one that hangeth on a tree:
that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the spirit _through faith_"
(Gal. iii. 13, 14). The double purpose of Christ's redeeming work, of His
being made a curse for us, is here plainly stated. He was "cursed" that
we might be blessed with a double blessing--(1) with "the blessing of
Abraham," that is, righteousness, justification; and (2) with "the
promise of the Spirit." How many of God's children forget the second
blessing!--they think that if they are saved from wrath and justified,
that that is all!--but that is only half salvation; full salvation
consists in receiving the promise of the Spirit in _addition_ to being
justified. Have _we_ overlooked this fact? Have we been stopping short at
half salvation? Those who are not living the "Spirit-filled life" are
making void to a most alarming extent, as far as they are concerned, the
work Christ accomplished on the tree. Christ died that we might be made
the righteousness of God, _and_ that we might be filled with God. As God
holds the sinner guilty who neglects so great salvation, and rejects the
offered righteousness, so He holds the justified believer guilty who
neglects the second blessing which Christ purchased with His Blood, viz.,
the offered "promise of the Spirit."

But note well how Paul tells us this latter blessing is to be made ours;
it becomes ours "_by faith_." No one doubts how we receive the blessing
of Abraham (righteousness, justification); all are agreed that it is "by
faith." "Being justified by faith" (Rom. v. 1). But how blind we are to
see, how slow to take it in, in spite of the plain declarations of
Scripture, that "the promise of the Spirit" is in like manner received "by
faith!" The Holy Ghost is the "gift" of the Father, and of the Son (Luke
xi. 13). This "gift" is received "by faith." There is the whole matter in
a nutshell. Of all the sublime things in God's sublime Book there is
surely not a sublimer than this, that a cleansed and consecrated believer
may by simple faith _here_ and _now_ claim and receive the Fullness of
the Spirit--the greatest gift that even the exalted Christ has in His
power to bestow upon His people. "Be filled with the Spirit," saith the
Holy Ghost. Note that the command is in the passive voice, "Be filled,"
that is, "Let yourself be filled." The Fullness is pressing in upon you,
only let it in! Receive it, and it i