23. Chapter 7. General ways the saints act in communion with the Holy Spirit –

Chapter 7. General ways the saints act in communion with the Holy Spirit – As I did in showing how the Holy Spirit acts in us, I will now describe how we respond to him in our acts of faith generally, and then in particular. There are three general ways the soul deports itself in this communion, all expressed negatively in the Scripture, but all including positive duties. We are not to grieve him, not to quench his impulses, and not to resist him. Then there are three things to consider about the Holy Spirit: his dwelling in us, his acting in us by grace or impetus, and his working in us through the ordinances of the word and the sacraments. All of these are for the same purpose.

Linking the cautions to the considerations, we are: 1. Not to grieve him, in respect to his person dwelling in us. 2. Not to quench him, in respect to the acting and impetus of his grace. 3. Not to resist him, in respect to the ordinances of Christ, and his gifts for their administration.

Now, because the whole general duty of believers in their communion with the Holy Spirit is comprised in these three things, I will handle them separately: 1. The first caution directly concerns his person dwelling in us. It is given in Ephesians 4:30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.” There is also a complaint given of those who grieved the Spirit in Isaiah 63:10. This is where this caution seems to be taken from. It is evident from the following indications, that these passages refer to the person of the Holy Spirit:

(1.) Its phrasing or expression uses a double article, “To Pneuma to Hagion,” which indicates it is “that Holy Spirit” rather than “a holy spirit,” and also, (2.) The work assigned to him is, “sealing to the day of redemption,” which is the work of the Holy Spirit. While the Spirit may work in non-believers, it is evident that the apostle means believers. He adds that unique privilege which only believers enjoy by the Spirit: he is the one who seals us to the day of redemption. This caution, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit,” is the first general rule of our communion with the Holy Spirit. The term “grieving,” or affecting with sorrow, may be considered either actively, in respect to the persons grieving, or passively, in respect to the persons grieved. In the latter sense the expression is metaphorical. The Spirit cannot be passively grieved or affected with sorrow. That would imply alteration, disappointment, or weakness, which are all incompatible with his infinite perfection. Yet men may actively do what is capable of grieving someone who has affection for them, as the Holy Spirit does.

If he is not grieved, it is no thanks to us, but to his own unchangeable nature. So there are two things denoted in this expression:

First, that the Holy Spirit has affection for us. He is loving, careful, tender, and concerned for our good and well-doing. Therefore our miscarriages are said to grieve him, just as a good, kind, and loving friend is apt to be grieved by the miscarriage of the one he cares for. This love, kindness, and tenderness of the Holy Spirit towards us is our primary regard in this caution; it is its foundation.

“Grieve him not.”

Secondly, that we do things that grieve him, even though he is not passively grieved. Our sin is no less in doing them, than if he were grieved in the same way we are. Now, how this is done, how the Spirit is grieved, is declared in the context of Ephesians 4:21-24. The Apostle presses the progress in sanctification, and all the fruits of regeneration in verses 25-29. He lists a number of evils that are contrary to sanctification and regeneration. He gives the positive duty required of them. And then he follows with, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” That is, do not grieve him by coming short of the universal sanctification that our planting into Christ requires. The positive duty included in this caution not to grieve the Holy Spirit, is that we pursue universal holiness with regard to, and because of, the love, kindness, and tenderness of the Holy Spirit. This is the general foundation of our communion with him. We consider the love, kindness, and tenderness of the Holy Spirit towards us. We consider all the fruits and acts of his love and good-will towards us. And then, because of these considerations, and because the Spirit is so concerned with our ways and our walk, we choose to abstain from evils, and to walk in all our duties of holiness. This is what it means to have communion with him. This consideration that the Holy Spirit, who is our comforter, is delighted with our obedience, and grieved by our evils and follies, becomes a continual motive and reason to walk closely with God in all holiness. It is the first general way that we commune with him.

Let us focus on this a little. We lose both the power and the pleasure of our obedience for lack of this consideration. We see the reason the Holy Spirit undertakes to be our comforter, and the ways and means by which he performs his office towards us. What an unworthy thing it is to grieve the one who comes to us on purpose to console us! Let the soul, in the whole course of its obedience, exercise itself by faith to think of this, and give it its due weight. Let it say, “The Holy Spirit, in his infinite love and kindness towards me, has condescended to be my comforter. He does it willingly, freely, and powerfully. Look at what I have received from him! In all my troubles, he has refreshed my soul! Can I live one day without his consolation? Will I disregard him in what he is concerned with? Will I grieve him by my negligence, sin, and folly? Let his love constrain me to walk before him, well-pleasing in all I do.” This is what we have in general fellowship with him.

