“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:5).
There is much talk today about the Holy Spirit. Much of what is said is irreverent and unbiblical. Many think that the goal in the Christian life is to possess more and more of the Holy Spirit; when in reality the opposite is true – He seeks to possess more of us. James 4:5 can be translated: “The Spirit who indwells you, jealously yearns for you.”
As a Christian, you have been bought with a price and for a purpose; and we discover that purpose by the giving and yielding of ourselves to the control of God’s Spirit. 2 Samuel 15:15 says, “And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.” That’s the kind of servants God is looking for.
In 1882 a small congregation had gathered for a gospel service in a barn. The name of the preacher was Henry Varley. As he concluded his message on 1 John 2:17, he lifted his eyes to a nearby haymow where an interested young man was seated, and he said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with, for, in, and through one man who is fully consecrated to Him!” The young man who was listening was stirred and convicted by those challenging words. He said to himself, “Varley means any man. He is not saying he has to be educated or brilliant or anything else – just a person who is willing to be used! Well, by the Holy Spirit in me, I will be that man.” Within just a few years after that commitment, the world was feeling the impact of the life of that young man who had totally surrendered himself to the Spirit of God. His name was Dwight L. Moody, and God used him as an instrument of revival that circled the globe.
The issue is not about how much you have of the Holy Spirit – but how much does the Holy Spirit have of you? What “areas” of your life are you holding on to, refusing to allow God to have control? These are the areas that the Spirit of God yearns for you to give to Him.
Morris Hull, Home Life Ministries