The Arminian Magazine--Fall, 1983
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT
--Elmer Long
There are some things I would like to say in connection with the work of the Spirit. I
know there seems to be a controversy, but most of it stems from the fact that we do not
understand what people are trying to say and I would like to clear that up as much as I
could. I want to mae this clear, first of all, that I am not in defense of myself. I speak
only in the defense of the truth. I must defend the truth. The second statement I would
like to make is this: I think and let think. And I do not break fellowship with anyone who
may disagree with me. If you disagree with me today, I'll be just as friendly as I ever
was. But if you will show me a better way than I have, I will accept it. I want to back up
everything I do say by the Word of God and if that is not the truth then I want to know
what the truth is. If you can show me scripturally a better way than what I believe I
count you as my very dear friend and I will certainly accept it.
Now, to being with, I would like to say, for a number of years I had not light on
holiness, that is, what we would call a second work of grace. I think I had light on
holiness in this sense, just like all people have who are really saved. It must have its
beginning when we are converted and in my heart there was planted a desire to be holy and
live like Jesus. I strove with all the powers of my will and prayed to that end and I did
not know of a single real convert that is different from that. Now for a time when I did
get light on holiness some of the things were wonderful, but some of the things I heart
actually put a damper upon what I had.
One of the things was this: while some state it very clear that a man did not receive
the Holy Spirit when he was converted, and then those who did not state it just that
dogmatically implicate the same, for they would talk about being sanctified and the Holy
Spirit coming in to abide. The whole implication was the he had not come in to abide
before that time.
Well, this somewhat disillusioned me because i had know what God had done for others
and I could not be helped by giving up anything that God had done for me. Anytime anyone
offers you any kind of doctrine that you have less than you had to get it is not in
harmony with the Scriptures. In fact, one who is pressing toward something else is
increasing while he is doing so and it will be a great help to his soul. I would say with
John Wesley, even if Christian perfection could not be obtained it would be worth
something from the fact that we are pressing toward something beyond what we have and it
causes us to increase.
One day I began to pray very earnestly and I said, "Now Lord, if you will show me
the truth I'll not use this in any way to abuse or hurt or beat people over the head, but
I want to know what the work of the Spirit is and especially this one term the use:
"the baptism of the Spirit." they connected this as being the same as entire
sanctification. So as I began to read my Bible the first thing I'm struck with is the
meaning of the word "baptize" itself. And I thought the Bible would have as good
a definition as any. You go to the dictionary and you have a very short definition of what
it is. So I thought the Bible would give a good light on this, so I read the statement
that John the Baptist made, "I indeed baptize you with water, but one cometh after me
who is mightier than I and He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."
Then Jesus speaking of the same thing came along and said, "You shall receive
power when the Holy ghost is come upon you." I soon began to understand that He meant
the same thing that John the Baptist meant; the same experience. Then in another place He
said, "You shall be endued with power from on high. Tarry ye in Jerusalem until ye be
endued with power from on high."
I began to understand that He was talking about the same thing that John the Baptist
was talking about. Then when He made the statement, "Out of your belly shall flow
rivers of living water; this He spake of the Holy Spirit that they that believe on Him
should receive for the Holy Spirit was not yet given for Jesus was not yet
glorified." I began to understand that he was talking about the same thing that John
the Baptist was talking about. It was different phrases of the same thing and I began to
see that. And this was only different terms meaning the same thing. And when Jesus said to
some of the disciples, "There be some of you stand here that shall not taste of death
till they see the kingdom of God come with power," he was talking about that
spiritual kingdom that was righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost that would come
at Pentecost. He was not talking about something way out in the future after Jesus comes;
he was talking about that some of you alive here would live to see the outpouring of the
Spirit and this new covenant that I have made. That is what he had reference to.
Now when the day of Pentecost was fully come, neither one of the terms that Jesus or
John the Baptist had said was used, but it was meaning the same, for we read that they
were all there in one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound of mighty
rushing wind and filled all the house where they were sitting and they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost. I began to understand now that here is another meaning of the word
"baptize." The word "filled" was also added, so I saw how broad this
was.
