(Present Truths or the Supernatural) 7. THE SUPERNATURAL WORK

"We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10.) The apostle here declares that our works are "prepared," for that is the true translation of the word "ordained," "that we should walk in them." They are not our works, but His supplied to us through the Holy Ghost and the inworking of Christ, and we just work out "according to his working, which works in (us) mightily." Our whole life must be supernatural to the close, and our very service must be received before it can be performed. "Receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." We must have supernatural power for our work. We must pass the sentence of death upon our natural enthusiasm, energy and zeal; and, dying to our own strength, we must receive power through the Holy Ghost and do our work in Him. Moses had to be rejected when he stepped forth at the age of forty in his own enthusiasm to deliver Israel. Afterwards, when he came back at eighty, a broken man, humbled and conscious of his inefficiency, God could use him, like His own rod, an instrument in the hands of Jehovah. Christ Himself continually recognized His power for service as divinely supplied. "I can of my own self do nothing," He said; "as I hear, I judge." "The Father that dwells in me, he does the works." Therefore He did not begin His public ministry until He received the Holy Spirit and there was added to His divine Personality a second divine Personality -- the third Person of the Godhead. And as He went through His earthly ministry there were two Persons united in His life work, the Son of God and the Spirit of God. He chose to be dependent upon the Spirit in order that He might be the more perfect type of us in our dependence. Therefore His disciples were bidden to tarry in Jerusalem until they should be endued with power from on high. They were not suffered to go out in their own strength, but had to lean upon the Spirit for their wisdom, courage, faith and complete efficiency. No man is fit for the humblest service in the church of God until he receives the divine baptism of the Holy Ghost. The mother needs it in the nursery, the Sunday school teacher in his class, the preacher in his pulpit, the soul winner in his dealings with the inquirer and the saint in his ministry of prayer in the secret closet. There is no truth that needs to be more emphasized in this age of smartness and human self-sufficiency than the imperative necessity of the baptism of the Holy Ghost as the condition of all effective Christian work. We must tarry before we go. It pays to wait. The traveler pursued by his enemies lingered five minutes at the blacksmith\