WORK.
We read in Acts xiii. 2-4, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,
_the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me_ Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and
laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being _sent forth
by the Holy Ghost_, departed into Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to
Cyprus.” It is evident from this passage that _the Holy Spirit calls men
into definite lines of work and sends them forth into the work_. He not
only calls men in a general way into Christian work, but selects the
specific work and points it out. Many a one is asking to-day, and many
another ought to ask, “Shall I go to China, to Africa, to India?” There is
only one Person who can rightly settle that question for you and that
Person is the Holy Spirit. You cannot settle the question for yourself,
much less can any other man settle it rightly for you. Not every Christian
man is called to go to China; not every Christian man is called to go to
Africa; not every Christian man is called to go to the foreign field at
all. God alone knows whether He wishes you in any of these places, but He
is willing to show you. In a day such as we live in, when there is such a
need of the right men and the right women on the foreign field, every
young and healthy and intellectually competent Christian man and woman
should definitely offer themselves to God for the foreign field and ask
Him if He wants them to go. But they ought not to go until He, by His Holy
Spirit, makes it plain.
The great need in all lines of Christian work to-day is men and women whom
the Holy Ghost calls and sends forth. We have plenty of men and women whom
men have called and sent forth. We have plenty of men and women who have
called themselves, for there are many to-day who object strenuously to
being sent forth by men, by any organization of any kind, but, in fact,
are what is immeasurably worse, sent forth by themselves and not by God.
_How does the Holy Spirit call?_ The passage before us does not tell us
how the Holy Spirit spoke to the group of prophets and teachers in
Antioch, telling them to separate Barnabas and Saul to the work to which
He had called them. It is presumably purposely silent on this point.
Possibly it is silent on this point lest we should think that the Holy
Spirit must always call in precisely the same way. There is nothing
whatever to indicate that He spoke by an audible voice, much less is there
anything to indicate that He made His will known in any of the fantastic
ways in which some in these days profess to discern His leading—as for
example, by twitchings of the body, by shuddering, by opening of the Bible
at random and putting his finger on a passage that may be construed into
some entirely different meaning than that which the inspired author
intended by it. The important point is, He made His will clearly known,
and He is willing to make His will clearly known to us to-day. Sometimes
He makes it known in one way and sometimes in another, but He will make it
known.
But _how shall we receive the Holy Spirit’s call_? First of all, by
desiring it; second, by earnestly seeking it; third, by waiting upon the
Lord for it; fourth, by expecting it. The record reads, “As they
_ministered to the Lord, and fasted_.” They were waiting upon the Lord for
His direction. For the time being they had turned their back utterly upon
worldly cares and enjoyments, even upon those things which were perfectly
proper in their place. Many a man is saying to-day in justification for
his staying home from the foreign field, “I have never had a call.” But
how do you know that? Have you been listening for a call? God usually
speaks in a still small voice and it is only the listening ear that can
catch it. Have you ever definitely offered yourself to God to send you
where He will? While no man or woman ought to go to China or Africa or
other foreign field unless they are clearly and definitely called, they
ought each to offer themselves to God for this work and be ready for the
call and be listening sharply that they may hear the call if it comes. Let
it be borne distinctly in mind that a man needs no more definite call to
Africa than to Boston, or New York, or London, or any other desirable
field at home.
The Holy Spirit not only calls men and sends them forth into definite
lines of work, but He also _guides in __ the details of daily life and
service as to where to go and where not to go, what to do and what not to
do_. We read in Acts viii. 27-29, R. V., “And he (Philip) arose and went:
and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace,
queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to
Jerusalem for to worship; and he was returning and sitting in his chariot,
and was reading the prophet Isaiah. _And the Spirit said_ unto Philip, Go
near, and join thyself to this chariot.” Here we see the Spirit guiding
Philip in the details of service into which He had called him. In a
similar way, we read in Acts xvi. 6, 7, R. V., “And they went through the
region of Phrygia and Galatia, _having been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to
speak the word in Asia_; and when they were come over against Mysia, they
assayed to go into Bithynia; and _the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not_.”
