HOW DOES GOD MANIFEST HIS PRESENCE?
By T. E. Bowen
THE thought sometimes troubles the believer how it is possible for Christ to be in heaven carrying on a work before his Father, and still fulfill the promise to the two or three to be in their midst when met in his name. It may be helpful to compare a few texts upon this point. It is plain that in a certain sense God's presence fills his universe. If a man dig into Carmel, there the Lord will take knowledge of him. If, like Jonah, he imagines the deep will cover him, there, even, God's hand will find him out. In the sense of fleeing from God's presence, therefore, it is evident there is no creature "that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." This presence, however, is not a saving presence, hence may we not still ask profitably, "How does God choose to reveal his saving presence unto the world?" If we can learn how the Father manifested himself unto Jesus, after Jesus had identified himself with poor fallen humanity, then it will be shown how Christ's presence will be manifested unto us. Jesus says of his mission to earth: "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing." John 6:38, 39. It was the Father that sent him whose will he came to do. It is evident he could not do that will unless he knew what it was, and that would require a constant revelation. This is shown in his reply to Philip to show them his Father: "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself;695but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." John 14:10. The Father dwelling in the Son was alive—thinking, talking, and working. Just how this could be is the mystery of the plan of salvation, and we cannot explain it, but this is just how it was with Christ and how it must be with us. Let us place beside this text, that the Father was in Christ, the one in 1 Cor. 6:19: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Was not Christ, then, a temple for the Holy Ghost? If the Father was in Christ, as is shown by the text in John 14:10, and it can be shown that the Holy Ghost was also in Christ, is it not plain that the Father has chosen to manifest his saving presence through the Holy Spirit? Let us study a few texts concerning Christ's relation to the Holy Ghost: "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Matt. 1:20. "For he shall be great, . . . and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." Luke 1:15. "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40. "It came to pass that Jesus being also baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him." Luke 3:21, 22. "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." Chapter 4:1. He went from place to place as he was led and directed by the Spirit, and did all the miracles through its mighty power. See Luke 4:14; Matt. 12:28. All of Christ's words were burning with the Spirit. "From whence hath this man this authority," was often forced from astonished spectators. The presence of his Father was the source of his authority, and Jesus presumed to do nothing only by the authority of the Spirit of God. Was it necessary then for Jesus to pray? Yes; for then it was he committed himself to the Holy Spirit. Then it was that he invoked the presence of his Father. By the foregoing texts we learn: 1. That Jesus came here to represent the Father. 2. He said nothing of himself. 3. Because he placed his will in subjection to that of his Father, he and his Father were made one. 4. That the Father was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and that his presence and mind were manifested in Christ by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Concerning us Jesus prayed: "As thou [Father] hath sent me into the world, even so [in just the same manner] have I also sent them into the world." John 17:18. He was sent to do his Father's will, which should be revealed in the word and by the ever-present Spirit. We are sent to do the same. His commission was, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:19, 20. He instructed them to tarry until endued with power from on high, which power was manifested at Pentecost. His presence was here especially manifested. A flash of the Spirit taught persecuting Saul that Jesus' presence was nigh, and especially entwined about his loving children. If Jesus, the precious, loving Son of God, who, from the beginning, was with God, needed to be filled with the holy presence of his Father, in order to do his will, is it not of the utmost importance that that same Holy Spirit fill us, enabling us to do Jesus' will? Unless we have the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his. It remains, therefore, that everything done outside of the Spirit is not of Christ, and, if not of Christ, is of the devil. To be void of that Spirit, then, means death. We are now in the time of its latter rain. Oh, may we be content with nothing less than being filled to overflowing with this sweet, holy presence of Christ our Saviour!