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THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (II)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
John 16:7-12

Acts 2:1-21

 

“…for if I go not away, the Comforter

will not come unto you…”

 

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (II)
 
What did Jesus mean when He said that the Holy Spirit will not come until or unless He departs (John 16:7)? Was Jesus implying that the Holy Spirit never “came” or was inactive before this time? Some theologians suggest that the Holy Spirit will “come” to indwell believers which did not happen in the OT. If the Spirit only indwelt NT and not OT saints, then how could the latter be considered saved and a child of God (cf. John 3:5; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 2:9-16)?
 
If the Holy Spirit was already present and active in ministry, what then did Jesus mean when He said the Spirit will not come until He departs? From Genesis to Revelation, we find all three persons of the Godhead at work. (1) In the time of the OT, we see the Father, the Son, and the Spirit in the creation of man (Gen 1:26-27); the Son in His preincarnate appearances (Gen 12:7; 18:1; 32:30); and the Spirit moving upon the face of the waters of the formless and empty earth (Gen 1:2), and anointing the prophets, priests, and kings for ministry (1 Kings 19:16; Exod 40:13; 1 Sam 10:1). Although all three persons of the Trinity were at work, the Father was the prominent figure in the OT. (2) In the time of the Gospels, we see the Father sending the Son (John 17:3, 8; Gal 4:4), the Spirit empowering the Son (John 3:34); and the Father and the Spirit present and active in the baptism of the Son (Matt 3:13-17). Although all three persons of the Trinity were at work, the Son was the prominent figure in the Gospels. (3) In the time of the NT Church, we find the Father receiving the prayers of the saints (Matt 6:6, 9, 7:11), the Son interceding for the saints as their great High Priest (Heb 4:14-16), and the Spirit doing the work of reproving, calling, converting, indwelling, assuring, revealing, teaching, guiding, sanctifying, praying, gifting, restraining etc. Although all three persons again are at work in the NT Church, it is the Holy Spirit who is now prominent. Thus, when Jesus said that the Spirit would descend only after He ascended to heaven, He was intimating that He would be passing on the baton to the Spirit who would run the final lap in the cooperative work of the Trinity in the redemption of man. Now is the age of the Spirit.
 
THOUGHT: The Acts of the Apostles can be rightly called the Acts of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: “Lord, send the old time power, the Pentecostal power!”

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