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The Holy Spirit—The Gift of Gifts, November 28
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:8
.
In proportion to Christ’s humiliation and suffering is His exaltation. He
could have become the Saviour, the Redeemer, only by first being the Sacrifice.
What a mystery there is in the godliness of Christ. Having magnified the law
and made it honorable by accepting its conditions in saving a world from
ruin, Christ hastened to heaven to perfect His work, and to accomplish His
mission by sending the Holy Spirit to His disciples. Thus He would assure
His believing ones that He had not forgotten them, though now in the presence
of God, where there is fullness of joy forevermore.
The Holy Spirit was to descend on those in this world who loved Christ.
By this they would be qualified, in and through the glorification of their Head,
to receive every endowment necessary for the fulfilling of their mission. The
Life-giver held in His hands, not only the keys of death, but a whole heaven of
rich blessings. All power in heaven and earth was given to Him, and having
taken His place in the heavenly courts, He could dispense these blessings to
all who receive Him.
Christ has said to His disciples, “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 16:7
). This was the gift of gifts. The Holy
Spirit was sent as the most priceless treasure man could receive. The church
was baptized with the Spirit’s power. The disciples were fitted to go forth and
proclaim Christ, first in Jerusalem, where the shameful work of dishonoring
the rightful King had been done, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth....
How full and free are the blessings to be bestowed on all who come to
God in the name of His Son. If they will observe the conditions laid down
in His Word, He will open to them the windows of heaven, and pour them
down a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.... If God’s
people will sanctify themselves by obedience to His precepts, the Lord will
work in their midst. He will renew humble, contrite souls, making their
characters pure and holy.—
Manuscript 128, November 28, 1897
, “The Only
True Mediator.”
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