I in Them, and Thou in Me
To be enlarged to the full measure of God's purpose, we must realize our own capacities for His filling and give Him the right to make the best of us.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the vast potential of the human soul, created in God's image, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in realizing this potential. He encourages believers to allow God to cleanse and fill their hearts, enabling them to become the temple of His presence. Simpson highlights that through the Holy Spirit, dormant abilities are awakened, leading to a fuller understanding of God's purpose for our lives. Ultimately, he invites us to marvel at the divine craftsmanship in our lives and to recognize our worth in God's eyes.
Text
If we would be enlarged to the full measure of God's purpose, let us endeavor to realize something of our own capacities for His filling. We little know the size of a human soul and spirit. Never, until He renews, cleanses and enters the heart, can we have any adequate conception of the possibilities of the being whom God made in His very image, and whom He now renews after the pattern of the Lord Jesus Himself. We know, however, that God has made the human soul to be His temple and abode. God knows how to make the house that can hold His infinite fullness.
We know something of this as all our nature quickens into springtime life at the coming of the Holy Spirit.
We know it as from time to time new baptisms awaken the dormant powers and susceptibilities that we did not realize we possessed. Let us give God the right to make the best of us. Filled with wonder, we shall some day behold the glorious temple that He has built and say, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? (Psalm 8:4).
Sermon Outline
- The Potential of the Human Soul
- The Purpose of God's Renewal
- The Temple of the Holy Spirit
- The human soul as God's temple and abode
- The Holy Spirit's power to awaken dormant powers
Key Quotes
“We little know the size of a human soul and spirit.” — A.B. Simpson
“Let us give God the right to make the best of us.” — A.B. Simpson
“Filled with wonder, we shall some day behold the glorious temple that He has built and say, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him?” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must give God the right to make the best of us, allowing Him to renew, cleanse, and enter our hearts.
- The Holy Spirit has the power to awaken dormant powers and susceptibilities within us, leading to new baptisms and springtime life.
- We must understand the possibilities of the human soul and our role as God's temple and abode.