God the Spirit
LIVING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
God the Spirit
LIVING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
Paul wrote to Christians in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, and Ephesus. He spoke extensively of their relationship with the Holy Spirit. As Christians, they were already aware of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The preaching of the Gospel, as described in the New Testament, stressed that upon an obedience of faith one was assured of forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 5:32). However, there was a tendency among some Christians to conclude that baptism into Christ was the end of the matter, not the beginning of the Christian life.
One finds where Paul addressed the Christians at Rome, saying: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2) Some of those addressed thought it was acceptable to God, by His grace (Romans 5:20-21), to continue living in sin. Paul taught extensively against this erroneous view. Among the many arguments against this antinomianism, he pointed out that “… if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).
Paul was talking about the age-old struggle between the carnal and the spiritual life. We are not spectators in this struggle. We are participants. The battle is raging. Paul said the end results of this battle are conclusive. One result is: “. . . if you live according to the flesh, you must die.” Spiritual things last, material things “die.” It is that simple: “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:50).
Eternal values are spiritual: One who is not spiritually minded cannot, and will not, live eternally in the kingdom of God. The contrast is not merely between the wicked and the saintly, the sinful and the pure. The contrast is ultimately between the perishable (material) and the imperishable (spiritual). Another result is: “. . . if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Motivated and empowered by the Spirit, we grow in the spiritual life. We begin to see the relative futility of a life devoted to fame, fortune, power, etc. We learn the significance of service to God and our fellow travelers on life's highway. We are fulfilled as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus. We come to know the abundant life He came to give us.
This happy state is the result of two specific developments in our lives. First, we become aware that it is not in our power to accomplish this lofty lifestyle. We do not pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. Paul said it is “by the Spirit.” In his last letter, addressed to his young coworker Timothy, Paul said: “Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you” (2 Timothy 1:14).
Awareness of our dependence on the Holy Spirit leads to the second development. We make a deliberate commitment to the “sound words” that are inspired by God, to the “faith and love” in Christ Jesus, and we guard “the treasure” entrusted to us through the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in us. We are eager to share our treasure, the good news of salvation in Christ. We are sensitive to the Gospel’s spiritual dimensions as we wield “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b). In this way the Spirit's presence in our lives empowers us within and is manifested to those about us as they see Him bearing fruit in our lives.
We become cognizant of what Paul meant when he said: “. . . do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). We can understand why He grieves when we reject the fruit He is cultivating in our lives (love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and such things). He grieves when we practice the deeds of the flesh (immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, bursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, and things like these) (Galatians 5:19-21a). We realize how barren our lives would be without the support the Holy Spirit gives us. We know “those who are according to the flesh set their mind on things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace; because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8).
We take Paul’s injunction seriously: “Do not quench the Spirit . . .” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). We do not permit our deeds or attitudes to smother or overpower our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We know that friendships are usually damaged and hurt before they are severed. We also know that friendships are destroyed by neglect. Further, we know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God: “Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose, ‘He jealously desires the spirit which he has made to dwell in us’”? (James 4:4b-5). What a friendship! What a partnership! What a fellowship! What an encouragement to live our lives in harmony with the Holy Spirit and continually set our minds on Him Who lives in us.
What else does this Divine Person within us do for us? The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with diligence. This role of the Spirit has to do with our prayer life. It also reminds us of how inept we are in our communication with God the Father and how glaring our weakness: “. . . the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans- 8:26-27).
Can anything be more encouraging than this? Can our prayers to the Father possibly be made more effective? Yes! Paul continues this discussion, saying: “. . . Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:34b). With the Holy Spirit interceding from within us and Jesus interceding at the right hand of God for us, is it possible to say anything more about the aid we receive from these two Divine Beings? Yes! We are told that this enhanced means of communication with Him is according to the will of our Father, Who loves us and gives us all things (Romans 8:27c, 32c, 39c).
As Christians cry, “Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God . . .” (Romans 8:15b-16). “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). What communion and unity with the Spirit! How indescribable the intimacy of that relationship! As we cry out to God, His Spirit merges with our spirits in a dual chorus of praise and petition. The prayers we offer are presented to the Father as from members of a family, the Spirit Himself testifying that we are children of God.
