People Under Control

J. Allen Blair

There is no shortage of manpower in our churches these days. Church memberships are growing and people are serving the Lord. But what about Holy Spirit power? Are we seeing evidence of this power in our churches?

Two Christian men were viewing the Niagara whirlpool rapids. One said, "There is the greatest unused power in the world." "Oh, no," replied the other, "The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God."

Many churches have all the machinery with which to work, but have overlooked the necessary power to run the machinery. Lost souls cannot be drawn to Christ by human skill, nor the ingenuity of convincing arguments, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit. God says, in Zechariah 4:6, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. It is God's power, the blessed Holy Spirit, who convicts men of sin and draws them to Christ. If souls are to be won to the Lord, God's people must be instruments in His hands through whom the Holy Spirit can work.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "If we do not have the Spirit of God, it were better to shut the churches, to nail up the doors, to put a black cross on them, and say, 'God have mercy on us.' If you ministers have not the Spirit of God, you had better not preach and you people had better stay at home." He went on to say, "I think I speak not too strongly when I say the church in the land without the Spirit of God is rather a curse than a blessing. If you have not the Spirit of God, Christian worker, remember that you stand in somebody else's way. You are as a tree bearing no fruit, standing where a fruitful tree might grow."

It is not even enough to have good theology, as important as this is. We may be theologically sound, but sound asleep. It is essential that theology be transformed by the Holy Spirit into thrilling testimony. It is not enough to be burdened deep with a burden of what we believe. We must make it our business to blaze it forth to a lost world in the energy of the Spirit's fullness.

The great tragedy of our day is that many theological students are coming out of seminary with a degree under the arm, but lacking the fullness of God's Spirit. A school cannot convey spiritual power to anyone. The person must be in touch with God. On every hand we hear people trying to teach and preach on the grounds of what they know, rather than in the strength of the Holy Spirit's power. Such teaching and preaching may be brilliant and profound, but as far as reaching souls is concerned, it is like beating the air. Nothing can ever happen without the Spirit's ministry; souls do not get saved. Commendations for the scholarly and well-planned sermons may flow in abundance, but is God pleased? We are not to look for the plaudits of men. We are to fearlessly proclaim the Word of God in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit.

Spirit-filled teaching of the Word of God will not always please the hearers, especially if the entire counsel of God is made known. As one faithfully preaches the word, he will find that it will reprove and rebuke. Not everyone will receive faithful, Holy Spirit preaching. But how much more satisfying it is to please God than man. Without the fullness of God's Spirit, no one can be his best for the Lord. It is the Spirit-filled person who will bless others. Jesus said, of such a one, Out of his inner most being shall flow rivers of living water.

After one receives the gift of the fullness of the Spirit, what should result? It is quite clear from Galatians 5:25 that a life possessed by the Spirit of God will be one of obedience and holiness. God says, if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let no one who persists in living for self (in the flesh) claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is a God-controlled life, evidencing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Without question, the fullness of the Holy Spirit will always result in a definite concern and desire to win souls to Christ. Jesus said, in Acts 1:8, Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me. The Spirit's desire is to bear witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ and to draw lost men and women unto Him.

Now the question arises, how may one be filled with the Spirit? There appears to be two essentials. Jesus said, in John 7:37, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. What are the two requisites? We must thirst, then drink. To be thirsty is to be empty. As we confess all sin to the Lord and lay all on the altar for Jesus Christ, we shall thirst after God. With all known sin laid aside, then we may drink; to drink is to receive. The fullness of the Spirit of God is a gift�the same as salvation. We cannot earn salvation, nor can we beg, plead, pray, or agonize for the Spirit's fullness. This gift, like all of God's gifts, can only be received by faith. We cannot fill ourselves, but we can yield ourselves. God will not withhold His fullness from the yielded and willing heart. To you He says, at this moment, Drink!�Receive My fullness and My power.

Dr. F. B. Meyer, the beloved Bible expositor of a former generation, tells of being a pastor of a large and influential church for several years, but unhappy. He went to the Keswick Conference. A great number of God's people had gathered to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. A prayer meeting was announced and, daily from nine until eleven, they prayed for the Holy Spirit. Many believers attended and agonized in prayer, seeking the filling of the Holy Spirit. "But," Dr. Meyer said, "I was too tired to agonize, and I felt that God did not want me to agonize, hour after hour. But I had to learn to take. I felt that God wanted to give and I had only to receive." And, so, he left the prayer meeting and went out in the warmth of the night air. As he walked, he said, "O my God, if there is a man who needs the power of the Holy Spirit to rest upon Him, it is I. But I do not know how to receive Him. I am too tired; too worn out; too nervous to agonize." A voice seemed to say to Dr. Meyer, "As you took forgiveness from the hand of the dying Christ, take the Holy Spirit from the hand of the Living Christ."

He did just that. He said, "Lord, as I breathe in this whiff of warm night air, so I breathe into every part of me thy blessed Holy Spirit." He felt no hand laid upon his head; there was no lambent flame; there was no rushing sound from heaven. But by faith (without emotion, without excitement), he took and took for the first time. As he said, later, "I have kept on taking ever since." This gift is for you, dear friend. God wants you to meet the conditions and claim the promise, and the blessing will be yours.

The first step is to get saved by receiving Jesus Christ. Let Him come into your life and change your life. Look to Him now and say, "Jesus, I want to be saved. I believe in You and trust in You."

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy [Spirit] is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me (Acts 1:8).

The Walk of Fame Faith

In Hollywood CA, actors and actresses have been elected to be honored with their own star and name imbedded in a sidewalk. It is said that the actors are "immortalized" by having their star. There's some bad news; immortality isn't gained by a vote. The following excerpt is from the files of Dr. Blair.

Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8).

When Christ comes back, will He find His people exercising complete confidence and trust in Him? Or will they be disturbed by fear? Not many walk by faith. They seem to have security in things, but when they are removed, faith disappears.

True faith depends on what God has declared in His eternal Word. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will never pass away, God assures us. The Bible is to be read and studied every day because the Bible nurtures faith. Romans 10:17, Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. One of the major evidences of our faith is in our prayer life. As we pray, faith is born within, God draws near, heaven seems closer, the unseen is unveiled, God's glory comes to us, and our belief is strengthened. A praying person is a believing person. Little prayer shows little faith, and little faith produces little prayer. Prayer fuels the fire of faith.

Jesus taught the disciples to pray and exercise faith. Abraham prayed and trusted. He did not stagger and fail. You can take God at His Word and believe everything He has said, if you know His Word. Solomon said, There hath not failed one word of all His good promise which He hath promised by the hand of Moses, His servant (1 Kings 8:56).

Get your answers from His Word and claim His promises each day!