The Work of the Holy Spirit

INTRODUCTION. - Read John’s Gospel Ch.14

Subjects covered

1. The work of the Spirit in the Old Testament.

2. The work of the Spirit in the New Testament..

The work of the Holy Spirit will be dealt under a separate study.

In order to simplify it is helpful to observe the contrasts and similarities between His operations in the O.T. and the N.T

First we find that in both Testaments there are :— THINGS ALIKE. In both periods the Spirit

(a) strives with men (Gen. 6, 3 ; John 1 6, 8),

(b) fills men (Ex. 35, 31 ; Acts 2, 4),

(d) inspires men to prophecy (1 Sam. 16, 13; 1 Cor. 12, 10),

(e) imparts to men supernatural strength (Judges 14, 6; Rom. 8, 11),

(f) gives special wisdom for government (1 Sam. 16, 13; 1 Cor. 12, 8 & 28),

(g) indwells men (Num. 27, 18; Rom. 8, 9).

The Spirit of God was the Spirit of CONVICTION while sin worked itself out from Fall to Flood ;

He was the Spirit of DETAILED SERVICE while God's people were being organised into a Nation ;

He was the Spirit of STRENGTH while the people were fighting for the Land, and were casting out those who had deeply sinned ;

He became a Spirit of HOPE when the Peculiar People had passed into a condition of apostasy and wandering.

He lit the horizon with the glow of approaching day. He spoke to ears that listened and revealed to eyes that gazed."

Second we find that in both Testaments there are:— THINGS UNLIKE.

The differences between then and now are most clearly defined. Until after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, the Spirit is not spoken of as creating a Church, by His own abiding indwelling. Neither is He spoken of as the one direct and only administrator of the affairs of such a body. En the Old Testament His abiding work was confined mainly to individuals, but at Pentecost, He came mightily upon all believing in Christ. He came to ABIDE in all: He came to FILL all: He came to UNI At Pentecost the Holy Spirit became incarnate in the mystical body of the Lord Jesus Christ—the Church.

Before Pentecost it could not be said that any man had a right to the Holy Spirit, but since on the ground of the finished work of Christ, we have A RIGHT to the fulness of the Spirit. In Christ, in virtue of His atoning ransom we have a right through the grace of Cod, to receive even that which Christ received'—the Spirit without measure, John 3, 34. BEFORE PENTECOST the Holy Spirit was given and retained in answer to the prayers of saints. Psalm 51, 11 ; Luke 11, 13. Now the Spirit has been abidingly given to all within the true Church in answer to the prayer of Christ.

Christ said, " I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter," John 14, 16. "The Spirit was the Father's answer to the prayer of the Son. The Holy Spirit was Cod's ascension gift to Christ that He might be bestowed by Christ, as His ascension gift to His Church.

Thus we see that the present age is pre-eminently the Dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which He has a specific work, differing from that of preceding ages. This work is based upon the work of Christ, and was impossible until He had finished that work and ascended on High. Pentecost affected the whole position of the disciples. In a moment when the Holy Spirit fell upon the company of apostles and disciples, about 120 in number, were changed from being merely followers of the Messiah into members of the risen Lord.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

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