Monday, October 15, 2012

OPPOSITION TO THE SPIRIT'S WORK


"Beware of opposing the Spirit. Does He beam light from His Word into your understanding? Be careful what you do with this candle of the Lord that lights your mind; do not pride yourself in this new insight, or it may be snuffed out in an instant. If the Holy Spirit confirms the light in your understanding so that it sets your conscience on fire with the awareness of sin, do not resist Him. He is mercifully kindling fire in your soul to keep you out of a hotter fire in hell. But you must expect Satan-- whose house is on fire over his head-- to do everything he can to quench it; your greatest danger is listening to him. Instead, draw water freely from God's Word to control this blaze.
Satan longs for you to quench the Spirit by trying to calm your own conscience. There is more hope for a sick man when his disease is discovered than when it is hidden in the heart and cannot be seen outwardly. Satan is so afraid of losing his throne inside you that he tries to smother your conscience with carnal lukewarmness and extinguish the Holy Spirit's convicting work. But it is God's goodness, which sends these convictions to effect your spiritual delivery, and you should welcome them as much as a woman in labor welcomes every pain. Without the travail she could not be delivered of her child, and neither can God bring forth the new creature in your soul without repentance.
Sometimes the Spirit of God not only furnishes light for your mind and hell-fire in your conscience, but heaven-fire in your affections. From the Word He makes Christ so visible in His excellencies and sufficiency for all your needs that your affections begin to desire Him. These glimpses of Jesus and of God's mercy through Him are so luscious that you begin to taste sweetness in hearing of them, which stirs up further desire in you so that finally you must have the desire of your heart: "I must have Christ!"
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617

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