Chapter V: Everybody's Need

Some have the idea that this blessing of the Fullness is only for a favored few, for such as have some special work to do for God, but not for ordinary folk, "for auld wives and wabsters" in their homespun. Surely this is one of the devil's champion lies! Alas! alas! that it has found such credence! The Infilling is what makes this promise true, "He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God" (Zech. xii. 8), so that "one man of you shall chase a thousand" (Josh. xxiii. 10). This means defeat for the devil, so no wonder that he strives to keep us back from the "Fullness"! We are here on earth that through us Christ may be glorified; but there is only One Person that can glorify Christ, and that is the Holy Ghost. "He shall glorify Me" (John xvi. 14). To the glorifying of Christ as He ought to be and might be glorified, the filling with the Spirit is necessary. Mothers in the home, "with thronging duties pressed," need the "Fullness" to enable them to glorify Christ as surely as the apostles needed it; the washerwoman needs it as well as the pastor; the tradesman as well as the evangelist. To live the Christ-glorifying life in the station in which God has placed us, we individually need to be filled with the Spirit. "They were _all_ filled" (Acts ii. 4), men and women, the one hundred and twenty in the upper room, the rank and file as well as the apostles. "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" (Acts ii. 38, 39). From Acts viii. 17 we gather that _all_ the converts in Samaria, without any favor or distinction, "received the Holy Ghost." From Acts x. 47 we gather that _all_ in the house of Cornelius "received the Holy Ghost" while Peter was speaking. From Acts xix. 6 we gather that "the Holy Ghost came on" _all_ the disciples to whom Paul was speaking. They _all_ received because they _all_ needed. Do not we _all_ need? why then should we not _all_ receive? And if we do not receive we will suffer loss, the Church will suffer loss, the world will suffer loss, and, above and beyond all, Christ will suffer loss.