The Holy Spirit And You

By Frau Dr. Gertrud Wasserzug

Chapter IV - The Holy Spirit In The World Today

     Our time manifests the power of Satan, the prince of this world. Jesus Christ declares that Satan is the father of lies. We see the lying spirit everywhere today. Lies and crime have made our earth a dark place: unsafe, godless, unrighteous and immoral! But Christ is still the Hope of the World. Our faith in Christ must be active. Could you give us some advice? How can a Spirit-filled Christian spread the light of Jesus Christ in the darkness of our time?

     God works through individuals. He does not need many. He needs one. He needs you! He prepares His instruments. You must be washed in the blood of the Lamb and filled with the Spirit of God. By the Spirit, Jesus Christ is personally present in you, and He is the Light of the World.

     So you are a lighthouse in this world spreading the Light of Jesus Christ wherever you are and wherever you go. A lighthouse shining over the stormy ocean, in the middle of the night, is a great help and a comfort for the sailor seeking the way home. Therefore, Jesus Christ says to His own: "Ye are the light of the world!" (Matt. 5:14) But He also says: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:16)

     To be the light of the world is not enough. The light must shine. Is that difficult? Oh no: we only must not hinder the Holy Spirit to work through us. Do not darken His light by your own self—go out of the way! Did you hide the light under some bushel? It may be the fear of man or the pride of your own heart. Remove the bushel and the light will shine.

     We are glad to say that we observe also the strong power of God working today in this world. What does the Bible say about the working of the Holy Spirit in the world?

     Of course, the working of the power of evil is strong today. Open a newspaper and you will read about revolts, crimes, terrible sins of unrighteousness everywhere. But we cannot read much about the work of the Holy Spirit today, and yet He is working, and He is mighty. Yes, He is mightier than all the power of darkness.

     Ask the people who love Jesus how they found the Lord. It is a wonder in each case. Praise the Lord, that there are hundreds and thousands, who will testify that they have been freed from the power of sin by the grace of God.

     But how did it happen? Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. (John 16:8) This is true of every generation and our time is no exception.

     God speaks by His Holy Spirit, in the hearts of all men, about the sins in their lives. Everyone living on this earth knows that there is a God and that he has sinned against God. You must not teach anyone what sin is, he knows it. The Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin.

     We can say that everyone knows also what righteousness means. The Bible says that the law is written in the heart of man. He knows that one day he will be judged because of his unrighteousness. The Holy Spirit convicts him of the judgment of God, as it is written: "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27)

     This is the working of the Holy Spirit in the world. He has engraved these truths of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment into every heart.

     What have we to do now?

     Our generation is prepared by the Holy Spirit for the message of salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ, who wants to seek and to save. But where are the messengers, filled with the Holy Spirit, to bring this message to a dying world?

     How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. (Rom. 10:14f)

     If we want to work for God and with God, we must know: what is the will of God in our time. It is not enough to do something; we must do the right thing. I would like to know what you would say after your long experience in the work in Europe: What is the will of God in our time?

     Jesus Christ has left His last will to His disciples. He said to them: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

     This is a very clear command given not only to the disciples, but to all who believe in Jesus Christ. This is the will of God for our time.

     You can do many good things, but one thing is needful: the gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached today to all those who have never heard it. We have to do it fast! Our Lord warned that the night comes when no man can work.

     And, if you say, like Moses, I cannot preach, you still have many ways by which to give the true message of salvation. You can support a missionary or a preacher at home, who is faithful to the Word of God. Make somebody else your voice even as Moses spoke through Aaron to the people of Israel.

     To know the will of God and not to do it is the greatest sin, because it can mean eternal death for those who never heard the gospel.

     We are living in the last time. The signs which Jesus Christ Himself gave us are being fulfilled. He said that the moral conditions in the last time will be as in the time of the flood, and it is so today. He said that the fig tree will get leaves. The fig tree is a picture of Israel, and Israel surely shows the fulfillment of this Word.

     Now we would like to know: What is the work of the Holy Spirit in these last days?

     Yes, we are, without doubt, living in the last time. The signs are so clear, and we can truly say: the day of Jesus Christ is at hand.

     The Holy Spirit today is working in the church of the true believers. It is an amazing fact that the believers, in the East and in the West, are convinced that the appearance of Jesus Christ for His church is very near.

     This is the special work of the Holy Spirit in our time. He wants to prepare the believers in all the countries of the world for the great day, when the heavens shall open and Jesus Christ will appear in the clouds.