Can We Worship With Sincerity?

It is the great work of gospel ministry to lead believers to the Holy Spirit.

It was Jesus' great aim--after educating and training his disciples for three years--to lead them to the point of waiting for the promised Holy Spirit to be sent down from heaven. This was the main focus of Peter on the day of Pentecost, when, after summoning those drawn in their hearts to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, he assured them that they would receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.38).

This was also Paul's aim when he asked fellow Christians if they understood that they were to be temples of the Holy Spirit. He then reminded them that they needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5.18).

Yes, the primary need of the Christian life is to receive the Holy Spirit and live in the consciousness of it. A minister must not only occasionally preach on the Holy Spirit, but instead he should make it a chief focus, teaching that there can be no true worship except through the indwelling and unceasing operation of the Holy Spirit!

In order to lead believers to the Holy Spirit, the incompleteness of their life and Christian walk must be pointed out to them.

This was Paul's intention in asking, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Only those who are thirsty will drink water with eagerness, and only those who are sick will desire a physician. In the same way, it is only when believers are prepared to acknowledge the incomplete and defective character of their spiritual condition that they will eagerly accept the message of the full blessing of Pentecost.

Many Christians believe that the only thing lacking in their Christian life is more eagerness or strength, and if only they can obtain these benefits, they will become all that they are meant to be. But this makes the preaching of the full salvation of little importance to them. It is only when they discover that they have not been standing in a right attitude toward the Holy Spirit (that thus far they have only known his preparatory work, but not the fullness of his indwelling) that they will be open to and desire something higher.

In order for this discovery to be made, it is essential that every individual be personally asked, "Have you fully received the Holy Spirit since you have believed?" When their answer comes as a deeply felt and utterly sincere concern, then the time of revival is not far off.