"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (Acts 19:2)
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a work of the Holy Spirit distinct from his regenerating work. To be born again of the Spirit is one thing, to be baptized with the Holy Spirit is something different, something additional. This is evident from Acts 1:5: "In a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." The disciples were not as yet baptized with the Spirit, but they were born again. In John 5:3, Jesus had said to these men, "You are already clean because of the word I have spoke to you." It is clear from James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:23 that to be made "clean" means to be "born again" through the Word of God. Of the disciples, Jesus noted that all had been made clean except for Judas Iscarot (John 13:10-11). But they were not yet baptized with the Holy Spirit.
The same situation was evident in Acts 8:12-16. Here we find a large company of baptized believers, but the record informs us that when Peter and John visited them, "they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them". In as clear and undeniable language as possible, Scripture shows the baptism with the Holy Spirit to be distinct and something additional to being born again. Let us bow to the teaching of the Word of God even if it does not agree with our preconceived theories.
But I should add that one may be baptized with the Holy Spirit at the very moment he is born again. Such was the case of the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:44), and I believe this was meant to be the norm for the church. The Holy Spirit is every believer's privilege and birthright through the crucified, risen, and ascended Saviour, and He has poured out this marvelous gift (Acts 2:33). But in a manner similar to the believers at Ephesus (Acts 19), many believers today have not claimed what is rightfully theirs.
Spirit of God, I see the questions I have about Your work are not new ones, but the New Testament believers did get their answers. I ask You to answer mine as well. Make Your Word absolutely clear to my mind and heart that I may take it in. Amen
~R. A. Torrey~
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Profiting From the Word # 17
Not only must I search the Scriptures to find out what has been made over to me by the everlasting covenant, but I need also to meditate upon the promises, to turn them over and over in my mind, and cry unto the Lord for spiritual understanding of them. The bee would not extract honey from the flowers as long as he only gazed upon them. Nor will the Christian derive any real comfort and strength from the Divine promises until his faith lays hold of and penetrates to the heart of them. God has given no assurance that the dilatory shall fed, but He has declared, "the soul of the diligent shall be made fat" (Proverbs 13:4). Therefore did Christ say, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life" (John 6:27). It is only as the promises are stored up in our minds that the Spirit brings them to remembrance at those seasons when we most need them.
3. We profit from the Word when we recognize the blessed scope of God's promises. A sort of affectation prevents some Christians from seeking religion, as if its sphere lay among the commonplace of daily life. It is to them transcendental and dreamy; rather a creation of pious fiction than a matter of fact. They believe in God, after a fashion, for things spiritual, and for the life which is to be; but they totally forget that true godliness hath the promise of the life which now is, as well as that which is to come. To them it would seem almost profanation to pray about the small matters of which daily life is made up. Perhaps they will be startled if I venture to suggest that this should make them question the reality of their faith. If I cannot bring them help in the little troubles of life, will it support them in the greater trials?
"Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). Do you really believe this? that the promises of God cover every aspect and particular of your daily life? Or have the "Dispensationalists" deluded you into supposing that the Old Testament belongs only to fleshly Jews, and that "our promises" respect spiritual and not material blessings? How many a Christian has derived comfort from "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5); well, that is a quotation from Joshua 1:5! So, too, 2 Corinthians 7: speaks of "having these promises," yet one of them, referred to in 6:18, is taken from the book of Leviticus!
Perhaps someone asks, "But were am I to draw the line? Which of the Old Testament promises rightfully belong to me? We answer that Psalm 84:11 declares, "The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly". If you are really walking "uprightly" you are entitled to appropriate that blessed promise and count upon the Lord giving you whatever "good thing" is truly required by you. "My God shall supply all your need" (Phil. 4:19). If then there is a promise anywhere in His Word which just fits your present case an situation, make it your own as suited to your need. Steadfastly resist every attempt of satan to rob you of any portion of your Father's Word.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 18)
3. We profit from the Word when we recognize the blessed scope of God's promises. A sort of affectation prevents some Christians from seeking religion, as if its sphere lay among the commonplace of daily life. It is to them transcendental and dreamy; rather a creation of pious fiction than a matter of fact. They believe in God, after a fashion, for things spiritual, and for the life which is to be; but they totally forget that true godliness hath the promise of the life which now is, as well as that which is to come. To them it would seem almost profanation to pray about the small matters of which daily life is made up. Perhaps they will be startled if I venture to suggest that this should make them question the reality of their faith. If I cannot bring them help in the little troubles of life, will it support them in the greater trials?
"Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). Do you really believe this? that the promises of God cover every aspect and particular of your daily life? Or have the "Dispensationalists" deluded you into supposing that the Old Testament belongs only to fleshly Jews, and that "our promises" respect spiritual and not material blessings? How many a Christian has derived comfort from "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5); well, that is a quotation from Joshua 1:5! So, too, 2 Corinthians 7: speaks of "having these promises," yet one of them, referred to in 6:18, is taken from the book of Leviticus!
Perhaps someone asks, "But were am I to draw the line? Which of the Old Testament promises rightfully belong to me? We answer that Psalm 84:11 declares, "The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly". If you are really walking "uprightly" you are entitled to appropriate that blessed promise and count upon the Lord giving you whatever "good thing" is truly required by you. "My God shall supply all your need" (Phil. 4:19). If then there is a promise anywhere in His Word which just fits your present case an situation, make it your own as suited to your need. Steadfastly resist every attempt of satan to rob you of any portion of your Father's Word.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 18)
The Only Way
"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9)
I am often asked if I believe in sudden conversion. I believe in something far more wonderful than sudden conversion. I believe in sudden regeneration. Conversion is an outward thing; it means merely turning around: one if faced away from God, then turn around and faces God. That is conversion. But regeneration goes down to the very depths of the human heart and spirit. It is a radical transformation of the innermost man by the impartation of spiritual life. An outward conversion, if it is to be real and lasting, must be the result of an inward regeneration. A man may be converted a hundred times, but he can be born again but once; for, when one is born again, receiving God's own nature, "God's seed remains in him." Yes, I believe in sudden regeneration, a sudden, thorough transformation of the inmost man.
The new birth is a glorious doctrine that sweeps away false hopes. It comes to the man who is trusting in his morality and tells him that morality is not enough. The man who is trusting in reform, in turning over a new leaf, is told he must be born again. Education and culture, amiability of character, kindness of heart and generosity of giving, trusting in the externals of religion and partaking of the Lord's Super - none of these are enough. "You must be born again."
But while it sweeps away all false hopes, it also tells you of a better way, the only way. Whether one is down in sin of one kind or another, struggling hard but futilely to break away from sin, or if one has wandered far from God and committed so many sins that he thinks there is no hope, the way is clear: Jesus says you may be born again. The Spirit of God is able and He is ready to make you all over, to impart to you His own nature through His Word, and the Holy Spirit, if you will only let Him do it.
Lord Jesus, how foolish we are when we try to make ourselves over, try to break the power of sin in our lives, or try to do good and be good in order to gain the Father's acceptance. Thank you for sweeping away these false hopes and showing me the way through the new birth. Amen
~R. A. Torrey~
I am often asked if I believe in sudden conversion. I believe in something far more wonderful than sudden conversion. I believe in sudden regeneration. Conversion is an outward thing; it means merely turning around: one if faced away from God, then turn around and faces God. That is conversion. But regeneration goes down to the very depths of the human heart and spirit. It is a radical transformation of the innermost man by the impartation of spiritual life. An outward conversion, if it is to be real and lasting, must be the result of an inward regeneration. A man may be converted a hundred times, but he can be born again but once; for, when one is born again, receiving God's own nature, "God's seed remains in him." Yes, I believe in sudden regeneration, a sudden, thorough transformation of the inmost man.
The new birth is a glorious doctrine that sweeps away false hopes. It comes to the man who is trusting in his morality and tells him that morality is not enough. The man who is trusting in reform, in turning over a new leaf, is told he must be born again. Education and culture, amiability of character, kindness of heart and generosity of giving, trusting in the externals of religion and partaking of the Lord's Super - none of these are enough. "You must be born again."
But while it sweeps away all false hopes, it also tells you of a better way, the only way. Whether one is down in sin of one kind or another, struggling hard but futilely to break away from sin, or if one has wandered far from God and committed so many sins that he thinks there is no hope, the way is clear: Jesus says you may be born again. The Spirit of God is able and He is ready to make you all over, to impart to you His own nature through His Word, and the Holy Spirit, if you will only let Him do it.