His Work through the Word: It is a precious treasure to have the Person of the Holy Spirit living in us. He renders help, strength, and comfort in so many ways. We prize highly the fellowship we have with our Friend and Helper.
The Holy Spirit works also in ways other than His indwelling activity of Christians. The “sword of the Spirit” is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17b). Although the phrase sword of the Spirit is a figure of speech, it is a vivid word picture of the power of the Word. This metaphor is used to describe the nature and effects of God’s Word. For example: “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Indeed, the Word of God is not passive but dynamic, keen, penetrating, and able to evaluate our physical and mental traits. Because it is so overt and active, it is described as a weapon, a “sword.”
The sword of the Spirit is truth (John 17:17). Jesus shared this Word of God with His apostles (John 17:6-8). He promised the apostles the Spirit of truth, the Helper (John 14:14-17). This Helper, Spirit of truth, was sent to the apostles to bear witness of Jesus (John 15:26). This Spirit of truth supplied all truth to the apostles (John 16:13). When He came, He was to “convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8). We learn from all of this that Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God are so intricately intertwined as to be inseparable. This is why the Lord can be referred to as the Spirit: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). This is why it can be said: “. . . God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6).
The Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, came with power to the apostles on the day of Pentecost as Jesus promised (Acts 2:1-4). As inspired men, they preached God's Word, the truth. This Word was so powerful it pierced the hearts of about three thousand people and made them believers. As believers, they were told to repent and to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:36-38).
The first Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus was a unique day in history. Many remarkable events occurred. However, we wish to stress that the Holy Spirit was working that day! He was converting people to Christ. He was using the only source that can cause that conversion – His sword, the Word of God. When people responded to that Word in an obedience of faith, they were saved from their past sins and received the Holy Spirit as a gift. Before they surrendered to Christ in obedience of faith they did not have the Holy Spirit. After their surrender, He indwelt them. The Spirit – given Word that they heard produced faith: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
We are saved by grace through faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, the response to the Gospel by those three thousand on the day of Pentecost was an obedience of faith. It was not a boastful work of merit; otherwise, they would not have been saved or received the Holy Spirit. Both of these gifts were received after their response. The sword of the Spirit, the powerful Word of God, produces faith when listened to and leads to the Savior and salvation in Him (Hebrews 5:8-9) when handled (2 Timothy 2:15) and obeyed properly (James 1:22-25).
This Word of God was put in written and final form. It was God-inspired (theopneustos). The Old Testament is just as inspired as the New Testament and is profitable for us to study (Romans 15:4). However, we are now living under God’s New Testament (covenant), to which we are accountable (Hebrews 8:6-7). Since the Bible is now completed, we apply today the same principle that Paul taught the Corinthians of the first century. We “learn not to exceed what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6b). We must not add to or subtract from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19). Eventually, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, will be our final judge (John 12:47-48).
In our look at the Holy Spirit and Christians today we analyzed His work. First, we learned that the Holy Spirit Himself works today for the Christian through (by means of) His indwelling activity. We learned this from the Word itself. We know that the Spirit always acts in harmony with the Word of God. The Word is His sword. He would not turn His sword on Himself, for, as Jesus taught, “. . . any city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25b). We discovered from the Word how marvelous and beneficial the indwelling activity of the Holy Spirit is for the Christian. We found these benefits were not only through (by means of) the Word (example: intercession [Galatians 4:6]). Neither were they only in conjunction or union with the Word (example: fruit bearing [Galatians 5:22-23]). Rather, these benefits resulted from the activity of the Holy Spirit Himself (example: giving strength [Ephesians 3:16b]). They were always in harmony with what the Word teaches.
Second, we learned the final, completed revelation of God (the Bible) is a work of inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we conclude there are no special, or additional, revelations from God today. God’s means of converting those who have never known the forgiveness of their sins is through (by means of) the revealed, written Word of God (the sword of the Spirit). The Spirit Himself wants all people to know that He will not be giving any additional instructions, revelations, or information to lead them to salvation in Christ. There are no direct conversions by the direct work of the Holy Spirit today.
