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The Holy Spirit - Pamphlet

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The Holy Spirit - Pamphlet

Ellen G. White

1900

The Holy Spirit is a Mystery:

The Trinity:

What Is the Holy Spirit?

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Nature of the Holy Spirit

It is not essential for us to be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Spirit is the Comforter, “the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father”. It is plainly declared regarding the Holy Spirit, that in his work of guiding men into all truth, “he shall not speak of himself.” A. A. 51, 52
The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of scripture and put a human construction on them: but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden. Id.
The worldly-wise have attempted to explain, on scientific principles, the influence of the Spirit of God upon the heart. The least advance in this direction will lead the mind into the mazes of skepticism. The religion of the Bible is simply the mystery of godliness! No human mind can fully understand it, and it is utterly incomprehensible to the unregenerate heart. MYP 190
No human mind can comprehend God. None are to indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Omniscient One is above discussion. M. H. 429
No human reasoning of the most learned man can define the operations of the Holy Spirit upon human mind and characters: Yet they can see the effects upon the life and actions. The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agent. R. & H., May 5, 1896
The Comforter that Christ promised to send after he ascended to heaven is the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. In the name of these three great powers - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ. Series B, No. 7, pp 62, 63
We are to cooperate with the three highest powers in heaven,- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,- and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God. Id. 51
Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fulness of divine power. D. A. 671 - T. M. 392
The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity. Christ could not be in every place personally: therefore, it was for their interest that he should go to the Father, and send the Spiritto be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location, or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense he would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high. D. A. 669
The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. D. A. 805, G. W. 285, R&H 1-17-’93
He bade them be brave and strong; for one mightier than angels would be in their ranks,— the General of the Armies of Heaven. A. A. 29
They are to contend with supernatural forces, but they are assured of supernatural help. All the intelligences of heaven are in this army. And more than angels are in the ranks. The Holy Spirit, the representative of the Captain of the Lord’s host, comes down to direct the battle. D. A. 352
God is a spirit: yet he is a personal being. John 5:24 - M. H. 413
The Lord lives and His Holy Spirit presides everywhere. FEP 365, Ed. 132
It is through the agency of the Holy Spirit that God communicates with man. P. P. 405
The Holy Spirit comes to the world as Christ’s representative. It not only speaks the truth, but it is the truth, the faithful and true witness. It is the great searcher of hearts, and is acquainted with the characters of all. C. T. 68

The Office of the Holy Spirit:

The office of the Holy Spirit is distinctly specified in the words of Christ: “When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. If the sinner responds to the quickening influence of the Spirit, he will be brought to repentance, and aroused to the importance of obeying the divine requirements.
To the repentant sinner, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the Holy Spirit reveals the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. A. A. 52
It is the office of the Holy Spirit to reveal to the mind the character of the consecration that God will accept. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, the soul is enlightened, and the character is renewed, sanctified and uplifted. R&H, Jan. 30, 1894
He has given us His Holy Spirit, whose office is to bring to our remembrance all the promises that Christ has made, that we may have peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness. M. Y. P. 107
The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour. It is his office to present Christ, the purity of His righteousness, and the great salvation that we have through Him. S. C. 91
The office of the Holy Spirit is to take the truth from the sacred page where God has placed it for the benefit of every soul whom he has created, and stamp that truth upon the mind. H. L. 300
It is the office of the Holy Spirit to bring to mind in clear, distinct lines the words and works of Christ, that those who teach concerning the Redeemer of the world, may have power to lift up Christ before the minds of their classes.T. S. S. W. pg. 91

Results Upon the Character:

When the Holy Spirit shall do its office work, hearts of stone will become hearts of flesh, and Satan will not work through them to counteract the work that Christ came to earth to do. C. H. Pg. 500
In describing to his disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart.... the Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail.... It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the Divine nature. Christ has given His spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church. The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace to the world. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. D. A. pg.671

The Promise of the Holy Spirit:

