Buena Park Conference: 1978, The Work of the Spirit of God (1:21)
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
There are two scriptures I'd like to read 1St and the first one is in Second Peter chapter one, Second Peter chapter 1 and verse 21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And then again in John chapter 16. John, Chapter 16. And the 13th verse. Albeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. But it was on my heart tonight to speak about the activity of the Holy Spirit of God. And I've read these two scriptures because they bring before us 2 very important points. I believe the first one is that all scripture has been given by inspiration of the Spirit of God. Wasn't man just writing as they thought best? But it says holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And so if we hear anything and it isn't according. To God's word, then we can be sure that it's not the truth of God because there could not be anything that could be spoken of as the truth of God, which would be contrary to God's precious word. And then the second thing that we noticed in the 16th chapter of John, and I believe it's a very important truth that is brought before us here. That the work of the Spirit of God is to glorify Christ, it says. In this 14th verse He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. 1 is often made this comment, that we can make a very simple test of any doctrine that is presented to us by asking one question. Does it exalt man, or does it exalt Christ? If it's the truth of God, it will exalt Christ. Now there may be times when we find it very difficult to find the scripture. To answer some of the arguments that people bring up, but we can be absolutely sure of this. If what they are saying glorifies man instead of the Lord Jesus Christ, then it isn't the work of the Holy Spirit of God because his work is to glorify Christ. Now take one of the things that we often hear. We hear people say that a person can be saved and lost again. Well, what is at the back of this teaching, isn't it, That there should be some glory brought to man, that he's been able to do something for his salvation or to keep his salvation? And so there's some glory for man in that teaching. But when we turn to the teachings of God's Word, we see that the whole work of salvation. The whole work of bringing home. The redeemed is all the work of God, and so the glory is not to man, but the glory is to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Savior. He's the captain of our salvation. He's the Good Shepherd that holds onto the sheep and carries it home rejoicing. Now there may be a difficulty sometimes in answering some of the verses that people bring up, but when we realize that what they are saying is giving glory to man instead of glory to Christ. We can be sure that it's not the teaching of the Holy Spirit of God, because this tells us very plainly here that the Spirit of truth guides us into all truth, and He glorifies Christ. Well, there are many other things there. Meet people who say that unless you're baptized with water that you can't be in heaven. Well, doesn't that give some glory to man too? Because there has to be some man then that puts his hand on you and puts you under the water. And He is the one that part of His work was necessary to make your soul fit for heaven. Can't you see how that this is adding something to the finished work of Christ? And so perhaps some of the scriptures they bring forward might be a little difficult to answer, but I say we can make that simple test. Does what they're saying exalt Christ? Because the work of the Spirit is to glorify Christ. The truth of God is that the whole work was finished at Calvary's cross. The work of bringing us home is the work that the captain. Our salvation is doing. He's our great high priest to keep us. He's our advocate when we have failed. And he is going to bring each one of his own safely home and all the glory is going to be to him when we get there and the shores of eternal glory. There's no one that's going to boast and say I did this in order to get here. No, everyone is going to say it's all of himself. I was drawn by the work of the Holy Spirit.
I was brought to know the finished work of Christ. He kept me, He restored me, He brought me home. Oh, how blessed of them to see these two very simple things that I want to start out with. And that is that the Word of God and the Spirit of God are always in perfect harmony. And when you hear anyone say that He's LED of the Spirit to do something and it's not according to the word of God. It can be absolutely sure that the spirit. Of God is not leading Him contrary to the Word, because this word that we have before us was inspired by the Spirit of God. And how could God by His Spirit lead us to do something that His Word by the Spirit tells us not to do? So I think we can see very plainly these two very important things in connection with the work of the Spirit of God, Very precious, and yet very important. Now we know the Bible reveals to us God. In Trinity and it has been said that every work of the Godhead is in Trinity. So when we read of creation, we read that God created all things by Jesus Christ. And then there's a verse in the 26th chapter of Job that says by his Spirit he garnished the heavens. So when we think of the creation, we think of the counsel of God in connection with it. We think of the Lord Jesus as the One. By whom all things were created, as it says in John's Gospel chapter 1. By him all things were made, and without Him was not anything made that was made. So other scriptures too speak of the Lord Jesus as the one by whom God created all things. And again I say it was by the Spirit of God too, because it tells us in that portion in Job that it was by his Spirit that He garnished the heavens. So the work of the Godhead is in Trinity. So with the saving of the soul, the Lord Jesus said, no man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Then the Lord Jesus did the work for our salvation on the cross. He bore the judgment. He glorified God his Father about the question of sin, and now he's a risen Savior. We're drawn by the Father, we learn the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then it's the Spirit of God that gives new life to us as dead souls. Or we'll turn the scriptures that show this work of the Spirit within us. I'll only mention this at the beginning because it's very important that we should see this order through the Scripture even in the resurrection of Christ. It says God