How May I Know Him?
“Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward.” — Ezek. xlvii. I.
ATOTHING could be more important, in these days, than a clear discernment of the character and the work of the Holy Spirit. There is perhaps more ignorance concerning him than any other part of revealed truth. By many he is regarded as an undefinable influence. By many others he is supposed to come and go in a vague sort of way; now with the Christian and now absent from him; to-day with the church, to-morrow in some distant part of the world at work. All this is unscriptural, and must” grieve him, who as certainly ABIDES with the true child of God as that Jesus died and arose again.
To know him aright has always meant POWER. To be ignorant of him has always meant confusion and ultimate defeat. The promise is, ‘’ Ye shall receive, POWER, the Holy Ghost coming upon you.” It is a possible thing for ourcreed to outrun our intelligence. We say, again and again, ‘’ I believe in the Holy Ghost.” Is it really true? With a single church believing in him we might move the world for God.
There is both ignorance and indif-HOF^ MAY I KNOIV HIM?
ference concerning him, and the reason is most apparent. This is the ‘’ dispensation of the Spirit.” It was ushered in at Pentecost. And Satan very well knows that so long as he can keep us in doubt as to the Spirit’s work, or mystified as to his personality or presence, just so long he has nothing in us to fear. He cares not for your intellectual greatness — he can make a very snare of it — but he trembles when he sees one FILLED WITH THE Holy Ghost.
Three propositions I would be glad to impress upon the mind, and in the light of them we shall study together the third person of the TRINITY: First, he has a personality I might present many arguments to prove my statement. What stronger could there be than the words of our Lord himself? — ‘’ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you anf other Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John xiv. 16, 17.) Notice the word ‘’another.” This indicates that he is to take the place of Jesus himself. Could anything less than a person take the place of a person? Notice also the personal pronouns repeated as the Master speaks of the Comforter. Refer also to John xvi. 13, 14, where the pronouns are again repeated, and then read what Paul writes to the Ephesians: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.” (Eph. iv. 30.) You surely cannot grieve an influence, and this is all that some would have us believe him to be. Either they are mistaken or the Apostle is in error. Which position do you take? Secofid, this is his dispensation. This being true we need not zvait to be filled with all his fullness. Some have thought this necessary, and have quoted the experience of the waiting disciples at Pentecost as a proof; but it is to be remembered that they were waiting for the coming in of a dispensation, while we live in it. The Holy Ghost is in no place said to have left the world after Pentecost. TJiird, he will fill us when we have fulfilled the conditions. These will be explained later, but in a word they are as follows: First, make an unconditional surrender to him, and let him abide in you, not because it is his work to do so, but because you have bidden him. Throw open every door of your nature, and give him undisputed possession. Second, believe his promise: ‘’That we might receive promise of the Spirit through /<7//>^.” (Gal. iii. 14.) Do these things, then trust him to do his work. He is no respecter of persons. I had in a former parish a young Irishman; all would declare him to be ignorant, and he was; but God marvelously used him. This was the secret. With a heart burdened for the men of the city, I called together a few of the men of the church, and laying before them the plan I had in mind, told them first of all that we could do nothing without the “infilling of the Holy Ghost.” When this had been explained I noticed this man leave the room. He did not
HO^V MAY I KNOJV HIM?
return while the meeting was In session. When I sought him I found him in one of the lower rooms of the church, literally on his face before God. He was in prayer. I shall never forget his petition: “O God, I plead with thee for this blessing;” then, as if God were showing him what was in the way, he said: “My Father, I will give up every known sin, only I plead with thee for power;” and then, as if his individual sins were passing before him, he said again and again: “I will give them up; I will give them up.” Then, without any emotion, he rose from his knees, turned his face heavenward, and simply said: ‘’ And now I claim the blessing.” For the first time he became sensible of my presence, and with a shining countenance
he reached out his hands to clasp mine.
You could feel the very presence of the Spirit as he said: “I have received him; I have received him.” And I believe he had, for in the next few months he led more than sixty men into the kingdom of God. His whole life had been transformed. He is just now being set apart to preach the gospel. We may differ as to the terms we use, but of this one thing we are all persuaded: there is awaiting many of us an enlarging vision of the Holy Ghost; for many could say, as did the disciples at Ephesus, “We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” (Acts xix. 2.) Whether we speak of this vision as a baptism, an infilling, or an anointing, may he show us himself, for we seek him and not a mere experience; the latter may be a thing of the moment, HOJV MAY I KNOIV HIM?
the former abides forever. (John xiv. 16.)
