The Person and Work of The Holy SpiritTorrey, R. A. (Reuben Archer)
Religion
The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit
Torrey, R. A. (Reuben Archer)
Holy Spirit
depths of the inmost soul, transforming thoughts, affections, will, the
whole inward man. I believe in sudden regeneration because the Bible
teaches it and because I have seen it times without number. I believe in
sudden regeneration because I have experienced it. We are sometimes told
that “the religion of the future will not teach sudden miraculous
conversion.” If the religion of the future does not teach sudden
miraculous conversion, if it does not teach something far more meaningful,
sudden, miraculous regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit, then the
religion of the future will not be in conformity with the facts of
experience and so will not be scientific. It will miss one of the most
certain and most glorious of all truths. Man-devised religions in the past
have often missed the truth and man-devised religions in the future will
doubtless do the same. But the religion God has revealed in His Word and
the religion that God confirms in experience teaches sudden regeneration
by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. If I did not believe in
regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit, I would quit preaching. What
would be the use in facing great audiences in which there were multitudes
of men and women hardened and seared, caring for nothing but the things of
the world and the flesh, with no high and holy aspirations, with no
outlook beyond money and fame and power and pleasure, if it were not for
the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit? But with the regenerating power
of the Holy Spirit, there is every use; for the preacher can never tell
where the Spirit of God is going to strike and do His mighty work. There
sits before you a man who is a gambler, or a drunkard, or a libertine.
There does not seem to be much use in preaching to him, but you can never
tell but that very night, the Spirit of God will touch that man’s heart
and transform him into one of the holiest and most useful of men. It has
often occurred in the past and will doubtless often occur in the future.
There sits before you a woman, who is a mere butterfly of fashion. She
seems to have no thought above society and pleasure and adulation. Why
preach to her? Without the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, it would
be foolishness and a waste of time; but you can never tell, perhaps this
very night the Spirit of God will shine in that darkened heart and open
the eyes of that woman to see the beauty of Jesus Christ and she may
receive Him and then and there the life of God be imparted by the power of
the Holy Spirit to that trifling soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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