THE HOLY SPIRIT AS INCLUDED IN THE GOSPEL
[p. 267] THE HOLY SPIRIT AS INCLUDED IN THE GOSPEL
Acts 2: 37 - 38; Acts 8: 14 - 17; Acts 10: 44 - 48
Some of you may not have in mind that the Holy Spirit is included in the gospel, whereas He is. Not only is it preached by His power as Peter says: “by those who have declared to you the glad tidings by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven” 1 Peter 1: 12, but He is also a subject in the gospel. As here, He uses select vessels for the preaching, as we have recorded in this book, “Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them ... They therefore, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit ...” (Acts 13: 2,4). But then, whilst He is the power for the preaching, the preachers being anointed by Him, He also is included in the preaching, as necessary to all that the gospel proposes; He is necessary to salvation and life, and for the enjoyment of forgiveness. So that obviously He forms a very important part of the gospel testimony, of which believers need to take note specially, because, as I shall show, believers may be without the Spirit, and thus without practical salvation and life, and the joy they afford. They are, as has often been remarked, safe from the divine side, but not saved. The apostle Paul speaking about the word of the cross, says, “Unto us which are saved it is the power of God” 1 Corinthians 1: 18, so that every one should question his heart as to whether he is among the saved.
Three features of the Spirit are indicated in these passages; but first I would make plain that, whilst the Spirit enters into the gospel testimony, He could not be thus presented to us, save as redemption has been accomplished. So in the great type in Exodus 17 of the Spirit being made available as water from the rock Moses was directed to take the elders of Israel with him and go before the people, and Jehovah would stand on the rock there and Moses should smite the rock with [p. 268] his rod, and thus the water would flow. In that type we see that there could be no Spirit available to man apart from the atoning sufferings of Christ. How touching it is to us who have the Spirit and know the joy that He brings into our hearts — “joy in the Holy Spirit” — to remember that it cost the smiting of Christ! There is nothing said there of actual drinking, the point is that the water was available, and, as made available — there was competent witness to proclaim the fact, and that is how the preaching goes on today. There is competent testimony to the fact that Christ has been smitten, and that the water has flowed, and is therefore available for every thirsty soul. The ground on which the gospel is presented is in the sense of witness; and that is to the smiting of Christ. Why should He be smitten?
Now Peter in his first great address, recorded in Acts 2, was a witness. There were eleven others with him, and behind them there were many more competent witnesses: he speaks with authority, saying, “Hearken to my words” Acts 2: 14. As Elijah of old had said in Israel, “There shall not be ... rain these years, except by my word” 1 Kings 17: 1, now here is one who had a word, and he calls upon Israel and the dwellers at Jerusalem to hearken, and as they hearkened he spoke and bore witness to the sufferings of Christ. So the prophets “testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11). The gospel relates to the glory that should follow; it relates to the unsearchable riches of Christ — riches which God is prepared to lavish on men; for as He is lavish in giving witnesses, so too with His riches, as the prodigal proved so well when the best robe was brought out and the ring and the shoes were put on. What a wardrobe it is!
Now I dwell on this thought of witness because God never leaves Himself without witness; and not only in a general way, but personally. Even in the visions of the night God follows up men (Job 33). Can He not do it?
[p. 269] Is He not great enough to follow up every individual on the face of the earth, now, and at any time? Are you of those to whom God has witnessed, not only in a general way, but in a specific personal way? — have you neglected to pay attention to the witness? The witness that you disregard now will appear later, God will confront you with it. There were three thousand who paid attention to Peter’s testimony here; if there were those who did not, that testimony will come up before them again. But as Peter in the power of the Spirit of God in Jerusalem on that auspicious day, lifted his voice to the men of Israel, three thousand bowed their hearts and said to Peter and all the apostles, “brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2: 37 — notice they recognised all the witnesses, there were twelve of them: every one of these men became of interest to the convicted hearers. They would not mock at these Galilaeans now, they were convicted; the testimony of the gospel through the mouth of Peter had done its work. There was the smiting of Christ, for by wicked hands they had crucified and slain Him, but God had raised Him up. What a glorious fact! God had raised Him up and He had gone up into heaven. “Being by the right hand of God exalted”, said Peter, “he hath shed forth this” Acts 2: 33. That was Jesus, active in heaven: He was put to death on earth, but Peter cites, “thou wilt not leave my soul in hell” Acts 2: 27 — Jesus said that, but the Jesus who was in hades, is now in heaven, and active there. “Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which ye behold and hear” Acts 2: 33.
