Published in the Pentecostal Evangel, October 27, 1928.
This is the Word of God and it is most important that when we read it we do so with purpose of heart to obey its every precept. We have no right to open the Word of God carelessly or indifferently. I have no right to come to you with any message unless it is absolutely in the perfect order of God. I believe we are in order to consider further the subject so necessary to be informed about in these days when so many people are receiving the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and then do not know which way to go.
We have a great need to-day. It is that we may be supplied with revelation according to the mind of the Lord, that we may be instructed by the mind of the Spirit, that we may he able rightly to divide the Word of Truth, that we may not be novices, seeing that the Spirit of the Lord has come to us in revelation. We ought to be alert to every touch of divine, spiritual illumination.
We should carefully consider what the apostle said to us, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The sealing of the Spirit is very remarkable and I pray God that not one person may lose the divine inheritance that God has chosen for you, greater than you could choose if you had your mind ten times more largely exercised. God’s mind is greater than yours. His thought is higher than the heavens over you, so that you need not be afraid.
I have great love for my boys in England, great love for my daughter here; but it is nothing in comparison to God’s love toward us. God’s love is desirous that we should walk up and down the earth as His Son, clothed, filled, radiant, with fire beaming forth from the countenance, setting forth the power of the Spirit, so that the people jump into liberty.
But there is deplorable ignorance among those who have gifts. It is not right for you to think that because you have a gift you are to wave it before the people and try to get their minds upon that, because if you do you will be out of the will of God. Gifts and callings may be in the body without repentance, but remember that God calls you to account for the gifts being properly administered in a spiritual way after you have received it. It is not given to adorn you, but to sustain, build, edify and bless the church. When the church receives this edification and God ministers through that member, then all the members will rejoice together. God moves upon us as His offspring, as His choice, and fruit of the earth. He wants us to be decked in wonderful raiment, even as our Master.
His operations upon us may be painful but the wise saint will remember that among those whom God chastens it is he who is exercised hy that chastening to whom “it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” Therefore let Him do with you what seemeth Him good, for He has His hand upon you and He will not willingly take it off till He has performed the thing He knows you need. So if He comes with a fan, be ready for the fan. If He comes with chastisement, be ready for chastisement. If He comes with correction, be ready for correction. Whatever He wills to do, let Him do it and He will bring you to the land of plenty. Oh, it is worth the world to be under the power of the Holy Ghost!
If He chastens you not, if you sail placidly along without incident, without crosses, without persecutions, without trials, remember that “if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, thon are ye bastards and not sons.” Hebrews 12:8. Therefore “Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith.” Never forget that Jesus said this word: “They that hear My voice, follow Me.” Jesus wants you all to follow, wants you to have a clear ring in your testimony.
You are eternally saved by the power of God. Do not be led astray by anything, do not take your feelings for your salvation, do not take anybody’s word for your salvation. Believe that God’s Word is true. What does it say?
When your will becomes entirely the will of God, then you are clearly in the place where the Holy Ghost can make Jesus Lord in your life, Lord over your purchases, Lord over your selling, Lord over your eating and your drinking, your clothing and your choice of companionship.
The variation of humanity is tremendous. Faces are different, so is physique. Your whole body may be so tempered that one particular gift would not suit you at all while it would suit another person.
So the Word of God deals here with varieties of gifts, meaning that these gifts perfectly meet the condition of people in this place. That is God’s plan. Not one person, it may be, would be led out to claim all gifts. Nevertheless, do not be afraid; the Scriptures are definite. Paul said that you need not come behind in any gift. God has for you wonderful things beyond what you have ever known. The Holy Ghost is so full of prophetic operation of divine power, that it is marvelous what may happen after the Holy Ghost comes.
How He loosed me! I am no good without the Holy Ghost. The power of the Holy Ghost loosed my language. I was like my mother. She had no language. If she began to tell a story, she couldn’t go through. My father would say, “Mother, you will have to begin again.” I was like that. I couldn’t tell a story, I was bound. Plenty of thought, but no language. But oh, after the Holy Ghost came!
When He came I had a great desire after gifts. So the Lord caused me to see that it is possible for every believer to live in such holy unction, such divine communion, such pressed-in measure by the power of the Spirit that every gift can he his.
But is there not a vast and appalling unconcern about possessing the gifts? Ask of a score of saints chosen at random from almost any assembly, “Have you any of the gifts of the Spirit?” and the answer will be, “No,” and given in a tone and with a manner that conveys the thought that the saint is not surprised at not having the gifts, that he doesn’t expect to have any of them, and does not expect to seek for them. Isn’t this terrible when this living Word exhorts us specifically to “Covet earnestly the best gifts”?
So in order that the gift might be everything and in evidence, we have to see that we cease to live excepting for His glory. He works with us, we work with Him, co-operative, working together. This is divine. Surely this is God’s plan.
God has brought you to the banquet and He wants to send you away full. We are in a place where God wants to give us visions. We are in a place where His great love is being bent over us with kisses. Oh, how lovely the kiss of Jesus, the expression of His love!
Oh come, let us seek Him for the best gifts, and let us strive to be wise and rightly divide the Word of Truth, giving it forth in power that the church may be edified and sinners may be saved.
Labels: 1928, Pentecostal Evangel
Apostle of Faith
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