Overcoming Temptations During Fasting Temptations are real. Satan is not a respecter of persons – Hebrews 4:15 – …Jesus was in all point tempted as we are. There Are Blessings For Overcoming Temptations James1:12 – Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. You Cannot Be Tempted Beyond Your Capacity 1Corithians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Three Major Channels of Temptations 1.Food Luke 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. Jesus Answered Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Daniel Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Esau Sold His Birth Right GENESIS 25:27 – 34 27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright. Esau Cried For blessings of his Birthright Genesis 27:34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. Genesis 27:36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 2.Power, Glory and wealth Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 3.Pride of Life Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Dangers of Pride 1.You Tower above the cross and the blood of Jesus is unable to drip on your body 2. You don’t see the need to worship God Psalms 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 3. God resists the proud James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. When You Overcome Temptations, The Devil departs from You
Luke 4:13 – And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

I Corinthians 2:12,13
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual .

God sent his word:

John 15:20
“Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

John 1:1,2
In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. The same was in the beginning with God

John 1:14
And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us,….

Knowing that while “The Word” is referring to God and His Son, the word “Word,” not only in the above scriptures, but in others, like John 15:20, means something said, including the thought.
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, Abingdon Press, Nashville, New York, 1974.)

There is only one truth.

When I was taken to heaven, like Paul the apostle was, I faced what God meant when He said what He said in scripture. My thoughts, my understanding (what I had been taught), or my interpretation of His Word didn’t ‘hold water’ there. “What God meant” is what you will face when you go to heaven. You will face God’s thought behind His word and He, being absolute truth, won’t be able to change or vary from what He meant on any subject just because you misunderstood, or were taught wrong by well-meaning men who love the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the only teacher who knows God’s thought behind His word. Therefore, we need to understand everything we can about how the Holy Spirit teaches and be open to his teachings.
There are over 600 different protestant denominations in the USA. They represent almost 600 different ideas of what the Bible says, in one way or another. The Bible warns many times about the wisdom of men and the fact that we don’t think, or reason like God wants us to. We are not to lean to our own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Paul refers to the wisdom of men right before he talks about how the Holy Spirit teaches, in I Corinthians 2. He specifically refers to the wisdom of this world coming to naught in verse six.

1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

When I was in heaven, looking into hell, I saw a believer who was there because of teachings and traditions performed in the wisdom of men who have leaned to their own understanding of what the Bible says. Those teachings and traditions had come to naught for this person and there was no changing the results. It was too late for this person. The very sad thing about this situation was that it was not her fault that she was in hell. It was the result of the leaders of the church leaning to their own understanding of what the Bible says about salvation unto eternal life, a very critical area. This is why I feel that this is one of the two most important writings I have ever done. I hope to be straight forward, pulling no punches. I will give various examples, sometimes bringing something up more than once in the hope that you will understand the seriousness of leaders not understanding how the Holy Spirit teaches. The scripture does give demonstration of the Holy Spirit teaching a person, which I will explain later.
To know God’s thought behind the scriptures, or what He means, requires revelation from the Holy Spirit. There is no other way. It cannot be gained through man’s wisdom and insight. Let us reason here. If all the leaders in the church world were taught by the same teacher and all knew how He teaches, there would only be one idea, one knowledge, of what the Bible says, not two ideas or any number upwards towards 600. There is only one truth of the purpose of water baptism. There is only one truth of how a person becomes saved. There is only one truth of the purpose of taking communion, and so on. There is only one truth. That is what God meant/means and that is what stands.

One “thing of the Spirit” concerning this writing:

God has painted a picture with His Word. This picture is like an oil painting. It has depth. It has substance. One time I did a magazine article centered around this topic. The Lord gave me this vision, depicting where/what the true water of the word is. It is, “God’s thought, what He meant when He said it!”

This vision is a “thing of the Spirit” of which the scripture reveals that we as Christians are to pay attention to, and follow after, Romans 8: 5. (We will discuss this more later.) This vision is only one “thing of the Spirit,” given by the Holy Spirit to me, to teach me what I’m talking to you about in this article. There is pure truth presented in the vision by the Holy Spirit! Understand that I added 1- 4 to the vision for understanding but I got that understanding from comparing other “things of the Spirit” given to me. Without the other things of the spirit I wouldn’t know 1- 4. I could have interpreted the vision in my own understanding to mean: I was getting God’s pure thought simply by reading the Word of God.
Look at the vision, meditate on it even without what I added, knowing what the word “Word” means, “something said, including the thought.” Know that the Lord is showing you a truth. When you open your Bible, know you are looking at GOD’S WORD but realize it is God’s thought in His Word that we must know and understand.

The word of God says the Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God to us.

I Corinthians 2:10
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

When God gives His Word to us, it includes His thoughts. We can hear God’s voice, read God’s word and because of the thought patterns in our carnal minds, we do not arrive at the meaning of what God is actually saying. If we don’t have the input of the “things of the Spirit,” and understand how the Holy Spirit teaches “comparing Spiritual with spiritual,” we are left with interpretation accomplished only by the wisdom of men. Yes, the Bible says that we are to study and rightly divide the word of God.

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It also says we are to add things together correctly.

Isaiah 28:10
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

But this is impossible in the wisdom of men. Without the teacher of the Bible’s input and guidance, we as a people cannot rightly divide and add precept on precept without error on our own. We don’t know where we are missing it and what is more important to know than something else. We simply can’t get the right understanding of the thought behind the Word! Without the understanding of how the Holy Spirit teaches we are almost as bad off, if not as bad off, as having no teacher at all. If you unknowingly reject how a teacher teaches, you have rejected the teacher and you actually have no teacher. Can you imagine what would happen if we as a nation just gave our children books and expected them to learn by themselves, without teachers? If I gave you a book that contained everything there is to know about how to fly the Space Shuttle, do you think you could ever get what you need to know to fly it by studying without a teacher/instructor? Without the input of the people who built the shuttle, some hands on experience, and some guidance from an instructor, you could never fly the shuttle successfully.
That is the way it is with the Bible. We must have the person who wrote the Bible give us understanding and guidance as to how to rightly divide, add line upon line and precept upon precept. And to have the Holy Spirit teach us what God’s thought is in the Bible we must know how the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing Spiritual things with spiritual, lest we are in that position of having no teacher at all. Lack of understanding of how the Holy Spirit teaches has left the body of Christ with all kinds of doctrines or teachings of men which the Bible itself reveals will be prevalent in the last days. That’s why we have 600 plus denominations. That’s why the Bible speaks of teachers who have itching ears.
The body of Christ, mainly its leaders, need to sit in front of men who have been taught by the Holy Spirit. A man who has been taught by comparing Spiritual things with spiritual can give witness of the “things of the Spirit” the Holy Spirit used to teach him. A man who cannot give witness to the things of the Spirit on the subject he is teaching was not taught by the Holy Spirit.
You may be getting the impression that I am against Bible studies. No, they are good and discussion can bring understanding to people. But you must realize that without being connected to someone who has been taught by the Holy Spirit, leaves the group studying completely in the wisdom of men. I have been involved in a few Bible studies and I learned a lot from them, some of which was true and some of which was false. I’ve been in meetings where I was asked what I thought about what the scripture said. Of course, I had my opinion and that is all it was,”My opinion.” My opinion and your opinion won’t hold up in the courts of heaven. Only what God meant will hold up. One time the Lord showed me that people were building their beliefs on a foundation of chat (chat between people), not on the ability of the Holy Spirit to reveal and teach what God meant.
Recently I wrote a little test. When one of the questions was read, some people knew what I meant but other people thought I meant something different. This is the problem in the minds of men, knowing/discerning what God’s thought is behind His Word. We as a people perceive/interpret what is being said by our experiences and what we have previously thought to be true.
There are many men in the world who hear from the Holy Spirit but there are few who know and understand how He teaches, comparing Spiritual with spiritual. We need to realize that God always gives truth but it takes more “things of the Spirit” for us to understand that truth. That’s why scripture mentions two things when it says “How the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing Spiritual things with spiritual.” It takes a mind to compare two “things of the Spirit.” The word “compare” certainly indicates at least two items are involved. This will become more clear as we go through scripture, demonstrating how the Holy Spirit teaches. The pure and simple fact is that God gives you a/the Word and then the understanding, two separate things. Let me witness to you that God gives a truth and then the understanding. It’s that way with His Word. It is truth but He is the one giving the understanding, not the minds of men.
One day I was arguing with God, talking to Him about scriptures. There seemed to be contradictions. Then God answered me in a very, very loud voice, “It is as it is.” I was shaken and appalled at what had happened. I didn’t know what God meant, as it made no sense to me. Actually, I thought it was a stupid answer and I said so out loud, as it didn’t seem like an answer to anything. “It is as it is.” That didn’t tell me anything and I told God that it didn’t tell me anything, that it was a stupid answer. The problem was that I didn’t know the thought behind what He said. Three days later the Lord rolled the understanding into me “Everything is as I say it is. You can go on believing what you want to believe, but it is as I say it is.” You see, I had the truth (through the audible voice of God) at the first “thing of the Spirit” but not the understanding, or the thought behind those words. The understanding came with the second “thing of the Spirit.” It came in parts because God gives in part, here a little, there a little. In this case, God gave the truth first and then the understanding. I had to follow after (pay attention to) two separate “things of the Spirit,” because one without the other would have left me in error and leaning to my own wisdom.
Some people might say, “But the Bible says that I have the Holy Spirit and I need no man to teach me. I can sit down and study scripture and come up with the truth.” They believe this mainly because of the following scripture.

1 John 2:27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Notice this scripture says “but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things.” In other words, the Holy Spirit teaches you about everything and you don’t really need man to teach you anything. This is a truth, but if the Body of Christ doesn’t know how the Holy Spirit teaches, it is being taught in the wisdom of men, by men leaning to their own understanding. No exceptions!
It’s like going to college and being given a book to study but the instructor teaches in a way that is foreign to you. You don’t realize you’re not really understanding. Then you fall into your own understanding of the book and what the instructor is saying and you therefore fail the course. Why? Not because you didn’t study the book or listen to the instructor; you did! But you didn’t get the precise understanding of what he was teaching because you didn’t understand the instructor’s method of teaching. The Body of Christ, mainly its leaders, need to sit under men who know how the Holy Spirit teaches, “comparing Spiritual with spiritual.” Any man who understands how the Holy spirit teaches can teach how He teaches.
God loves us and He would not have us ignorant of how the Holy Spirit teaches. God revealed how the Holy Spirit teaches the deep things of God to us in His word .

I Corinthians 2:12,13 ILB
But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit of God; that we may know the things freely given to us by God; which things we also speak, not in words taught in human wisdom, but in words taught of (the) Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

This is not the only place where the Bible talks about the things of the Spirit. To understand more about the things of the spirit, look in the book of Romans.

Romans 8:5
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

In simple language, God is saying here that to follow the Holy Spirit you need to pay attention to and meditate on the things of the Holy Spirit. The things (gifts) of the Holy Spirit are tangible things. A word, a dream, or a vision are things of the Spirit that we can hold as something of substance, that comes from and is produced by the Spirit of God. In my experience the gifts (things) of the Spirit (wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, and prophecy) can be manifested in a word, a dream, or a vision.
One of the more miraculous things that can happen by following the “things of the spirit” is deliverance, which comes because the Holy Spirit has revealed/taught truth. God can overcome false doctrines and untruth that exists in a person’s life. Peter is a good example of a man of God who had to learn something.
In the story concerning Cornelius we can see a demonstration of the Holy Spirit teaching Peter, by Peter comparing Spiritual with spiritual. God is overcoming a false doctrine in Peter!

We start in Acts 10:9 and continue.

9. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10. And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 11. And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12. Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Peter has just had his first thing of the Spirit, a vision. As you read you will see that the Spirit of God is dealing with Peter, showing him what to do. Now Peter did not have the understanding of the vision. It is Peter’s revelation about the Word of God that we are looking for, a truth that Peter did not know. Notice that Peter will hang onto this original “thing of the spirit” until he gets his final understanding of it.

17. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate, 18. And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. 19. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. 20. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. 21. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22. And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. 23. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24. And the morrow after they entered into Cae-sa-re’-a. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. 25. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. 26. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. 27. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Peter was starting to get the surface part of the “Picture” God was painting (revelation) because he had entered a Gentile’s house, considered unclean. But he doesn’t have the second thing (experience) of the Spirit yet and therefore he doesn’t yet have the whole truth that God wants him to understand.

29. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

Here is where Peter starts to hear what the Spirit of the Lord has said and done in Cornelius’ life, his second “Spiritual thing” or encounter to consider.

30. And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31. And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 32. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the seaside: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

After hearing Cornelius’ story of what the Spirit of God had done, Peter gets the final and complete revelation by adding “one plus one” in his mind, comparing all the things that had been done by the Spirit of God.

{“Compare with” means to think of how the two things are related to each other when adding them together for understanding, I Cor. 2:13.}

Of course, his original vision of animals coming down to earth and those words of God, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” had all come to make sense to him because of the other things (things of the Spirit) the Holy Spirit did later.

34. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Peter had a revelation, like a light bulb coming on in his mind. God had finished painting the picture. Now, he could see that the Gentiles could be saved and that was one reason he was there. This is clearly revealed when he was giving an account of what had happened at Cornelius’ house to others, in the next chapter. Peter explains what happened, speaking of Cornelius.

