Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-26

mans, viii.14.
Next to the gift of salvation in Christ
Jesus, the greatest blessing that God
has bestowed upon men is found in His
endowment of the Holy Spirit. Christ
came that men might know through
His revelation 1.-THE only true Cod and
possess eternal life, through their faith
in Him. Jesus pointed out to His
disciples the night preceding His death
that His coming separation from them
would make possible the coming of the
Holy Spirit, who would "glorify' the
Master and through the disciples make
Christ known to men. The apostles
could not understand how. His death
apparently was required before the
prophecy of Joel and the promise OF
the Lord Jesus could be fulfilled. AL
though the Spirit Of God had demon
strated His presence and power in the
annals of the prophets and history of
Israel and especially in the life and
labors of the Master, the Holy Spirit
| had never come to reside permanently
in the flesh.
Our study brings us face to face with
the question of the Trinity of God
While the word "trinit-.," is not found
in the Bible, the Dine Trinity" is
clearly expressed in the Holy Scriptures.
An eminent teacher has separated the
| teachings into two doctrines, both
closely related by suggesting as defini-
| tons: THE Divine Trinity is Gods
| threefold decentralization" and THE
Divine Trinity is Gods triune mode of
| existence" No one would have thought
| of the triunity of God if there had
not been revelation of His triune
| mode of existence. The New Tesla
ment writers we're Jews, and in their
| dent that they had no desire to set
| aside the faith of their fathers in the
unity of God. Beyond acknowledging
| these facts, space does not permit the
writer to go further into the theological
and philosophical problems concerning
either the Divine Trinity or the Di-
vine Trinity of God, truths that are
! found only in the teachings of Chris
| tianity.
| The Spirits Work.
The revelation of the Master con-
| corning His approaching death had
| filled the disciples with great sorrow
| The fact that He had pointed out that
| His departure was to mark the COM
| mencement of their persecution made
| it difficult for them to grasp how it
| could be expedient for them that He
| should leave them to endure, without
His presence and power to protect them
| in their hours of trial. In an effort to
| remove their burden and fill them with
| courage the Lord promised the coming
of the Spirit of God He made the
| coming endowment of the church the
| heart of His farewell message, for He
| knew that the coming to dwell among
| men Of the Spirit of Truth, the Com
| fOrter,5 the Helper, would transform
their apparent. defeat into glorious
| triumph. In so days that promise
was fulfilled, and the work of the Holy
| Spirit, commenced on that Pentecost,
has continued with the followers of the
| Christ ever since.
| Men were opposing Christ because
they did not accept His words and be-
lieve In Him. Men today are refusing
to follow the teachings of the Lord
| Jesus. although they have been con-
, vinced by the Holy Spirits efforts with
| them that Jesus is the Son of God and
| the Savior of men. The fact that
| the modern world is full of sin is due to
| their refusal to follow the urge of the
| Holy Spirit to obey Christ Jesus in all
| things. Whenever men seek to deny
the realty of sin, of righteousness and
| of Judgment, they hear the silent voice
| of the Holy Spirit within them con-
| victing them of their sin. He is con-
| victing men now just as He id then
| Of their sin through their enmity
against Christ Jesus. Lack of faith in
! Christ is sin.
| The Honlyi Spirit produces a conviction
of righteousness. The Lords resurrec-
ton and ascension were necessary to
establish the righteousness of Christ.
When men recall and think over the
events connected with the Masters cru
clfixion and His victory over the grave.
they are convinced of His character so
that they say, Truly this was right
eous man." They are still the basis of
the Holy Spirits appeal to men that
| convinces them that Jesus was indeed
not only righteous man but the Son
| of God.
Jesus tried to make them see that
Satan would meet his defeat at. CAL
vary. He brought up all his satanic
forces in an effort to crush and COM
pletely destroy Christ at the cross, but
the prince of this world met his doom
then. Whenever the gospel of Jesus is
preached under the power of the Holy
spirit. then Satan suffers further de-
Ieat. The success of Pentecost has been
repeated, when witnesses have testified
| under the power of the Holy Spirits
presence to the crucified, resurrected,
and assembled Christ The Holy Spirit
was needed by the apostles for them to
understand the meaning of the cross
| and their trials.
Christian Victories.
| In every twiee-born soul there arises
conflict between the old life and the
| call to live like Christ Jesus Without
the presence and power of the HOLY
Spirit one would never undertake the
Christian life. 1t is only through the fell
loWship of this unseen Helper who walks
by the Christians side, that he trans
forms his old life from an antaeonism
TO God to a loving obedience to the
Christ. There is continuous psyche
logical process; and the sudden chance
OF feeling and devotion does not destroy
the old man. Sometimes the change is
not sudden in conversion, although there
Is definite period when the new birth
commences to manifest its power i'm our
lives. The growth. as we'll as the birth.
is due to the work of the HOLY Shirt
and our fellowship with Him will be-
seen in a widening knowledge of Christ
and deepening spiritual life and out
look that will remove all fears and lead
us on to victory and triumph. If we
live after the pattern of men, or the
flesh, we shall die spiritually and" b.,
separated from God but if we live in
fellowship with the Holy Spirit and al