The author reminds us of a resource for discipleship training—often overlooked but absolutely essential.
In considering discipleship one could ask: What is my personal responsibility? Isn’t it someone else’s responsibility to disciple me? I just need to be willing to be discipled, right? Is there a personal responsibility beyond being willing?
Many responsibilities could be listed, but one we have is to allow the Holy Spirit to disciple us. This may be with or without having another person involved. The work of the Holy Spirit is not to the exclusion of other factors, but is certainly of primary importance. We would be foolish not to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to produce spiritual growth. But even agreeing with this, do we neglect the Spirit’s work? H.A. Ironside relates a relevant experience:
I remember years ago, while my dear mother was still living, I went to visit the family, and found there a man of God from the north of Ireland. I was a young Christian at the time, engaged in gospel work. He was a much older man, an invalid, dying of what we then called “quick consumption.” He had come out to southern California, hoping climatic conditions would be of some help to him. But it was evident that he was too far gone to be recovered to health again. He lived, by his own desire, in a small tent out under the olive trees a short distance from our home. I went out to see him there. I can remember how my heart was touched as I looked down on his thin worn face upon which I could see the peace of heaven clearly manifested. His name was Andrew Fraser. He could barely speak above a whisper, for his lungs were almost gone, but I can recall yet how, after a few words of introduction, he said to me, “Young man, you are trying to preach Christ, are you not?” I replied, “Yes, I am.” “Well,” he whispered, “sit down a little, and let us talk together about the Word of God.” He opened his well-worn Bible, and, until his strength was gone, simply, sweetly, and earnestly he opened up truth after truth as he turned from one passage to another, in a way that my own spirit had never entered into them. Before I realized it, tears were running down my face, I asked, “Where did you get these things? Could you tell me where I could find a book that would open them up to me?…” I shall never forget his answer. “My dear young man, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me, I used to kneel for hours at a time, and ask [God] to reveal Christ to my soul. He taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world.” Is it not true that most of us do not stay long enough in the presence of God? (H.A. Ironside, In The Heavenlies, Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux 1975).
A discipleship secret is to invest time asking God to reveal Christ to us personally. This man knelt for hours. Christ said it this way: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and everyone that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Mt. 7:7f). But are we willing to invest the time, the hours?
Investing Time for Eternity
Do we ever regret time spent kneeling alone before God? Recently, my wife and I were discussing the challenges we allow to be placed on the time alotted each day. We all have 24 hours. It seems that when I seek to start my day with prayer, all the things needing to be done jump into my mind. There is a tendency to feel as if we do not have time to pray because there are so many other things—good things—that require our time. But if we will allow the Spirit to do His work, we will realize the same benefit as the psalmist. For in Psalm 18:28 we read, “For Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” Whether we need help with spiritual truths or practical matters of the day, there is a benefit to time spent kneeling before God in the Word and prayer, being taught by the Spirit.
Just consider Christ’s example. He certainly had many demands on His time, yet He still drew Himself away and took the time to pray.
Paul knew the work of the Spirit. He prayed for the believers at Ephesus that the Spirit would perform His work in the “eyes of their understanding being enlightened” (Eph. 1:18).
We do well to be discipled by the Spirit of God. After all, this is one of the Spirit’s primary duties, as noted by Christ when He said of the Spirit, “He will teach you all things” (Jn. 14:26). Imagine that! Our own tutor permanently residing in our hearts, and infinitely better than any commentary or seasoned saint. One who can teach, reveal, enlighten!
Perhaps you remember a time in your own Christian experience where the Spirit unlocked a passage to you as you meditated on the Word. It’s wonderful! Yet there seems to be a tendency to cut the process short. We reach for a book, or call an older brother, or watch a video—we turn to man rather than the Spirit! “But the anointing which ye have received of Him [that is the Spirit of God] abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (1 Jn. 2:27). The Holy Spirit is a resource so readily available, yet so neglected.
The Lord really has a great plan for us doesn’t He? He will disciple us. “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11). Let’s be careful not to neglect kneeling before God to make room for the Spirit’s work of revealing Christ to us.
Did you notice Ironside’s first reaction? He was ready to buy a book! We certainly can relate. Wisely, the seasoned Andrew Fraser gave him something better. He pointed the young man to the Book and the key to unlocking its precious truths: time spent in the presence of God. How this must have affected the young Ironside! This is a tremendous example of an older brother pointing a younger brother to the best Discipler. That’s discipleship!
In summary, one of our essential responsibilities in discipleship is to recognize the vital role of the Holy Spirit. “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13). I trust this article will do for us what Mr. Fraser’s advice did for Ironside: point us to our need for the Lord to disciple us. May we all be reminded of the need to kneel.
One of our essential responsibilities in discipleship is to recognize the vital role of the Holy Spirit.