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. John 14:16,17 & 16:7
Just prior to His leaving His disciples for the heavenly courts, Jesus encouraged them with the promise of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs as much as it did to them, and yet how rarely it is presented before the people, and its reception spoken of in the church. In consequence of this silence upon this most important theme, what promise do we know less about by its practical fulfillment than this rich promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, whereby efficiency is to be given to all our spiritual labor? The promise of the Holy Spirit is casually brought into our discourses, is incidentally touched upon, and that is all . . . but the impression concerning the Holy Spirit has been that this gift is not for the church now, but that at some time in the future, it would be necessary for the church to receive it. . . . this promised blessing, if claimed by faith, would bring all other blessings in its train, and it is to be given liberally to the people of God. T. M. pg. 174, 175
The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the Divine influence of His Spirit was to be with his followers unto the end. From the day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service. To all who have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit has come as a Counselor, Sanctifier, Guide and Witness. A. A. pg. 49
The lapse of time has wrought no change in Christ’s parting promise to send the Holy Spirit as His representative. It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If the fulfilment of the promise is not seen as it might be, it is because the promise is not appreciated as it should be. If all were willing, all would be filled with the Spirit. Wherever the need of the Holy Spirit is a matter little thought of, there is seen spiritual drought, spiritual darkness, spiritual declension and death.Whenever minor matters occupy the attention, the Divine power which is necessary for the growth and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all other blessings in its train, is lacking, though offered in infinite plenitude. Id. 50, C.O.L. pg. 328
And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:38,39
In immediate connection with the scenes of the great day of God, the Lord, by the prophet Joel, has promised a special manifestation of His Spirit. Joel 2: 28. This prophecy received a partial fulfilment in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost: but it will reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of Divine grace and power which will attend the closing work of the Gospel. . . At this time the special endowment of Divine grace and power is not less needful to the church than in apostolic days. G. C. pg. IX, X
In every age of the world the gift of the Holy Spirit is the great promise for the church. . . .The promise of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work is repeated in every soul that is converted to the truth. R & H, Mar. 22, 1898
Christ promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church, and the promise belongs as much to us as to the first disciples. But like every other promise, it is given on conditions. There are many who profess to believe and claim the Lord’s promises: They talk about Christ and the Holy Spirit; yet they receive no benefit, because they do not surrender their souls to the guidance and control of divine agencies. . . . only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the spirit given. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive. G. W. 284, 285

The Dispensation of the Holy Spirit:

The dispensation in which we are living now is to be, to those that ask, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. T. M. pg. 511
In harmony with the word of God, His Spirit was to continue its work throughout the period of the gospel dispensation. During the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart from the revelations to be embodied in the sacred canon. . . In like manner, after the close of the canon of Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God. And Paul declares that the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit were set in the church “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Eph. 4:12,13 G. C. VIII, IX
We are living in the time of the Holy Spirit’s power. It is seeking to diffuse itself through the agency of humanity, thus increasing its influence in the world. R. & H. Aug. 25, 1896
The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is to be to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the power of hell shall not prevail against. T. M. pg. 18
The impartation of the Spirit was the impartation of the very life of Christ,which was to qualify the disciples for their mission. Without this qualification, their work could not be accomplished. Thus they were to fulfil the official duties connected with the church. But the Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested, because Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Holy Spirit did not take place till after Christ’s ascension. Rev. & Her., June 13, 1899; D. A. pg. 805
Before this the Spirit had been in the world: from the very beginning of the work of Redemption He had been moving upon men’s hearts, but while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come. D. A. pg. 669

The Need of the Holy Spirit:

