SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15900, 24 April 1915, Page 7 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

THE INDWELLING SPIRIT.* (Eph. iii. 16.)

BT KEY. TIIKIIEN-DART UTnn-FEri.OE.

What does tho Apostle mean when ho says: "I bow my knees unto tho Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . , that Ho would grant you. according to tho riches of His grace, to be strengthened | with might by His Spirit in the inner, man!" No more solemn task is ever en- ' tnsted to a speaker than to attempt to) set forth the might, the majesty, the merry, mid the magnificence of tlio gift i of the Holy Spirit, and what He is intended to h? in this marvellous dispensation of blessing Tho dispensation of , promise was very beautiful for an Abra- I ham, because lie had faith to take Him j who promised him to be faithful: the dis- j p. nsalfon of law may be considered a I m ipnirirent' revelation of the majesty of J the Mighty duo; the dispensation of pro- \ rlxvy was a marvellous revelation of the ! ili-tacter, the power, and the purposes of C»d; and the dispensation of humility—; «h<n the Lord Jesus was revealed from ! li«'-ive:i as ai infant, and lived through ; out the who!j of His rawer as the Holy ' Man, and then died on our behalf as an atonement f .<• sin—may he considered as. a ruracdons manifestation of the love of,' I'od. Hut, 1 say it reverently and conhd.ntly, the dispensation of the Holy i S*| -it :s even more magnificent, more na:vv>ll.isi«, more beautiful, and mere' looked tli in any that ever preceded it ; j U. Hue it conveys to m-iii what no other dijrx-nwtT.n did—the actual participation . O! the Divine nature, wherever His rights' end powers are recognised, and the bless- j ires He conveys aw thankfully received. | St. Peter s;.ys (II Pet. i., 4| that there | ore given unto us exceeding great and pre- ' cious promises when by wo are made : "p-.rtakers of the Di\ mo nature." I Now whit are the nietious promises'!

"Promise of. the Father" tins what (he lord Jesus Christ bequeathed, when He passed back into the presence of the Holy One in heaven, and the Holy Spirit was sent to make His pcopl-i one. Yes, "all one in Christ Jesus ;" hut mow than that—one with the blessed Savicu", one almost, wo might venture to say, wiih Hod the Father. As Godhead has desemded to partake of humanity, humanity should be lifted to partake of Deity, and thus man should be above angels and principalities and powers "m th» heavenly places."

More and more as I study the Bible am I astounded at the revelation of the Spirit. I find the Greek word pr.ettma 385 times •in the New Testament (A.V.), translated by the word "spirit"—l 33 of which it is prnted with a small "s," which makes its: meaning doubtful; but 153 times it is t dearly the Holy Spirit as a Person, with • a capital " S." Only four times do we find in '.he ATV. "the Holy Spirit," but eighty-nine times "the Holy Ghost."

At the time of your belief "ye were i sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. i., 13—sealed and set apart to God, to belong to Him, to be recognised by Him, and to glorify Him in the body and | fcpirit which are His. This was the call of God to you. When the Lord Jesus , passed back to the throne of the Father, i Hi donated to the world tliL- gift of the : Holy Spirit. Once for all, on that day . of Pentecost, the Third Person of the ' Trinity humbled Himself to descend from ' heav.-n, to tarry among men for eighteen I centuries and three-quarters. I

I often wonder at the non-recognition of the humbling of the Holy Spirit—the patience, the tenderness, and the gentleness of Him who came to abide in this world of sin; who, like the air round about us, is prepared to enter wherever thers is a receptacle, a willingness to respond, and to take-up His abode within tli3 nun who will take Him as the Gilt of God, according to the promise of the Siviour. Remember that the Lord 'Jesus on the day of His resurrection, having received the promise of the Father, at once offered it to His disciples, and said: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Then He passed ta:k to the Father that the Spirit iright corns; and from that moment the Spnit has been among us.

It is not enough, however, to say that He gave the donation. We have to recognise the awful solemnity of our responsibility. According to tlw Greek, activity «n our part is required, in order to secure the donation of the Holy Spirit: "Labile"—"Take ye." If I otter you ray mest valued treasure on earth, and you place your hands behind you, whose fault Uit if you do not possess it? There is a possibility of acceptance, for which all men are responsible; hence the expression : " Receive ye, Take ye." As you take the Holy Spirit, you begin to be conscious at once of some enjoyment, some power, soma fresh realisation of privilege and blessing. Tie apostle asks for the whole family of God, that th?y "may be strengthened with might h" His Spirit in the inner man." Think, then, of the possibilities that belong to this dispensation of the Holy Spirit, as well as of tile responsibilities before God and the world for such a gift. Let us ask curselves: "How much, Lord, hav I received : how much can I take; how much may T enjoy and know? From this day, and forward null the Saviour conies to claim His church unto glory, how much may I know of this wonderful gift God lias bestowed*" Well, it is just as much as we can take. We are to be " strengthened with might" (<•• what? Fur seivice, fur conduct, for character, for personality, for possibility. It descends to the must commonplace reouirements; it is an enduentent of power'to fight the good fight of faith; in the heavenhes, above the- devil and all liis lore*, who cannot prevent you sitting there ■( you hold your seat by faith ill Ciir:.«t Jesus I

♦Notes of an Address.