Acts 11: 13,14
And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

A foundational truth had been revealed to him by the Spirit of God. Peter wouldn’t have believed it by hearing the still small voice because it was against his religion, his beliefs, the things that were in his own spirit. He had been with Jesus and still didn’t understand. The Holy Spirit had to teach him in a dramatic way, using Spiritual things. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has to get our attention.
Paul was taught the same way. To see this we go to the book of Ephesians chapter 3, starting with verse 3 and continuing through verse 6,

3. How by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4. Whereby, when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

What was the revelation God had revealed to Paul?

6. That the gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Paul was saying that he had learned the same thing that Peter learned in the house of Cornelius, that the Gentiles could be saved. Paul says in verse five that this information is revealed to holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit of God. Paul had to use his mind to get the revelation. He had to add “things” up. I have underlined the word “knowledge” in verse 4. That word in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, means; knowledge (4907) = a mental putting together, . . .

So we see in verse 4, by the implication of the word knowledge (a mental putting together), that Paul had to add up some “things of the Spirit” to get the same revelation that Peter had in Cornelius’ house. Confirmation had occurred among the Apostles.

The Gentiles could be saved!

My personal introduction to how the Holy Spirit teaches.

    One day I saw myself, in a vision , standing in front of a church full of people. I didn’t like the idea of doing anything like that. I don’t like being in front of people, period. So I asked the Lord a question, “Lord, if I am to speak, what am I to say?” He answered, “The truth.” I said, “Lord, I don’t know the truth. I’m not a preacher.” The Lord replied, “What you have seen with your own eyes and what you shall come to believe from your experiences shall be the truth.”
What the Lord had just told me was my introduction to a general pattern of how the Holy Spirit teaches. What I had seen with my eyes were visions and dreams. I, like Peter, didn’t have the full revelation or understanding of what I had seen. I had to experience more visions, dreams, and experiences; always putting them together, to get the revelation God wanted me to have. Some took years and some just days. The Holy Spirit has taught me many things on many subjects because of my purpose in God. That is why you will find so many “things of the Spirit” all through my writings.
I have decided to endeavor to place a symbol identifying each “thing of the Spirit” in my writings. I chose an opened mail box with a letter in it because each “thing of the Spirit,” in whatever form, is like getting a letter/Word from the Lord. This may take some time but we need to realize how important it is to let the Holy Spirit teach us and not lean to our own understanding.
Simplicity is a key to knowing when you see the truth. The Lord told me, “If something suddenly strikes you as being simple, and it makes sense, it’s true.” Every revelation from the Lord I’ve had, hit me just that way. I’ve had so many of those, “But God, that’s too simple, simple beyond belief.” Nevertheless, the Bible talks about the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus.
We need to know what God means in His word. We need to understand the thoughts behind those words because words change meanings, and sometimes in a short period of time. For example, when I was in high school, the word “gay” meant something completely different than it means now!
One very important benefit of following after the “things of the Spirit” is to be able to recognize the difference between our spirit and the Holy Spirit. We should understand that our spirit and God’s Spirit are not the same thing, although they both dwell in the Christian. One of the hardest things for a Christian to do is determine the difference between his spirit and the Spirit of God that is in him. It is something else to divide between the spirit, the soul and the flesh. But to divide between our spirit and the Holy Spirit is harder because both are spirits. The following scripture verifies that there is a difference.

Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Some years ago I had a dream given to me by God. I was interpreting it the way I wanted to interpret it, which is what most Christians do, using what we believe and perceive, usually towards the benefit of our flesh. But then the Lord said, “That’s your spirit, not Mine.” The true interpretation went against my spirit and my soul. At that time I understood nothing about comparing “Spiritual things” with spiritual to get the interpretation with understanding from God. Following the “things of the spirit” will enable you to differentiate between your human spirit and God’s Spirit. This is a must for success in following the Lord. I won’t tell you it will be a fun deal, as the Bible says our carnal minds are against God’s purposes and acts.
What should the body of Christ do? Keep track, both individually and corporately, of the “things of the Spirit.” Don’t throw anything away. What’s not of God will be found out. This is important because you don’t know what it is you don’t know or see, that you need to see. God does! Let me give you an example.
I was visiting in a church when the anointing of God fell and people were encountering some “things of the Spirit,” such as words of knowledge. A person said he had a scripture from the Lord. He was allowed to read it but no one knew why God had given it. They finally did nothing with it and afterwards I asked the pastor about the young man. I wanted to know his position in the church because I was curious as to why the Lord gave that particular scripture to this particular person.
The point I want to make clear is that it was not necessarily wrong not to have done something concerning the scripture at the meeting. But, what the pastor did was wrong! The pastor told me he had never understood that scripture and that this was a fairly new Christian. Therefore the pastor wasn’t sure the young man had heard from God. The pastor had discarded what the Lord had brought up, mainly because of his lack of knowledge of what the scripture was about. This bothered me but I was in no position in this church to do anything about this situation. Actually, the whole congregation should have been concerned and seeking understanding from the Lord, from that moment on, as to why He gave it. However, they weren’t trained to get the second “thing of the Spirit” so they could see why God had given it.
It is wrong to just throw a “thing of the Spirit” away, God always gives it for a purpose. God might have used me to give some understanding to them but there was no chance because they had thrown it out. “They had thrown the baby out with the bath water.” What was the scripture?

Luke 13:24-27
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

The young man’s position in the church was over the Sunday School department. I know it was important for that church to pay attention to what the Spirit of God had brought up because the Lord had dealt with me concerning these scriptures.
    You and I are unable to discern what we don’t know, that we need to know. So we shouldn’t throw anything out based on our own understanding. Put it on a shelf but don’t leave it there; meditate on it, and wait on the Lord. Don’t lean to your own understanding; lean towards His by being open to Him giving a second “thing of the Spirit.” This particular pastor leaned to his own understanding, allowing his spirit to become involved, and threw this particular “thing of the Spirit” away. We need to be like Peter, who kept his mind on the “things of the Spirit” and was therefore able to recognize the next “thing of the Spirit,” thus gaining the understanding.
When you keep track of the “things of the Spirit” you will have Christians coming against you. These are the Christians mentioned in scripture who have carnal minds. They are at enmity with God without realizing it (Romans 8:6,7). It is important to pay attention to the “things of the Spirit” because the Spirit brings life by warning you, teaching you, and leading you.
I know of a family who had a daughter who was brutally murdered. They were warned through a dream. If the Church had been teaching correctly about the “things of the Spirit” of God, it just might have saved this girl from death. But the churches are basically carnal minded because they don’t mind (follow after) the “things of the Spirit!” “Following after” involves more than just hearing the Lord.

Romans 8:5
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Following the “Things of the Spirit” produces life at the end of a situation. God is constantly warning us of things to come and trying to show us where we are missing it. But we must understand that He gives in part, here a little, there a little, so understanding comes later, not as soon as the first “thing of the Spirit” shows up.
In the years following 1980 God led and gave words to over two hundred men who are in the ministry, revealing that there was a problem with the church’s understanding of the mechanics of salvation. God was trying to lead them into something they weren’t aware of, just like he did Peter! The Holy Spirit wanted to teach them like He did Peter. One well known man said from his pulpit that God told him that there were people who were not saved at his altar. To help understand the significance of all this I share the following vision from the Lord.

I was on stage with the Lord. There was an easel, holding a big white board, standing between me and the Lord. In front of the Lord and down a level were men dressed in suits, sitting in regular chairs. The Lord gave a Word (for them) and was standing, with marker in hand, ready to explain the Word He had given them (which would have been the second “thing of the Spirit”). After getting the Word from the Lord, the men turned to each other and were talking about the Word the Lord had given them. I saw the Lord wait patiently for the men to turn back to Him so He could explain the original Word. They didn’t, and kept on leaning to their own understanding. He waited quite some time. Then I saw the Lord become angry. He crossed over in front of the easel, towards me. I stepped back, seeing His anger and not knowing what He was going to do. As He crossed in front of the easel, He suddenly had two mechanical objects in His hands. It was as if the two mechanical objects came from the easel. It was what He was going to explain to them. He slammed these two objects into my chest saying, “You’re the only one who would listen!” The force almost knocked me down backwards. I stumbled back, trying to keep my balance, holding the weight of the two mechanical objects in my arms.

The two mechanical things that He wanted to explain to them were the mechanics of tithing and the mechanics of salvation. But the men missed getting taught by the Lord because of the lack of knowledge of the mechanics of how the Holy Spirit teaches. They weren’t listening to the Lord for the understanding. They leaned to their own interpretation of the Word of the Lord which they had received and they missed what it was really all about.
The only reason the Lord told me, “You’re the only one who would listen!” in the vision is not because I’m anything special, or of any special anointing, but simply because I have learned to listen and pay much attention to the “things of the Spirit,” no matter who they come through. I am always adding them together for understanding because He taught me to do it this way. The Holy Spirit is the one giving understanding, here a little there a little.
God is truth and the Word is truth but understanding of that truth must come into the Body of Christ from the Holy Spirit’s ability to teach, Comparing Spiritual things with spiritual! There is only one truth on every subject and that is what God meant. God is pouring out His Spirit on the earth to lead and teach men for a purpose. It is imperative that the leadership of the church learns the mechanics of how the Holy Spirit teaches, guides, and directs us as individuals and as a corporate body. The church will never come into Brideship without the leadership having the understanding of “Comparing Spiritual things with spiritual.”
The information presented on this site has the input of the Holy Spirit on every subject. He is our teacher of God’s thought behind His Word!

I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind” (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Prayer is a command of God, and is to be practiced both in public and in private; yes, such a command brings those that have the spirit of prayer, into great intimacy with God; and the prevailing prayer, will receive great things from God, both for the person that prayed, and for those that are prayed for. Prayer opens the heart of God, and is a means by which the empty soul is filled. By prayer the Christian can open his heart to God, as to a friend, and obtain fresh testimony of God’s friendship to him. My purpose today will be to show you the very heart of prayer, without which, all your lifting up, of hands, eyes, and voices, will be to no avail.

My outline will be as follows:

I. I will show you what true prayer is.

II. I will show you what it is to pray in the Spirit.

III. I will show what it is to pray with my spirit and with my mind.

IV. I will make application of what we have learned.

I. WHAT TRUE PRAYER IS

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart and soul to God, through Christ, with the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.

In this description are seven things that we need to consider:

1. Prayer is to be sincere.

Prayer is a sincere pouring out of the soul to God. Sincerity runs through all the graces of God in us, and influences all the actions of a Christian, or else our actions are not really from God. It is the same with prayer, as shown when David speaks about prayer, “I cried out to [the Lord] with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened [to my prayer]” (Psalm 66:17, 18). Part of the exercise of prayer is sincerity, without which God will not look upon it as prayer in its proper sense. God says in his Word, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The lack of this sincerity made the Lord reject the prayers in Hosea 7:14, where he said, “They do not cry out to me from their hearts,” that is, in sincerity, “but wail upon their beds.” Their prayers were only a fake, a hypocritical show, only to be seen by men, and applauded by them.

And why must sincerity be one of the essential ingredients of prayer which is acceptable to God? Because sincerity causes the soul to open its heart to God, and to plainly tell him the situation, without rationalization; to clearly condemn itself, without deceit; to cry out to God as a friend, without flattery. Sincerity is the same no matter if you are praying alone in a closet, or before the face of the world. The sincere praying Christian does not know how to wear two masks, one before men, and another in the closet; rather it must have God, and be honest with him in prayer. God will not listen to lip service, for God looks at the heart, and listens only to prayer which is accompanied with sincerity.

2. Prayer is to make sense.

It is a sincere and rational pouring out of the heart or soul. It is not, as many take it to be, a few babbling, verbose, flattering expressions, but rather, a sensible utterance of the heart. Prayer has in it a reasonable understanding of different things; for example, sometimes the sense of sin, and sometimes an understanding of mercy received.

A. Sometimes it is an awareness of the need of mercy, because of the danger of sin.

Effective prayer bubbles out of the heart when it is overcome with grief and anguish. David experienced this, saying that he was “feeble and utterly crushed; groaning in anguish of heart, his heart was pounding, his strength failed him; even the light was gone from his eyes” (Psalm 38:8-10). The Lord heard Ephraim’s moaning (Jeremiah 31:18). Peter weeps bitterly (Matthew 26:75). Christ “offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7). And all of this came from a sense of the justice of God, the guilt of sin, the pains of hell and God’s wrath. The Psalmist said, “The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:4). In all these instances, and in hundreds more that might be named, you will see that prayer carried with it a reasonable understanding of the situation, and that coming from a sense of sin.

B. Sometimes in prayer, there is a sweet sense of mercy received; encouraging, comforting, strengthening, and instructive mercy,

Thus David pours out his soul, to bless, and praise, and admire the great God for his loving-kindness to such poor vile wretches. “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalms 103:1-5). And we can see that sometimes the prayer of saints are turned into praise and thanksgiving, and yet they are still prayers. This is a mystery; God’s people pray with their praises, as it is written, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). A conscious thanksgiving, for mercies received, is a mighty prayer in the sight of God; and it has a great influence on His actions.

A good sense of sin, and the wrath of God, with some encouragement from God to come to him, is a better prayer-book than that which is taken out of the Roman Catholic mass-book, which are nothing but the scraps and fragments of the inventions of some popes, monks, and who knows what else.