There is not an impulse of our nature, not a faculty of the mind or an inclination of the heart, but needs to be, moment by moment, under the control of the Spirit of God. There is not a blessing which God bestows upon man, nor a trial which he permits to befall him, but Satan both can and will seize upon it to tempt, to harass and destroy the soul, if we give him the least advantage. Therefore, however great one’s spiritual light, however much he may enjoy of the divine favor and blessing, he should ever walk humbly before the Lord, pleading in faith that God will direct every thought and control every impulse. P. P. 421
Realize every moment that you must have the presence of the Holy Spirit, for it can do a work that you cannot do of yourself . . . We need to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit every hour of the day, lest we be ensnared by the enemy, and our souls be imperiled. T. M. 310,223
To have in the heart the Spirit of Christ is of infinitely more consequence than the possession of worldly recognition. C. T. 236
I saw that if the church had always retained her peculiar, holy character, the power of the Holy Spirit which was imparted to the disciples would still be with her. The sick would be healed, devils would be rebuked and cast out, and she would be mighty, and a terror to her enemies. E. W. 227
Christ says, “Without Me ye can do nothing,” and He has provided the Holy Spirit as a present help in every time of need. But many have a feeble religious experience because, instead of seeking the Lord for the efficiency of the Holy Spirit, they make flesh their arm. Let the people of God be educated to turn to God when in trouble, and gain strength from the promises that are yea and amen to every trusting soul. T. M. 381
The churches would realize one hundredfold more of the workings of the Holy Spirit if ministers would educate all to bear in mind that they have a God nigh at hand, and not afar off, and that they can honor God by seeking Him for help and wisdom just where they are. They will then have ability which will strengthen the General Conference. T. M. 326
The Spirit of God with its vivifying power, must be in every human agent, that every spiritual muscle and sinew may be in exercise. Without the Holy Spirit, without the breath of God, there is torpidity of conscience, loss of spiritual life . . . Unless there is genuine conversion of the soul to God: unless the vital breath of God quickens the soul to spiritual life: unless the professors of truth are actuated by heaven-born principle, they are not born of the incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth forever. R. & H. Jan. 17, 1893
We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciplesprayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and deceptions are misleading the minds of men: and without the Spirit’s aid, our efforts to present divine truth will be in vain. Rev. & Her. Aug. 25, 1896

Workers and Ministers:

The influence of the Holy Spirit is needed that the work may be properly balanced, and that it may move forward solidly in every line. C. H. 517
We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. Moral darkness, like a funeral pall, covers the earth. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and satanic deceptions are misleading the minds of men. Without the Spirit and Power of God, it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth. Vol. 5, pg. 158
The minister of God needs the Holy Spirit every moment. He needs to be imbued with the spirit of prayer that the word he presents to the people may have force and power. His language should be such as to be understood by the most simple and yet be refreshing to the most learned. R. & H. July 30, 1901
The preaching of the Word is of no avail without the presence and aid of the Holy Spirit: for this Spirit is the only effectual teacher of Divine Truth. Only when the truth is accompanied to the heart by the Spirit, will it quicken the conscience or transform the life. A minister may be able to present the letter of the Word of God: he may be familiar with all its commands and promises: but his sowing of the gospel seed will not be successful unless this seed is quickened into life by the dew of heaven. Without the cooperation of the Spirit of God, no amount of education, no advantages, however great, can make one a channel of light. Before one book of the New Testament had been written, before one gospel sermon had been preached after Christ’s ascension, the Holy Spirit came upon the praying disciples. Then the testimony of their enemies was, “Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.” G. W. 284
It is not great and learned men that the ministry needs; it is not eloquent sermonizers. God calls for men who will give themselves to Him to be imbued with His Spirit. G. W. 64; C. H. 558
For the baptism of the Holy Spirit every worker should be breathing out his prayer to God. T. M. 170; A. A. 50, 51
It is the absence of the Spirit that makes the gospel ministry so powerless. Learning, talent, eloquence, every natural or acquired endowment, may be possessed; but, without the presence of the Spirit of God, no heart will be touched, so sinner won to Christ. On the other hand, if they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most ignorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts. Vol. 8, Pg. 21,22
When ministers and teachers, pressed under the burden of financial responsibility, enter the pulpit or the schoolroom with wearied brain and overtaxed nerves, what else can be expected than that common fire will be used instead of the sacred fire of God’s kindling? . . . He has had not time to seek the Lord, no time to ask in faith for the unction of the Holy Spirit. That the efforts of God’s workers may be successful, they must receive the grace and efficiency that He alone can give. “Ask, and ye shall receive” - John 16:24 - is the promise. Then why not take time to ask, to open the mind to the impressions of the Holy Spirit, that the soul may be revived by a fresh supply of life? Vol. 7: 250,251
Most precious gems of truth are often rendered powerless by the wisdom of words in which they are clothed, while the power of the Spirit of God is lacking. Vol. 4: 314
Prompt, energetic, and earnest action may save an undecided soul. No one can tell how much is lost by attempting to preach without the unction of the Holy Spirit. There are souls in every congregation who are hesitating, almost persuaded to be wholly for God. The decision is being made for time and for eternity. But it is too often the case that the minister has not the Spirit and power of the message of truth in his own heart, hence no direct appeals are made to those souls that are trembling in the balance. The result is that impressions are not deepened upon the hearts of the convicted ones; and they leave the meeting feeling less inclined to accept the service of Christ than when they came. Vol. 4:447
But it is the life of Christ in the soul, it is the active principle of love imparted by the Holy Spirit, that alone will make our words fruitful. The love of Christ is the force and power of every message for God that ever fell from human lips. G. W. 288