Well, now when people saw all the actions of these people they said these people are
drunk. Then Peter got up and said, "These men are not drunk as ye suppose, but this
is only the fulfillment of the prophesy of Joel. Joel had prophesied, "In the last
days I will pour out of my Spirit." And he said under this new covenant
"whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." What he was
saying was that you would not have to go through the medium of a priest, for Christ has
become our high priest and you go personally to him without having to go through any other
on earth and that you can be saved by calling upon Him personally and God will do a work
in your heart. So, there is the word "pour" that baptize also means. So yo see
here how broad the word is.
But when I began to read the epistles I am struck with this: all believers have the
Holy Spirit! You cannot be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. "If any man have not
the Spirit, he is none of his." Then, if that is true, being baptized with the
Spirit, receiving the Spirit, or endued with power from on high is all the same thing and
all converted people have that. You may ask are all converted people baptized with the
Holy Spirit? They surely are.
Now at this time I did not know what Wesley and Adam Clarke taught about this. I think
this was about the year 1946 or 47 this began to open up to me. I didn't say much about it
for a while because I knew I would be crossing swords with about everything in the
holiness movement.
A person came to me at Clinton Camp the other day and said, "I want to ask you
this Brother Long, they tell this all around over the country and I told them I didn't
think it was so and I want you to answer so I will know. They say that you are a Calvinist
and that you went to a Calvinistic college and that you were instructed in the Calvinistic
doctrine."
"Well," I said, "I must might as well confess up. I went through the
seventh grade and never saw inside a college in my life and never been to a Bible school a
day in my life. I am highly educated having been through the seventh grade."
Now, you say, how did you find this? I saw this reading the Bible. And we would see a
lot of things in the holiness movement if we would just study our Bible, which we don't
do!
I was struck with this, that all believers have the Holy Spirit. Then I knew what I had
when I was saved. We had no doubts about it then. We prayed. We would go out and have
prayer meetings and ask God to pour out His Spirit on the people to convict them and He
would and numbers of people, scores of people, were saved. And we had never heard a sermon
about the second work of grace. Now to go on record here, I believe in a second work of
grace. And I believe God gave that afterward, but let's not discredit what God has done.
Now I saw that water baptism was always connected with the initial experience. When a
person was converted, to be received into the Church they also administered water baptism.
Now don't go out and think they were strictly immersed, for they were not. There had never
been a great movement of God where people were strict immersionists. If you doubt it is
so, I ask you to read the history of the Church. He made it convenient enough so that
people in the desert or people in the home like Paul, could receive it anywhere. The mode
is not so import, it's the thing it signifies.
So, when John the Baptist said, "I indeed baptize you with water," it was
only symbolic of the baptism that Jesus was to give with the Holy Spirit. And so it is
always connected with the initial experience, not with the second work. And so the truth
is the only way you could get into the Church was by being baptized in the Christian
faith; and the only way you can get into the body of Christ, the true Church, is that
Jesus shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Paul made this clear by saying, "By one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body," and every believer has that if he is a
true New Testament Christian.
Now right away, somebody is going to say, "Well, then if that is the case, Brother
Long, you teach that the disciples were not saved before Pentecost." But, no I do not
teach that. I believe that the disciples had enough faith to forsake their nets and follow
Jesus and that if any one of them had died they would have gone to heaven. I teach that
they did not have gospel regeneration as we have today, for it had not as yet begun. And
they were not in that state. You say, "Why do you say that?" For this reason,
the work of faith is as Paul said, "This is the Word of faith we preach, that if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." The disciples did not believe in
Christ's resurrection at that time.
And another thing is clear that the Bible says that we have the witness of the Spirit
when we receive the new birth and the disciples did not have the witness of the Spirit
then. "How do you know they didn't?" Jesus said, "At that day (the day of
Pentecost), ye shall know that I am in the Father, I in you and ye in me." But they
did not know that before. And another things is this, they did not have any clear concepts
nor believe in the atonement. And you cannot be born again apart from the atonement of
Jesus Christ. How do you know? When Jesus told of his own death, Peter said, "Be this
far from thee." This will not happen to you. He said, "Get thee behind me Satan
for thou dost not understand the things of God."