raised him from the dead. The Lord Jesus said I have power to. My life down, and I have power to take it again. And so he it was God who raised him. But the Lord Jesus himself had power and raised himself. And then we turned to Peter's epistle. It says he was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. So the Spirit of God was engaged in connection with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Well, these are only a few instances that one could speak of, but over and over again we find this blessed truth in. God's Word, and I wish to say at the beginning that it's so important for us that we cling closely to the importance of the deity that is the Godhead glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And also the Lord Jesus is spoken of as being with God, and the Word was God. Then we find also the Spirit. That we find the whole 3 brought before us in Hebrews where it says that Christ. By the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God. And I might just mention here in passing that that is the reason baptism is in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, because baptism brings one into what we might speak of as the Christian position. Now I only speak of it as an outward thing. Doesn't save a person's soul, but it brings him. Into the sphere where God has been fully revealed. In Christianity, God is fully revealed in the Old Testament. He dwelled in the thick darkness. The word used in connection with creation in Genesis chapter 1 is a plural word so that when it says in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, it's a plural word and it means the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
When man was to be made, it says, let us. Make man in our image. So that although we don't find the Godhead revealed in the same way in the Old Testament, we find that truth hidden all through the Old Testament. But now in Christianity, God has come out and made himself known. He no longer dwells in the thick darkness. He has revealed himself. He has made himself known in the person of his Son. And that Blessed One came down. And as it says in John One, no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son which is. From the bosom of the Father he hath declared him that precious Savior came down and revealed the Father. And how is it made good to our souls? Well, Romans 5 says, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. Well, isn't it very blessed to see these things in God's word? And in these days, when we hear a great deal made of the Spirit of God, I do believe, brethren, that it's important that we should see. About the Word of God brings before us in connection with the activity of the Spirit. So let us turn first of all into Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 1 and verse one. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. In the first verse, as I mentioned, the word that is used in the Hebrew is the plural word for God and brings before us the three persons of the Godhead in connection with creation. But now when we come to the second verse, there was a condition of things that is brought about. God hasn't told us how that though earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep tells us in Isaiah chapter 45. God didn't create the earth in that condition. That he hasn't been pleased to tell us just how between the first and second verse, it got into this condition where it was without form and void. And now isn't it lovely to say the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters? Here we see the work of the Spirit of God in connection with that which is about to follow. How God in six days made the earth a suitable dwelling place for man for God's work by the Spirit. Is going to reveal God, but it's also to bring blessing to man. And I think it's most beautiful here to see this. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Here was this vast expense. There was no earth appearing. It didn't appear until the 3rd day. But here's the activity of the Spirit of God over that desolate scene. It's all covered with water. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Oh, I think to my own soul, it's very beautiful. See this activity of the Spirit of God as the time had now come when God was to bring this earth into such a condition that He could place man to be the head of His creation, and His purpose was to bless man. His purpose was that man might enter into and enjoy all those good things that his hand provided. But what did man do? Well, he listened to the tempter instead of to God. He took of the fruit that was forbidden, and sin came in, and the place was spoiled. As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin saw death passed upon all men. For that all have sinned. Sin is now spoiled. This earth that God had previously pronounced very good, and man was there to enjoy that wonderful creation, but He spoiled it. And I don't need to tell you that it's spoiled. There's not a person here that doesn't know that it's spoiled. We see the evidence of it everywhere. Here you come to the meeting tonight. And someone has showed his fallen nature, I suppose, in taking off some of the equipment. Well, we see how man is so often displaying his own heart. His wickedness is evil, so is the heart of man. But all isn't it wonderful when we come over to the 6th chapter of Genesis and the third verse and the Lord said.
My spirit shall not always strive with man. Or that he also is flesh, yet his days shall be an 120 years. Here the earth had gone on for some time in this condition. It was now filled with violence and corruption. God said man's history was downward. Man likes to think his course is upward. He'd rather be an exalted ape than a fallen Adam, because if he's an exalted ape, he thinks he's climbed up. But if he's a phone Adam, why? He was created, as God says he was in the image and likeness of God, and now his condition is. The result of the fall. You say, well, I never thought of that. Well, that's exactly why people like evolution, because it gives them a little pat on the back that they think they've climbed up and they've mastered a lot of things in this world, and so they give themselves credit. But we wouldn't need medicine. We wouldn't need a lot of the things that man has discovered if man hadn't sinned and spoiled this world. Now he goes to work to try and help out the conditions, but he brought them in by his own sin. But here we see God's Spirit striving with man. And if there's one unsaved here tonight, God's Spirit is striving