Institutional Workers:

The cross is the center of all religious institutions. These institutions are to be under the control of the Spirit of God: in no institution is any one man to be the sole head. C. H. 524
Those who bear responsibility as managers in the work need to place themselves where they can be deeply impressed by the Spirit of God. You should have as much greater anxiety than do others to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and a knowledge of God and Christ, as your position of trust is more responsible than that of the common worker. Vol. 7: 189
If connected with the institution there are men whose hearts are not under the direction of the Holy Spirit, they will be sure to sway the work into wrong lines. Some who profess to be Christians regard the business connected with the Lord’s work as something wholly apart from religious service. . . Thus plans contrary to truth and righteousness are introduced, with the plea that this or that must be done because it is a good work, and for the advancement of the cause of God. Vol. 7:179

Students and Teachers:

Every teacher should be under the full control of the Holy Spirit, then Christ can speak to the heart, and His voice is the voice of love. C. T. 67
The leaders in our schools should be men and women of quick intuitions, who have the Spirit of God to aid them in reading character, who have managing ability, who can understand different phases of character, and display tact and wisdom in dealing with varied minds. . . What both workers and pupils need is the endowment of the Holy Spirit, that there may not be spasmodic reforms, but a steady growth in grace, a constant accession of spiritual life and power. T. S. W. 94
Only as the higher life is brought to view, as shown in the teachings of Christ, can any learning and instruction rightly be called higher education; and only by the aid of the Holy Spirit can this education be gained. Man’s study of the science of nature, unaided by the Holy Spirit, falls short of the precious things Christ desires him to learn from the things of the natural world; for he fails to be instructed in the great and important truths which concern his salvation. C. T. 375
When the teacher will rely upon God in prayer, the Spirit of Christ will come upon him, and God will work through him by the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the student. The Holy Spirit fills mind and heart with hope and courage and Bible imagery, which will be communicated to the student. The words of truth will grow in importance, and will assume a breadth and fulness of meaning of which he has never dreamed. C. T. 172
Instructors who are under the discipline of God receive grace and truth and light through the Holy Spirit to communicate to the children. C. T. 171
In the work of educating the youth in our schools, it will be a difficult matter to retain the influence of God’s Holy Spirit and at the same time hold fast to erroneous principles. F. Ed. 167
The Holy Spirit was eagerly sought for in the schools of the prophets; its transforming influence was to bring even the thoughts into harmony with the will of God, and establish a living connection between earth and heaven. Teachers, if you will open your hearts to the indwelling of the Spirit of God, if you will welcome the heavenly guest, God will make you laborers together with him. In cooperation with the Master Teacher, the spirit of selfishness will be expelled, and wonderful transformations will take place. F. Ed. 526
Not only were students taught the duty of prayer, but they were taught how to pray, how to approach their Creator, how to exercise faith in Him, and how to understand and obey the teachings of His Spirit. Sanctified intellects brought forth from the treasurehouse of God, things new and old, and the Spirit of God was manifested in prophecy and sacred song. P. P. 594
When there is a manifest awakening in church or school, and it is evident that the Holy Spirit is working, the first intimation of the heavenly influence should be honored. Let the routine of study or work be secondary, and let every one co-operate with the Divine Agency, with hearty Thanksgiving that God has visited his people. R. & H. Sept. 25, 1896
Let me tell you what I know of this heavenly guest. The Holy Spirit was brooding over the youth during the school hours; but some hearts were so cold and dark that they had no desire for the Spirit’s presence, and the light of God was withdrawn. That heavenly visitant would have opened all understanding, would have given wisdom and knowledge in all lines of study that could be employed to the glory of God. The Lord’s messenger came to convince of sin, and to soften hearts hardened by long estrangement from God. He came to reveal the great love wherewith God has loved those youth. They are God’s heritage, and educators need the “higher education” before they are qualified to be teachers and guides of youth. Vol. 8, pg. 62

Mothers and Children:

