny the reality of these experiences, for they doubtless are real in many instances, but show the inquirer that there are no such experiences described in the Bible, that the manifestations of having received the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible are a new joy and peace in Christ,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”’ Gal. 5: 22, 23, a new and clearer knowledge of Christ, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.’’ Jno. 15:26,
and especially new power in service for Christ,
“‘And, being assemblec. together with them, commanded them that they should :.ct dopart from Jeru-zalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, ~aith he, yc have “eard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence,
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’”’ Acts 1545 Sace
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And wth great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”’ Acts 4: 31-33.
Also make it clear to the inquirer that the manifestations that result from receiving the Holy Spirit, are to be expected not before we believe, but after we believe, after we take by simple faith God’s Word. God’s way is not first experience and then faith, but first faith resting upon the naked Word of God, and then experience; ‘‘Believe that ye have received, and ye shall have.’’
ke VI. Christians who do not have victory in their Christian life.~
There are many professed Christians, and doubtless many who are really saved people, whose lives seem to be lives of constant defeat and discouragement. In dealing with such a person seek to find out what is the cause of defeat. It will be found in one or more of the following points:
1. Because they have not learned to rest absolutely in the finished work of Christ for pardon and for peace.
The church is full of people who are looking to something
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r ’ d that they themselves can do to find acceptance before God. No one can have a clear, satisfactory and victorious Christian experience who has not learned to rest entirely in the finished work of Christ for pardon. If this is found to be the cause of failure, use Is. 53:6, Gal. 3:13, 2 Cor. 5:21 and similar passages, to show that our sins are pardoned not on account of anything that we have done or can do, but on the account of what Jesus Christ did when He bore our sins in His own body on the Cross.
Next show the inquirer that the pardon and peace thus purchased by the atoning blood of Christ, becomes ours on the simple condition of our believing on Christ. To show this, use the following passages:
“Therefore being justified by facth we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’’ Rom. 5:1.
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, hzs fazth 7s counted for righteousness.”’ Rom. 4:5.
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; éemg justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to bea propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’’ Rom, 3: 21-26.
“And b2 found in him, 2ot having mzne own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which zs through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.’’ Phil. 3:9.
In the last passage the Revised version brings out the thought more clearly than the Authorized.
2. Because they have not surrendered absolutely to the will of God.
This is the cause of failure in a very large proportion of cases. If this is found to be the cause of failure in any specific case, use Acts 5: 32, and Rom. 6: 13, 19:
‘“‘Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yze/d yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
“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; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.’’ Rom. 6:13, 19.
3. Because of neglect of the study of the Word.
If this is the case, use 1 Pet. 2:2, Ps. 119: 11 and Eph. 6:17:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee.*’ Ps. 119331.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:’’ Eph. 6; 17.
4. Because of neglect of prayer.
Where this is the case, use 1 Thess. 5:17, Luke 22: 40
and Is. 40: 29-31:
‘“‘And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not tnto temptatzon.”’ Luke 22: 40.
5. Because of failure to constantly confess Christ before men.
The one who would lead a victorious Christian life, must be constantly witnessing for Christ. Make this very plain, and for this purpose use Matt. 10: 32, 33:
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.””
6. Because of neglect to work for Christ.
One who would lead a victorious life must be constantly at work for the Master. If the cause of failure is at this point, use Matt. 25: 29:
‘For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.’’
Explain its meaning by the context. The evident meaning of the passage is, that one who uses the talents that he has in the Master’s service will get more, but the one who neglects to use the talents he has will lose even those.
7. Because they have not recetved the Holy Spirit.
There are very many to-day who are leading lives of constant failure where they might be leading lives of constant victory, simply because they do not even so much as know that it is the privilege of the individual believer to be filled
THOSE WHO NEED COUNSEL L7y
with the Holy Spirit. If this is the case, use Eph, 5:18, the last half of the verse, and Gal. 5:16, 22, 23:
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Then show the inquirer how to receive the Holy Spirit
as explained under the former heading.
