The Deeper Christian Life # 21

The Deeper Christian Life # 21

If you were to ask me of my own experience, I would say this: That there have been times when I hardly knew myself what to think of God's answer to my prayer in this matter; but I have found it my joy and my strength to take and maintain my position, and given myself over to God's grace that led me to Christ; and I stand before Thee in confidence that Thou will keep Thy covenant with me to the end. I am an empty vessel; Thou art the God that fillest all. God is faithful, and He gives the promised blessing in His own time and method. Beloved for God's sake, be content with nothing less than full health and full spiritual life. "Be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Let me return now to the two expressions with which I began: "The first duty of every clergyman is humbly to ask of God that all that he wants done in those who hear his preaching may be first truly and fully done in himself." Brethren, I ask you, is it not the longing of your hearts to have a congregation of believer's filled with the Holy Spirit? Is it not your unceasing prayer for the Church of Christ, in which you minister, that the Spirit of holiness, the very Spirit of God's Son, the spirit of unworldliness and of heavenly-mindedness, may possess it, and that the Spirit of victory and of power over sin fill its children? If you are willing for that to come, your first duty is to have it yourself.

And then the second sentence - "the first duty of every clergyman is to lead those who have been brought to Christ to be, entirely filled with the Holy Spirit." How can I do my work with success? I can conceive what a privilege it is to be led by the Spirit of God in all that I am doing,  In studying my Bible, praying, visiting organizing, or whatever I am doing, God is willing to guide me by His Holy Spirit. It sometimes becomes a humiliating experience to me that I am unwatchful, and do not wait for the blessing; when that is the case, God can bring again. But there is also the blessed experience of God's guiding hand, often through deep darkness, by His Holy Spirit. Let us walk about among the people as men of God, that we may not only preach about a book, and what we believe with our hearts to be true, but may preach what we are and what we have in our own experience. Jesus calls us witnesses for Him; what does that mean? The Holy Spirit brought down to heaven from men a participation in the glory and the joy of the exalted Christ. Peter and the others who spoke with Him were filled with this heavenly Spirit; and thus Christ spoke in them, and accomplished the work for them. O brethren, if you and I be Christ's we should take our places and claim our privilege. We are witnesses to the truth which we believe - witnesses to the reality of what Jesus does and what He is, by His presence in our own souls. If we are willing to be such witnesses for Christ, let us go to our God; let us make confession and surrender; and by faith claim what God has for us as ministers of the gospel and workers in His service. God will prove faithful. Even at this very moment, He will touch our hearts with a deep consciousness of His faithfulness and of His presence; and He will give to every hungering, trustful one that which we continually need.

Consecration

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things comes of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee"

To be able to offer anything to God is a perfect mystery. Consecration is a miracle of grace. "All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee". In these words there are four very precious thoughts I want to try and make clear to you.

1. God is the Owner of all, and gives all to us.

2. We have nothing but what we receive - but everything we need we may receive from God.

3. It is our privilege and honor to give back to God what we receive from Him.

4. God has a double joy in His possessions when He receives back from us what He gave.

And when I apply this to my life - to my body, to my wealth, property, our entire selves, on account of what is all His? Then what a blessed lesson it will teach us of what our position is! I have to do with a God whose nature is to be always giving, and mine to be always receiving. Just as the lock and key fit each other, God the Giver and I the receiver fit into each other. How often we trouble about things, and about praying for them, instead of going back to the root of things, and saying, "Lord, I only crave to be the receptacle of what the Will of God mans for me; of the power and the gifts and the love and the Spirit of God." What can be more simple? Come as a receptacle - cleansed, emptied and humble. 

~Andrew Murray~

(continued with # 22)