Here we see the Holy Spirit directing Paul where not to go. It is possible
for us to have the unerring guidance of the Holy Spirit at every turn of
life. Take, for example, our personal work. It is manifestly not God’s
intention that we speak to every one we meet. To attempt to do so would be
to attempt the impossible, and we would waste much time in trying to speak
to people where we could do no good that might be used in speaking to
people where we could accomplish something. There are some to whom it
would be wise for us to speak. There are others to whom it would be unwise
for us to speak. Time spent on them would be taken from work that would be
more to God’s glory. Doubtless as Philip journeyed towards Gaza, he met
many before he met the one of whom the Spirit said, “Go near, and join
thyself to this chariot.” The Spirit is as ready to guide us as He was to
guide Philip. Some years ago, a Christian worker in Toronto had the
impression that he should go to the hospital and speak to some one there.
He thought to himself, “Whom do I know at the hospital at this time?”
There came to his mind one whom he knew was at the hospital, and he
hurried to the hospital, but as he sat down by his side to talk with him,
he realized it was not for this man that he was sent. He got up to lift a
window. What did it all mean? There was another man lying across the
passage from the man he knew and the thought came to him that this might
be the man to whom he should speak. And he turned and spoke to this man
and had the privilege of leading him to Christ. There was apparently
nothing serious in the man’s case. He had suffered some injury to his knee
and there was no thought of a serious issue, but that man passed into
eternity that night. Many instances of a similar character could be
recorded and prove from experience that the Holy Spirit is as ready to
guide those who seek His guidance to-day as He was to guide the early
disciples. But He is ready to guide us, not only in our more definite
forms of Christian work but in all the affairs of life, business, study,
everything we have to do. There is no promise in the Bible more plainly
explicit than James i. 5-7, R. V., “But if any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall
be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that
doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. For
let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” This
passage not only promises God’s wisdom but tells us specifically just what
to do to obtain it. There are really five steps stated or implied in the
passage:
1. That we “lack wisdom.” We must be conscious of and fully admit our own
inability to decide wisely. Here is where oftentimes we fail to receive
God’s wisdom. We think we are able to decide for ourselves or at least we
are not ready to admit our own utter inability to decide. There must be an
entire renunciation of the wisdom of the flesh.
2. _We must really desire to know God’s way and be willing at any cost to
do God’s will._ This is implied in the word “_ask_.” The asking must be
sincere, and if we are not willing to do God’s will, whatever it may be,
at any cost, the asking is not sincere. This is a point of fundamental
importance. There is nothing that goes so far to make our minds clear in
the discernment of the will of God as revealed by His Spirit as an
absolutely surrendered will. Here we find the reason why men oftentimes do
not know God’s will and have the Spirit’s guidance. They are not willing
to do whatever the Spirit leads at any cost. It is he that “_willeth to_
do His will” who shall know, not only of the doctrine, but he shall know
his daily duty. Men oftentimes come to me and say, “I cannot find out the
will of God,” but when I put to them the question, “Are you willing to do
the will of God at any cost?” they admit that they are not. The way that
is very obscure when we hold back from an absolute surrender to God
becomes as clear as day when we make that surrender.
3. _We must definitely __“__ask__”__ guidance._ It is not enough to
desire; it is not enough to be willing to obey; we must _ask_, definitely
ask, God to show us the way.
4. _We must confidently expect guidance._ “Let him ask in faith nothing
doubting,” There are many and many who cannot find the way, though they
ask God to show it to them, simply because they have not the absolutely
undoubting expectation that God will show them the way. God promises to
show it if we expect it confidently. When you come to God in prayer to
show you what to do, know for a certainty that He will show you. In what
way He will show you, He does not tell, but He promises that He will show
you and that is enough.