CHAPTER XV
SOME HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR PERSONAL
WORK
A few general suggestions that will be helpful to the personal worker remain to be made.
I. As a rule, choose persons to deal with of your own sex. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. One should always be looking to the Holy Spirit for His guidance as to whom to approach, and He may lead us to one of the opposite sex, but unless there is clear guidance in the matter, it is quite generally agreed among those who have had much experience in Christian work that, on the whole, women usually do the most satisfactory work with women, and men with men; especially is this true of the young. It is always a bad sign when a young man is always looking for women to deal with, and a young woman looking for young men to deal with. Many exceedingly unfortunate complications have tisen in actual life from young men trying to lead young women to Christ, and vice versa. Of course, an elderly, motherly woman will oftentimes do excellent work with a young man or boy, and an elderly, fatherly man will sometimes do good work with a young woman or girl.
II. As a rule, choose persons to deal with of about your own age. A young man asarule can get hold of young men better than any one else can and a man of mature years can handle a man of his own age better than a young man, or better even than an old man. It is not wise usually for a young and inexperienced person to approach one very much older and maturer and wiser than himself, on such an important subject as this. The older person naturally looks with a good deal of distrust, if not contempt, upon those much younger than himself. There are, of course, exceptions even to this rule. Frequently a man who has gained wisdom by years, and who has the confidence of people, can do excellent work with a young man or boy. Asarule people do the best work with people of their own class, educated men with educated men, business men with business men, workingmen with workingmen, women of position with women of similar position to themselves. There are many exceptions to this. Many a servant girl has been known to lead her mistress to Christ, and many a laboring man his employer.
III. Whenever it is possible, deal with a person alone. No one likes to open his heart freely to another on the most personal and sacred of all subjects, when there are others present. Many will from mere pride defend themselves in a false position when others are present, who would freely admit their error or sin or need if they were alone with you. It is far better for a single worker to deal with a single unconverted person, than for several workers to deal with an inquirer, or a single worker to deal with several inquirers. Nothing can be more unfortunate than for a number of workers to swarm around one poor individual who is trying to find the way of life. If such an individual is a person of any independence of character, he is very likely to feel that he is being hectored and bothered, and for that very reason take an attitude of opposition. If you have several to deal with, it is better if possible to take them one by one. Workers often find that they have made no headway while talking to several at once, but by taking the individuals off by themselves they soon succeed in leading them one by one to Christ. Where two unsaved people are being dealt with at once, oftentimes each is afraid of the other, and they bolster one another up in their false position.
IV. Let your reliance be wholly in the Spirit of God and in the Word of God. Have no confidence in yourself. One of the greatest hindrances to successful personal work is self-confidence. But while there should be no self-confidence, there should be boldness, boldness that comes from believing in the power of the Holy Ghost, and in the power of the Word of God. No matter with whom you are dealing, or how stubborn he may be, never forget that the Spirit of God and the Word of God have power to break the hardest heart. Be always looking to the Spirit to produce conviction of sin, and expect Him to do it, but let your whole dependence be in Him, and in His Word alone.
V. Do not content yourself with merely reading passages from the Bible, much less with merely quoting them, but have the one with whom you are dealing read the passages himself. In this way the truth finds an entrance into the heart through the eye as well as through the ear. It is remarkable how much deeper an impression the Word of God oftentimes makes when it is actually seen with the eyes, than it does when it is merely heard with the ears. Sometimes it is well to have a marked Bible, with the word that you wish especially to impress marked in some striking way so that it will catch the eye, and thus the mind and heart of the reader.
VI. It is oftentimes well to use but a single passage of Scripture. One verse of Scripture iterated and reiterated will be burned into the memory and will haunt the one with whom you are dealing long after you have left them. I have known a passage to haunt a man for weeks and finally result in his conversion. Do everything in your power to drive it home and clinch it so that the one with whom you are dealing cannot forget it, but will hear it ring in his memory long after your voice has ceased.
