The Holy Spirit in connection with the Assembly and Christian Service

The Spirit of God does not surrender His headshipin the church in intrusting to human hands any department of its affairs. Not only so, but all those so entrusted must be capable of co-operation with Him; therefore they who in His name are to administer affairs must themselves be filled with the Spirit (Acts 6. 3), so that in their ministry may be seen the ministry of the Spirit Himself.

They must be of honest repute, to be trusted for their integrity; of wisdom, to be trusted for their sagacity ; they must above all be full of the Holy Ghost, to be trusted for their spirituality. Such men of God as are fit, first to perceive and receive, and then to carry out, the mind of the Holy Spirit.

Give to the Spirit, as Chief Administrator, men after His own mind to carry out His divine policy and you give the Head competent and willing hands and feet to do His bidding.He can thus work unhindered.

Only as we obey Him and submit to His control and guidance can we have power. All His power is at the disposal of every believer who is first at His disposal. It is possible to have abundant labour and yet all in the energy of the flesh, not of the Spirit. How blessed when a man is sent forth by the Spirit and, going forth at His bidding, can say, with the holy humility of Micah, “ I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord “ (Micah 3. 8).

The personal guidance of the Spirit … leading us to expect plain indications of duty whenever we are truly surrendered to the Lord for service.

God the Holy Spirit acts through human instru-ments and can do great things, both in opening doors of faith to unbelievers and in confirming the work of faith in believers, if He finds instruments wholly entrusted to His keeping and using. The only hope of the believer or of the church for power in praying or preaching, living for God or labouring with God, is found in the perpetual indwelling and in-working of the Spirit.