The Bible Cannot Quicken, Nor Sanctify, Nor Comfort

The Bible Cannot Quicken, Nor Sanctify, Nor Comfort

"Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

Apart from the Spirit, the Bible cannot quicken, nor sanctify, nor comfort. It may be read constantly, and searched deeply, and known accurately, and understood partially, and quoted appropriately. Yet, left to its own unassisted power, it comes but in word only, producing no hallowing, no abiding, no saving results.

Unaccompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Bible is inactive and inoperative - a mere dead letter!

All that we spiritually know of ourselves, of God, of Jesus, of His Word - we owe to the supernatural teaching of the Holy Spirit. All the real light, sanctification, strength and comfort we possess on our way to glory - we must ascribe to the Holy Spirit.

Spurgeon: "We might preach until our tongues rotted, until we should exhaust our lungs and die - but never a soul would be converted without the Holy Spirit's power attending the Word. 

If the Holy Spirit does not renew the hearts of our hearers, we cannot do it.

If the Holy Spirit does not regenerate them, we cannot. If He does not send the truth home into their souls, we might as well speak into the ear of a corpse!"

"Open my eyes, that I may see wonderful things in Your law!" (Psalm 119:18).

~Octavius Winslow~