THE SPIRIT IN RE-CREATION.
By H. F. Phelps
As THE Holy Spirit was the agency in the creation of man, making him in the image of God, how reasonable—for all of God's ways and works are reasonable and natural, and there is nothing that is unreasonable or unnatural except sin—how reasonable, I say, that the same Spirit of God should continue its office work of brooding upon the face of the world and over man during the reign of sin. How much this is like that God who is love and only love! So much is this the case that, according to the Scriptures, there is only one sin that can forever separate men from the influence of that Spirit, and that is the sin against the Holy Spirit, the utter rejection of that Spirit, in the face of its manifest workings. According to the words of Christ, all sins are forgiven except this sin. Matt. 12:31, 32. Therefore the Spirit of God will never cease its work of brooding over the lost soul, wooing it to God, until the individual himself shall, as in the days of Christ, attribute the workings of that Spirit to another power. That the Holy Spirit is a positive agency in re-creation or conversion, is evident from the words of Christ to the learned Nicodemus, in John 3:5. He says: 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.' And again in verses 6 and 8: 'That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.' 'So is every one that is born of the Spirit.' Again Made Alive, the Dead in Sin.
In the beginning man was made 'a living soul.' Gen. 2:7. But the fiat, 'In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die' (verse 17), has been fulfilled. By the one act of disobedience the whole race died in sin. 'Dead in trespasses and in sins,' are the words of inspiration. Eph. 2:1, 5. But here also are these words: 'But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.' Rom. 8:11. Which is equal to saying that, inasmuch as God has sent forth his Spirit into the hearts of men, and that Spirit is still in the world brooding over lost souls, wooing them to Christ, if they do not wilfully separate themselves from its divine influences, if they will only yield themselves to its influences, and let it dwell in their hearts, that same Spirit will quicken, or make alive from the death of sin, and bring them up into the image of God,—will give them a new birth. And then, being born of the Spirit, he is indeed 'a new creature.' 2 Cor. 5:17. And that is as sure as the words of Christ are true: for he was talking to Nicodemus of earthly things. John 3:12. This change in the life of a man, this new birth, must take place in this life. This is the entry-way into the kingdom of Christ. And, according to the words of the Lord, unless a man is 'born again,' 'born from above,' 'born of the Spirit,' he can not enter the kingdom of God. Without this, all hopes are vain. The Darkness of the Mind.
Because of sin men are in darkness; the mind, the understanding, is darkened. Sin is but darkness itself, as the darkness of Egypt, that may be felt. 'Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.' Eph. 4:18. Thus we see there is a very great need that the eyes of the understanding should be enlightened, that men should turn away from the darkness of sin, and be turned again to that life of God from which they have been turned by sin. To this end God has given a chart, a guide, a compass, containing God-breathed instruction. 'Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching,' etc. 2 Tim. 3:16, R. V. The original for 'scripture' is graphe, which signifies 'a writing.' Every writing God breathed is profitable; for 'holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' 2 Peter 1:21. Or, as the Revised Version has it, 'For no prophecy ever came by the will of man; but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost.'7 The Spirit in its brooding upon God-fearing men moved them to write those God-breathed words, the very thoughts of God, which are able to make one 'wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ.' And these 'thoughts of God' are 'not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth.' 1 Cor. 2:13. Thus we see that the very words of the Bible expressing the 'thoughts of God,' are the very words of God given to 'holy men' by the agency of the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit of Christ in these men; for the prophets themselves sought diligently, 'searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto.' 1 Peter 1:10, 11. And again, 'Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets.' Neh. 9:30. And still another prophet has spoken: 'Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former prophets.' Zech. 7:12. And so we see that it was 'his Spirit,' 'the Holy Spirit,' 'the Spirit of Christ,' that was in, and is still in, the very words of the prophets. And yet men will dare to tell us that we can not understand the prophecies! They do this when it is a living truth that the Holy Spirit was the agency in producing the written words of God. As the Spirit of God in the beginning brooded upon the face of the earth, bringing beauty out of chaos, and light and life out of darkness, so that same Spirit of God, in its brooding upon holy men of God, caused them to write, these God-breathed truths. And these words, these truths, were freely given to us of God. But how shall man understand these words? By That Same Spirit of Christ.
Evidently this is so. By that Spirit the Bible was given. By that same Spirit it may be understood. 'As it is written, 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.' 1 Cor. 2:9, 10. 'And we have received' that same Spirit. For what?—'That we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.' Verse 12. Spiritual things are 'spiritually discerned.' Verse 14. That is to say, they are understood by the selfsame Spirit of God which gave them, and those whom that Spirit possesses. Nor is this all: 'But ye have an unction from the Holy One.' 1 John 2:20. This is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 'But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him' (margin, 'it'). Verse 27. But we are to remember this one thing: that Spirit will never lead a person away from the Word which it was the agency in giving to the world.