4. HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE GUIDANCE OF THE SPIRIT:
POSITIVE MARKS
Beloved Brethren,
The man who would attempt to define
the Spirit’s operations in the quickening or conversion of a soul, would
but betray his own ignorance, and be denying, moreover, that sovereignty of the
Spirit which is declared in the well-known words, "The wind bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit". And
yet scripture abounds with marks whereby it may be discerned who are born of
the Spirit and who are not.
So as to the subject of this letter. I
hope to be kept from so usurping the place of the Holy Spirit as to presume in
any way nicely to define the manner of His operations on the souls of those
whom He leads to take part in the worship of the assembly, or in ministering to
the saints. It may be in some cases much more direct and sensible – to the
individual I mean – than in others. But however vain and presumptuous it
might be to attempt nicely and accurately to define on such a subject,
scripture gives us ample instruction as to what are the marks of true ministry.
And it is to some of the plainer and more obvious marks that I wish
now to solicit your attention. Some of them apply to the matter or substance of
what is ministered, and others to the motives which induce us to minister, or
to take any part in conducting the meetings of the saints. Some will afford a
test to those who do thus act, whereby they may judge themselves; others will
furnish to all saints criteria whereby to judge what is of the Spirit, and what
from other sources. Some will serve to show who are Christ’s gifts to His
church for the ministry of the word; and others may aid those who really are
so, as to the important question when to speak and when to be silent.
My soul trembles to think of the responsibility of writing on such a subject.
But my comfort is that one’s sufficiency is of God, and that "All
Scripture … is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto all good works". Let all I may write be tested by this
all-sufficient standard; and if anything will not bear this test, God grant
you, beloved brethren, wisdom and grace to reject it. The guidance of the
Spirit is not by blind impulses and unintelligent impressions, but by filling
the spiritual understanding with God’s thoughts as revealed in the written
word, and by acting on the renewed affections.
In early days there were
indeed God’s gifts which might be in their use unconnected with spiritual
intelligence. I refer to the gift of tongues, where there was no interpreter.
And it would appear that because this gift seemed more marvellous in men’s
eyes than the others, the Corinthians were fond of using and displaying it. For
this the apostle rebukes them. "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than
ye all: yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an
unknown tongue. "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice
be ye children, but in understanding be men", 1 Corinthians 14: 18-20. The
least, then, that can be looked for in those who minister is acquaintance with
the scripture, understanding of God’s mind as revealed in it.
There may be this, observe, without any gift of utterance, without any capacity
to communicate it to others. But without this, what have we to communicate?
God’s saints are surely not assembled from time to time in the name of
Jesus to have crude and undigested human thoughts presented to them, or to have
retailed to them what others have spoken or written. Personal acquaintance with
God’s word, familiarity with scripture, understanding of its contents, is
surely essential to the ministry of the word. "Jesus saith unto them, Have ye
understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto
them, Therefore every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto
a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things
new and old", Matthew 13: 51-52. When our Lord was about to send out His
disciples as His witnesses, it is said, "Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the scriptures", Luke 24: 45. How often we read of
Paul, when preaching to the Jews, reasoning with them out of the scriptures.
Acts 18: 4, 19.
If the apostle addresses the Romans as able to
admonish one another, it is because he can say of them, "And I myself also am
persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with
all knowledge, able also to admonish one another", Romans 15: 14. Where the
action of the Spirit in the assembly is most definitely treated of, as in 1
Corinthians 12, it is not to the exclusion of the word. "For to one is given by
the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit", 1 Corinthians 12: 8. Where the apostle enumerates the marks by which
he and others approve themselves the ministers of God, we have mentioned in the
wondrous catalogue, by knowledge, by the word of truth, by the armour of
righteousness on the right hand and on the left. 2 Corinthian 6: 7. If you look
at what that armour consisted of, you will find truth as a girdle for the
loins, and "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God", Ephesians 6:
14-17. The apostle speaks of what he had afore written to the Ephesians,
"whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ", Eph. 3: 4. Where the same apostle speaks of the admonishing one
another, see what he mentions first as an essential prerequisite. "Let the word
of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord", Colossians 3: 16. To Timothy he says, "If thou put the
brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou
hast attained", 1 Timothy 4: 6. He exhorts him, "Till I come, give attendance
to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine … Meditate upon these things; give
thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto
thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt
both save thyself, and them that hear thee", 1 Timothy 4: 13, 15-16. In the
second epistle Timothy is exhorted thus: "And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also", 2 Timothy 2: 2.
As to himself we have
these words: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth", verse 15. Among other
qualifications of the bishop, or overseer, as they are given in Titus 1, we
have this: "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may
be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers". From
all this it is evident, my brethren, that it is not merely by little scraps of
truth, brought out whenever some impulse to that end visits us, that the church
is to be edified. (* God forbid that any should be discouraged from
ministering the least word tending to real edification. But such as are used of
the Lord thus would be the very last to suppose that theirs was the only
ministry, or that by which the need of saints is principally supplied of God.
