But through the Word he does that. "The entrance of thy word giveth light" (Ps. 119:130).
4. He might give us wisdom.
But through the Word he does that. "But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been a.s.sured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a babe thou hast known the _sacred writings_ which are able to _make thee wise_ unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:14, 15). "The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple" (Ps. 19:7).
5. He might convert us.
But he does that through the Word. "The _law of Jehovah_ is perfect, converting the soul" (Ps. 19:7).
6. He might open our eyes.
But he does that through the Word. "The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; _The commandment_ of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Ps. 19:8).
7. He might give us understanding.
But he does that through the Word. "Through _thy precepts_ I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way" (Ps. 119:104).
8. He might quicken us.
But he does that through the Word. "This is my comfort in my affliction; For _thy word_ hath quickened me" (Ps. 119: 50).
9. He might save us.
But he does that through the Word. "Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the _implanted word_ which is able to save your souls" (Jas. 1:21).
10. He might sanctify us.
But he does this through the Word. "Sanctify them in the truth: _thy word_ is truth" (John 17:17).
11. He might purify us.
But he does that through the Word. "Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to _the truth_ unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently" (1 Pet. 1:22).
12. He might cleanse us.
But he does that through the Word. "Already ye are clean because of _the word_ which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).
13. He might make us free from sin.
But he does that through the Word. "But thanks be to G.o.d, that whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that _form of teaching_ whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:17, 18).
14. He might impart a divine nature.
But he does that through the Word. "Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding _great promises;_ that through these ye may become _partakers of the divine nature_, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by l.u.s.t" (2 Pet. 1:4).
15. He might fit us for glory.
But he does that through the Word. "And now I commend you to G.o.d, and to _the word_ of his grace, _which is able to build you up_, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).
16. He might strengthen us.
But he does that by his Word. "Strengthen me according to thy word" (Ps.
119:28).
In the above cases we have covered all the conceivable things a direct indwelling Spirit could do for one, and have also shown that all these things the Spirit does through the word of G.o.d. It is not claimed that a direct indwelling of the Spirit makes any new revelations, adds any new reasons or offers any new motives than are found in the word of G.o.d. Of what use, then, would a direct indwelling Spirit be? G.o.d makes nothing in vain. We are necessarily, therefore, led to the conclusion that, in dealing with his children to-day, G.o.d deals with them in the same psychological way that he deals with men in inducing them to become children. This conclusion is strengthened by the utter absence of any test by which we could know the Spirit dwells in us, if such were the case.
WHAT THE SPIRIT DOES FOR CHRISTIANS.
1. _He is active in our birth_. "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d" (John 3:5).
Here is a distinct statement of a radical change, so radical as to be likened to a new birth in order that we may enter the kingdom of G.o.d.
What is it that is born? Christ says, "A man." But what is a man? We regard a man as having a mind, a heart and a body. There is no perfect man where any of these elements is lacking. If, therefore, a man is born again, he must be born in mind, in heart, in body. How is this birth accomplished? Let us see what the Word says. "But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of G.o.d, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, _but of G.o.d"_ (John 1:12, 13).
G.o.d gives all things--sometimes directly, sometimes through an agent.
The Holy Spirit is the agent. "Born of water and the Spirit." But an agent often works through an instrument. What is the instrument? The word of G.o.d. "Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently; having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, _through the word of G.o.d_, which liveth and abideth" (1 Pet. 1:22, 23).
How can the word of G.o.d accomplish the new birth? By the only way that words can accomplish any change--by being heard, understood, and influencing the life. The Holy Spirit puts himself into the words that contain his motives, actions and promises. How can this be done! Just as man does it. Years ago the prophet Mohammed put his spirit into the words, "There is one G.o.d, and Mohammed is his prophet." When a man reads these words and believes and acts upon them, the spirit of Mohammed enters into that man and dwells there as long as the man continues true to those words. The only way to take the spirit of Mohammed out of those words is to transpose them so they will not say what he said.
George Washington put his spirit into the sentence, "United we stand, divided we fall." As long as the American people are true to the above words, the spirit of George Washington will live in them. But make the same words read, "Divided we stand, united we fall," and the spirit of Washington is removed from them. The only way to take the Spirit of G.o.d from the word of G.o.d is to add to, take from or transpose the Word so it will not say what the Spirit _said in it_.
