The Pentecost of Romans

Maynard James trained with Leonard Ravenhill at Cliff College. They formed a team of four evangelists who "trekked" (pulling a hand cart) through the United Kingdom sleeping in village and church halls and evangelizing. The principal of the college was Samuel Chadwick.

The following is from James' book I Believe in the Holy Spirit:

"'THE  PENTECOST  OF  ROMANS'  is  an  apt title  for  the  eighth  chapter  of  that  wonderful Epistle.  It  stands  out  in  marked  contrast  to  the seventh  chapter,  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not mentioned  once.  But  in  the  eighth  chapter  the Holy  Spirit  is  referred  to  not  less  than  nineteen times.  Therein  lies  the  secret  of  the  amazing  difference between Romans seven and eight.

"In  chapter seven  is  stark  tragedy.  It  is  the  portrait of a  man  at  war  with  himself.  He  fights  the worst  of  all  conflicts,  that  of civil  war.  He  is  divided,  defeated,  and  in  despair.  Although  deeply religious,  he  has  a  'split'  personality. 

"Listen  to his confession:  'I  delight  in  the  law  of  God  after the inward man:  but I see another law in my members, warring against  the law of my mind'  (vv.  22-23).

"Such  a civil  war ends  in  abject defeat,  'bringing me into captivity  to  the  law  of  sin  which  is  in  my members  .  .  .  For  the good  that  I  would  I  do  not: but  the  evil  which  I  would  not,  that  I  do  . . .   I am carnal,  sold  under  sin'  (vv.  23,  19,  14).

"And such  defeat  leads  to despair.  The  defeated warrior wails, 'O wretched man that I am!'  (v. 24).  Man  cannot  be  happy  while  he  is  a  slave  to sin.  God  made  him  to  be  a  king,  a  conqueror,  a glad  soldier.  And  so  man  can  never  rest  satisfied until he has  found  the secret  of victory over sin.

". . . If chapter  seven  of  Romans  is  one of  stark  tragedy,  chapter  eight  is  one  of  scintillating  triumph. Again  there  is  the  picture  of  a  man  fighting  a fierce  battle  with  tremendous  odds  against  him. But  he  is  not  engaged  in  a  civil  war:  rather  does he  fight  in  a  foreign  assignment  against  an  enemy from  outside.  And  he  emerges  more  than  conqueror.  Defeat  has  changed  to  victory's  ringing cheer.  Why? Because  of  the  incoming  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to fully  possess  a  consecrated  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ.

". . . In all these areas of testing, the Spirit-filled Christian is more than conqueror . . . I once heard my friend Kenneth Bedwell (a noted missionary in Africa) say that the Zulu rendering of the phrase 'more than conquerors' is 'victory over victory.'

"The story is told of a rather pompous Bible-class teacher who, thinking to expose the ignorance of a humble member of his group, asked the question:  'What is meant by the words "more than conqueror"?'

"After a moment's thought the old saint replied:  'It means that you fight 12 men and kill 13!'  Crude, maybe, but effective.

"Christ has purchased complete victory for us at Calvary.  There He 'spoiled principalities and powers:  made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in himself' (Col. 2:15).

"On  the  cross,  Jesus  not  only  bare our sins,  that we  might  be  pardoned;  He  also  took  there  our 'old  man,'  that  'the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed [literal translation:  'rendered inactive'],  that  henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin' (Rom. 6:6).

"But that victory is ours only when the Holy Spirit does in  us  what  Jesus  did for  us  at  Calvary.  Because  of  His  perfect  work  on  the  Cross,  Jesus  was exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  God’s  throne;  and having  received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the Holy  Ghost,  He  has  now  shed  Him  forth  abundantly  (Acts  2:33).

"Only  through  the  indwelling Holy Spirit can we enjoy this life of abounding victory.  It is something to be received, not achieved.  We can never live this life  of  victory  by imitation;  it  comes  only  by  an indwelling. 

"Let  the  weary,  defeated  soul  come  now  to  the Christ  who  purchased  the  victory  and  who  alone can  fill  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Let  him  ask  just now,  with  an  obedient,  trusting  heart.  The  Lord will answer . . . ."