Chapter 9

What is meant by "the right hand of God"? Is it a definite place, or is it simply a figure of speech denoting a place of authority and power? Why can not both things be included? God has His dwelling place in heaven, and it is not incredible to believe that from the throne there Christ exercises His divine prerogatives. Stephen saw Christ standing at the right hand of God in heaven.

The "right hand of God" assuredly indicates the place of the accuser whom Christ casts out (Zec. 3:1; Rev. 12:10); the place of intercession which Christ now occupies (Rom. 8:34); the place of acceptance where the Intercessor now sits (Psa. 110:1); the place of highest power and richest blessing (Gen. 48:13-19); the place of power (Psa. 110:5). All these powers and prerogatives are Christ's by reason of His finished work of redemption.

V. THE PURPOSE OF THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

1. HE HAS ENTERED HEAVEN AS A FORERUNNER.

Heb. 6:20--"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus." The forerunner is one who enters into a place where the rest are to follow; one who is sent before to make observations; a scout, a spy. The Levitical high priest was not a forerunner; no one could follow him. But where Christ goes His people may go also.

2. HE HAS GONE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR HIS PEOPLE.

Heb. 9:21-24; John 14:2. He is there making all necessary preparations for the coming of His bride, the Church. In some way it seems that the heavenly sanctuary had been defiled by sin. It was necessary, therefore, that Christ purge it with His blood. What a home that will be if He prepares it!

3. HE IS NOW APPEARING BEFORE GOD IN OUR BEHALF.

Heb. 9:24--"To appear in the presence of God for us." He is there to act as High Priest in our behalf; to present the blood of atonement. "Before the throne my Surety stands." And yet not so much before the throne as on the throne. He is the Kingly Priest. With authority He asks, and His petitions are granted.

4. HE HAS TAKEN HIS PLACE AT THE FATHER'S RIGHT HAND THAT HE MAY FILL ALL THINGS, AWAITING THE DAY WHEN HE SHALL HAVE UNIVERSAL DOMINION.

Eph. 4:10. He fills all things with His presence, with His work, with Himself. He is not a local Christ any longer (cf. Jer. 23:24).

Heb. 10:12, 13; Acts 3:20, 21--"He shall send Jesus Christ . . . . whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things." Having won His victory, Christ is now waiting for all the spoils to be gathered. He is expecting, not doubting, but assuredly waiting; already His feet are upon the neck of the enemy. The Apocalypse pictures Christ entering upon the actual possession of His kingdom.

VI. THE RESULTS OF THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

1. IT ASSURES US OF A FREE AND CONFIDENT ACCESS INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Heb. 4:14-16 (R. V.)--"Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. . . . . Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace." Our great High Priest is before the throne to present petitions, secure pardons for His people, and to communicate blessings in answer to their faith and prayers. We may have a free and fearless confidence in our approach to God.

2. AN ASSURED HOPE OF IMMORTALITY.

2 Cor. 5:1-8 describes the longing of the Christian to be clothed with a body after he has been called upon to lay aside this earthly tabernacle. He has no desire for a bodiless existence. The ascension and exaltation of Christ assures the believer that as Christ, so he also will take his place in heaven with a body like unto Christ's own glorious body.

3. IT GIVES THE BELIEVER CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S PROVIDENCE TO BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER FOR HIS GOOD

Seeing that Christ, the believer's Head, is exalted far above all things in heaven and earth, it is possible for the believer to be master of circumstances, and superior to all his environment (Eph. 1:22; cf. Col. 1:15-18).

4. CHRIST HAS BEEN MADE HEAD OVER ALL THINGS FOR THE CHURCH.

That is to say, that everything is subject to Christ, and that for the Church's sake. Eph. 1:22 (R. V.)--"And he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church." Christ is the fullness of the Father for the Church (Col. 1:19; 2:9, 10). Christ bestows the Holy Spirit upon the Church (Acts 2:33-36; John 7:37-39). He receives for, and bestows upon the Church spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:8-12).

THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I. THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. PERSONAL NAMES GIVEN TO THE SPIRIT. 2. PERSONAL PRONOUNS USED OF THE SPIRIT. 3. THE SPIRIT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON. 4. THE SPIRIT POSSESSES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS. 5. PERSONAL ACTS ARE ASCRIBED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. 6. THE SPIRIT IS SUBJECT TO PERSONAL TREATMENT.

II. THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THE SPIRIT. 2. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES. 3. DIVINE WORKS. 4. NAME OF THE SPIRIT ASSOCIATED WITH NAMES OF THE DEITY. 5. COMPARISON OF OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES WITH SOME IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

III. THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT. 2. THE SPIRIT OF GRACE. 3. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING. 4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. 5. THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. 6. THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. 7. THE SPIRIT OF PROMISE. 8. THE SPIRIT OF GLORY. 9. THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND OF CHRIST.

IV. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD. a) The Universe. b) The World of Mankind. 2. IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER. 3. IN RELATION TO THE SCRIPTURES. 4. IN RELATION TO JESUS CHRIST.

V. OFFENCES AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. BY THE SINNER. a) Resisting. b) Insulting. c) Blaspheming. 2. BY THE BELIEVER. a) Grieving. b) Lying to. c) Quenching.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

We are living in the Age of the Spirit. The Old Testament period may be called the Age of the Father; the period covered by the Gospels, the Age of the Son; from Pentecost until the second advent of Christ, the Age of the Spirit.

All matters pertaining to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit should, therefore, be of special interest to us who live in this age of special privilege. Yet how ignorant is the average Christian concerning matters pertaining to the Spirit. The Christian church today needs to heed Paul's exhortation: "Now concerning spiritual gifts (or, perhaps better, "matters pertaining to the Spirit"), I would not have you ignorant." May it not be that the reason why the sin against the Holy Spirit is so grievous is because it is a sin committed in the light and with the knowledge of the clearest and fullest revelation of the Godhead. We cannot, therefore, afford to remain in ignorance of this all-important doctrine.

I. THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

It seems strange that it should be necessary to discuss this phase of the subject at all. Indeed, in the light of the last discourse of the Master (John 14-16), it seems superfluous, if not really insulting. During all the ages of the Christian era, however, it has been necessary to emphasize this phase of the doctrine of the Spirit (cf. Arianism, Socinianism, Unitarianism).

1. WHY IS THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT QUESTIONED?

a) Because, as Contrasted with the Other Persons of the Godhead, the Spirit Seems Impersonal.

The visible creation makes the personality of God the Father somewhat easy to conceive; the incarnation makes it almost, if not altogether, impossible to disbelieve in the personality of Jesus Christ; but the acts and workings of the Holy Spirit are so secret and mystical, so much is said of His influence, graces, power and gifts, that we are prone to think of Him as an influence, a power, a manifestation or influence of the Divine nature, an agent rather than a Person.

b) Because of the Names Given to the Holy Spirit.

He is called _breath, wind, power._ The symbols used in speaking of the Spirit are _oil, fire, water,_ etc. See John 3:5-8; Acts 2:1-4; John 20:22; 1 John 2:20. It is not strange that in view of all this some students of the Scriptures may have been led to believe, erroneously of course, that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal influence emanating from God the Father.

c) Because the Holy Spirit is not usually Associated with the Father and the Son in the Greetings and Salutation of the New Testament.

For illustration, see 1 Thess. 3:11--"Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you." Yet we must remember, in this connection, that the Apostolic Benediction in 2 Cor. 13:14 does associate the three persons of the Trinity, thereby asserting their personality equally.

d) Because the Word or Name "Spirit" is Neuter.

It is true that the same Greek word is translated _wind_ and _Spirit;_ also that the Authorized Version uses the neuter pronoun "itself," when speaking of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16, 26). As we shall see later, the Revised Version substitutes "himself" for "itself."

