Date: November 18, 1935, 3 p.m.Place: Chuenchow
It is not too easy to speak about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit here. We may need ten days to cover the subject and still not be finished with it. I can only speak a little because of the time. This does not mean that the Bible only speaks this much about this matter, but I can only make a few miscellaneous remarks here and there. I cannot go into in-depth research now. We will continue to pray while we study and ask the Lord to grant us more light along the way.
Concerning the outward manifestation of the outpouring of the Spirit, many people marvel at extraordinary phenomena. During the past eight or nine years, I have studied this matter and discovered that there are, indeed, strange phenomena recorded in the Bible. But extraordinary manifestations are not necessarily a proof of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The scriptural proof of this is in 1 Corinthians 12:1-3. Verse 1 mentions spiritual gifts. The word gifts is italicized to indicate that this word does not exist in the original text. Paul was not speaking about spiritual gifts, but about pneumatekos, or spiritual inspiration. Men like Govett, Pember, and Panton all agree that it should be translated as being related to spiritual inspiration. This refers to extraordinary acts performed by a person who is possessed by the Spirit. The words led away in verse 2 refer to a sorcery-like spiritual experience. In the original language, it refers to some extraordinary and uncommon leading and seduction; it is supernatural. Paul wanted the Corinthians to be informed concerning the matter of spiritual inspirations. Today we will consider the difference between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of evil spirits. Paul did discuss the outward manifestations of these two things. He understood them, but he did not talk about them. Paul did not talk about them, yet we have to pay attention to them. It is difficult to differentiate the two by their outward manifestations. Although they outwardly appear to be the same, there is a big difference inwardly.
The main difference between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and that of evil spirits is in the words that are spoken rather than in the gestures of the body or the attitude of a person. First Corinthians 12:3 says, "No one speaking in the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed; and no one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit." Whether or not a person has received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit can be discerned by the words he speaks. The meaning of the last part of verse 3 is that one can only say that Jesus is Lord when he is in the Holy Spirit. This is something that cannot be feigned. If a man is not in the Holy Spirit he cannot say that Jesus is Lord. Those who cannot say this have received the outpouring of the evil spirits. We can use this method to test and examine those who say that they have received a spirit. Those who can say that Jesus is Lord have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Those who cannot say that Jesus is Lord have received the outpouring of evil spirits. When you ask someone this question, they may walk away. This is suspicious. But if a man can say, "Lord, I am not worthy; this is Your grace," he is still in the Holy Spirit.
We must not be alarmed by extraordinary phenomena. If an inspiration is common and ordinary, it is no longer a spiritual inspiration. Those who have the inspiration of the Spirit are those who have the Spirit in them. As such, they are surely different from ordinary men.
We can also tell the difference between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and that of evil spirits from the principle by which the two spirits work. There are two conditions for evil spirits to be poured out upon man or to possess man. First, the will must be passive. Those who are passive are easily possessed by evil spirits. Hence, a Christian should not be passive. Second, the mind must be blank. Many people are lazy in their mind; they do not like to exercise their mind. Such people are also easily deceived by evil spirits. There is a big difference in principle between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and possession by evil spirits. The main distinction lies in the condition of the mind and the will. Those who have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit have two characteristics: their minds are clear, and their will is not passive. These people act according to their own volition, and they are not driven by outside forces. The Holy Spirit expects us to exercise our will to cooperate with Him in an active way. This is absolutely different from evil spirits, who demand that man remains passive in his will in order for them to work on him. In this way we can distinguish between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of evil spirits.
In order to have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we have to fulfill a few conditions. First, we must not have any hidden sins before the Lord, nor any sins which we refuse to deal with. If a man has hidden sins, he may be deceived by evil spirits when he prays for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When he gives ground in his heart for the evil spirits to come in, they will surely come in and possess him.
Second, we have to actively ask for the Holy Spirit to come upon us. Possession by evil spirits does not require our active participation. All we have to do is passively wait and they will come. Some pray, "If this is the Holy Spirit, I will take it, and if it is evil spirits, I will not take them." These kinds of prayers are still too passive. The way we cooperate with the Holy Spirit is as follows: When the Holy Spirit comes, He will ask, perhaps with a small voice, how much we are willing to allow Him to occupy us. The degree to which we allow Him to come in will be the degree to which He occupies us. The decision is with us. Anything that acts contrary to this pattern is passivity and not the work of the Holy Spirit; it is the work of evil spirits. The Holy Spirit will only come upon us when we say that we want Him. The Holy Spirit does not act alone; we have to take the initiative, and then the Holy Spirit will respond. If the Holy Spirit prompts us to laugh, it is because we have first made up our mind to laugh. The Holy Spirit then supplies us the energy to laugh. This is the cooperation that I am speaking of. When we pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we have to pray for the covering of the precious blood of the Lord at the same time. If we take care of what we have to do, the Holy Spirit will take care of what He has to do.
One brother was clinching himself very tightly. He prayed, "O Holy Spirit, if You want to come, please come." He prayed this way for a few hours, but the Holy Spirit still did not come to him. His prayer did not match the condition for the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit did not come upon him. The Holy Spirit can only work when there is the cooperation of our will. This is like riding a horse. The reins of the horse are in the hands of the rider. When the reins are released, the horse can run as it wills, but no matter how fast it runs, the reins are still in the rider's hands. The same principle applies in the experience of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, we have to let go so that the Spirit will have the full freedom. On the other hand, our will has to fulfill its function. Otherwise, we will lose control.
We also have to know the reason for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter said in Acts 2:33, "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear." Then in verse 36 he said, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified." The word "therefore" in verse 36 refers to verse 33, which speaks of God exalting the Lord. "Therefore," that is, for the purpose of proving that Jesus is exalted, the Holy Spirit was poured out, as was seen and heard at Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was for the purpose of proving to the house of Israel that Jesus of Nazareth was exalted, and that He had won the victory. If the Lord was not exalted, there would not have been the possibility of the outpouring of the Spirit. Receiving the outpouring of the Spirit is not for the purpose of proving our faith or our victory. It is for the purpose of proving that Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
Thank and praise Him. If the exaltation of the Lord is a fact, the outpouring of the Spirit must also be a fact. On the contrary, if the Lord was not exalted, it would have been impossible for the Holy Spirit to have been poured out. The Lord was crucified and shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins. All those who believe in Him can receive the forgiveness of sins. In the same principle, one should not say that even though the Lord was exalted to be both Lord and Christ, he has not received the outpouring of the Spirit. This is impossible. We must be bold to say that the Lord has been exalted to the throne. May the Lord fill us. We need a full faith to believe in the Lord and His accomplished works.
