Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened
to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14).
This is relied upon to prove a direct work of the Spirit upon Lydia that
she might _hear_ and _believe_. The very thing to be proved is again
assumed. True, the Lord opened Lydia's heart, but he didn't do so that
she might "receive the word," for Paul had already preached it to her.
Her heart was opened that "she gave heed to the things spoken by Paul."
Before she heard Paul she had a narrow, bigoted Jewish heart. After she
heard the preaching, her heart was opened to attend to the things she
had heard. That is, she obeyed the gospel. Nothing about the Holy Spirit
in the entire history.
5. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth: whom the
world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye
know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16,
17). As I have elsewhere shown, this passage has a private and peculiar
application to the apostles, and not to the world of mankind. It
specifically states that "the world cannot receive" this Comforter. That
kills it as a proof-text that the world "must receive it" before it can
believe. Those who affirm a direct operation of the Spirit on "the
world" make a clear-cut issue with the Saviour.
6. "I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6).
Those who use this to prove a special operation of the Spirit make it
mean, "I have planted _the word_ and Apollos has watered it, but God by
a special work of the Holy Spirit makes the increase of the word." This
is a false interpretation, as the apostle was not speaking of "the word"
at all. How could Apollos "_water the word_"? The apostle was speaking
of the _congregation_ at Corinth, which he had planted and Apollos had
tended, and which, under the care of God, had made increase. There is
nothing in the passage about the Holy Spirit.
7. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them
that heard the word" (Acts 10:44). This has reference to God's
signifying his acceptance of the Gentiles by an outpouring similar to
the one on the day of Pentecost. It was purely a supernatural act, and
has never been repeated since that day. But even then it would not
prove the necessity of an operation of the Spirit, that men might _hear
the gospel_ and believe it. The record says "it fell on all them that
_heard the word."_ Cornelius was told by the angel to send for Peter,
"who shall tell thee words whereby thou shalt be saved."
8. "Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they
are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and
he himself is judged of no man" (1 Cor. 2:14, 15). This is held to be
one of the strongest passages to confirm the teaching of the necessity
of a direct operation of the Holy Spirit to enable a man to hear and to
believe the gospel. A brief examination of the context will show that
such an idea was not in the mind of the apostle at all. The apostle is
not even speaking of _conversion_ when he uses the language. He is
speaking of _inspiration_. The spiritual man in Paul's mind was a man
inspired by the Spirit, and the natural man was an uninspired man. If
the reader will turn to the ninth verse of the chapter and read to the
conclusion of the chapter, and place "uninspired" where he finds
"natural," and "inspired" where "spiritual" is found, the passage will
be as clear as a sunbeam. "The things of the Spirit" are things produced
by the Spirit, which needed an inspired man to explain. The day of
Pentecost was a "thing of the Spirit," and there was not an uninspired
man in all that great throng that could understand it. The best solution
they could give was, "These men are drunk," but Peter, an inspired man,
explained in inspired language that "this is that which was spoken by
the prophet Joel: It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." When these natural
(uninspired) men heard Peter's (inspired) spiritual explanation, they
could understand it. They did understand it and obeyed it to the number
of three thousand. Nebuchadnezzar's vision was a "thing of the Spirit,"
and there was not a natural (uninspired) man in all his realm that
could interpret it. But Daniel, a spiritual (inspired) man, explained it
in spiritual language and then all could understand it. There is nothing
in the passage to support the theory of a direct operation to enable man
to understand the gospel.
9. "Him did God exalt with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins" (Acts 5:31). This
passage is used because it speaks of Christ giving repentance. They
infer that is done by a direct operation of the Spirit. But the passage
says nothing as to _how_ he grants repentance. Christ gives many things
that are not the result of a direct operation of the Spirit. The very
next verse says God gives "the Holy Spirit to all them _that obey_ him."
This directly contradicts the theory of the necessity of a direct
operation of the Spirit to enable men to obey him.