The Holy Spirit works from “without” by the Word to bring the non-Christian to Christ. Therefore, the unsaved are saved by following those instructions in the Bible that lead them to Jesus, the Savior. The Holy Spirit works from “within” the lives of the saved ones (Christians). The Holy Spirit Himself has been given to them as a gift. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit with those Christians who neither grieve nor quench Him results in what Scripture calls the Spirit- filled life.
His Work through Providence: Does the Holy Spirit work in any way other than those ways we have discovered? We may answer, “Yes,” but with caution. We are not cautious because we doubt the work of the Spirit in our lives. We do need to be cautions in trying to be specific about any other work of the Spirit that has not been previously mentioned.
Paul made an intriguing statement to the Christians at Rome: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Since joy and peace are a part of the fruit of the Spirit, it seems evident that the God of hope helps us to abound in hope by way of the Spirit’s power. Therefore, by virtue of the Spirit’s power the Christian’s hope joins peace and joy as a vital part of the Spirit’s fruit in the life of a Christian. This hope makes us even more confident that “. . . God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
We know that the Holy Spirit gives us joy, peace, hope. In fact, we know that “every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). Also, we know that the Holy Spirit Himself and His attendant blessings are gifts to Christians from our loving and gracious God.
Perhaps now we can see what kind of caution is needed when considering the work of the Holy Spirit with regard to Christians. We must be cautious in speaking of the providential work of the Spirit.
It is always necessary to remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He works in perfect unity and harmony with the other two Persons in the Trinity. By appropriation, He fulfills certain tasks in subordination to God the Father. This indescribable union is indicated by the use of the triune formula expressed in connection with baptism (“. . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” [Matthew 28:19b]), apostolic benedictions (“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all” [2 Corinthians 13:14]), and apostolic teaching, “but when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-6).
We read that God is called “Savior” (1 Timothy 2:3). Jesus is called “Savior” (2 Peter 3:18). But we accept salvation by our obedience of faith to the teachings of the Spirit’s inspired Word and are “sealed in Him [Christ] with the Holy Spirit of promise . . .” (Ephesians 1:13).
We read that peace comes from God our Father (Romans 1:7), Who is called “the God of peace” (Philippians 4:9b). Peace comes from Christ (Galatians 1:3) and “the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16), which is called “the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). Peace is among those Christian character traits that make up the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22).
We read that God the Father is Lord (Deuteronomy 32:6). Christ the Son is Lord (1 Peter 1:3). God the Spirit is identified as Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). We also find in the Scripture that God’s children prayed to Him as Father (Matthew 6:9), to Jesus as Lord (Acts 7:59-60; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20). Their prayers were to be offered in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18) as He aided and interceded for them (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15, 26).
We cherish the experience of offering our prayers in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as we sing “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind,” “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross,” and “Gracious Spirit Dwell with Me,” and closing our fellowship with the Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow / Praise Him, all creatures here below / Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host / Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” These selected examples illustrate the impossibility of separating the Persons of the Godhead and their work. From creation, through redemption, to consummation, the Trinity is involved in all the work of the Godhead’s dealings with humanity.
Although their total work is inseparable, there are elements within their work that are distinguishable. By appropriation, each Person in the Trinity has a unique role to fill, without the other two being absent. One example for each Person illustrates this point. God the Father is the only member of the Godhead Who receives the kingdom at the end of time (1 Corinthians 15:22- 28). God the Son is the only member of the Godhead Who delivers the kingdom to the Father at the end of the age (1 Corinthians 15:24). God the Spirit is the One to Whom we owe the inspiration of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
All of this has a bearing on the providential work of the Holy Spirit. We have studied the Holy Spirit extensively, including His place in the Trinity, information about Him in the Old Testament, His relationships, His gifts, and His work today. We have found that none of these facts about the Holy Spirit are isolated facts. The work of God the Spirit, like the work of God the Father and God the Son, is integrated within the totality of the Godhead more intricately than the multitude of threads that are interwoven to produce a beautiful tapestry. Their work together shines forth in full splendor and glory when we view it in totality by way of God’s revelation in the Bible.
