THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST
[p. 51] THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST
It was on the redemption of Israel out of Egypt that was formed for the first time a habitation for God on the earth. On no other ground but that of redemption could this have been. It has been said that God did not dwell with Adam, nor with Abraham, for He could not dwell with man save on the ground of redemption.
The holiest of all was the place of His abode, first in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple. The retirement of the glory from the earth was consequent on the persistent rebellion, and open apostasy of Israel; yet our blessed Lord called the temple, “My Father’s house”, John 2. And even after the descent of the Holy Spirit the apostles repaired to it, as the place bearing the name of God, as we find in the beginning of the Acts.
The more we study the history of the “house”, the more do we see how much it was in the mind of God to have a dwelling place upon the earth, and what an object of interest it was to Him. On the return of the captivity, the first work of Ezra was the resuscitation of the temple, and when they discontinued that work on account of the opposition to it, they lost all their blessing, “because of mine house that is waste”. The house was an institution; for even after the glory had departed, it was still owned of God, and had a claim upon His people.
We must bear in mind God’s intention in having a habitation for Himself on the earth; and that, once it was set up, although the greatest distinction which had attached to it was lost when the glory retired, yet it still retained the title of His house - “the place where thine honour dwelleth”, until it was superseded by something greater.
I need not say that the house which He dwelt in among Israel is now superseded by the assembly, which is the habitation of God through the Spirit; and which has remained His house, in spite of all the failure and [p. 52] rebellion of His professed people. The Spirit of God is still here. The habitation has been of old, ever since redemption was actually effected for God’s people out of judgment. At first it was distinguished by the visible presence of the glory of God - a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. Afterwards the glory found its abode in the holiest of all; but even after the glory was withdrawn on account of the people’s apostasy, God still claimed the house as His, and our Lord, as we have seen, called it “my Father’s house”.
Now the habitation still continues, but in a new and greater way, for it is by the presence of the Holy Spirit upon earth that God has a habitation here, and this has gone on through all the ages of darkness and ignorance, even while hardly any of the saints understood or sought for the presence of Christ. It is evident that the Holy Spirit has not retired from the earth, for where any divine work is, there the Spirit of God must be. This every one would admit. But there is more than this; what we have to accept is, that the Spirit of God has come down to earth consequent on the ascension of Christ. The Comforter - the Holy Spirit - was sent down from heaven for a two-fold service. One, as we read in John 14: 26, to be an abiding comfort and reminder of Christ to the believer, and the other, as we read in John 15: 26, to testify of Christ during His absence.
There is a different order in each of these as to His mission. In the one for the saint, He is sent by the Father. In the one for testimony, He is sent by Christ.
Now the simple fact for faith is, that the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven. When He first came down (Acts 2), He filled the place where they were, and also in a particular manner rested on each of them. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was a continual fact, and one not to be discontinued nor withdrawn as long as the assembly was God’s habitation. When it is spued out of Christ’s mouth, it is no longer the dwelling-place of God; but until then, however feeble, or ignorant, or degraded,
[p. 53] as was the case with the assembly of Laodicea, the Holy Spirit is still there, constituting it God’s habitation. The presence of the Holy Spirit on earth then is continual, and does not depend on the extent by which He is received by the saints.
The Holy Spirit had been sent from heaven even though the Ephesian saints had neither received Him nor heard of Him. (Acts 19). So that we must admit that, while every converted soul is quickened by the Holy Spirit, still His presence is here - dwelling on the earth, even when not dwelling in the souls of all the saints. It was so at Ephesus. The presence of the Holy Spirit was on earth but He was not dwelling in any of them, though they were all quickened by Him. I am not contending for the length of interval which may or may not elapse between quickening and sealing, or the indwelling of the Spirit, but I contend that it is clear from Scripture that each is a distinct operation of the Spirit of God, and therefore not one and the same, but two operations. Were it otherwise, the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth would be only according to the measure in which He had been received by the saints: and hence He would not have been sent down at Ephesus, because there the converts had neither heard of Him nor received Him. I fully admit that it is the right and privilege of every saint to be indwelt by the Spirit of God; but what I state is the distinction between the new bottle and the new wine. One is the building of the Spirit of God, and the other is His indwelling; or, as has been said, the Holy Spirit first builds a house, and then dwells in it.
There are these two things plainly set forth in Scripture. One, that the saint’s body individually is the temple of the Holy Spirit; and the other, that the assembly is the temple of God; and this even though there be much corruption there, as there was at Corinth.
The presence of the Holy Spirit has continued in the assembly universal, and His presence cannot be measured or determined by the measure in which the saints have [p. 54] partaken of Him. Moreover we see in 1 Corinthians 14 and Hebrews 6 that He may act on persons who have not been quickened. At any rate we see that His presence is continual. Saints ought and are entitled to enjoy His presence, and each to have the “new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved”.
Now the presence of Christ is different. It is conditional; and therefore, instead of being continual, it is with regard to the assembly occasional. The Lord’s words are, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. There is evidently a condition here. It is only to the two or three gathered together unto His name that He promises His presence; and therefore His presence is not continual, as is the presence of the Holy Spirit, but occasional. I do not say it may not be continually repeated, but though it can be known only through the Holy Spirit, it is not the same as the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the assembly.
Now when corruption came to be tolerated in the assembly when it became like a “great house” (see 2 Timothy 2), and in it “vessels ... to dishonour” (it has grown into this condition, because leaven was tolerated until the whole was leavened), there was no recovery for the whole, the glory we might say had departed. At first, on the occurrence and incursion of evil, the Holy Spirit’s presence was insisted on, as Peter says to Ananias (Acts 5), “Why has Satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie to the Holy Spirit?” Paul instructs the Corinthians how they are to get rid of the evil-doer among them, (1 Corinthians 5) “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ”. In the first case, the Holy Spirit’s presence is the ground for unsparing condemnation; in the second, the power of Christ’s presence is the only means given for putting away an evil person. The difference between the Holy Spirit’s presence and the presence of Christ cannot be [p. 55] denied; the former is not conditional, the latter is. But it is evident that no one could know or enjoy the presence of Christ who did not know and enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit; though again, the Holy Spirit can dwell in a soul, and yet that soul be debarred for the time from the enjoyment of the presence of Christ. It is written, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption”. This shews that the soul does not lose its great Guest, but that He can be grieved.
But Christ does not promise His presence to us individually unless we keep His commandments (see John 14: 21,23); that is, unless I am walking according to His mind, He will not manifest Himself to me. I do not lose the seal of the Holy Spirit because I grieve Him (though I lose His communication to me of Christ); but I forfeit the presence of Christ when I decline in any degree from His word. Otherwise He would sanction by His presence my own ways. And He is not in our midst collectively unless we are gathered together unto His name. It is not that two or three do it in a company, but that the assembly is gathered on this avowed ground. Many in it might fail to be there according to their avowed principle, but He would be in the midst for those who in faith counted on Him, and waited for the fulfilment of His word.
There is a difference in manner in the presence of Christ to the assembly, and the presence of Christ to the individual. In the former it is in the midst of them, as in John 20: 19 and Luke 24; but to the individual, it is as to Paul, when he could say, “The Lord stood with me”, 2 Timothy 4: 17. It is the known sense of His presence beside one.
In conclusion, the presence of the Holy Spirit is general in the assembly universal; the presence of Christ conditional, but could not be known apart from or independently of the presence of the Holy Spirit, who enables our hearts gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to recognize and greet Him in our midst, as [p. 56] well as individually to see Him when He manifests Himself; “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him”; this is the greatest favour God could vouchsafe. “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord” - a foretaste of that day when we shall see Him and be like Him.