Lord Jesus, how foolish we are when we try to make ourselves over, try to break the power of sin in our lives, or try to do good and be good in order to gain the Father's acceptance. Thank you for sweeping away these false hopes and showing me the way through the new birth. Amen
~R. A. Torrey~
Monday, July 2, 2012
Profiting From the Word # 16
Both the promises and the things promised are made over to the Lord Jesus and conveyed unto the saints from Him. "This is the [chief and grandest] promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life" (1 John 2:25), and as the same epistle tells us, "This life is in his Son" (5:11). This being so, what good can they who are not yet in Christ have by the promises? None at all. A man out of Christ is out of the favor of God, yea, he is under His wrath; the Divine threatenings and not the promises are his portion. Solemn, solemn consideration is it that those who are "without Christ are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). Only "the children of God" are "the children of the promise" (Romans 9:8). Make sure, my reader, that you are one of them.
How terrible, then, is the blindness and how great is the sin of those preachers who indiscriminately apply the Divine promises to the saved and unsaved alike! They are not only taking "the children's bread" and casting it to the "dogs", but they are "handling the word of God deceitfully" (2 Corinthians 4:2), and beguiling immortal souls. And they who listen to and heed them are little less guilty, for God holds all responsible to search the Scriptures for themselves, and test whatever they read or hear by that unerring standard. If they are too lazy to do so, and prefer blindly to follow their blind guides, then their blood is on their own heads. Truth has to be "bought" and those who are unwilling to pay the price must go without it.
2. We profit from the Word when we labor to make the promises of God our own. To do this we must first take the trouble to become really acquainted with them. It is surprising how many promises there are in Scripture which the saints know nothing about, the more so seeing that they are the peculiar treasure of believers, the substance of faith's heritage lying in them. True, Christians are already the recipients of wondrous blessings, yet the capital of their wealth, the bulk of their estate, is only prospective. They have already received an "earnest", but the better part of what Christ has purchased for them lies yet in the promise of God. How diligent, then, should they be in studying His testamentary will, familiarizing themselves with the good things which the Spirit "hath revealed" (1 Corinthians 2:10), and seeking to take an inventory of their spiritual treasures!
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 17)
How terrible, then, is the blindness and how great is the sin of those preachers who indiscriminately apply the Divine promises to the saved and unsaved alike! They are not only taking "the children's bread" and casting it to the "dogs", but they are "handling the word of God deceitfully" (2 Corinthians 4:2), and beguiling immortal souls. And they who listen to and heed them are little less guilty, for God holds all responsible to search the Scriptures for themselves, and test whatever they read or hear by that unerring standard. If they are too lazy to do so, and prefer blindly to follow their blind guides, then their blood is on their own heads. Truth has to be "bought" and those who are unwilling to pay the price must go without it.
2. We profit from the Word when we labor to make the promises of God our own. To do this we must first take the trouble to become really acquainted with them. It is surprising how many promises there are in Scripture which the saints know nothing about, the more so seeing that they are the peculiar treasure of believers, the substance of faith's heritage lying in them. True, Christians are already the recipients of wondrous blessings, yet the capital of their wealth, the bulk of their estate, is only prospective. They have already received an "earnest", but the better part of what Christ has purchased for them lies yet in the promise of God. How diligent, then, should they be in studying His testamentary will, familiarizing themselves with the good things which the Spirit "hath revealed" (1 Corinthians 2:10), and seeking to take an inventory of their spiritual treasures!
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 17)
The Holy Spirit Reveals the Teaching of Christ
"When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 14:13)
The Holy Spirit not only reveals the person and the work of Christ - He also reveals the "teaching" of Christ. Our Lord said to the disciples before He left them, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:12-13). That is, "He will remind you of the things I have said and that you cannot grasp now, and He will make them plain to you."
So if you are in trouble about the understanding of the Gospel, ask God to give you His Spirit in all His fullness, and you will begin to understand. The fatal thing in these matters is to bring your natural intellect to bear upon them: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ... neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Read 1 Corinthians 2, and understand that these things are in a different realm, they belong to a different order, and the only way to understand the teaching of the New Testament about Christ's personal work and teachings is to have the eyes of your understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if you are in trouble, do not waste your time trying to read books of philosophy about these matters; do not try to grasp them with the natural intellect, for that is impossible. We are dealing with miracles. We are in the realm of the supernatural and the spiritual, and the only hope for us is that the Holy Spirit will come with that unction, with His eye salve, to anoint our eyes so that they will be opened to the blessed truth.
