THE INDIRECT OPERATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (3)

By Bob Myhan

No one ever grew “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) who did not have a spiritual appetite for God’s word.

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

 One must also comply with God’s word.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)

Those who go beyond God’s word do not have God abiding in them.

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9)

Divine Sanctification

Every action that can be attributed to the Holy Spirit can equally be attributed to the Father and Son because they, acting jointly, sent Him to do the work that He does (John 14:26; 15:26). The Father “delivered...from the power of darkness and conveyed...into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13) all those whom “the Lord added to the church” (Acts 2:47) and the Holy Spirit sanctified [or set apart]. Thus, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all causes in the sanctification of believers but not immediate causes. They set believers apart by the word of God when believers first comply with its demands on them. 

Believers continue to be set apart as they “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12). Hence, the Holy Spirit continues to sanctify by means of, not apart from, the word of God.

Putting Sinful Deeds to Death

The Holy Spirit also makes it possible for the child of God to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13). But does He do this by operating on the believer directly—apart from means—or by operating on the believer indirectly by means of the word of God? If it is the former, the believer need not be concerned with it. But if the latter, the believer must heed—not just read—the word of God.

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:21-25)

Thus, believers must “lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word” and become “doers of the word,” in order to have their souls saved thereby. &

A Father’s Greatest Sermon

Author Unknown

The farmer and his family, after a hard year of typical farm work, were re­warded with an unusually fine crop of grain. There were happy days ahead. Just a few days before harvest came a terrible wind and hail storm. The entire crop was destroyed!

After the storm was over, the farmer, with his wife and little boy at his side, went out to the back porch to view the field and the damage. The little boy looked at what was formerly a beautiful field of wheat, and tear­fully looked up at his dad expecting to hear words of despair.

All at once his father started to sing softly, "Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee..."

Years later, the little boy, now grown said, "That was the greatest sermon I have heard."

The farmer had lost a grain crop, but be­cause of his faith, manifested in a great trial, had gained forever for the Lord the soul of his son. The son saw the faith of a godly man in practice.

My Comment: This is Matthew 6:33 ap­plied. A godly life and an unshakable faith combined...Clif (Via The Reminder, Vol. 4, No. 50) &

Making Plans

By Greg Gwin

A financial planner observed that most folks spend more time planning their summer vacation than they de­vote to planning their most important life­time goals. That is, without doubt, a sad but true fact. How do we hope to succeed in life without planning and goal-setting? If you want to be a successful student, business­man, politician, etc, - it takes planning!

Surely this same point can be made in re­gards to our spiritual service to God. In fact, it may be even more true in this particular realm. We might even say that some folks appear to spend more time planning what they will do after supper on a given night than they have ever spent charting their plans for serving God. It's a sad situation, to be sure.

The problem is that we have gotten our priorities out of order. Notice what Jesus said:

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, Where withal shall we be clothed?...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:32-33) 

Do you see it? Jesus said that we ought not to worry about the things that we most often worry about. And, He said that we should give careful consideration to our spiritual work - putting it first in our lives.

Christian, are you making your plans to be faithful to God and be active in His ser­vice? Have you spent any time lately plan­ning about the things that are really most important? (Via The Reminder, Vol. 4, No. 48) &

Feelings: A Safe Guide?

Author Unknown

Those who trust in feelings rather than the Bible would do well to con­sider the story of a Dutchman who lost his little boy in Cincinnati. He said, "I hunted all day for my boy, and about night I found him sitting in the mud by the canal. He was muddy all over. When I found my boy, he cried and I cried. I hugged my boy and he hugged me; I kissed my boy and he kissed me. I took my boy over to the canal and washed his face, and HE WAS NOT MY BOY!"

I don't know if the Dutchman found his boy, but the lesson is well taken. People are often blinded by emotions and can't see things as they really are. Sincere people who are desperately seeking the right way may find a way they feel is right. They em­brace it, and it embraces them. They are overjoyed and happy in their new discovery. However, if they could manage to bring their emotions under control, and carefully exam­ine God's word, they would realize that their feelings had deceived them.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Prov. 16:25).

Saul of Tarsus, who later became the apostle Paul, was sincere while persecuting the church. He said, "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things con­trary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (Acts 26:9)

Let us not walk by feelings, but by a "Thus saith the Lord." (Via The Reminder, Vol. 5, No. 19) &