Prayer is the Oxygen of the Soul

BLJ: Prayer is essential to a proper Christian walk. Prayer is the oxygen of the soul. Prayer is emotion in motion. Prayer is our access into the supernatural. Don't neglect to pray. Pray without ceasing.

PRAYER IS A KEYNOTE

The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil everywhere. Prayer, in one phase of its operation, is a disinfectant and a preventive. It purifies the air; it destroys the contagion of evil. Prayer is no fitful, short-lived thing. It is no voice crying unheard and unheeded in the silence. It is a voice which goes into God's ear, and it lives as long as God's ear is open to holy pleas, as long as God's heart is alive to holy things.

God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world.

That man is the most immortal who has done the most and the best praying. They are God's heroes, God's saints, God's servants, God's deputies. A man can pray better because of the prayers of the past; a man can live holier because of the prayers of the past, the man of many and acceptable prayers has done the truest and greatest service to the incoming generation. The prayers of God's saints strengthen the unborn generation against the desolating waves of sin and evil. Woe to the generation of sons who find their censers empty of the rich incense of prayer; whose fathers have been too busy or too unbelieving to pray, and perils inexpressible and consequences untold are their unhappy heritage. Fortunate are they whose fathers and mothers have left them a wealthy patrimony of prayer.

The prayers of God's saints are the capital stock in heaven by which Christ carries on his great work upon earth. The great throes and mighty convulsions on earth are the results of these prayers. Earth is changed, revolutionized, angels move on more powerful, more rapid wing, and God's policy is shaped as the prayers are more numerous, more efficient.

It is true that the mightiest successes that come to God's cause are created and carried on by prayer. God's day of power; the angelic days of activity and power are when God's church comes into its mightiest inheritance of mightiest faith and mightiest prayer. God's conquering days are when the saints have given themselves to mightiest prayer. When God's house on earth is a house of prayer, then God's house in heaven is busy and all potent in its plans and movements, then his earthly armies are clothed with the triumphs and spoils of victory and his enemies defeated on every hand.
God conditions the very life and prosperity of his cause on prayer. The condition was put in the very existence of God's cause in the world. Ask of me is the one condition God puts in the very advance and triumph of his cause.

Men are to pray -- to pray for the advance of God's cause. Prayer puts God in full force in the world. To a prayerful man God is present in realized force; to a prayerful church God is present in glorious power, and the second psalm is the divine description of the establishment of God's cause through Jesus Christ. All inferior dispensations have merged in the enthronement of Jesus Christ. God declares the enthronement of his son. The nations are incensed with bitter hatred against his cause. God is described as laughing at their enfeebled hate. The Lord will laugh; The Lord will have them in derision. "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." The decree has passed immutable and eternal:

"I will tell of the decree: The Lord said unto me, thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

Ask of me is the condition -- a praying people willing and obedient. "And men shall pray for him continually" Under this universal and simple promise men and women of old laid themselves out for God. They prayed and God answered their prayers, and the cause of God was kept alive in the world by the flame of their praying.

Prayer became a settled and only condition to move his son's kingdom. "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened." The strongest one in Christ's kingdom is he who is the best knocker. The secret of success in Christ's kingdom is the ability to pray The one who can wield the power of prayer is the strong one, the holy one in Christ's kingdom. The most important lesson we can learn is how to pray

Prayer is the keynote of the most sanctified life, of the holiest ministry He does the most for God who is the highest skilled in prayer. Jesus Christ exercised his ministry after this order.
That we ought to give ourselves to God with regard to things both temporal and spiritual, and seek our satisfaction only in fulfilling his will, whether he lead us by suffering, or by consolation, for all would be equal to a soul truly resigned. Prayer is nothing else but a sense of God's presence. -- Brother Lawrence

Be sure you look to your secret duty; keep that up whatever you do. The soul cannot prosper in the neglect of it. Apostasy generally begins at the closet door. Be much in secret fellowship with God. It is secret trading that enriches the Christian.

Pray alone. Let prayer be the key of the morning and the bolt at night. The best way to fight against sin is to fight it on our knees. -- Philip Henry
The prayer of faith is the only power in the universe to which the great Jehovah yields. Prayer is the sovereign remedy. -- Robert Hall

An hour of solitude passed in sincere and earnest prayer, or the conflict with and conquest over a single passion or subtle bosom sin will teach us more of thought, will more effectually awaken the faculty and form the habit of reflection than a year's study in the schools without them. -- Coleridge
A man may pray night and day and deceive himself, but no man can be assured of his sincerity who does not pray. Prayer is faith passing into act. A union of the will and intellect realizing in an intellectual act. It is the whole man that prays. Less than this is wishing or lip work, a sham or a mummery.

