General Conference Bulletin, vol. 6

Bible Study - THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

R. D. Quinn

May 17, 9:15 A. M.

The most essential thing which we as a people need is the vitalizing power of God. The Lord desires to baptize us with that power; I believe that the one leading thought and desire of every soul here is to enter into that experience. The time has come for God to finish his work gloriously in this generation; and so the essential thing is for us to know how we may individually receive the Spirit and enter into that experience; but the reception of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon conditions with which we must comply. GCB May 18, 1909, page 44.21

In Exodus 6:6 we have a statement of what the Lord desired to do for his people anciently in bringing them out from Egypt and into the promised land. When they believed God, and surrendered to him fully, they went into the promised land with the triumphs of faith. The spiritual birthright for us can claim by divine right of sonship with God. GCB May 18, 1909, page 44.22

I wish briefly to call your attention to the work of Elijah, as recorded in 1 Kings 17. It will require the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord, and from the record it is plain that his course was a path of humiliation and self-abnegation, before God could entrust him with power. GCB May 18, 1909, page 45.1

The Holy Spirit is given to those who are qualified to receive and impart it. It is not so much a question of receiving the Holy Ghost as it is a question of surrendering to the Holy Ghost already received. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” This people have a large measure of the Spirit; but we are now talking about the fulness of divine power. We should not be satisfied with one little blessing; for the time has come to do much, and this will require much power. The secret of power in the case of Elijah was in his doing all things at the word of the Lord. GCB May 18, 1909, page 45.2

Notice the case of Elisha. First, he was in earnest. He asked for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah to rest upon him. He was told that he had asked a hard thing, but the conditions were that if he should see Elijah when he was taken away, his request would be granted; that is, if Elisha was able to stand amid the devouring fire of God and to behold the heavenly transaction,—if he was pure and clean and holy enough in the sight of God to see and behold it all,—it should be so; but if not, it could not possibly be so. Elisha surrendered every sin, and would do nothing that would in any way displease God; and so it came to pass that when the chariots of fire and horses of fire swept Elijah away into heaven, the record is that Elisha saw it; he complied with the conditions, he was pure enough in the very presence of God to behold the whole heavenly transaction. The Lord, looking down from heaven to show himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are perfect toward God, baptized him with a double portion of the Spirit of God for service, and Elisha claimed it. Before Elijah got out of his hearing, he said, “My father, my father! The chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” That was the condition, and so he claimed the blessing, but he felt no different than before. I wish here to read an extract bearing on this point:— GCB May 18, 1909, page 45.3

“The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with his glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people who know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, whole-hearted consecration to the service of God, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of his Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the larger proportion of the church are not laborers together with God.” GCB May 18, 1909, page 45.4

Then the one all-important thing before us is perfection of character by the power of an indwelling Christ. GCB May 18, 1909, page 45.5

The end of all things is very near. We are in the closing hours of the last generation; but before the end there is something that is to take place,—probation will close before the actual and glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. Therefore the close of probation for every soul on this earth is nearer than the end. But probation will not close until this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to every creature under heaven; and so the glorious presentation of this truth to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people is still nearer than the close of probation. And there is something still nearer than that,—the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which alone can fit us to do the work; and so that baptism is still nearer. And there is one thing nearer than that, that must come before the fulness of the latter rain, and that is entire, whole-hearted consecration to the service of Christ,—absolute, unconditional, unreserved, and unqualified surrender. GCB May 18, 1909, page 45.6