A Thought to Ponder: We are in the realm of the supernatural and the spiritual, and the only hope for us is the Holy Spirit.
~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
The Holy Spirit not only reveals the person and the work of Christ - He also reveals the "teaching" of Christ. Our Lord said to the disciples before He left them, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:12-13). That is, "He will remind you of the things I have said and that you cannot grasp now, and He will make them plain to you."
So if you are in trouble about the understanding of the Gospel, ask God to give you His Spirit in all His fullness, and you will begin to understand. The fatal thing in these matters is to bring your natural intellect to bear upon them: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ... neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Read 1 Corinthians 2, and understand that these things are in a different realm, they belong to a different order, and the only way to understand the teaching of the New Testament about Christ's personal work and teachings is to have the eyes of your understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if you are in trouble, do not waste your time trying to read books of philosophy about these matters; do not try to grasp them with the natural intellect, for that is impossible. We are dealing with miracles. We are in the realm of the supernatural and the spiritual, and the only hope for us is that the Holy Spirit will come with that unction, with His eye salve, to anoint our eyes so that they will be opened to the blessed truth.
A Thought to Ponder: We are in the realm of the supernatural and the spiritual, and the only hope for us is the Holy Spirit.
~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Profiting From the Word # 15
The Scriptures and the Promises
The Divine promises make known the good pleasure of God's will to His people, to bestow upon them the riches of His grace. They are the outward testimonies of His heart, who from all eternity loves them and forappointed all things for them and concerning them. In the person and work of His Son, God has made an all-sufficient provision for their complete salvation, both for time and eternity. To the intent that they might have a true, clear and spiritual knowledge of the same, it has pleased the Lord to set it before them in the exceeding great and precious promises which are scattered up and down in the Scriptures as so many stars in the glorious firmament of grace; by which they may be assured of the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning them, and take sanctuary in Him accordingly, and through this medium have real communion with Him in His grace and mercy at all times, no matter what their case or circumstances may be.
The Divine promises are so many declarations to bestow some good or remove some ill. As such they are a most blessed making known and manifesting of God's love to His people. There are three steps in connection with God's love: first, His inward purpose to exercise it; the last, the real execution of that purpose; but in between there is the gracious making known of that purpose to the beneficiaries of it. While love is concealed we cannot be comforted by it. Now God who is love not only loves His own, and will not only show His love fully to them in due time, but in the interim He will have us informed of His benevolent designs, that we may sweetly rest in His love, and stretch ourselves comfortably upon His sure promises. There we are able to say, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them" (Psalm 139:17).
In 2 Peter 1:4, the Divine promises are spoken of as "exceeding great and precious." As Spurgeon pointed out, "greatness and preciousness seldom go together, but in this instance they are united in an exceeding degree." When Jehovah is pleased to open His mouth and reveal His heart He does so in a manner worthy of Himself, in words of superlative power and richness. To quote again the beloved London pastor: "They come from a great God, they come to great sinners, they work for us great results, and deal with great matters." While the natural intellect is capable of perceiving much of their greatness, only the renewed heart can taste their ineffable preciousness, and say with David, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter then honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103)
1. We profit from the Word when we perceive to whom the promises belong. They are available only to those who are in Christ. "For all the promises of God in him (the Lord Jesus) are yea, and in him Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). There can be no talk between the thrice holy God and sinful creatures except through a Mediator who has satisfied Him on their behalf. Therefore must that Mediator receive from God all good for His people, and they must have it at second hand through Him. A sinner might just as well petition a tree as call upon God for mercy while he despises and rejects Christ.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 16)
The Divine promises make known the good pleasure of God's will to His people, to bestow upon them the riches of His grace. They are the outward testimonies of His heart, who from all eternity loves them and forappointed all things for them and concerning them. In the person and work of His Son, God has made an all-sufficient provision for their complete salvation, both for time and eternity. To the intent that they might have a true, clear and spiritual knowledge of the same, it has pleased the Lord to set it before them in the exceeding great and precious promises which are scattered up and down in the Scriptures as so many stars in the glorious firmament of grace; by which they may be assured of the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning them, and take sanctuary in Him accordingly, and through this medium have real communion with Him in His grace and mercy at all times, no matter what their case or circumstances may be.