with you too. And he's very patient. He said his days shall be an 120 years. This was the warning that the flood was going to come on the world of the ungodly. And maybe God has been very patient with you. Maybe he's been striving with you. Maybe you felt a pull at your heartstrings and God has convicted you of. The fact that you're going on in sin and you've been rejecting Christ and He's thriving with you, but He won't always strive if you go on and reject all his overtures of mercy, all those loving entreaties. What an awful thing if you should someday find yourself in a place where the Spirit of God will no longer strive, where you'll be in outer darkness, where there'll be no one constraining you to come in and receive the blessings of salvation. Because you didn't yield to those strivings of the Spirit of God. But I think it's so lovely. We find the Spirit in creation. We find when it's in a ruined state, He broods upon the face of the waters. Then it's all made beautiful and man spoils it. And God says, my spirit shall not always strive with man. To me it's so precious. And I say again, if God is speaking to you tonight. And if you feel something of that compelling. Of the Spirit of God that wants to bring you to Christ and all the peace and the joy of salvation. Don't say no to the strivings of His Spirit. He wants to bless you. Authors want unsaved here tonight. May God by His Spirit cause you to yield and to receive the One of whom the Spirit loves to speak, the One whom He delights to glorify the precious Savior who did that work on Calvary's cross. Whenever we. Find Also let's turn to Chronicles Two Chronicles chapter 20. And the 14th verse. Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah the son of Lebjael the son of Mataniah, Levite of the sons of Asaph. Came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And he said, Hear ye all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou, King Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Well, I won't read on because I want to turn to quite a few scriptures tonight, but I just call attention to this verse to show that the Spirit of God came upon different ones through the Old Testament and at work of the Spirit. God was constantly and over and over again repeated. We see this was a critical time in Israel's history. The enemy came up against them. They were unable to handle the enemy. Now the Spirit of the Lord comes upon this man and he tells them that they didn't need to fight in this battle of the Lord was going to come in and deliver them. The battle was not yours, he said. The battle was the Lord's. I mentioned this particularly to show what. The work of the Spirit in the Old Testament was not indwelling believers as today, but the work of the Spirit of God was to come upon different ones, just as He used different ones to write the Old Testament scriptures, as we noticed.
That holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, so He came upon them. But in the Old Testament, as it tells us in John Chapter 7, the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified. I call attention to this because in the Old Testament, while the Spirit of God was active, He hadn't yet come down to this earth as He is now. To gather out a bride for Christ. Now we might also mention too that the work of the Spirit was giving life to dead souls even in Old Testament times. Let's turn to John chapter 3. John, Chapter 3. And verse 5. The Lord Jesus is speaking now to Nicodemus. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. And passing on to the 12TH verse. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? Would you also turn back with me to Ezekiel 37? I believe it is. And there we'll see what the Lord was speaking about, because the Lord told Nicodemus that He ought to have known these things. Ezekiel chapter 37 and verse 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Will I cleanse you a new heart? Also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will take away the Stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. So here we find that Nicodemus ought to have known even before the coming of the Holy Spirit, who came on the day of Pentecost, that the work in the soul was by those two things, by water, which is a figure of the Word of God and the Spirit of God. And that's the way God gives life to a dead soul. That is, you come to the gospel meeting and you hear the Word of God, and the Spirit of God applies the Word of God. To the soul and the Spirit of God then gives life to a dead soul for you know, in God's account, every person who has not received Christ as Savior is dead and trespasses and sins. That's the way God looks upon the natural heart of man dead toward God, spiritually dead and he needs new life. And so all through the Old Testament times was a work of God going on. And God was using His word, and by the Spirit of God giving life to dead souls. And so Nicodemus ought to have realized this, because it was always necessary that anyone who would be fit for the Kingdom of God was made, and must be a work of the Spirit of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. Man in his natural state, without new birth, could have no part in the blessing that God. Has to bestow. He must be born again. You know, if a person who hadn't been born again got into heaven, he couldn't feel happy there. He'd be just like a fish. A fish would not be happy here on the floor because it has a life that's suited to water. And if a person that hasn't Christ in his heart was to get into heaven, he wouldn't be happy there at all. He doesn't have a life suited to the place. Well, I'm sure that there are many, many people. In this very area, in this county, and if you brought them in here for an hour, they'd be most uncomfortable and they couldn't get out quickly enough. How would they ever be happy in heaven for all eternity? They just wouldn't enjoy that element at all. He must be born again. It was necessary in the Old Testament. And God, by his word, which he spoke through the prophets applied by the Spirit, gave new birth to dead souls, and that's still the same way. By which new life is given to a dead soul and every one of us who can say that we know the Lord is our Savior. It has been a work of God in our souls by the Spirit and God has used the word. The word of God has shown us how sinful we are in God's sight. The word of God has shown us what Christ has done to accomplish that work of redemption and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. And if there's.
