“A living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4)

The lowest saint is superior to the most accomplished sinner, because they’re alive to God, and indwelt of the Holy Spirit. The most ignorant saint understands spiritual things better than the most accomplished unsaved Doctor of Theology.

“The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The Holy Spirit enables the saint to love God unconditionally. The Apostle John says, “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:), but of the sinner, the Apostle Paul says, “though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3).

The saint must cooperate with the Holy Spirit to bear fruit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–25).

If we’re quickened by the Holy Spirit in our prayers and good works, they’re acceptable to God through Christ, though we may think them worthless; while our grand performances without the help of the Holy Spirit, are like dead lions, dead flesh in the sight of God.

Oh, for living groans, living sighs, living despondencies, rather than lifeless songs and dead prayers. Better anything than death. The hounds of hell will at least keep us awake, but dead faith and dead religion, what greater curse can a man have? Quicken us, quicken us, Oh Lord!

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