Then another thing you have to think on is this: that in a close place a Christian may
forsake the Lord if His life's in danger, for every one of them did the night He was
arrested. And that is not a good standard of New Testament regeneration. Now anyone ought
to be able to see that if you're honest. Now later on I found out that John Wesley, John
Fletcher, and all the Church fathers taught exactly this. Calvinists and Arminians both
did. You say, that sounds like Calvinism. I would like to go on record here and say that
not everything that Calvinists teach is wrong. Jonathan Edwards was a Calvinist. Charles
Spurgeon was a Calvinist. Matthew Henry was a Calvinist. If I'm fortunate enough to get to
heaven, I expect to see every one of those fellows there. They died with wonderful
testimonies. Let me go a little further with this and throw it in while I'm doing it
"up brown," We would doubtless not be here worshipping this morning were it not
for the stand the Baptists take in this country. We wouldn't have the liberty. God forbid
that I should bite the hand that feeds me and provides protection for me. The holiness
people don't have time to fight communism and the things that are taking the country over
because we're busy fighting ourselves. Where is there a holiness group today that isn't
filled with strife and division? And why do we have it? Because our people are not really
genuinely, New Testamently, converted. Strife and division is listed with fornication and
adultery. And it says they that do such a thing shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And
we cannot deny we are guilty of all that.
What is actually being taught today is this. We're telling people that they are not
actually regenerated until they have a second work of grace. Now we don't say it that way,
but that's exactly what it amounts to. For we're telling people that they don't have the
Holy Spirit when they're saved. Or we're implicating the same. Some are very strong about
it. It's getting worse all the time. but some people are getting their eyes open to the
truth. Quite a few are; it cannot be stopped. I glory in that. God, I believe, is going to
give a Holy Ghost revival. And that's why they devil's raising himself up - because this
is the last thing he wants.
Well, a person said the other day, "If I believed what Brother Long and some of
these folks preach, I'd have to say I didn't have anything." that might be the
trouble!
Now, can you take the Word of God and read the New Testament and say that all true
believers don't have the Holy Spirit? Now I know what we hedge on. Some say, "Well
you have the Holy Spirit in part." Or somebody says you have Jesus, but you don't
have the Holy Spirit. But can you divide the Trinity? The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are
not separated. You can't chop them up in pieces, can you? That is a fact. Well, you want
to contend then, Brother Long, that all believers have the Holy Spirit? I most surely do.
And I want to read to you what Adam Clarke says. I want to prove it that I'm not preaching
something that was foreign to them. This is what he says:
When John came baptizing with water, he gave the Jews the plainest intimation that this
would not suffice. That it was only typical of that baptism of the Holy Ghost out of a
similitude of fire which they must all receive from Jesus Christ. Therefore, our Lord
exhorts that man must be born of water and the spirit; namely, of the Holy Ghost, which
represented under the similitude of water cleanses, refreshed and purifies the soul.
Reader, hast thou had no other baptism than that of water? If thou has not had any other,
take Jesus Christ's word for it, thou canst not in thy present state enter into the
kingdom of God. I would not say to thee merely, read what it is to be born of the Spirit;
but pray, O pray to God incessantly till he give thee to feel what is implied in it!
Remember, it is Jesus only who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. He who receives not this
baptism has neither the right nor title to the kingdom of God; nor can he with propriety
be termed a Christian, for that which essentially distinguished the Christian dispensation
from that of the Jews was that its author baptized all his followers with the Holy Ghost.
Now I know what is preached. We tell how Saul got converted on the road to Damascus.
And then he was sanctified wholly down at the house of Ananias. Well, this is absolutely,
utterly false. Now, let me quote from John Fletcher. He said there are three states that
men go through before they are converted. That is the natural man - he receives not the
things of the Spirit of God. But then there is "he that fears God." He gets
awakened and convicted and he fears God, but he doesn't love God and he struggles with the
weight of his sin.