Anyone here tonight who doesn't have peace with God, let me say that if you're going to have peace with God, you must take God at his word. You must take God at his word and the Spirit of God applies that word. And many of us can say I know I'm saved because I believe John 316. Another one might say, well, I know I'm saved and the verse God used was. Romans 10 and 9 Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe. Thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. And there are ever so many verses which God has used that has brought life to dead souls. So we can see that it was the work of the Spirit always to apply the word for the new birth of a soul. But now there was something that the Lord Jesus spoke of that would take place. Let's turn to that verse I mentioned in the 7th chapter of John. John Chapter 7 and verse 37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. Now please turn over to Acts. Chapter 1. The fourth verse, and being assembled together with them. This is the Lord speaking here what he commanded them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he he have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. The eighth verse. But ye shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The Lord was Speaking of something in the 7th of John that hadn't yet taken place in the 1St chapter of Acts just before He ascended. At the end of those 40 days that He was with His disciples after His resurrection, He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit hadn't yet come. He hadn't yet gone, taken His place as a glorified man at the right hand of God, and He told them to wait. For the coming of the Holy Spirit, and at that time, as He said, He shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Now we can very plainly see that there is a change. Now, it's not going to be as it was in the Old Testament when the Holy Spirit came upon individuals or used those who might be used by the Spirit to write the Old Testament Scriptures. But now the Spirit of God was going to come down to earth. He was going to come. The Lord spoke a great deal of this in John chapter 1415 and 16, telling them about how the Spirit of God would come. He said He would send another comforter who would abide with them forever. So there was something very special that happened on the day of Pentecost. It was the coming of the Holy Spirit of God here to earth as a divine person. Something that had not been so before, but something that took. Place and his only characteristic of what we could call the church period. Because the Spirit of God has come down here to gather out of this world a bride for Christ, and he is here now. And when that work is completed, then it tells us he who now hindereth will hinder until he be taken out of the way. The Spirit of God remains with the church. And when the church leaves, the Spirit of God will go back and heal, abide. Church forever. So there was something special, I say, that happened on the day of Pentecost. Let's read of it in the second chapter of Acts. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with 1 accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where there were sitting, And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The seventh verse. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying, one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how here we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born Parthians, and maids, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, and Pontus, and Asia, and so on? They heard, as it says in their own tongue, the wonderful works of God. But we'll speak of that in a few moments. But here we find what took place in the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of God came down and you noticed two things. He sat upon each of them, and He filled all the house where they were sitting. Now, I believe it's important for us to see this distinction that we have brought before us. I haven't time to turn to all the scriptures, but for your own help perhaps you can turn to them later. But in First Corinthians chapter 3 we have the Spirit of God dwelling in the house. There it says, Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. And it says perhaps we should turn to it because it mightn't just quote the verses exactly as they are. First Corinthians chapter 3. Now the one I quoted was verse 9. For we are laborers together with God. Ye are God's husbandry. Ye are God's building. Then the 16th verse Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. The temple of God is holy. Which temple ER? And another verse in Ephesians chapter 2. Asians chapter 2. The last verse, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto unholy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. I think we can see from these two passages that he's talking about the Spirit of God dwelling in the house. That is in a collective way, so that believers are builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in the house, and believers collectively are God's building. So on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit filled all. Where they were sitting, he also sat upon each of them. Now in First Corinthians chapter 6, it says your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods. So the Spirit of God dwells in the House of Christendom. The Spirit of God dwells in the bodies of believers. That was very precious for us to see what actually took place there. Everyone who has received. The Lord Jesus as his Savior has been indwelled by the Spirit of God. Your body, if you're a true believer, is the temple of the Holy Ghost. He dwells in you. But then also we notice that He dwells in the house. And that's why when we meet together, we recognize the presence of the Spirit of God. Collectively, we not only have the Spirit of God indwelling us, but where, when we meet together, we. Recognize that the Spirit of God is here upon earth as a divine person. We give him place, and so when we come together in an assembly meeting to remember the Lord, or in prayer, or perhaps for the study of God's Word, why we wait for the leading of the Spirit. He may use whomsoever he would remember Many years ago a brother who had been accustomed to a system where the whole service was conducted by. Man. He was invited to come to a little meeting where it was not conducted by one man, where the Spirit of God was in control, where his presence was recognized. And so he came in and sat on the back row on a Lord's Day morning when they were gathered to remember the Lord Jesus and His death. There were only a few there that morning. And to his surprise, there they were gathered around and the table was in the center and. And the cop was there and he said to himself, he told me, he said, well, I thought that the minister must be late that morning. So when 11:00 came and he didn't appear, why I wondered what they would do. And he said then somebody gave out a ham. And he said, well, I, I suppose they're filling in because the preacher hasn't come. And he said.
