Come to Me

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28.

There were many God-fearing people in the old covenant who strove to keep the law, but the commandments were a heavy burden. Jesus says, “Come to Me!” The 120 who were waiting in the upper room on the day of Pentecost were such people. They were waiting for power from above, for the Spirit that had been promised. They had come to Jesus; they had forsaken everything, and they hated their own lives; their sacrifice was laid on the altar. And God answered with fire. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now the commandments were no longer burdensome. 1 John 5:3.

Now it was possible for them to be led by the Spirit, but since the Spirit resists the flesh, there had to be a sacrifice. The fire had plenty to do. The revival spread. The 120 were not the only ones striving to keep the law. “And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.” When Peter spoke to them, they gladly received his word and were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. Acts 2:5, 41. This was really a day of sacrifice.

Ungodly people want to make a good appearance according to the flesh. They do all they can to make a good show. Yet there are a few who get tired of this, and they begin to hate their own life. They try to improve themselves, but all this striving just weighs them down. Then they are receptive for this message: “Come to Me!” Then they are at the point where the 120 were, and they are ripe for a Pentecost. It is meaningless to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit without having this need, because the fire only falls where there is a sacrifice.

Many people have sincerely sought God and have been baptized with the Spirit, but then they think that they have reached the ultimate goal of their faith. They think they have become better than others. The Spirit is on the offensive against the flesh, but they are not willing to sacrifice. They defend the flesh and boast of their experiences. The Spirit then forsakes them. The intention was that the Spirit could give them the power to put the things they hated to death—to endure the consuming fire. But when all is said and done, it is evident that they are not willing to suffer, and the Spirit forsakes them. There are many Spirit-forsaken souls today. They speak zealously about the baptism of the Spirit, but in the midst of it all, they want to be something according to the flesh, and they exalt themselves.

However, there is something even worse. When such people realize that the Spirit has forsaken them, they try to yield to Him anew without giving up what He has pointed out in their lives. If that is your case, you should know that many spirits would be happy to fill you. Eph. 2:2; 6:12. And in your striving after feelings—enjoyment without sacrifice—you will become possessed by evil spirits who come to you as angels of light. Lying spirits will fill you because you are not willing to receive the truth. These spirits are just looking for a body to dwell in, and all the while you believe that you are experiencing God.

We find many such people who are possessed by a spirit of vanity, domination of others, greed, envy, the lust to preach, the love of money, etc. It is useless to say anything to them because they think they have come out of bondage into the liberty of Christ! They think they are crucified, buried with Him, and raised up again! Everything is in order; nothing remains but to shout, “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!”

It is not difficult to understand that such people have come down from the cross. If they were ever buried, it is easy enough to see that they have come up again. We are admonished “not to believe every spirit.” “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God . . . .” 1 John 4:2.