3. Prayer is to be an affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ.

O! the heat, strength, life, vigor, and affection, that is in the right kind of prayer! “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1). “How I long for your precepts” (Psalm 119:40). “I long for your salvation” (Psalms 119:17). “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:2) “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.” (Psalm 119:20). Note in these verses that I just quoted how the Psalmist’s, “pants, yearns, and is consumed,” for God and his Word. O what affection is revealed here in prayer!

Again, it is a pouring out of the heart and soul. There is in prayer a disclosure of a man’s inner self, an opening of the heart to God, an affectionate outpouring of the soul in requests, sighs, and groans. “All my longings lie open before you,” said David, and “my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9).” And again, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? These things I remember as I pour out my soul” (Psalm 42:2, 4). Note, “I pour out my soul.” It is an expression signifying, that in prayer the very life and entire strength is poured out to God. And in another place, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him” (Psalm 62:8). This is the kind of prayer to which the promise is made, for the delivering of a poor creature out of captivity and bondage. “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

Again, it is a pouring out of the heart and soul TO GOD. This also shows the excellency of the spirit of prayer. It is the great and holy God that prayer is addressed to. “When can I go and meet with God?” And it argues, that the soul which prays in this manner, sees an emptiness in everything under heaven; that in God alone there is rest and satisfaction for the soul. “The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help” (1 Timothy 5:5). David said, “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth” (Psalm 71:1-5).

Many speak to God with lots of empty words; but the right kind of prayer makes God his hope, rest, and his all in all. The right kind of prayer sees nothing more important, nor worth looking after, but God.

Again, it is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart and soul to God, THROUGH CHRIST. We must add that prayer must come through Christ, or else it is to be questioned, whether it really is a prayer, even though it may appear so lofty and eloquent.

Christ is the way through whom the soul has admittance to God the Father, and without Christ it is impossible that even one prayer request would be heard by our Heavenly Father (John 14:6). Jesus said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13, 14). This was Daniel’s way in praying for the people of God; he did it in the name of Christ. Listen, “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary” (Daniel 9:17). Likewise, David prayed, “For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great” (Psalm 25:11).

But note this, it is not every one that makes mention of Christ’s name in prayer, that truly prays to God in the name of Christ. This coming to God through Christ is the hardest part of prayer. A man may be aware of his deeds, and sincerely desire mercy, and yet not be able to come to God through Christ. That man that comes to God by Christ, must first have a knowledge of Christ; “because anyone who comes to [Christ] must believe that he exists” (Hebrews 11:6). And so he that comes to God through Christ, must know Christ. Moses said to the Lord, “teach me your ways so I may know you” (Exodus 33:13).

4. Prayer is to be by the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit.

These things are so dependent on one another, that it is impossible that one could have an acceptable prayer, without all of these things working together; without these things, it is only a prayer that will be rejected by God. For without a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart to God, it is nothing but lip-service; and if it is not through Christ, then it falls far short of ever sounding acceptable in God’s ears. In the same way, if it is not prayed in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, then it is the same as the sons of Aaron, presenting an offering with unauthorized fire (Leviticus 10:1, 2). Any prayer which is not petitioned through the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit, cannot possibly be “according to the will of God (Romans 8:26, 27).

5. Prayer is to be for things that God has promised.

It is prayer when it is within the compass of God’s Word; and it is blasphemy, or at best vain babbling, when the petition is for things outside of God’s Holy Book. David, when he prayed, kept his eye on the Word of God, “I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:25). And again, “My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:28; see also 41, 42, 58, 65, 74, 81, 82, 107, 147, 154, 169, 170). And, “Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope” (Psalm 119:49). And surely the Holy Spirit does not immediately stir up the heart of the Christian without the Word of God, rather it is by, and with, and through the Word, by bringing it to the heart, and by opening the sinful heart, whereby the man is provoked to go to the Lord, and to tell him how it is with him, and also to plead, and supplicate, according to the Word.

So I say, as the Spirit is the helper and the governor of the soul, when it prays according to the will of God; so it is guided by and according to, the Word of God and his promise. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ himself did not pray except in accordance with the Word, even though his life was at stake. He said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:53, 54). In other words, Jesus was saying, “Were there only a word for it in the scripture, I would soon be out of the hands of my enemies, I would be helped by angels; but the scripture will not warrant this kind of praying, for that says otherwise. It is praying then according to the Word of God. The Spirit by the Word must direct, both in the manner, and the matter of prayer. “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind (1 Corinthians 14:15). There is no understanding without the Word. For if they reject the word of the Lord, “what kind of wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:9)

6. Prayer is to be for the good of the church.

This means that the prayer must be for the honor to God, or Christ’s advancement, or his people’s benefit. For God, and Christ, and his people are so linked together that if the good of the one be prayed for, then the church, the glory of God, and advancement of Christ, must also be included. For as Christ is in the Father, so the saints are in Christ; and he that touches the saints, touches the apple of God’s eye. He that prays for the peace and good of the church, does, in fact, ask in that prayer that which Christ has purchased with his blood; and also that which the Father has given to him for paying that price. Now he that prays for this, must pray for abundance of grace for the church, for help against all its temptations; that God would let nothing be too difficult for it; and that all things might work together for its good, that God would keep them blameless and harmless, the sons of God, to his glory, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.

7. And prayer must submit to the will of God.

As Christ has taught us, prayer must say, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10); therefore the people of the Lord in humility are to lay themselves and their prayers, and all that they have, at the feet of their God, to be disposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom sees best. And never doubting that God will answer the desire of his people in a way that will be most advantageous for them and for his glory. Therefore when the saints pray with submission to the will of God, they are not to doubt or question God’s love and kindness to them. But because they are not always wise, and sometimes Satan may take advantage of them, so as to tempt them to pray for that which, if they had it, would neither be to God’s glory nor for his people’s good. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14, 15). For, as I said before, that petition that is not prayed in and through the Spirit, will not be answered, because it is outside the will of God. For only the Spirit knows the will of God, and therefore only he knows how to pray according to the will of God. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). But more of this later. Thus we have seen what prayer is.

II. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT

1. I will pray with my spirit.

There is no man nor church in the world that can come to God in prayer, but by the assistance of the Holy Spirit. “For through Christ we have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18). Therefore Paul said, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26, 27). And because there is in this scripture a complete discovery of the spirit of prayer, and of man’s inability to pray without it; therefore I will in a few words comment on it.

“We.” Consider the person speaking, Paul, an apostle, the extraordinary elder, the wise master-builder, he that was taken up into paradise (2 Cor 12:4). “We do not know what we ought to pray for.” Surely everyone will admit, that Paul and his fellow apostles were able to have done any mighty work for God, yet, he says, “We do not know what we ought to pray for,” without the help and the assistance of the Spirit. Should we pray for communion with God through Christ? Should we pray for faith, for justification by grace, and a truly sanctified heart? We do not know the answer to any of these things. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).

“We do not know what we ought to pray for.” Paul said, we must pray as we ought; and this we cannot do by the skill, and cunning devices of men or angels. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit”; no, it must be “the Spirit HIMSELF” that helps us in our weakness; not the Spirit and man’s lusts. What man’s own brain may imagine and devise, is one thing, and what they are commanded, and ought to do, is another. Many ask and do not receive, because they ask with wrong motives; and so they never enjoy those things they pray for (James 4:3). While we are praying, God is searching the heart, examining our motives and spirit (1 John 5:14). “And he who searches our hearts knows,” that is, approves only, what is agreeable to, “the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:27) For he only hears that which is in accordance with his will, and nothing else. And it is only the Spirit that can teach us what to ask; only the Spirit is able to search every thing out, even the deep things of God.

Without the Holy Spirit, though we pray a thousand different prayers, yet we would be unable to know what to pray for, because we have a built-in weakness that makes us absolutely incapable of praying correctly. These weaknesses within us, although it is difficult to name them all, yet the following are eight key weaknesses which prevent effective praying.

Weakness #1 – Not having the Holy Spirit within us.

Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, man is so weak that he cannot think one right saving thought of God, of Christ, or of his blessed things; and therefore the Word of God declares about the man without the Spirit, “In all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalm 10:4); unless it is that they imagine God to be basically like one of them (Psalm 50:21). For “every inclination of the thoughts of [unsaved man’s] heart is only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5; 8:21). Thus, since unbelievers are not able to correctly conceive who God is, the very God to whom they pray, the Christ through whom they pray, nor of the things for which they pray, as was shown before, then how will they be able to address themselves to God, without the help of the Holy Spirit?

The acceptable prayer to God must, in the outward expression, and as well in the inward intention, come from what the soul understands by the illumination of the Holy Spirit; otherwise the prayer is condemned as a vain abomination, because the heart and tongue do not agree, neither can they, unless the Spirit help us in our weakness (Mark 7; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 29:13). And David knew this full well, which caused him to cry out, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Psalm 51:15). I suppose no one would doubt that David could speak and express himself as well as any one in our generation, as is clearly manifested by his words recorded in the Scriptures. Nevertheless when this good man, this prophet, comes to worship God, then the Lord must help him too, or he can do nothing. “O Lord, open my lips,” and then “my mouth will declare your praise.” He could not speak one proper word, unless the Spirit gives him the utterance. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for.

Weakness #2 – Not praying with the Spirit.

We may have the Holy Spirit within us, but if we do not pray with the Spirit, then we are senseless, hypocritical, and cold, and both we and our prayers are abominable to God (Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 18:11, 12; Isaiah 58:2, 3). It is not the quality of the voice, nor the apparent affection, and earnestness of him that prays, that means anything to God. For man, as man, is so full of all kinds of wickedness, that he cannot keep a word, or thought, much less a part of a prayer pure, and acceptable to God through Christ; and because of this the Pharisees, and their lengthy prayers, were rejected. There is no question that they expressed themselves with excellent words, and also said long prayers; but they did not have the Holy Spirit to help them, and therefore in their weakness they fell short of a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of their souls to God, through the strength of the Spirit.

Weakness #3 – Not being aware of our unconfessed sins.

No one but the Holy Spirit can clearly show a person their sins, and therefore cause them to have the proper attitude of prayer. Without an clear sense of the sin of our hearts then our prayers are nothing but “lip-service” to God. O the cursed hypocrisy that is in most hearts, and that accompanies many thousands of praying men and women today, and all because they lack a sense of their sin! But now the Spirit, will sweetly show the soul its sinful state, and exactly the areas where the sin exists, and what is likely to be the consquence of that sin if it remains unconfessed, and also that it is an intolerable condition. For it is the Spirit that effectually convinces men and women of their sin and misery, and therefore causes the soul to pray in a pure, discerning, and tender way to God according to his word (John 16:7-9).

Weakness #4 – Seeing our sins and being unable to pray.

Even if men and women are aware of their sins, yet without the help of the Holy Spirit they would not pray. For they would run away from God, with Cain and Judas, and utterly despair of mercy, were it not for the Spirit. When a man is aware of his sin, and God’s curse on it, then it is very difficult to persuade him to pray; for, his heart says, “It’s no use,” it is in vain to seek God (Jeremiah 2:25; 18:12). I am so vile, so wretched, and so cursed, that I will never be forgiven! Now here comes the Spirit, and calms the soul, helping it to hold up its face to God, by letting into the heart some small sense of mercy to encourage it to go to God, and for that reason the Holy Spirit is called “the Counselor” (John 14:26).

Weakness #5 – Not knowing how to come to God—His way.

In order to pray we must be in the Spirit; for without that no man can know how to come to God the right way. Men may easily say they come to God through his Son: but without being in the Spirit, it is impossible to come to God the right way—his way. It is “the Spirit” that “searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). It is the Spirit that must show us the way of coming to God, and also what there is in God that makes him desirable: Moses said, “Teach me your ways so I may know you” (Exodus 33:13).

Weakness #6 – Being unable to call God our “Father.”

Without the Holy Spirit, though a man sees his misery, and also the way to come to God; yet he would never be able to claim a share in either God, Christ, or mercy, because God would not allow him. O how great a task it is, for a lost soul that becomes aware of his sin and the wrath of God, to say in faith, this one word, “Father!” I tell you, even the Christian finds difficulty in this very thing, it cannot say God is its Father. “O!” he says, “I dare not call him Father”; and therefore the Holy Spirit must be sent into the hearts of God’s people for this very reason, to cry “Father”: for without the Spirit it would be too difficult for any man to knowingly and believingly call God his Father (Galatians 4:6).

When I say knowingly, I mean, knowing what it is to be a child of God, and to be born again. And when I say believingly, I mean, for the soul to believe, and that from experience, that the work of grace is completed in him. This is the right way to call God, our Father; and not as many do, by saying it in a babbling way, the Lord’s prayer (so called) from memory, just as it is written in the words of a book. No, here is the life of prayer, when with the Spirit, a man being made aware of his sin, and how to come to the Lord for mercy; comes in the strength of the Spirit, and cries out “Father.” That one word spoken in faith, is better than a thousand prayers, as men call them, written and read, in a formal, cold, or lukewarm way. Many people think it is enough to teach themselves and their children to say the Lord’s prayer, the creed, and other sayings; when, in reality, God knows, they are senseless of themselves, their misery, or what it is to be brought to God through Christ! Oh, poor soul! Study your misery, and cry to God to show you your blindness and ignorance, before you get into the habit of calling God your Father, or teaching your children to do so. And know this, that to say God is your Father, without any work of grace in your souls, is to say you are Christians when you are not, therefore you lie to God.