This includes the Father’s providential work. He provides us with “every good thing” and “every perfect gift” (James 1:17). This includes Jesus (John 3:17), the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39; 5:32), and all that is good: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11).
The Bible believer does not call the providence of God into question. He or she may wonder how it works – but never if it works. The true believer is ready to join with others in singing that grand old hymn that includes the line: “I’ve never passed beyond the sphere of the providence of God.” Without questioning the fact of God’s providence, we simply take note of the providential work of God today. We remember that when we consider the providence of God we are including the role of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Since our present study is about the Holy Spirit, we continue with the conviction that He is involved in bringing to us the innumerable gracious provisions that flow from the Godhead.
Let us set the context for our considerations. First, we learned that the final, completed revelation of God (the Bible) is the work of the Holy Spirit. There are to be no more “special revelations.” Second, we learned that God’s ways of converting those who are not in Christ is through (by means of) the revealed Word (the sword of the Spirit [Ephesians 6:17]). Therefore, there are no “direct conversions” by the Holy Spirit today. Third, we also learned that the Holy Spirit continues to work today for Christians in a nonmiraculous way through His indwelling activity. This nonmiraculous indwelling activity is in harmony with the teachings of the Scriptures, which are inspired, Spirit-motivated. However, we learned that this activity is not merely through (by means of) the Word; neither is it merely in conjunction with (along with) the Word. It is, in fact, the indwelling activity of the “Spirit Himself.” Fourth, we have learned all of this from the Word itself.
We are back to the place where we can make the cautious suggestion that God the Spirit does act on behalf of Christians in ways beyond His indwelling activity. He acts providentially in harmony with the continuing work of God the Father and God the Son. We noted earlier that God’s outpouring of precious gifts is often the result of our prayers. James goes so far as to say: “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:2b-3). God’s provisions are affected by our heart condition and our prayer life. Therefore, as God’s children, we may pray in faith, according to His will, with pure hearts and expect to receive benefits from Him.
Shall we pray about what we already have? Certainly! We should be eager to offer up thanksgiving for blessings we have received. Shall we pray for ourselves and others, concerning things we desire? Yes. Paul expressed his heart's desire in prayer (Romans 10:1). We are privileged to do the same. What may we as Christians confidently pray as we express our faith in purity and sincerity of heart that the Godhead (Father, Son, and Spirit) will respond positively?
We can all make a lengthy list! However, let me share with you a few prayer requests I have heard in public worship for many, many years. Perhaps you have also heard some of them. They imply faith and trust in a loving God Who hears and answers prayer. Do they also imply a conviction that God the Spirit may be involved in bestowing the requested benefits? (Whether the requests we mention have lost much of their meaning through stereotyped usage is not a matter for us to decide, unless we happen to be one who uses them. Otherwise, disparaging remarks concerning them are more of a discredit to those who criticize than those who pray.)
Examples of the prayer requests to which we have referred are: (1) Give us our daily bread. (2) Lead us safely to our respective abodes. (3) Bring us back at the next-appointed hour. (4) Give the preacher a ready recollection of what he has prepared. (5) Comfort the bereaved. (6) Guide the hands being used to restore the sick. (7) Defeat us in things that are wrong.
These prayers, and others like them, are examples of strong faith that God provides. We may not know exactly how He provides, but we are persuaded that out of the fullness of His love He does provide. As we started our discussion about the Holy Spirit’s providential work, we stated that caution is required. Caution is in order because we are talking about the Spirit’s work beyond His inspiration of the Scriptures, His conversion of people to Christ through the sacred Word, and His nonmiraculous work as He indwells Christians.
Of course, all of these things are providential, in a sense. But we have been discussing providential activity of the Spirit that goes beyond these areas. While we have affirmed that such activity does occur, we have tried to heed our own warning and not speculate on how the Spirit provides. It is sufficient for our faith to believe that God fully provides for us out of His fullness, and that His fullness consists of being God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.
