At this point we are clear that the work of the Holy Spirit is of two aspects: the outward aspect and the inward aspect. However, it is not sufficient only to know this. We should seek the experiences of the work of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of these lessons is to help our experience. I look to the Lord that those who receive these messages will have the intention, desire, and thirst to seek new and further experiences of the work of the Holy Spirit.
We need to experience the Holy Spirit in two aspects. We must experience the filling of the Holy Spirit within and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us. On the one hand, we must renew our experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and on the other hand, we must seek the experience of the Holy Spirit being poured upon us. I am afraid that many brothers and sisters have never had the experience of the Holy Spirit being poured upon them. You need to begin to have this experience of the Holy Spirit’s work; that is, you must experience the Holy Spirit upon you outwardly as power and release. Therefore, this message will contain little on the doctrinal side. Rather, it will address the practical way to experience the infilling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the work of the Spirit to fill us and to endue us.
The work of the Holy Spirit is a great part of the gospel. We know the gospel, but we may not know it in a full way. Do we realize that the gospel includes the work of the Holy Spirit? Acts 2:37-38 says, “And when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, What should we do, brothers? And Peter said to them, Repent and each one of you be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The way to receive the gospel of redemption and salvation is to repent, to believe in the Lord Jesus, and to be baptized in His name. This gospel includes two sides. The negative side is the remission, the forgiveness, of sins, and the positive side is the all-inclusive Holy Spirit as a gift to us. This includes the divine, eternal life; regeneration; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; the outpouring, the baptism, of the Holy Spirit; and all the aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit. All the work of the Holy Spirit is included in the gospel, which we receive at the very moment we believe in the Lord Jesus.
As Christians we all believe that we have the remission of sins, but are we sure that we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit, including the baptism, the outpouring, of the Spirit? The proper way to answer this is to say that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we have experienced and appropriated Him only to a certain extent. A friend may send us a large package of food, and we may receive it, but we may never open it and enjoy it. In the same way, we must recognize that the Holy Spirit already has been given to us. The Holy Spirit is a gift given to us based on the work of Christ for the remission of sins.
The remission of sins is based on the redemption of the Lord through His death on the cross. Without the shedding of blood, there is no possibility that God can forgive our sins, but the Lord shed His blood and died on the cross for our sins. This is an accomplished, finished work. Now we as sinners simply may come to Jesus to receive it.
When we preach the gospel, there is no need to tell sinners to ask God to forgive them. This is to preach in the wrong way. Rather, in our preaching we must tell people that Christ died on the cross. He has accomplished redemption, and remission of sins already has been given to us. Remission of sins is here already, waiting for us to receive it. Because we do not know the proper way to preach the gospel, we have not seen many people saved through our preaching. We should tell sinners not to ask God to forgive them, but to take what God already has given them.
We may illustrate this in the following way. I may have a nice Bible that I wish to give to a brother. The brother does not need to beg me for it. I am ready to give it to him, but he may still say, “Oh, please be good to me and give me a Bible.” He may ask for it, but he may not take it. I may say to him, “What is the matter with you? Here is the Bible already.” If the brother is wise, he will say nothing but “thank you” and take it. To preach the gospel is not to tell sinners to ask God to give them something. Rather, to preach the gospel is to tell sinners that God has given something to them already. Something is accomplished and ready. Something has been given to them and is here for them to take. If we know the proper way to preach the gospel, the Holy Spirit will honor this way and cause people to receive salvation.
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