The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-04-25

thing TO receive the Holy Ghost"
This brings up the whole question as
10 the relation OF the Holy Spirit to
the disciple, or the believer in
Christ.
/. The personality OF the Holy
Spirit. We should keep in mind that
the Holy Spirit is a divine person.
Personality consists In self-conscious-
ness and free will, and that the Holy
Spirit possesses personality in this
sense is evident from three things:
(a) He has the attributes OF person
ality; (b) He does the works OF per-
sonality; (c) He has the names OF
a personality. Speaking of his at
tributes, there is one which, more
than any other, helps TO a realization
OF his personality. His attribute OF
love. which is referred TO only in
Romans 1870. DO you know that the
Holy Spirit loves you, as believer in
Christ, with love in some sense dis
tinct from that either of the Father
or the Son? How marvelously near
that brings him to our hearts! The
Fathers love manifested itself in the
giving of his Son; the Sons love in
the offering of himself upon the cross.
and the Holy Spirits love in taking up
his abode in US.
2. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
This brings us TO the second thought,
viz. the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
That indwelling was promised in John
IA: 1911 He had dwelt with" the dis
ciples therefore, but he was to dwell
lin them" by and by. He had been
as a power acting on them srom with
out, but thereafter he was to influ-
ence them from within. The prom
Use was renewed again in Acts
I:4-5, where the indwelling was
spoken OF as the baptism" OF the
Holy Spirit. The realization came on
the day OF Pentecost, when the dis
ciples were indwelt baptized and in
filled with the Holy Spirit at one and
the same time.
This transaction, however,, as far
as the first two terms are concern
ed. was not limited to the church as.
sembled on that day, but applies to
the whole church since. Such would
seem to be suggested by |. Corin-
thians, 12:12-14. where 90 years after
Pentecost we are taught that as be
levers we were all baptized by one
Spirit into one body What body"
is means il not the body of Christ. the
church? And what baptism" IL not
that "one baptism" on the day OF Pen
tecost?
8. The filing OF the Holy Spirit.
But while the first two terms OF that
transaction on the day of Pentecost,
the indwelling and the baptism (which
are one) were for the whole church
potentially, and for all time, yet the
same does not apply 10 the third. the
fl'rg OF the Holy Spirit. There is
b., one indwelling, but man. filings.
We gather this from Acts 3. 81, where
the same persons who were filled
on the day OF Pentecost were re-
filed on a subsequent occasion. And
Again. in Acts 6, when men are to
be chosen TO the Office OF deacon II
must be by those who are full OF
the Holy Spirit" as If some were thus
spiritually equipped while others were
not. 1t is something corresponding
10 this. therefore which Paul has In
mind in our text. when he said: Have
ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed" The reception OF the Holy
Ghost on their part resulted In an en-
duement of power but in other places
OF the Acts, notably the fourth chap
ter. IL is seen TO have resulted not
only in the spirit of power. but of
unity and love. IL is his that we min.
listers, eyangelists and Christian work.
ers need and that the whole church
needs In order TO accomplish her mis-
sion for Jesus Christ on earth.
How may the filings OF the Holy
Y Spirit be received by the believer on
Y the Lord Jesus Christ? Prayer, ODE
| dience and faith seem TO be the only
conditions. II they may be called con
ditions. Speaking OF faith. there is q
sense In which the gift Of the Holy
Spirit. /. e.. the illing OF the HOLY
Spirit. should be received by as def
mite an act on our part as that
BY which we laid hold OF salvation
through Jesus Christ: but this faiti
Is not likely 10 be experienced where
obedience Is not present God givett
the Holy Ghost 20 them that obey
him" Pier says (Acts W. and thii
agrees perfectly with the teaching o.
the Old Testament in Proverbs l..
Turn ye at my reproof. behold. vii
pour out my spirit unto you." Nor Il
this obedience merely occasional will