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‘If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.’
Rom_8:9
I. The necessity of the indwelling of the Spirit.—He is needed (a) to secure our dependence upon Christ for salvation (Eph_1:6; 1Co_6:17); (b) for discernment as to true nature of the things of God (1Co_2:11-12); (c) for our deliverance from sin (Romans 8—‘the inventory of the believer’s treasures’); and (d) for direction. Next consider—
II. The nature of this indwelling of the Spirit.—It is (a) personal; (b) privileged; (c) progressive. Not enough to be born of Spirit; a further work needed (Eph_3:16-17). Finally, consider—
III. The results of this indwelling.—Romans 8 enumerates them, but see especially life for the spirit and resurrection for the body.
IV. Have you the Spirit of Christ?
—
Rev. E. W. Moore.
Illustration‘The acutest and subtlest minds cannot discern the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness unto them, neither can they know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Many will remember the story of the late Mr. William Wilberforce, who took the then Prime Minister of England, the famous William Pitt, to hear Mr. Richard Cecil, a spiritually-minded preacher of that day, earnestly hoping to interest him in the things of God. Mr. Cecil preached one of his most spiritual and powerful discourses, and at the close of the service Mr. Wilberforce anxiously asked his friend what he thought of the sermon. Mr. Pitt replied, “I can assure you I gave him my very best attention, but was wholly unable to understand his drift.” It was foolishness unto him, though his was probably the greatest intellect of his time.’
THE WORK AND SPHERE OF THE HOLY GHOST
I. What was the difference of the mission of the Holy Spirit since the ascension of our Lord?—The answer is this, that the gift of the Holy Ghost which was promised by Jesus Christ, and the gift which came on the day of Pentecost, is to be regarded as the gift of the Holy Spirit not so much in His eternal existence in the Divine Being, but as the Spirit of God made the Spirit of Man in Christ Jesus. The Holy Ghost is chiefly revealed to us as the Spirit of the Incarnate Christ. And in so many portions of Holy Scripture—our text for instance—the Spirit of God is spoken of as the Spirit of Christ. In other words, the coming of the Holy Ghost is not to take the place of Christ, but to be the means of bringing about this lasting presence of Christ which is to continue all the days until the end of the world.
II. The work of the Holy Ghost.—The work of the Holy Spirit within us is nothing unless to form the living Christ within each individual soul. It is the agent through Whom you and I are separately and individually united to the glorified human nature of Jesus Christ. In speaking or thinking of the work of the Holy Spirit we must never for one moment separate it from the mediatorial work of Christ. The presence of the Spirit of Christ is not a substitute for our Lord Himself, but is the method by which our Lord is present. To have the Spirit of Christ is to have Christ.
III. The sphere of the Holy Ghost.—When you and I say, as we do, in the creed, ‘I believe in the Holy Ghost,’ we are really expressing our belief in a supernatural world in which the Spirit of God moves and works, and it is a very good thing for us in the present day to remember that the Christian religion is essentially a spiritual and a supernatural religion. The religion of the Spirit is not in local places but in living persons which we call the Church, and it is a spiritual and a supernatural sphere. This presence of Jesus Christ in the Church is not merely a personal power or influence, but is realised by the whole Church. We say, ‘I believe in the Holy Ghost,’ ‘Who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God.’ The Holy Spirit is making you and me holy to-day in so far as we are allowing Him to do so. Do we realise this? Do we ever think of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us? Do we attempt to realise that we ourselves are the temples of the Holy Ghost, little churches that are dedicated to the worship of God? And are we trying to respond to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit? We are reminded in our text of this great truth, that ‘if any man have not the Spirit of Christ He is none of His.’ To have the Spirit of Christ, as we have seen, is to have Christ Himself.
Let us resolve to give ourselves up to the guiding of the Holy Spirit and realise that He is dwelling within us, that He is the Spirit of Christ Who is more really present with us now than when Christ walked upon the earth in human form.
Illustration
‘Some of us know that at the present day there is a great demand in some quarters for a natural Christianity, a Christianity which has no dogma, no miracles, a Christianity which does not appeal, as we believe the true Christianity does appeal, from the visible to the invisible. There is a demand in some quarters for a purely human Christ, for a Christ of human history as opposed, as we know, to a living Christ—not merely a past recollection of one who had lived, but a living Christ Who, in His glorified Nature, is now living and reigning at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Or the Church is regarded to-day by a great many people as merely a department of the State, whose business is good works and philanthropy, instead of a spiritual society which contains, in the whole body, the indwelling Spirit of Christ.’
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST
I. The Holy Spirit is compared to wind.—We cannot see the wind, but we can see the effects of the wind. So we can see the effects of the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. He can subdue the proud will, and melt the stony heart, and give a new heart and a new spirit.