I want now to show, that this first feature of the presentation of the Spirit as a subject of the gospel is to be the outcome of a certain process in the soul. “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2: 37. They were speaking to the apostles, the authorised witnesses of God, men who could answer the question. It was a most important matter that there were those in Jerusalem who could answer that question raised by persons [p. 270] convicted in their hearts. This was a real heart matter, and it must always be so: repentance is not a head matter, but of the heart and conscience, and that is what it was here. And they asked the right persons, Peter and the other apostles, the authorised witnesses of God, what to do. The whole world might come and enquire from these men, they were authorised to speak for God. What a boon for mankind to have twelve such men ready to answer questions! And the same thing still holds: an authorised answer is available for every convicted one, as to what he is to do. What shall we do, they say? Peter had been telling them what Jesus did and what God did; that is the gospel; the gospel is not what I can do, it refers to what God has done through Christ; to what Christ has done, and what God is doing and what God will do. But then there is the pertinent question, What shall we do? Did you ever ask that question as convicted of God? Maybe you have asked the wrong person; but these people made no mistake, they spoke to the apostles of Christ, authorised witnesses of God. I am speaking of the reception of the Spirit as a feature of the gospel. Peter says, “Repent, and be baptised, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 2: 38. You could not get any answer more precise, and I commend it to any convicted soul. It refers to the process of soul that is essential for the gift of the Spirit; I refer to the word repent. Repentance is a subject of the gospel too: God will let you repent, He has opened a door for you to do it. A time will come when He will close that door, as in Esau’s case, he found no place for repentance (Hebrews 12: 17) — but today the door is still open.
Well now, I want to show that in this particular case, it is not said that these three thousand people got the Spirit; because, in presenting the Spirit as the Gift of God, it is well to leave it with the soul that there is a process. It is for you to think over that well. It says [p. 271] that those who heard the word were baptised. It does not say by whom, it is a question of being baptised, and that is no empty ceremony in the light of Scripture — it is a solemn matter. It is emphasised that these converts were baptised; they received the word, and the word implied that there should be baptism — that the world must be left. The reason why the gospel is not effective in thousands is because the world is not left: so the Lord said, “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved” (Mark 16: 16). It is not a question of who does it. In Matthew it is a question of who does it, the apostles, or disciples, were to do it, but here it is not that: they were baptised, and if they were not, they would not get the Spirit. There was to be a complete cut with what they were going on with, an abandonment of the world; Peter says, “Be saved from this perverse generation”, Acts 2: 40. And so it is said that they were “added”, without saying anything about their reception of the Spirit. But they were baptised. You may say, ‘Why are you dwelling on that?’ Because the weakness in many through the want of baptism in its true import, and so that you may see that it is done in this sense. You see it to be a necessity, for God is not going to take you up and leave you in the world. “The friendship of the world is enmity with God” James 4: 4, is ever true; and God is not giving the Holy Spirit to His enemies. Baptism thus implies that I have turned my back on the world. So the three thousand were added; and we are told the number, which shows that they were precious to Christ. They were part of the “treasure” in the “field” (Matthew 13: 44). The Lord was just beginning to get His return; and so we have the number added; not simply so many saved or so many baptised, but so many added. Of what value are you if you are not added to what is of God? It is not what you are added to in verse 41, but that you may get the principle involved into your soul that every believer is either in the world or he is added [p. 272] to the assembly. In verse 47 it is said, “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”.
