The Indwelling Works of God

This excerpt is taken from chapter three of the first volume of Abraham Kuyper's The Work of the Holy Spirit.

Taking examples from the more ordinary walks of life, compare the student, the scholar, the inventor thinking out his new invention, the architect forming his plans, the general studying his opportunities, the sturdy sailor nimbly climbing the mast of his ship, or yonder blacksmith raising the sledge to strike the glowing iron upon the anvil with concentrated muscular force. Judging superficially, one would say the backsmith and sailor work, but the men of learning are idle. Yet he that looks beneath the surface knows better than this. For if those men perform no apparent manual labor, they work with brain, nerve, and blood; yet since those organs are more delicate than hand or foot, their invisible, indwelling work is much more exhausting. With all their labor the blacksmith and sailor are pictures of health, while the men of mental force, apparently idle among their folios, are pale from exhaustion, their vitality being almost consumed by their intense application.

Applying this distinction without its human limitations to the works of the Lord, we find that the outgoing works of God had their beginning when God created the heavens and the earth; and that before that moment which marks the birth of time, nothing existed but God working within Himself. Hence this twofold operation: The first, externally manifest, known to us in the acts of creating, upholding, and directing all things—acts that, compared to those of eternity, seem to have begun but yesterday; for what are thousands of years in the presence of the eternal ages? The second, behind and underneath the first—an operation not begun nor ended, but eternal like Himself; deeper, richer, fuller, yet not manifested, hidden within Him, which we therefore designate indwelling.

Although these two operations can scarcely be separated—for there never was one manifest without which was not first completed within—yet the difference is strongly marked and easily recognized. The indwelling works of God are from eternity, the outgoing belong to time. The former precede, the latter follow. The foundation of that which becomes visible lies in that which remains invisible. The light itself is hidden, it is the radiation only that appears.

The Scripture, speaking of the indwelling works of God, says: “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, and the thoughts of His heart to all generations” (Psalm xxiii. 11). Since in God heart and thought have no separate existence, but His undivided Essence thinks, feels, and wills, we learn from this significant passage that the Being of God works in Himself from all eternity. This answers the oft-repeated and foolish question, “What did God do before He created the universe?” which is as unreasoning as to ask what the thinker did before he expressed his thoughts, or the architect before he built the house!

God’s indwelling works, which are from everlasting to everlasting, are not insignificant, but surpass His outgoing works in depth and strength as the student’s thinking and the sufferer’s anguish surpass their strongest utterances in intensity. “Could I but weep,” says the afflicted one, “how much more easily could I bear my sorrow!” And what are tears but the outward expression of grief, relieving the pain and strain of the heart? Or think of the child-bearing of the mother before delivery. It is said of the decree that it hath “brought forth” (Zeph. ii. 2), which signifies that the phenomenon is only the result of preparation hidden from the eye, but more real than the production, and without which there would be nothing to bring forth.

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit - pt. 1

by Jason E. Robertson @ http://fide-o.blogspot.com/

(Click here to listen to audio)

After years of inconsistent dispensationalism many Christians are completely confused about the Holy Spirit. Many Christians are unaware that the Holy Spirit was even active in the Old Testament. They are unaware that OT saints knew the Holy Spirit. Many are unaware that the HS performed miracles and bestowed gifts in the OT. And as a result, such confusion has caused many to misunderstand what the HS did at Pentecost. Furthermore, such confusion has been fertile ground for the spread of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic chaos of much of Christendom.

J. I. Packer has written of this ignorance (Knowing God): “Christian people are not in doubt as to the work that Christ did; …even if they differ among themselves as to what exactly this involved. But the average Christian is in a complete fog as to what work the Holy Spirit does. Some talk of the Spirit of Christ in the way that one would talk of the Spirit of Christmas.”