You say, “Our Father”; God says, “You blasphemer!” You say I am “a true Christian”; God says, “You are a liar!” “You are of the synagogue of Satan, you who claim to be a Jew though you are not, you are a liar” (Revelation 3:9). “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9). And the more the sinner hypocritically boasts of God being his Father, then so much greater is his sin. The Jews did this to Christ, in the 8th chapter of John, which made Christ, even in plain terms, to tell them of their doom, because of all their hypocritical pretences (John 8:41-45). And even today, prostitutes, thieves, drunkards, blasphemers, and liars; are considered by some to honest people because with their blasphemous throats, and hypocritical hearts, they will come to church, and say, “Our Father!” But because they obey the “traditions” of their religions saying the “Our Father” over and over, they are considered to be members in good-standing in their church, while God’s true children are, as it has always been, looked upon to be a troublesome, opposing, and dissident people (Ezra 4:12-16).

Weakness #7 – Being unable to keep our “heart” in our prayers.

Just as the heart must be lifted up by the Spirit in order to pray acceptable prayers to God , so also it the heart must be held up by the Spirit, if it is to continue to pray correctly. It is impossible that all the prayer-books, that men have made in the world, can lift up, keep up, or prepare the heart; for that is the work of the God himself. And truly here is the life of prayer, to keep the heart devoted to God while praying. We see in the Book of Exodus that it was very difficult for Moses to keep his hands lifted up to God in prayer; likewise, it is difficult to keep the heart in our prayers! (Exodus 17:12).

The lack of this heart in prayer is that which God complains of, when He says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13). And truly I can speak of my own experience; I can tell you the difficulty I have of praying to God as I should. For, when I go to pray, I find my heart hates to go to God, and when it is with him, it hates to stay with him. Many times I am forced in my prayers, first to beg God that he would take my heart, and set it on himself in Christ, and when it is there, that he would keep it there. Many times I do not know what to pray for, I am so blind, nor do I know how to pray, I am so ignorant, but praise God’s grace: the Holy Spirit can help us in our weakness in prayer (Psalm 86:11).

Weakness #8 – Praying without the help and strength of the Spirit.

It is impossible for the heart to pour itself out before God, with those groans and sighs that come from a truly praying heart, without the assistance of the Spirit. It is not the mouth that is the main thing to be looked at in prayer, rather one needs to look at the heart and see if is full of love and earnestness in prayer to God. There are times when the desires of a man’s heart are so great, that all the words, tears, and groans that can come from the heart, cannot be uttered by his mouth: It is then that “The Spirit helps us in our weakness—and intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).

We must pray with the Spirit, or else our prayers will fail. Prayer is a mandate from God, that must continue with a soul so long as it is on this side of glory. But, as I said before, it is not possible for a man to turn his heart to God in prayer; likewise it is just as difficult to keep it there, without the assistance of the Spirit. Therefore, for a man to continually be in prayer with God, it must of necessity be with the Spirit.

III. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT, AND WITH MY MIND.

The apostle makes a clear distinction between praying with our spirit, and praying with our minds: therefore when he said, “I will pray with my spirit,” he also adds, but I will also pray with my mind.” This distinction was made because the Corinthians did not realize that it was their duty, when they spoke in tongues, to edify others and not to simply edify themselves. It appears that many of them had extraordinary gifts, one being the ability to speak in different known languages, but they focused on these mighty gifts, edifying themselves, rather than edifying the church; which caused Paul to write to them, to make them understand, that though extraordinary gifts were excellent, yet it was more important to edify the church. For, the apostle said, “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind [and the minds of those listening] is unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:3, 4, 12, 19, 24, 25. Read the scope of the whole chapter). Therefore, “What shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

It is necessary then that the mind should be involved in prayer, as well as the heart and mouth. That which is done with the mind, is done more effectually, sensibly, and heartily, than that which is done without it; which made the apostle pray for the Colossians, that God would fill them “with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). And for the Ephesians, that God would give them “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that [they] may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). And also for the Philippians, that God would make their love abound “more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Philippians 1:9). A suitable understanding is good in everything a man undertakes, either secular or spiritual; and therefore it must be desired by all Christians that they would be a praying people. I will now show you what it is to pray with your mind.

In order for God to accept our prayers, there must be a spiritual understanding in all those who pray to God.

1. To pray with our minds, is to be guided by the Holy Spirit to pray with an understanding of the need of those things which the soul is to pray for.

Though a man is desperately in need for forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from the wrath to come, yet if he does not understand this, he will either not pray these things at all, or else be so cold and lukewarm when he asks for forgiveness and deliverance, that God will detest the attitude of his heart when he asks for them. Thus it was with the church of the Laodiceans, they wanted knowledge or spiritual understanding; yet they did not know that they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Because of their condition and all of their empty prayers, they were detestable to Christ, so much so that he threatens to spit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16, 17). Men who pray without their minds engaged may say the same words in prayer as others do; but there is a great difference in effectiveness of the prayers! The one speaking with his mind engaged brings understanding to his words, but the other person who prays without an understanding of what he is saying is only babbling words.

2. To pray with our minds will cause the heart of God to be ready and willing to give those things to the soul that it needs.

David prayed with his mind and therefore could surmise the very thoughts of God towards him (Psalm 40:5). And so it was with the Canaanite woman; by her faith and the understanding in her mind, she was able to discern, that although Christ was refusing her initial requests to help her demon-possessed daughter, there was a tenderness and willingness in his heart to save, which caused her to be vehement and earnest, yes, restless, until she received the mercy she needed for her daughter (Matthew 15:22-28).

A proper understanding in our minds, of the willingness of the heart of God to save sinners, will be the primary motive for the soul to seek after God, and to cry out for forgiveness. If a man should see a pearl worth thousands of dollars lying in a ditch, and yet did not understand the value of it, he would most likely pass it by: but if he knew in his mind its true value, then he would climb down into the filth of the ditch to acquire it. So it is with souls concerning the things of God: once a man understands their value, then his heart, and the very strength of his soul, will run after them, and he will never stop praying for them until he has them. The two blind men in the gospel, clearly knew that Jesus, who was going by them, was both willing and able to heal their blindness: therefore they cried out, and the more they were rebuked, the more they cried out (Matthew 20:29-31).

3. To pray with our minds allows us to clearly see God’s promises, which is a great encouragement to pray.

The enlightened understanding sees the magnitude of God’s promises and is therefore encouraged to pray. It is like men who make great promises to do such and such to all that will come and ask for them, it is great encouragement to those that know what promises are made, to come and ask for them.

4. To pray with our minds enables us to present to God suitable arguments to justify our requests.

Once our minds are enlightened by the Spirit, then the way is made for the soul to come to God with suitable arguments, sometimes in a way of reasoning with God, as Jacob did in the 32^nd chapter of Genesis (Genesis 32:9). Sometimes in the way we verbally petition God, yet not always in a verbal way only, but even from the heart there is forced by the Spirit, through the mind, effective arguments that move the heart of God.

Our example is Ephraim who gets a clear understanding of his own sin towards the Lord, then he begins to express sorrow for his sins (Jeremiah 31:18-20). And in his expression of sorrow, he used various arguments with the Lord, that affected his heart, draws out forgiveness, and makes Ephraim pleasant in his eyes through Jesus Christ our Lord: God said, “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning [to me] saying, ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth’ ” (Jeremiah 31:19). These are Ephraim’s complaints and expressions of sorrow; at which the Lord breaks forth into these heart-melting expressions, saying, “‘Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 31:18-20).

5. To pray with our minds enables us to see our needs and therefore what type of prayer we should pray.

Praying with our mind enables us to be aware of the feelings, and pressures that lie heavy on our spirit, provoking us to groan out our request to the Lord. When David felt the “cords of death entangle [him], and the anguish of the grave coming upon [him],” he did not need a bishop dressed in a fancy robe to teach him to say, “O Lord, save me!” (Psalm 116:3, 4). Nor did he need to look into a book, to teach him a form of a prayer to pour out before God. It is the nature of the heart of sick men, in their pain and sickness, to express itself for comfort, by sorrowful groans and moanings to those who are near them. Thus it was with David, in Psalm 38:1-12. And thus, blessed be the Lord, it is with them that are endowed with the grace of God.

6. To pray with our minds will keep us praying continually.

It is necessary that there be an enlightened understanding in our minds for us to see the need to continue in prayer.

The people of God are not ignorant of the many schemes, tricks, and temptations the devil has to tempt a Christian, who is truly willing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, to tempt that very sincere soul to be weary of seeking the face of God, and to think that God is not willing to have mercy on such a person as he. “Yes,” says Satan, “you may truly pray, but you will not prevail. You see your heart is hard, cold, dull, and fearful; you do not pray with the Spirit, you are not sincere in your prayers, your thoughts are running after other things, when you pretend to pray to God. Away with you, you hypocrite, go no further, it is vain to strive any longer!” Oh, if the soul is not praying with its mind, then it will soon cry out, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14). Whereas, the soul that is praying with his mind and enlightened by the Spirit, will say, “I will seek the Lord, and wait; I will not stop, though the Lord remains silent, and does not speak one word of comfort” (Isa 40:27). The Lord loved Jacob dearly, and yet he made him wrestle before he gave him the blessing (Genesis 32:25-27). Apparent delays in our prayers being answered by God are not signs of his displeasure; he may hide his face from his dearest saints (Isaiah 8:17). He loves to keep his people praying, and to find them ever knocking at the gate of heaven; it may be, says the soul, that the Lord is testing me, or that he loves to hear me groan out my condition before him.

Oh, how many souls are there in the world, that truly fear the Lord, who, because they are not well informed in their minds, are often ready to give up hope, at almost every trick and temptation of Satan! The Lord pity them, and help them to “pray with their spirit, and also with their minds.”

In my own life, when I have been in the agony of spirit, I have been strongly persuaded to stop praying, and to seek the Lord no longer; but being made to understand in my mind, what great sinners the Lord has had mercy on, and how great are his promises to sinners; and that it was not the well person, but the sick, not the righteous, but the sinner, not the full, but the empty, that he extended his grace and mercy to. This made me, through the assistance of his Holy Spirit, to cleave to him, to hang on him, and still to cry out, though for the present he did not answer.

Thus have I briefly showed you, FIRST, What prayer is; SECOND, What it is to pray with the Spirit; and THIRDLY, What it is to pray with my spirit, and also with my mind.

IV. Application of what we have learned.

I will now speak a word or two of application, and so conclude with, First, A word of wisdom; Second, A word of encouragement; Third, A word of rebuke.

Application #1 – A word of wisdom.

First be wise and know; that prayer is the duty of every one of the children of God, and carried on by the Spirit of Christ in the soul; so every one that prays to the Lord, needs to be very careful, and be sure to pray in his heart with a fear of God, as well as with hopes of the mercy of God through Jesus Christ.

Prayer is a command of God, in which a man draws very near to God; and therefore it especially calls for the assistance of the grace of God to help the soul to pray as is fitting for one that is in the very presence of the Almighty God. It is a shame for a man to behave irreverently before a king, but it is a sin to do so before God. And just as an earthly king is not pleased with an speech made up with inappropriate words and gestures, so God takes no pleasure in the sacrifice of fools (Ecclesiastes 5:1, 4). It is not long discourses, nor eloquent tongues, that are the things which are pleasing to the ears of the Lord; rather it is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, that is pleasing to the heavenly Majesty (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 57:15). Therefore, be wise and know that there are four things that are obstructions to prayer, and even make void the requests of the creature:

First Obstruction to Prayer – When we cherish sin in our hearts.

“When men cherish sin in their hearts,” at the time of their prayers before God, “then the Lord will not listen” to their prayer (Psalm 66:18). The Lord will not listen to the prayer when there is a secret love for that very thing which you with your deceitful lips ask for strength against. For this is the wickedness of man’s heart, that it will even love, and hold tightly to that which the mouth is praying against! And when we do this, then we become the same as those who honor God with their mouths, but whose hearts are far from him (Isaiah 29:13; Ezekiel 33:31).

Second Obstruction to Prayer – When we pray only to be heard by others.

When men pray with the sole purpose to be heard by others, so as to be considered someone very religious, then these prayers will fall far short of God’s approval, and will never be answered.

There are two sorts of men that pray this way:

(1.) Private chaplains, that thrust themselves into great men’s families, pretending the worship of God, when in truth their motive is their own stomachs; and are clearly pictured by Ahab’s prophets, and also Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men, who, though they pretended great devotion, yet their lusts and their stomachs were the great things aimed at by them in all their devotions.

(2.) Those that seek honor and applause for their eloquent terms, and seek more to tickle the ears and heads of their hearers than anything else. These are they that pray to be heard of men, and have received all their reward already (Matthew 6:5). These persons are easily discovered because:

(a.) They focus only on the eloquence of their expressions.

(b.) They look for commendation when they are done.

(c.) Their hearts either rise or fall according to their praise received.

(d.) The length of their prayer pleases them; and to make it long, they will vainly repeat things over and over (Matthew 6:7).

Third Obstruction to Prayer – When we pray for the wrong things.

