Chapter
Chapter 44—The Spirit-Filled Life
The Office of the Holy Spirit
1200. The office of the Holy Spirit is to take the truth from the sacred page, where God has placed it for the benefit of every soul whom he has created, and stamp that truth upon the mind.--Unpublished Testimonies, February 5, 1896.
1201. The Spirit of God has unconfined range of the heavenly universe; and it is not in the province of finite human minds to limit its power or prescribe its operations.--The Review and Herald, August 25, 1896.
1202. The juices of the vine, ascending from the root, are diffused to the branches, sustaining growth and producing blossoms and fruit. So the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from Christ, and imparted to every disciple, pervades the soul, renews the motives and affections and even the most secret thoughts, and brings forth the precious fruit of holy deeds.--Sketches from the Life of Paul, 131.
1203. Christ is our advocate, pleading in our behalf. The Spirit pleads within us. Then let us show perfect trust in our Leader, and not inquire of false guides.--Unpublished Testimonies, October 19, 1894.
1204. The grace of God takes men as they are, and works as an educator, using every principle on which an all-sided education depends. The steady influence of the grace of God trains the soul after Christ's methods, and every fierce passion, every defective trait of character, is worked upon the molding influence of the Spirit of Christ, until the man has a new motive power, and becomes filled with the Holy Spirit of God, after the likeness of the divine similitude.--Unpublished Testimonies, March 16, 1896.
1205. The Holy Spirit is the source of all power, and works as a living, active agent in the new life created in the soul. The Holy Spirit is to be in us a divine indweller.--The Review and Herald, June 29, 1897.
1206. Jesus conveys the circulating vitality of a pure and sanctified Christ-like love through every part of our human nature. When this love is expressed in the character, it reveals to all those with whom we associate that it is possible for God to be formed within, the hope of glory.--Unpublished Testimonies, June 21, 1897.
1207. Christ is to live in his human agents, and work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities. Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his Spirit, that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them.--The Signs of the Times, October 3, 1892.
1208. Wherever we go, we bear the abiding presence of the One so dear to us; for we abide in Christ by a living faith. He is abiding in our hearts by our individual, appropriating faith. We have the companionship of the divine Jesus, and as we realize his presence, our thoughts are brought into captivity to him. Our experience in divine things will be in proportion to the vividness of our sense of his companionship.--The Signs of the Times, September 3, 1896.
1209. It is not you that work the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit must work you. There is a winning, compelling power in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that makes the truth impressive.--Special Testimonies, Series A 3:14.
1210. To those who truly love God the Holy Spirit will reveal truths that have faded from the mind, and will also reveal truths that are entirely new.--The Review and Herald, August 17, 1897.
1211. Each one must fight his own battle against self. Heed the teachings of the Holy Spirit. If this is done, they will be repeated again and again, until the impressions are, as it were, “lead in the rock forever.”--Special Testimonies, Series A 7:39.
1212. As we give ourselves wholly to Christ, our countenances will reflect his image. They will be purified, sanctified, and ennobled by his grace.--Unpublished Testimonies, June 27, 1897.
1213. There is no limit to the usefulness of those who put self to one side, make room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts, and live lives wholly sanctified to the service of God, enduring the necessary discipline imposed by the Lord without complaining or fainting by the way.--Special Testimonies On Education, 120.
Characteristics of a Surrendered Life
1214. The whole person is privileged to bear a decided testimony in every line, in feature, in temper, in words, in character, that the service of God is good.--Unpublished Testimonies, November 6, 1897.
1215. As you surrender to the truth, you will reproduce the truth, a living epistle, known and read of all men.--Unpublished Testimonies, October 27, 1897.
1216. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and co-operates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practise of the life.--The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1893.
1217. When Christ comes into the soul, he brings the calmness of heaven.--Unpublished Testimonies, October 27, 1897.
1218. The Holy Spirit is his representative, and it works to effect transformations so wonderful that angels look upon them with astonishment and joy.—The Signs of the Times, May 20, 1896.
1219. When self is merged in Christ, there will be such a display of his power as will melt and subdue hearts.--Unpublished Testimonies, April 27, 1898.
1220. It is the Spirit of God that quickens the lifeless faculties of the soul to appreciate heavenly things, and attracts the affections toward God and the truth. Without the presence of Jesus in the heart, religious service is only dead, cold formalism. The longing desire for communion with God soon ceases when the Spirit of God is grieved from us; but when Christ is within us the hope of glory, we are constantly directed to think and act in reference to the glory of God. The question will arise, “Will this do honor to Jesus? Will this be approved by him?”--The Review and Herald, April 17, 1888.