"Well," says one, "if we are born of the Spirit operating through the Word, must we not understand all the Word in order that we may be born again?" No, the apostle limits the part of the Word we must understand in verse 25 of this same chapter: "This is the word which by _the gospel_ is preached unto you." Let us now endeavor to learn how the gospel produces this change. How is the mind born again! In order to learn this we must understand what is the normal condition of the mind of the unregenerate. In general we may say it is in a state of _unbelief_. Now, the proclamation of the great facts of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ according to the Scriptures will break up that condition of unbelief and produce a conviction of the truth of the gospel. When the mind is changed from a state of unbelief to one of hearty belief the birth of the mind is complete. But the mind is only a part of man. The heart must be born again. What is the normal state of the unregenerate heart? It is one of either _indifference_ or _hatred_.
The latter is the former fully ripened. It is said that Voltaire carried a seal ring upon which were engraved the words, "Crush the wretch," and every time he sealed a letter he impressed his spirit of hatred upon that letter. Now, the gospel sets forth the love of G.o.d in Christ and the loveliness of Christ"s sacrifice for us in such a manner as to change the indifferent or malignant heart into one of supreme love to Christ. When the heart has thus been changed from hatred to love it is born again. But man has also a body, and upon this spirit can not act.
If the body is to be born again, some element must be used that can act upon the body. Hence our Saviour says, "born of water and the Spirit,"
because water can act upon the body. Now, the only use of water in the new birth is in the act of baptism. All scholars of note in the religious world agree that Christ"s use of water in the new birth has reference to baptism. Paul also speaks of "having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water." Thus, with mind and heart changed by the Spirit through the gospel, and the body solemnly consecrated to G.o.d in baptism, the entire man is born again. This is all accomplished by the Spirit of G.o.d working _in and through the gospel_.
2. Another work of the Spirit is to "_bear witness with our spirits that we are children of G.o.d, and if children, then heirs_" (Rom. 8:16). It does not say, "bear witness _to_ our spirits," but "_with_ our spirits."
Many people gauge the witness of the Spirit by feelings within themselves. If they feel good, it is evidence to them of the Spirit"s testimony, but they frequently feel bad also; whose testimony is that?
The testimony of the Spirit should be clear testimony, and not fluctuating; it should be in words, and not in feelings. Feelings, impressions and emotions come and go like the waves of the sea, but words remain forever the same. "Heaven and earth shall pa.s.s away, but my word shall not pa.s.s away," saith the Lord. The idea of the conscious testimony of the Spirit is not sustained by either the word of G.o.d nor a correct psychology. It is the testimony of metaphysicians, from Sir William Hamilton down to the writer, that consciousness does not take cognizance of causes, but effects. Feelings are effects and not causes.
Consciousness tells us when we feel good or bad, but it does not tell us what makes us feel good or bad. When a man has been taught that a certain feeling in the heart is produced by a certain agency, his faith and reason may decide that that agency produced the feeling, but consciousness has nothing whatever to do with _the cause_ of the feeling. Likewise, a certain feeling in the heart may be attributed to the Spirit because one has been taught that the Spirit will produce such a feeling, but consciousness can not trace that feeling to the Spirit himself. A man should feel right because he knows he is right, and not know he is right because he feels right.
In deciding whether we be children of G.o.d, we have two witnesses: first, the Spirit himself, and, second, our spirit. The Spirit testifies as to who is a child of G.o.d; our spirits testify as to what we are. If our spirits testify that we are the character which the Spirit says belongs to a child of G.o.d, then we have the testimony of the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirits that we are children of G.o.d. The testimony of the Spirit, in the nature of the case, must be general. He testifies that whosoever believes in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized into him, is a child of G.o.d. This is the whole of his testimony. Your spirit, likewise, must bear witness to your position on all of these points.
No one but your own spirit can testify that you believe in Christ; you may profess to, and the whole world may believe that you do, but your own spirit knows that you are a hypocrite in making the profession.