The third state is when he becomes the son of God and God sends the Spirit to his heart
crying, "Abba, Father" and makes him a new creature. He said Paul went through
this same thing. Paul was a very religious man; he lived in good conscience. He was a
Pharisee, and he thought what he was doing was God's service. So he persecuted the Church
because he did it ignorantly. And he thought he was doing God a service. But on the road
to Damascus, he said God struck him down and showed him he was only a painted sepulchre.
He said, "then he entered into this second stage." He was three days and nights
in the pangs of the new birth, praying for the pardon of his sins. But Fletcher said so
severe were his pains that God did not leave him there alone, for he soon sent deliverance
and he came into that place where the Holy Spirit came into his heart and he was saved and
the Lord made him a son of God. Well, friends, that has been the doctrine of the Church
through the ages.
One of the strong arguments they try to use is this phrase, "purifying their
hearts by faith." I'd like to deal with that. And it has reference to the time when
the Holy Spirit was poured out on the house of Cornelius. But, friends, this was when
Cornelius' household was saved; this was the first outpouring we have anywhere on the
Gentiles. And it was when they were converted.
You say, how do you know? Well, I take the Bible. He said when Cornelius was praying,
he did fear God and he worked righteousness. And, as Wesley and Charles G. Finney both
said, he might be in a measure accepted, but he was not a son of God. So he said,
"Send for Peter, and he'll tell thee words whereby thee and thy house shall be
saved." How dare I say sanctified if the bible says saved? The Bible says what it
means and means what it says. It doesn't need me to add a word to it. So when Peter came,
what did he preach. He preached remission of sins. Now that would be strange to people
seeking a second work. And when the church at Jerusalem heard about it what did they say?
that God had granted to the Gentiles Sanctification? No; repentance unto life! And
repentance unto life is the new birth.
Now I believe with all my heart that the epistles taught a second work of grace. And,
further, it's taught in the Gospels. And that's the privilege of all believers. But let's
not do away with the first work of grace while we do it. We have no foundation to build on
while we seek something else until we've cleared this up. Now, I deal with people all the
time and this alarms me, and I cannot tell you all that I have seen because you wouldn't
receive it. but the majority of people in the churches (Calvinistic or whatnot, and I've
had some meetings in Calvinistic churches this past year) are not in the clear as to where
they stand with God and have the clear witness of the Spirit that they are saved. And
they're being honest enough to say that. And why is this So? Why do we have such weak
converts? It's because we have not insisted on this. Now, a person doesn't have to know an
ounce of theology to have what I'm talking about. If a person knows he's a sinner, he'll
come to Jesus and plead the merits of His blood, and repent of his sins and pray until God
sends that peace into his heart and gives him power over his sin and power over his old
habits, that person has the Holy Spirit and God will help him to live the life and if he
doesn't know an ounce of theology he'll make it to heaven. It's like Brother Brush's
son-in-law said: "I was preaching the witness of the Spirit before I knew anything
about it doctrinally." He said, "I would tell people, pray till you know you got
it!" And they would and that's it. It's that simple.
Now some people are going to say, "Brother Long, all Christians have the Holy
Spirit; but it's a different thing from being baptized with the Spirit." No.
According to the words of John the Baptist, being filled with the Spirit and being
baptized with the Spirit is all the same. Now, it's impossible for you to be sound in your
doctrine and preach what holiness preachers preach about Pentecost and at the same time
say all believers have the Holy Spirit. The disciples could not have been a standard of
Christianity today; even though they were on their way to heaven and disciples of Jesus
Christ. And we have to be careful how we take Old Testament characters and make them a
standard for today. For if we do we're going to get into trouble.
One fellow said, "I don't make that distinction between the first and second
covenant that you do." Well, I said, "Then how do you interpret the Scripture in
the book of Hebrews? If the first had been faultless, there had been no place for the
second." And I said, "Do you believe that David was a Christian?" He said
he certainly did. I asked if he believed Abraham was. He said he did. I said, "Do you
believe you could do what they did and have as many wives as they did and be a
Christian?" They couldn't and you couldn't be justified and do what they did. Why?
Because you live in a different dispensation. Greater privileges, and we have greater
requirements. And there will be greater responsibilities. I think anybody ought to be able
to see that. What we need is to return to a New Testament standard of Christianity and
contend for that.
