Would you turn with me to some scriptures?
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
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 Sheol, 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.
But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him?
Even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.
And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth.
Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you for ever,
Even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: ye know Him; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you desolate: I come unto you.
Dear Lord, we dare not come to the ministry of Your Word without recognizing that, without You, we can do nothing.
Many words can be used. The real, genuine truth can be outlined. But unless, Lord, Your anointing is upon us, nothing will go into eternity.
Beloved Lord, You, at enormous cost, have provided us with an anointing. Into that anointing, grace, power, and wisdom, we stand by faith this evening—for the speaking of Your Word, for the translating of Your Word, and for the hearing of it.
Beloved Lord, touch our hearts. Overcome every attempt of the enemy to somehow sidetrack us. And as we have prayed, fill us with Your Holy Spirit.
We shall be careful to give You all the praise for answering this, our prayer. In the name of our Messiah, the Lord Jesus. Amen.
I think we all know that the theme of this conference is knowing the Holy Spirit. And, as I said last night, I can think of no subject greater or more vital in its significance at this present time.
My part is to speak about the person of the Holy Spirit.
A careful study of the whole Word of God can lead to only one conclusion: the Holy Spirit is not only a person; the Holy Spirit is God Himself.
He is referred to as the eternal Spirit. He has all the attributes of God.
He is omnipresent. As the psalmist says, “Wherever I go, I find You.”
He is omniscient. That is, He knows everything. He does not need to be taught.
As we have heard from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the Spirit of God knows what is in God. And this Holy Spirit has been given to us, that we might know the things freely given to us by God.
The Holy Spirit is all-powerful. You remember the word of the angel to Mary: “The power of the Most High shall overshadow you.” This was the conception of our Lord Jesus.
That is Luke 1:35, if you want to refer to it:
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.
In the second verse of the first chapter of the Bible, we see the Holy Spirit described as the Spirit of God hovering over the waters.
The amazing thing is that, as you go through those verses, it is the Holy Spirit who is the agent, as it were, of the practical outworking of the Word of God.
Why does it say, “The Spirit of God hovering over the waters”? Is it just being poetic? Is it purely typological?
We say, “Yes, yes, yes—the Spirit of the Lord was trying to find a home.” He is described like a bird hovering, trying to find a place to nest. But He could find nothing.
Then we say, at the end of the Bible, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’” Is the mention of the Holy Spirit then purely typological?
But in fact, the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the second verse of the first chapter of the Bible because everything that God did, it was the Holy Spirit who supervised it. We will come to that again in a moment.
Consider Matthew 28:19:
Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
If you look at 2 Corinthians 13, you find:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
The Spirit is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ, “My Spirit,” and the Holy Spirit.
He is further named the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of counsel, the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of promise, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the Spirit of power, love, and discipline.
I say it is impossible to read and study the Word of God without coming to this one and only conclusion: the Spirit is God Himself.
It is beyond us: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. How do we have three in one? It is beyond us, and yet the whole Word of God declares it.
Consider how the Lord Jesus equates the Holy Spirit with Himself. John 14:16 says:
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may be with you for ever.
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: ye know Him.
Just as you are to know the Father, just as you are to know the Lord Jesus, we have to know the Holy Spirit.
I find it very interesting that the Lord Jesus, in the same Gospel, John 10:30, says, “I and My Father are one.”
When the Lord Jesus speaks of another Comforter—another Advocate, another Intercessor, another Helper—dear child of God, do you realize you have two Advocates, two Intercessors? How can you fail?
It is not as if you have got President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and then you might fail. No, you have the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of God. How can you fail?
The grace is there—the grace of our Lord Jesus. The power is there—the power of the Holy Spirit. How can you fail?
Yet so many children of God are living defeated, failing, miserable, imprisoned lives. They are robbed, imprisoned, spoiled by the enemy—these who are God’s free children.
They are prisoners of themselves, prisoners of their circumstances, prisoners of their problems, prisoners of demons, prisoners of the enemy.
Beloved brother, beloved sister, all the grace of the Lord Jesus is available to you, and all the power of the Holy Spirit.
You have two Persons fighting for you, guarding you, watching you, overcoming in you. How can you fail?
Now, some of you are going to say, “Well, when I get to the Lord, I am going to tell the Lord it was impossible with the husband that I had. It was impossible with the wife that I had. It was impossible with the problems I had. It was impossible with the circumstances I had.”
