A Place for the Spirit of God.
By John Nevins Andrews
The Scriptures do not shut out the Holy Spirit from participating in the work of God. It would be strange indeed if they did, for they were given by the inspiration of that Spirit. There can be, therefore, no controversy nor rivalry between the claims of the Scriptures and the claims of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God has not abdicated its place in the church of God, nor do the Scriptures shut out the Holy Spirit from direct and active participation in the work of God. The Scriptures and the Holy Spirit each have an appropriate place, and there is no conflict in their claims. Each is of vital importance to the well-being of the people of God. Those who reject the Spirit of God are nothing but formalists; those who reject the Scriptures are fanatics. The Scriptures are designed to render the man of God perfect, and thoroughly to furnish him to all good works. 2 Tim. 3:17. Of what utility then is the Holy Spirit, and what place is there for it? The Spirit of God is of just that importance which the Scriptures assign to it; and its place is precisely that which is marked out for it in the Bible. The first work of the Spirit of God is to reprove the unconverted, and to make them sensible of their sinful state. John 16:8. Its second work is that of regeneration, or conversion. Titus 3:5; John 3:5. It is thenceforward to abide with the Christian forever, leading him into all truth, sanctifying him wholly, bringing forth every excellent grace, witnessing that he is a child of God, restraining him from sin, strengthening him to every good work, and finally making him immortal. John 14:16; 1 Thess. 5:23; John 16:13; Gal. 5:22:23; Rom. 8:16; 1 Pet. 1:5; Eph. 3:16; Rom. 8:11. Such is the work of the Spirit of God with each individual Christian. It does not act as though the Bible were not in existence; but on the contrary it uses the words of the Scriptures as the means, in many cases and in many ways, of doing its work. But besides the work of the Spirit of God in each individual heart is its work in the church, as such. Here the Scriptures give to it a large place, and define with great distinctness its several offices and its sacred work. The twelfth chapter of first Corinthians very distinctly marks the several gifts which it confers upon the different members of the church, and the work which they are to accomplish. The same is true of Eph. 4. Now it is impossible that we make the Scriptures our rule of faith if we deny to the Holy Spirit the place which it assigned to itself when it gave the Scriptures. We cannot strike out those chapters which define the work of the Spirit of God in the church of Christ and in the heart of the individual Christian. These are a part of that Scripture which is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. The Scriptures thoroughly furnish the man of God to all good works. But they do not do this in a manner to conflict with their own teachings. They never make the reader of the Bible independent of the Spirit of God. He must have the Holy Spirit to lead him into all truth, and to open to him the Scriptures. Nor in carrying out its precepts can man act independently of that Spirit. The Bible plainly commands the preaching of the gospel, but it is the office of the Spirit of God to select the proper persons, and to place upon them “the woe” if they preach it not. It commands those who thus go forth to this sacred work that they preach the word; but for all that, it is still the office of the Spirit of God to select the particular portion which shall be adapted to the time and place, and then to set home upon the people the words spoken. Without this, the work of the preacher will be vain. But even the faithful preaching of the word cannot do all the work. There are secret sins and errors known only to the ones in fault, and oftentimes, because of self-deception, not even known to them, which the preacher cannot effectually reach. Now the Spirit of God has another agency. It is not confined to evangelists, pastors, and teachers. It has also placed in the church the gift of prophecy and of discerning of spirits. The Spirit of God has never tied its own hands nor sealed its own lips. It reserves to itself the right to speak in the church, and in the Scriptures it has plainly stated the manner and the object of doing this. One of those things, which is of the highest importance, and which at the same time gives the most general offense, is the bringing to light and reproving of secret sins. But this work can never cease unless God gives up the children of men to perish. It has a place assigned it in the Scriptures. It will be done in strict harmony with them. The Holy Spirit has the right to speak to men in dreams and in visions. It declares that it will do it. The Bible is a perfect revelation of divine truth, but it is the office of the Spirit to open the Scriptures to our understanding, and to lead into all truth. The Spirit of God may not reveal new truths and new duties, but it will certainly bring to light our failure to walk in the truth, and our transgressions of God’s holy law. It will expose our self-deception, and set our secret sins in the light of his countenance. This work may give us great pain, but it will be of infinite value to us in the end. J. N. A.