I have not gone out anywhere and militated against a person; I have not lifted my voice
against any preacher and told people not to get him for revivals. I know they're doing me
that way all over the country; that's all right. I'm not going to use the same weapons
they do because what I've got works better than theirs. When I got saved, I knew I
couldn't down my brother; I loved everybody. I love those that disagree with me. But I am
going to be just as bold in contending for the truth as they are in what they're
preaching. And if they don't want to hear, don't send for me.
I've seen a number of people, young people, really get established in grace because
they say they want the real thing. A lot of people are giving up their old professions.
They say, "I'm glad to get rid of this and know there's something better than what
I've got."
Let me read you a little something about what Wesley says about Cornelius so you won't
have any mistake about where he stood. He mentions here "thy prayers and alms will
come up before thee." He said, "Dare any man say that these were only splendid
sins or that they were an abomination before God and yet it is certain in a Christian
sense, Cornelius was an unbeliever. He had not then faith in Christ." but you say,
"Was their heart not purified by faith?" And so are all believers. As Brother
Brush made very clear last night, when a person is converted he is not only forgiven of
all his sins, but he is sanctified from all those acquired depravities that he acquired
himself. the original sin is still there. This is very clearly set forth. In most of the
places in the New Testament where the word "sanctification" is mentioned it has
no reference whatsoever to a second work of grace.
The church at Corinth, he mentioned a list of sins and he said, "Such were some of
you, but ye are washed. But ye are sanctified. But ye are justified." What did he
mean? He meant they were not only forgiven and justified, but they were cleansed from all
those things that they had accumulated. And set apart and dedicated to be God's. And that
is true of all believers.
I want in my life everything that the Bible says I can have. And I know when I began to
see this truth and I began to preach it, they said, "Well, Brother Long, you got the
standard too high." But I said, "I believe God can give me the same grace that
he gave Wesley and Finney and all the rest of them. I'm not looking to be one of them. I'm
not striving for that. I had to learn to be just me."
I knew there'd be people that I'd preach to, hillbillies and rooster-fighters, and
berry-hunters, that nobody else would touch. God didn't make me for looks; he made me for
wear. But I said I can have in my heart everything that they had as far as grace is
concerned for God is not respecter of persons and I will not be satisfied with less than
that. And I lived to prove it was so and God did that work in my heart. And he stands to
do it in your heat today if you'll let him. Now bear this in mind, you do not have to know
much theology to enjoy the fullness of God's great grace.
But if I am to be consistent with myself, if I'm going to preach that all Christian
have the Holy Spirit (and I have to preach that if I preach the Bible), then I can no
longer be consistent with myself and preach what the holiness people preach. If we believe
that men are not baptized with the Spirit until they have the second work of grace, then
we are being inconsistent if we offer water baptism to people before that time. Because
water baptism is always connected with the new birth. If Saul of Tarsus had been born
again on the road to Damascus, he would have received Christian baptism then. But the
Bible says he received baptism three days later. It said, "Arise and be baptized and
wash away they sins." It proves that that's when he was born again. And if you will
read the epistles you will find out what he was praying. He was praying during those days
that he might be found in God pouring contempt on all his own righteousness and seeking
that which is of faith. And the whole implication of the Scripture there proves that this
actually was what he was praying. And heaven was listening to him and you listen to any
sinner's prayer and he prays the prayer of repentance. He may deal with them a while, but
sooner or later they will come through.
I will give you this about Adam Clarke and his conversion. He had no light on things
doctrinally at that time. But he sought God earnestly. And I have been reading it this
week since I've been here, his biography. He tells how he went out to work and he was so
distressed about his soul. He prayed till he got so weak he could hardly stand up. And he
fell down there praying and suddenly he saw his only hope was the merits of Jesus' blood.
And it appeared to him that Christ had died for him and he could be saved from sin. And a
great light filled his soul. And his whole countenance was lifted. And so much so that his
strength came back to him. His bodily weakness was gone. He got up, but he didn't know
what had happened. but he knew he was unspeakably happy. And it was the deepest peace that
he had ever know. I think it was the second day after that that a minister, a Baptist
preacher, came and they were talking and they got to this place where he prayed and he
told about his agony and what had happened and this man took off his hat and began to
weep. And he said, "Adam, you have favor with God and He has notified you that you
are a child of God, that you have been saved, that you have been justified by faith."
