The Communion of the Holy Spirit (6 page)

There is no comparison between the Spirit without and the Spirit within; that is to say, between the outpoured Holy Spirit and the indwelling Holy Spirit. For the outpouring of the Spirit cannot be deemed to be as essential as the indwelling Spirit. God had mercy on me in making me a minister, yet not for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but for the victorious life; though in the ministry given me I also address the matter of the outpoured Spirit. The inward Spirit together with the outward Spirit is something tremendous. But to have the external outpouring minus the internal indwelling is dangerous. The best Christian walk is to have both the inward and the outward realities of the Spirit. Once having the inward ministry of the Spirit, one should seek the outward ministry of the Spirit. If there is not the inward Spirit, it is advisable to suspend temporarily the seeking of the outward Spirit.

In the Old Testament dispensation, after the priest had put the blood upon the tip of the right ear of him that was to be cleansed, upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, he followed by putting oil upon the same places (see Lev. 14.14-17). First he applied the blood, then he applied the oil. This means that the cross must first work upon your ear, hand and foot before the Holy Spirit can help you to walk and to work. The cross gets rid of your self, while the Holy Spirit comes to live for you. For the blood to be put on the ear, hand and foot means that the blood has blotted you out and thus removed you. But then the Holy Spirit comes to stand in as your ear, hand and foot. First, the victorious life, then the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Accepting the application of the blood denotes co-death with Christ. And the work of the oil is to release the life of the Lord. Today, we expect the oil to fall upon our heads, yet having the outpouring of the oil before the working of the blood will only make us proud.

The saints in Corinth had the outward Spirit but not His inward fillings. They were carnal believers. Many have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but within they are not full of life. In such people their lives have not changed. They live like the rest of the world. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them is not linked to their inward life. A person most gifted without may not have a victorious life within. If a man’s life is unclean, the Spirit’s outside working will not cleanse him inside. But if a person has the proper life within plus the outpouring of the Spirit without, he can be a most useful man.

In the entire records of the New Testament no local assembly seemed to have been worse than the church in Corinth. Nevertheless, Paul did not negate or at tempt to blot out their outpouring of the Holy Spirit because of their inward immorality. He did not say that it was not good for the meeting there to have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He merely stated that due to confusion caused by outward gifts there needed to be some order. Though they were quite disorderly, Paul did not declare their condition to be attributable to the evil spirit. He advised them to do “all things decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14.40). This, too, must be our attitude. If some brothers and sisters among us show abnormal attitudes or manifestations, they need to be tested or helped to be orderly. We cannot judge them as outrightly wrong due to their so-called abnormalities.

Let me illustrate this. If someone should come to my room and see clothes scattered around in disarray, he cannot for this reason conclude that my clothes chest is not a chest and my clothes are not clothes. He can only say that these clothes are not tidily put away. Chaos can be restored to order. So that Paul only attempted to help set the Corinthian chaos and confusion in order. For example, he set right the order of speaking in tongues. If there was no interpreter, those who spoke in tongues were to keep quiet (see 1 Cor.14.28). Let the prophets speak one by one, he advised, at most letting two or three speak; and if there were more, let them keep silent and discern (see v.29).

First Corinthians 14 is therefore a setting in order; that is, how things should be arranged after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit has become a fact. Henceforth, we of today need to pay more attention to

1 Corinthians 14. On the one hand, we must learn to live victoriously; yet on the other hand, we must also seek the gifts of the Spirit. And thus we will maintain a balanced life.

What benefits does the outpouring of the Holy Spirit bring to us? Since the Spirit’s inward work is more essential, why do we need this outward work of outpouring? We ought to realize that if those who know the Person of the Holy Spirit indwelling within and who live a holy life were to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as well, this would enable them to share their inner holiness with others. We know many people who are rich inwardly, but they are unable to supply to others what is within them. Men may admire them and respect them, but they cannot receive help from them because the latter lack the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore consider what practical profits can result from the Spirit’s outpouring.

1. Grants the power to communicate.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit gives you the power to communicate, that is to say, to channel forth what is in you to others. People who have learned much before God and yet lack the power to share with others are enabled to distribute the riches inside themselves once they do receive the outpouring of the Spirit. Yet those who only have the indwelling Holy Spirit can be likened to a power house whose impact upon its surroundings is minimal: there may be much light in the power house; nevertheless, the entire city lies in darkness. In order to channel light to the city there must be power lines to connect the power house with the city. If, of course, there is nothing in the power house, the connection of power lines is absolutely useless. But even if there
is
something in the power house, it is still useless without the power lines. In this illustration, of course, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit can be likened to the power lines. Is it not absurd that many Christians have numerous power lines and yet they use candle lights in the night because they have nothing in them? They may think of communicating something to others, but they have nothing inside them to communicate. They are useless. Consequently, we need to be filled both within and without. By knowing the victorious life we have something inside, and by seeking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we have the power to give of that inward life.

2. Instills courage.
Some people have riches within, but they are very timid. They have to deliberate and resolve many times over before they can give testimonies. Others may have really believed in the Lord Jesus, yet they are afraid to distribute gospel tracts. For those who have not yet received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or who are afraid of such an experience, may I challenge you by asking if you are as bold as those brethren who have had the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? You may have something inside you, but you are timid. Others may not have your riches, yet they are not afraid-a trait of boldness which you do not have. I do not encourage those who are already into the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to go on a rampage; nevertheless, I do exhort those who for the first time have this experience to proceed immediately to bear witness to it because they who were formerly timid have now been given courage.