The Divine promises are so many declarations to bestow some good or remove some ill. As such they are a most blessed making known and manifesting of God's love to His people. There are three steps in connection with God's love: first, His inward purpose to exercise it; the last, the real execution of that purpose; but in between there is the gracious making known of that purpose to the beneficiaries of it. While love is concealed we cannot be comforted by it. Now God who is love not only loves His own, and will not only show His love fully to them in due time, but in the interim He will have us informed of His benevolent designs, that we may sweetly rest in His love, and stretch ourselves comfortably upon His sure promises. There we are able to say, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them" (Psalm 139:17).
In 2 Peter 1:4, the Divine promises are spoken of as "exceeding great and precious." As Spurgeon pointed out, "greatness and preciousness seldom go together, but in this instance they are united in an exceeding degree." When Jehovah is pleased to open His mouth and reveal His heart He does so in a manner worthy of Himself, in words of superlative power and richness. To quote again the beloved London pastor: "They come from a great God, they come to great sinners, they work for us great results, and deal with great matters." While the natural intellect is capable of perceiving much of their greatness, only the renewed heart can taste their ineffable preciousness, and say with David, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter then honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103)
1. We profit from the Word when we perceive to whom the promises belong. They are available only to those who are in Christ. "For all the promises of God in him (the Lord Jesus) are yea, and in him Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). There can be no talk between the thrice holy God and sinful creatures except through a Mediator who has satisfied Him on their behalf. Therefore must that Mediator receive from God all good for His people, and they must have it at second hand through Him. A sinner might just as well petition a tree as call upon God for mercy while he despises and rejects Christ.
~A. W. Pink~
(continued with # 16)
New Life
"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:3-5)
Here we are told that men are born of the Spirit, or born anew through the Holy Spirit's power. Exactly the same truth is set forth in Titus 3:5: "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." It is the work of the Holy Spirit to renew men, to make men anew, to regenerate men.
What is regeneration? "God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Regeneration is the impartation of life to men who are morally and spiritually dead because of their trespasses and sins. Every man and woman and child was born into this world spiritually dead. We are by nature moral and spiritual corpses. In regeneration, the Holy Spirit imparts to us His own life.
Of course, the Word of God is the instrument that the Holy Spirit uses in imparting life. "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). The mere written Word will not produce the new birth, no matter how faithfully preached or taught, unless the Spirit of God makes it a living thing in the hearts of those to whom it is given. This comes out plainly in 2 Corinthians 3:6 - "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." What did Paul mean? He had just contrasted the Word of God written on parchment with pen and ink to when it is written by the Spirit of God on the hearts of men. The Word written or printed on a book kills, brings condemnation and death; but that Word written by the Spirit in our hearts brings life. It is only the Holy Spirit who can take the heart of the individual and write the Word of God into his heart, making him alive.
Heavenly Father, I know how utterly impossible it is to save myself. Only by the miracle of Your life transforming my soul can I be saved. By Your Spirit and Word, may Your life fill my innermost being and continue to shape me in the image of Your Son. Amen
~R. A. Torrey~
Here we are told that men are born of the Spirit, or born anew through the Holy Spirit's power. Exactly the same truth is set forth in Titus 3:5: "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." It is the work of the Holy Spirit to renew men, to make men anew, to regenerate men.
What is regeneration? "God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Regeneration is the impartation of life to men who are morally and spiritually dead because of their trespasses and sins. Every man and woman and child was born into this world spiritually dead. We are by nature moral and spiritual corpses. In regeneration, the Holy Spirit imparts to us His own life.
Of course, the Word of God is the instrument that the Holy Spirit uses in imparting life. "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). The mere written Word will not produce the new birth, no matter how faithfully preached or taught, unless the Spirit of God makes it a living thing in the hearts of those to whom it is given. This comes out plainly in 2 Corinthians 3:6 - "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." What did Paul mean? He had just contrasted the Word of God written on parchment with pen and ink to when it is written by the Spirit of God on the hearts of men. The Word written or printed on a book kills, brings condemnation and death; but that Word written by the Spirit in our hearts brings life. It is only the Holy Spirit who can take the heart of the individual and write the Word of God into his heart, making him alive.
Heavenly Father, I know how utterly impossible it is to save myself. Only by the miracle of Your life transforming my soul can I be saved. By Your Spirit and Word, may Your life fill my innermost being and continue to shape me in the image of Your Son. Amen
~R. A. Torrey~
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