The first point we must settle in our minds in regard to the Holy Spirit is whether the Holy Spirit is a person or mere power. Either He is a real person, whose work it is to get hold of us and use us, or the Holy Spirit is merely some vague power we are to get hold of and use to our benefit. If we think of the Holy Spirit as a mysterious power, our thought will continually be, “How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?” If we think of the Holy Spirit as a person, our thought will be, “How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?” The first thought is entirely pagan. The second is biblical Christianity.

Secondly, we must settle in our minds what the Holy Spirit does and has he always done what He does in the same way. For example, how long has the Holy Spirit been present in the world. If one were to read John 7:38-39 or John 14 from a hyper-literal hermeneutic, one may come away with the idea that the Holy Spirit was not operating in the world prior to the Day of Pentecost. But such beliefs would directly oppose the confession of His omnipresence, eternality, and immutability. We confess that the Holy Spirit is true and eternal God. He is a unique person within the Triune God and therefore omnipresent; hence no creature, stone or animal, man or angel, is excluded from His presence. David agreed in Psalm 139:7-10.

The Holy Spirit cannot be said ever to have moved from one place to another; to have been among Israel, but not among the rest of the nations; to have been present after the day of Pentecost where He was not before. The testimony of John the Baptist in John 1:32 and that of Luke in Acts 10:44 may not therefore be understood as though the Holy Spirit came to a place where He was not before. That is impossible. That is inconsistent with the nature as God. Besides, Genesis 1:2 declares that the Holy Spirit was present in the world from the very beginning! And I contend that He has never been absent since.

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit gave life to Adam (Genesis 2:7) and knowledge to name the animals and woman (note "knowledge" as a blessing for those who know the Holy Spirit in Colossians 3:9-10 and 1 John 2:20). He was upon the Israelites (Nehemiah 9:20), the elders of Israel (Numbers 11:16-17), the Judges, the kings, and the prophets (2 Peter 1:21). The Israelites knew the Holy Spirit personally and resisted Him (Isaiah 63:10; Acts 7:51).

Some say, "Yes but on the Day of Pentecost he came and granted charismatic gifts which He had never done before." Really? What about the gift of healing that Elijah had, or the gift of miracles that Moses had, or the gift of prophecy that Daniel had? But you ask, "What about the gift of tongues?" Yes, I agree that was a marvelous miracle, but I remind you of Balaam's ass speaking in a foreign language and the men of Babel given foreign languages. I am not saying that those miracles in the Old Testament are identical to the apostolic gifts in Acts, but my point is that we should not be so fast as to say the Holy Spirit's workings are limited only to the New Covenant. In fact, there are vast similarities between His works in both the dispensation of the Old Covenant and the dispensation of the New Covenant.

Even upon individuals in the Old Testament did the Holy Spirit work. He granted Noah great wisdom to build the first boat, Samson strength, Bezaleel artistic talent, Joshua military genius, and Saul an official character of kingliness and took it away. He even worked through Cyrus. All of these are outward workings of the Spirit's power upon people in the Old Testament dispensation, and we must remember that He does the same today. Abraham Kuyper said, “A person outwardly wrought upon may become enriched with outward gifts, while spiritually he remains as poor as ever." Even pagans cannot exist without in some sense the sustaining power of the HS. No man can take credit for his achievements, but God is the giver of all good gifts.

But some may contend that the Holy Spirit did not indwell the Old Covenant saints. Yet I suggest the following passages be studied: Numbers 27:18; Micah 3:8; 1 Peter 1:10-11; and Luke 1:15. Then study the Old Covenant evangelism of Jesus himself in John 3:5-8 and notice what He says of the Holy Spirits necessary involvement in Old Covenant salvation. Abraham Kuyper rightly notes: "Believing Gentiles and Israelites were saved. Hence they must have received saving grace. And since saving grace is out of the question without an inward working of the Holy Spirit, it follows that the Holy Spirit was the Worker of faith in Abraham as well as in ourselves."

