The Holy Ghost has a threefold revelation of Christ by a threefold ministry of the Spirit: Christ revealed to us by the Holy Spirit; Christ revealed in us by the Holy Spirit; Christ revealed through us as the Holy Spirit may use us.
We can judge from our experience and the teaching of Scripture that the Spirit’s ministry begins even before we surrender to the Lord. Before we have a desire to be saved, there is a convicting ministry of the Spirit. Man is helpless in his unregenerate state. There is little prospect of his escaping the wrath to come. But God has provided the Spirit to deal with a man’s heart and reveal to him by the Spirit sin, righteousness, and judgment.
There is further work of the Spirit in the life of the believer. The Spirit deals with the believer to reveal to him the things that are in him that are unlike the Lord. Thus the Spirit works in the life of the believer, bringing Holy Ghost conviction, pointing the way of God, and indicating steps to be taken.
I meet many who inquire how they may discern the will of God. Some of these same people have talked to me about occasions when they felt badly and they decided that the enemy was besetting them. There is a possibility that the Holy Ghost is working to bring to their attention the will of God—not concerning service, but concerning those things that pertain to the inner life of the believer.
The Holy Spirit operates in the believer in such a way that we might be conformed to the image of the Son of God—that those things that are characteristic of Him may become characteristic of us. If we accept the idea, we are encouraged to notice the work of the Spirit in our life. If we do not see this point, we may be greatly disturbed over the work of the Spirit.
There is also a further purpose—that we be available to the Holy Spirit as He demonstrates the life of Christ living in us. I would call your attention to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12: “Concerning spiritual gifts, I would not have you ignorant.” Spiritual gifts refer to things that are of the Holy Ghost. If we are ignorant, we cannot cooperate with Him in that fellowship that is like a partnership.
We have possibly not quite understood the operation of those gifts. We have felt that the Lord would, when we reached a certain pinnacle of faith, impart to us an efficiency that would become a part of our personal equipment, making us head and shoulders above others. I do not think this is the case. I do not think a man operates the gifts of the Spirit.
I believe if you and I together with all believers could keep yielded to God, submissive to the authority of the Holy Ghost, we should see more gifts of the Spirit in our midst. If we can learn to maintain the proper relationship with the Holy Ghost, and if we can learn how to commune in the Spirit—to live in the Holy Ghost—He can use us to manifest Christ, and as a result, many will come to know Him.
J.W. “Daddy” Welch was present at the first General Council in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and was on the committee that drafted the Constitution of the General Council. He served as chairman (1915–19; 1923-25) during the Oneness turmoil. In 1931, he became president of Central Bible Institute (now college) in Springfield, Missouri. This sermon is adapted from The Weekly Evangel, June 17, 1916.
