THE HOLY SPIRIT
By H. C. Chiles
Late Pastor of FBC, Murray, KYWho is the Holy Spirit? What is his work? The following answers are supported by Bible references, and the reader is recommended to turn to the passages indicated for the teaching of God's Word on this important subject.
The Personality of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is far more than a benevolent influence. When reference is made to the Holy Spirit, God's Word repeatedly uses personal pronouns, thus indicating that he is a person who thinks, feels, and wills. He is as much a person as is God the Father or Christ the Son. Qualities of personality are ascribed to him and numerous deeds are performed by him (Acts 13:2). To refer to the Holy Spirit as "it" robs him of the honor to which he is justly entitled.
The Deity of the Holy Spirit His deity is indicated by his associations, as in the well-known baptismal formula based on Matthew 28:19, and in the oft repeated benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14. The Holy Spirit's attributes indicate his deity. He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7), and omnipotent (Matthew 12:28). His actions also prove his deity for he does many things which can be done only by a divine person.
The Work of the Holy Spirit 1. With the unsaved. To the unsaved the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth regarding Christ (John 15:26) and then he illuminates their understanding. He convicts sinners of the terrible sin of not believing on Christ (John 16:9). Only the Holy Spirit can produce real conviction for sin. The Holy Spirit persuades those whom he has made conscious of their guilt of sin to believe on Christ and receive the salvation which was planned by the Father and provided by the Son. He then imparts the divine nature to them.
2. With the saved. Upon receiving Christ as Saviour, one is regenerated. He is then "in Christ" and sealed by the Holy Spirit "unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit gives assurance of salvation (Romans 8:16). He also indwells the believer (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). As the source of all spiritual energy, the Holy Spirit strengthens the saved (Ephesians 3:16). He also helps them in prayer (Romans 8:26).
The Holy Spirit guides us as believers in the study of the Scriptures and enables us to understand and interpret them correctly (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit also directs us in the Lord's work (Acts 13:2-3). His guidance is always in harmony with God's Word. The Holy Spirit comforts us in our sorrows (John 14:16, 18). Moreover, he empowers us for service (Acts 1:8). Christians cannot witness for Christ effectively without an absolute dependence on the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit dispenses special gifts to those who can be trusted to use them for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
Sins Against the Holy Spirit Unbelievers are guilty of the sin of resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Believers sometimes commit the sin of lying to the Holy Spirit. Frequently this is done by professing to give up certain things for Christ's sake and then holding on to them (Acts 5:3).
God's children often disobey his command, "Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Christians commit this sin when they refuse to do what he has commanded, and when they attempt to do the Lord's work without depending on the Holy Spirit for the necessary power.
Unfortunately, God's children often grieve the Holy Spirit in violation of the divine command, "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). He is grieved by their unholy imaginations, impure thoughts, wrong attitudes, sinful words, and disobedient deeds.
Being Filled with the Holy Spirit Every person who has received Christ as his Saviour and been born of the Spirit is obligated to obey the solemn injunction, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). If a Christian is not filled with the Spirit, he is disobedient and his life is largety one of fruitlessness. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a special blessing which is reserved for a favored few of God's children. It is God's desire that all who experience the new birth through faith in Christ may enjoy this great blessing.
What does it mean to "be filled with the Spirit"? It means that the Holy Spirit has absolute possession and mastery of the human spirit. To be filled with the Spirit means that all the faculties and powers of one's personality, including the thoughts, words, and deeds, are brought into subjection to and under the supervision of the Holy Spirit. It implies that the believer in Christ is possessed, mastered, guided, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
A Christian Imperative An examination of the verb "be filled," as it occurs in Ephesians 5:18, reveals that it is in the present tense, indicating that this blessing is one which we may experience and enjoy now. It is our privilege to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit, ever receiving his fulness and transmitting the same into our personalities and thereby becoming more like Christ. It is just as imperative and urgent for the Christian to be filled with the Spirit as it is that he not get drunk. The positive command is just as binding as the negative. Since this verb is in the passive voice, it is clear that being filled with the Spirit is not something which the Christian does, but it is something which is done for him. How are we to obtain this fulness of the Spirit? There must be (1) a realization of a personal need for being filled with the Spirit; (2) the conviction wrought in the soul by God through his Word that he really wants his people to receive and enjoy the fulness of the Spirit; (3) an intense personal desire to be filled with the Spirit; (4) a real willingness to renounce and forsake all known sin; (5) a wholehearted surrender of self without reservation to God; (6) a definite and earnest prayer to be filled with the Spirit, accompanied by an implicit faith that God will grant this request.
Did not our Lord say, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13). Trust him to fulfil this glorious promise as often as your needs arise and your yearnings are expressed. To be filled with the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience, never to be repeated. Our regular morning prayer might well be, "O God, fill me for today with the Holy Spirit."
Chief among the much to-be-desired results of being filled with the Holy Spirit are the following: happiness (Ephesians 5:19), gratitude (Ephesians 5:20), humility (Ephesians 5:21), power (Acts 1:8), and fruitfulness (Galatians 5:22-23). Through yielding ourselves completely to him, we shall become Spirit-filled Christians and our lives will portray these glorious results to the praise of our God and Saviour.
========== [From a tract. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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