A prayer that will not be accepted by God, is when men either pray for wrong things, or if for the right things, yet that the thing prayed for might be spent on their lusts. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2-4). When we pray for something contrary to God’s will then God will frustrate the petitions presented before him. Therefore, many pray for this and that, and yet do not receive it. God answers them only with silence; they have their words for their labor; and that is all.

Objection – But God hears some persons, though their hearts are not right with him, as he did Israel, in giving quails, though they spent them on their lusts (Psalm 106:14).

Answer – If he does, it is in judgment, not in mercy. Indeed, he gave them what they asked for, but they would have been better off without it, for he also “sent a wasting disease upon them.” (Psalm 106:15). Woe be to that man that God answers in this manner.

Fourth Obstruction to Prayer – Not asking in the Name of Christ.

Another type of prayers that are not answered, are those that are made by men, and presented to God in their own persons, without asking in the name of Christ. It is true that God has ordained prayer, and promised to hear the prayers of men and women, yet not the prayer that fails to come through Christ. Jesus said “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father” (John 14:13). The Apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Even though you may be devout, zealous, earnest and constant in prayer, yet it is only in Christ that you will be heard and accepted. But, I am sorry to say, that most men do not know what it means to come to God in the name of the Lord Jesus, which is because they live wicked, pray wicked, and also die wicked.

Application #2 – A word of encouragement.

I want to encourage the poor, tempted, and discouraged soul, to pray to God through Christ. Though all prayer that is acceptable to God must be in the Spirit—for only the Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God, (Rom 8:27)—yet because many poor souls may have the Holy Spirit working on them, and stirring them to cry out to the Lord for mercy, though through unbelief they do not, nor, for the present, cannot believe that they are the people of God, yet I encourage them to pray. Note carefully the following three encouragements to pray:

Encouragement #1 – God answers persistent prayers.

That scripture in Luke 11:8 is very encouraging to any poor soul that hungers after Christ Jesus. In verses 5-7, he speaks a parable of a man that went to his friend to borrow three loaves of bread, but because his friend was in bed he denied his request. Yet the man who needed the bread kept knocking, and finally his friend did arise and give him what he wanted, clearly signifying that though poor souls, through the weakness of their faith, cannot see that they are the friends of God, yet they should never stop asking, seeking, and knocking at God’s door for mercy. Note, what Christ said, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness,” or persistence, “he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8)

Poor heart! you feel that God will not pay attention to you, you are not his friend, but rather his enemy in your heart because of your wicked deeds (Colossians 1:21). And you claim that you can hear the Lord saying to you, “Don’t bother me. I can’t give you anything”; yet I say, continue knocking, crying, and moaning. I tell you, “though he will not get up and give you what you want because you are his friend, yet because of your boldness [in your persistence] he will get up and give you as much as you need.” And truly, my own experience tells me, that there is nothing that prevails more with God than persistence.

Encouragement #2 – That God is sitting on a “Throne of Grace”

Another encouragement for a poor trembling soul is to consider the place, throne, or seat, on which the great God has placed himself to hear the petitions and prayers of poor creatures; and that is a “throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). Which signifies that in these days of gospel grace, God has taken up his seat, his abiding-place, in mercy and forgiveness; and from there he listens to the sinner, and communes with him, as he said (Exodus 25:22),—speaking before his place of mercy—”I will meet with you.” Often, poor troubled souls are very apt to entertain strange thoughts of God, and his attitude towards them: and suddenly they conclude that God will not care for them, when in fact, he is sitting on a throne of mercy, and has taken that place on purpose, so that he may hear and answer the prayers of poor creatures. If he had said, I will commune with you from my throne of judgment, then indeed you might have trembled and fled from the face of the great and glorious Majesty. But when he said he will hear and commune with souls from the throne of grace, this should encourage you, and cause you to hope, yes, to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)

Encouragement #3 – God’s “Throne of Grace” is sprinked with the “Blood of Christ”

Just as there is a “Throne of Grace” from where God is willing to commune with poor sinners; so there is also next to his throne, Jesus Christ, who continually sprinkles it with his blood. Therefore it is called “the sprinkled blood” (Hebrews 12:24). When the high-priest under the law was to go into the Most Holy Place, where the seat of God’s mercy was, he could not go in “without blood” (Hebrews 9:7).

Why? Because, though God was on sitting on a seat of mercy, yet he was perfectly just as well as merciful. Now the blood was to stop justice from being poured out upon the persons needing the intercession of the high-priest, (as in Leviticus 16:13-17), to signify that all your unworthiness that you fear, should not hinder you from coming to God in Christ for mercy. You cry out that you are wicked, and therefore God will not listen to your prayers; it is true, if you delight in your wickedness, and come to God out of a mere pretence. But if from a sense of your wickedness you pour out your heart to God, desiring to be saved from the guilt, and cleansed from the filth, with all your heart; then do not fear, your wickedness will not cause the Lord to stop listening to you. The value of the blood of Christ which is sprinkled on the place of God’s mercy stops the course of justice, and opens a floodgate for the mercy of the Lord to be extended to you. You therefore have, the “confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us” (Hebrews 10:20).

Besides, Jesus is there, not only to sprinkle the place of mercy with his blood, but he speaks, and his blood speaks; and God has said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you” (Exodus 12:13).

Be earnest and humble; go to the Father in the name of the Son, and tell him your case, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and you will then feel the benefit of praying with your spirit and also with your mind.

Application #3 – A word of reproof

I sadly speak to you who never pray at all. You are not a Christian if you are not a praying person. The promise is that every one that is godly will pray (Psa 32:6). You then are a wicked miserable creature that does not pray. People that forget prayer, that do not call on the name of the Lord, they have a prayer prayed against them, Jeremiah prayed, “Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name” (Jeremiah 10:25).

O you that refuse to pour out your heart to God, you that go to bed like a dog, and rise like a hog, and forget to call upon God? What will you do when you will be damned in hell, because you could not find it in your heart to ask God for heaven? Who will grieve for your sorrow, since you did not think mercy was worth asking for? I tell you, the ravens, the dogs, and other animals, will rise up in judgment against you, for they, according to their kind, make signs, and a noise for something to refresh them when they need it; but you have not found it in your heart to ask for heaven, and now you must perish eternally in hell, because you would not pray.

Must the holy, harmless, and undefiled Spirit of grace, the very nature of God, the promise of Christ, the Counselor of his children, that without which no man can do any service acceptable to the Father—must this Holy Spirit, be taunted and mocked by you? If God sent Korah and his entire family headlong into hell for speaking against Moses and Aaron, do you think that you can mock the Spirit of Christ and escape unpunished? (Numbers 16; Hebrews 10:29). Did you never read what God did to Ananias and Sapphira for telling just one lie against the Holy Spirit? (Acts 5:1-8). Also, are you aware what happen to Simon Magus for undervaluing the Holy Spirit? (Acts 8:18-22). It is a fearful thing to defy the Spirit of grace (Compare Matthew 12:31, with Mark 3:28-30).

THE CONCLUSION

I will conclude this message with some words of advice to all God’s people:

1. Believe that if you seek to walk in a way pleasing to God, then you will meet with many
temptations from the evil one.

2. The first day that you enter into Christ’s congregation, watch out for the temptations.

3. When the temptations come, beg God to carry you through them.

4. Be suspicious of your own heart, that it does not deceive you into thinking that you are more holy than you are.

5. Beware of the flatteries of false brethren.

6. Walk continually in the Word—the life and power of truth.

7. Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

8. Watch out for the “little” sins.

9. Keep the promise of eternal life warm in your heart.

10. Renew your faith in the blood of Christ.

11. Honor those who are doing the blessed work of God in your generation.

12. Follow after and emulate the godly Christians of your generation.

Grace be with you. Amen.

TERMINOLOGY: To be “anointed” is, among other things, to be made sacred (consecrated); to be set apart and dedicated to serve God; to be endowed with enabling gifts and grace; to be divinely designated, inaugurated, or chosen for some purpose. We know this subject is important to God because the words anoint, anointed, and anointing appear in more than 150 Spirit-inspired Bible verses, including 22 New Testament Scriptures. Indeed, the English word anoint derives from the ancient Latin inunctus, meaning “smear with oil.”

CONNECTION TO OIL: The Bible Dictionary mentions only two types of anointing: with oil or the Holy Ghost. In short, anointing and oil are much more integrally related than most people realize, which explains why Bible translators sometimes use anoint and oil interchangeably as synonymous verbs (e.g., Isa. 21:5).

THE ANOINTED ONE: Both the ancient Hebrew form of Messiah and the ancient Greek form of Christ literally mean “anointed”; thus, “Jesus Christ” is more accurately rendered “Jesus the Anointed” (or as “Jesus, the Anointed One”, or “Jesus, His Anointed”). This is one of the reasons our Savior first publicly announced Himself as the divine Messiah [Luke 4:18] by quoting Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of Adonai ELOHIM is upon me, because ADONAI has anointed me…” It’s why Peter and John and the followers with them, inspired by the Holy Spirit, publicly refer to Jesus (Yeshua) as the “Anointed One” [Acts 4:26, NIV] and NKJ, NIV, and NAS Biblical versions translate: “Your holy Servant Jesus, whom you anointed”.

WHY FRAGRANT OIL: God is obviously a lover of sweet-smelling fragrances and perfumes since those words (or forms of them) appear 41 times and 35 times, respectively. Spices – in the context of anointing oils, perfume, food, and incense – are mentioned throughout the Bible: 16 verses containing frankincense, 17 with myrrh, five with spikenard, and many others featuring cinnamon, cassia, calamus, camphor, stacte, aloes, onycha, cedar, honey, hyssop, henna, mandrakes, pomegranates, lilies, roses, and saffron. Our faith is deepened and we are enriched and brought closer to God as we begin to study and understand the spiritual meaning of these exotic biblical fragrances.

FIRST SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE: The great Hebrew patriarch Jacob (divinely renamed “Israel”) makes a sacred vow to God after anointing a stone pillar by pouring oil on top of it [Gen. 28:16-22; 31:13; 35:14]. Jacob names the pillar’s locale “Bethel” (or Beit-El, meaning “House of God.) The editors of the Ryrie Study Bible comment that by pouring this anointing oil, Jacob “consecrated” the pillar, thereby rendering it an altar holy unto God.

THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL: In Exodus chapter 30:30-34, the LORD tells Moses to make a very special and “holy anointing oil” of “the finest of spices”, including “flowing (liquid) myrrh”, “sweet-smelling cinnamon”, “fragrant cane”, “cassia”, and “olive oil”. This highly perfumed oil was used to consecrate (set apart) the articles used in Temple worship, including the ark of the testimony, the holy tabernacle, and all its furnishings, which made them “Holy” (Kadosh in Hebrew) unto the Lord. This word Kadosh, meaning “set-apart”, is written on all of ABBA’s anointing oils. However, Yahweh gives an admonition NOT to reproduce the exact formula or use it on ordinary humans—an admonition that ABBA takes seriously. (We do not attempt in any way to reproduce this formula).

THE LAMPSTAND: In Biblical times light was usually provided by oil lamps (or menorahs, a Hebrew word translated “lampstands”, “lamps”, or, less accurately, “candlesticks”). Often made of clay, brass, silver, or gold, these simple “lamps” slowly burned oil – typically olive oil. This explains verses such as Exodus 27:20 (“…order the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, to keep a lamp burning continually”); Exodus 35:14 (“…the menorah for the light, … and the oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense…”); and Exodus 35:28 (“…oil for the light, and for the anointing oil…”). It also deepens our understanding of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins [Mat. 25:1-12].

PRIESTS: In Exodus, the LORD identifies anointing oil as an acceptable offering unto Him [Ex. 25:6]. Furthermore, He directs that Aaron and his sons be anointed, consecrated, and sanctified as holy priests to minister unto Him [Ex. 28:41 and that Aaron be anointed as Israel’s High Priest through the pouring of anointing oil on his head and garments [Ex. 29:7,21,29]. (Psalm 133:1-2: compare harmonious brotherhood to “fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard of Aaron…”).

KINGS: In Scripture’s first kingly anointing, the prophet Samuel pours oil on the head of King Saul [1Sa. 10:1].

DAVID’S ANOINTING: David, the “man after God’s own heart,” is officially anointed with oil (by others) not once but three times [1Sa. 16:12-13; 2Sa. 2:4; 2Sa. 5:3]. In Psalm 23:5, he says to God, “You anoint my head with oil.” This is confirmed by Psalm 89:20-21, wherein God declares, “I have found David my servant and anointed him with My holy oil. My hand will always be with him.” In addition, David anoints himself while trying to shake off grief over the death of his child and just before entering the Temple to worship God [2Sa. 12:20].

QUEEN ESTHER & OIL OF MYRRH: In Esther’s era any Queen-to-be had to undergo a year of preparations prior to coronation [Est. 2:3, 6-13]. Esther underwent “a six-month treatment with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and other aloes”. One translation states it as “…with olive oil and myrrh…” In ancient times, the average woman’s perfume was her anointing oil.

MARY OF BETHANY & SPIKENARD OIL: One of Scripture’s most poignant, bittersweet scenes [Mat. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:3-5] memorializes Mary of Bethany: A woman with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume (pure spikenard oil worth an average laborer’s annual wage) approaches Yeshua, breaks the jar, and begins pouring the precious oil over His head and feet. As the house fills with the oil’s pungent fragrance, the Lord says to those nearby: “She has done a beautiful thing for me…She poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial…I tell you that throughout the whole world…what she has done will be told in her memory.” Obviously, our Lord was deeply touched by Mary’s unselfish, thoughtful, heartfelt, sacrificial expression of devotion and profound love. Some Bible commentators deem Mary’s faithful act as the utmost example of what God desires in believers.

FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH: The “Magi from the east” honored the child Messiah with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh [Mat. 2:11]. The gospels recount that before His death, Yeshua (Jesus) was offered myrrh mixed with wine, which He refused, and that after His death His body was treated with “a mixture of myrrh and aloes.” Frankincense has come to be associated with Messiah’s role as our intercessor (the bowl of incense in Rev 5:8 is frankincense, representing the prayers of the saints), myrrh with His suffering and death. In Song of Songs the writer refers to the bridegroom (Yeshua) as “who is He coming in a pillar of smoke smelling of myrrh & frankincense?” Many have suggested that the gold, frankincense, and myrrh represent the three roles of Yeshua respectively: King, Priest and Prophet.

FRAGRANCE OF MESSIAH: The apostle Paul writes: “…thanks be to God, who in the Messiah constantly leads us in a triumphal procession and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of what it means to know Him! For to God we are the aroma of the Messiah, both among those being saved and among those being lost; to the latter, we are the smell of death leading only to more death; but to the former, we are the sweet smell of life leading to more life.” [2Co. 2:14-16]

YESHUA’S COMMAND: According to Revelation 3:18 (NAS), Yeshua Himself says to the believing community in Laodicea: “I advise you to buy from Me gold…white garments…and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.” Speaking of “white garments”, consider the advice of King Solomon: “Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.” [Ecc. 9:8, NIV]

BELIEVERS ARE ANOINTED: Believers are “in Yeshua”(Jesus) and He is “in us”; thus we, too, have been and are divinely anointed, as affirmed by both 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (“…it is God who sets…us…in firm union with the Messiah; He has anointed us, put His seal on us, and given us His Spirit”) and 1 John 2:20, 27 (“…you have received the Messiah’s anointing…the Messianic anointing you received from the Father remains in you…His Messianic anointing continues to teach you about all things…so remain united with Him.”) So, whether or not you use anointing oil, you’re already one of God’s anointed!

OTHERS CAN & SHOULD BE ANOINTED: Some believe oil should be used to anoint only kings and priests; according to Scripture, however, believers in Yeshua as the divine Son of God and as their Savior and Lord are “priests” [1Pe. 2:5,9]; they are kings (by virtue of having the King of Kings “in them” [Gal. 2:20]); and they may justifiably view their being anointed with oil as a physical manifestation of their being filled continuously with the Holy Spirit [1Jn. 2:20; 2Co. 1:21-22]. Indeed, according to most Bible scholars, in God’s Word anointing oil typically symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, “ordinary” ancient Israelites anointed themselves and each other with oil [Ruth 3:3; 2Ch. 28:15; Dan. 10:3; Amos 6:6], and the B’rit Hadashah (Hebrew forNew Covenant) actually directs “ordinary believers” to do this [Mat. 6:17; James 5:14].

WHY & WHEN TO USE BIBLICAL FRAGRANT OIL TODAY:

· As an act of consecration and dedication, a setting apart for a special purpose in God’s kingdom. Houses, structures, articles of worship, clothing and people can be anointed as a sign of consecration to God. Consider anointing yourself every morning, praying Scriptures over your mind, heart, ears, eyes, hands and feet. It WILL change your day!!

· As the Priests of the home, husbands are encouraged to anoint their wives and children for consecration, protection, peace, pronouncing a blessing upon them as did the Fathers of Old!!

· As a preparation to bible study, devotional time, fasting, and praise and worship

· In times of sickness, fear, anxiety, oppression of the enemy, end of mourning, ALSO in foot-washing ceremonies

· As bath oil—the olive oil is great for your skin and the fragrance is divine!

ALL OF ABBA’S ANOINTING OILS AREMADE FROM EXTRA-VIRGIN, KOSHER OLIVE OIL FROM ISRAEL, BLENDED WITH PURE ESSENTIAL OILS AND SPICES, USING SOME OF THE SAME APOTHECARY METHODS AS IN BIBLICAL DAYS.

Frankincense: used on the Altar of Incense in temple times, one of the 3 gifts brought to Messiah (intercession) Song of Songs 3:6, Isaiah 53:5, Hebrews 3:24

Myrrh: Queen Esther bathed in oil of myrrh for six months before her presentation to the King (purification, dying to self, and preparation for the KING) Esther 2:12, Song of Songs 1:13

“Holy Fire”/Hyssop: exotic Biblical plant used in cleansing rituals and in certain sacrifices of the Hebrews (cleansing, purification) Psalm 51:7

Cedars of Lebanon: fragrant wood used to build Temple and also to anoint a restored leper’s house (strength, permanence, wholeness, restoration) Psalm 92:12

Pomegranate: highly prized fruit from ancient times, its motif was used to decorate the temple and was embroidered on high priest’s garment (fruitfulness, abundance, blessings, favor of God) Numbers 13:23

Spikenard: fragrant oil used by Mary to anoint head & feet of Jesus (intimacy, extravagant worship) John 12:2-3

Rose of Sharon: flower depicting the beloved (beauty of the bride) Song of Songs 2:1

Lily of the Valley: white delicate flower (honor & purity of heart) Song of Songs 2:1

“Sanctify them through Your truth” John 17:17

“This is the will of God, even your sanctification” 1 Thessalonians 4:3

The subject of sanctification is one which many, I fear, dislike exceedingly. Some even turn from it with scorn and disdain. The very last thing they would like is to be a “saint” or a “sanctified” man. Yet the subject does not deserve to be treated in this way. It is not an enemy — but a friend.

It is a subject of the utmost importance to our souls. If the Bible is true, it is certain that unless we are “sanctified,” we shall not be saved. There are three things which, according to the Bible, are absolutely necessary to the salvation of every man and woman in Christendom. These three are . . .
justification,
regeneration and
sanctification.

All three meet in every child of God — he is both born again, and justified, and sanctified. He who lacks any one of these three things, is not a true Christian in the sight of God and, dying in that condition, will not be found in Heaven and glorified in the last day.

It is a subject which is peculiarly seasonable in the present day. Strange doctrines have risen up of late upon the whole subject of sanctification. Some appear to confound it with justification. Others fritter it away to nothing, under the presence of zeal for free grace, and practically neglect it altogether. Others are so much afraid of “works” being made a part of justification — that they can hardly find any place at all for “works” in their religion. Others set up a wrong standard of sanctification before their eyes and, failing to attain it, waste their lives in repeated moves from church to church, chapel to chapel and sect to sect — in the vain hope that they will find what they want. In a day like this, a calm examination of the subject, as a great leading doctrine of the gospel, may be of great use to our souls.

Now let us consider . . .
the true nature of sanctification,
its visible marks, and
how it is compared to and contrasted with justification.

If, unhappily, the reader is one of those who cares for nothing but this world, and makes no profession of religion — I cannot expect him to take much interest in what I am writing. You will probably think it an affair of “words and names” and nice questions, about which it matters nothing what you hold and believe. But if you are a thoughtful, reasonable, sensible Christian, I venture to say that you will find it worthwhile to have some clear ideas about sanctification.

1. The NATURE of sanctification. Sanctification is that inward spiritual work which the Lord Jesus Christ works in a man by the Holy Spirit, when He calls him to be a true believer. He not only washes him from his sins in His own blood — but He also . . .
separates him from his natural love of sin and the world,
puts a new principle in his heart and
makes him practically godly in life.

The instrument by which the Spirit effects this work is generally the Word of God, though He sometimes uses afflictions and providential visitations “without the Word” (1 Peter 3:1). The subject of this work of Christ by His Spirit is called in Scripture a “sanctified” man.

He who supposes that Jesus Christ only lived and died and rose again in order to provide justification and forgiveness of sins for His people, has yet much to learn. Whether he knows it or not, he is dishonoring our blessed Lord and making Him only a half Savior. The Lord Jesus has undertaken everything that His people’s souls require: not only to deliver them from the guilt of their sins, by His atoning death; but from the dominion of their sins, by placing in their hearts the Holy Spirit; not only to justify them — but also to sanctify them. He is, thus, not only their “righteousness,” but their “sanctification” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Let us hear what the Bible says: “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified.” “Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it.” “Christ . . . gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” “Christ . . . bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.” Christ “has . . . reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamably and unreproveable in His sight” (John 17:19; Ephesians 5:25, 26; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; Colossians 1:22).

Let the meaning of these five texts be carefully considered. If words mean anything, they teach that Christ undertakes the sanctification, no less than the justification — of His believing people. Both are alike provided for in that “everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure,” of which the Mediator is Christ. In fact, Christ in one place is called “He who sanctifies,” and His people “those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 2:11).

The subject before us is of such deep and vast importance that it requires fencing, guarding, clearing up, and marking out on every side. A doctrine which is needful to salvation can never be too sharply developed, or brought too fully into light. To clear away the confusion between doctrines and doctrines, which is so unhappily common among Christians, and to map out the precise relation between truths and truths in religion, is one way to attain accuracy in our theology.

I shall therefore not hesitate to lay before my readers a series of connected propositions or statements, drawn from Scripture, which I think will be found useful in defining the exact nature of sanctification. Each proposition would admit of being expanded and handled more fully, and all of them deserve private thought and consideration. Some of them may be disputed and contradicted; but I doubt whether any of them can be overthrown or proved untrue. I only ask for them a fair and impartial hearing.

1. Sanctification is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian. “He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit” (John 15:5). The branch which bears no fruit — is no living branch of the vine. The union with Christ which produces no effect on heart and life — is a mere formal union, which is worthless before God. The faith which has not a sanctifying influence on the character — is no better than the faith of devils. It is a “dead faith, because it is alone.” It is not the gift of God. It is not the faith of God’s elect. In short, where there is no sanctification of life — there is no real faith in Christ.

True faith works by love. It constrains a man to live unto the Lord from a deep sense of gratitude for redemption. It makes him feel that he can never do too much — for Him who died for him. Being much forgiven — he loves much. He whom the blood cleanses — walks in the light. He who has real living hope in Christ — purifies himself even as He is pure (James 2:17-20; Titus 1:1; Galatians 5:6; 1 John 1:7; 3:3).

2. Sanctification is the outcome and inseparable consequence of regeneration. He who is born again and made a new creature, receives a new nature and a new principle and always lives a new life. A regeneration, which a man can have and yet live carelessly in sin or worldliness — is a regeneration invented by uninspired theologians — but never mentioned in Scripture. On the contrary, John expressly says that “He who is born of God . . .
“does not commit sin,”
“practices righteousness,”
“loves the brethren,”
“keeps himself” and
“overcomes the world”
(1 John 2:29; 3:9-14; 5:4-18).

Simply put, the lack of sanctification is a sign of non-regeneration. Where there is no holy life — there has been no holy birth. This is a hard saying — but a Biblical truth; whomever is born of God, it is written, “cannot practice sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9).

3. Sanctification is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation. “If any man has not the Spirit of Christ — he is none of His” (Romans 8:9). The Spirit never lies dormant and idle within the soul. He always makes His presence known by the fruit He causes to be borne in heart, character and life. “The fruit of the Spirit,” says Paul, “is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” and such like (Galatians 5:22). Where these things are to be found — there is the Spirit; where these things are lacking — men are dead before God.

The Spirit is compared to the wind; and, like the wind, He cannot be seen by our bodily eyes. But, just as we know there is a wind by the effect it produces on waves and trees and smoke — so we may know the Spirit is in a man — by the effects He produces in the man’s conduct. It is nonsense to suppose that we have the Spirit — if we do not also “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). We may depend on it as a positive certainty, that where there is no holy living — there is no Holy Spirit! The seal that the Spirit stamps on Christ’s people is sanctification. As many as are actually “led by the Spirit of God, they,” and they only, “are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

4. Sanctification is the only sure mark of God’s election. The names and number of the elect are a secret thing, no doubt, which God has wisely kept in His own power and not revealed to man. It is not given to us in this world, to study the pages of the book of life and see if our names are there. But if there is one thing clearly and plainly laid down about election, it is this — that elect men and women may be known and distinguished by holy lives. It is expressly written that they are “elect through sanctification,” “chosen to salvation through sanctification,” “predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son,” and “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that they should be holy.” Hence, when Paul saw the working “faith” and laboring “love” and patient “hope” of the Thessalonian believers, he said, “I know your election of God” (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 4).

He who boasts of being one of God’s elect, while he is willfully and habitually living in sin — is only deceiving himself and talking wicked blasphemy. Of course, it is hard to know exactly what people really are; and many who make a fair show outwardly in religion, may turn out at last to be rotten-hearted hypocrites. But where there is not, at least, some appearance of sanctification — we may be quite certain there is no election. The church catechism correctly and wisely teaches that the Holy Spirit “sanctifies all the elect people of God.”

