Part 2

PART II. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

INTRODUCTORY. In the Old Testament, as we have already seen, the Spirit of God is described as working in the creation, preservation, and government of the material world. To this agency there is no direct reference in the New Testament, though it is logically presupposed in the fact that various physical as well as moral effects are ascribed to the Spirit of God, such as miracles, speaking with tongues, and the transportation of persons from one place to another (Acts 8:39-40). An agent that can produce such effects in the material world, cannot be limited to mental and moral influence; and since the Spirit is called the finger of God (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20), and identified with God Himself, we cannot doubt that Jesus and His apostles assumed the Old Testament view of God creating and preserving all things by His Spirit as well as by His word, though they had no occasion directly to assert it. As they have not done so, it is well not to enter into speculations on this work of the Spirit further than to observe, that as the doctrine, that God made and sustains all things by His Word, implies that the universe is not only a work of God but a manifestation of Him, so the corresponding doctrine, that God made and sustains all things by His Spirit, shows that God is to be regarded, not merely as a remote

First Cause, but as a present agent in all things, in whom we live and move and have our being. And both doctrines together show, that Christianity, which is our fellowship with the Son and the Spirit of God, is a world-wide and world-subduing religion, because it is the communion with those divine agencies by which the whole universe is created, preserved, and governed. This principle underlies the argument of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and Paul’s triumphant confidence in Romans 8:1-39 and elsewhere. But the work of the Spirit that is directly described in the New Testament, is that which has to do immediately with our salvation. That work may be designated generally in our Lord’s own words us glorifying Him (John 16:14), even as Christ’s work was to glorify the Father (John 17:4). Now just as Christ’s work of glorifying the Father included both a subjective work of making Him known to men — “ I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world... the words which thou gavest me, I have given unto them” (John 17:6, John 17:8), and an objective work of satisfying God’s justice for them — “ for their sakes I sanctify myself” (John 17:19); so the work of the Holy Spirit glorifying Jesus may be viewed also as falling into two parts; there is an objective part, which is outside of those who are to be saved, and includes all that the Spirit does to make Jesus glorious, and manifest Him as such; and a subjective part which is within the souls of men, and includes what He does to enable us to see Christ to be glorious, and to give glory to Him by faith, love, and obedience. The objective or outward work of the Spirit includes His work on Christ, His being sent by Christ, and His presenting Christ to the world in the Word: the subjective or inward work of the Spirit includes His operations in the soul, convincing, converting, sanctifying, teaching, and comforting.