They all seemed to sing the hymn together and then after a little pause then. Germany else gave out of him. He thought the preacher was pretty late that morning, but however, they sung to him and then somebody got up and prayed, and nobody called on anybody. Oh, he said. It dawned on me that I was in a meeting that was being conducted by the leading of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God dwells in the house. We are to recognize His presence. Well, that dear brother, if I were to mention his name, at least some of his relatives are well known to us. He was so happy that it wasn't long until he wanted to be identified with that company that recognized the presence of the Spirit of God. Wasn't a man conducting it? In the Old Testament we know that there were priests ordained by men to fulfill. In place. But now something has happened. The day of Pentecost has come. The Spirit of God has come to fill the house as well as to indwell the bodies of believers. Well, I believe it's very important for us to see this. And now just a little word in connection with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because this is an expression that I think is much misunderstood in Christendom today. We find here that when the Lord was talking to them. And he told them that they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. He And then when the day of Pentecost came, the Spirit of God came down and this took place. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit. And now let's turn over to 1St Corinthians chapter 12 and perhaps we'll have a little explanation about this and what it is. First Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 12. For as the body is 1 and hath many members, and all the members of that one Body being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by 1 Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Now whenever the baptism of the Holy Spirit is spoken of and is spoken of in the second of in the 1St of. And again, in the 11TH of Acts, and in that passage that I read, you'll notice that in each case there was always, in a collective sense, no individual was ever told to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's true that those disciples were told to wait because the Holy Ghost was not yet given that. What were they waiting for? They were waiting for the time when the Holy Ghost had been given. But once the Holy Spirit has been given, you never find. Paul as he went about telling somebody to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is no such thought anywhere in the Scripture, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is always looked at in a collective sense in the Scripture, and it is that by which all believers are united to one another and Christ the Head in glory. So that on the day of Pentecost there were about 120 in that upper room. They were individual believers as they had been given new life by the Spirit of God. The Word of God and the Spirit of God had given them new life, but now they were going to be indwelled by the Spirit and united to Christ and to every other believer on earth. As someone has illustrated it very aptly, just as if you had 120 beads. And then you took and put a string through them, and you say, well, now we have one necklace. Well, perhaps we could use that as a very simple illustration of what the baptism of the Holy Spirit really was. It was that which formed on earth the Spirit of the the body of Christ, that which is the true church. And so every true believer is indwelled by the Spirit of God, and by that he is. United to every other believer on earth and to Christ the Head in glory. And no one, I repeat, since the day of Pentecost, has been told to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Well, now let's speak a little of what it is. The ceiling of the Spirit. Let's turn to. I'll speak about tongues shortly, but I would like to go on and speak about the sealing of the Spirit first. Second Corinthians, chapter one. Second Corinthians, chapter 1. Verse 20. For all the promises of God in him are, yeah, and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. I want you to notice here how the all three persons of the Godhead are brought before us the promises of God. He's he has established us, us in Christ, and we are sealed by the Spirit, it says, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Now it tells us in Ephesians chapter one, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed by that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory. When a person is indwelled by the Spirit of God, he is sealed. He has the earnest of the Spirit in his heart, and he also has what is spoken of here as the anointing. That is, the Spirit of God anoints us for service and for the understanding of the Scriptures. So I might just speak of those three things. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is when one believes the gospel, then he is indwelled by the Spirit of God. And when it says, Who hath also sealed us. Isn't this very beautiful? An official document has a seal on it. That's really what makes it official that seal upon it and you know one who has believed the gospel of his salvation is marked out officially as belonging to Christ. Oh, if you know the Lord Jesus as your savior God has sealed you and will turn to another verse shortly, but I quote it right here. It says grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by. Whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption, that is, and the seal is there, and you can't be lost. You're sealed until the day of redemption. Just as that piece of that paper with that official seal on it makes that an official document. Isn't it very blessed to think that every believer has been sealed with the Holy Spirit? And then another thing. He's anointed. God has made us kings and priests unto God, we're told in Revelation chapter 1. And then he also tells us in John's epistle that he need not, that any man should teach you, for the same anointing which ye have of Him teacheth you of all things and is truth. So the Spirit of God is the anointing. How could we understand this book? I suppose there may be some here who are unbelievers. And you say, well, the book is just like Greek to me. I don't understand that book at all. No, of course you don't, because you have to have the Holy Spirit of God to understand it. The Scripture says the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them for their foolishness unto him, because they are spiritually discerned. And unless a person is indwelled by the Spirit of God, he will always say, I can't understand that book. God has written the book. It's one of the most wonderful proofs of the. Of this book God has written the book that can only be understood by having the spirit of the one who is the writer and when you receive the Holy Spirit of God and many a Christian I'm sure right now is saying Amen. The Bible just became a new book to me when I got saved. I wanted to read it. You see the Holy Spirit of God is the anointing to teach you. Now I might be able to be a little bit of help, but I will say this that you could listen to all I say tonight and it's not going to be. Unless the Spirit of God makes it good in your soul, it's only it's not listening to words. The Spirit of God must take of the things of Christ and show them to you. And there's a verse in John it says they shall be all taught of God and it's the Spirit of God that makes it good in your soul. So then we have the anointing and then we have the earnest. I like that word earnest because you know, when you buy a piece of property, the earnest money is the pledge you're going to carry through the deal. And so God not only speaks about us being anointed, indwelled and having the seal, but.