10. "No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and
I will raise him up in the last day" (John 6:44). This is greatly relied
upon to show the necessity of an irresistible drawing before men can
come to Christ. The word "draw," in the Scriptures, is a translation of
two words in the original. One means to draw by force, "to drag;" the
other means to "entice, allure or persuade"--that men are drawn by moral
arguments, or "allured." In the next verse Christ tells how men are
drawn. "Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned,
cometh unto me." Christ draws men by "_teaching_," and they come as
result of "_learning_." That is why he told his disciples to "go teach
all nations." That is Christ's method of drawing.
Now, I have selected ten of the strongest passages in the New Testament
that support the theory of a direct operation of the Spirit before men
are qualified to hear and obey the gospel. If it is not taught in the
above passages, it is not taught in the Bible. When rightly considered,
not one of them even leans toward the theory. Are we not justified in
saying that the theory is not supported by the Scriptures! Now, how are
persons made believers? Hear the word of God:
1. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek" (Rom. 1:16). Now, here is the unequivocal statement that God's
power to save is lodged in the gospel. In all ages of Christianity there
is not a record of a single soul ever being saved without the presence
of this power. But this is not a magical power. It must be _heard_ in
order that it produce faith. But how shall they _hear_ without a
preacher and how shall he _preach_ except he be _sent_? The order is,
then, (1) send, (2) preach, (3) hear, (4) believe, (5) obey, (6) saved.
Now, this is the order of the Saviour's commission to his followers. "Go
preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved." That is our marching order to-day.
2. "Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, _examining the scriptures_
daily, whether these things were so. _Many of them therefore believed_;
also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few"
(Acts 17:11, 12). Here were believers made by searching the Scriptures
and by receiving the Word with all "readiness of mind." The same method
will make believers of unbelievers to-day.
3. "For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not
many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel" (1
Cor. 4:15). No clearer statement could be made as to the power exercised
in begetting men to a new life. They are begotten through the gospel.
4. "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures" (Jas. 1:18). This is
as clear as the one above it. We are brought forth by the Word of truth.
5. "For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of
hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should
perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with
their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them" (Matt.
13:15). To be healed, one must be converted; to be converted, one must
understand with the heart; to understand with the heart, one must
perceive and hear. But the people the Lord mentions were not healed.
Why? Because they were not converted. Why were they not converted?
Because they had not perceived with their eyes and heard with their
ears. Why had they not seen and heard! "Their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed; Lest at any time they should see with
their eyes, And hear with their ears." Men talk of the Bible being a
sealed book. They would better talk of sealed _eyes, ears_ and _hearts_,
as does the Saviour.
IX
THE SPIRIT AND CHRISTIANS
It has been aptly and truthfully said that "no importance can be
attached to a religion that is not begun, carried on and completed by
the Spirit of God." That the Christian is led, guided and strengthened
by the Spirit can not be denied by any Bible reader. To deny the fact
that the Spirit dwells in us is to deny the Bible. But it is asserted
with equal clearness in the Divine Word that _God dwells in us_. "And
what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of
the living God; even as God said, I will _dwell in them_, and walk in
them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (2 Cor.
6:16). This not only says that God will dwell in us, but that he _walks
in us_. It is also clearly taught that _Christ dwells in us_. "That
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye,
being rooted and grounded in love" (Eph. 3:17).
Now, if God, Christ and the Spirit dwell in us, is there any teaching
that the Spirit dwells in us in a different sense from that in which the
Father and the Son dwell in us? How, then, does the Father dwell in us?
By referring to Lev. 26:12, from which Paul quoted, we find that God
promised to be in communion with Israel, but there is nothing in the
passage to show his personal indwelling in any one person. How does
Christ dwell in us? The passage above quoted says, "Christ shall dwell
in your hearts by faith;" more correctly rendered, "the faith" or _the
gospel_. How does the Spirit dwell in us? In Gal. 3:2, Paul asks the
Galatians: "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
_hearing of the faith_?"--or the gospel. The above Scriptures clearly
teach that when the words, thoughts and Spirit of God are controlling in
our lives, _God dwells in us_; that when the gospel controls us, _Christ
dwells in us_; that when we receive the gospel by the hearing of faith,
_the Spirit dwells in us_.
