So it must be that every child of God, every truly converted person, has the Holy Spirit in some gracious manner and measure, else he would not be a child of God; for it is only “as many as are led by the Spirit of God” that “are the sons of God.”
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, who makes us feel how good and righteous, and just and patient God is, and how guilty we are, and how unfit for Heaven, and how near to Hell. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us to true repentance and confession and amendment of life; and when our repentance is complete, and our surrender is unconditional, it is He who reasons with us, and calms our fears, and soothes our troubled hearts, and banishes our darkness, and enables us to look to Jesus, and believe on Him for the forgiveness of all our sins and the salvation of our souls. And when we yield and trust, and are accepted of the Lord, and are saved by grace, it is He who assures us of the Father’s favour, and notifies us that we are saved. “The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” He is “the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
“And His that gentle voice we hear,
Soft as the breath of even;
That checks each thought, that calms each fear,
And speaks of Heaven.”
It is He who strengthens the new convert to fight against and overcome sin, and it is He who “begets within him a hope of fuller righteousness through faith in Christ.”
“And every virtue we possess,
And every victory won,
And every thought of holiness,
Are His alone.”
Blessed be God for this work of the Holy Spirit within the heart of every true child of His!
But, great and gracious as is this work, it is not the fiery pentecostal baptism with the Spirit which is promised; it is not the fullness of the Holy Ghost to which we are exhorted. It is only the clear dawn of the day, and not the rising of the day-star. This is only the initial work of the Spirit. It is perfect of its kind, but it is preparatory to another and fuller work, about which I wish to write.
Jesus said to His disciples, concerning the Holy Spirit, that “the world” (the unsaved, unrepentant) “cannot receive” Him, “because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him”; because they resist Him, and will not permit Him to work in their hearts. And then Jesus added, “but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you....” He had begun His work in them, but there was more to follow, for Jesus said, “and shall be in you.”
When a man is building himself a house, he is in and out of it and round about it. But we do not say he lives in it until it has been completed. And it is in that sense that Jesus said, “He dwelleth with you.” But when the house is finished, the owner sweeps out all the chips and saw-dust, scrubs the floor, lays down his carpets, hangs up his pictures, arranges his furniture, and moves in with his family. Then he is in the fullest sense within it. He abides there. Now, it is in that sense that Jesus meant that the Holy Spirit should be in them. This is fitly expressed in one of our songs:-
“Holy Spirit, come, Oh, come!
Let Thy work in me be done!
All that hinders shall be thrown aside;
Make me fit to be Thy dwelling.”