/; The forty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel / gives to me a beautiful figure of what the Holy Spirit is, and the work he does. There is something in the source of the river, something in the direction in which it runs, something in its increasing depth as it nears the sea, and something in its fruited banks to lead us to him of whom we study. First have in mind the temple from which the river flows. It is suggestive. As you know, the temple in the Old Testament was divided into three main parts: first, the outer court, into which any child of Israel might make his way; second, the holy place, where only the white-robed priests might walk to and fro; and third, the holy of holies, where only the high priest might go, and that but once a year. This Old Testament temple typifies the temple of which Paul speaks in the New Testament: ‘’ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (i Cor. iii. 1 6.) So the New Testament temple is yourself: ‘’Which temple ye are.” (i Cor. iii. 17.) There is likewise a threefold division here. There is first the outer court, which corresponds to the body; the second court is the soul, the third court is the spirit. There are some people who never live beyond the outer court; but such do not understand what it is to live. It is a possible thing for the body to be controlled, or, at least, influenced by the Spirit, for we read:
*’ He that raised up Christ from the dead
HOJV MAY I KNOIV HIM?
shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
(Rom. viii. ii.) It is apparent to all
that he works in the soul, that is, the
real self, the “ego.” Here also the
Spirit manifests himself, for we read:
/ j” Seeing ye have purified your souls in
I obeying the truth through the Spirit.”
(i Peter i. 22.) But all must be aware
that there are experiences deeper than
the soul, and thus we are led to the
spirit; this is the “holy of holies.” It
j I has been called” the secret place of the
i I Most High.” It is the place where God
dwells. And here the Spirit works, for
we read:” For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.” (i Cor. vi. 20.) And again:
“The Spirit himself beareth witness
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f with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom. viii. 16.) And just as in the chapter to which reference has been made the sanctuary was so filled with the water that it rushed out by the way of the altar eastward, so we may be “filled with the Spirit,” and so filled that there shall not only be communion, that is, for ourselves, but there may be the manifestation of power to others, illustrated in the flowing river. Our whole nature, body, soul, and spirit, may be swayed by his presence. If the temple pictures the real self, the man of to-day, then the water must stand for something. In the light of the Word of God, what would you say? I am sure we are making no mistake when we say that the water typifies the Holy Ghost. We surely have the right to say as much, for Jesus himself said it. Speaking to the woman of Samaria he said: “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John iv. 14.) This is the “indwelling Spirit.” But at the last day of the feast he made it still plainer when he said: ‘’ He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John vii. 38, 39.) This is the river flowing out from the sanctuary, running through the desert, healing the waters of the sea of life.
God often speaks to us by means of figures or types. This is an illustration. It may be both interesting and profitable to present other emblems of the Spirit, for each will come to us with a particular lesson.
I. THE WIND.
Sometimes he is spoken of under the figure of the wind, and this is generally when we would present his quickening, powerful, penetrating influence. There are many things about it which may be mentioned, all of which help us to understand the work of the Spirit the better. First, the wind is invisible: ‘’The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but thou canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the f Spirit” (John iii. 8.) To my mind this beautifully presents to us one of the chief traits of the Spirit. He came not to draw attention to himself, but to the Son. We are told in another place concerning the Son, that he ‘’ made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,” (Phil. ii. 7.) But herein was the love of the Spirit made manifest, for he came into the world without even the form of a servant. Suppose he had become incarnate, would there not have been a temptation to forget the incarnate Son in the contemplation of the incarnate Spirit? The Holy Ghost always magnifies the Lord Jesus QXmt just as the river from the sanctuary ran eastward. Second, the wind is penetrating. It is said that “nature abhors a vacuum.” This is true, but it is likewise true that the Spirit abhors a vacuum, and we may rest assured that just as soon as the room is made for him he will fill us to overflowing. He abides with us now, but we may never feel the blessedness of his presence till we have forsaken all sin, surrendered all selfishness; for selfishness, sin, and worldliness cannot possess the child of God, if we would have the Spirit in his fullness. Third, the wind is pozverfiil. A perfect illustration is found in the valley of dry bones. The valley was filled with the bones of the dead when the word of the Lord came to his servant to prophesy. John McNeil says he can imagine that Ezekiel looked down and he was afraid to say “Yes “; he looked up and he was afraid to say” No “; and so he answered,” O Lord God, thou knowest.” “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then he said unto me. Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind. Thus saith the N Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,. that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and f stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezek. xxxvii. 7-10.) Surely this is a picture of all that the church might be, if we were, as individuals, ‘’filled with the Spirit.”
