---

The work of Christ in us and for us does not exempt us from work. Nor does the Holy Spirit's operation supersede human effort, but rather excites it. This truth is illustrated in —

I. THE BELIEVER'S SALVATION. If any man be saved, the work within is entirely wrought by the Holy Ghost, but that does not exempt from, but necessitates, energetic labour. To enforce this we remark —

1. That the Christian life is always described as a thing of energy: as a journey, a race, a boxing match.

2. That there is no illustration in Scripture which allows the supposition that heaven is won by sloth. That is everywhere condemned.

3. That it is natural it should be so. When the Holy Spirit comes the sinner sees his danger, and exclaims, "What must I do to be saved?" He sees the excellence of salvation, and is desirous of finding the pearl of great price at all costs. Having found Christ, the believer is moved at once to glorify Him with all his powers.

4. That it is most certain that all saving acts must be performed by the man himself. Faith is the gift of God, but the Holy Ghost never believed for anybody. Repentance is His work, but the sinner must repent. He helps our infirmities in prayer, but we have to pray.

5. That if He were not made active, but one simply called upon, there is a reduction of manhood to materialism. There is no moral good or evil to me in a work which is not my own. In the Square of St. Mark, at Venice, at certain hours the bell of the clock is struck by two bronze figures as large as life, wielding hammers. Now, nobody ever thought of presenting thanks to those bronze men for the diligence with which they have struck the hours; of course, they cannot help it, they are wrought upon by machinery, and they strike the hours from necessity. Some years ago a stranger was upon the top of the tower, and incautiously went too near one of these bronze men; his time was come to strike the hour; he knocked the stranger from the battlement of the tower and killed him; nobody said the bronze man ought to be hanged; nobody ever laid it to his charge at all. There was no moral good or moral evil, because there was no will in the concern. It was not a moral act, because no mind and heart gave consent to it. Am I to believe that grace reduces men to this?

6. I warn any who imagine a man is a merely passive being in salvation against putting their theory into practice.

II. THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS IN THE CONVERSION OF OTHERS. The Holy Spirit alone can convert a soul, but wherever He works, as a general rule, it is in connection with the earnest efforts of Christian men.This is clear —

1. From the example of the text. Paul certifies that the salvation of souls is the sole work of Christ, but he declares that He laboured "agonizing." Labouring means —

(1) Abundant work. No man can be said to labour who only does half a day's work; and a soul labourer will not make his work a by-play, but put in long hours, and be ever at it.

(2) Hard work. He is no labourer who takes a spade to play with it as a little child upon the sand.

(3) Personal work. No man is a labourer who works through his servants; and the power of the Church lies in the personal influence of her members.

(4) All this must have combined with it inward soul conflict. If your heart never breaks for another, you will never be the means of breaking his heart.

2. This is plain from the work itself.

(1) Souls are not converted, as a rule, without previous prayer. So we must be stirred up to prayer, and the petitions God hears are not those of people half asleep.

(2) Souls are saved instrumentally through teaching, but not cold, dead teaching. Some warn souls in such a careless tone as to create unbelief.

(3) Teaching is not all; we must use earnest, persevering persuasion.

3. Earnest zeal is a natural result of the Spirit's working on the soul.

(1) He sanctifies in each the natural instinct which leads them to wish others to be like themselves. Having experienced salvation, we desire others to have the same happiness.

(2) He bestirs in us the impulse of gratitude to Christ, and so consecration to Him.

(3) He sanctifies the desire for the prosperity of the community to which we belong, and so we ardently labour for the success of the Church.

4. The whole history of the Church confirms what has been stated, our Lord's ministry, Pentecost, and , Luther, etc.

(C. H. Spurgeon.).

---

---

KJV: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

WEB: for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.