WT)
No; they by whom the Holy Ghost acts to feed and nourish and
guide the saints of God, are they whose souls are exercised habitually in the
word of God; they "who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil", Hebrews 5: 14. As has been said, the least that can be
expected of those who minister in the church is such acquaintance with the word
of God as this. Knowledge of God’s word, however, is not sufficient. There
must be its present application to the consciences of the saints, so as to meet
their present need. For this, as some one has in substance observed, there must
be either acquaintance by intercourse, etc., with their state – and this
could never be very perfect or accurate – or else direct guidance from
God. This is true of those who are in the fullest sense, and most manifestly,
the gifts of Christ to His church, as evangelists, pastors or teachers. It is
God only who can guide them to those portions of truth which will reach the
conscience and meet the need of souls. It is He only who can enable them to
present the truth in such a way as to secure these ends. God – the Holy
Ghost – knows the need of each and all in the assembly; and He can guide
those who speak to speak the suited, needed truth, whether they have the
knowledge of the state of those addressed or not. How important, then, implicit
and unfeigned subjection to Him. One thing which would always mark ministry in
the Spirit would be the promptings of personal affection for Christ.
"Lovest thou me?" was the thrice repeated question to Peter, connected with the
injunction, as oft repeated, to feed Christ’s flock. "For the love of
Christ constraineth us", Paul says. How different this from the many motives
which might influence us naturally. How important that we should be able each
time we minister to say with a good conscience, ‘My motive for speaking
was not a love of prominence, or the force of habit, or the restlessness which
could not be content unless something were being done; but love to Christ and
to His flock, for His sake who purchased it with His own blood’. Surely it
was this motive which was wanting in the wicked servant, who hid his
Lord’s talent in the earth. Then, further, ministry in the Spirit, or
indeed any action in the assembly to which He leads, would always be marked by
a deep sense of responsibility to Christ.
Let me put it to you, my
brethren, and to my own soul as well. Suppose we were questioned at any time
after the close of a meeting, ‘Why did you give out such a hymn, or read
such a chapter, or offer such a prayer, or speak such a word?’ Could we
with a clear, good conscience reply, ‘My only reason for doing so was the
solemn conviction that it was my Master’s will’? Could we say,
‘I gave out that hymn because I was fully persuaded that it was the mind
of the Spirit, that at that juncture in the meeting it should be sung? I read
that chapter, or spoke that word, because I felt clear before God that it was
the service my Lord and Master assigned me? I offered that prayer because I
knew that the Spirit of God led me as the mouth of the assembly to ask those
blessings which in it were implored’.
My brethren, could we
answer thus, or is there not often the taking this part or that, without any
such sense of responsibility to Christ? "If any man speak, let him speak as the
oracles of God", says the Apostle Peter. This does not mean, let him speak
according to the scriptures, though this be of course true. It means, or rather
says, that they who speak, are to speak as oracles of God. If I cannot say in
speaking, ‘This is what I believe I have been taught of God, and what God
has given me to speak at this time’, I ought to be silent.
Of
course a man may be mistaken in saying this, and it is for the saints to judge
by the word of God all that is spoken. But less ought not to induce any one to
speak, or take any part in the meetings, than the solemn conviction before God,
that God has given him somewhat to say or do. If our consciences were exercised
to act under such responsibility as this, it would doubtless prevent a great
deal which does take place; but at the same time it would make way for God to
manifest His presence, as we are not wont to witness it.
How strikingly
do we behold this sense of direct responsibility to Christ in the Apostle Paul.
"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is
laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this
thing willingly" – that is, from choice, for any personal object – "I
have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is
committed unto me", 1 Corinthians 9: 16-17. How affecting his words to the same
people! "I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling", 1
Corinthians 2: 3. What a rebuke to the lightness of heart and self- sufficiency
with which, alas, we all too often handle God’s sacred word! "For we are
not as many" he says again, "which corrupt the word of God: but as of
sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ", 2
Corinthians 2: 17.
One other point I would touch upon. "God hath not
given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind", 2
Timothy 1: 7. "The spirit … of a sound mind". A man may have little or no
human learning, he may be unable to express himself in any elegant diction, or
even with grammatical propriety. All this he may lack, and yet be a good
minister of Jesus Christ. But the spirit of a sound mind he must have.
And may I now, while on this topic, mention what in other places, as
well as among ourselves, has sometimes made me very sad? I mean the confusion
between the Persons in the Godhead, which is often made in prayer. When a
brother has commenced by addressing God the Father, and has gone on to speak as
though it were He that had died and risen again; or, addressing Jesus, has
given thanks to Him for sending His only-begotten Son into the world, I confess
to you I have said to myself, Can it be the Spirit of God who leads to such
prayers as these? Surely all who conduct the worship of the saints need so much
of the spirit of a sound mind as to avoid confusion like this. No one believes
that the Father died on Calvary, or that Christ sent His Son into the world.
Where, then, is the collectedness of spirit, the soundness of mind, which
should characterize those who take the place of being the channels of the
saints’ worship, when they use language which really expresses what they
do not themselves believe – and what it would be shocking for any one to
believe!
Still reserving some other points for another letter,
I am,
yours affectionately in Christ Jesus,
W. Trotter.