The Republican., 1941-10-16

GOLDEN TEXT-As many as are led by
the Spirit of God, they are the sons of Cod
Romans 8:14.
Nothing could be more practical
or blessed for and in the life and
service of the believer than an
understanding of the person and
work of the Holy Spirit; yet it is
subject concerning which most
Christians are woefully ignorant.
Before taking up the work of the
Spirit as it appears in our lesson,
we should understand that the Holy
Spirit is a person, not an influence
which may exert itself upon serv-
ice, or a power which man may
obtain and use. He-the Spirits
one of the Trinity, with the at
tributes of a person, doing the work
of person and always referred to
as a person in Scripture. (When
"it'' is used of the Holy Spirit in
the A.V. it will be found to be cor
rected to "him" in the R.V.)
What then does this divine person
do? The work of creation was His
as one of the Godhead. He regen-
crates, He teaches, He comforts, He
leads, He calls and qualities Chris
tian workers, He is the divine
author of the Bible. These and
many other things He does, this One
who indwells the believer as the
ever-present Guide and Counselor.
The Christian is
1. Born of the Spirit (John 1853.
The new birth is indispensable to
entrance into the kingdom Of God.
We either enter that way or we do
not enter at all. Let's be clear
about that. eye must be born again"
is not the edict of a church or the
plea of a preacher; it is the plain
statement of our Lord Himself
". 81.
The Holy Spirit is indispensable to
regeneration. We must be born of
the Spirit How it takes place we
can no more explain than the coming
or going of the wind, but just as
the power of the wind is known to
us by clear evidence, so the regen-
Grating power of the Spirit, myste-
rious though it be in operation, is
known to us by the evidences of re-
deeming grace in mans life.
ii. Empowered by the Spirit
(Acts 1:8). MI
Spiritual birth calls for service for
Christ. For that we must have the
power of the Holy Spirit. A man
may do many ordinary things in the
strength of his own body and
mind (although even these ought
always to be under the Spirits con-
troD, but when he comes to wit
Messing for Christ, teaching or
preaching Gods Word, he must
have Holy Spirit power or he is ut
terly ineffective.
iii. Directed by the Spirit (Rom.
8:26-28).
The guidance of the Holy Spirit,
especially in the matter of prayer,
is stressed in these verses, but they
are a part of a longer passage deal
ing with the indWelling, enabling,
and guiding power of the Holy
Spirit (read w. 9-14). Every detail
of life in the home, at business, or
in social relations should be in con-
scious submission. to His leading.
1t is in the realm of the spiritual,
however, that we find ourselves
peculiarly infrm ". 26), and this
shows itself especially in prayer
1--WE know not how to pray as we
ought" Then the Spirit in the
Christian makes intercession. How
blessed! 'The practical meaning of
these profound words seems to be
that the divine Spirit, by His i'm
mediate influence in the saints soul,
which becomes as it were the organ
of his own address to the Father,
secures the rightness of the essence
of the saints prayer To our under
standings such intercessions with
groanings which cannot be uttered,
take the form of desires of ours,
inspired and secured by Him. In
any special case of prayer, the saint
may or may not use words; but any
wise the root-desires that underlie
the prayer, being the Holy Spirits
promptings, are unutterable to the
full. In the heart the Father sees
below the surface of our ignorance
the sacred longings which are the
expression of the Spirits influence"
(H. c. G. Moule).
Nv. Walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:
22-26).
Being born again of the Spirit,
living daily by the Spirit, it is right
that (as v 25 puts i) eff we live
by the Spirit, let us also walk by
the Spirit" The works of the flesh,
horrible in their wickedness and
lust, are listed in the verses preced-
ing (vv. 1920, and then by striking
contrast we have the fruit of the
Spirit in the life of the Christian.
Note the distinction: Work is some.
thing we produce; fruit is some
thing that grows.
Walking in the Spirit the Chris.
tian finds in his life the inward
graces of love, joy, and peace
These then express themselves out.
wardly in longsuffering, kindness
goodness, faithfulness, meekness
and self-control. The Spirit-flleo
man is not only good man; he
lives a good life.