In that moment he knew what had happened to him. But friends he went through the same
process that he bible speaks of. He had been united to the body of Christ, and he had
received from Christ that which had joined him to Him, and had put his Spirit in his
heart, crying "Abba, Father" and he went forth from that time to live for God a
new life and he had victory over sin.
There was a boy who went to Bible school, sang in the quartet, traveled all over the
country. He went to the altar in almost all the camps. Part of the time he would have
"victory." You'd see him and he'd testify and next time he wouldn't have it. One
of these up and down sort of things. And he heard his daddy-in-law preaching on the
witness of the Spirit. And he said you mean you can have a work in your heart and know
about it? And his daddy-in-law said, "Well you most surely can." He said,
"Well, I never had that." That's why his life's been up and down. When he found
that out then he found the answer to a lot of his problems. Our great need today, and I
believe in entire sanctification with all my heart and I advocate it, but our great need
to day is first of all we shall be clear in this one thing: Am I a Bible Christian? Do I
have gospel regeneration in my heart? And when we get that settled and build on that
foundation, you will have no trouble with the second work.
Somebody asked this question, "Why would a hillbilly like you who didn't know
anything and never went to school before, why would God show that to you?" Well, one
reason was this; I didn't have anything to unlearn. I would say this. I took a lot of
their doctrine to start with and preached it till I saw it wouldn't work. I heard all this
stuffy, different things you know, and I thought that would make good preaching. And I
tried to preach it, but when I began to be real honest with the Bible, I couldn't take it.
It was like all this stuff about the coming of Jesus. I always believed Jesus was coming
back to earth again, just as much as He came the first time. But there are so many
different phases of it, and books and charts about it, I couldn't take it all. And I began
to look for this in the Bible and I couldn't find it. Course you can't either. You think
you have. But take the Bible and don't read anything into it and don't take anything out
of it; you won't see all the things that people say is there, because you can't find it.
One lady wrote to a radio preacher who was preaching along the line of prophecy. She
said, "I want to know about this rapture business, about the Church and all."
She said, "Where's that in the Bible." He said, "You keep on searching;
you'll find it." So a couple of weeks later she wrote back and said, "I haven't
found it yet." He said, "Keep on searching." Well, I could tell her she
could keep on searching and she may be searching yet and she hasn't found it. The reason
she hasn't found it; it isn't there to find. People think that's almost blasphemy. No,
friends. We need to come back to the Word. Jesus is coming again. I believe that with all
my heart. but all these different things about His coming; we better be careful. I've
asked these people, "Where do yo find that in the Bible?" One person sat down
and undertook to show me, and when they got through they said, "Well, you know, the
bible tore my doctrine all to pieces." He admitted it! And since that time he's been
going strong with the Word. He had all these charts and all these lessons, but when he
came down to prove this by the Word, it was a different thing. And after all the Word is
what you make it bow down to. I don't know that much about it; that way I don't have to
argue about it. I just say, I tell what it will take to be ready and ask everybody to get
that and keep it and if it doesn't turn out like I thought it was and I'm saved, it
doesn't make any difference. I always liked surprises anyhow, especially good surprises.
If I'm going to get a gift, I don't like to know what's in it before I get it. I like to
guess, you know. I wouldn't think of opening a gift before Christmas time. I want to have
all those days of wonder. I still got the boy in me. I wonder what's in there. I might
kind of shake it, but I wouldn't dare open it. And there are a whole lot of things about
the coming of Jesus I don't think any of us know. For it says, "God has not put it in
our power to know the times and seasons . . . ." That's not our business. Our
business is to be ready. I want to say with Vance Havner, "I'm a
pan-millenialist." They ask him what he meant. He said, "Well, if I just live
right and stay in the will of God, everything will pan out all right when He comes."
And that's the kind I am.