II. THE DOVE.
The dove is an emblem of the Holy Spirit, telling of his loving, tender, comforting work. This, of all the family of birds, is the most lovely. Its aflfection for its mate is almost pathetic. In its choice of a home, in the company it keeps, in its food, as well as in its very self, it is a beautiful picture of much that the Spirit may be in us. It is very helpful to me to know that when we receive him fully we become partakers of his nature. One could not be petulant, impatient, censorious, disagreeable, and be filled with his fullness. For when of his fullness we have received, we
HO^V MAY I KNOIV HIM?
have ‘’ grace for grace,” and what can this mean but a dupHcation of graces? (John i. 1 6.) In Paul’s letter to the Galatians we read: “But the fnnt of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal. v. 22, 23.y You will notice that the word ‘’fruit” is used in the singular number, and the inference must be that when we give ourselves up to the Spirit we have, not one of these graces, but all of them. First, the dove is a patient bird. Surely here it brings us a lesson of the Spirit. We have grieved him a thousand times, and yet he is the same tender, patient Spirit. As another has said: “Look at the way he is grieved.” ‘’ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph. iv. 29-32.) Compare this with the malice and evil speaking and censoriousness and slander that are notoriously common among professing Christians: we no longer ‘, wonder that the Holy Spirit is grieved. ‘’X Every idle word, every unkind expression, every unholy thought grieves him, yet he tarries, waiting, yearning to fill us with his blessed presence
HO IV MAY I KNOH^ HIM?
and power. Second, the dove is a loving bird. We are well acquainted with the thought that God the Father loves us, and all must be sensible of the love of the Son, but of the. love of the Spirit we are not so well informed. Yet Paul writes: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” (Rom. xv. 30.) ‘* The love of the Spirit for every sinner who trusts in Christ for salvation can be measured only by the infinite and eternal love of the Father, and by the intense, self-sacrificing, boundless, and unchanging love of the Son.” The first mention of the Spirit in the Old Testament suggests his love. We read:
“And the Spirit moved upon the face
of the waters.” (Gen. i. 2.) The word
“moved” in the Hebrew is literally
“brooded,” giving us the figure of the
mother-bird hovering over her young;
and if the word is studied more closely,
it means to be ‘’tremulous with love.”
This is the first picture, and he is” the
same yesterday, to-day, and forever.”
To be ‘’filled with the Spirit” thus
means to be filled with this spirit.
What a transformation it would mean
to the individual and to the church! It
would mean the reclaiming of the lost.
In Isaiah we read:” But thou hast in
love to my soul delivered it from the
pit of corruption” (Isa. xxxviii. 17), and
in the margin you read that it means
“thou hast loved up my soul from the
pit.” It would mean the winning of
souls.
HOIV MAY I KNOJV HIM?
It may be interesting to know that
one of the first Salvation Army converts
was thus won in France. Miss Booth
had been singing and speaking for
weeks. The people crowded around
her only for the purpose of ridicule. At
last, one evening when she had told her
story with all the pathos with which
she was capable, she went down from the
platform and pushed her way through
the crowd till she reached a fallen girl
sitting in the rear of the room. She
threw her arms about her neck and
kissed her first upon one cheek, then
upon the other, and she said as she did
so, ‘’ My dear sister, I would that I
could love you into the kingdom.” The
girl looked up in a startled way; pure
lips like those had not touched her
cheeks in many a day. She burst into tears. Miss Booth led her sobbing to the penitent form, where with true repentance she cried out for forgiveness. God saved her and she has been a good soldier ever since. Oh, that the church might be filled with this spirit!
“Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, With all thy quickening powers: Come, shed abroad a Saviour’s love, And that shall kindle ours.”