5. Sanctification is a reality that will always be seen. Like the great Head of the church, from whom it springs, it “cannot be hidden.” “Every tree is known by his own fruit” (Luke 6:44). A truly sanctified person may be so clothed with humility, that he can see in himself nothing but infirmity and defects. Like Moses, when he came down from the mount — he may not be conscious that his face shines. Like the righteous, in the mighty parable of the sheep and the goats — he may not see that he has done anything worthy of his Master’s notice and commendation: “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?” (Matthew 25:37). But whether he sees it himself or not — others will always see in him a tone and taste and character and habit of life unlike that of other men.

The very idea of a man being “sanctified” while no holiness can be seen in his life — is flat nonsense and a misuse of words. Light may be very dim; but if there is only a spark in a dark room, it will be seen. Life may be very feeble; but if the pulse only beats a little, it will be felt. It is just the same with a sanctified man — his sanctification will be something felt and seen, though he himself may not understand it. A “saint,” in whom nothing can be seen but worldliness or sin — is a kind of monster not recognized in the Bible!

6. Sanctification is a reality for which every believer is responsible. In saying this, I would not be mistaken. I hold as strongly as anyone, that every man on earth is accountable to God, and that all the lost will be speechless and without excuse at the last day. Every man has power to “lose his own soul” (Matthew 26:26). But, while I hold this, I maintain that believers are eminently and peculiarly responsible, and under a special obligation to live holy lives. They are not as others, dead and blind and unrenewed; they are alive unto God and have light and knowledge and a new principle within them. Whose fault is it, if they are not holy — but their own? On whom can they throw the blame, if they are not sanctified — but themselves? God, who has given them grace and a new heart and a new nature, has deprived them of all excuse if they do not live for His praise.

This is a point which is far too much forgotten. A man who professes to be a true Christian, while he sits still, content with a very low degree of sanctification (if indeed he has any at all), and coolly tells you he “can do nothing,” is a very pitiable sight, and a very ignorant man! Against this delusion, let us watch and be on our guard. The Word of God always addresses its precepts to believers as accountable and responsible beings. If the Savior of sinners gives us renewing grace and calls us by His Spirit — we may be sure that He expects us to use our grace and not to go to sleep. It is forgetfulness of this which causes many believers to “grieve the Holy Spirit” and makes them very useless and uncomfortable Christians.

7. Sanctification is a thing which admits of growth and degrees. A man may climb from one step to another in holiness, and be far more sanctified at one period of his life, than another. More pardoned and more justified than he is when he first believes — he cannot be, though he may feel it more. More sanctified he certainly may be — because every grace in his new character may be strengthened, enlarged and deepened. This is the evident meaning of our Lord’s last prayer for His disciples when He used the words, “Sanctify them,” and of Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians: “The very God of peace sanctify you” (John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). In both cases, the expression plainly implies the possibility of increased sanctification, while such an expression as “justify them” is never once in Scripture applied to a believer, because he cannot be more justified than he is.

I can find no warrant in Scripture for the doctrine of “imputed sanctification.” It is a doctrine which confuses things that differ and leads to very evil consequences. Not least, it is a doctrine which is flatly contradicted by the experience of all the most eminent Christians. If there is any point on which God’s holiest saints agree, it is this: that they see more, and know more, and feel more, and do more, and repent more, and believe more — as they get on in spiritual life, and in proportion to the closeness of their walk with God. In short, they “grow in grace,” as Peter exhorts believers to do; and “abound more and more,” according to the words of Paul (2 Peter 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:1).

8. Sanctification depends greatly on a diligent use of Scriptural means. The “means of grace” are such as Bible reading, private prayer, and regularly worshiping God in Church, wherein one hears the Word taught and participates in the Lord’s Supper. I lay it down as a simple matter of fact, that no one who is careless about such things must ever expect to make much progress in sanctification. I can find no record of any eminent saint, who ever neglected them. They are appointed channels through which the Holy Spirit conveys fresh supplies of grace to the soul, and strengthens the work which He has begun in the inward man. Let men call this legal doctrine if they please — but I will never shrink from declaring my belief that there are no “spiritual gains without pains.” Our God is a God who works by means, and He will never bless the soul of that man who pretends to be so high and spiritual, that he can get on without them.

9. Sanctification is a thing which does not prevent a man having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict. By conflict I mean a struggle within the heart between the old nature and the new, the flesh and the spirit, which are to be found together in every believer (Galatians 5:17). A deep sense of that struggle, and a vast amount of mental discomfort from it, are no proof that a man is not sanctified. No, rather, I believe, they are symptoms of our healthy spiritual condition, and prove that we are not dead — but alive. A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience — but war within. He may be known by his warfare, as well as by his peace.

In saying this, I do not forget that I am contradicting the views of some well-meaning Christians who hold the doctrine called “sinless perfection.” I cannot help that. I believe that what I say is confirmed by the language of Paul in the seventh chapter of Romans. That chapter I commend to the careful study of all my readers. I am quite satisfied that it does not describe the experience of an unconverted man, or of a young and unestablished Christian; but of an old experienced saint in close communion with God. None but such a man could say, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22).

I believe, furthermore, that what I say is proved by the experience of all the most eminent servants of Christ that have ever lived. The full proof is to be seen in their journals, their autobiographies and their lives.

Believing all this, I shall never hesitate to tell people that inward conflict is no proof that a man is not holy, and that they must not think they are not sanctified because they do not feel entirely free from inward struggle. Such freedom from conflict we shall doubtless have in Heaven — but we shall never enjoy it in this present world. The heart of the best Christian, even at his best, is a field occupied by two rival camps, and the “company of two armies” (Song 6:13). Let the words of the thirteenth and fifteenth Articles be well considered: “The infection of nature remains in those who are regenerated. Although baptized and born again in Christ, we offend in many things; and if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

10. Sanctification is a thing which cannot justify a man — and yet it pleases God. The holiest actions of the holiest saint that ever lived, are all more or less full of defects and imperfections. They are either wrong in their motive, or defective in their performance, and in themselves are nothing better than “splendid sins,” deserving God’s wrath and condemnation. To suppose that such actions can stand the severity of God’s judgment, atone for sin, and merit Heaven — is simply absurd. “By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified.” “We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:20-28).

The only righteousness in which we can appear before God is the righteousness of another — even the perfect righteousness of our Substitute and Representative, Jesus Christ the Lord. His work, and not our work — is our only title to Heaven. This is a truth which we should be ready to die to maintain.

For all this, however, the Bible distinctly teaches that the holy actions of a sanctified man, although imperfect, are pleasing in the sight of God. “With such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). “Obey your parents . . . for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20). “We . . . do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22). Let this never be forgotten, for it is a very comforting doctrine.

Just as a parent is pleased with the efforts of his little child to please him, though it be only by picking a daisy, or walking across a room — so is our Father in Heaven pleased with the poor performances of His believing children. He looks at the motive, principle and intention of their actions — and not merely at their quantity and quality. He regards them as members of His own dear Son, and for His sake, wherever there is a single eye — He is well pleased.

11. Sanctification is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character, in the great Day of Judgment. It will be utterly useless to plead that we believed in Christ — unless our faith has had some sanctifying effect and been seen in our lives. Evidence, evidence, evidence will be the one thing needed when the great white throne is set, when the books are opened, when the graves give up their tenants, when the dead are arraigned before the bar of God. Without some evidence that our faith in Christ was real and genuine — we shall only rise again to be condemned. I can find no evidence that will be admitted in that day, except sanctification. The question will not be how we talked and what we professed — but how we lived and what we did.

Let no man deceive himself on this point. If anything is certain about the future — it is certain that there will be a judgment; and if anything is certain about judgment — it is certain that men’s “works” and “doings” will be considered and examined in it (John 5:29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:13). He who supposes works are of no importance because they cannot justify us — is a very ignorant Christian. Unless he opens his eyes, he will find to his cost that if he comes to the bar of God without some evidence of grace, he had better never have been born.

12. Sanctification, in the last place, is absolutely necessary in order to train and prepare us for Heaven. Most men hope to go to Heaven when they die; but few, it may be feared, take the trouble to consider whether they would enjoy Heaven if they got there. Heaven is essentially a holy place; its inhabitants are all holy; its occupations are all holy. To be really happy in Heaven, it is clear and plain that we must be somewhat trained and made ready for Heaven while we are on earth. The notion of a purgatory after death, which shall turn sinners into saints, is a lying invention of man, and is nowhere taught in the Bible. We must be saints before we die — if we are to be saints afterwards in glory.

The favorite idea of many, that dying men need nothing except absolution and forgiveness of sins to fit them for their great change, is a profound delusion. We need the work of the Holy Spirit — as well as the work of Christ; we need renewal of the heart — as well as the atoning blood; we need to be sanctified — as well as to be justified.

It is common to hear people saying on their deathbeds, “I only want the Lord to forgive me my sins, and take me to rest.” But those who say such things, forget that the rest of Heaven would be utterly useless if we had no heart to enjoy it! What could an unsanctified man do in Heaven, if by any chance he got there? Let that question be fairly looked in the face and fairly answered.

No man can possibly be happy in a place where he is not in his element and where all around him is not congenial to his tastes, habits and character. When an eagle is happy in an iron cage, when a sheep is happy in the water, when an owl is happy in the blaze of noonday sun, when a fish is happy on the dry land — then, and not until then, will I admit that the unsanctified man could be happy in Heaven.

2. The visible evidence or marks of sanctification. What are the visible marks of a sanctified man? What may we expect to see in him? This is a very wide and difficult department of our subject. It is wide because it necessitates the mention of many details which cannot be handled fully in the limits of a message like this. It is difficult because it cannot possibly be treated without giving offense. But truth should be spoken despite risk, and truth of this great magnitude should especially be spoken in our present day.

1. True sanctification then does not consist in mere talk about religion. This is a point which ought never to be forgotten. The vast increase of education and preaching in these latter days makes it absolutely necessary to raise a warning voice. People hear so much of gospel truth, that they contract an unholy familiarity with its words and phrases, and sometimes talk so fluently about its doctrines — that you might think them true Christians. In fact it is sickening and disgusting to hear the cool and flippant language which many pour out about “conversion,” “the Savior,” “the gospel,” “finding peace,” “free grace” and the like — while they are notoriously serving sin or living for the world.

Can we doubt that such talk is abominable in God’s sight — and is little better than cursing, swearing and taking God’s name in vain? The tongue is not the only member that Christ bids us give to His service. God does not want His people to be mere empty tubs, sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. We must be sanctified, not only “in word and in tongue — but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).

2. True sanctification does not consist in temporary religious feelings. This again is a point about which a warning is greatly needed. Mission services and revival meetings are attracting great attention in every part of the land, and producing a great sensation. The Church of England seems to have taken a new lease of life and exhibits a new activity — and we ought to thank God for it. But these things have their attendant dangers as well as their advantages. Wherever wheat is sown — the devil is sure to sow tares. Many, it may be feared, appear moved and touched and roused under the preaching of the gospel — while in reality their hearts are not changed at all. A kind of animal excitement from the contagion of seeing others weeping, rejoicing or affected — is the true account of their case. Their wounds are only skin deep, and the peace they profess to feel is skin deep also.

Like the stony-ground hearers, they receive the Word with joy (Matthew 13:20); but after a little while they fall away, go back to the world and are harder and worse than before! Like Jonah’s gourd, they come up suddenly in a night — and they perish in a night. Let these things not be forgotten. Let us beware in this day of healing wounds slightly; and crying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. Let us urge on everyone who exhibits new interest in religion, to be content with nothing short of the deep, solid, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Emotional feelings, after false religious excitement, is a most deadly disease of soul. When the devil is only temporarily cast out of a man in the heat of a revival, and by and by returns to his house — the last state becomes worse than the first. Better a thousand times begin more slowly, and then “continue in the Word” steadfastly, than begin in a hurry, without counting the cost, and by and by look back, with Lot’s wife, and return to the world. I declare I know no state of soul more dangerous, than to imagine we are born again and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, because we have picked up a few religious feelings.

3. True sanctification does not consist in outward formalism and external devoutness. This is an enormous delusion — but unhappily a very common one. Thousands appear to imagine that true holiness is to be seen in an excessive quantity of bodily religion — in constant attendance on church services, reception of the Lord’s Supper, and observance of fasts and saints’ days; in multiplied bowings and turnings and gestures and postures during public worship; in wearing peculiar dresses, and the use of pictures and crosses.

I freely admit that some people take up these things from conscientious motives and actually believe that they help their souls. But I am afraid that in many cases, this external religiousness is made a substitute for inward holiness; and I am quite certain that it falls utterly short of sanctification of heart! Above all, when I see that many followers of this external and formal style of Christianity are absorbed in worldliness and plunge headlong into its pomps and vanities without shame — I feel that there is need of very plain speaking on the subject. There may be an immense amount of “bodily service,” while there is not a jot of real sanctification!

4. Sanctification does not consist in retirement from our place in life, and the renunciation of our social duties. In every age it has been a snare with many, to take up this line in the pursuit of holiness. Hundreds of hermits have buried themselves in some wilderness, and thousands of men and women have shut themselves up within the walls of monasteries and convents — under the vain idea that by so doing, they would escape sin and become eminently holy. They have forgotten that no bolts and bars can keep out the devil and that, wherever we go, we carry that root of all evil our own hearts. To become a monk or a nun, or to join a monastery or convent is not the high road to sanctification.