5. _We must follow step by step as the guidance comes._ As said before,
just how it will come, no one can tell, but it will come. Oftentimes only
a step will be made clear at a time; that is all we need to know—the next
step. Many are in darkness because they do not know and cannot find what
God would have them do next week, or next month or next year. A college
man once came to me and told me that he was in great darkness about God’s
guidance, that he had been seeking, to find the will of God and learn what
his life’s work should be, but he could not find it. I asked him how far
along he was in his college course. He said his sophomore year. I asked,
“What is it you desire to know?” “What I shall do when I finish college.”
“Do you know that you ought to go through college?” “Yes.” This man not
only knew what he ought to do next year but the year after but still he
was in great perplexity because he did not know what he ought to do when
these two years were ended. God delights to lead His children a step at a
time. He leads us as He led the children of Israel. “And when the cloud
was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel
journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of
Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the LORD the children of
Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long
as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. And
when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the
children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. And so
it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to
the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. And so it was, when the cloud
abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the
morning then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the
cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a
month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining
thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not:
but when it was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of the LORD
they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they
journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the
LORD by the hand of Moses” (Num. ix. 17-23).
Many who have given themselves up to the leading of the Holy Spirit get
into a place of great bondage and are tortured because they have leadings
which they fear may be from God but of which they are not sure. If they do
not obey these leadings, they are fearful they have disobeyed God and
sometimes fancy that they have grieved away the Holy Spirit, because they
did not follow His leading. This is all unnecessary. Let us settle it in
our minds that God’s guidance is _clear_ guidance. “God is light, and in
Him is no darkness at all” (1 John i. 5). And any leading that is not
perfectly clear is not from Him. That is, if our wills are absolutely
surrendered to Him. Of course, the obscurity may arise from an
unsurrendered will. But if our wills are absolutely surrendered to God, we
have the right as God’s children to be sure that any guidance is from Him
before we obey it. We have a right to go to our Father and say, “Heavenly
Father, here I am. I desire above all things to do Thy will. Now make it
clear to me, Thy child. If this thing that I have a leading to do is Thy
will, I will do it, but make it clear as day if it be Thy will.” If it is
His will, the heavenly Father will make it as clear as day. And you need
not, and ought not to do that thing until He does make it clear, and you
need not and ought not to condemn yourself because you did not do it. God
does not want His children to be in a state of condemnation before Him. He
wishes us to be free from all care, worry, anxiety and self-condemnation.
Any earthly parent would make the way clear to his child that asked to
know it and much more will our heavenly Father make it clear to us, and
until He does make it clear, we need have no fears that in not doing it,
we are disobeying God. We have no right to dictate to God _how_ He shall
give His guidance—as, for example, by asking Him to shut up every way, or
by asking Him to give a sign, or by guiding us in putting our finger on a
text, or in any other way. It is ours to seek and to expect wisdom but it
is not ours to dictate how it shall be given. The Holy Spirit divides to
“each man severally _as He will_” (1 Cor. xii. 11).
Two things are evident from what has been said about the work of the Holy
Spirit. First, how utterly dependent we are upon the work of the Holy
Spirit at every turn of Christian life and service. Second, how perfect is
the provision for life and service that God has made. How wonderful is the
fullness of privilege that is open to the humblest believer through the
Holy Spirit’s work. It is not so much what we are by nature, either
intellectually, morally, physically, or even spiritually, that is
important. The important matter is, what the Holy Spirit can do for us and
what we will let Him do. Not infrequently, the Holy Spirit takes the one
who seems to give the least natural promise and uses him far beyond those
who give the greatest natural promise. Christian life is not to be lived
in the realm of natural temperament, and Christian work is not to be done
in the power of natural endowment, but Christian life is to be lived in
the realm of the Spirit, and Christian work is to be done on the power of
the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is willing and eagerly desirous of doing for
each one of us His whole work, and He will do in each one of us all that
we will let Him do.