At a Bible-reading, some time ago, the question was asked, “Where is the Devil?” Someone immediately replied, “In hell;” and when another question was asked, “Where is the Holy Ghost?” the answer given was, “In heaven.” Now it need scarcely be said that neither of these answers were correct. The fact is that persons, even Christians, are so accustomed to think and speak about spiritual things without considering what the real truth is as revealed by God in His word, that the most un-scriptural and extraordinary notions are widely circulated in Christendom which are not only wrong, but sometimes dead against the truth of God. As to Satan, he is not yet shut up, but he will be. Instead of being under confinement, he is “going to and fro in the earth;” he is not omnipresent, “but walking up and down in it.” Peter says, “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Yes, he is still “the accuser of our brethren,” “which deceiveth the whole world,” and “the wolf which catcheth.... and scattereth the sheep.” And as to the Holy Spirit, though He be a divine Person and therefore everywhere present, yet nothing is more clearly revealed in scripture than that He came down and took up His abode in God’s people on earth, on the day of Pentecost, to abide with us forever. And the more we search the scriptures on the subject, the more we shall be assured that the gift of the Holy Ghost consequent upon an accomplished redemption is the characteristic truth of Christianity.
Is it any wonder then that it should be so perverted and denied by our subtle adversary? Is it not most distressing to hear of some denying that He is God; of others praying that He may be sent down; others pleading for a greater measure of the Spirit, a fresh baptism, and a pentecostal blessing? All these points, and many more concerning the Godhead, personality, indwelling, and operations of the Holy Ghost we hope briefly to consider; but we are assured that most of the other errors arise from not knowing Him as a divine Person, co-equal with the Father and the Son.
In the text at the head of this paper He is distinctly and unmistakably called God, and a Person capable of being lied to. Hence He is sometimes called “the Spirit of God;” and the things of God knoweth no man but “the Spirit of God.” He has then eternal attributes, for He is “the eternal Spirit.” Before the earth and the heavens were formed, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the chaotic waters; and we are told that “by his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens.” (Job 26:1313By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. (Job 26:13).) Who could be truthfully said to be “eternal” but “ the high and holy one which inhabiteth eternity?
Is not eternal one of the attributes of Godhead? In truest harmony with His Godhead qualities, and coequal with, and acting together with the Father and the Son, He is called “the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father,” and also “the Spirit of his Son.” (John 15:2626But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26); Gal. 4:66And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6).) Besides, the Spirit is so constantly called “Holy” which is a term emphatically applied to God. “I am holy.”
Again, we read in Peter concerning the Old Testament scriptures that “holy men of God spake” as they were moved “by the Holy Ghost.” Paul also declared, “Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet,” and yet we are told that it was “the Lord God of Israel” who “spake by the mouth of his holy prophets;” and Isaiah in this same scripture says it was the Lord (Adonahy, Lord in plurality of persons) who gave him the word to say. (2 Pet. 1; Acts 28:2525And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, (Acts 28:25); Luke 1:6868Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, (Luke 1:68); and Isa. 6:8, 98Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. (Isaiah 6:8‑9).) Is it possible to have clearer testimony to the Godhead of the Holy Ghost?
We read too of His omnipresence, “whither shall I go from thy Spirit; or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell (hades), behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7-107Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139:7‑10).) His omnipresence is further shown by His dwelling in every child of God all over the earth, and giving to each, in every part of the globe, access unto the Father through the Son. “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son unto your hearts, crying Abba Father.” “For through him we both [believing Jews and Gentiles] have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” (Gal. 4:66And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6); Eph. 2:1818For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:18).)
His omniscience is also clearly set forth in scripture where we are told that “he searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 2:1010But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10).) Who but a divine Person could search the deep things of God? Again, who would be competent to teach all things, unless he knew all things?
His omnipotence is constantly witnessed in raising sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, into spiritual life; as it will be by-and-by, when “he that raiseth up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:2, 112For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
11But 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. (Romans 8:11).) Who but One who is Almighty could take of the things of Christ and show to every child of God, and help and minister the truth by every gifted servant of the Lord continually? Who but one of Godhead qualities could be said to abide with us forever to guide into all the truth, bring all things to our remembrance whatsoever Jesus had said? And of whom could it be said but of One acting in conjunction with the Father and the Son? “All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you.” (John 16:1515All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:15))
Sovereign actings are further characteristics of “the only wise God,” who acts according to the good pleasure of His will. It was the Holy Ghost who said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.... So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed.” Again, “They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.... They assayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not.” And further in relation to certain spiritual gifts, they are distributed by the Spirit’s sovereignty. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit”.... “But now hath God set the members everyone of them in the body as it hath pleased him.” (See Acts 13:2, 3; 16:6, 72As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:2‑3)
6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. (Acts 16:6‑7) Cor. 12:8-18.)
We trust that enough scripture testimony has been brought forward to show the Godhead of the Holy Spirit; so that we can easily understand why those who had connected themselves with God’s assembly and had said what was false, were spoken of as having lied not to men but to God. Ere this the Holy Ghost had come down, and the assembly was the habitation of God through the Spirit.
Η. H. S.