If God should restore me again to health I have determined to study nothing but the Bible. Literature is inimical to spirituality if it be not kept under with a firm hand. -- Richard Cecil

God Says Prayer is Essential Part 2

BLJ: Never allow material things to hinder prayer. Satan will use anything to keep you from prayer, even good things to distract you. Many "prayer meetings" are rendered ineffective because of worldly talk among the attendees before prayer commences. Focus on prayer and results will be forthcoming.

Now these apostles, when they looked into this matter, determined to put aside these hindrances growing out of church finances, and resolved to "give themselves to prayer." Not that these finances were to be ignored or set aside, but ordinary laymen, "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" could be found, really religious men, who could easily attend to this money business without in the least affecting their piety or their praying, thus giving them something to do in the church, and at the same time taking the burden from the apostles who would be able now to pray more, and praying more, to be blessed themselves in soul, and at the same time to more effectually do the work to which they had been called.

They realized, too, as they had not realized before, that they were being so pressed by attention to material things, things right in themselves, that they could not give to prayer that strength, ardor, and time which its nature and importance demanded. And so we will discover, under close scrutiny of ourselves sometimes, that things legitimate, things right in themselves, things commendable, may so engross our attention, so preoccupy our minds and so draw on our feelings, that prayer may be omitted, or at least very little time may be given to prayer. How easy to slip away from the closet! Even the apostles had to guard themselves at that point. How much do we need to watch ourselves at the same place! Things legitimate and right may become wrong when they take the place of prayer. Things right in themselves may become wrong things when they are allowed to fasten themselves inordinately upon our hearts. It is not only the sinful things which hurt prayer. It is not alone questionable things which are to be guarded against. It is things which are right in their places, but which are allowed to sidetrack prayer and shut the closet door, often with the self-comforting plea that "we are too busy to pray"

Possibly this has had as much to do with the breaking down of family prayer in this age as any other one cause. It is at this point that family religion has decayed, and just here is one cause of the decline of the prayer meeting. Men and women are too busy with legitimate things to "give themselves to prayer." Other things are given the right of way Prayer is set aside or made secondary Business comes first. And this means not always that prayer is second, but that prayer is put entirely out. The apostles drove directly at this point, and determined that even church business should not affect their praying habits. Prayer must come first. Then would they be in deed and truth God's real agents in his world, through whom he could effectually work, because they were praying men, and thereby put themselves directly in line with his plans and purposes, which was that he works through praying men.

When the complaint came to their ears the apostles discovered that that which they had been doing did not fully serve the divine ends of peace, gratitude, and unity Discontent, complainings, and division were the result of their work, which had far too little prayer in it. And so prayer was put prominently to the front.

Praying men are a necessity in carrying out the divine plan for the salvation of men. God has made it so. He it is who established prayer as a divine ordinance, and this implies men are to do the praying. So praying men are a necessity in the world. The fact that so often God has employed men of prayer to accomplish his ends clearly proves the proposition. It is altogether unnecessary to name all the instances where God used the prayers of righteous men to carry out his gracious designs. Time and space are too limited for the list. Yet one or two cases might be named. In the case of the golden calf, when God purposed to destroy the Israelites because of their great sin of idolatry, at the time when Moses was receiving the law at God's hands, the very being of Israel was imperiled, for Aaron had been swept away by the strong popular tide of unbelief and sin. All seemed lost but Moses and prayer, and prayer became more efficient and wonder-working in behalf of Israel than Aaron's magic rod. God was determined to destroy Israel and Aaron. His anger waxed hot. It was a fearful and a critical hour. But prayer was the levee which held back heaven's desolating fury God's hand was held fast by the interceding of Moses, the mighty intercessor.

Moses was set on delivering Israel. It was with him a long and exhaustive struggle of praying for forty days and forty nights. Not for one moment did he relax his hold on God. Not for one moment did he quit his place at the feet of God, even for food. Not for one moment did he moderate his demand or ease his cry Israel's existence was in the balance. Almighty God's wrath must be stayed. Israel must be saved at all hazards. And Israel was saved. Moses would not let God alone. And so, today we can look back and give the credit of the present race of the Jews to the praying of Moses centuries ago.

Persevering prayer always wins; God yields to importunity and fidelity He has no heart to say No to such praying as Moses did. Actually God's purpose to destroy Israel is changed by the praying of this man of God. It is but an illustration of how much just one praying man is worth in this world, and how much depends upon him.

When Daniel, in Babylon, refused to obey the decree of the king not to ask any petition of any god or man for thirty days, he shut his eyes to the decree which would shut him off from his praying room, and refused to be deterred from calling upon God for fear of the consequences. So he "kneeled upon his knees three times a day" and prayed as he had done before, leaving it all with God as to the consequences of thus disobeying the king.

There was nothing impersonal about Daniel's praying. It always had an objective, and was an appeal to a great God, who could do all things. There was no coddling of self, nor looking after subjective or reflex influences. In the face of the dreadful decree which is to precipitate him from place and power, into the lion's den, "he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and gave thanks to God as aforetime." The gracious result was that prayer laid its hands upon an almighty arm, which interposed in that den of vicious, cruel lions and closed their mouths and preserved his servant Daniel, who had been true to him and who had called upon him for protection. Daniel's praying was an essential factor in defeating the king's decree and in discomfiting the wicked, envious rulers, who had set the trap for Daniel in order to destroy him and remove him from place and power in the kingdom.

