“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” – Acts 4:31
We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and deceptions are misleading the minds of men; and without the Spirit’s aid, our efforts to present divine truth will be in vain.
We are living in the time of the Holy Spirit’s power. It is seeking to diffuse itself through the agency of humanity, thus increasing its influence in the world. For if any man drinks of the water of life, it will be in him “a well of water springing up into everlasting life;” and the blessing will not be confined to himself, but will be shared by others.
On occasions when the Holy Spirit has manifested its power among our churches or in our schools, some have given it a mere formal acknowledgment; others have met it with unbelief and resistance; and still others have given the heavenly Guest a confined range, limiting its power and its operations. It has been looked upon as an element to be restricted, controlled. The Spirit of God has unconfined range of the heavenly universe; and it is not the province of finite human minds to limit its power or prescribe its operations. Let no one pronounce judgment upon the Holy Spirit; for it will pronounce judgment upon those who do this. . . .
The warfare between good and evil has not grown less fierce than it was in the days of the Saviour. The path to heaven is no smoother now than it was then. All our sins must be put away. Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. The right eye or the right hand must be sacrificed, if it causes us to offend. Are we willing to renounce our own wisdom, and to receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child? Are we willing to part with our self-righteousness? Are we willing to sacrifice the approbation of men? The prize of eternal life is of infinite value. Are we willing to welcome the Holy Spirit’s aid, and co-operate with it, putting forth efforts and making sacrifices proportionate to the value of the object to be obtained? (1)
Charge for the Day: Consider what “darling indulgence” hinders your religious life. Choose to cut it off so that you can lay hold of the prize of eternal life. “Welcome the Holy Spirit’s aid, and co-operate with it” so that this can be accomplished.
1. The Review and Herald, August 25, 1896