56. “S. J. G.,” South Shields. It is a sure sign of spiritual decline when believers fail or cease to have interest in gospel preaching. Oh, how sad to remain away, or murmur and complain, instead of coming, and helping with earnest prayer and expecting faith! It is a poor excuse to say they ought to be building themselves up, &c. Are Christians to be so selfish that they cannot spare two hours out of the week to seek the eternal salvation of others? If they really wish to build themselves up, we would recommend them to try from five to seven in the morning—we have found it a good time for fresh manna. What a contrast such present to Phil. 1:4, 54Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; (Philippians 1:4‑5) Thess. 1:8! We would earnestly entreat all such to awake, and look to God for strength to shake off such gloomy thoughts. Come together for earnest prayer before the preaching of the gospel, then go out for half-an-hour, and seek to bring souls to hear the gospel; and, “laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil-speaking,” look to the Lord to bless the word, whoever may be the speaker, whether that word may be to the unconverted, or the whole counsel of God to the whole flock. We have noticed of late that there is much hunger in believers for food, and where this is the case the Spirit will give it.
57. “J. M.,” Devonport. When the jailer inquired, “What must I do to be saved?” the apostle at once gave him a Person to believe on— “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” The soul thus, by faith, has to do with an ever-living Person, a Man in the glory of God, who is the Savior of sinners. It is not knowing doctrines merely, but, by the truth of God and the Spirit of God, brought to the Lord Jesus Christ; and thus approaching God through His blood, the soul knows, on the authority of the word of God, that he has remission of sins, everlasting life, and is a child of God; so that the heart cries out in thanksgiving and praise to God. “He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life.” “Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36); Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43); Gal. 3:2626For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26).)
58. “N.,” Portsea. We cannot say whether the striking anecdote you refer to has appeared in any of the early volumes of our little serial. A line to the publisher may, perhaps, bring the answer you require.
59. “C.,” Redhill. It would have been incredible, had we not the fullest proof of the fact, that many professing Christians have formed themselves into a society, and are zealously seeking to add to their numbers, “to pray daily for the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ Their own account is that “6,000 have joined (including about 150 clergymen), and 1,600 in the United States.” Many of our readers know, thank God, that it cannot be His mind now that any who are “in Christ” should so pray. It is directly opposed to scripture; for no one is “in Christ” who has not received the Holy Ghost. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.” (Rom. 8:1515For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15).) Does it not, therefore, become such rather to give thanks for having received the Holy Ghost?
If a sinner has received remission of sins, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then he has also received the gift of the Holy Ghost; if he has not the forgiveness of his sins, what he needs is, not the gift of the Holy Ghost in order to have forgiveness, but to have to do with the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, “for without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” This is such a settled certainty in scripture, that the apostle John said, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.” (Compare Acts 10:43, 4443To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (Acts 10:43‑44); Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22); 1 John 3:1212Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. (1 John 3:12).) We fear this movement is based on the false doctrine, that man wants the Holy Spirit to help him to make himself fit for God, instead of needing the death and blood-shedding of the Son of God to save him from coming wrath.
The scripture they quote for this association is, “If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.” (Luke 11:1313If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13).) But it is easily seen by the christian reader, that, at the time these words were uttered by our Lord, “the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39).) It was after this, on the day of Pentecost, that the Holy Ghost came, not to tarry with us for a little while, like Jesus, but to abide with us forever. Therefore Peter immediately preached that all who had remission of sins would “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” We know how truly this took place, and how true it is to the present moment. It really characterizes Christianity; hence we read, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Acts 2:3838Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38); Rom. 8:99But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9).)
One of the reasons these “Associates” have for praying for the Holy Spirit, they say, is, “Because we need Him to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts.” What! people calling themselves Christians, professing to remember the Lord, and show His death in eating bread and drinking wine, and yet have not the love of God in their hearts We would make allowance for bad teaching, and for even true souls who are born of God, being bewildered by such false ways and misplaced truth; but when scripture speaks of those who “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” it plainly adds, concerning such, that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom. 5:55And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5).) For more on the Godhead, personality, indwelling, and operations of the Holy Ghost, we refer our readers to the papers on the Holy Ghost which have occupied our pages for several months past.
It is really appalling how many are being deceived through relying on official guides, who are evidently in great darkness as to the truth, instead of searching the scriptures for sure guidance, and implicitly receiving and acting on them as the revealed mind of God. Our earnest prayer to God for these six thousand souls is, that, if any are guilty and lost sinners, they may believe on the Son of God, and have remission of sins; but if any have believed to the salvation of their souls, may they know that they are born of the Spirit, and have also received the gift of the Spirit to be in them forever.