God Says Prayer is Essential Part 1

BLJ: We will spend some time studying prayer. These passages come from the hand of Rev. E.M. Bounds. He was a true student of prayer and understood its importance. Enjoy and learn.

GOD SAYS PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL

It must never be forgotten that Almighty God rules this world. He is not an absentee God. His hand is ever on the throttle of human affairs. He is everywhere present in the concerns of time. His eyes behold, his eyelids try the "children of men." He rules the world just as he rules the church by prayer. This lesson needs to be emphasized and stressed in the ears of men of modem times and brought to bear with cumulative force on the consciences of this generation whose eyes have no vision for the eternal things, whose ears are deaf toward God.

Nothing is more important to God than prayer in dealing with mankind. But it is likewise all-important to man to pray. Failure to pray is failure along the whole line of life. It is failure of duty, service, and spiritual progress. God must help man by prayer. He who does not pray, therefore, robs himself of God's help and places God where he cannot help man. Man must pray to God if love for God is to exist. Faith and hope, and patience and all the strong, beautiful, vital forces of piety are withered and dead in a prayerless life. The life of the individual believer, his personal salvation, and personal Christian graces have their being, bloom, and fruitage in prayer. All this and much more can be said as to the necessity of prayer to the being, and culture of piety in the individual. But prayer has a larger sphere, a more obligated duty, a loftier inspiration. Prayer concerns God, whose purposes and plans are conditioned on prayer. His will and his glory are bound up in praying. The days of God's splendor and renown have always been the great days of prayer. God's great movements in this world have been conditioned on, continued and fashioned by prayer. God has put himself in these great movements just as men have prayed. Present, prevailing, conspicuous and mastering prayer has always brought God to be present. The real and obvious test of a genuine work of God is the prevalence of the spirit of prayer. God's mightiest forces surcharge and impregnate a movement when prayer's mightiest forces are there.

God's movement to bring Israel from Egyptian bondage had its inception in prayer. Thus early did God and the human race put the fact of prayer as one of the granite forces upon which his world movements were to be based.

Hannah's petition for a son began a great prayer movement for God in Israel. Praying women, whose prayers like those of Hannah, can give to the cause of God men like Samuel, do more for the church and the world than all the politicians on earth. Men born of prayer are the saviors of the state, and men saturated with prayer give life and impetus to the church. Under God they are saviors and helpers of both church and state.

We must believe that the divine record of the facts about prayer and God are given in order that we might be constantly reminded of him, and be ever refreshed by the faith that God holds his church for the entire world, and that God's purpose will be fulfilled. His plans concerning the church will most assuredly and inevitably be carried out. That record of God has been given without doubt that we may be deeply impressed that the prayers of God's saints are a great factor, a supreme factor, in carrying forward God's work, with facility and in time. When the church is in the condition of prayer God's cause always flourishes and his kingdom on earth always triumphs. When the church fails to pray, God's cause decays and evil of every kind prevails. In other words, God works through the prayers of his people, and when they fail him at this point, decline and deadness ensue. It is according to the divine plans that spiritual prosperity comes through the prayer channel. Praying saints are God's agents for carrying on his saving and providential work on earth. If his agents fail him, neglecting to pray; then his work fails. Praying agents of the most high are always forerunners of spiritual prosperity

The men of the church of all ages who have held the church for God have had in affluent fullness and richness the ministry of prayer. The rulers of the church which the Scriptures reveal have had preeminence in prayer. Eminent, they may have been, in culture, in intellect and in all the natural or human forces; or they may have been lowly in physical attainments and native gifts; yet in each case prayer was the all-potent force in the rulership of the church. And this was so because God was with and in what they did, for prayer always carries us back to God. It recognizes God and brings God into the world to work and save and bless. The most efficient agents in disseminating the knowledge of God, in prosecuting his work upon the earth, and in standing as breakwater against the billows of evil, have been praying church leaders. God depends upon them, employs them, and blesses them.
Prayer cannot be retired as a secondary force in this world. To do so is to retire God from the movement. It is to make God secondary The prayer ministry is an all-engaging force. It must be so, to be a force at all. Prayer is the sense of God's need and the call for God's help to supply that need. The esteem and place of prayer is the esteem and place of God. To give prayer the secondary place is to make God secondary in life's affairs. To substitute other forces for prayer, retires God and materializes the whole movement.

Prayer is an absolute necessity to the proper carrying on of God's work. God has made it so. This must have been the principal reason why in the early church, when the complaint that the widows of certain believers had been neglected in the daily administration of the church's benefits, that the twelve called the disciples together, and told them to look for seven men, "full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom," whom they would appoint over that benevolent work, adding this important statement, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." They surely realized that the success of the Word and the progress of the church were dependent in a preeminent sense upon their "giving themselves to prayer." God could effectively work through them in proportion as they gave themselves fully to prayer.

