The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-04-22

tuiuk W 10 a uir
ciple, and another
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.
1. 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
atty; (b) He does the works Of a per
sonality: (c) He has the names OF
q 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 1880. Do you know that the
Holy Spirit loves you, as a believer in
Christ, with love In some sense dis
unct 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
14:16-17. He had dwelt with" the dis
ciples therefore. but he was to dwell
In them" by and by. He had been
as q power acting on them from with
out, but thereafter he was to infu-
ence them from within. The prom
Use was renewed again In Acts
las, where the indwelling war
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 aud
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 wouId
seem 10 be suggested by l. CORN
thlans, l2:l2.l4, where 20 years after
Pentecost We are taught that az be
levers we were all baptized by one
Spirit into one body" What body
is means II not the body of Christ. the
church? Aud what baptism" IL 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. indwelling and the baptism (which
are one) were 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 many filings
We gather this from Acts 5:31. where
the same persons who were allied
on the day OF Pentecost we're re-
Again, in Acts 9. when men are 70
be chosen to the office of deacon j,
must he by those who are full OF
the Holy Spirit" as II some were thus
spiritually equipped while others were
not. IL is something corresponding
to this, therefore, which Paul has in
mind in our text, when he said: Have
We received the Holy Ghost since 'ye
beiieved?" 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 10 seen to have resulted not
only in the spirit OF power. but OF
unity and love. II il his that we min
listers. evsngelists anc 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
Spirit be received by the believer Oh
the Lord Jesus Christ? Prayer, obe-
dience and faith seem to be the only
conditions. IL they may be called con
ditions. Speaking OF faith. there Ii u
sense In which the gift OF the Holy
Spirit. 1. e., the filling OF the Holy
Spirit. should be received by as def
mite an act on our part as that
by which we iaid hold OF salvation
through Jesus Christ; but this faith
ia not likely 10 be experienced where
obedience Is not present. God giyeth
the Holy Ghost TO them that obey
him." Pier says (Acts W. and this
agrees perfectly with the teaching OF
the Old Testament In Proverbs L.
Turn ye At my reproof. behold. ! will
pour out my spirit unto you" Nor IL
this obedience merely occasional with
some great thing. but Il is 70 be usual
and common In the little things.