And the Lord Jesus will say, “Grace was there with your problems, and the power was available to you. But you never availed yourself of it.”
Come back to this matter. It is of tremendous importance.
The Lord Jesus said, “Are you listening? I will not leave you orphans.”
Orphans: unprotected, unprovided for. “I will not leave you orphans.”
But so many Christians are orphans in practice. They feel unprotected and unprovided for, at the mercy of circumstances and at the mercy of the enemy.
Where is it? “I will not leave you orphans. I come to you.” How? In the person of the Holy Spirit.
If you need yet another evidence of the fact that the Holy Spirit is God, consider the way the Lord Jesus said to the apostle John, “Write these letters to the seven churches.”
You will find in Revelation 2 that He says, “Write to the angel of the church at Ephesus,” and similarly to each of the churches.
But then He says to each one of them, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
There is one more thing. I hesitate almost to mention it, lest the enemy use it.
In Matthew 12:31-32, the Lord Jesus said:
Therefore I say unto you, Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.
I think that this is most striking. Even blasphemy of the Son of Man will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.
Now, why did I say I am afraid almost to mention this? Simply because some Christians—the enemy comes to them and says, “You have committed the unpardonable sin.”
But anyone who has such a tender conscience that they are disturbed by this has not committed the unpardonable sin. Those who have committed this have a hardened conscience. They could not care less.
They are the ones who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, but not those who are very tender, conscience-stricken, repentant, and sorrowful.
Brothers and sisters, there are many strange, erroneous, and heretical teachings about the Trinity, or the triune God.
There are people who teach, for instance, that Jesus is less than God. That is a totally untenable position if you believe in the whole Word of God.
There are those who teach that the Holy Spirit is merely an influence. This is totally untenable if you believe in the whole Word of God.
And there are those who teach that the Father became the Son and the Son became the Spirit. This is a wholly untenable position.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit coexist. They are one, and yet distinct. It is beyond us.
I only know that when I meet the Father, I have met God. When I meet the Son, I have met God. And when I meet the Spirit, I have met God.
Can I go on with a further step? I want to bring this whole thing home to you, especially you believers who are what I call depressive—which is the majority of Christians.
They are depressive: always under, never on top; always the tail, never the head.
You know, the Lord said of the Jewish people, “If you obey My Word, then you shall always be the head and not the tail. You shall always be above and not beneath.”
This is exactly what every child of God ought to be. Yet the majority of us are depressive.
“Poor me. I have such problems, such circumstances, such impossible relationships, and an impossible assembly.”
“If only I had the advantages of Martin Luther, John Wesley, George Whitefield.” I could go on and on.
Really? John Bunyan spent twenty-two years in prison. Do you think that such saints had an easy time?
They discovered the grace of the Lord Jesus. They took hold of the power of the Holy Spirit. And by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, they became overcomers. And so can you.
Listen. I want to bring this home to you.
Without the Holy Spirit, there would be no creation, no universe, and no human beings. I have already quoted the Spirit of God hovering over the waters.
In Psalm 104:30, you will find:
Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created;
And Thou renewest the face of the ground.
You remember Genesis 2. God breathed into man, and man became a living soul. Man became something unique: spirit, soul, and body.
If you look at Job, there is a remarkable word there. Job 33:4:
The Spirit of God hath made me,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
There is a play there in Hebrew, because breath and spirit are the same word: ruach.
Without the Holy Spirit, there would have been no universe and no human beings.
Without the Holy Spirit, there would have been no Bible. There is not one single part of this Book, from Genesis to Revelation, that is not God-breathed.
The work of the Holy Spirit inspired Moses and all the writers of Scripture.
Listen to the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16:
Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.
Listen to the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:19-21:
And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.
For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Peter 1:10-11, he says:
Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.
Without the Holy Spirit, no Bible.
Without the Holy Spirit, no Christ, no Messiah, and no work of salvation. You remember how He was born.
Matthew 1:20-21 says:
But when he thought on these things, behold, an 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 Spirit.
And she shall bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for it is He that shall save His people from their sins.
The Lord Jesus was conceived and born of the Holy Spirit.
Then John 1:33, the words of John the Baptist:
And I knew Him not; but He that sent me to baptize in water, He said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.
The Lord Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. His whole three and a half years of ministry were by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:38 says:
Even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.