The apostles were as dependent upon prayer as other folks. Sacred work -- church activities -- may so engage and absorb us as to hinder praying, and when this is the case, evil results always follow It is better to let the work go by default than to let the praying go by neglect. Whatever affects the intensity of our praying affects the value of our work. "Too busy to pray" is not only the keynote to backsliding, but it mars even the work done. Nothing is well done without prayer for the simple reason that it leaves God out of the account. It is so easy to be seduced by the good to the neglect of the best, until both the good and the best perish. How easily may men, even leaders in Zion, be led by the insidious wiles of Satan to cut short our praying in the interests of the work! How easy to neglect prayer or abbreviate our praying simply by the plea that we have church work on our hands. Satan has effectively disarmed us when he can keep us too busy doing things to stop and pray
"Give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word." The Revised Version has it, "We will continue steadfastly in prayer." The implication of the word used here means to be strong, steadfast, to be devoted to, to keep at it with constant care, to make a business out of it. We find the same word in Colossians 4:12, and in Romans 12:12, which is translated, "Continuing instant in prayer."

The apostles were under the law of prayer, which law recognizes God as God, and depends upon him to do for them what he would not do without prayer. They were under the necessity of prayer, just as all believers are, in every age and in every clime. They had to be devoted to prayer in order to make their ministry of the Word efficient. The business of preaching is worth very little unless it is in direct partnership with the business of praying. Apostolic preaching cannot be carried on unless there is apostolic praying. Alas, that this plain truth has been so easily forgotten by those who minister in holy things! Without in any way passing a criticism on the ministry, we feel it to be high time that somebody or other declared to its members that effective preaching is conditioned on effective praying. The preaching which is most successful is that ministry which has much of prayer in it. Perhaps one might go so far as to say that it is the only kind that is successful. God can mightily use the preacher who prays. He is God's chosen messenger for good, whom the Holy Spirit delights to honor, God's efficient agent in saving men and in edifying the saints.

In Acts 6: 1-8 we have the record of how, long ago, the apostles felt that they were losing -- had lost -- in apostolic power because they did not have relief from certain duties in order that they might give themselves more to prayer. So they called a halt because they discovered to their regret that they were too deficient in praying. Doubtless they kept up the form of praying, but it was

seriously defective in intensity and in point of the amount of time given to it. Their minds were too much preoccupied with the finances of the church. Today, too, we find in many places both laymen and ministers are so busily engaged in "serving tables," that they are glaringly deficient in praying. In fact, in present-day church affairs men are looked upon as religious because they give largely of their money to the church, and men are chosen for official positions not because they are men of prayer, but because they have the financial ability to run church finances and to get money for the church.

Seventh Bible Study: Elijah Translated

Today we look at the transferring of the prophetic mantle from Elijah to Elisha. It is taken from 2 Kings 2:5-15. We are first introduced to Elisha in 1 Kings chapter nineteen. In 2 Kings 3:11, we are told that Elisha "poured water on the hands of Elijah." During the closing of Elijah's ministry, Elisha accompanied him and ministered to his needs. Now as Elijah is departing, Elisha's request is for a "double portion". of the older prophet's spirit. As we study, we will see that Elisha's request was granted. The Scripture records that through Elisha God performed twice as many miracles as were done through Elijah.

The "double portion" is a type of second blessing of heart holiness. The Old Testament contains many types and symbols for second blessing holiness. It is a good study to see how God laid out His plan in the Old Testament for New Testament salvation through Jesus Christ.

The first section is "A Steadfast Devotion." vv. 4-8 The story of Elijah is coming to an end. His trials are about ended. Elijah had "fought the good fight. and he had keep the faith." He was prepared to meet God. What a wonderful testimony! Eight years earlier from today's passage, Elijah had met a young man plowing. He asked the young man to become his attendant and train to be a prophet. The young man Elisha went with Elijah and became one of the great prophets of Israel. He served as a prophet for sixty years.

Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind as he was leaving. Elijah either wanted to end his life alone, or he was testing Elisha's devotion. Elisha swore an oath that he would not leave Elijah. They went to Beth-el where the school for the prophets was. From there, they went to Jericho and once more Elijah asked Elisha to stay behind. Again, Elisha refused, he would not leave Elijah. There would be a third test of devotion and Elisha remained steadfast. They came to the Jordan River. Elijah took his mantle (like a cape), rolled it up and struck the rolling river. It divided and they both went over on dry ground.

The mantle was not the source of power. It was the vehicle of the Spirit's power. The power was not through an object, but through faith and obedience. Elijah's faith resulted in a miracle because what he asked was in accordance with God's will. Remember, no problem is to great, nor stream too deep and dangerous, that God cannot lead us through them unharmed.