Till I put it this way, we only have half our salvation, yet we have the salvation of our souls. We're waiting for the salvation of our bodies. When we get the salvation of our bodies, we'll have our complete salvation. Is God going to complete what He has begun? Well, you know, when you buy a piece of property, there's a certain amount of money that's set there called the earnest money, and that's really to show that you intend to complete the deal. And I sometimes use this rather homely illustration, supposing that I was going to buy a piece of. Property and it was worth we'll say $25,000 and the agent says well how much will you put down on it for earnest money if you want that that piece of property well I say I'd be glad to put $100,000 down on it what do you mean it's only worth $25,000 you'd put $100,000 yes, I don't I want to be absolutely sure I get it and so. I put $100,000 down on a piece of property that's only worth 25,000 and the next day some person says, has that property been sold? And he says yes, it's been sold. Well, do you think he might back out of the deal? Back out of the deal? He never will. I never heard of such a thing. He gave $100,000 and it's only worth 25,000. Well, Brandon, what are you and I worth and what is the what is the earnest? But the little hen says, If such the earnest thou hast given, what must thy presence be? The Lord thought so much of the ones that he wanted to be up there with him in glory. He gave such a wonderful earnest, the Holy Spirit of God, to indwell our hearts, to assure us that He's going to complete what He's begun. What a blessed thing. So we have them, the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Well, this is all ours and because we have received. The gospel of our salvation are now indwelled by the Spirit, and as I say, the baptism is the collective thing. Now there's a little exhortation that's given in Ephesians chapter 5. It says in the 18th verse. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess. Might be filled with a spirit. And if you'll just turn back the page to the 4th chapter in the 30th verse which I quoted before. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day, a redemption. Here we find about. The fact that we're exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. How every believer is indwelled with the Spirit, but every believer is not filled with the Spirit. Now when a Christian is acting in the flesh, the Spirit of God is still in him because we're sealed to the day of redemption, but we're certainly not filled with the Spirit or we wouldn't be acting in the flesh. And so in the early church we see that it tells us that they, they were filled with the Spirit, They were yielded to the leading of the Spirit of God. And so there was great power, there was great grace, there was great blessing there in Jerusalem. Because believers were yielded to the leading of the Spirit of God. Let me use a very simple illustration and you can see the thought. Supposing I have a car and I have a very powerful engine in it, and here comes a steep hill, and I start up the hill, but I refuse to step on the gas. And the car stalls before I hardly get started up the hill and someone says your engine's no good. There's nothing that matter with the engine. I just didn't draw on the power that was there. Now that's the thought, brethren, we sometimes do just that. God has given his power. It says in John chapter 3, God giveth not his spirit. By measure. Every believer is indwelled by a divine person. But I'm afraid that sometimes we don't draw on the power. We don't yield to the leading of the Spirit of God. The result is there isn't that which was seen in the early church, great grace, great testimony, testimonies often spoiled among Christians because we display the flesh instead of walking in the Spirit, says walk in the Spirit and ye shall not, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And isn't it often true that real Christians instead of walking in the Spirit, they fulfill the less of the flesh? Yet the Spirit of God is there. Well, this exhortation then to be, to be filled with the Spirit, to yield, and then again grieve. Not the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the Spirit might leave us. No, we're sealed to the day of redemption. But every time I do something that is not according to the mind of God, is led by the Spirit, and is LED according to His Word, I have grieved the Holy Spirit of God.
Because he was given to shed a bride. Love in my heart to give me the power in this world to be a testimony for him and to understand his mind. And will says, be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. So we can grieve the Holy Spirit of God and want to sometimes set it. A Christian can be the most happy person in the world or the most unhappy because if we're yielded to the leading of the Spirit, we're going to be happy Christians. But that divine guest doesn't leave, and when we grieve him, he can't make us happy. He makes us unhappy till we come to confession and own it to the Lord. And so some Christians are very unhappy because the Spirit is grieved within them. Well may we not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption. Now just a little word about the. Gifts of the Spirit, for that is something that concerns a lot of people. You'll pardon me if I go a few minutes overtime because it's a little bit longer subject than can take in an hour, I guess. First Corinthians chapter 12. In verse 4. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations, but it's the same God which worketh All in all. Notice again the Trinity there. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. For to 1 is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another, faith by the same Spirit to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit to another, the working of miracles to another, prophecy to another, discerning of spirits to another, divers kinds of tongues to another, the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one in the self. Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will. Here we find brought before us the gifts of the Spirit of God, and in the end of the chapter again, we see even such a thing as helps. These also are gifts of the Spirit. Now you know there were certain ones of these that were given as signs and were told in the end of the Gospel of Mark. That God would confirm the Word with signs following. And so there were. Signs given and what we read in the 2nd chapter of Acts on the day of Pentecost, there were people from every nation under heaven and they heard these people who had received the Holy Spirit speaking in the tongues wherein they were born. That is, the Spirit of God gave to them the ability to speak in other tongues that they hadn't learned. And it wasn't something that was a language that wasn't spoken in the world. These were languages that were known. Well known that we're spoken in the world and it was a real testimony to those people. They said why these people are all Galileans. How is it that we hear them speaking in our own language? They couldn't understand how these people who are Galileans could communicate to them. Some people say, well, a miracle was on their ears. No, it wasn't because the Bible says they spake with tongues. So it was a gift that God gave to the ones who were. Speaking that they were able to speak to those who were there in languages that they had never learned. Now I believe it's very important for us to see this and if you connect this with First Corinthians chapter 14. First Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 21. In the law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips. Will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord. Notice this is very significant, this 22nd verse. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not, but prophesying service not for them that believe not, but for them to believe. Now you can see the significance of it because God said. That He would give this sign. The Lord spoke of it before He went away. It was. It took place on the day of Pentecost, and we hear a lot of people today that speak of the gift of tongues as a prayer language, but that isn't what we find here. We're told that tongues were for a sign to those who believe, not not to the person himself, but always to others. On the day of Pentecost, the gift of tongues was assigned to others.
