20. Sanctification a Reception of the Holy Spirit
CHAPTER XX Sanctification a Reception of the Holy Spirit
One phase of the doctrine or of an experience is often accentuated to the detriment of another equally important phase. This has been sometimes done with respect to the doctrine of sanctification. Some have stressed the cleansing aspect to the neglect of the infilling aspect. Sanctification is, as we have before learned, a cleansing from native depravity, but it is none the less a reception of the Holy Spirit and an endowment with power.
Such phrases as "the Holy Ghost fell on them, " "the gift of the Holy Spirit, " " they received the Holy Spirit," and "the Holy Spirit came upon them" are in the Bible used interchangeably in speaking of this positive aspect of the second work of grace. Some teachers have tried to make the gift of the Holy Spirit and the reception of the Holy Spirit two different experiences. In Acts 10:44-47, however, Peter uses the expressions, "the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word," "on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost, " and " have r received the Holy Ghost," in referring to the one experience of the house of Cornelius. By the words "Gentiles also" in verses 45 and the words "as well as we" in verse 47, he makes the experience of the house of Cornelius equal with that of the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Of the disciples on the day of Pentecost it is said, "They were filled with the Holy Ghost." Therefore the falling of the Holy Spirit upon men, the pouring out of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the filling with the Holy Ghost are different terms applied to one and the same experience. It is evident from Peter’s words in Acts 15:8-9, before quoted, that the reception of the Holy Spirit is simultaneous with the purification of heart.
It has been questioned whether Cornelius was in a state of justification before Peter’s visit recorded in the tenth chapter of Acts. lf Cornelius was not justified, or living to the degree of moral and spiritual light that he possessed, he was not, of course, in a condition for the reception of the Holy Spirit as a second work of grace; but it is evident from Luke’s description in Acts 10:1; Acts 10:8 that Cornelius, though a Gentile, had in some way been converted to the true God. It is said of him, moreover, that he was "a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway" (Acts 10:2). The Lord honored his prayers sufficiently to send an angel to him (Acts 10:3). At the sight of the angel Cornelius proved the attitude of his heart by saying, "What is it, Lord?" In answer to his question the Lord said, " Thy prayers and shine alms are come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4). Cornelius further proved his attitude toward the Lord by immediately selecting two devout soldiers and sending them to Joppa to seek Peter, according to the instructions of the Lord. There is a striking parallel, also, between Cornelius’ attitude of mind and heart and that of the disciples at Pentecost. Both were in an attitude of fervent prayer, the prayers of both were regarded by the Lord, and both were miraculously filled with the Holy Spirit. We conclude, then, that the reception of the Holy Spirit by the house of Cornelius combined the purification of their hearts (Acts 15:8-9) and entire sanctification. When Paul went to Ephesus (Acts 19:1-41), he found there certain disciples who, though they had believed, had not even heard of the miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit and had, of course, not received the Holy Spirit. These twelve men, then, were believing disciples (Acts 19:7), but they had not received the Holy Spirit. After listening to the instructions of the apostle Paul, these men, who were evidently the disciples of John, were rebaptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied " (Acts 19:6). So we conclude that the reception of the Holy Ghost is subsequent to the act of faith that makes us believing disciples of Christ. This distinction between conversion and the reception of the Holy Spirit will appear more fully in the following chapter.
There are three distinct office works of the Holy Spirit. His first office work is "to convict and reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:8-11). His second office work is to act as a witness of sonship to the believers. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:14-16). The third office work is to sanctify the believer and to endue him with power from on high. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you " (Acts 1:8 ) . " They were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:4). " They received the Holy Ghost " (Acts 8:17) .
Because the Bible teaches the reception of the Holy Spirit subsequent to regeneration, we should not conclude that the justified do not possess the Holy Spirit in any sense; for Paul says, " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9), and "His Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16), and, "We know that he abideth in us the Spirit which he hath given us. " It has been explained that the Holy Spirit comes to the sinner to convict him, goes with the justified, and dwells in the sanctified. We should think of the Holy Spirit’s relationship to us, however, not in terms that relate to space, position, or quantity, but in terms of spiritual relationship. It is sufficient, then, that the Holy Spirit bears a certain relation to the sinner; namely, that of a convictor; that he bears a far closer relation to the justified; and that he bears the closest relation of all to the wholly sanctified. A comparison between the relation of evil spirits and of the Holy Spirit to the soul makes clear these three degrees of relationship. An evil spirit bears the same relation to the saint that the Holy Spirit bears to the sinner: the evil spirit is opposed to the moral condition and attitude of the saint; the Holy Spirit reproves the sinner for his sins. An evil spirit bears the same relation to an ordinary sinner that the Holy Spirit bears to the justified believer: the evil spirit influences and controls the sinner just as the Holy Spirit influences and controls the justified believer. An evil spirit bears the same relation to a demoniac that the Holy Spirit bears to the wholly sanctified: the evil spirit possesses the demoniac, and the Holy Spirit possesses and fills the wholly sanctified. The nature of these compared relations is, of course, opposed, but the degrees of relationship are parallel.
Though the moral tendency of the Holy Spirit is uniform in all lives, the outward manifestations of his presence are not uniform. The recorded instances of the reception of the Holy Spirit show this difference in the manifestations of his presence. In some instances the reception of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by a miraculous gift of tongues (see Acts 2:4; Acts 19:6). In other instances it is merely said that "they received the Holy Ghost" (Acts 8:17); nothing is said of their having spoken in other tongues. Just as in the experience of forgiveness the outward manifestations may be varied by the temperaments of the believers, so in the reception of the Holy Spirit the external manifestations may be varied by the circumstances and the temperaments of the sanctified.