Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-07-19


thing to receive the Holy Ghost "
This brings up the whole question as
to 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 divine person.
Personality consists In self-conscions.
ness and free will, and that the Holy
Spirit possesses personality In this
sense is evident from three things
tal lie has the attributes Of person.
atty; tbl He does the works OF per.
sonality; (cl He has the names OF
a personality. Speaking OF his at
tributes. there is one which, more
than any other. helps TO 4 realization
OF his personality. His attribute OF
love. which is referred to only In
Romans 1890 DO you know that the
Holy Spirit loves you. as a 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 W
his abode in us.
= The indwelling of the Holy Spirit
This brings us to the second thought.
viz, the indwclling of the Holy Spirit
That indwelling was promised in John
ll:l6-i7 He had dwelt with the dis.
ciples therefore but he was to dwell
in them by and by. He had been
as power acting on them rom with.
Out. but thereafter he was 10 intlu.
ence them from within The prom.
Use was renewed again IN Acts
14-5 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 ! CORN.
thians. l2:12-li. where 30 years after
Pentecost We are taught that as be-
levers we were all baptized BY one
Spirit into one body" What body"
is means II not the body OF Christ. the
church, And what baptism II not
that "one baptism on the day OF Pen.
tecost?
3. The filing OF the Holy Spirit.
But while the first two terms OF that
transaction on the day OF Pentecost.
the indwellng and the baptism (which
are onel We're for the whole church
potentially. and for all time. yet the
same does not apply to the third, the
filling OF the Holy Spirit. There is
but one indwelling but man, Filings.
We gather this from Acts 5:3l. where
the same persons who were filled"
on the day OF pentecost were re.
filled on a subsequent occasion And
Again. in Acts .. when men are TO
be- chosen TO the office OF deacon IL
must be by those who are "full OF
the Holy Spirit" as II some were thus
spiritually equipped while others were
not II is something corresponding
to this. therefore which Paul has In
mind In our text. when he said. Have
ye received the Holy Ghost since We
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 II is his that We min.
ers need and that the whole church
needs in order 10 accomplish her mis-.
sion for Jesus Christ on earth
How may the Filings OF the Holy
Spirit be received by the believer on
the Lord Jesus Christ? Prayer ODE
dience and faith seem to be the only
conditions. II they may be called con.
ditious, Speaking OF faith. there Is q
sense in which the gift OF the Holy
Spirit. |. a.. the filling OF the Holy
Spirit. should be received by as def.
mite an act OF our part as that
by which We laid hold OF salvation
through Jesus Christ. but this faith
is not likely TO be- experienced where
obedience is not present. God siveih
the Holy Ghost TO them that obey
him." pier says (Aets W. aud this
agrees p rfectly with the teaching OF
the Old Testament in Proverbs l.:
Turn ye NJ my reproof. behold. | viii
POUR out my spirit unto YOU" Nor il
this obedience merely occasional with
some great thing, but it is to be usual
aud common Ia the liffia thfnCa