The Holy Spirit is presented as a divine agent who has always participated in God's undertakings, from creation to the present age. The sermon traces the Spirit's work through biblical history, including his role in the lives of patriarchs, the formation of Israel, the inspiration of prophets, and the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes that the current age, the age of the Church, is uniquely characterized by the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit, a reality distinct from past dispensations. The message calls for a balanced and clear understanding of the Spirit's person and work, urging believers to rightly divide the word of truth concerning this doctrine.
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Beloved friends, we greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus, our Saviour, and would commence a study with you on the great doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the great doctrines of the Bible, together with his blessed person and also in connection with his great work. In Ephesians chapter four and verse four, We read these words, There is one Spirit. Our responsibility is to know as well as to maintain the rights of the Spirit of God in the Church of God during this age.
His blessed sovereign action in the Church flows from the Saviour above in heaven. And though the Holy Spirit has acted and does yet act powerfully for the blessing of souls, we lose much if we do not know the special ways in which it is the will of God that the Holy Spirit, who is present in the individual believer and in the Church of God, how he should be honored. The Holy Spirit has always been a participating agent in everything that God Himself has ever done and even still may undertake.
We would remind our listeners and our friends that the Spirit of God had His part in the creation of the universe. This you may read in Genesis chapter one and verse two. that you will also find mentioned in Job chapter twenty-six and verse thirteen. The Spirit of God has never failed to participate in any divine undertaking, and in creation he had his part. Then as we go on through the Word of God in the Old Testament days, we find that even in the lives of the biblical patriarchs, such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, name them.
It was only by the operation of the Holy Spirit that men in those days believed upon Jehovah, even as now. For even in the days of Noah, God said in Genesis six three, My spirit shall not always strive with men, so that we can readily recognize the presence of the ministry of the Holy Spirit during the lives of the patriarchs long ago. Then there came in later history a time when God espoused his people Israel, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and going on until the days of Moses.
But in the days of developing and originating and developing the nation of Israel, the Spirit of God was the energetic power behind the nation as within the nation. Even in the days of national development, when Moses led them out of Egypt through the wilderness, from Moses down to Bethlehem, the great effort and the work of establishing The Old Testament saints, in their relationship to God as a nation, was espoused by the energy of the Spirit of God, going down even further in the days of the judges and in the days of the kings.
We know from the days of Samson even down to the days of King David. We must confess, without the Spirit of God, there was no divine energy in the testimony long ago. After the days of the kings, we find the days of the prophets appearing. And as we look at the great range of the prophets, as we may begin reading from Isaiah, going down through to the end of the Old Testament, the days of Malachi, when the prophets appeared, it was under the power of the Holy Ghost that those holy men of God spoke, of which the Apostle Peter is stated in II Peter chapter one and verse twenty-one.
These holy men of old, they spake as they were moved or borne along by the Holy Ghost. And, beloved, when we come to the New Testament, even by the very appearing of John the Baptist, we recognize that it was by the power of the Spirit of God, for the Spirit of God was greatly upon him, that John the Baptist began his ministry in relation to the people and the nation of Israel. And may we further state one of the most amazing facts, when Christ the Son of God and the Son of Man came into this scene to be born in the manger of Bethlehem and to live his life from babyhood unto the death of the cross and even unto his departure in heaven above, we well may realize that blessed one in all his life, in the words which he spoke, in the thoughts which he possessed, in the deeds which he performed, all were done in and through and by the power of the
Holy Spirit of God in perfection. First Timothy chapter three and verse sixteen declares that certainly that one who was God manifest in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit. And from the manger to his departure back to heaven, his life, his death, his resurrection and ascension had the justification of the Holy Spirit in his presence and power and cooperation. So that we can recognize This blessed person of the Divine Godhead, the Holy Spirit, has always had participation in every divine undertaking.
Now we would particularly refer to the Holy Spirit in relation to the age in which you and I are now living. I am certain that many of our listeners and every instructed believer is deeply conscious that the present age of the Holy Spirit in his ministry began on the day of Pentecost. And we'll conclude by the blessed event the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ when he shall come for his redeemed people and take them to heaven above, meeting them in the air and escorting them into the Father's presence.
at that blessed future day which we often call the Rapture of the Saints. You and I are not living in the Old Testament ages. When the Holy Spirit manifested its power, its presence and did his work, according to those ages of the past. You and I are living in this present age of grace, the present age of the Church's history. The present age of the Holy Spirit and the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in this age is one of unique testimony far different than ever before in human history before Pentecost and will never again be the same even in the kingdom of the age which is yet to come.
We live in what we could declare to be the age of the Holy Spirit, for He is present upon the earth, abiding. He is present indwelling all believers, which never was true in the Old Testament times. And which, may I repeat again, will not in the same measure be true when the age of the church has been completed. Now we would particularly remind our listeners that in the days we are now living, there seems to be some chaos and confusion in relation to the person and the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
It is our desire that by the help and the grace of God, we may seek to fulfill the exhortation of Paul the Apostle. when he declared to its son in the faith Timothy in second Timothy chapter two verse fifteen study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth in relation to this great doctrine of the Holy Spirit we would by the help of God through his precious word divide this blessed word of truth, in thus understanding and ministering over this ministry of ours today and days to come, we would bring the teaching of the word of God concerning the Holy Spirit.
I am deeply conscious and fully aware there is an imbalanced condition prevailing today regarding the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. And frequently we are finding the emphasis concerning the Holy Spirit in these days seems to be on one particular note alone, which is most unfortunate. May I repeat the words of Second Timothy chapter two in verse fifteen once again. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing, literally meaning, cutting in a straight line the Word of Truth.
We have specially mentioned in our introduction some of the work of the Holy Spirit in ages past. But I believe it is a necessity more important that we understand from the teaching of God's Word the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our present age The Age of the Church. I do humbly pray that many of our friends will be willing to listen to this ministry as we continue by the grace and the help and in the will of God to make a detailed study from our New Testament, of course, concerning this blessed person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, and of his word.
For it is important that we have a balanced but a clear understanding of his blessed person and of his special work. May God guide us as we do so, leading us through his word and teaching us the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we should understand it. Blessed Father, we pray that the introduction of this message and study of the Holy Spirit will encourage us to listen and make careful attention concerning its teaching in thy word in our Savior's name. Amen.