THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
[p. 10] THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
There is a verse in Romans 8 of great importance: “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”, How little we make the Spirit of God our Guide and Ruler, and hence we get caught in the trammels of the flesh. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.
Look around and at yourself. Can you say, ‘I never thirst?’ Do you consider all that is around you as a cottage, but that you are living in a mansion? As I walk down the street and see a book or a dress — well, I do not want it, for I have everything in my mansion. It is not enough to say, I cannot afford it — that is the wrong way of looking at things. I have, so to speak, two hearts, a little one and a large one, my own and God’s. Which do I consult? We often talk of our weakness; why do we not speak of God’s grace? Weakness does not hinder its action, perverseness does. I ask myself, or I am asked, Do you not want that thing? Not when I am in the mansion.
The fourth chapter of John stands in opposition to the second. It was a joyous occasion in the latter chapter. When the Lord comes in to the marriage feast He is met with this, “They have no wine”; but in chapter 4 we read, “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up”. If a christian does not know this he goes back for his enjoyments to himself. In chapter 2 there was the marriage and the temple. At the marriage there was no wine, and the temple instead of producing worshippers produced merchants. In chapter 4 the Lord is speaking of the Spirit of God. If you feel the misery of the cottage, go into the mansion.
[p. 11] If you have the Holy Spirit in one way — a well of water springing up — you will have Him in all ways, though you may not have exercised yourself in them. In chapter 4 it was yourself, and the Holy Spirit makes you superior to yourself as Stephen was. If you have a restless night, are you superior to it or under it?
But in Chapter 7: 37 - 39 it is not the man but this earth. It was the feast of tabernacles — the witness of how God made man an object of consideration on the earth. Is it the time for that now? No. There were ten thousand with Gideon at first, but nine thousand and seven hundred went back, though neither fearful nor afraid. They were tried by a mercy: a mercy tests your weakness — a trial your strength.
Jesus was not yet glorified; but now that the Holy Spirit has come it is not a question of blessing flowing into man from the earth, but rivers of living water were to flow out. Instead of the earth contributing to believers they contribute to it. Jesus has now been glorified, but what is this earth but the death-place of Christ?
We have not only to be above ourselves but above the earth. Are you looking to the earth or to Christ? The great failure with us is likeness to Noah. The earth was made favourable to him, and he himself was in favour. So are we, but he planted a vineyard and got drunk.
You have perhaps a flower garden, and something comes in to spoil it, and you lose your temper. Like Noah you have lost your senses.
In John 14: 26 we find that we have an enormous possession — One that is to fill up the void made by the absence of Christ. See how little comfort saints have — how little joy in Christ. This chapter is not meant for those going to die, but for people living on the earth.
The Holy Spirit makes up for the absence of [p. 12] Christ. He recalls all that Christ spoke of down here, In John 15: 26,27 the same Holy Spirit is a power on the earth to testify of Christ. Do you believe it? We speak of our testimony, but do you believe that there is an invisible power for testimony on this earth?
There are three powers on the earth — Satan’s, man’s, and that of the Holy Spirit. God put the sword into man’s hand and then gave him the law, and he used both to kill His Son.
Can we use those powers now? Christendom has done so from the time of Constantine. There is a new power on the earth, the Holy Spirit. The world is dressing Babylon till the kings burn her — that is the end of the harlot. She does not become a harlot until the pearl is carried out of it.
We are weak, but we must never use weakness as an excuse for weakness. There is an unseen power, but real to faith.
Paul goes to Philippi. A man appears to him in a vision to call him there. A woman is converted and not a man. Then Satan seeks to help with a woman until Paul, grieved in spirit, casts out the spirit of Python. Satan then raises opposition and Paul is cast into prison, and then he finds the man. There is a power acting in testimony.
The world is now convicted, because the Holy Spirit is here. The world is, as it were, in the dock and the Holy Spirit in the witness-box. We must be in one place or the other. Most christian people try to have a foot in each. Do we know the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? He reveals Christ.
Christ’s body is the great interest of God upon the earth, and gifts are for the edification of the body. In testimony it is not so much what we say as the interest with which we say it.
We should remember that in seeking souls there are vacancies in the heart of Christ; and thus if souls are converted they will be brought to Christ.