2. The second caution is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Quench not the Spirit.” There are various thoughts about the meaning of these words. Some say it means the Spirit in others, or their spiritual gifts,” which falls in with what follows in verse 20, “Despise not prophesying.” Others say it means the light that God has put in our hearts.” But where is that specifically called “To Pneuma,” “The Spirit?” It is the Holy Spirit himself that is meant here. It is not referring to his person directly, but his impetus, acting, and operations. The Holy Spirit was typified by the fire that was always kept alive on the altar. He is also called a “Spirit of burning,” Isaiah 4:4; Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16. The reasons for that allusion are various, but I will not examine them now. Opposition to the activity of a fire is called quenching, like casting wet wood into a fire. Hence, opposition to the acts of the Holy Spirit is called “quenching of the Spirit.” Thus, using the same metaphor, we are told to “anadzoturein” [NT:329], to “stir up with new fire,” or “rekindle” the gifts that are in us, 2 Timothy 1:6. The Holy Spirit is striving with us, acting in us, moving variously for our growth in grace, and bringing forth fruit that is fitting for the principle he has endued us with. “Take heed,” the apostle is saying, “lest, by the power of your lusts and temptations, you do not attend to his workings, but hinder him in his good-will towards you; that is, hinder what lies in you.”

This, then, is the second general rule for our communion with the Holy Spirit. It respects his gracious operations in us and by us. There are several ways by which the Holy Spirit is said to exercise his power in us. It is partly by stimulating the grace we have received, partly by giving us new supplies of grace from Jesus Christ, providing occasions for their exercise, and motivating us directly or indirectly by circumstance. All of these tend to further our obedience and our walk with God. All of these are to be carefully observed and noticed, considering the fountain from which they come, and the end to which they lead us. Hence, we have communion with the Holy Spirit when we can consider him by faith as the immediate author of all our supplies and assistance, all the relief we have by grace, all the good acts, motivations, and impulses of our hearts, and all the striving and contending we make against sin. When we consider all his works in their tendency to console us, and we are careful to cooperate in them for the end aimed at, and we treat them as coming from the one who is so loving, kind, and tender to us, then we have communion with him.

What is intended is that every gracious act of the blessed Spirit in and towards us, is to constantly be considered by faith as coming from him in a unique way. His mind and his good will are to be observed in that consideration. From this will arise care and diligence in improving every motion of his. Then reverence for his presence will ensue, with due spiritual regard to his holiness; and our souls will want to commune with him.

3. The third caution concerns his work in the dispensation of the ordinance of the word. Stephen tells the Jews that they “resisted the Holy Spirit,” Acts 7:51. How did they do it? Just as their fathers did it: “As your fathers did, so do you.” And how did their fathers resist the Holy Spirit? “They persecuted the prophets, and slew them,” verse 52. That is, they opposed the prophets in preaching the gospel, or in showing the coming of the Just One. The Holy Spirit is said to be resisted by contempt for preaching the word, because the gift of preaching comes from him. “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit.” 1 Corinthians 12:7. Hence, when our Savior promises his disciples that the Spirit will be present with them to convict the world, he tells them he will give them a mouth and wisdom that their adversaries cannot resist, Luke 21:15. When this was accomplished in Stephen, it is said that they “were not able to resist the Spirit by which he spoke,” Acts 6:10. The Holy Spirit sets up a ministry in the church, draws men apart to it, and furnishes them with gifts and abilities to dispense the word. Not obeying that word, opposing it, and not falling down before it, is called resisting the Holy Spirit. We are cautioned against this resistance through the examples given of the wickedness of others. This encloses the third general rule of our communion with the Holy Spirit: in dispensing the word of the gospel, we are to see the authority, wisdom, and goodness of the Holy Spirit in furnishing men with gifts for that purpose, and the virtue of his presence with them. Obedience is yielded to the word in its ministerial dispensation because the Holy Spirit, and he alone, furnishes gifts for that purpose. When this consideration causes us to bow before the word, we have communion with the Holy Spirit in the ordinance of the word.