The mother should feel her need of the Holy Spirit’s guidance, that she herself may have a genuine experience in submission to the way and will of God. Then, through the grace of Christ, she can be a wise, gentle, loving teacher. C. T. 128
Even the babe in its mother’s arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. If we will live in communion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit to mould our little ones, even from the earliest moments. D. A. 512
The Holy Spirit of God will impress the lessons upon the receptive minds ofthe children, that they may grasp the ideas of Bible truth in their simplicity. And the Lord will give an experience to these children in missionary lines; he will suggest to them lines of thought that even the teachers did not have. The children who are properly instructed will be witnesses to the truth. C. T. 169-170
When heavenly intelligences see that men are no longer permitted to present the truth, the Spirit of God will come upon the children, and they will do a work in the proclamation of the truth which the older workers cannot do, because their way will be hedged up. C. T. 176

Missionaries:

If we were only vitalized by the Holy Spirit, there would be a hundred missionaries where there is now one. C. H. 507
For the daily baptism of the Spirit, every worker should offer his petition to God. Companies of Christian workers should gather to ask for special help, for heavenly wisdom, that they may know how to plan and execute wisely. Especially should they pray that God will baptize his chosen ambassadors in mission fields with a rich measure of His Spirit. The presence of the Spirit with God’s workers will give the proclamation of truth a power that not all the honor or glory of the world could give. Vol. 5:22; A. A. 50, 51; T. M. 170:

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT

Preparation:

In my dream a sentinel stood at the door of an important building, and asked every one who came for entrance, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost?” A measuring line was in his hand, and only very, very few were admitted into the building. “Your size as a human being is nothing,” said he, “but if you have reached the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus, according to the knowledge you have had, you will receive an appointment to sit with Christ at the marriage supper of the Lamb; and through eternal ages, you will never cease to learn of the blessings granted in the banquet prepared for you.” R. & H. April 11, 1899
Abundant provision is in readiness to give spiritual power, and to set the grace of Christ flowing through channels that are cleansed, and ready to receive the heavenly gift. R. & H. March 22, 1898
If all were willing, all would be filled with His Spirit. A.A. 50; COL 428
The Holy Spirit works with those who will be worked, molds those who will be molded, fashions those who will be fashioned. M. H. 503
There are many who profess to believe and claim the Lord’s promises: they talk about Christ and the Holy Spirit; yet they receive no benefit, because they do not surrender their souls to the guidance and control of divine agencies. We can not use the Holy Spirit: the Spirit is to use us. Through the Spirit, God works in His people “to will and to do of His good pleasure.” But many will not submit to be led. They want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train. It is given according to the riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to the capacity to receive. G. W. 285
The Lord will work for His people if they will submit to be worked by the Holy Spirit, not thinking that they must work the Spirit. Brown Leaflets, No. 7:1
No amount of education, no advantages, however great, can make a channel of light without the cooperation of the Spirit of God. D. A. 672
The understanding, the will, the affections, must be yielded to the control of the Word of God. Then through the work of the Holy Spirit, the precepts of the Word will become the principles of the life. M. H. 514
There is no limit to the usefulness of those who put self to one side, make room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts, and live lives wholly consecrated to God, enduring the necessary discipline imposed by the Lord without complaining or fainting by the way. C. T. 409; D. A. 250
When you give up your own will, your own wisdom, and learn of Christ, you will find admittance into the kingdom of God. He requires entire, unreserved surrender. Give up your life for Him to order, mold, fashion. Take upon your neck His yoke. Submit to be led and taught by Him. Learn that unless you become as a little child, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven. R & H April 11, 1899
All our sins must be put away. Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off. The right eye or the right hand must be sacrificed if it causes us to offend. Are we willing to renounce our own wisdom and to receive the kingdom of God as a little child? Are we willing to part with our self-righteousness: Are we willing to sacrifice the approbation of men? The prize of eternal life is of infinite value. Are we willing to welcome the Holy Spirit’s aid, and to co-operate with it, putting forth efforts and making sacrifices proportionate to the object to be obtained? R. & H. March 29, 1892
In this conflict of righteousness against unrighteousness, we can be successful only by divine aid. Our finite will must be brought into submission to the will of the infinite: the human will must be blended with the divine. This will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid; and every conquest will tend to the recovery of God’s purchased possession, to the restoration of His image in the soul. R. & H. Aug. 25, 1896
Your energies are required to cooperate with God. Without this, if it were possible to force upon you with a hundred fold greater intensity the influence of the Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian, a fit subject for heaven. H. L. 304; S. of Times 1891, No. 8
If men will receive the ministration of His Holy Spirit, the richest gift God can bestow, they will impart blessings to all who are connected with them. HL 306

