07 THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

J. C. White—The Holy Spirit is a ’person. If a person, he dwells somewhere. “Whom the world can not receive.” But he was promised to all believers. “The Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive” (John 7:37-39). “I will send him unto you” (John 16:7). He came (Acts 2:1-4). When did he go away?

1. The Holy Spirit came in three distinct measures: (1) The baptismal measure; (2), miraculous power, gifts of the Holy Spirit, by the laying on of hands; (3), a comforting influence, a continual indwelling in all Christians, comforting measure promised to all Christians (Acts 2:38). “Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Sprit.” Ye, who? Ye, who repent and are baptized for the remission of sins. ’“For the promise (the promise of the Holy Spirit,John 7:37-39) is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” God calls by the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Hence, wherever the gospel call is heard and obeyed, the people, Jew and Gentile, bond or free, have this promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, this comforting, renewing influence of the Spirit. People did receive the Spirit in some measure, without receiving his miraculous power. The Romans had the Spirit (Romans 8:9), but not his miraculous power, for Paul wanted to see them that he might impart a spiritual gift (1:11).

2. Where did the Holy Spirit go when he came? Into the body, the church. The body without the Spirit is dead (James 2:26). If we have not the Spirit today, we have a dead body, a dead church. Paul says there is one body and one Spirit. If you extract the Spirit from that body, you have a dead body. A material body can not exist alive without the spirit; no more can the church exist without the Holy Spirit.

3. He went into his temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). You (church) are the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you. “Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

4. What does the Holy Spirit do? (Ephesians 1:13-14). He seals us. How long? “Until the redemption of the purchased possession.” What is this redemption? The redemption of our body (Romans 8:23). The Holy Spirit helpeth our infirmities (Romans 8:26).

G. W. Cypert—None deny that the Holy Spirit dwells in the church, but does he dwell in us in person? I deny that the Holy Spirit dwells in us in person; neither does God nor Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, as God dwells in us. The’ Holy Spirit comforts us; but show where this was ever done, except- through the word. Only the apostles had the Holy Spirit in person. If we had the Spirit in person, we could work miracles. Everything began by miracles, and is perpetuated by law. The stalk, blades, tassel—all are in the seed you plant. The word is a seed. All is eucouched in that word, all the divine life’ is in the seed. The Holy Spirit abides in us through the word. Miraculous powers have been done away (1 Corinthians 13:9-13). Christ was once here, and the Holy Spirit was once here, but the Holy Spirit is no more here now in person than is God or Christ.

Lee P. Mansfield—God. Christ and the Holy Spirit dwell in us by faith.

U. G. Wilkinson—Christ dwells in us, but not in person.

G. H. P. Showalter—Ihe Holy Spirit comforts, yet three times in 1 Thessalonians Paul says comfort with words.

Matheny—Jesus says, My words are spirit. Spirit may dwell in us, for Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

M. M. Young—Approve Matheny.

Cole Jackson—The Spirit is received by the hearing of faith.

Cleddie Wallace—The Bible says: “Till the Son of man be come,” and yet Christ says, “I am with you always” (see also Ephesians 4:15-19).

J. M. Rice—Endorse White.

G. W. Harvey—Difference hinges on difference in definition of personality of Spirit.

J. C. White—If there has heen any answer to what I said, it is that the Holy Spirit dwells in us just as God and Christ dwell in Us.

R. L. Whiteside—Brethren, do not call the Holy Spirit “it,’ as if he were a thing. He is a person. “Holy Spirit dwells in us by means of the word,” it is said, as if that offsets the idea that he actually dwells in us. We are saved bhy means of the word, but actually saved. If Holy Spirit dwells in us by means of the word, does that make it any less a fact that he dwells in us? We are saved by faith, that is, faith is the condition upon which we are saved. The Holy Spirit dwells in us by faith, that is, faith is the condition upon which he dwells in us.

C. R. Nichol—Christ’s words are not the Spirit, nor are they life. They emanate from Spirit and give life. The Holy Spirit dwells in us.