The importance of the personality of the Spirit, and of our being assured of this fact is forcibly set forth by Dr. R. A. Torrey: "If the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person and we know it not, we are robbing a Divine Being of the love and adoration which are His due. It is of the highest practical importance whether the Holy Spirit is a power that we, in our ignorance and weakness, are somehow to get hold of and use, or whether the Holy Spirit is a personal Being . . . . who is to get hold of us and use us. It is of the highest experimental importance. . . . . Many can testify to the blessing that came into their lives when they came to know the Holy Spirit, not merely as a gracious influence . . . . but as an ever-present, loving friend and helper."

2. METHOD OF PROOF.

It is difficult to define _personality_ when used of the Divine Being. God cannot be measured by human standards. God was not made in the image of man, but man in the image of God. God is not a deified man; man is rather a limited God ("a little . . .. less than God." Heb. 2:7, R. V.). Only God has a perfect personality. When, however, one possesses the attributes, properties and qualities of personality, then personality may be unquestionably predicated of such a being. Does the Holy Spirit possess such properties? Let us see.

a) Names that Imply Personality are Given to the Spirit.

_The Comforter:_ John 14:16; 16:7. "Comforter" means one who is called to your side--as a client calls a lawyer. That this name cannot be used of any abstract, impersonal influence is clear from the fact that in 1 John 2:1 the same word is used of Christ. (See Rom. 8:26). Again in John 14:16 the Holy Spirit, as the Paraclete, is to take the place of a person--Christ Himself, and to personally guide the disciples just as Jesus had been doing. No one but a person can take the place of a person; certainly no mere influence could take the place of Jesus Christ, the greatest personality that ever lived. Again, Christ, in speaking of the Spirit as the Comforter, uses the masculine definite article, and thus, by His choice of gender, teaches the personality of the Holy Spirit. There can be no parity between a person and an influence.

b) Personal Pronouns are Used of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:7, 8, 13-15: Twelve times in these verses the Greek masculine pronoun _ekeinos_ (that one, He) is used of the Spirit. This same word is used of Christ in 1 John 2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16. This is especially remarkable because the Greek word for spirit (_pneuma_) is neuter, and so should have a neuter pronoun; yet, contrary to ordinary usage, a masculine pronoun is here used. This is not a pictorial personification, but a plain, definite, clear-cut statement asserting the personality of the Holy Spirit. Note also that where, in the Authorized Version, the neuter pronoun is used, the same is corrected in the Revised Version: not "itself," but "Himself" (Rom. 8:16,26).

c) The Holy Spirit is Identified with the Father and the Son--and, indeed, with Christians--in Such a Way as to Indicate Personality.

The Baptismal Formula. Matt. 28:19. Suppose we should read, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of _the wind or breath_." Would that sound right? If the first two names are personal, is not the third? Note also: "In the name" (singular), not names (plural), implying that all three are Persons equally,

The Apostolic Benediction. 2 Cor. 13:14. The same argument may be used as that in connection with the Baptismal Formula, just cited.

Identification with Christians. Acts 15:28. "For it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost, and to us." Shall we say, "It seemeth good to _the wind_ and to us"? It would be absurd. 10:38--"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." Shall we read, "Anointed .. with _power_ and power?" Rom. 15:13--"That ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Shall we read, "That ye may abound in hope, through the power of the _power_"? See also Luke 4:14. Would not these passages rebel against such tautological and meaningless usage? Most assuredly.

d) Personal Characteristics are Ascribed to the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is represented as searching the deepest and profoundest truths of God, and possessing knowledge of His counsels sufficiently to understand His purposes (1 Cor. 2:10, 11). Could a mere influence do this? See also Isa. 11:3; I Pet. 1:11.

Spiritual gifts are distributed to believers according to the _will_ of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12). Here is wisdom, prudence and discretion, all of which are distinguishing marks of personality. The Spirit not only bestows spiritual gifts, but bestows them discreetly, according as He thinks best. See John 3:8 also.

