Empowered Christians: Ruth Paxson

Relinquish Control and Yield to God

Ruth Paxson (1876-1949) was born in Manchester, Iowa and very little is known of her early years and education. Ruth was the traveling secretary for the Young Women’s Christian Association and served in evangelistic ministry at several prominent women’s colleges such as Vassar and Wellesley. At 35, Ruth felt God’s call into missionary service and set sail for China where she worked in missionary schools for Chinese girls. 

Ruth also had a particular call to share the deeper Christian experience with missionaries of various denominations and mission boards in China. Ruth wrote her most famous book, Life on the Highest Plane at the age of 49, and ended up being one of the few American women to speak to the famous Deeper Life Conferences at Keswick in England and America.

We know that Christians have different experiences while living the Christian life. Paxson believed it was of utmost importance for Christians to know that there are two kinds of Christians described in Scripture. She pointed to 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, where Paul talks about the two types of Christians: carnal and spiritual. Some modern translations use the word “worldly” in the place of carnal.  

She described the person prior to being saved by Christ as the natural man, controlled completely by their sinful/carnal nature - i.e. the flesh. When a person is born again, they receive a new nature through Christ entering and the Spirit, whose desire it is to please God, takes up residence in the person who received Christ as savior. However, there is a struggle between the carnal and spiritual natures within a person,

“These two forces are absolutely contrary to each other, contesting for control. Sometimes the spiritual nature is in the ascendency, and the believer enjoys momentary joy, peace, and rest. But more often the fleshy nature is in control and there is little enjoyment of spiritual blessings.” 

Christians should desire to lead the spiritual life and allow God’s Holy Spirit to be in control. If we, instead, allow our flesh to take the reins, we remain mired in habitual sin. This is one of the clear signs that one is a carnal Christian,

“The spiritual Christian does not continue in the practice of known, willful sin, so he lives in the unclouded sunshine of God’s presence.” 

She did not believe the spiritual Christian is unable to sin. Instead, she taught that the spiritual Christian is simply enabled not to sin. Willful persistent sin is not the practice of the Spirit-led Christian’s life. When writing about being filled with the Spirit, Paxson has this to say,

“…the believer of the present age already received the Holy Spirit when he is born again. Christ’s twofold work was to take away sin and to baptize in the Spirit.” 

This spiritual life is not just for “elite Christians.” Instead, 

“It is God’s purpose that every Christian should live a life of deep spirituality. It is not the privilege of a few but the prerogative of all and the need of all. One hundred and twenty were filled at Pentecost, and only 11 of them were apostles. Some were women who went back home to cook, to sew, to care for a family. Others were men who returned to the field and the shop. No one is too young or two old to be filled with the Spirit. It is not optional but obligatory.” 

Paxson detailed how to know you have been filled with the Spirit and cautioned against only expecting a spectacular manifestation. She taught a threefold manifestation from Scripture, 

“First, the realization of Christ’s abiding presence. The lives of early Christians seemed charged with a vivid, joyous consciousness of the presence of their glorified Lord. He was very real to them. 

Second, the reproduction of Christ’s holy life by the fruit of the Spirit.

Third, the re-enactment of Christ’s supernatural power (Acts 1:8). As he sent His disciples forth to do a supernatural task, He promised to endue them with a supernatural power. Wherever He is in fullness, He manifests himself in power.” 

Paxson taught that the person who desires the spiritual Christian life simply needs to relinquish control to the Lord, once and for all. This life comes when we dethrone ourselves and choose Christ by yielding to Him as the Lord of our lives. Unconditional yielding is the first step of being filled with the Spirit. She believed far too many Christians stop short by giving their heart to the Lord without yielding their lives completely after receiving the gift of eternal life. 

Of course, she realized that even Spirit-filled Christians would sometimes realize that parts of their lives had been left unsurrendered. When that happens, she recommends the following, 

“Simply say, “Lord, this thing was part of that whole which I yielded to Thee. It too belongs to that initial surrender. I did not see until now that it is still unyielded. Just now I yield this particular thing to Thee.” 

If you’ve already received Christ and want to receive the gift of being filled with the Spirit, Paxson gives further guidance, 

“Are you God’s child? The Holy Spirit is already within you. Then, by virtue of your sonship, you may be filled with the Spirit. Why, then, do you not possess your birthright? It must be received as a gift. What does one usually do with a gift? He receives it and thanks the giver. That is precisely what God wants you to do with this wondrous gift of the Holy Spirit’s fullness.”