The second section is "A Request Granted." vv. 9-12 After reaching the other shore, Elijah asked Elisha, "What do you want from me?" This was like a dying father hearing the final request from his son. They talked for a while and then there was a chariot of fire and horses of fire. Elijah stepped into the whirlwind and he was taken to heaven. Elisha gave an instinctive tribute to the departed saint when he said, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." We understand from this passage that faith finds or makes a way. While Elijah could not grant Elisha's request, God could. What was the request in actuality? It was a double portion of the Holy Spirit that he sought. The greatest gift in this world is not gold, but it is the the gift of the Holy Spirit. Being faithful until death is an indispensable condition of eternal reward.

The third section is "A Mantle Taken Up." vv. 13-15 Elijah was now gone. Elisha must have sensed some loneliness and he tore his clothes from top to bottom. The mantle was left by Elijah as a symbol of his call to the prophetic office and a sign that Elisha's prayer was answered. As Elisha approach the Jordan to return, he was the same person but not the same person. He may have been a bit unsure when he returned to the Jordan. Elisha hit the waters and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?"  That question was really a prayer made in faith and confidence. The waters parted just like it did for Elijah. Elisha passed through which represents that the Lord opens paths for those He has chosen and called to be messengers. This was the first of three miracles which served to confirm that Elisha was the divinely appointed successor of Elijah. A point to draw from the section is that the indwelling Spirit is the source of spiritual power.

The Golden Text is "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." (Ten. 5:24) John Wesley said that God perhaps took Enoch because the world which had become so corrupt was not worthy of him or his work was now done on earth. God took Enoch just as He took Elijah. Their work on earth was complete. Those alive when Christ returns will experience the same translation.

My summary points:
1. A steadfast devotion will bring God's favor and anointing.
2. Faith finds a way where there is a committed heart.
3. The indwelling Spirit is the source of spiritual power.

Next week, "Naaman, the Syrian." 2 Kings 5: 1-14.

Read the Sunday School Beacon for inspiration and encouragement.

What Eradification Does Not Do

BLJ: Much time is spent discussing what entire sanctification does for you. However, it is equally important to know what it doesn't do when the old man is eradicated. The subject is briefly set forth below. Entire books have been written on the subject. This is a good start.

WHAT THE ERADICATION OF THE OLD MAN DOES NOT DO

The eradication of the old man does save from inbred sin. It does take out carnality -- roots, stock and branches. It does make the heart perfect in love. Man is human after he receives this most marvelous experience, and is limited to the realm of the human.

The eradication of the old man does not save us from mistakes.

"The highest perfection which man can attain, while the soul dwells in the body, does not exclude ignorance and error and a thousand other infirmities. Now from wrong judgments, wrong words and actions will often necessarily flow: and, in some cases, wrong affections also may spring from the same source. I may judge wrong of you; I may think more or less highly of you than I ought to think; and this mistake, in my judgment, may not only occasion something wrong in my behavior, but it may have a still deeper effect; it may occasion something wrong in my affections. From a wrong apprehension, I may love and esteem you either more or less than I ought. Nor can I be freed from a liableness to such a mistake while I remain in a corruptible body. A thousand infirmities, in consequence of this, will attend my spirit, till it returns to God who gave it. And, in numberless instances, it comes short of doing the will of God, as Adam did in paradise. Hence the best of men say from the heart,

'Every moment, Lord, I need

The merit of Thy death.'
"Every man living needs the blood of atonement, or he could not stand before God."

While our hearts are made perfect in entire sanctification, our heads are still subject to the infirmities of humanity. It is only when we receive our glorified bodies that these infirmities will be removed from us. A sanctified man may make many mistakes, may err in judgment, may place wrong values on things, may do many unwise things, and still love God with all his heart.

"Hence, we cannot but infer, that there are ten thousand mistakes, which may consist with real religion; with regard to which every candid, considerate man will think and let think."
It does not save one from a nervous fear. Perfect love does cast out all fear of the judgment, it does make timid people courageous; but it does not destroy the quality of nervous fear. This is a God-given quality for our protection. A sanctified man can have extreme nervous fear when riding with a careless driver, or when exposed to sudden danger, when struck at by a rattlesnake, when in a wreck, when in a tornado, when a dog suddenly attacks, etc., etc.

"One may start, tremble, change color, or be otherwise disordered in body, while the soul is calmly stayed on God and remains in perfect peace. Nay, the mind itself may be deeply distressed, may be exceedingly sorrowful, may be perplexed and pressed down by heaviness and anguish, even to agony, while the heart is resigned to God. Was it not so with the Son of man himself? Does any child of man endure this distress, the anguish, the agony, which he sustained? And yet he 'knew no sin.'
It does not save us from infirmities and the consequences thereof.