When the Gentiles received it. Life. It was the others that came down with them that heard them. It was assigned to them and distinctly tells us the purpose. It was a sign to others. It was assigned to those that believe not that God was doing something. Shall I say something new? In the Old Testament God was dealing with a particular nation, a favored nation of Israel. Salvation is of the Jews. The Lord Jesus said any who wish to be blessed must recognize. That the true God was known in Israel. And as we find, we're told that Naoman was to learn that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel, so that the Jews were not sent out to preach the gospel to every creature. People had to come up and get the blessing at Jerusalem. It was God's center. It was the place where He had put His name. It was the favored nation, but they had rejected their king. Now God is showing that He's going. To do something new, He's going to reach out beyond the bounds of Israel. He's going to reach out to every other nation. And there was a real purpose in this. And it was clearly demonstrated on the day of Pentecost when they began to speak in other tongues. And these people from all these other nations heard in their own tongue, heard in they were born the wonderful works of God. I've heard people say, but in First Corinthians 14, it's it's different. Now I beg to say it's not because the apostle is very clear to tell us in this very chapter that deals with the subject that it was for a sign to those that believe not. Well then you say, well, why was the instruction given? Well, you know, even although God gives gifts. And the scripture says the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Men can use the God-given gifts for their own display and for their own importance. A man could preach the gospel to exalt himself. I could talk to you tonight to exalt myself. A man could use the gift of tongues to display his own knowledge. That's why he says he says in malice be children, but in understanding be men. He said don't use the gift God has given you for display. God didn't give it for the purpose of. Displayed He gave it for a particular purpose and if you have that gift which some of them had, unless there was an interpreter, they were to be quiet. Well, some have had a little problem over the verse where it says let him speak to himself and to God. Well, to me that's also very simple. That is there was no point in him speaking out when no one there could understand. So he simply speaks to himself and to God. And if I were to go to. Meeting, and we'll say it was in South America, for I don't understand Spanish, and I was sitting there in the meeting. I wouldn't get up and talk in English unless there was an interpreter there. But I tell you what I would do. I'd speak to myself and to God and I'd speak in English because I know God understands English and I know he understands Spanish. But I wouldn't confuse the meeting by getting up and saying something in a language know and understood. So I would just sit there and enjoy. The Lord to myself, you say, well, does the Bible tell us to speak to ourselves? Yes. The 103rd Psalm tells you to speak to yourself. The psalmist was talking to himself. He said, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who's he talking to? He's talking to himself, isn't he? He's calling on himself to bless the Lord. And again in another place. He talks to himself, and he says, Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disguided within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God. So this I believe this portion, read in its context and in simple connection with the rest of Scripture, makes it very clear the purpose of the gift of tongues. Now if people who profess to have it today really had. In the scriptural sense, they would be able to do what was done in the second of Acts. They would be able to do what Paul says in First Corinthians 14. They would be able to give that, use that as a sign to those that believe not to speak to someone. If I could speak to a person in another language and I had never learned it, wouldn't that be a testimony to him? Of course it would.
What, have you heard me talking some jiggery? So that would be no testimony to him whatever. And so you can see the purpose of it clearly set out here and how it's regulated that they were not to use it for self exaltation, but it was to be used for the purpose that God intended. And unless they could use it for the edification of the church, unless there was someone there who understood or someone at least who could interpret, they were just to be silent. Well then there's also healing, and when we turn over to Acts Chapter 6. Perhaps they could turn to it, just for a moment. Acts Chapter 6. Chapter 5. Pardon me. And the 15th verse. Him so much that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might over shadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about under Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and them which were vexed with unclean spirits. And I want you to notice this last phrase. And they were healed, everyone. Now there's no mention in this passage at all, but asking the people that they had faith, there's no. At all about even whether they did have faith, but simply that there was power there to heal. And no one went away disappointed. No one went away and said, well, my case was too difficult. They couldn't handle my case. No, they were healed. Everyone. God was confirming the word. And when God was confirming the word, he was confirming it in such a way as to bear testimony to his power and. If there wasn't power to heal everyone, then they might say, does he have power? So there was a demonstration of this. God was confirming the word. And I wish to add this, I won't turn to it, but you can look at Deuteronomy 13 and you'll see there that in Israel's history sometimes there were those rose who showed signs and wonders. And the great and important point to the Israelite was not whether the sign or wonder came to pass, but whether. The sign or wonder was being used for the purpose of confirming the things of God, or whether it was used for something that was contrary. To His word and leading them away from the true knowledge of God. And so you'll usually find in connection with all this sort of thing that is going on in Christendom that there is so much connected with it that's not according to the Word of God sometimes said to young people. If you want to go and see all the spectacular sort of thing, you'll have to go places where you'll have to go in disobedience to the Word of God. You'll have to go where you'll find that there's a great many things going on that are not. According to God's Word, and if they want to see the signs, that's where you must go. So if if these things existed today, well, then we would expect to see that there would be great multitudes come together and everybody would be healed. We'd expect to see it possible for people to speak in such a way that those who had never learned the language would be able to communicate the gospel to others. But what we have today is not as it was in Scripture. And I just ask you to test these things by the word of God, like Paul said, that we would know not the speech of them, which are puffed up, but the power. And if we test these things by the Word of God, we'll find that what is going on today is so often associated with truth, with the denial of part of the truth of God, or setting aside certain parts of Scripture. Whereas if you and I seek to walk in the truth, it will be like it says in Revelation. There will only be a little strength. We don't look for these things. It tells us God confirmed the Word with signs. Following, someone said, well why didn't God say that these things would cease? Why didn't he say that they wouldn't continue? Well, I often say I have a very simple answer to that. God intended that the hope of the Lord's coming should be a present hope in every generation. And if he had told them that these things were going to cease, he would have been saying the Lord's not going to come and you're a generation or in your lifetime because the time is going to come when these things will cease. So God didn't say that, but he did. He did do something in his word, and that is he promised that the gifts for the edification of the church, the evangelist, the pastors, the teachers would continue.
