THE ONLY PREREQUISITE for a seeking heart to be purified and filled—and continually purified and filled with the Holy Spirit—is a healthy appetite for God, a deep thirst for God. Remember, God forgives what we confess, he sanctifies what we offer, he fills what he sanctifies, and he uses what he fills—all through grace given to the God-thirsty soul. The 120 who gathered for prayer ten days before the Pentecost outpouring of the Holy Spirit were thirsty-hearted followers of the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. These men and women had walked with Christ during his earthly sojourn; they … Continue reading “The Spirit of Holiness & Power by Ralph I. Tilley”
Tag: sanctification
Christ in You
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27 Years ago, the Scottish evangelist Dr. John S. Logan was at a meeting of pastors where Watchman Nee (1903-1972), the saintly Chinese evangelist, was present. Logan gave the following account of the impression Nee left upon that gathering of ministers: “After speaking, Watchman Nee was fielding questions from the crowd, and one pastor asked if he could define holiness. Nee said, ‘It is the Spirit of Christ in me, plus …’ and he began to move around the room placing his hands on each pastor in succession and saying, ‘the Spirit of … Continue reading “Christ in You”
Perfecting Holiness
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NASB It would not be an exaggeration to say that the average professing Christian is more concerned about retaining his defiling habits than he is about living a life that pleases God. As long as we can go through the common religious rituals and still enjoy our sinful practices, all is well—or so we think. The modern Christian’s unwitting mantra is, “Come weal or come woe my status is quo.” Who among us, after hearing the … Continue reading “Perfecting Holiness”
Called to be Saints
The call of the Holy Spirit to follow the Lord Jesus Christ is a call to holiness. It is a call to leave; it is a call to cleave—to leave our sins, and to cleave to God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. After God made woman from the first man, Adam joyfully exclaimed, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”1 Following this human union of our original parents, God announced, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast … Continue reading “Called to be Saints”