True holiness does not make a Christian evade difficulties — but face and overcome them. Christ would have His people show that His grace is not a mere hot-house plant, which can only thrive under shelter — but a strong, hardy thing which can flourish in every relation of life. It is doing our duty, in that state to which God has called us, like salt in the midst of corruption and light in the midst of darkness — which is a primary element in sanctification.

It is not the man who hides himself in a cave — but the man who glorifies God as master or servant, parent or child, in the family and in the street, in business and in trade — who is the Scriptural type of a sanctified man. Our Master Himself said in His last prayer, “I pray not that You should take them out of the world — but that You should keep them from the evil” (John 17:15).

5. Sanctification is not merely the occasional performance of right actions. Rather, it is the continual work of a new heavenly principle within, which runs through one’s daily conduct in everything he does, big or small. It is not like a pump, which only sends forth water when worked upon from without — but like a perpetual fountain, from which a stream is ever flowing spontaneously and naturally. Even Herod, when he heard John the Baptist, “did many things” — while his heart was utterly wrong in the sight of God (Mark 6:20).

Just so there are scores of people in the present day who seem to have spasmodic fits of “goodness,” as it is called, and do many right things under the influence of sickness, affliction, death in the family, public calamities or a sudden qualm of conscience. Yet all the time any intelligent observer can see plainly, that they are not converted and that they know nothing of “sanctification.” A true saint, like Hezekiah, will be whole-hearted. He will count God’s commandments concerning all things to be right, and “hate every false way” (2 Chr. 31:21; Psalm 119:104).

6. Genuine sanctification will show itself in habitual respect to God’s law, and habitual effort to live in obedience to it as the rule of life. There is no greater mistake than to suppose that a Christian has nothing to do with the law and the Ten Commandments, because he cannot be justified by keeping them. The same Holy Spirit who convinces the believer of sin by the law, and leads him to Christ for justification — will always lead him to a spiritual use of the law, as a friendly guide, in the pursuit of sanctification. Our Lord Jesus Christ never made light of the Ten Commandments; on the contrary, in His first public discourse, the sermon on the mount, He expounded them and showed the searching nature of their requirements. Paul never made light of the law; on the contrary, he says, “The law is good, if a man use it lawfully.” “I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (1 Timothy 1:8; Romans 7:22).

He who pretends to be a saint, while he sneers at the Ten Commandments and thinks nothing of lying, hypocrisy, swindling, ill temper, slander, drunkenness and breach of the seventh commandment — is under a fearful delusion. He will find it hard to prove that he is a “saint” in the last day!

7. Genuine sanctification will show itself in a habitual endeavor to do Christ’s will, and to live by His practical precepts. These precepts are to be found scattered everywhere throughout the four Gospels, and especially in the sermon on the mount. He who supposes they were spoken without the intention of promoting holiness, and that a Christian need not attend to them in his daily life — is really little better than a lunatic, and at any rate is a grossly ignorant person.

To hear some men talk and read some men’s writings, one might imagine that our blessed Lord, when He was on earth, never taught anything but doctrine — and left practical duties to be taught by others! The slightest knowledge of the four Gospels ought to tell us that this is a complete mistake. What His disciples ought to be and to do, is continually brought forward in our Lord’s teaching. A truly sanctified man will never forget this. He serves a Master who said, “You are my friends — if you obey whatever I command you” (John 15:14).

8. Genuine sanctification will show itself in a habitual desire to live up to the standard which Paul sets before the churches in his writings. That standard is to be found in the closing chapters of nearly all his Epistles. The common idea of many people that Paul’s writings are full of nothing but doctrinal statements and controversial subjects — justification, election, predestination, prophecy and the like — is an entire delusion, and a melancholy proof of the ignorance of Scripture which prevails in these latter days. I defy anyone to read Paul’s writings carefully, without finding in them a large quantity of plain practical directions about the Christian’s duty in every relation of life, and about our daily habits, temper and behavior to one another. These directions were written down by inspiration of God for the perpetual guidance of professing Christians. He who does not attend to them, may possibly pass muster as a member of a church or a chapel — but he certainly is not what the Bible calls a “sanctified” man.

9. Genuine sanctification will show itself in habitual attention to the active graces which our Lord so beautifully exemplified, and especially to the grace of love. “A new commandment I give unto you — that you love one another; as I have loved you — so shall you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples — if you have love one to another” (John 13:34, 35). A sanctified man will try to do good in the world, and to lessen the sorrow and increase the happiness of all around him. He will aim to be like his Master — full of kindness and love to everyone — and this not in word only, by calling people “dear” — but by deeds and actions and self-denying work, according as he has opportunity.

The selfish professor who wraps himself up in his own conceit of superior knowledge and seems to care nothing whether others sink or swim, go to Heaven or Hell, so long as he walks to church or chapel in his Sunday best and is called a “sound member” — such a man knows nothing of sanctification. He may think himself a saint on earth — but he will not be a saint in Heaven! Christ will never be found the Savior of those who know nothing of following His example. Saving faith and real converting grace, will always produce some conformity to the image of Jesus (Colossians 3:10). “For those God foreknew — He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son!” (Romans 8:29)

10. Genuine sanctification, in the last place, will show itself in habitual attention to the passive graces of Christianity. When I speak of passive graces, I mean those graces which are especially shown in submission to the will of God, and in bearing and forbearing towards one another. Few people, perhaps, unless they have examined the point, have an idea how much is said about these graces in the New Testament, and how important a place they seem to fill. This is the special point which Peter dwells upon in commending our Lord Jesus Christ’s example to our notice: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

This is the one piece of profession which the Lord’s prayer requires us to make: “Forgive us our trespasses — as we forgive those who trespass against us,” and the one point that is commented upon at the end of the prayer. This is the point which occupies one third of the list of the fruits of the Spirit supplied by Paul. Nine are named and three of these, patience, gentleness and meekness, are unquestionably passive graces (Galatians 5:22, 23).

I must plainly say that I do not think this subject is sufficiently considered by Christians. The passive graces are no doubt harder to attain than the active ones — but they are precisely the graces which have the greatest influence on the world. Of one thing I feel very sure: it is nonsense to pretend to sanctification, unless we follow after the meekness, gentleness, patience and forgivingness of which the Bible makes so much. People who are habitually giving way to peevish and cross tempers in daily life, and are constantly sharp with their tongues and disagreeable to all around them, spiteful people, vindictive people, revengeful people, malicious people — of whom, alas, the world is only too full — all such know little as they should know about sanctification.

3. The distinction between justification and sanctification. I now propose to consider, in the last place, the distinction between justification and sanctification. Wherein do they agree — and wherein do they differ?

This branch of our subject is one of great importance, though I fear it will not seem so to all my readers. I shall handle it briefly — but I dare not pass it over altogether. Too many are apt to look at nothing but the surface of things in religion and regard distinctions in theology as questions of “words and names,” which are of little real value. But I warn all who are in earnest about their souls, that the discomfort which arises from not “distinguishing things that differ” in Christian doctrine, is very great indeed. And I especially advise them, if they love peace, to seek clear views about the matter before us.

We must always remember that justification and sanctification are two distinct things. Yet there are points in which they agree — and points in which they differ. Let us try to find out what they are.

In what, then, are justification and sanctification ALIKE?

1. Both proceed originally from the free grace of God. It is of His gift alone, that believers are justified or sanctified at all.

2. Both are part of that great work of salvation which Christ, in the eternal covenant, has undertaken on behalf of His people. Christ is the fountain of life, from which pardon and holiness both flow. The root of each is Christ.

3. Both are to be found in the same people. Those who are justified — are always sanctified; and those who are sanctified — are always justified. God has joined them together, and they cannot be put asunder.

4. Both begin at the same time. The moment a person is a justified person — he also begins to be a sanctified person. He may not feel it — but it is a fact.

5. Both are alike necessary to salvation. No one ever reached Heaven . . .
without a renewed heart — as well as forgiveness;
without the Spirit’s grace — as well as the blood of Christ;
without a fitness for eternal glory — as well as a title.

The one is just as necessary as the other.

Such are the points on which justification and sanctification agree. Let us now reverse the picture, and see wherein they DIFFER.

1. Justification is the reckoning and counting a man to be righteous for the sake of another, even Jesus Christ the Lord.

Sanctification is the actual making a man inwardly righteous, though it may be in a very feeble degree.

2. The righteousness we have by our justification is not our own — but the everlasting perfect righteousness of our great Mediator Christ, imputed to us, and made our own by faith.

The righteousness we have by sanctification is our own righteousness, imparted, inherent and wrought in us by the Holy Spirit — but mingled with much infirmity and imperfection.

3. In justification our own works have no place at all, and simple faith in Christ is the one thing needful.

In sanctification our own works are of vast importance, and God bids us fight and watch and pray and strive and take pains and labor.

4. Justification is a finished and complete work, and a man is perfectly justified the moment he believes.

Sanctification is an imperfect work, comparatively, and will never be perfected until we reach Heaven.

5. Justification admits of no growth or increase: a man is as much justified the hour he first comes to Christ by faith — as he will be to all eternity.

Sanctification is eminently a progressive work and admits of continual growth and enlargement so long as a man lives.

6. Justification has special reference to our persons, our standing in God’s sight, and our deliverance from guilt.

Sanctification has special reference to our natures and the moral renewal of our hearts.

7. Justification gives us our title to Heaven and boldness to enter in.

Sanctification gives us our fitness for Heaven and prepares us to enjoy it when we dwell there.

8. Justification is the act of God for us and is not easily discerned by others.

Sanctification is the work of God within us and cannot be hidden in its outward manifestation from the eyes of men.

I commend these distinctions to the attention of all my readers, and I ask them to ponder them well. I am persuaded that one great cause of the darkness and uncomfortable feelings of many well-meaning people in the matter of religion, is their habit of confounding, and not distinguishing, justification and sanctification.

It can never be too strongly impressed on our minds, that they are two separate things. Yet, they cannot be separated, and everyone that is a partaker of either — is a partaker of both. But never, never ought they to be confounded, and never ought the distinction between them to be forgotten.

The nature and visible marks of sanctification have been brought before us. What PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS ought the whole matter to raise in our minds?

1. For one thing, let us all awake to a sense of the perilous state of many professing Christians. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord; without sanctification, there is no salvation (Hebrews 12:14). Then what an enormous amount of so-called religion there is, which is perfectly useless! What an immense proportion of church-goers and chapel-goers are in the broad road that leads to destruction! The thought is dreadful, crushing and overwhelming! Oh, that preachers and teachers would open their eyes and realize the condition of souls around them! Oh, that men could be persuaded to “flee from the wrath to come”! If unsanctified souls can be saved and go to Heaven — the Bible is not true. Yet the Bible is true and cannot lie! What must the end be!

2. Let us make sure work of our own condition and never rest until we feel and know that we are “sanctified” ourselves. What are our tastes and choices and likings and inclinations? This is the great testing question. It matters little what we wish and what we hope and what we desire to be, before we die. What are we now? What are we doing? Are we sanctified — or not? If not, the fault is all our own.

3. If we would be sanctified, our course is clear and plain: we must begin with Christ. We must go to Him as sinners, with no plea but that of utter need, and cast our souls on Him by faith — for peace and reconciliation with God. We must place ourselves in His hands, as in the hands of a good physician, and cry to Him for mercy and grace. We must wait for nothing to bring with us, as a recommendation. The very first step towards sanctification, no less than justification, is to come with faith to Christ. We must first live — and then work.

4. If we would grow in holiness and become more sanctified — we must continually go on as we began, and be ever making fresh applications to Christ. He is the Head from which every member must be supplied (Ephesians 4:16). To live the life of daily faith in the Son of God, and to be daily drawing out of His fullness the promised grace and strength which He has laid up for His people — this is the grand secret of progressive sanctification. Believers who seem at a standstill — are generally neglecting close communion with Jesus, and so grieving the Spirit. He who prayed, “Sanctify them,” the last night before His crucifixion — is infinitely willing to help everyone who by faith applies to Him for help, and desires to be made more holy.

5. Let us not expect too much from our own hearts here below. At our best, we shall find in ourselves daily cause for humiliation and discover that we are needy debtors to mercy and grace every hour. The more light we have — the more we shall see our own imperfection! Sinners we were when we began — and sinners we shall find ourselves as we go on! Renewed, pardoned, justified — yet sinners to the very last. Our absolute perfection is yet to come, and the expectation of it is one reason why we should long for Heaven.

6. Finally, let us never be ashamed of making much of sanctification, and contending for a high standard of holiness. While some are satisfied with a miserably low degree of attainment, and others are not ashamed to live on without any holiness at all, content with a mere round of church-going and chapel-going — but never getting on, like a horse in a mill; let us stand fast in the old paths, follow after eminent holiness ourselves and recommend it boldly to others. This is the only way to be really happy.

Let us feel convinced, whatever others may say, that holiness is happiness; and that the man who gets through life most comfortably — is the sanctified man. No doubt there are some true Christians who from ill health, or family trials, or other secret causes — enjoy little sensible comfort and go mourning all their days on the way to Heaven. But these are exceptional cases. As a general rule, in the long run of life, it will be found true, that “sanctified” people are the happiest people on earth! They have solid comforts which the world can neither give nor take away. “The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness.” “Great peace have those who love Your law.” It was said by One who cannot lie: “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” But it is also written, “There is no peace unto the wicked” (Proverbs 3:17; Psalm 119:165; Matthew 11:30; Isaiah 48:22).

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