RELATIONSHIP OF THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE NEW BIRTH
--L. W. Ruth, Jr.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). "For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
We begin our subject with these two verses and also would like to consider John 3:1-10
where Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, regarding the new birth.
Jesus makes it clear in verses 3 and 5 that a man can not see nor enter into the
kingdom of God apart from being born again or born of the Spirit.
Now, Jesus never used any expressions in any of His recorded conversations which were
foreign to those to whom He was talking. He talked to the woman at the well of living
water. She had come for water. He spoke to the fishermen of fishing for men and they left
their nets to follow him. From these two examples we can conclude that the expression of
being "born again" was one in use by the Jews, and especially the rulers of the
Pharisees.
Mr. Wesley says, "The expression 'being born again', was not first used by our
Lord in his conversation with Nicodemus. It was well known before that time, and was in
common use among the Jews when our Savior appeared among them. When an adult heathen was
convinced that the Jewish religion was of God, and desired to join therein, it was the
custom to baptize him first, before he was admitted to circumcision. And when he was
baptized he was said to be 'born again': by which they meant that he who was before a
child of the devil was now adopted into the family of God, and accounted one of his
children" (sermon #45, II, 3).
Nicodemus, being a teacher in Israel, should have understood this expression; however,
he asks "how can this be?" thinking entirely upon the natural birth.
It might be pointed out that water baptism is fore-shadowed by the various rites in the
Old Testament under the Laws of Purification with all the washings. In fact, the word
comes from the word used to relate to washing for purification.
John the Baptist evidently recognized that water baptism alone could never change the
nature of man, for in Matthew 3:11 he refers to Christ as One who will "baptize you
with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."
From what Jesus told Nicodemus, we would have to say that it takes more than being born
of water (that is, water baptism), to bring about the relationship between man and God,
which God has provided for. It must take a spiritual baptism, therefore, to change man's
nature and relate him to the death and resurrection of Christ. Water baptism alone would
only associate a natural man with Christ in name only, while a spiritual baptism makes us
a partaker of the divine nature.
From what has already been said, I suppose it can be seen that the expression of
"being born of the Spirit" could just as easily be stated "being baptized
by the Spirit." Other expressions, such as "filled with,"
"received," and so forth when referring to the Holy Spirit, relate to the same
experience.
To those who would object to my statements thus far, let me say to you that you need to
do some studying in the Word. Others may need to more than that. I would challenge them to
measure their lives by the Word. It just could be that they have never experienced the
"new birth" which Jesus was talking about.
To answer any question as to what this does to a second work of grace, which is
referred to by most as "being filled with the Spirit" or "the baptism of
the Holy Ghost," my answer is "absolutely nothing."
What we are dealing with is the new birth and the change affected in our lives by the
Holy Ghost as He quickens and purifies us. It is true that it is the work of the Holy
Ghost in an experience of entire sanctification, but it is also true that there is a more
thorough work wrought in the life of a believer in the new birth than the average
"holiness" preacher preaches. In fact, most of the Scriptures used to prove a
second work, actually refer to the first work. In view of this, if we would indeed rightly
divide the word of truth, we would not have as many shallow converts, many of whom are
urged to seek a second work, in order that they might be above sin. The truth of it is, we
have many professing two works, and some even three, but enjoying none, for they are void
of the Spirit of Christ.
The expression we hear used so often in our camp meetings and revivals across the
country "holiness or hell" is true, but not in the sense in which it is used. To
fail to clarify the expression leaves the listeners with the impression that the
experience which they have is not sufficient to enable them to live above sin. According
to Mr. Wesley, true "holiness" or sanctification begins at the same moment we
are justified, and while there does come a time when we feel a principle within, contrary
to God, we have also the power within to conquer; to mortify the deeds of the body
("The Scriptural Way of Salvation," sermon #43).
Romans 8:9 says that "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his" and in verses 15-16, reference is made to the witness of the Spirit with our
spirit. To those who use the expression that in the new birth the Spirit is "with
us" and in the second work "in us," I ask, please explain to me what Paul
referred to in Galatians 4:4-6, where he says "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his
Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father." Also, Romans 5:5, "The love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
Fletcher, in comparing the reformation of a Pharisee with the regeneration of a
Christian, said that regeneration can be effected by nothing less than a baptism of the
Holy Ghost, and a real participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus (Works,
4:111). Again, he states further, "You shall be baptized by the Holy Ghost for the
remission of sins, and justified freely by faith" (4:115).