Even sanctified souls "dwell in a shattered body, and are so pressed down thereby that they cannot always exert themselves as they would by thinking, speaking and acting precisely right. For want of better bodily organs, they must at times think, speak, or act wrong; not, indeed, through a defect of love, but through a defect of knowledge, and while this is the case, notwithstanding that defect and its consequences, they fulfill the law of love."

It does not save us from ignorance and its results. Speaking of those who are entirely sanctified, Wesley so aptly says: "They are not perfect in knowledge. They are not free from ignorance, no, nor from mistakes. We are no more to expect any living man to be infallible than to be omniscient. They are not free from infirmities; such as weakness or slowness of understanding, irregular quickness or heaviness of imagination. Such in another kind are impropriety of language, ungracefulness of pronunciation, to which one might add a thousand nameless defects either in conversation or behavior. From such infirmities as these none are perfectly freed till their spirit returns to God."
It doesn't save from the law of growth in grace. A pure heart is not necessarily mature. One receives a pure heart the second he is sanctified, but it takes time to develop maturity. A half-grown apple is all apple, but it is far from being mature. The greatest book on this subject, Wood's "Purity and Maturity," will prove a blessing in any home. Satan often troubles many when they are first sanctified, because they do not have the maturity of those who have been sanctified for years. The eradication of the old man greatly aids in the development of maturity.

It does not save us from our individuality. Getting sanctified does not put us in a form, and make us all alike, like men make cement blocks. There is a wonderful variety in all nature and in grace. One manifests great joy by shouting, another by laughing, another by running around, another by weeping, another by holy quietness too deep to express itself, another by a heavenly glow upon the face, etc., etc. All these have the joy and glory but manifest it in different ways. Some seem even to expect it to change the color of their hair, or cure them from being cross-eyed, or take freckles off their face, or cause their big ears to become smaller, or take the crook out of their nose, etc. This is not the realm of this great experience. It does fill the heart with perfect love. It does "beautify the meek with salvation." But we will have to put up with crooked noses, freckles, big feet, red hair, squint eyes, ponderous ears, our Irish, or Dutch or Scotch or other national make-up -- we must bear these until we get glorified bodies.

It does not save from temptation. Jesus was tempted. The servant is not above his master. We must, therefore, expect temptations as long as we are in the body. The closer our walk with God, the greater are the temptations. A holy heart is, however, a great aid in overcoming satanic attacks. As long as the old man abides in the heart, Satan has an affinity with him. It is much easier to resist temptation when this affinity is broken. It is hard for the heart to line up with the Bible as long as carnality exists. How much easier it is for a holy man to line up along the lines of finances, worldly conformity, dress, the tongue, etc., etc. The old man in the heart constantly exerts an influence contrary to the Spirit of God. The only way to stop this influence is to have him eradicated.

"The sanctified man is ready for Gethsemane with its loneliness, the judgment-seat of man with its false witnessing, and the cross with its shame and suffering. All that is needed is for Christ to lead, and he will follow."

"May we see to it that we obtain the sanctifying blood! It matters not if we are exiled to Patmos, or beheaded ecclesiastically, or cast out of the synagogue as altogether vile, -- the compensation is overwhelming for all these sufferings."

"When the heart is impure, it will be often tempted from itself; its own evil pronings will often lead it to 'bring forth actual sin,' which, if not repented of, will bring forth eternal death."

'Cruel criticisms,' and the still more cruel persecutions of 'bringing before councils,' 'imprisoning,' 'scourging,' 'torturing' and 'burning at the stake' are but the sparks struck by the wheels of the 'chariot' of the King in its ascent toward the celestial summits."

"There are evil spirits that range abroad, . . . . to whom the provinces of the world are committed:-- 'of the darkness,' chiefly the spiritual darkness; 'of this age;' which prevails during the present state of things; 'against wicked spirits;' eminently such, who mortally hate, and continually oppose holiness, and labour to infuse unbelief, pride, evil desire, malice, anger, hatred, envy or revenge.

"Thousands are lost for want of exercising moral courage against the persecutions and contempt of the world. This fear 'hath torment,' destroys usefulness, endangers the soul, . . . ."
Tempted we are, and tempted we must be. In His infinite wisdom and love, God is using temptation to strengthen the moral character of the saints. If we had our way, we would banish Satan or put him to death. God is love. He knows the way we take. When He hath taken us through His "School of Temptation," we shall come forth as His pure gold.

Temptation must come, but "if you are wise, escape for your life. Without loss of time, renounce the cause and effect together! Now, today, before the heart be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, cut off, at one stroke, that sinful friendship with the ungodly, and that sinful conformity to the world. Determine this day! Do not delay till tomorrow, lest you delay for ever. For God's sake, for your own soul's sake, fix your resolution now!"

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Note. This, as the others, is not a complete treatise, but a suggestive study. You can develop this study along many lines.

Some Results of Eradication of the Old Man

BLJ: Friend, read the below descriptions of what happens to the heart that has been sanctified wholly. What prevents you from entering into this holiness experience? What sin in your heart is worth keeping you from holiness?


