THE HOLY SPIRIT (#3)
How good it is to have you in our listening audience this
morning. I hope and pray that you are enjoying of continuation of the
study of a most important subject, The Holy Spirit. Thus far, in the
past two lessons, I have discussed: (1) "Who is the Holy Spirit?" We
found out that the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead. He
is of divine nature; He is called God. (2) We discussed how the Spirit
communicates. He communicates with words, words that can be
understood. Words which impart knowledge and information. From this
we learned that the Holy Spirit does not communicate with man through
dreams, hunches, inner feelings or emotional outbursts. (3) We
discussed "What the Holy Spirit has communicated to man." We learned
that it was the Father's revelation which the Spirit gave that
contains all things necessary for the salvation of man. (4) We also
learned that the Spirit's communication is found in the "inspired word
of God." That word which completely furnished man with everything that
is needed for his or her salvation. We also found out that those who
claim direct revelation from God in this age are faced with some basic
difficulties. No one has offered to answer how the Holy Spirit could
talk to two people and come up with two different messages. Can you
explain this for us?? And yet, that is exactly what we see in the
world today by those who claim to have a direct revelation from God.
In our study this morning, I wish to determine: "When are we led
by the Spirit?" What do the scriptures say with reference to this
important and much misunderstood question? In Hebrews 4:12, we read,
"For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-
edged sword..." The inspired writer calls the word of God the "sword
of the Spirit." It is the instrument which the Spirit uses to
accomplish His mission or work. Let me illustrate. A man uses an axe
to chop down a tree. It is the man who supplies the energy necessary
to cut down the tree; but, it is the axe that actually hits and cuts
down the tree. The axe is the means by which the man cut down the
tree. The axe has no power or energy of itself. You have never seen
an axe jump up by itself and cut down a tree. Neither can the man cut
down the tree without the axe or some other instrument being used. We
might say the man cut down the tree. Another might say the tree was
cut down by the axe. Both statements are true, for it was the man who
cut down the tree, using the axe to transmit his energy or power to
the cutting down of the three. In like manner, the Holy Spirit, works
upon the human spirit in conversion; but, He does His work through the
medium of the word which is His instrument. Thus, we can say, when one
is converted, he or she was converted by the Holy Spirit. We can also
say that he or she was converted by the Word. The Spirit uses the word
to convert mankind unto Christ. It is through the message or words of
the Spirit that men come to know God, to love and to obey Christ
Jesus. But, note just here: as there is no direct impact between the
man and the tree, neither is there any direct impact between the
Spirit and the human heart. Conversion is brought about by means of
the word of the Spirit, "the sword of the Spirit." Listen to
Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God." No, my friends, man is not
converted by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon the heart,
separate and apart of the revealed truth of God's Word. When man is
converted to Christ, it will be through and by the teaching and belief
in the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit. Remember, "Faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
Isn't it good each scripture agrees with all other scriptures. There
is no scripture that differs with any other scripture. And by
scripture, we mean the Word of God that we call the Bible. You see,
when the Holy Spirit spoke, He agreed with everything else that He had
spoken. He did not say one thing to one person and something entirely
different to another person. Yet, this is exactly what we see today in
the lives of those who claim to have a direct revelation from God, a
revelation separate and distinct from the revealed truth of God's
Word.
Every influence which the scriptures assert to be exercised upon
us is also affirmed by the scriptures to be done by the Word. In
every instance, that which the Spirit is said to do TO us, the word in
other places is said to accomplish the same result. Is this to say the
Spirit and the word are the same? No!! It is to say that the manner in
which the Spirit operates on sinner and saint alike is by MEANS of the
word. There are many examples of this, but I shall mention two.
1 Corinthians 12:3, reads, "No man can say, Jesus is Lord, but by
(in) the Holy Spirit." Yet, note the language of John 20:30, 31,
"Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the
disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written,
that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing ye may have life in his name." Do these two verses
contradict each other? NO, a thousand times, NO!!! How may we know
that Jesus is Lord? Paul says by the Holy Spirit. John what do you say
about this? It is through the written word. Do they contradict? NO. Of
course not. They are saying the same thing. The Deity of our Lord is
established by the testimony of the Holy Spirit through the inspired
writers. Thus, the Holy Spirit, through the word, makes known the
Deity of Christ Jesus. And, in no other way might this information be
learned or known. If the Holy Spirit came down and in some miraculous
way revealed some truth about Jesus Christ, what would He say that had
not already been said by those inspired writers of the first century?
Our second example of this. Notice Ephesians 5:18, 19, "And be
not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit;
speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord." The words,
"be filled," in this passage involve, not a promise, but a command. A
command makes it imperative, something which the individual must do.
We are commanded to "be filled with the Spirit." How is this done??
Reading now from Colossians 3:16, we find, "Let the word of Christ
rule (dwell) in you richly; in all wisdom teaching admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace
in your hearts unto God."