The Spirit is said to have a _mind_, and that implies thought, purpose, determination: Rom. 8:27, cf. v. 7. Mind is an attribute of personality.

e) Personal Acts are Ascribed to the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit _speaks_: Rev. 2:7 (cf. Matt. 17:5--"Hear ye him.") It is the Spirit who speaks through the apostles (10:20). Speech is an attribute of personality.

The Spirit _maketh intercession:_ Rom. 8:26 (R. V.), cf. Heb. 7:25; I John 2:1, 2, where Christ is said to "make intercession."

Acts 13:2; 16:6, 7; 20:28. In these passages the Holy Spirit is seen _calling_ missionaries, _overseeing_ the church, and _commanding_ the life and practice of the apostles and the whole church. Such acts indicate personality.

f) The Holy Spirit is Susceptible to Personal Treatment.

He may be _grieved_ (Eph. 4:30); _insulted_ (Heb. 10.29); _lied to_ (Acts 5:3); blasphemed and sinned against (Matt. 12:31, 32). Indeed, the sin against the Holy Spirit is a much more grievous matter than the sin against the Son of Man. Can such be said of an influence? Can it be said even of any of the sons of men?

II. THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

By the Deity of the Holy Spirit is meant that the Holy Spirit is God. This fact is clearly set forth in the Scriptures, in a five-fold way:

1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

In Acts 5:4, the Spirit is called _God_. And this in opposition to man, to whom, alone, Ananias thought he was talking. Can any statement allege deity more clearly? In 2 Cor. 3:18--"We .... are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit" (R. V.). Here the Spirit is called the _Lord_. For the meaning of "Lord" see under the Deity of Christ, p. 60.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT POSSESSES DIVINE ATTRIBUTES.

He is _eternal_ in his nature (Heb. 9:14, R. V.); _omnipresent_ (Psa. 139:7-10); _omnipotent_ (Luke 1:35); _omniscient_ (1 Cor. 2:10, 11). For the meaning of these attributes, see under the Doctrine of God and Jesus Christ, pp. 28 and 63.

3. DIVINE WORKS ARE ASCRIBED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

_Creation_ (Gen. 1:2; Psa. 104:30, R. V.); Job 33:4--"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." _Regeneration_ (John 3:5-8); _Resurrection_ (Rom. 8:11).

4. THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON.

See under Personality of the Spirit, p. 107. The same arguments which there prove the Personality of the Spirit may be used here to prove the Deity of the Spirit. It would be just as absurd to say, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of _Moses_"--thus putting Moses on an equality with the Father and the Son--as it would be to say, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the _wind_"--thus making the wind as personal as the Father and the Son. The Spirit is on an equality with the Father and the Son in the distribution of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

5. PASSAGES WHICH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT REFER TO GOD ARE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT MADE TO REFER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Compare Isa. 6:8-10 with Acts 28:25-27; and Exod. 16:7 with Heb. 3:7-9.

III. THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Just as the Father and the Son have certain names ascribed to them, setting forth their nature and work, so also does the Holy Spirit have names which indicate His character and work.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Luke 11:13--"How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" Rom. 1:4--"The Spirit of holiness." In these passages it is the moral character of the Spirit that is set forth. Note the contrast: "Ye, being evil," and "the Holy Spirit." The Spirit is _holy_ in Himself and produces holiness in others.

2. THE SPIRIT OF GRACE.

Heb. 10:29--"And hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace." As the executive of the Godhead, the Spirit confers grace. To resist the Spirit, therefore, is to shut off all hope of salvation. To resist His appeal is to insult the Godhead. That is why the punishment mentioned here is so awful.

3. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING.

Matt. 3:11, 12--"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Isa. 4:4--"When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion.... by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning." This cleansing is done by the blast of the Spirit's burning. Here is the searching, illuminating, refining, dross-consuming character of the Spirit. He burns up the dross in our lives when He enters and takes possession.

4. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH.