II. The Holy Spirit is compared to a dove.—In the beginning the Spirit of God moved on the face of the deep and brought order and harmony out of confusion, so when the Holy Spirit comes to human hearts He brings peace and love. The dove is the emblem of peace, and meekness, and gentleness. An old writer says, ‘Unquietness is the greatest evil that can come into the soul except sin.’
III. The Holy Spirit is compared to oil.—He can give the oil of joy for mourning. He can change despair into hope and sorrow into singing.
IV. The Holy Spirit is compared to a seal (Eph_1:13).—A considerable trade in timber was carried on at Ephesus. The merchant selected his timber, paid for it, and stamped it with his own signet just as timber-merchants put the initial letter of their names on their timber now. So God’s children are sealed by His Spirit, and by that seal He knows them that are His.
V. The Holy Spirit is compared to fire.—‘The worst disease of the soul,’ said a great Frenchman, ‘is cold.’ What we need is not money or worldly influence. Our great need is a baptism of the Spirit and the tongue of fire. In a certain battle there was a wounded soldier who cried, ‘Roll me out of the way, and go on with the gun!’ We should have a like enthusiasm in Christ’s cause if the miracle of Pentecost were repeated.
—
Rev. F. Harper.
PERSONAL EXAMINATION
I. The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of unselfishness.—‘Even Jesus Christ pleased not Himself,’ and yet no one had a better right to do so. Now let us look at ourselves, and apply this test to our religion. Have we this spirit of unselfishness? I know that you and I are often selfish. But we must not rest content with knowing this, we must try to get the better of this sin. The world says to us, ‘Every man for himself’; but God says, ‘Look not only on your own things, but on the things of others.’ He has given us all that we have—our souls, our bodies, our home, our children, our friends, our money—in trust, to be used for the glory of God, not as offerings on the shrine of self.
II. The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of gentleness and forbearance.—The Lion of the tribe of Judah, He Who has the keys of hell and of death, the Conqueror, the Mighty Lord, was on earth known as the Lamb of God, and as a sheep dumb before her shearers. How gentle was His life! Again let us look at ourselves. Is there much of this spirit of gentleness and forbearance abroad in the world? I trow not. A man who is more gentle and patient than his neighbour is pushed aside in the race of life, and is called mean-spirited and cowardly. I wonder how many among us when they are reviled revile not again, and instead of railing for railing give contrariwise blessing. I wonder how many among us ever prayed for our enemies. We are mostly too eager to speak hardly of enemies, and even of friends, and the grievous words are ever more ready than the soft answer which turneth away wrath.
III. The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of endurance.—There is a world of meaning in those words, ‘He was wounded for our transgressions.’ Not only in the Judgment Hall, and on the Cross, but all through His earthly life Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. Have we this spirit of endurance? Does that promise bring comfort to us—‘He that endureth to the end shall be “saved” ’? Have we learned to look on our sorrows and trials as relics of the true Cross, and to know that we must be made ‘perfect through sufferings’? If so, we shall find that every thorny crown of sorrows, sharp though it be, is gilded with the light of heaven, and transfigured into a crown of glory. If any of us lack moral courage to bear insult or contempt for Christ’s sake, if we are tempted to hide our religion away when we are in the company of the ungodly, then let our prayer be that God would grant us the Spirit of Christ, the spirit of endurance.
IV. The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of prayer.—Our Lord prayed at all times and in all places, not only at set services in the synagogue. Is this the spirit in which we pray? Is it out of the abundance of the heart that our mouth speaks in prayer? Is it our refuge and comfort at all times, in the season of our well-being, and in all our troubles and adversities whensoever they oppress us?
V. The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of work.—As there was no selfishness in His life, so there was no idleness, which is but selfishness under another name. He went about doing good. He had come, not to do His own will, but the will of His Father. Does the Spirit of Christ pervade our work? We live in busy times when a man, if he would eat, must work also. Ours is an age of overwork, of life at high pressure, and we run a great risk of discovering that our work is but lost labour, because we know not of what manner of spirit we are. Too many of us are labouring only for wealth, or position, or ease, or power—all of which shall one day vanish away as a dream when one awaketh. Too many have forgotten to make their work God’s work by consecrating it to Him, and striving to perform it in the Spirit of Christ. Are we trying to do good in our generation; to be about our Father’s business, and to finish the work which He has given us to do?
Illustration
‘We all profess and call ourselves Christians, we are baptized into Christ’s Holy Church and hold her Creeds, but these things alone are not enough. We may be diligent students of the Bible, but what avails our knowledge if we do not practise what we know? We may be particular in our observance of the outward forms of religion, but they are worthless if they are forms only. We may be regular in our attendance at church, but this will not excuse our ungodliness at home. A religion which can be put on and off at the church-door is worse than useless. Our faith, if it be real, our religion, if it be true, will be as strong and as earnest amid the busy working world of Monday as they were in the solemn calm and “the dim religious light” of the sanctuary.’