In the book of Acts, we have an account of a centurion named Cornelius, who was praying
to God, and asking for help. In Acts 10, we find him assembled with his household and
while Peter preaches on "believing on Jesus and receiving remission of sins"
(clearly a message on repentance), the Holy Ghost fell upon them. They then received a
water baptism. In Acts 11, where Peter is relating this event, verse 14, "who shall
tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (read also verses
15-18). The context here definitely relates the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the case of
Cornelius to repentance unto life, another way of expressing the new birth. Please tell me
how this can be used to illustrate a second work of grace, without forcing the Scriptures
to mean differently than is recorded.
If those who claim to be "Wesleyan" in doctrine would carefully study Mr.
Wesley's sermons on the new birth, Mr. Clarke's comments on John 3, and Mr. Fletcher's
Works and sermons on the new birth, and come back into line with the Word, there would be
a vast change in our "holiness" churches, both in doctrine and practice.
Much more could possibly be said on this subject, but I leave this to those who are
more capable, with this remark: Please do not cast this aside, but if it raises questions,
please ask them, and start doing some serious thinking and studying of the Word.
SOME MEDITATIONS ON THE ALTAR CALL
--C. Marion Brown
Just what do we mean by an altar call? The design and purpose of the gospel is to turn
men from sin to salvation. That is to transform their lives and produce specimens of
Christianity. All men have sinned and have lives to offer Jesus that are marred by sin's
deceptive bondage. We, as the men, vested with the responsibility of waving the "red
flag of warning" feel, or should feel, keenly that our tactics aid rather than hinder
those in the valley of decision. The Scriptures so graphically state "knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men." With this thought in mind we
proceed with a few thoughts on the matter.
Sometimes we, as church folk, have the idea that the end justifies the means. Let's
just scrap the methods of the Methodists and use whatever enters our brains and in so
doing we will do God a service an be instrumental in leading scores to Christ; for, you
see we are acting under inspiration. There are some hitches to our madness. This has, in a
large part, produced a generation or a class of people who have become wise to our
propaganda and every time we tread over the wayside of their hearts with high-pressure
tactics we only increase their chances of always being wayside hearers.
The altar call, I suppose, is a follow-up of the "mourners bench" where the
mourners took their place near the front of the meeting house where they mourned over
their sins and received special instruction from the speaker and sought God until they
received an assurance of sins forgiven. Gospel preaching at its best is aided and abetted
by the Holy Spirit convicting and convincing men of sin. When men are shown their sins and
convicted of the same, they need not be begged, cajoled, or subjected to second rate
psychology to induce or entice them to prayer.
I have observed forty minutes of sermon and forty minutes of stories, singing, and etc.
that I seriously question how much glory that the Lord received. In fact, sometimes it
seems to make a mock of the gospel and its power and purpose. It is a far cry from the way
John Newton felt when he penned these words:
I saw one hanging on a tree
in agony and blood
He fixed his languid eyes on me
as near his cross I stood
sure, never till my latest breath
can I forget that look;
it seemed to charge me with his death
tho' not a word He spoke.
Men so convinced will seek until they find. It is full proof of the anemic state of so
much of the gospel preaching when there is so little evidence of the convincing of sin.
There have been reports of men standing in houses of worship and confessing openly
their sins as a direct result of gospel preaching anointed by the Holy Spirit, which made
men to realize that they were guilty before God. This type of conviction is not brought on
by forty minute, second rate psychology sessions to the tune of some song designed to
appeal to men's emotions. Neither is it easily shook off, for these men felt charged with
the death of Jesus Christ. Remember Peter's sermon, "this same Jesus, whom ye
crucified." They were charged with the death of Jesus Christ.
The promise left by Jesus Christ of the Comforter was, "when He is come, he will
reprove the world of sin." Let us be careful and cautious not to be a tool used by
our enemy, but move and speak as the oracles of God.
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