John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; I John 5:6. As God is Love, so the Spirit is Truth. He possesses, reveals, confers, leads into, testifies to, and defends the truth. Thus He is opposed to the "spirit of error" (1 John 4:6).

5. THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.

Rom. 8:2--"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." That which had been the actuating principle of life, namely, the flesh, is now deposed, and its controlling place taken by the Spirit. The Spirit is thus the dynamic of the believer's experience that leads him into a life of liberty and power.

6. THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.

That the references in Isa. 11:2; 61:1, 2 are to be understood as referring to the Spirit that abode upon the Messiah, is clear from Luke 4:18 where "Spirit" is capitalized. Christ's wisdom and knowledge resulted, in one aspect of the case, from His being filled with the Spirit. "Wisdom and understanding" refer to intellectual and moral apprehension; "Counsel and might," the power to scheme, originate, and carry out; "Knowledge and the fear of the Lord," acquaintance with the true will of God, and the determination to carry it out at all costs. These graces are the result of the Spirit's operations on the heart.

7. THE SPIRIT OF PROMISE.

Eph. 1:13--"Ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." The Spirit is the fulfillment of Christ's promise to send the Comforter, and so He is the promised Spirit. The Spirit also confirms and seals the believer, and thus assures him that all the promises made to him shall be completely fulfilled.

8. THE SPIRIT OF GLORY.

1 Pet. 4:14--"The spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you." What is glory? Glory as used in the Scripture means character. The Holy Spirit is the One who produces godlike character in the believer (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18).

9. THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AND OF CHRIST.

1 Cor. 3:16--"The Spirit of God dwelleth in you." Rom. 8:9--"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." The fact that the Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son, that He represents them, and is their executive, seems to be the thought conveyed here.

10. THE COMFORTER (p. 109).

IV. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Work of the Spirit may be summed up under the following headings: His work in the universe; in humanity as a whole; in the believer; with reference to the Scriptures; and, finally, with reference to Jesus Christ.

1. IN RELATION TO THE WORLD.

a) With Regard to the Universe.

There is a sense in which the creation of the universe may be ascribed to God's Spirit. Indeed Psa. 33:6--"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (Spirit) of his mouth," attributes the work of creation to the Trinity, the Lord, the Word of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord. The creation of man is attributed to the Spirit. Job 33:4--"The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." It would be proper, doubtless, to say that the Father created all things through the agency of the Word and the Spirit. In the Genesis account of creation (1:3) the Spirit is seen actively engaged in the work of creation.

Not only is it true that the Spirit's agency is seen in the act of creation, but His power is seen also in the preservation of nature. Isa. 40:7--"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it." A staggering declaration.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Spirit comes in the fierce east wind with its keen, biting blast of death. He comes also in the summer zephyr, which brings life and beauty.

b) With Regard to Humanity as a Whole.

John 16:8-11--"And when He is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go unto my Father and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Here are three great facts of which the Spirit bears witness to the world: the sin of unbelief in Christ; the fact that Christ was righteous and absolutely true in all that He claimed to be; the fact that the power of Satan has been broken. Of sin: the sin in which all other sins are embraced; of righteousness: the righteousness in which all other righteousness is manifested and fulfilled; of judgment: the judgment in which all other judgments are decided and grounded. Of sin, belonging to man; of righteousness, belonging to Christ; of judgment, belonging to Satan.

John 15:26--"The Spirit of truth ... shall testify of me." Acts 5:32--"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost." It is the work of the Holy Spirit to constantly bear witness of Christ and His finished work to the world of sinful and sinning men. This He does largely, although hardly exclusively, through the testimony of believers to the saving power and work of Christ: "Ye also shall bear witness" (John 15:27).

2. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER.

a) He Regenerates the Believer.

John 3:3-5--"Born of ... the Spirit." Tit. 3:5--"The... renewing of the Holy Ghost." Sonship, and membership in the kingdom of God, come only through the regenerating of the Holy Spirit. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth." Just as Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost, so must every child of God who is to be an heir to the kingdom.

b) The Spirit Indwells the Believer.