1352. The Strengthening Spirit
The Strengthening Spirit
"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Eph_3:16).
There are many places in which the believer needs help. Until we have learned the lesson of our own impotence we are not even en route to the place of victory. The passage before us has more particularly to do with that strength which enables us to comprehend spiritual knowledge.
We will never know the "breadth and length and depth and height"–of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, until we are strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man.
The Spirit will enable us, for He is the power that worketh in us, and He is able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Some special "enablings of the Spirit" will prove helpful just here.
1. The Spirit enabled the disciples to speak the Word with boldness. "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness" (Act_4:31).
The man who had trembled before a maid, when he stood in his own strength, is bold as a lion when strengthened by the Spirit.
2. The Spirit enabled Stephen to die a martyr's death, with a face shining as an angel's. "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" (Act_7:55).
What a holy boldness Stephen had! He knew no fear. He was strengthened by the Spirit until all that sat in the council, looked steadfastly on him, and saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. It was this shining testimony that had much to do with the "pricks" that goaded Saul of Tarsus.
3. The Spirit enabled Barnabas to rejoice greatly at the good work done by men of Cyprus and Cyrene, among the Grecians at Antioch. "For he (Barnabas) was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" (Act_11:24).
4. The Spirit enabled Saul to rebuke Elymas the sorcerer (see Act_13:9-10). It was the same Spirit Who enabled Paul in all of his missionary journeys, to testify concerning his Lord; it was the Spirit Who gave him help to continue unto the end of his strenuous life of service (see Act_26:22).
It is impossible to follow out all the marvelous ways in which the Spirit strengthens saints, but we can assure our hearts that there is no place, whether in service, in our daily Christian work, or in our knowledge of Him, that the Spirit will not supply the needed help.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR