OPERATIONS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD
1 Corinthians 2: 12-16; 12: 13
I have in mind to call attention to the way the Spirit of God will take on different characters in order to fill out in the saints every feature of what is in God’s mind for us; and first He will unify us, and particularly at the Supper, so that as baptised in the power of one Spirit into one body, and all given to drink of one Spirit, we are able to sit down together body-wise, the Spirit thus providing a basis in the saints for collective movement of affection towards Christ, so that real assembly features should come into evidence. Then how He enters into the latter part of the service, thus enabling us unitedly and unifiedly to move, under the hand of Christ, in relation to the Father. Then how He will take on the character of the Father’s Spirit in order that the richest features of the service may be apprehended and entered upon by us, even to the length of the Father’s own love for Christ having a place in our hearts. And further, how He would take on the character of the Spirit of God’s Son, not only as a Spirit of adoption we might say, but the Spirit of God’s Son, so that the response to God, under the hand of Christ, might take on its richest and most precious character. As we think of these things and as we are increasingly helped to take account of the Spirit’s service to us and movements among us, we shall be drawn out in our affections to the blessed Spirit of God as apprehending how wonder fully He has come in on behalf of the Father, on behalf of the Son and on behalf of the saints, in order that all that God has in His mind for the assembly as with Christ should be filled out in power and happy consciousness.
Before touching on that I thought it wise to read these verses in chapter 2, because they really are the crux, if I may say so, of matters that are exercising and engaging the brethren at the present time, that is, it is a question of spirituality, and that is where we are all challenged and tested, but as challenged and tested, if exercised in relation to it before the Lord, we shall be helped.
Paul, writing by the Spirit, lays it down, that “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God”. Then he says, that the things he has spoken are communicated by words which the Holy Spirit teaches. Then we are told that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned. Hence it means we are entirely shut up to the Holy Spirit, not only to communicate spiritual things, but to discern that what is communicated is spiritual. This is a most important matter; it really is the crux, if I may say so, of what the Lord is raising among us at the present time.
By way of illustration one may remind the brethren of the matter, often referred to, taken up in Acts 15, as to whether the Gentiles should be circumcised or not. Peter, after much discussion, stands up and recounts how he discerned the Spirit’s movements. That is what he recounts. He does not refer to the Scriptures, but what he discerned to be the blessed movements of the Spirit. Then Paul and Barnabas tell of how God had wrought through them among the Gentiles. Then James stands up and refers to the Scriptures, quoting from the prophet Amos, and in the power of the Holy Spirit he applies the passage as conclusively establishing that God was bringing the Gentiles into the assembly, and in liberty, so that they should not need to be circumcised. If you had looked at the passage from Amos, which he read, and had seen its setting there, you would have said, had you been unspiritual, that it had no reference at all to the Gentiles being brought into the assembly; that it referred to the world to come. But James was speaking by the Spirit of God. Scripture is so wonderfully capable of being taken up by the Spirit of God as needed, but it requires spirituality to recognise that it is the voice of the Spirit. Spirituality was there, and the matter was settled, so they say in their letter, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”. The Spirit had spoken, and that settled the matter. It is only as we are spiritual that we shall discern what is the voice of the Holy Spirit. That is of particular importance in applying and interpreting Old Testament scriptures. Paul tells us that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Instruction can thus rightly be based upon it, only that for the interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures, the communication of the mind of God through them, spirituality is essential, and on our part spirituality is equally essential in order to discern that what is presented is of the Spirit of God. What is being raised among us as to the recognition of the service of the Spirit, and honouring Him, increases in importance as we take account of who He is and how He serves. But it calls for spirituality on our part so as to recognise it as of God, and then to follow it up dependently as we ourselves receive help from the Lord and from the Spirit.
Now in chapter 12 we have the apostle saying, “For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body ... and have been all made to drink into one Spirit”. That is, of course, a statement of truth that stands good at all times, but has particular application when together, and especially at the Supper. One of the most important things to begin with is the reality of being baptised by one Spirit into one body. The reality of being able to meet together should be known, and the reality of all being made to drink into one Spirit (an allusion, no doubt, to the one cup), in a fresh way, so that our affections are stimulated together, not as so many separate saints, but as one body partaking of the same affections towards Christ, drawn out by the one loaf and one cup, the Spirit Himself entering into that, unifying our thoughts and affections towards Christ. It is beautiful to see it! What is proper to the assembly comes into expression in the unification of the saints as a result of the service to us of the Spirit of God Himself: He enters into that part of the service.
We have something similar in Ephesians; it says, “Through him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father”, that is, in movement under the hand of Christ we are thus sustained and empowered by the same Spirit to move together as one. I think we can see, and shall see more and more as we think of it, how the Spirit Himself, in wonderful grace, in service to Christ and to the Father and to the saints, enters into every part of the service. The more we think of it the more we shall be drawn out in our affections, not only to Christ and to the Father but to the Spirit Himself. That Person of the Godhead enters into the matter to see that at the proper point in assembly service the response of the saints is drawn out affectionately and unitedly for the pleasure of God; “Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father”.
Then in chapter 3 the apostle speaks of praying to the Father that we might be strengthened by His Spirit, the Father’s Spirit. It is very affecting to see how the Spirit of God will take on, if one may say so, reverently, different characters in order to fill out the position effectively in all its parts. Here He is presented as the Father’s Spirit. The apostle prays that we might be strengthened by the Father’s Spirit in the inner man, that· Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. Surely that must involve, dear brethren, that as the Father’s Spirit is operating in our hearts, the Father’s thoughts of Christ will be conveyed to our hearts, the Father’s feelings in regard to Christ, and the Father’s thoughts in regard to the whole system of glory, of which He Himself is the origin, and Christ the centre, and the assembly is to have a central place with Christ. All this is conveyed to us by the Father’s Spirit, we being “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man”, with all that in view. It is a most affecting thing to think the Spirit would serve in that character. I believe it links on with what the Lord says in John 17: 26, “And I have made known to them thy name, and will make it known; that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them”. We become capable of that as strengthened by the Father’s Spirit, for He can bring into our hearts thoughts and feelings in regard to Christ just as He did to Peter, James and John on the holy mount. Peter says, “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, such a voice being uttered to him by the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”, 2 Pet 1: 17. You can understand how the saints become capacitated thus to enter feelingly with the Father into His choicest joys and into His own rest, as the Father’s Spirit brings the Father’s thoughts of Christ into our hearts.
Then the Lord says in John 17, “I in them”. The saints are not only to have some ability to appreciate the way the Father loved Christ, but are to have ability with Christ to respond to it; indeed, He fills out the response in the assembly. In Galatians we read, “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts”, not simply a spirit of adoption, but the Spirit of God’s Son. There is something very glorious about “the Spirit of God’s Son” sent into our hearts. Saints are capable in assembly, under the hand of Christ, of responding to the Father in Christ’s own intelligence and affection. “I in them”. The response is worthy of God, “In the midst of the assembly will sing thy praises”, Heb 2: 12. We have known the truth of this, it is nothing new, but what is so significant is that the Spirit Himself enters into every part of it in order that it might be filled out to the glory of God.
The Lord is calling attention to the Holy Spirit in His faithful and devoted service, for the end is near, and the Spirit has in mind that the assembly should go along with Him as Rebecca went with the servant. It was a question of committing herself to the servant. She not only said “I will go”, but she acted on it, she rode on the camels and followed the man. She committed herself to the servant, and as she did so the servant took her on, and I am sure if we will, in our minds and hearts, commit ourselves to what the Lord is raising at the present time the Spirit will help us. He will take us on (I say that reverently) so that we become acquainted with Him in His glorious ani devoted service to the Father, the Son and the saints. It is all a question of sensitiveness and of spirituality, and for that we need to do what Paul did, “I bow my knees to the Father”, he says. It was no casual prayer but real genuine exercise, because the matter was so urgent. If we go on these lines, we shall find the Spirit will serve us, and we shall be drawn out in our affections to Him, and as moving forward we shall find liberty and power to address Him. It is there in the Scriptures. Paul says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine (or teaching). Let me just repeat, that not only can the truth only be conveyed by the Holy Spirit, but only by the Holy Spirit can we discern that what is being conveyed is the truth. The whole matter hinges on how far we are spiritual, and for that we are to cultivate acquaintance with the Spirit of God, avoiding all that would hinder His operations and choosing all that would facilitate them, and as we do so we shall find we are helped on in the truth, and that together.
LONDON
9th March 1949
From Words of Grace and Comfort
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