By
Stanford Murrell
¨
Definition
Pneumatology
(pneuma, spirit) is the study of the
Person and work of God the Holy Spirit.
Since the beginning of the New Testament Church many Christians are
uninformed about the Spirit reflected by the church at Ephesus. When the Apostle Paul asked about this area
of their understanding, he was shocked when the response came: “We have on so much as heard whether there
be any Holy Ghost” (Acts 19:2).
The
Holy Spirit and Salvation
Of primary concern is the work of the Holy Spirit in
the area of salvation as He convicts of sin and calls souls to the
Saviour. Because God is gracious any person may be
exposed to the external call of the
gospel, “Ho every one that thirsteth.” (Isa.
55:1) “Come unto me all ye that labor.” (Matt.
11:28) "The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’” (Rev. 22:17) The external call to salvation is universal in that it is
addressed to all people indiscriminately.
Christ commands that the gospel be preached to every creature with
compassion and clarity. "As ministers of the gospel are
messengers between God and man, the first duty devolving upon them is to make a
free offer of the grace of God, and the second is to strive with all might that
it may not be offered in vain." (John Calvin) The gospel proclaims the terms of grace on
which God is willing to save sinner. Though the gospel is freely, fully, and
universally proclaimed, it is certain that not all people will come to faith. Nevertheless, a universal call is not
inconsistent with a personal election, or non-election, because it is the means
to the end in one case, and a ground of condemnation in the other. “The
same sun which melts the butter hardens the clay.”
Why Preach the Gospel?
The
personal call to salvation through the external preaching of the gospel is
addressed to individuals throughout the Scriptures because the way of Divine
deliverance is not made known in any other way. Salvation cannot be fully discerned by the works of nature, by
acts of providence, by intuition, or by deductive reasoning. The way of salvation can only be known by a
Divine illumination from the Holy Spirit of the Scriptures being applied to the
heart. That is the normal ministry of
the Spirit. There are special cases to
this work of the Spirit and that is in relation to those little ones who
die. There is hope to believe that
those who die in infancy will be in heaven through the graciousness of a
merciful God. “Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ
through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how He pleaseth; so also
are all other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the
ministry of the Word.” (The
Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, Chapter 10, Section 3; study John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8).
In contrast to the external call by which many are
called to saving faith but few are chosen to receive it (Matt. 20:16), there is
an effectual call to salvation. This effectual call by the Holy Spirit which
comes through the Word. Again, this is
the normal means by which men are brought into a saving relation to God.
Romans
8:30. “Whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them
He also justified.”
1
Corinthians 1:9. “By whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son.”
1
Peter 2:9. “Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
1
Peter 5:10. “Who hath called us into His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.”
In 1855, Charles Spurgeon told about an unusual
experience he had. "Sometime ago, when I went into the county court to see what they
were doing, I heard a man's name called out, and immediately the man said,
'Make way! Make way! They call me!' And
up he came. Now, I call the chief of sinners tonight, and let
him say, 'Make way! Make way doubts! Make way fears! Make way sins! Christ
calls me! And if Christ calls me, that
is enough!" “Those whom God hath
predestinated unto life; He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually
to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which
they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ, enlightening their
minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away
their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh: renewing their
wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and
effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely,
being made willing by His grace.” (The Baptist Confession of
Faith, 1689, Chapter 10, Section
1; study Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Eph. 1:10,11; 2 Thess. 2:13,14; Eph. 2:1-6;
Acts 26:18; Eph. 1:17,18; 36:26; Deut. 30:6; Ezek. 36:27; Eph. 1:19; Psa.
110:3; Song of Sol. 1:4).
An effectual call convicts,
convinces, persuades, and enables the soul to close with Christ. The effectual call moves to secure the
submission of the soul to God. The
effectual call of God is particular,
personal, efficacious, irresistible and is extended on the basis of grace. “This effectual call is of God’s free and
special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any
power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in
sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he
is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and
conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from
the dead.” (The Baptist Confession of
Faith, 1689, Chapter 10, Section 2; study 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 2:8; 1 Cor.
2:14; Eph. 2:5; John 5:25; Eph. 1:19, 20).
What about those not
Effectually Called?
“Others not
elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have
some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the
Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be
saved: must less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved, be
they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature
and the law of that religion they do profess” (The Baptist Confession of
Faith of 1689, Chapter 10,
Section 4; study Matt. 22:14; 13:20,21; Heb. 6:4,5; John 6:44,45,65; 1 John
2:24,25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22; 17:3).
Though it seems a harsh thought that some are not to be found among the elect, no person ever need despair who longs to know something of God's grace and glory. "He that mind's God's glory more than his own good, shall quickly find that God will even obscure His own glory to do him good" (Thomas Brooks) The heart that wants to be saved shall be saved for, "when a God of grace is upon a throne of grace, and a poor sinner stands by and begs for grace, and that in the name of a gracious Christ, in and by the help of the Spirit of grace, can it be otherwise but such a sinner must obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need?" (John Bunyan)
The most common Greek
word for grace (charis) literally
means, "favor." Grace is the kindly disposition toward man
in the mind of God. Grace means that
God is for us though we are against Him apart from regeneration. Grace is the operation of a holy and divine
influence on the rebellious heart changing the heart and life forever.
As grace may be
defined so it may be distinguished.
¨ Common Grace. Common grace is the grace that
God shows to all of His creation. The
Lord makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike (Matt. 5:45). A greater or lesser measurer of common grace
is granted to all who hear the gospel indiscriminately.
¨ Prevenient Grace. Prevenient grace is the
operation of the Spirit on the mind that precedes
and excites its efforts to return to God.
Prevenient grace anticipates a
full disclosure of the gospel to the soul. On the road to Damascus, Saul of
Tarus met the resurrected Christ. Three
days later, blinded by his experience, Ananias, "a devout man according to the law,"came and stood by him
and said to him, "why tarriest thou?
Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the
Lord." (Acts 22:12,16) Saul arose.
He was baptized. His sins were
washed away. He called upon the name of
the Lord.
¨ Sufficient Grace. Sufficient grace is that grace
which is sufficient to lead to repentance and faith. Some people need much grace to be brought to saving faith for
they are gospel hardened by years of sin.
And yet, no sinner is too great for the grace of God to convert. There were two thieves crucified with Christ
at Calvary and both railed against Him.
Later, one repented and cried out, "Jesus,
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42,43) There was sufficient
grace.
¨ Efficacious Grace. Efficacious grace is that grace which is effectual in
producing regeneration and conversion.
It involves the idea of active power.
Charles Spurgeon tells of how he learned about efficacious grace. "Well
can I remember the manner in which I learned the doctrines of grace in a single
instance...I can recall the very day and hour when first I received these
truths in my own soul--when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart
as with a hot iron...One week night when I was sitting in the house of God, I
was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe
it. The thought struck me, "how
did you come to be a Christian?'--I sought the Lord.--But how did you come to
seek the Lord?--The truth flashed across my mind in a moment--I should not have
sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me
seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then
I asked myself, 'how came I to pray?'---I was induced to pray by reading the
Scriptures. I did read them; but what
led me to do so? - Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it
all, and that He was the Author of my faith; and as the whole doctrine of grace
opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I
desire to make it my constant confession, 'I ascribe my change wholly to
God.'"
¨ Habitual Grace. Habitual grace is that grace
which is manifested by the indwelling ministry of the Spirit in the heart. When Joseph Parker, the great preacher of London
was debating one day in a certain community with the enemies of the Church, a
man shouted to him, "What did Christ
do for Stephen when he was stoned!"
Dr. Parker immediately answered, "He
gave him grace to pray for those who stoned him." And it is true. Like the Saviour, Stephen cried out with his
dying breath, "Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge." (Acts 7:60)
¨ Cheap Grace. "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring
repentance, baptism with church discipline, communion without confession,
absolution without personal confession.
Cheap grace is grace without discipline, grace without the Cross, grace
without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
¨ Costly Grace. "Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and
again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man can
knock. Such grace is costly because it
calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus
Christ." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Grace brought Christ down from heaven.
Grace stripped Him of His glory.
Grace made the Lord poor and despicable.
Grace made Him bear the burden of sin, sorrow, and shame.
Grace was in all Christ's tears.
Grace came bubbling out of His side with blood.
Grace poured forth from His sweet lips.
Grace came out where the whip smote the Saviour,
Where the thorns pricked His brow,
And where the nails and spear pierced His holy side.
Oh! The unsearchable riches of Divine grace.
~*~
Author Unknown
CHARACTERISTICS of THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Personality of The Spirit
The Spirit of God is a Person as much as the Father and the Son are
Persons. The Divine personality of the
Holy Spirit is manifested.
·
The Holy Spirit of God Has A Mind
Romans 8:27 “And
He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God”
·
The Holy Spirit of God Has A Will
1 Cor. 12:11 “But
all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as He will”
·
The Holy Spirit of God Prohibits
Acts 16:6,7 “Now
when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were
forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to
Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”
·
The Holy Spirit of God Guides
Acts 16:10 “And
after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia,
assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto
them.”
The Holy Spirit of God Speaks
Acts 8:29 “Then
the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” (see also Acts 10:19; 13:2; Rev.
2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13, 22).
·
The Holy Spirit of God Has Emotions
Romans 15:30 “Now I
beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of
the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”
·
The Holy Spirit of God Can Be Grieved
Eph. 4:30 “And grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Various Ministries of the Holy Spirit
The ministries of the
Holy Spirit are distinct.
·
The Holy Spirit Restrains
Evil Through Sanctification
2 Thessalonians 2:13
"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
·
The Holy Spirit Instructs In
Righteousness
John 14:26 "But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you."
·
The Holy Spirit Awakens the
Sin Saturated Soul to the Need of Salvation
as He did with the Philippian Jailer
Acts 16:29-31 "Then
he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before
Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be
saved? And they said, Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
·
The Holy Spirit Convicts of Sin
Acts 2:37 "Now
when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and
to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
·
The Holy Spirit Convinces
the Sinner
of the need for a Savior as Festus was
Convinced when Paul Preached though He never came to Full Faith in
Christ.
Acts 26:28 "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, almost
thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
·
The Holy Spirit Persuades
the Heart to come to Christ
Titus 3:5,6 "Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour."
·