The Work Of The Holy Spirit

by G. Jarvie | Category: Training For Service | Apr 1961

We cannot too highly value the work of the Holy Spirit within us. His work is to unite us to Christ and to magnify Him. On the day of Pentecost He came, sent by the Father in the name of the Son (John 14.26). When He came the disciples received power, for the Spirit wrought in them and through them. It is only in His power that the servant of Christ can accomplish anything, and therefore he must learn the ways of the Spirit.

As we read the Scriptures it is the Spirit of God who reveals their meaning to us, for He has come to teach us all things (John 14.26). He has come to guide us into all the truth, and to declare unto us the things that are to come (John 16.12-18). We need not remain in doubt about the truth, for the Spirit will freely guide us into all the truth, if we seek it. Not only so, but through the Spirit we have power to witness for Christ (Acts 1.8). This promise is extremely important to the servant of Christ.

He will teach us and guide us, and declare unto us the things that are to come, and He will give us power, if we obey Him. Every believer has the Spirit of God in him, but not every one is taught and guided by the Spirit, and very few seem to have the power of the Spirit in their lives and witness. It seems that God will only give this power to those who seek it earnestly, and who are able to bear it.

The word of the Lord to Zerubbabel was, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4.6). This is a difficult lesson for the servant of Christ to learn, but it must be learned, or he will labour fruitlessly. We shall only pray aright as we realize that apart from the power of the Holy Spirit we are completely unable to preach or to serve with power. It is dependence upon ourselves, or our own ability, in some way, which lies at the root of much weakness in prayer and in preaching. "My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power," so wrote the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 2.4). He had ceased from himself so that the Spirit of God might work in him, and the result was that His power was known. So must every servant of Christ who would know the power of God in his service. This power will be granted to us if we seek it earnestly for God's glory; without it we can accomplish nothing.

It is by the Spirit alone that the believer can overcome the power of the flesh, the old nature within him (Romans 8.2). Without His power, our lives would be lives of defeat, and if we are defeated in our own hearts, then we cannot know victory in our service. The words of Paul to the Galatians are very helpful to us, explaining this. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would" (Galatians 5.17). It is not the believer who overcomes the flesh within him, it is the Spirit who does that, and the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy and peace and so forth (Galatians 5.22). This is the effect of the work of the Spirit of God within the believer. The servant of Christ need not live a defeated life in the conflict against the flesh. He can be victorious, if he will walk by the Spirit, accepting the power of the Spirit by faith.

It is the Spirit of God who will guide the believer in prayer. He also makes intercession according to the will of God (Romans 8.26-27). Praying as we are led by Him is praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). This is the prayer that has power. The servant of Christ must seek a sensitiveness to the leading of the Spirit in prayer.

The Spirit of God is very sensitive to all that is in the believer's heart, and so. we are commanded, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4.80). What will grieve Him? Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour (loud shouting or quarrelling), railing, malice. Even if some of these are hidden in the heart, they are known to the Spirit. The servant of Christ must guard against all these, so that he may know the fellowship of the Spirit at all times. He must be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving, and to the manifesting of such excellencies the Holy Spirit will lead

him.

Not only are we promised the presence of the Spirit, but, greater still, we are promised His fulness. Indeed we are commanded, "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5.18). He will fill and use us, if we make way for Him. But He will only do this as we are emptied of self, and yield ourselves to Him. When we think of all that He can do through us, and the love and joy and peace that come when He leads us, we feel how privileged we are to be the vessels which He uses. He is the secret of all our power for service. It is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that we serve.

G. Jarvie | Apr 1961
Training For Service