Likewise, no one can testify but your own spirit that you have repented; you may make professions of repentance, and the world may believe you thoroughly sincere, but your own spirit may tell you that your profession is false. In a similar manner, no one but your own spirit can testify that you have been baptized; your father and mother may say so, the church record may so testify, and yet it is possible for them to be mistaken. To be certain you are a child of G.o.d you must have the testimony of your own spirit that you believe, that you have repented and that you have been baptized. If, in the judgment day, G.o.d should ask such people, "Have you obeyed me in the act of Christian baptism?" they would not have the testimony of their spirit that they had so obeyed; they would have to fall back upon the church record or that of their father and mother. Others may be satisfied with such testimony, but, as for myself, if I did not have the testimony of my own spirit that I had obeyed the Lord in Christian baptism, I would obtain that testimony before the going down of the sun.
"Well," says one, "is that all the witness of the Spirit mentioned by the apostle?" Yes, that is all; absolutely and unqualifiedly all. What more can you desire? "Well," says another, "I want something more than the mere word; I want to be saved like the thief on the cross." How do you know that the thief on the cross was saved? "Oh, the Bible says he was." True, but that is the testimony of the "mere word"; so you have as much testimony to your own salvation as you have for the salvation of the thief on the cross, and it would be impossible for you to have any more. Suppose the Lord were to come down and take you up bodily and set you down before his throne in heaven, and, in the presence of all the angels and archangels, say to you: "My child, your sins are all forgiven." "Now," says one, "that would be testimony indeed." Yes, it would be testimony, but no more testimony than you have in the word of G.o.d now; you would then have only the testimony of the "mere word" of G.o.d that you were forgiven. All such criticisms arise out of infidelity as to the truthfulness of G.o.d"s word.
3. _The Spirit maketh intercession for us_. This is not a work done in us nor upon us, but is something done for us before the throne of G.o.d.
We can not dogmatize as to _how_ the Spirit maketh intercession, but Paul says he does it "_according to the will of G.o.d_." This is a fact that appeals to _our faith_ and not to our Christian _experience_. It "can not be uttered." We can rest upon it and draw comfort from it as a child draws strength from its mother"s breast. We can also draw comfort from the fact that Christ "ever liveth to make intercession for us,"
though we have no knowledge as to _how_ he does it.
4. Another work of the Spirit is to "_change us from glory to glory_."
"But we all, with unveiled face, reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18). The figure used here by the apostle is taken from the process of mirror-making among the ancients.
They hadn"t the gla.s.s mirrors of our day, but a mirror of highly polished metal. A piece of coa.r.s.e metal would be placed upon a stone and the workmen would begin to polish it; at first it made no reflection at all, but when polished for awhile would give a distorted and perverted reflection; but in the process of polishing, that reflection would grow clearer and clearer, when finally a man could behold his face in it perfectly reflected. And so with us. When taken into the great spiritual laboratory of Christianity we are blocks in the rough, but in the polishing process of the church and spiritual surroundings we begin to reflect the image of our Master, and when we have completed the work, we reflect him as perfectly as a human being can. Take, for ill.u.s.tration, the brothers Peter and John. At first they were called Boanerges, sons of thunder; they wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy men who differed from them; but in the great laboratory of the Christian life they grew more and more Christlike, transformed by the Spirit of G.o.d, until at last we see the old apostle John at Ephesus, beautified and enn.o.bled, sitting in his chair and lifting up trembling hands, and saying to the young disciples: "Little children, love one another, for love is of G.o.d." We see the transforming power of the spiritual atmosphere of the church and the Christian life upon human nature.
Christian, with this ill.u.s.tration before you, how can you excuse yourself for keeping out of the spiritual atmosphere of G.o.d, for staying away from the communion and the spiritual convocation of G.o.d"s people?
Is it a burden and a duty to attend the house of G.o.d, or is it a pleasure gladly and joyfully antic.i.p.ated? When you rise on the Lord"s Day morning, do you say, "Must I go to church to-day?" or do you say:
"You may sing of the beauty of mountain and dale, The water of streamlet and the flowers of the Vale, But the place most delightful this earth can afford, Is the place of devotion, the house of the Lord"?