THE SPIRIT OF PROMISE
‘Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.’
Lost by man’s sin, this blessed power of communion with the Father of spirits must be restored by the Spirit of God. It was to this our Lord referred when He spake of ‘the promise of the Father’ to be received soon after His ascension; and to the truth and reality of this most blessed gift all Scripture bears testimony.
I. Who they are who have received and do yet receive the Spirit.—‘We.’ In 1 Corinthians 12:7 the words are ‘every man,’ but this is necessarily explained in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13, by all who are ‘members of the body of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 12:27). In Ephesians 1:13, ‘in whom after ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.’ In Galatians 4:4-6, ‘because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.’ In Acts 10:44-45, and in many passages besides, the same truth is pressed on us that ‘all God’s children’ have received and do still receive this Holy Spirit, to ‘seal’ them as His children, and to edify and build them up ‘for an habitation of God through the Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:21-22). No child of God without His Spirit (Romans 8:9); any one not having this Holy Spirit is not sealed, is not justified, is not safe, is ‘none of His’ (2 Corinthians 1:21).
II. For what purpose do we receive the Spirit?—‘That we may know the things which are freely given to us by God.’
(a) What they are: Pardon of sin through the blood of His Cross (Colossians 1:20; Isaiah 1:18). ‘No condemnation to them who are in Christ’ (Romans 8:1; Romans 5:1; Psalms 32:1-2; Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 44:22). Salvation ‘in all its fullness’ through His life (Romans 5:9-10; 1 Peter 1:8; Php_2:11-12). The covering robe ‘of His spotless righteousness’ (Isaiah 61:10; Hebrews 11:7; Php_3:9-10). An inheritance at last ‘among His saints’ (Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 1:4-5; John 14:1-2). These are some of the promised glories freely given to us by God (1 Corinthians 2:9).
(b) How we may prepare for them. By the Spirit of Truth (John 14:26; John 15:26) guiding us into all truth (John 17:17; John 17:19). By the Spirit of Prayer (Romans 8:26) teaching us to pray (Jude 1:20). By the Spirit of Holiness purifying our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit (1 Peter 1:22), transforming us into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).
(c) How we may see these unseen glories and ‘realise this preparedness.’ It is the Spirit alone who can ‘reveal the unseen’ and make it real (1 Corinthians 2:9; John 16:8-9; John 16:14-15).
As God has said, ‘Be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18), should we not all seek more of His blessed influences to show us how much we yet need, and how real the coming glory for which we should be preparing?
—Rev. Canon Linton.
Illustration
‘In the fourteenth verse of this chapter the Apostle lays down as a fundamental truth that “ the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God”; “neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Since this is so, the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit to enable him to receive them and know them must be indispensable and indisputable. As no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3), then the Holy Ghost alone can lead him to eternal salvation, and to the manifestation of a true life here. God has given us senses by which to communicate with the world around, but He has given no bodily or mental organs by which to hold communion with Himself. We can hear the voice of a friend, but we have no avenue by which the natural man, in mind or body, can receive and recognise the voice of his God.’