SOME RESULTS OF ERADICATION OF THE OLD MAN

Many are the results of the eradication of the old man. The old man dies; he stops playing possum and dies. The heart is perfected in love. The soul enjoys the life more abundant. No better picture can be given of a sanctified heart than some notes from John Wesley explaining the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians.

"And first, 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels'; with an eloquence such as never was found in men concerning the nature, attributes, and works of God, . . . . though I were not herein a whit behind the chief of the apostles; preaching like St. Peter, and praying like St. John; -- yet unless humble, gentle, patient love be the ruling temper of my soul, I am no better in the judgment of God, 'than sounding brass, or a rumbling cymbal.' The highest eloquence, . . . . the brightest talents either for preaching or prayer, if they were not joined with humble, meek, and patient resignation, might sink me the deeper into hell, but will not bring me one step nearer heaven.
"And though I have miracle working faith, and have not this love, I am nothing.

"Though I -- Deliberately, piece by piece, give all my goods to feed the poor . . . . though I deliver up my body to be burned -- and have not the love hereafter described, it profiteth me nothing.
"Love suffereth long and is kind.' -- Suffers all the weaknesses of the children of God, all the wickedness of the children of the world, and that not for a little time only, but as long as God pleases. Love inspires with the most amiable sweetness and fervent, tender affection toward the one that knowingly injures you, and amid it all you will feel and manifest a mild, tender, long-suffering spirit in look, action, and voice.

"Deceive not, therefore, your own souls: he who is not thus kind, hath not love.
"Consequently, 'Love envieth not;' it is impossible it should. It is directly opposite to that baneful temper. It cannot be, that he who has that tender affection to all, who earnestly wishes all temporal and spiritual blessings, all good things in this world and the world to come, to every soul that God hath made, should be pained at his bestowing any good gift on any child of God. However then we may flatter ourselves, or one another, he that envieth hath not love.
"It follows, 'Love vaunteth not itself;' or rather, is not harsh, or hasty in judging: for this is indeed the true meaning of the word. As many as love their neighbor for God's sake, will not easily receive an ill opinion of any to whom they wish all good, spiritual as well as temporal.

"'Love is not puffed up.' As is the measure of love, so is the measure of humility. Nothing humbles the soul so deeply as love: it casts out all 'high conceits; engendering pride, all arrogance and over weening; makes us little, and poor, and base, and vile in our eyes. It abases us both before God and man; makes us willing to be the least of all, and the servant of all, and teaches us to say, 'A mote in the sunbeam is little, but I am infinitely less in the presence of God.' And whosoever is otherwise minded, let him give up all vain hope: he is puffed up, and so hath not love.

"It 'doth not behave itself unseemly;' it is not rude or willingly offensive to any.
"'Love seeketh not her own.' In striving to please all men, the lover of mankind has no eye at all to his own temporal advantage. He covets no man's silver, or gold, or apparel: he desires nothing but the salvation of their souls: yea, in some sense he may be said not to seek his own spiritual, any more than temporal advantage; for while he is on the full stretch to save their souls from death, he, as it were, forgets himself. He does not think of himself, so long as that zeal for the glory of God swallows him up.

"No marvel that such 'love is not provoked'. It is not provoked to unkindness towards any one. Occasions indeed will frequently occur; outward provocations of various kinds: but love does not yield to provocation; it triumphs over all. In all trials it looketh unto Jesus, and is more than conqueror in his love.

"Love 'thinketh no evil'. It tears up, root and branch, all imagining what we have not known. It casts out all jealousies, all evil surmisings, all readiness to believe evil. It is frank, open, unsuspicious; and, as it cannot design, so neither does it fear evil.

"It 'rejoiceth not in iniquity.' Who scruple not to rejoice over their enemy, when he falleth either into affliction, or error, or sin? Only a man of love. He alone weeps over either the sin or folly of his enemies, takes no pleasure in hearing or in repeating it, but rather desires that it may be forgotten for ever.

"But he 'rejoiceth in the truth,' wheresoever it is found; in 'the truth which is after godliness;' bringing forth its proper fruit, holiness of heart, and holiness of conversation. He rejoices to find that even those who oppose him, whether with regard to opinions, or some points of practice, are nevertheless lovers of God, and in other respects unreprovable.

"'Love beareth all things.' Whatever evil the lover of mankind sees, hears, or knows of any one, he mentions it to none; it never goes out of his lips, unless where absolute duty constrains to speak. A talebearer, a backbiter, a whisperer, an evil speaker is to him all one as a murderer. He would just as soon cut his neighbor's throat as thus murder his reputation.

"Love 'believeth all things.' It is always willing to think the best; to put the most favorable construction on everything. It is ever ready to believe whatever may tend to the advantage of any one's character.

