CHAPTER 6
THE HOLY SPIRIT
There used to be a little poem that many children learned at school:
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.In the Bible the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind. You cannot see the wind blowing but on a windy day you can see the effects. A hat blowing down the street; smoke swirling; dustbin lids being blown away. The wind has tremendous power; we sometimes even read of a car being blown off the motorway.
But there are two things we must always remember; two things which are often forgotten:
1. The Holy Spirit is a Person—not just a feeling or an influence. This is very important.
In the Bible many things are said about the Holy Spirit which could only be said of a person. (It is wrong to speak of the Holy Spirit as 'it'.) For instance:
He loves—Romans 15: 30.
He is grieved—Ephesians 4: 30.
He can be lied to—Acts 5: 3.
He reproves—John 16: 8.
He gives—1 Corinthians 12: 8-11.
He is a witness—1 John 5: 7.
He knows—1 Corinthians 2: 11; 12: 8; John 14: 26.
He can be sinned against—Matt. 12: 32, 33.
2. The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person. He is God. He is eternal. He knows everything ('omniscient'). He is almighty ('omnipotent'). He is everywhere ('omnipresent').
At the end of each service you hear the minister speak the words of the benediction: 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost....' There God the Holy Spirit is joined with God the Father and with God the Son—one God.
When a person is baptized, he is baptized 'in the name (not "names") of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost'. Again God the Holy Ghost is joined with God the Father and God the Son.
But also we are warned of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Now only a Person who is God can be blasphemed. If you say awful things against the mightiest ruler or the holiest minister, it is wicked—but it is not blasphemy. 'All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men' (Matthew 12: 31).
Then, too, we may pray to the Holy Spirit, and, of course, that would be sinful if He were not God.
You all know the solemn story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), how they were both punished with death for telling a lie. Verse 3 tells us clearly they lied 'to the Holy Ghost'; verse 4 adds: 'Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.'
Many names are given to the Holy Spirit. He is sometimes spoken of as the holy Dove, or the heavenly Dove—the thought being of His appearance at the baptism of the Lord Jesus; He is the divine Comforter; He is often spoken of as 'the Holy Ghost' as well as 'the Holy Spirit'. 'Ghost' is a very old word for spirit. (Four hundred years ago a minister would be spoken of as 'your ghostly teacher'.)
Is there any difference at all between 'the Holy Ghost' and 'the Holy Spirit'? No. None at all. The same word is translated sometimes by the one word, and sometimes by the other.
The happening we usually think of in connection with the Holy Spirit is the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 2 we have a description of how the Holy Spirit came down (like tongues of fire) on the disciples and how, as they preached with power, 3000 people were 'pricked in their hearts' (by the Holy Spirit), repented, believed on the Lord Jesus, and were baptized. 'And they continued stedfastly.'
Let us be clear. The Day of Pentecost was not the beginning of the Holy Spirit (any more than the birth of Jesus was His beginning). There never was a time when there was not the Holy Spirit; He was there at creation; He was there before creation. The Day of Pentecost was the time when, in a special way, He displayed His almighty power.
The Holy Spirit as well as being active in creation was also active in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But there are three special works of the Holy Spirit:
1. The birth of the Lord Jesus. How was it possible that Jesus should be born of a virgin? Mary herself asked, 'How can these things be?' The answer given by the angel was: 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God' (Luke 1: 35).
We do not try to explain it; we believe it.
2. The inspiration of the Bible. 'Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost' (2 Peter 1:21).
3. The work of grace in the heart. We know nothing until the Holy Spirit works in our hearts in the new birth. This is completely His work, giving divine life.
Then He carries on the work He has begun. He leads. He teaches. He helps in prayer. He comforts. He unfolds the Scriptures. He reveals Jesus.
We sorely need the Holy Spirit to work in us continually. We know nothing without Him.
What a mercy it is that the Lord Jesus encourages us to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit! He takes the example of a kind father and asks the question: if a little child wants a piece of bread because he is hungry, would his father give him a stone? Or if it was some fish he asked for, do you think it possible he would give him a snake? Or again, if this time he asked for an egg, what would you say if the father instead gave him a stinging scorpion? Then these beautiful words follow:
'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).
Suggested Bible readings
John 14: 16-27.
John 16:6-15.
Acts 2 (the Day of Pentecost).