1221. The Bible is full of knowledge, and all who come to its study with a heart to understand will find the mind enlarged and the faculties strengthened to comprehend these precious, far-reaching truths. The Holy Spirit will impress them upon the mind and soul.--Special Testimonies On Education, 153.
1222. As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction which logical reasoning produces; but unless the mind has become too dark to know God, the eye too dim to see him, the ear too dull to hear his voice, a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime, spiritual truths of the written word are impressed on the heart.--Special Testimonies On Education, 59.
1223. If we consent, He can and will so identify himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity with his will, that when obeying him, we shall but carry out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing his service.--The Signs of the Times, November 19, 1896.
Conditions Favorable to Growth
1224. Real piety begins when all compromise with sin is at an end.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 125.
1225. He who yields himself most unreservedly to the influence of the Holy Spirit is best qualified to do acceptable service for the Master.--The Review and Herald, July 9, 1895.
1226. Your energies are required to co-operate with God. Without this, if it were possible to force upon you with a hundredfold greater intensity the influences of the Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian, a fit subject for heaven. The stronghold of Satan would not be broken. There must be the willing and the doing on the part of the receiver. There must be an action, represented as coming out from the world and being separate. There must be a doing of the words of Christ. The soul must be emptied of self, that Christ may pour his Spirit into the vacuum. Christ must be chosen as the heavenly guest. The will must be placed on the side of God's will. Then there is a new heart, and new, holy resolves. It is Jesus enthroned in the soul that makes every action easy in his service.--The Signs of the Times, December 28, 1891.
1227. Christians must practise temperance in all things. We have no right to neglect the body and strength and soul and mind, which are to be given to the Lord in consecrated service. We are made up of body and senses, as well as of conscience and affections. Our impulses and passions have their seat in the body; therefore there must be no abuse of any of our organs.--Unpublished Testimonies, September 27, 1896.
1228. God desires that we shall have a care, a regard, and an appreciation for our bodies,—the temple of the Holy Spirit. He desires that the body shall be kept in the most healthy condition possible, and under the most spiritual influence, that the talents he has given us may be used to render perfect service to him.--Unpublished Testimonies, September 27, 1896.
1229. He shall shine through their minds as the light of the world. “To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name.” But in order that this may be, God demands that every intellectual and physical capability be offered as a consecrated oblation to him.--Unpublished Testimonies, July 6, 1896.
1230. We are to keep advancing heavenward, developing a solid religious character. The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will be proportionate to the measure of our desire and faith exercised to get it, and the use we shall make of the light and knowledge that shall be given us. We shall be entrusted with the Holy Spirit according to our capacity to receive it and our ability to impart it to others.--The Review and Herald, May 5, 1896.
1231. The more studiously the intellect is cultivated, the more effectively it can be used in the service of God, if it is placed under the control of his Spirit.--Special Testimonies On Education, 57.
1232. If men will receive the ministration of his Holy Spirit, the richest gift God can bestow, they will impart blessings to all who are connected with them.--Unpublished Testimonies, July 6, 1896.
Hindrances to Spiritual Growth
1233. The wilful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God. Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law. God will honor those only who honor him.--The Signs of the Times, June 19, 1884.
1234. No one need look upon the sin against the Holy Ghost as something mysterious and indefinable The sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of persistent refusal to respond to the invitations to repent.--The Review and Herald, June 29, 1897.
1235. Let all examine their own hearts, to see if they are not cherishing that which is a positive injury to them, and in the place of opening the door of the heart to let Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, in, are complaining of the dearth of the Spirit of God. Let these search for their idols, and cast them out. Let them cut away from every unhealthful indulgence in eating and drinking. Let them bring their daily practise into harmony with nature's laws. By doing, as well as believing, an atmosphere will be created about the soul that will be a savor of life unto life.--Unpublished Testimonies, August 25, 1897.
1236. God cannot let his Holy Spirit rest upon those who are enfeebling themselves by gluttony.--The Review and Herald, May 8, 1883.
1237. The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate with man, and affect his inmost life. Whatever disturbs the circulation of the electric currents in the nervous system, lessens the strength of the vital powers, and the result is a deadening of the sensibilities of the mind.--Testimonies for the Church 2:347.
1238. Why should we not show the attractive part of our faith? Why should we go like a crippled band of mourners, groaning all the way along our journey to our Father's house?--Unpublished Testimonies, January 12, 1898.