Passing on to chapter 8, I want to show how under a powerful gospel persons may profess to be converted and yet not be so. Philip’s preaching is unique, what marks it is great external power; there were many notable miracles. Wicked spirits went out, sick people were healed, and there was great movement, so that a great many believed nominally, but they did not get the Holy Spirit immediately. I am sure it has often challenged hearts, that having believed they did not at once get the Holy Spirit. You may ask, why was it that these people did not get the Holy Spirit? Well, that is a very important and interesting question. They were Samaritans, and were converted nominally by a powerful preaching accompanied by remarkable signs. But what about conscience in all this? It was a general movement in the city for the moment. I have heard of such movements during the past century in what are called ‘revivals’; but what about having to do with God individually? What about getting alone with God? I can understand the people in this city of Samaria singing hymns on the street corner, it was no reproach, the whole city was affected. I am not disparaging the work, for it was of God, there was real joy, but there was no Holy Spirit given to the converts. The Holy Spirit was in Philip, it was by him these wonderful works were accomplished, but he was the only one at the outset of the work, as far as the scripture shows, who had the Holy Spirit. You see they were Samaritans. We are told there was a man among these converts called Simon, he also believed and was baptised like the rest, but he was not saved; he was not convicted in his conscience, he was selfish, he was in the bond of iniquity. The solemn fact is, that in his case there was no having to do with God about his sins and his state, no getting alone with God. It was the public matter that was affecting him, he would not be out of it. Then besides,
[p. 273] these people were Samaritans and had been rivals of what was of God; is there not that amongst us? — rivalry of what is of God. We have not far to seek to find what is of God, believers are of God: as John says, “We are of God” speaking of the apostles; and then, “Ye are of God, little children” 1 John 4: 4 — believers are characteristically of God. Am I a rival of them? Am I envious of them? I will not get the Holy Spirit with that spirit. The Samaritan woman of Sychar said to the Lord, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” John 4: 20. She was a rival of Jerusalem, and she says, “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” John 4: 9. But the Lord was dealing with her, and regarded her as a Samaritan. He had dealt with that poor man, evidently a Jew, who fell among the thieves (Luke 10), but the native Samaritan says, ‘No dealings! You stand aloof from us and we from you’. How often you find that spirit in people who come in and out amongst the people of God! But the Jews have dealings with the Samaritans! The Lord said, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship” John 4: 22, and as knowing whom we worship we nevertheless have dealings with the Samaritans! It is our business here to have dealings with the Samaritans. We have no rivalry in our hearts, we only wish for their salvation. While salvation was of the Jews, as the Lord said, it is now through and in Him.
But to return to Acts 8, the spirit of rivalry at Samaria had to be dissipated. Wherever it is in the heart against what is of God, you will be made to wait, and in the waiting process you will be made to search your hearts as to the rivalry and all else, for the Holy Spirit will not come into those associations. And so the apostles that were at Jerusalem hearing that the word of God had come to Samaria, and the Samaritans were believing, are ready to have dealings with them, they are like their Master. So here tonight we want to have dealings with you, we want you to get the Holy Spirit. You have [p. 274] been enlightened maybe, but there is rivalry or some other feature of the flesh cherished in your heart; and this has to be judged before you can receive the Holy Spirit. You will not get the Holy Spirit save as judging your sins and the state of your natural heart before God. They are kept waiting at Samaria, and Peter and John come down. These important men were sent down by the apostles at Jerusalem, and the believers at Samaria have to bow, to recognise divine authority: disregard of this is where the difficulties of many lie. Many are maintaining independency and disregard of recognised divine authority. If you are one of such you do not get the Spirit, you have no joy, and you are not “added”, you are just independent, and you are out of the blessing, and it may be that you will be discovered, like Simon, in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. The word for you therefore is, “repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Chapter 8 alludes to the recognition of divine authority here in this world. You say, ‘Where is it?’ It exists; as soon as you want to bow to it, you will find it, you will not have far to go. The difficulty with many is independency; they would not say they are independent of God or of Christ, but they are independent in regard of what God and Christ recognise down here — that is Jerusalem, which now is the assembly. The Samaritans had to learn to recognise what was of God. God will not be turned aside from what He accredits here, He will stand by it, however weak it is; and if you are resisting or disregarding it, you will not get the Spirit, but will have to wait, and to humble yourself; you will have to judge yourself, lest you be found in the bond of iniquity like Simon Magus. But Peter and John came down, and prayed for them. If there is any one who has not the Spirit and so has no peace and joy in his soul, how we would love to kneel down with you and pray with you! So Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans and they received the Holy Spirit: it is not [p. 275] put off, it is not left vaguely for them to find out. Will you not abandon your rivalry and independency now so that you may get the Spirit? Scripture says, “The Holy Spirit also, which God has given to those that obey him” (Acts 5: 32).