You till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Now isn't it remarkable that when he makes the promise, he omits all the sign gifts. He doesn't say that they were going to they weren't going to continue, but they, as we know those early believers were looking for the Lord to come in their lifetime and rightly so. And so he just in the all wise ways of God, he just leaves that, but he promises something would continue. Thank God they do continue. We still praise God for those who proclaim the gospel. We still thank Him for those who can pastor His people and who can teach them the precious things of Christ. Could I look at just two more scriptures that I'd like to look at? Romans chapter 8? Romans, chapter 8. Because I believe this is a very important portion. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to whip the redemption of our body. Notice he doesn't say waiting for the faith healer. He says waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. What are we as believers waiting for? We're waiting for the time when we're going to get glorified bodies like Christ. That's our blessed hope. And we're waiting for that. Now. I don't want to be misunderstood. I believe that the Lord answers prayer and I believe. In its governmental ways, He often passes us through things, and if we learn what he is seeking to teach us, then he comes in and raises us up again. But that's entirely different from what we have in the early acts, the signs that were manifested to unbelievers. What you have in. Praying for others and for the sick and so on, has to do with believers. But when there was the signs and wonders, they were given as a sign to those that believe not. They were a testimony to the world of the truth of the gospel and of the fact that Christ was risen, and that He was a glorified man at the right hand of God. And now I just look at one other passage, and that is, I already mentioned it, but I'd like to look at it in John. Chapter 14. And verse 16. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Perhaps I could connect that also to one in Romans 8, another one in that 8th chapter of Romans. And the 11TH verse. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Reason I call attention to this is the Lord Jesus promised that the Spirit would abide with us forever. And so we've noticed how He does His blessed work in us. He helps our infirmities as it tells. It doesn't say He removes them, but likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. I didn't read that verse. It's also in the eighth of Romans. And how often in our sickness we have found the help of the Spirit of God in what we have to endure. And then He tells us that He's going to quicken our mortal bodies by the Spirit, because the Spirit is down here, that if the Lord gave the shout right now, the Spirit of God who is indwelling the bodies of believers, who is shedding abroad God's love in our hearts is making these things precious to us. But immediately, if I can use the expression, He would complete that which has been begun. And these bodies then would be changed into the very likeness of Christ. And just like the servant who presented Rebecca to Isaac, so the Spirit of God will go back with the church and we'll enter into the presence of our glorious bridegroom. Then we'll be with him and like him, but he's going to abide with us forever, brethren, and in heaven, the Spirit of God will be doing his blessed work there, but down here in this world, the Spirit of God. Is doing 2 Things you won't have to do in heaven. The Spirit of God is.
Helping our infirmities, and we won't have any infirmities there. And He is also helping us to overcome the activity of the spirit of the flesh within. For it says the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. So when we get home to glory, we won't have that fallen nature. We won't need the help of the Spirit to overcome the fallen nature. We won't need the work of the Spirit within to help our infirmities, and the Spirit of God will be free. Through those endless eternal ages to bring before our hearts all the excellencies and glories of Christ, fill our hearts with the rejoicing in that glorious scene. Wasn't it blessed that God has brought us into His purposes in His Word, and that He has given us these precious things so that we might be LED astray with how much that goes on, that goes on under the name of the Spirit of God, but that is not according to the Word of God, doesn't. Glorify Christ. And so if you find that it's not according to the Word, you find that it doesn't really exalt Christ. And one has been surprised to find that in many of these systems, at least back in Canada, where there's so much about the work of the Spirit in those very places, they'll tell you that you can be saved and lost again. They're denying the finished work of Christ, and yet they're talking about the work of the Spirit. Well, let us beware that we don't allow this sort of thing to. Lead us away, follow the Word of God, seek to test everything by the Word, ask whether it exalts Christ. And I believe that God by His Spirit will preserve us in the path of the truth. May He grant it so until the Lord Jesus comes and takes us home to be with Himself, and then the Spirit will be unhindered for eternal ages.