John 14:17

THE INDWELLING CHRIST

‘The Spirit of … truth shall be in you.’

John 14:17

How is it that so many well-meaning people are content to live according to a low standard of religion—to live on year after year as though, like the disciples at Ephesus, they had ‘never so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost’?

I. It is often from want of thought, that fruitful source of so much evil in this life. From the mere force of habit regular attendants at church come to repeat their belief in the Holy Ghost without seriously thinking what they mean, and without allowing their professed belief to have the slightest influence on their daily lives.

II. The world’s religion is regarded by many as more comfortable and as giving less trouble, whereas the indwelling of the Spirit of Truth always interferes with the indulgences of sin, entails self-sacrifice, and brings those who follow His guidance along a toilsome road. Thus the Holy Spirit is not followed by those who think the world’s standard of religion sufficient for their spiritual needs.

III. Some of you may wish for this indwelling of the Holy Spirit when you are in God’s House, and find when you return to your homes that the devout feeling has passed away. But remember this: He Who is the Light of the World will not always knock at the door of your hearts. As the inspired writings of the old prophet Micah teach us, the work of the Holy Spirit is to make us obedient to the will of God, however much it may be opposed to our worldly desires. The indwelling of Christ leads the Christian to say from the heart—

‘Thy way, not mine, O Lord,

However dark it be.’

But if you harden your hearts and turn a deaf ear to the voice of your Saviour, you run the terrible risk of being cut off in the midst of your sins, unrepentant and unforgiven. ‘Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.’

—Rev. W. S. Randall.

Illustration

‘Many years ago it was the custom in this country for people to rise early on the morning of Whitsun-day that they might go out and pray at the moment the sun appeared above the horizon. There was a superstition that God would grant any prayer offered at sunrise on this particular day—the birthday of the Church. It is to be feared, however, that there was more of superstition than devotion in this old custom, for we know that the rest of the day was observed in anything but a fitting manner by those who professed to keep it as a festival of the Church. The Whitsun ales and merry-makings were formerly kept on this day, and in the midst of feastings and amusements there was great danger of the origin of the festival being entirely forgotten.’