Now the third feature is in Acts 10: 44 - 48, and there we come to “the heart-knowing God”. There was not an atom of rivalry in Cornelius and his company. The story that leads up to these verses is most interesting, but I wish to speak now of the heart-knowing God. In this passage the reception of the Spirit is not a question of externals at all. You have not to do with men at all, nor are you asked to repent or be baptised, these people were not baptised when they got the Spirit. The heart-knowing God has dealings with us from His own point of view, and what a God He is! How gracious He is! I would ask you to enter into transactions with the heart-knowing God direct, He deals with you according to what is in your heart. God is the heart-knowing God, and He gives the Spirit from His own point of view. It is here to persons who are listening to Peter, who “heard the word”. He had not finished his address, in fact he says himself “as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell upon them” (Acts 11: 15). It is as if God were to say to Peter, ‘This is My matter’. The gentiles were to hear the gospel through Peter, but the gift of the Spirit to them was not through his intercession but directly from God. I have been speaking of those whom God uses in this world, the disregard of whom keeps many from Him, but now it is God Himself acting directly. And so, as they were listening to Peter, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. That is the third and final phase, I had before me — that God gives the Holy Spirit according to His own perfect knowledge of the heart of the person to whom He gives it. It is His own right to give it, it is His own gift; we cannot force Him, we cannot make Him act automatically, we must leave it with Him; and, as we leave [p. 276] ourselves in His hands, He gives the Spirit according to the state of our hearts. What do you think the state of the hearts of those men was? They were subject. Can we doubt that Cornelius and his company were wanting in any of those features I have alluded to? I am certain they were not, and God knew it. And so I would urge upon you to get to God; if there be repentance in your heart; if there be self-judgment; if there be belief of the truth; if there be appreciation of His word, belief of the gospel: He knows, you do not have to tell Him, nor indeed anybody else, He knows, He is the heart-knowing God. You must tell somebody else if you are to be saved, for salvation depends on confession as well as the belief of the heart, but the gift of the Spirit as seen here is not on the ground of confession but on the ground of the state of the heart, which God knows — He gives the Spirit on the ground of that, and confession follows. On Cornelius and his company the Spirit fell; there was an energetic action of the Spirit to take hold of them — for the church, for heaven, for eternity! But they were not going to heaven just then. Very few go to heaven just as they are converted. The spirit of the thief went to paradise with Jesus, but God saves people to leave them down here in testimony, before they go to heaven. He has a testimony down here; I have been speaking of something to be added to, and He intends to add us to that for testimony. These dear people are “speaking with tongues” Acts 10: 46, and tongues are not for heaven but for earth, they are to be used in the testimony. So Peter says, “Can any man forbid water?” Acts 10: 47. It is a question of Peter now. Cornelius did not propose to be baptised; the Samaritans were baptised, we are told, and Peter told those converted in Jerusalem to be baptised, and they “were baptised”, but now it is his doing — he commands them to be baptised. This is the authority of God, and this authority is vested in Christ. Hence they were baptised “in the name of the Lord” Acts 10: 48. They had already received the Father’s “kiss” like the prodigal, but they were to be baptised now in the name of the Lord, so that, as having the Holy Spirit, they might move about in this world under the Lord’s protection and as subject to Him, speaking with tongues and bearing testimony for Him.
Well, the three points are briefly: the process essential to the reception of the Spirit (chapter 2); and then the recognition of what is of God on earth and the abandonment of rivalry (chapter 8); and finally that the gift of the Spirit is really God’s own action, and because of His knowledge of the heart, therefore it is a gift between God and yourself; but as having the Spirit you are, as baptised, to bear testimony, as in subjection to and under the protection of the Lord.
May God bless these thoughts!