Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-04-07


the Holy Spirit
The call of Scripture TO the one Thus
indwelt is to walk in the Spirit
and to be lied eff the Spirit"
The leading of the Spirit presup-
poses eseral things OF courA- it as
sumes regeneration, FOR without birth
there can be no life and without life
there can be no leading. 1t presupp. SEES
disposition. 'They that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh,
and they that are after the Spirit the
things of the 81 Qit." They that are
after the Spirit are they that are dis
posed to follow the Spirit. Such dis
position is an essential to the Spirits
leading. Desire is another presupposi-
ton. Frequent and unnecessary fall
ures and falls leave a sense of humili-
alton and shame. followed by great
longing or desire to be led by One
who can avert these frequent falls.
Again, the leading of he Spirit pre-
supposes dedication. Dedication is the
deciding over of ones life TO God. 1t Is
the intelligent recognition of and re-
spouse to / Corinthians 6 :20-"Ye are
not your own, for We are bought with a
price" 1t is the acknowledgment of
the Divine ownership, and of the Di-
vine right of possession. Furthermore,
the leading of the Holy Spirit presup-
poses direction. Our objective must be
In harmony with the will of God.
The leading of the Holy Spirit is re-
lated to at least three matters of vital
concern-Christian truth. Christian
service and Christian conduct. First,
Christian truth: In John 16 :13 we lead
that when he, the Spirit of truth is
come, he will guide you into all truth"
Literally it is, he will lead you along
The road OF truth. There are many by
paths of error open to us all the time.
Like Christian in 'Pilgrim's Progress"
we may be drawn into some of these
by-paths. They have nice sounding
names and look attractive. The Spirit
of God in his leading preserves us from
being deludedalnto these paths Of error
ami falsity.
He $50 leads believers in the matter
of service, making choice both of those
who are to serve and the fields in which
they are to serve For example, the
Spirit Of God separated Paul and Bar
nabas for speciai service and then
determ ned the field in which that GER
vice should be rendered!
III the matter of Christian conduct
our text tells us to walk in the Spirit .
and then adds the promise, 'Ye shall
not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" That
word fulfill" means bring TO compile
ton. The flesh. that is to say, the old
seif-life, will continue to lust after or
desire The things that crafty it. For
example, the flesh is very resentful of
any supposed slight, or Of the denial
of any of it's supposed rights; it loves
to get even" with others. But when
one is led of the Spirit, these desires
are not fulfilled or brought to compile
ton. The Spirit lusteth against the
flesh so that We do not do the things
We otherwise would" In Christian
conduct, therefore, we must be led of
the Spirit
This leads to a life of progress,
moral principle and spiritual power.
The Holy Spirit leads US in a progress
size way from grace to grace, from
character to character, from glory to
glory The life becomes conscious of
progress and advancement, of willing
ness to undertake, and power to
achieve. One is able to sing with
Frances r. Havergal:
Onward and upward points the way,
With the JOY of progress from day to day.
Children still of a Fathers love;
Children still of a home above;
Thus we look hack without sigh,
Ger the Iengthening track
The great moral qualities are brought
to fruition through the leading of the
Spirit Whom he leads he indwells
and the fruit of the indwelling Spirit
is in all goodness, righteousness and
truth. His leading is always in har-
mony with these principles, not only in
the public life, but in all departments
CT our being and activity. In the home
in social life, and in business affairs,
goodness, righteousness and truth are
conspicuous in the life led by the Holy
Spirit. Spiritual power is the expert
ence Of all those whose lives are ad
justed to his leading. In them he
dwells ungrieved and unquenched and
the power of God operates in and
through oil such.