The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-10-09

UOSS mol ICAl VI IT,
all about the Holy u
Spirit that there = -
10 for US to know; Or. Foreman
it does not by any means clear up
all the mysteries. But 1t does help
VI to understand : few important
truths about the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit Of God
It makes no real difference
whether we speak of the Holy
Spirit or the Spirit of God. The
Holy Spirit is Gods Spirit, and
only the Spirit Of God Is the com
pletely Holy Spirit. A simple def
milton Of the Holy Spirit Is this:
God 1t work in the life Of man. The
Spirit is not messenger from
God, and not an influence" - as
when we say that young man
has the spirit" Of his father, or
that the spirit" Of school IL to
be seen in all the students. The
Spirit OF God Is God. God here-and-
now, God-in-us. The first Chris
tians did not understand this till
after the Spirit came on the day
Of Pentecost Zone Of the great
Jewish festivals). They had been
brought up as Jews. and Jews Of
that time never supposed that
Gods Spirit was for every one. but
only for very few exceptional
persons It was at Pentecost that
they learned that the Spirit is to
be poured out on ALL flesh" that
Is to say all sorts and conditions
of men. They recognized the com
ing Of the Spirit as the coming Of
Cod in new and mighty way No
one is ever nearer to God than he
Is to the Holy Spirit.
What The Holy Spirit Is Not
When an African chief il con
verted. it takes some persuading
to induce him to give up all his
magic gAdgets. Even the humblest
and poorest African savage has
few such gadgets, but 4 big chief
will have them all. He has a variety
Of charms-it may be a thing to
hang around his neck. or in his
belt. or on his wrist, or otherwise
one to ward on lightning. and
another to protect him from his
enemies, and another to make him
live a long time. and one to bring
him many boy children. Now the
Holy Spirit IL not that kind Of
thing at all.
The Holy Spirit las the New
Testament shows does not guar
antee freedom from suffering We
know Christ had the Holy Spirit
always in him. but yet no suffered
terribly. All the Apostles felt the
presence Of the Spirit. yet all Of
them. tradition tells US, died mar
tyrs' deaths. The Holy Spirit does
not guarantee that the spiritual
person will never make mistakes.
There are many mistakes recorded
in the New Testament committed
by persons who had surely re-
ceived the Spirit. More than this.
the Holy Spirit Is not a kind of
magic charm to keep the wearer
from sin. We know that Simon
Peter received the Holy Spirit. But
we also know that he was not al
ways free from sin after that (See
Galatians 2:11-l4)
pewsr-FsP What7
The Holy Spirit. in the Bible. Is
always associated with power.
Jesus himself had said to his dis
ciples, you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you" Now the Christians in
Jerusalem had some kinds Of pow
er at Pentecost which most Of them
never seem to have had again: it
CdInS Inc q UldAuI8 WuAA 0AAN AiO
not come again. Speaking with
tongues" for instance. But there
was another and more lasting pow
er, the power to witness" to
Christ. This always includes three
things: the power to grow more
like Christ; the power to 90 on his
business. in his name; and the
power to show by testimony and
by living, what It means to be q
people called BY Christ's name: II
a Christian" Is not growing nor
going nor showing. one wonders If
he has ever known the Spirits
power.
(Based or outlines copyrighted b.
the Division Of Christian Education.
National Council Of the Churches Of
Christ n the Q. s. A. Released -
Community Press eeYviee.>