'The mystery of Christ, as it hath now been revealed unto His holy apostles wad prophets in the Spirit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.'— Eph. iii. 6, 6.

The more one studies the Epistle the Ephesians, the deeper becomes the impression that the standard of New Testament religion it sets before us is but faintly realised in the Church. It’s whole tone is so intensely supernatural that nothing less is needed than a life identified with the life of Christ, and under the unceasing presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to fulfil its meaning.

In tb.e first chapter of our Epistle Paul set before us the source of the Divine life, followed by the unceasing prayer that that life might be revealed by the Holy Spirit in the heart of his readers. In chap. ii. we had the communication of that life, God Himself quickening us in Christ, and making us His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. And now in chap. iii. we are taught that the proclamation of that Divine life is equally the work of God and His Spirit. As definitely as the origin and communication of His life is a supernatural one, so the provision for its being made known in the world is entirely supernatural too. We have here the exceeding glory of God's grace set before us in a new light. In chap. 1. we had ' His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved, with the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace.' In chap, ii. we had 'the exceeding riches of His grace, which in the ages to come He would show forth in us.' And now in chap. iii. we have 'the dispensation of that grace of God which was given, to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit," and of which Paul was made a minister, 'according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to His power.' In the ministry of the Gospel the riches of God's grace are to be very specially manifested and magnified, Paul speaks of the 'mystery of Christ,' and says it has now been revealed by the Holy Spirit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow -members, and fellow partakers in Christ Jesus. Of this mystery he has been made a minister. And as it was through the Spirit that the revelation of what had been hid in God through the ages was revealed, so it was under the presence and direction of the Holy Spirit that the work was begun and was to be carried out, of bringing the Gospel to every creature. We read in Acts, ' the Spirit said ' to Philip, to speak to the man of Ethiopia; 'the Spirit said to Peter' to go to Cornelius; 'the Holy Ghost said' to the praying company at Antioch, ' Separate Me Barnabas and Saul.' ' It seemed good to the Holy Ghost' that liberty should be given to the Gentiles in Antioch. We read of Paul's 'being forbidden of the Holy Ghost' to speak the Word in Asia, and of 'the Spirit of Jesus not suffering' them to go into Ethiopia. Paul speaks of what Christ wrought through him for the obedience of the Gentiles 'in the power of the Holy Ghost,' and of his ministering the Gospel, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, ' being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.' And elsewhere he speaks of his preaching among the Gentiles, being ' in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance,' even as they also 'received the Word with joy of the Holy Ghost,' To the Holy Ghost was entrusted the whole work of revealing and carrying out through the succeeding ages the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles — ' Christ in you, the hope of glory.' All mission work has been placed under the direction of the Holy Spirit; in every department of that work His guidance is to be sought for, and can be counted upon. Missions are indeed the work of the Holy Spirit. 

We may well ask how it comes that in these days we so little use the language of Scripture in regard to our Mission work. It is to be feared that it is greatly owing to a lack of that living faith in the Holy Spirit, Whose it is to reveal the great mystery of God in the heart, to rouse its affections and its purpose, and to em- power for all the service that is needed to carry out God's blessed will. It is not enough that to the prophets and the apostles, to preachers and believers of true devotion, the Spirit should reveal this hidden mystery of God, so that through them the Church may become acquainted with His plans. Each one who hears needs individually to receive the teaching of the Spirit, if the blessed secret is really to master and possess him. We count it a great step in advance when a Church or a congregation has yielded itself to the call to take a part in the great work of evangelising the nations. And yet this may possibly be nothing more than from a sense of duty and a readiness to take a part in all the activities of the Church. Much more is needed if believers are indeed to be brought under the influence of the great truth that Missions are the chief aim of the Church, the one object for which every congregation, and therefore every individual believer, exists. It is when the Holy Spirit is honoured and waited on, when in preaching and in writing, in prayer and in Christian intercourse, when in all work within the Church to train her for her great calling, and in all work in the Mission field to conquer the heathen for Christ, the dependence upon the Holy Spirit is counted the first and essential element of success, that the Church will be able to carry out its Lord's commands. When the Holy Spirit, in our missionary committees and meetings and conferences, takes the place that was given to Him in the primitive Church, we may expect that His power will be manifested as in the early days. ' Ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be My witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth.' These were the very last words of our Lord upon earth.

They linked the promise of the Spirit with the ends of the earth, The fulness of the Spirit will only be given in connection with the extension of the Kingdom. The power for carrying the Gospel to those near or far off is absolutely dependent on the measure of the Spirit's presence. Every prayer for the power of the Spirit to be revealed ought to have as its aim the power to testify for Jesus. As the numbers of behaviors increase, who have power to prevail with God in prayer for the Spirit, will the Church become strong for preaching the Gospel to every creature. The connection between these thoughts and our life of secret devotion is close and vital. Paul spoke to believers of ' the conflict ' he had in unceasing prayer for the Churches among the heathen, even those ho had not yet seen. He asked them 'to labour and strive with him in prayer ' for his work of preaching to the Gentiles. Prayer was not to be only for the supply of the needs of the spiritual life, but a training school for the exercise of the highest powers of our being in God's service, as a conflict with the powers of darkness, as a fellowship with the cross and its intercession, as a stirring up of our strength to take hold of God, and to prevail with Him for His blessing on men around us. It is as in secret prayer the consciousness grows in an increasing number of believers, amid the deep sense of unworthiness and helplessness, ' I have power with God; He will listen to me; He will give an answer,' that our Mission work will become more than ever a triumph of the Cross in its power on our own life, before the Throne of heaven, and on the battle-field in heathendom.

Let us test our devotions by the bearing they have, and the influence they really exercise, on the fulfilment of the mystery of Christ in the world. Let us believe that in the inner chamber the work can be done that will count for eternity, and that there the power can be received that will make itself felt in whatever sphere God allots us in the establishment of His Kingdom upon earth. And let us not fear in our measure to say what Paul said of himself, ' Unto me, who am leas than the least of all saints, is this grace given, to make known unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.'

Let our devotions ever be an entire yielding to the blessed Spirit. We may count upon Him to lead ua into the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. And our prayer will increasingly become for the power of the Holy Spirit to permeate all that is being done for Mission work, whether within the Church, or through it among the heathen

The Spirit of Missions