III. THE OIL.
When God would reveal to us the healing, comforting, illuminating, and consecrating influences of the Spirit, he directs our minds to the oil, which shadows forth these characteristics. In a part of the description of the ancient tabernacle you read this sentence: “Oil for the light.” (Ex. xxxv. 8.) This suggests the illustration another has used,
HOH/ MAY I KNOIV HIM?
letting the oil represent the Spirit, the wick the Christian, and the light stand for the result of the union of the two. There may be an abundance of oil and a plentiful supply of wick — there cannot be light until the two are brought together. I know the Spirit abides in us, and will forever, but there can never be a manifestation of his powder till by the consent of our wills he has undisputed possession. The two may be brought together, and for a time the light is brilliant, but in a little while it is dim and flickering, and every housekeeper can understand the difficulty — the wick has become incrusted and must be trimmed. It is not enough for us to be right with God to-day, that we may have a manifestation of his power — we must KEEP RIGHT. The secret may be found in one sentence: “Confess your sins instantly.” Even if the oil and the wick be brought together, there may be still little or no light, and the difficulty is, that there is a knot in the wick. It is not enough that the Spirit abide with us — this he does. The heart must be right in the sight of God. This was the difficulty with Simon the sorcerer. (Acts viii. 9-13.) When he tried to purchase with- money the power of the Holy Ghost, he failed, because his heart was not right. We have, however, the privilege of believing that when the heart is right we have the very fullness of God himself. He is sometimes said to be the “oil to make the face shine.” (Ps. civ. 15.) It is not possible to be filled with the Holy Ghost and then simply delight in the fact ourselves. God
HOIV MAY 1 KNOIV HIM?
never bestows such a gift that we mayconsume it upon our own hists. He is the outflowing river, and also reveals himself in the shining countenance. He is called the “oil of gladness.” “Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Ps. xlv. 7.) It is a most comforting thought that Satan ca.nnot rob us of our life, for that is “hid with Christ in God.” But he may deprive us of our JOY. It has been said that it is the work of Christ to bring us to heaven, but it is the work of the Spirit to bring heaven to us now. The Psalmist tells us: ‘’In thy presence is fullness of joy” (Ps. xvi. 11); and since it is the work of the Spirit to lead us into God’s presence, that means just one thing, namely,
HEAVEN.
IV. THE WATER.
Water is typical of many things in the Bible. Sometimes it stands for judgment, sometimes for the Bible itself; but most frequently for the Holy Ghost does it stand as a type. Very many things may be said of the water, and the same things apply to the Holy Spirit.
First, the water free. We may have it without money and without price.
‘■ There is no truer thought than this about the Spirit. To rich or poor, to wise or ignorant, he will come with all his fullness. “By grace are we saved,” and ‘’ by grace are we filled with his blessed presence.” Second, the water is refreshing. “He leadeth me beside the still waters.” (Ps. xxiii. 2.) When the journey is long, and the way dusty and hard to travel, and we are worn and weary, what is more refreshing than the springs of water? We stoop to drink and push out on our way rejoicing. All / that the water is to the traveler, yea, a ’ thousand times more, the Spirit of God is to the weary ones. The water in us is a well ‘’springing up.” It comes from the throne, it rises again to its source, for water always seeks its own level; and here is the thought of communion that is always refreshing. The water flowing out from us is a river, and that does not flow for itself, but for others. Thus the Spirit always leads us. And who has not found that in living for others he has made his own way brighter and his own path easier to travel? What is this but the very best of refreshment? Third, the water is cleansing. I am well aware that it is the work of the blood of Jesus Christ to ‘* cleanse from all sin,” but it is the work of the Spirit to bring that work to remembrance, so we may speak of him as cleansing. The word ‘’cleansing” has several different meanings in the Word of God. Sometimes it is katJiaroSy which means to ‘’clear up.” This must have been in Paul’s mind when he said: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. iv. 6, 7.) Careful for nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything, as another has said. Sometimes it is katharizo which means to *’ make clean “; and I am glad to know that this the Spirit of God surely does. We are told to keep ourselves ‘’unspotted from the world.” That would be most difficult were it not for the presence of the Spirit: with him it is easy. While in the mountains of Colorado, I noticed the miners going into the mine at the beginning of their “shifts” — their hands and faces were clean as they could make them; but at the end of the “shifts” it would be difficult to tell whether they were by nature black or white, and yet there was one part of the face which was just as clean as when they entered the mine: that was the ball of the eye; and that not because no impurities had touched it, for the mine was filled with such, but because there is a little tear-gland which keeps working all the time, and when the least speck touches the eye it washes it away. We are in the midst of sin and uncleanness in this world, but we may be kept clean every whit if we be only ‘’ filled with the Spirit.” Keep in mind this river from the sanctuary, its source, its marvelous influence for good as it flows, and, not the least of all, keep in mind the direction in which it flowed. It will bear us on in our study till we are in the very “secret of his presence.”