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said unto you.” “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth: ... and he will show you things to come.”
John
14:26
;
16:13
. Scripture plainly teaches that these promises, so far
from being limited to apostolic days, extend to the church of Christ
in all ages. The Saviour assures His followers, “I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20
. 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.”
Ephesians
4:12, 13
.
For the believers at Ephesus the apostle prayed, “That the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation
[11]
in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being en-
lightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and ...
what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe.”
Ephesians 1:17-19
. The ministry of the divine Spirit in enlighten-
ing the understanding and opening to the mind the deep things of
God’s Holy Word was the blessing which Paul thus besought for the
Ephesian church.
After the wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the Day
of Pentecost, Peter exhorted the people to repentance and baptism in
the name of Christ, for the remission of their sins; and he said: “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 fulfillment
in the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost; but it will
reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of divine grace
which will attend the closing work of the gospel.
The great controversy between good and evil will increase in
intensity to the very close of time. In all ages the wrath of Satan has
been manifested against the church of Christ; and God has bestowed
His grace and Spirit upon His people to strengthen them to stand