The Office of the Holy Spirit
1200. The office of the Holy Spirit is to take the truth from the sacred page, where God has placed it for the benefit of every soul whom he has created, and stamp that truth upon the mind.--Unpublished Testimonies, February 5, 1896.
1201. The Spirit of God has unconfined range of the heavenly universe; and it is not in the province of finite human minds to limit its power or prescribe its operations.--The Review and Herald, August 25, 1896.
1202. The juices of the vine, ascending from the root, are diffused to the branches, sustaining growth and producing blossoms and fruit. So the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from Christ, and imparted to every disciple, pervades the soul, renews the motives and affections and even the most secret thoughts, and brings forth the precious fruit of holy deeds.--Sketches from the Life of Paul, 131.
1203. Christ is our advocate, pleading in our behalf. The Spirit pleads within us. Then let us show perfect trust in our Leader, and not inquire of false guides.--Unpublished Testimonies, October 19, 1894.
1204. The grace of God takes men as they are, and works as an educator, using every principle on which an all-sided education depends. The steady influence of the grace of God trains the soul after Christ's methods, and every fierce passion, every defective trait of character, is worked upon the molding influence of the Spirit of Christ, until the man has a new motive power, and becomes filled with the Holy Spirit of God, after the likeness of the divine similitude.--Unpublished Testimonies, March 16, 1896.
1205. The Holy Spirit is the source of all power, and works as a living, active agent in the new life created in the soul. The Holy Spirit is to be in us a divine indweller.--The Review and Herald, June 29, 1897.
1206. Jesus conveys the circulating vitality of a pure and sanctified Christ-like love through every part of our human nature. When this love is expressed in the character, it reveals to all those with whom we associate that it is possible for God to be formed within, the hope of glory.--Unpublished Testimonies, June 21, 1897.
1207. Christ is to live in his human agents, and work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities. Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his Spirit, that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them.--The Signs of the Times, October 3, 1892.
1208. Wherever we go, we bear the abiding presence of the One so dear to us; for we abide in Christ by a living faith. He is abiding in our hearts by our individual, appropriating faith. We have the companionship of the divine Jesus, and as we realize his presence, our thoughts are brought into captivity to him. Our experience in divine things will be in proportion to the vividness of our sense of his companionship.--The Signs of the Times, September 3, 1896.
1209. It is not you that work the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit must work you. There is a winning, compelling power in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that makes the truth impressive.--Special Testimonies, Series A 3:14.
1210. To those who truly love God the Holy Spirit will reveal truths that have faded from the mind, and will also reveal truths that are entirely new.--The Review and Herald, August 17, 1897.
1211. Each one must fight his own battle against self. Heed the teachings of the Holy Spirit. If this is done, they will be repeated again and again, until the impressions are, as it were, “lead in the rock forever.”--Special Testimonies, Series A 7:39.
1212. As we give ourselves wholly to Christ, our countenances will reflect his image. They will be purified, sanctified, and ennobled by his grace.--Unpublished Testimonies, June 27, 1897.
1213. There is no limit to the usefulness of those who put self to one side, make room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts, and live lives wholly sanctified to the service of God, enduring the necessary discipline imposed by the Lord without complaining or fainting by the way.--Special Testimonies On Education, 120.
Characteristics of a Surrendered Life
1214. The whole person is privileged to bear a decided testimony in every line, in feature, in temper, in words, in character, that the service of God is good.--Unpublished Testimonies, November 6, 1897.
1215. As you surrender to the truth, you will reproduce the truth, a living epistle, known and read of all men.--Unpublished Testimonies, October 27, 1897.
1216. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and co-operates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practise of the life.--The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1893.
1217. When Christ comes into the soul, he brings the calmness of heaven.--Unpublished Testimonies, October 27, 1897.
1218. The Holy Spirit is his representative, and it works to effect transformations so wonderful that angels look upon them with astonishment and joy.—The Signs of the Times, May 20, 1896.
1219. When self is merged in Christ, there will be such a display of his power as will melt and subdue hearts.--Unpublished Testimonies, April 27, 1898.
1220. It is the Spirit of God that quickens the lifeless faculties of the soul to appreciate heavenly things, and attracts the affections toward God and the truth. Without the presence of Jesus in the heart, religious service is only dead, cold formalism. The longing desire for communion with God soon ceases when the Spirit of God is grieved from us; but when Christ is within us the hope of glory, we are constantly directed to think and act in reference to the glory of God. The question will arise, “Will this do honor to Jesus? Will this be approved by him?”--The Review and Herald, April 17, 1888.
