 |  |
The Enlightenment of The Holy Spirit
No.1.
pp. 190 - 196
There can be no doubt that in recent years in Christian circles there has been a
tremendous emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit, so much so that the Person and
work of Christ has been put into the background. It is not so much now "what think ye of
Christ?", as what think ye of the Holy Spirit? And some make it quite clear that they
regard the work of the Spirit to be of more importance than any other Christian truth.
There is only one way to settle this, and that is to ask another question, "what saith the
Scripture?" for this is the only authority that can guide us and keep us from making
mistakes. Some years ago we attempted to search the Scriptures and gather together its
teaching on The Holy Spirit and His ministry. This was issued and entitled The Doctrine
of the Holy Spirit and we commend it to all who value the Spirit's work, that they should
read and test it from Scripture.
Fortunately for us we have the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ on this great subject
in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of John:
". . . . . He (the Holy Spirit) will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and
making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the
Spirit will take from what is Mine and make it known unto you" (John 16: 14-15,
N.I.V.).
This is so important that the Lord repeats it "He will not speak of Himself . . . . . He
will glorify Me" (A.V.). And there can be no greater work than this than to magnify the
Saviour. He will not glorify Himself, but He will glorify Me, said the Saviour. And how
will He do this? "By taking from what is Mine and making it known to you" (14, 15).
"He will testify about Me" (15: 26). "He will guide you into all truth" (16: 13).
This must therefore be His chief work, for what can be more important than making
Christ known to others? Is not getting to know Him Who is Saviour and Lord the most
important thing for both unbeliever and believer? Did not the Apostle Paul sum up the
whole of his aim by saying ". . . . . that I might know Him . . . . ." (Phil. 3: 8-11)?
Is there any higher and holier work than glorifying Christ? The Holy Spirit is not only
the revealer of Christ, but He is the revealer of all truth. Not only is He the inspirer and
author of God's Word, but He is the only one Who can give illumination and
understanding of its divine contents.
In I Cor. 2: 9-11 we read:
". . . Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them
unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God . . .
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."