Dr. Ichabod Spencer tells in his ‘*‘ Pastoral Sketches’’ of how he dealt with a young man who had many difficulties. Dr. Spencer kept continually quoting the passage, ‘‘Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.’’ The young man tried to get Dr. Spencer off onto something else, but over and over again he kept saying the words, ‘‘Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.’’ The young man returned the next day rejoicing in the Lord, and thanking Dr. Spencer that he had “‘hammered’’ him with that text. The words kept ringing in his ears during the night, and he could not rest until he had settled the matter by accepting Christ.
It is a good thing when a person can point to some definite verse in the Word of God, and say, ‘’I know on the authority of that verse that my sins are forgiven, and that I am a child of God.’’ Indeed it is well never to let a person go until they can point you definitely to the verse in God’s Word upon which they rest their hope of salvation. Be sure that they grasp it, so that if Satan comes to them when they are alone, and asks them how they know that they are saved, they can open their Bible to that verse, and put their finger upon it and defy Satan in all his wiles.
There are times, however, when a powerful effect is produced by piling up passages along some line until the mind is convinced and the heart conquered. Especially is this true in showing people their need of a Saviour, and showing them Jesus as the Saviour that they need.
VII. Always hold the person with whom you are dealing to the main point of accepting Christ. If he wishes to discuss outside questions, such as the claims of various denominations, or the mode of baptism, or theories of future punishment, or fine points about the higher criticism, or any other question than the central one of his need of a Saviour, and Christ the Saviour that he needs, tell him these questions are important to take up in their right place and time, but the time to settle them is after he has settled the fundamental question of accepting or rejecting Christ. Many a case has been lost by an inexperienced and foolish worker allowing himself to be involved ina discussion of some side issue which it is utter folly to discuss with an unregenerated person.
VIII. Be courteous. Many well-meaning but indiscreet Christians by their rudeness and impertinence repel those whom they would win to Christ. It is quite possible to be at once perectly frank and perfectly courteous. You can point out to a man his awful sin and his need of a Saviour without insulting him. Your words may be very searching, while your manner is very gentle and winning, indeed the more gentle and winning your manner is, the deeper your words will go, for they will not stir up the opposition of those with whom you ate dealing. Some workers approach those with whom they wish to work in such a manner that the latter at once assume the defensive, and clothe themselves with an armor that it is impossible to penetrate.
IX. Avoid unwarranted familiarities with those with whom
you deal. I have seen many workers lay their hands upon the
shoulders of those with whom they are dealing, or even put their arms around them. Now there are cases in which that is proper and wise. If a man is dealing with an old wrecked and ruined drunkard who thinks he has not a friend in the world, it may be well to place your hand upon his shoulder, or over his shoulder, but one needs to be exceedingly cautious about these matters. A man of fine sensitiveness is repelled when a stranger takes any familiarities with him. This is even more true of a lady of good breeding. I have even seen a male worker so indiscreet as to lay his hand upon a lady’s shoulder. There is no place where good breeding counts for more than in personal work.
X. Be dead in earnest. Only the earnest man can make the unsaved man feel the truth of God’s Word. It is well to let the psssage we would use with others first sink deep into our own souls. I know of a very successful worker who has for a long time used the one passage, ‘‘Prepare to meet thy God,’’ with every one with whom she has dealt. But that passage has taken such complete possession of her own heart and mind that she uses it with tremendous effect. A few passages that have thoroughly mastered us are much better than many passages that we have mastered from some text book.
One of the great needs of the day is men and women who are thoroughly in earnest, who are completely possessed with the great fundamental truths of God’s Word. The reader of this book is advised to ponder upon his knees such of the passages suggested in it as he decides to use, until he himself feels their power. We read of Paul that he ‘‘ceased not to warm every one night and day with tears.’’ (Acts 20: 31.) Genuine earnestness will go further than any skill learned in a training class or from the study of such a book as this.
XI. Never lose your temper when trying to lead a soul to Christ. How many a case has been lost by the worker losing his temper. Some persons are purposely exasperating, but even such may be won by patient perseverance and gentleness;