1221. The Bible is full of knowledge, and all who come to its study with a heart to understand will find the mind enlarged and the faculties strengthened to comprehend these precious, far-reaching truths. The Holy Spirit will impress them upon the mind and soul.--Special Testimonies On Education, 153.
1222. As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction which logical reasoning produces; but unless the mind has become too dark to know God, the eye too dim to see him, the ear too dull to hear his voice, a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime, spiritual truths of the written word are impressed on the heart.--Special Testimonies On Education, 59.
1223. If we consent, He can and will so identify himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity with his will, that when obeying him, we shall but carry out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing his service.--The Signs of the Times, November 19, 1896.
Conditions Favorable to Growth
1224. Real piety begins when all compromise with sin is at an end.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 125.
1225. He who yields himself most unreservedly to the influence of the Holy Spirit is best qualified to do acceptable service for the Master.--The Review and Herald, July 9, 1895.
1226. Your energies are required to co-operate with God. Without this, if it were possible to force upon you with a hundredfold greater intensity the influences of the Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian, a fit subject for heaven. The stronghold of Satan would not be broken. There must be the willing and the doing on the part of the receiver. There must be an action, represented as coming out from the world and being separate. There must be a doing of the words of Christ. The soul must be emptied of self, that Christ may pour his Spirit into the vacuum. Christ must be chosen as the heavenly guest. The will must be placed on the side of God's will. Then there is a new heart, and new, holy resolves. It is Jesus enthroned in the soul that makes every action easy in his service.--The Signs of the Times, December 28, 1891.
1227. Christians must practise temperance in all things. We have no right to neglect the body and strength and soul and mind, which are to be given to the Lord in consecrated service. We are made up of body and senses, as well as of conscience and affections. Our impulses and passions have their seat in the body; therefore there must be no abuse of any of our organs.--Unpublished Testimonies, September 27, 1896.
1228. God desires that we shall have a care, a regard, and an appreciation for our bodies,—the temple of the Holy Spirit. He desires that the body shall be kept in the most healthy condition possible, and under the most spiritual influence, that the talents he has given us may be used to render perfect service to him.--Unpublished Testimonies, September 27, 1896.
1229. He shall shine through their minds as the light of the world. “To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name.” But in order that this may be, God demands that every intellectual and physical capability be offered as a consecrated oblation to him.--Unpublished Testimonies, July 6, 1896.
1230. We are to keep advancing heavenward, developing a solid religious character. The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will be proportionate to the measure of our desire and faith exercised to get it, and the use we shall make of the light and knowledge that shall be given us. We shall be entrusted with the Holy Spirit according to our capacity to receive it and our ability to impart it to others.--The Review and Herald, May 5, 1896.
1231. The more studiously the intellect is cultivated, the more effectively it can be used in the service of God, if it is placed under the control of his Spirit.--Special Testimonies On Education, 57.
1232. If men will receive the ministration of his Holy Spirit, the richest gift God can bestow, they will impart blessings to all who are connected with them.--Unpublished Testimonies, July 6, 1896.
Hindrances to Spiritual Growth
1233. The wilful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God. Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law. God will honor those only who honor him.--The Signs of the Times, June 19, 1884.
1234. No one need look upon the sin against the Holy Ghost as something mysterious and indefinable The sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of persistent refusal to respond to the invitations to repent.--The Review and Herald, June 29, 1897.
1235. Let all examine their own hearts, to see if they are not cherishing that which is a positive injury to them, and in the place of opening the door of the heart to let Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, in, are complaining of the dearth of the Spirit of God. Let these search for their idols, and cast them out. Let them cut away from every unhealthful indulgence in eating and drinking. Let them bring their daily practise into harmony with nature's laws. By doing, as well as believing, an atmosphere will be created about the soul that will be a savor of life unto life.--Unpublished Testimonies, August 25, 1897.
1236. God cannot let his Holy Spirit rest upon those who are enfeebling themselves by gluttony.--The Review and Herald, May 8, 1883.
1237. The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate with man, and affect his inmost life. Whatever disturbs the circulation of the electric currents in the nervous system, lessens the strength of the vital powers, and the result is a deadening of the sensibilities of the mind.--Testimonies for the Church 2:347.
1238. Why should we not show the attractive part of our faith? Why should we go like a crippled band of mourners, groaning all the way along our journey to our Father's house?--Unpublished Testimonies, January 12, 1898.