Only by the Spirit of God was the Lord Jesus able to offer Himself up upon the cross.
We have read that already in Hebrews 9:14: by the eternal Spirit, He offered Himself up to God without spot or blemish.
Then again, according to the apostle Paul in Romans 8:11:
But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Without the Holy Spirit, there would have been no Messiah, no atoning work on the cross, and no bodily resurrection.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no such thing as a child of God.
He convicts. He convinces. He creates faith. He brings to birth a new birth, so that we are born of God.
He sheds abroad in our hearts the cry, “Abba, Father.”
He creates union with the Father in and through the Lord Jesus. He produces fruitfulness. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.
He causes growth—spiritual growth. We are to walk in the Spirit. That is, we take step after step after step after step. We are growing, moving, progressing.
By the Spirit, we are changed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus. And by the Spirit, we shall be glorified.
Dear brothers and sisters, has this ever come home to you? This is the person of the Holy Spirit.
All originates in the Father. All is through the Lord Jesus, for the Lord Jesus, and in the Lord Jesus. And it is the Holy Spirit who is the manager. He is the worker, the producer.
Without the Holy Spirit, no church—only an Old Testament Christianity: special places, special people, special clothes, special titles, special rites.
But when the Holy Spirit came, one hundred and twenty individuals became one hundred and twenty members of a living body, joined to the Head at the right hand of God. That is the church.
Take the church, and nothing else is the church. The church is a living organism, produced by the Holy Spirit through the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Every time through the history of the church, when it has fallen into backsliding, lukewarmness, institutionalism, traditionalism, or denominationalism, there has been a reenactment of Pentecost, because the same thing has happened.
Suddenly, a living spiritual organism appears on the earth again, joined to a Head already at the right hand of God.
The Holy Spirit brings it into being. The Holy Spirit enables us, as members of the body, to hold fast the Head, to grow up into the Head, and to discover the body.
Without the Holy Spirit: no church, no gifts, no building, no powerful expression of Christ on this earth.
Without the Holy Spirit, no work of the gospel. There is no way that you can fulfill the work of the gospel without the Holy Spirit.
You can use all the world’s methods, but it is, in the end, wood, hay, and stubble.
Only by the Spirit of God can the work of God be fulfilled. Only by the Spirit of God can we render true service.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no overcoming. It is by the Holy Spirit we overcome.
You see what the Lord Jesus said to every one of those seven churches: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh…” And then comes the promise.
Overcoming begins with hearing what the Spirit of God is saying.
Now, my dear brothers and sisters, why have I gone through all of that? For one very simple reason: this same Spirit of God has been given to every one of you who is born of God.
Do you realize how tremendous this is? The impact of this simple truth—only the Spirit of God can bring it home to you. It is incredible.
The One who created the universe is now in you. Think of that.
The One by whom Adam and Eve were created, the One who authored the Bible—He is in you. No better Teacher, no better Communicator, no better Guide into the truth.
And you have the cheek to say, “Well, it is too much for me. My problems are too big. My circumstances are too difficult. My relationships are horrible.”
If the Spirit of God were to open the eyes of your heart tonight, to realize that He has come to dwell in you, it would change everything.
I tell you, you would be a different person. A little bit of joy would come into you. Before long, your children might begin to take note, or your husband, or your wife, or the people you work with.
This is how it happens. Suddenly, they see the Christ-life. Suddenly, they begin to see Him in a human being—the Bible being lived.
You say it is impossible. No, no, no, it is not impossible.
If He who brought order out of disorder, form out of formlessness, light out of darkness, and created you out of clay is in you, nothing is impossible.
It does not mean you will have a joyride. You will have many tribulations. But the One who is in you can enable you to overcome.
Dear brother, dear sister, to know the Holy Spirit is to know the Father, and it is to know the Son.
When the Holy Spirit fills you, you are filled with the Lord Jesus. You obey Jesus.
When the Holy Spirit anoints you, you are anointed with the anointing of the Lord Jesus.
So simple. So utterly simple.
May the Lord open our eyes. Shall we pray?
Lord, only You can open the eyes of our hearts. Let that light shine into the deepest part of our being.
Lord, reveal something of this tremendous work that You have done at Calvary, through which You have poured out the Holy Spirit.
Lord, let it be so that every one of us comes to know the person of the Holy Spirit. May we be truly led by the Spirit.
We ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.