In the passage we read from Ephesians 5:18, we are admonished to
"be filled with the Spirit." In Colossians 3:16, we are told, by the
same apostle, and in an identical passage, to "let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly." How, then, may we obey the command, "Be filled
with the Spirit?" By allowing "the word of Christ" to "dwell in us
richly." Is this to say that the word and the Spirit are the same? By
no means. It is to say that the manner in which the Spirit leads,
guides, directs and dwells in us, is by the means of and through the
word. As the man could not cut down the tree without using the axe,
so the Spirit cannot dwell in our hearts without the use of the Word.
Remember, the Spirit teaches us. The Spirit is leading us, when we
follow the message of inspiration which He gave. In no other way does
the Holy Spirit guide man. Paul said, "For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). The obvious
meaning go this statement is that the evidence of sonship to God is to
be seen in a life dominated by the Holy Spirit, led by the Holy
Spirit. But, only those who faithfully follow the teachings of the New
Testament are faithful children of God. Therefore, the manner in which
the Spirit leads us as sons of God is by means of the teaching of the
New Testament (the Bible) which the Holy Spirit gave unto mankind. It
then follows, that when one yields one's life to the word of truth,
that one is submitting to the Holy Spirit who provided the word, since
the word is the Spirit's message to man. To obey that word is to obey
the Spirit; to reject that word, is to reject the Spirit. How is one
led by the Spirit? By following the revealed truth of the gospel, the
word of the Holy Spirit.
An illustration just here: We see a son, in a distant land,
received a letter from his father, containing instructions which he
desires his son to discharge. The letter becomes the instrument
through which the father influences the son. The son, by obeying the
instructions set out in the letter, is led in the matter by his
father; the son, by rejecting the instructions, rebels against his
father. The letter is the instrument through which the father
influences his son. So it is of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament is
the letter which the Holy Spirit gave us. When we follow it, we are
following the Spirit; we are being led by the Holy Spirit. To reject
it, is to reject the Spirit, who gave it. And may I emphasize this
point strongly. In NO OTHER WAY DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT LEAD US. Every
influence that comes upon us by the Spirit; every blessing which the
Spirit bestows, every spiritual need heaped upon us, from the time we
first heard the gospel until we die, comes through faithful obedience
to the Word which the Holy Spirit gave, and not through an operation
apart from and independent of that word. The message is the same for
each person. God does not give one direction to one person and
something different to another. All have the same message, and that
message is found in the New Testament, in the book we call the Bible.
The Holy Spirit strengthens -- Ephesians 3:16. The Holy Spirit
sanctifies -- 2 Thessalonians 2:13. The Holy Spirit saves -- Titus
3:5. The Holy Spirit justifies -- 1 Timothy 3:16. The Holy Spirit
witnesses to us -- Hebrews 10:15. The Holy Spirit prompts us to love
God -- Romans 5:5. The Holy Spirit leads us as God's sons -- Romans
8:16. The Holy Spirit does all of these things by the means of the
word of truth, His instrument. He strengthens us by providing the
"whole armor of God," which includes the sword of the Spirit (Eph.
6:10-17; 2 Timothy 2:1. The Holy Spirit sanctifies by the truth, which
is God's word -- John 17:17. The Holy spirit saves by supplying the
"engrafted word," which is able to save our souls -- James 1:21. The
Holy Spirit justifies "by faith," which comes by hearing God's word --
Romans 5:1; Romans 10:17. The Holy Spirit witnesses to us by the
scriptures which testify of Christ -- John 5:39. The Holy Spirit leads
us by providing a lamp for our feet, and a light for our path --Psalm
119:105. All that we know about how to live the life of a Christian is
set forth in the New Testament, God's revelation through the Holy
Spirit. My friends in this radio audience, there is simply no
directives the child of God needs which has not been supplied by and
through the Word of God, the word of the Spirit. We are strengthened
with might "by his Spirit in the inner man" -- Ephesians 3:16, by
being "rooted and builded up in him," and the word of God is fully
"able" to accomplish this -- Colossians 2:7; Acts 20:32. Hence, the
Spirit strengthens by means of the word which He gave. Jehovah God did
not leave man to flounder without any instructions, without any
information from Him. He has spoken as the Holy Spirit revealed His
message through those inspired men in the first century. And that word
continues to be able to furnish us unto every good work -- 2 Timothy
3:16, 17.
Once again, I see that our time has escaped us. The Lord willing
we will continue this important and needed study of the Holy Spirit
next week. In fact, we may be at least two more lessons on this
subject. Before we leave the study of the Holy Spirit, I want to
discuss the "gifts of the Holy Spirit," to determine whether or not
the gifts of the first century are still needed today. So tune us in
on a regular basis. Tape the lessons, study them. Let us hear from
you. Route 1, Box 502, Anahuac, TX 77514, If you would like a copy,
please let us know. Now until next week, I bid you a most pleasant
good morning.
(Much taken from a tract by Guy N. Woods,
"How The Holy Spirit Dwells in the Christian")
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