'Love hopeth all things.' The eye of the soul in 'perfect love' can see the silver side of the darkest clouds of opposition, hatred, violence; in fact, such souls live there. The spirit of loving compassion takes things usually for better than they really are. 'Of the sins, faults, failures of another, perfect love hopeth it is not so bad after all;' it leans to mercy rather than censure and condemnation.

'Love endureth all things.' Endures with unwearied patience anything that God can permit, or men and devils inflict. Endures reproach, slander, misunderstanding, opposition, contempt, ridicule, affliction, poverty, and even death."

A heart that is free from the old man is cured of the "ups and downs"; is kept sweet amidst the greatest provocations; lives in security, abounds in humility, lives in harmony with others, delights in the will of God, has a holy courage, is rid of the fear of man, has an illuminated Bible, has an open pocketbook, is dead to the praise of man, never has the pouts, never goes up the miff tree, is loyal to God, never feels superior to others, bears much fruit, has great liberality, abounds in praise, gives himself to prayer, has a burden for the lost, is well fed, lives a conquering life, is rich with true riches, is hilarious, is stable in the midst of wavering, rejoices evermore, and prays without ceasing.
In short, the only way to know what Entire Sanctification does do is to get this glorious experience, and you will say, "The half has never yet been told."

Dying Out to the Old Man

BLJ: This is a good chapter on dying out to carnality. You surrender your carnal traits one by one and when you are sick enough of yourself, you will die out completely. 

CONSECRATION OR DYING OUT, AND THE OLD MAN

Before one can exercise a heart-faith for entire cleansing, there must be a complete consecration or dying out. The Holy Spirit is the great Lover of Jesus. He is doing His utmost to lead the believers into the glorious experience of entire sanctification.

According to General Booth, "Entire consecration has in it the nature of a real sacrifice. Consecration is being crucified with Christ; it means dying to all those pleasures and gratifications which flow from the undue love of self, etc., . . . . This may be painful; but we must be crucified with Christ."

"The essence of consecration is to recognize that God is our absolute proprietor; that we are nothing, have nothing, and that we gladly let God take all for time and eternity."

'And be not conformed to this world.' Here is that dying to the world in its customs, laws, fashions, maxims, pleasures, honors, etc., that rounds up and fills out the consecration that the apostle is urging upon the 'brethren.' There are many things that are lawful and not morally wrong which we have to die out to, before we can get the blessing of sanctification."

"The Scriptures do not speak of consecrating ourselves to 'the church,' or 'to a work,' as so many say; but entire commitment of our all 'to the Lord,' and only to him."

One who was seeking says: "I examined myself and prayed more earnestly, but the hunger of my soul grew more imperious. The inward craving increased. The result of these weeks of heart-throes was a gradual sinking of self, and a consciousness of utter emptiness. Then arose an unutterable longing 'to be filled.'"

"It (the baptism with the Holy Spirit) is God's wondrous grace, conferred gladly when we comply with the conditions, one of which is the absolute surrender of our WILL about EVERYTHING. Anything else would be like surrendering the whole body to the doctor -- all but one limb, which had a cancer. Ask Jesus to take possession of all."

"After a bitter experience, and terrible contest, and deepest conviction, I was enabled to yield all to the Lord, and He filled my soul with Himself."

Like Abraham was tested to the limit when God told him to take his only son, Isaac, whom he loved, and offer him as a sacrifice, so in our dying out God strikes at the things we most love. Some have to go through the death of giving up big churches and large salaries, some have to die out to prestige, some to loved ones, some to finances, some must die out to secular work and become willing to preach, etc. Others are led to "drag out by frequent and deep confessions, one by one, as did the saintly Fletcher, the manifestations of the old man." Anger, pride, self-will, impatience, fear of man, revenge, etc., all must be dragged out, confessed and repented of as God reveals them to the heart. The confessing and repenting of these things break up the fallow ground of the heart, humble the soul before God, reveal to the heart its utter helplessness, and drive it to the refuge of Jesus. After the fight of consecration or dying out, comes the great battle of faith, which is to be studied in the next chapter.

"O God, my heart doth long for Thee, Let me die, let me die;
Now set my soul at liberty,
Let me die; let me die
To all the trifling things of earth, 
They are to me of little worth, 
My Savior calls, I'm going forth, 
Let me die, let me die.

"Thy slaying power in me display, Let me die, let me die;
I must be dead from day to day, Let me die, let me die;
Unto the world and its applause,
To all the customs, fashions, laws,
Of those who hate the humbling cross, Let me die, let me die.
"Oh, I must die to scoffs and jeers, Let me die, let me die;
I must be free from slavish fears, Let me die, let me die,
So dead that no desire shall rise To pass for good, or great, or wise, In any but my Savior's eyes.
Let me die, let me die.

"Begin at once to drive the nail, Let me die, let me die.
Oh, suffer not my heart to fail, Let me die, let me die.
Jesus, I look to Thee for power,
To help me to endure this hour, When crucified by sovereign power,

I shall die, I shall die."