Brethren who have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit can be grouped into two categories: one category of people are thin- skinned and still timid; the other category of people are thick-skinned and unafraid. Before I received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit I would sometimes follow a gospel friend for one or two miles but dared not witness to him. I had the courage to pray and to read the Bible on the train, but I had to exert some effort to distribute gospel tracts. Once I had received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, however, I did not care anymore about the way I dressed (see below, at point 3) and I had great boldness. I could now be classified as not only being thick-skinned but as having no skin as well!

3. Removes self-consciousness.
Self-consciousness is bad for Christians. A self-conscious person is aware of his clothing, whether good or bad; he is sensitive to people’s reaction. When invited to eat out, he finds no liberty to preach the gospel to his host. When he meets a newcomer, he cannot talk to him unless he has first carefully prepared himself. These conditions exist because he always is conscious of himself. He can pray by himself in the room, but he cannot pray as freely in public as he can in his room. Before the public he has to change his tone, words and attitude for fear of displeasing men. These symptoms indicate deep self-consciousness. Such a person’s spirit is encircled by the soul, and thus he is not free.

Once there was a meeting in a brother’s sitting room. The Holy Spirit was poured forth at the meeting; everybody was set free. Such freedom is not license, but liberty of the spirit. Sometimes in a gathering, people are so cautious that no one dares to speak. God used Evan Roberts to save many souls. Many testified that he was the one person in the world who had no self-consciousness. He could laugh when he felt to laugh. He could look at people when he wanted to do so. Only a person devoid of self-consciousness can work for God. To be delivered from self-consciousness we need the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for by it we are set free.

4. Changes the atmosphere
. A man filled with the Holy Spirit can change the atmosphere. A room may be quiet, but when someone enters in, immediately it becomes noisy. Or the room is noisy, but at his entrance it suddenly becomes quiet. What was quiet becomes noisy, and what was noisy becomes quiet. A person such as this can affect the room atmosphere. Our failure to have an impact lies in our inability to bring in a spiritual atmosphere. We simply follow what others are doing. We cannot influence them, but are influenced by them. But a person who has the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is able to turn the atmosphere in accordance with his atmosphere. May we all receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we may be atmosphere-changers!

5. Can have the power to work.
In our receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we can ask for spiritual gifts and the power to work. We have no power without the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but with it we come into possession of
the
power to work for God. This makes a great difference. If we are to have power to serve, we must have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Question:
Can the indwelling Spirit be visible to others as is the outpoured Spirit?

Answer:
When you believe in the Lord, you receive the indwelling Spirit. This you know, though it is unknown to other people. The Holy Spirit indwelling us is the work of God. He cannot be seen by men. But when the Holy Spirit falls upon man, people can readily see the manifestations thereof.

Question:
Does Acts 8 mention the Holy Spirit indwelling men?

Answer:
No, it only makes reference to the Holy Spirit coming upon men.

Question:
Acts 19 records the twelve saints in Ephesus who had received the baptism of John yet had never even heard of the coming of the Holy Spirit. When Paul arrived there, he questioned them whether they had received the Spirit when they believed. They answered, “Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given” (v.2). Would they perish in their present condition?

Answer:
Theological students might answer “they would perish,” for they had not yet heard about, or received, the Holy Spirit. Therefore, at that moment they must be considered among the lost. But I say, they were saved, they would not have perished. You might ask, then, how they could be saved without their having the Holy Spirit. Well, we know they already had faith. Paul merely pointed out to them that the baptism of John they had earlier received was inadequate because it was only “the baptism of repentance, [John] saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus” (v.4).
That
was why they had not received the Holy Spirit and not because they had not
believed
on Jesus. Indeed, Paul did not even raise the issue of faith in the Lord Jesus with them. No, what these Ephesians lacked was the Spirit’s
outpouring
, not the Spirit’s indwelling of Romans 8. Furthermore, the record of Acts reckons these twelve as disciples (see 19.1b). During those days believers were disciples, and disciples were believers (cf. Acts 11.26c). Such were saved people. Hence, what these twelve at Ephesus lacked was the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them; they did not lack the Holy Spirit indwelling them.

Let me illustrate it this way. Several decades ago you and I believed in the Lord and thus received the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. Later on, we came to know and experience tongues and prophecies- the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit does not need the speaking in tongues, prophecies or the other gifts as evidence. It cannot be said that because you and I do not have these evidences of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we do not have the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit has been dwelling in us ever since the time we had believed and received the Lord Jesus.

Question
: How important is it to distinguish between the inward and outward works of the Holy Spirit?

Answer
: On the one hand, people with the inward Spirit who yet lack the outward Spirit cannot be easily recognized; on the other hand, people with the outward Spirit who lack something of the inward working of the Spirit can quickly be deceived. The latter category of people can fall into boasting about how they are able to win many souls-they even boasting over the
number
of souls they have saved-and claiming that they have no need of receiving advice from anyone. Such proud words come out of the mouth of one who has received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but who is very much lacking in a further work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. For this reason, we must pay more attention to the inward work of the Holy Spirit than to His outward work.