DAY 204 – NOT EASY FOR GOD’S MINISTERS --------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes it happens that when discussing the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, that there are certain weak and uninstructed believers who have questions and doubts about their faith – because they are in some point unable to discern the work of the Holy Spirit within them. The Holy Spirit might be working within them, but because of the strife and turmoil of their spirits and the dimness of their mental vision they are unable to sense it – and they are therefore distracted and amazed. To such individuals, the word of the LORD is plainly this, “Whosoever believes on the LORD Jesus Christ, has everlasting life.” If you would remember such truth, you might also with advantage be able to consider the other spiritual facts as well. By weighing the two truths in your mind, you might receive much permanent blessing. It is not the easiest thing in the world to present clearly the work of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ – no matter how clear the utterance may be, ministers may sometimes seem to make one truth infringe upon the other. It is a mark of a Christian minister, who is taught by God, who rightly divides the Word of truth. But this right dividing is far from being an easy thing, that we must be taught it by no less a teacher than the Holy Spirit himself. When the LORD addressed Nicodemus, he experienced the same difficulty which today every alert minister observes in his listeners. Jesus found that a description of the inner work must be accompanied by the proclamation of the gospel of truth – otherwise it would cause confusion and sorrow. If ministers can with boldness and distinctness proclaim the inward work which the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the soul by working in us to will and to do according to God’s pleasure, and at the same time can tell the sinner most plainly that the basis of his faith is not the work within but the work which the LORD Jesus accomplished upon the cross for him – then the ministers shall have dealt faithfully with divine truth, and wisely with the sinners’ soul. The faith which brings salvation looks away from everything that is inward to that which was accomplished and completed by our once slain but now risen LORD – but no man has this faith except it wrought in him by the quickening Spirit. If both these truths can be taught in harmonious proportion, then that form of true Christian teaching would have been dealt with well, while it is consistent with truth and is also healthful to the soul.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 18:06:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015