Now, what reason has any man for declaring that the Spirit dwells in us
in any other way, unless he can point to an explicit declaration of
God's word defining and explaining that other way? This can not be done,
for there is no such passage. "But," says one, "I do not have to depend
upon the Word. I know it by my own consciousness." It is a principle as
old as metaphysics that consciousness does not take cognizance of
causes, but of effects. You may be conscious of an effect within you,
but you can not be conscious of the cause that produced the effect.
Suppose you are lying asleep on the ground; you are suddenly awakened by
a severe pain in your lower limb; consciousness tells you that you are
suffering pain, but it does not tell you what produced that pain. This
must be decided by _reason_ or _faith_. If you find a thorn in the grass
where your limb was resting, _reason_ says the thorn _stuck you_; if you
find a bumblebee mashed in the grass, _reason_ will say the insect
_stung you_; or, if some one near you says a boy with a pin in his hand
ran away from you, _faith_ will say the boy _stuck you_. But in either
case it was reason or faith that decided the cause of your pain. Now,
when a man says, "I am conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit
within me," he simply means, "I am conscious of a _feeling_ within me
which I _have been taught_ was caused by the Holy Spirit." If the man
has been taught wrong, he assigns a _wrong cause_ for the feeling. What
is the feeling usually assigned for the presence of the Holy Spirit's
personal indwelling? It is a feeling of joy, peace and love. But can not
such feeling be excited by other causes? We know there are dozens of
causes that will produce such feelings. In the absence of clear
testimony, what right has any one to attribute such feeling to the
personal presence of the Holy Spirit? A man is found murdered. The
testimony shows that any one of a dozen men could have killed him. Is
there an intelligent jury in the land that would convict any one of the
men of being the murderer? What would you think of a jury that would
render such a verdict?
"Well," says one, "what of the great numbers who pray for a 'Pentecostal
revival'? Are they all wrong?" Not wrong in what they _want_, but wrong
in _what they call it_. All that those people desire, is to be filled
with a _genuine revival of religious enthusiasm_. Their mistake is in
calling it a "Pentecostal shower." A Pentecostal shower would lead every
preacher under its influence to say, with the apostle Peter, to
inquiring sinners: "_Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins_." This is what they are
careful _not to say_. It is a clear evidence that the Spirit which
guided Peter is not guiding them. I assert it to be a fact that
everything that is claimed to be effected by a personal indwelling of
the Spirit is as clearly accomplished by the Spirit acting through the
word of God.
I do not wish to rest content with asserting that statement, but I wish
to prove it. What are the things that might be accomplished by a direct
personal indwelling of the Spirit in us?
1. He might give us faith.
But through the Word he does that. "So belief cometh of hearing, and
hearing by the _word of Christ_" (Rom. 10:17).
2. He might enable us to enjoy a new birth.
But through the Word he does that. "Having been begotten again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the _word of God_, which
liveth and abideth" (1 Pet. 1:23).
3. He might give us light.
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 assured 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 God, 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 lust" (2 Pet. 1:4).
15. He might fit us for glory.
But he does that through the Word. "And now I commend you to God, 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 God. 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 God. Of
what use, then, would a direct indwelling Spirit be? God makes nothing
in vain. We are necessarily, therefore, led to the conclusion that, in
dealing with his children to-day, God 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 God" (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 God.
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 God, 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 God"_ (John 1:12,
13).
God 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 God. "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 God_, which liveth and
abideth" (1 Pet. 1:22, 23).
How can the word of God 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 God, 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 God
from the word of God 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 God 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 God in baptism, the entire man is born
again. This is all accomplished by the Spirit of God working _in and
through the gospel_.
2. Another work of the Spirit is to "_bear witness with our spirits that
we are children of God, 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 pass away, but my
word shall not pass away," saith the Lord. The idea of the conscious
testimony of the Spirit is not sustained by either the word of God 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.