Prayer and Desire for the Holy Spirit:

Luke 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.
The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. A. A. 50
At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the Heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold and cheer. D. A. 669,670
The Holy Spirit is awaiting our demand, if we will only demand it with thatintensity of purpose which is proportionate to the value of the object we seek. Vol. 6: 175
The Lord has provided for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon His workers, and every one who sincerely seeks God will find Him. T. M. 218
Since this is the means by which we are to receive power, why do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit? Why do we not talk of it, pray for it, and preach concerning it? A. A. 50
The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will be proportioned to the measure of our desire and the faith exercised for it, and the use we shall make of the light and knowledge that shall be given to us. We shall be entrusted with the Holy Spirit according to our capacity to receive and our ability to impart it to others. Christ says, “Everyone that asketh receiveth, and He that seeketh findeth.” He who truly seeks for the precious grace of Christ will be sure not to be disappointed. The promise has been given to us by Him who will not deceive us. It is not stated as a maxim or theory, but as a fact, a law of the Divine Government. We can be assured that we shall receive the Holy Spirit if we individually try the experiment of Testing God’s word. God is true: His order is perfect. “He that seeketh findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Light and truth will shine forth according to the desire of the soul. O, that all would hunger and thirst after righteousness, that they might be filled. R. & H. May 5, 1896
Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given. S. C. 91

How Received:

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever: Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16, 17
From the two olive trees, the golden oil was emptied through golden pipes into the bowl of the candle stick and thence into the golden lamps that gave light to the sanctuary. So, from the Holy Ones that stand in God’s presence, His Spirit is imparted to human instrumentalities that are consecrated to His service. T. M. 510
With the reception of this gift, all other gifts would be ours; for we are to have this gift according to the plenitude of riches of the grace of Christ, and He is ready to supply every soul according to his capacity to receive. R. & H. March 29, 1892
We can receive of heaven’s light only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We can discern the character of God, and accept Christ by faith, only as we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this, the Holy Spirit is given without measure. V. 8:334
For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. John 3:34
I saw that it is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. Vol. 1:159
Each one must fight his own battle against self. Heed the teaching of the Holy Spirit. If this is done, they will be repeated again and again, until the impressions are, as it were, “lead in the rock forever.” H. L. 302The Holy Spirit moves upon the inner self until it becomes conscious of the divine power of God and every spiritual faculty is quickened to decided action . . . A deep and thorough work is to be wrought in the soul, which the world cannot see. R. & H. May 12, 1896
And we are His witnesses of these things: and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him. Acts 5:32
Jesus came to impart to the human soul the Holy Spirit, by which the love of God is shed abroad in the heart; but it is impossible to endow men with the Holy Spirit, who are set in their ideas, whose doctrines are all stereotyped and unchangeable, who are walking after the traditions and commandments of men, as were the Jews in the time of Christ. R & H, March 20, 1894
Man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life; he must respond to the working of the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to strain every muscle and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality; yet it is God that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence. The Lord bids us: ‘strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able’. ‘Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ Luke 13:24; Matt. 7:13,14
  • - Vol. 8: 65
Peace comes with dependence on Divine power. As fast as the soul resolves to act in accordance with the light given, the Holy Spirit gives more light and strength. The grace of the Spirit is supplied to cooperate with the soul’s resolve, but it is not a substitute for the individual exercise of faith. Success in the Christian life depends upon the appropriation of the light that God has given. It is not an abundance of light and evidence that makes the soul free in Christ; it is the rising of the powers and the will and the energies of the soul to cry out sincerely, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” T. M. 518
God cannot let His Holy Spirit rest upon those who are enfeebling themselves by gluttony. R. & H. Nov. 19, 1883

Repentance

Then said Peter unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38
God calls every man to repentance, yet man can not even repent unless the Holy Spirit works upon his heart. But the Lord wants no man to wait until he thinks he has repented before he takes steps towards Jesus. The Saviour is continually drawing men to repentance; they need only to submit to be drawn, and their hearts will be melted in penitence. Vol. 8: 64,65
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