There have been many good men of God who have faltered in their understanding of the role of the HS in regeneration, due mostly to their dispensational views of redemption. For example, Lewis Sperry Chafer was the founder of the college in 1924 that was to become Dallas Theological Seminary and was president of DTS until his death in 1952. On page 74 of the 6th Vol. of his systematic theology, Pneumatology, says the following: The conception of an abiding indwelling of the HS… belongs only to the age of the NT Church and has no place in the OT. I completely disagree with Dr. Chafer.

Here are some conclusions:

First, there is the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit in space, the same in heaven and in hell, among Israel and among the nations.

Second, there is a spiritual operation of the Holy Spirit according to choice, which the Holy Spirit does a special work in a local place or at a specific time.

Third, this spiritual operation works either from without, imparting losable gifts, or from within, imparting the unlosable gift of salvation.

Fourth, Scripture evidently seeks to impress us with the two facts, that the Holy Spirit has always existed in and work in the world prior to the New Covenant but came in a special way upon God’s people on and after the day of Pentecost

• So there are clearly two distinct dispensations of the Holy Spirit.
• Before Pentecost and after.
• In the Old Covenant and then in the New.
• In the church of the Old Testament in preparation for the Messiah and then in the church of this New Testament age now that Christ has been glorified.

Fifth, no matter whether you lived before Christ or after, the Holy Spirit regenerated and indwelt believers.

Lastly, the fuller work of the Holy Spirit comes when the Spirit is poured out upon the church of the New Covenant. That is a special work of the Holy Spirit that needs to be examined, defined, and explained. I shall do so in a future post.

The Holy Spirit during the Old Testament Dispensation

by Jason E. Robertson

Because of years of inconsistent dispensationalism many today are very confused about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament age. The effects of this confusion has even led many to misunderstand the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament age. A.W. Pink was right when he said, "A verse which has been grossly perverted by many of our moderns is John 7:39, "The Holy Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." It seems passing strange that with the Old Testament in their hands, some men should place the construction which they do upon those words. The words "was not yet given" can no more be understood absolutely than "Enoch was not" (Gen. 5:24); they simply mean that the Spirit had not yet been given in His full administrative authority. He was not yet publicly manifested here on earth. All believers, in every age, had been sanctified and comforted by Him, but the "ministration of the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:8) was not at that time fully introduced; the outpouring of the Spirit, in the plentitude of His miraculous gifts, had not then taken place."(Pink, The Holy Spirit, 22)

Here is the difficult task before us: How to explain the fact that, while the Holy Spirit was poured out only on Pentecost, the saints of the Old Covenant were already partakers of His gifts. Let us put this in the concrete: How are the following passages to be reconciled? "I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts, and My Spirit remaineth among you, fear ye not" (Haggai 2:4-5); and "This spake He of the Holy Spirit which they that believe should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39). Scripture evidently seeks to impress us with the two facts, that the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, and that the same Spirit had wrought already for centuries in the Church of the Old Covenant. Not only does the Apostle John declare definitely that the Holy Spirit was not yet given, but the predictions of the prophets and of Jesus and the whole attitude of the apostles show that this fact may not in the least be weakened. So how shall we distinguish the outpouring of the Holy Spirit nineteen centuries ago from His entering into the soul of the unconverted to-day?

Here are some thoughts:

Concerning the nature of the Holy Spirit we confess that the Holy Spirit is true and eternal God, and therefore omnipresent; hence no creature, stone or animal, man or angel, is excluded from His presence. With reference to His omniscience and omnipresence, David sings: "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me and Thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:7-10) These words state positively that omnipresence belongs to the Holy Spirit; that neither in heaven nor in hell, in the east nor in the west, is there a spot or point from which He is excluded. This simple consideration is, for the matter under discussion, of the greatest importance; for it follows that the Holy Spirit cannot be said ever to have moved from one place to another; to have been among Israel, but not among the nations; to have been present after the day of Pentecost where He was not before. All such representations directly oppose the confession of His omnipresence, eternity, and immutability. The Omnipresent One cannot go from one place to another, for He cannot come where He is already. And to suppose that He is omnipresent at one time and not at another is inconsistent with His eternal Godhead. The testimony of John the Baptist, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode on Him," (John 1:32) and that of Luke, "The Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the Word," (Acts 10:44) may not therefore be understood as though the Holy Spirit came to a place where He was not before, which is impossible.

Concerning creation, the Holy Spirit "moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).

Concerning Adam, the Holy Spirit relationship to him is quite evident from Genesis 2:7 (compare with Ezekiel 37:9-10; John 20:22). John Owen spoke wisely about the Holy Spirit's relationship to the first man and the Spirit relationship to the New Man in Christ. Owens said, "Thus Adam may be said to have had the Spirit of God in his innocence. He had Him in these peculiar effects of His power and goodness, and he had Him according to the tenor of that covenant, whereby it was possible that he should utterly lose Him, as accordingly it came to pass. He had Him not by especial inhabitation, for the whole world was then the temple of God. In the Covenant of Grace, founded in the Person and on the mediation of Christ, it is otherwise. On whomsoever the Spirit of God is bestowed for the renovation of the image of God in him, He abides with him forever" (J. Owen, 1680).

Concerning individuals, the Holy Spirit acted in a twofold manner – from without, and from within. He gave Samson physical strength and took it away and gave it back again. He gave Aholiab and Bezaleel artistic talent to build the tabernacle. He gave Joshua military genius. He gave Saul an official character of kingliness and took it away. All of these are outward workings of the Spirit's power upon people in the Old Testament dispensation, and we must remember that He does the same today. But in the Old Testament there was also an inward operation in believers. Abraham Kuyper rightly notes: "Believing Israelites were saved. Hence they must have received saving grace. And since saving grace is out of the question without an inward working of the Holy Spirit, it follows that He was the Worker of faith in Abraham as well as in ourselves. The difference between the two operations is apparent. A person outwardly wrought upon may become enriched with outward gifts, while spiritually he remains as poor as ever. Or, having received the inward gift of regeneration, he may be devoid of every talent that adorns man outwardly." (Kuyper, The Work of the Holy Spirit, 128)

Concerning Israel, again I quote Pink: A very striking and comprehensive statement was made by Nehemiah, when he reviewed the Lord's dealings with His people of old: "Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them" (Neh. 9:20). He was, until quenched, upon the members of the Sanhedrin (Num. 11:16, 17). He came upon the judges (Judges 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 15:14), upon the kings (1 Sam. 11:6; 16:13), and the Prophets. But note it is a great mistake to say, as many have done, that the Holy Spirit was never in any believer before Pentecost: Numbers 27:18, Nehemiah 9:30, 1 Peter 1:11 clearly prove otherwise. But alas, Israel "rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit" (Isa. 63:10), as Stephen declared, "Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye" (Acts 7:51). That the Holy Spirit indwelt saints under the Legal economy is clear from many considerations: how otherwise could they have been regenerated, had faith, been enabled to perform works acceptable to God? The Spirit prompted true prayer, inspired spiritual worship, produced His fruit in the lives of believers then (see Zech. 4:6) as much as He does now. We have "the same Spirit of faith" (2 Cor. 4:13) as they had. All the spiritual good which has ever been wrought in and through men must be ascribed unto the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was given to the Old Testament saints prospectively, as pardon of sin was given in view of the satisfaction which Christ was to render unto God. (Pink, 24)

Here are some conclusions:

First, there is the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit in space, the same in heaven and in hell, among Israel and among the nations.
Second, there is a spiritual operation of the Holy Spirit according to choice, which is not omnipresent; active in heaven, but not in hell; among Israel, but not among the nations.
Third, this spiritual operation works either from without, imparting losable gifts, or from within, imparting the unlosable gift of salvation. ‎

The Comforts of the Holy Spirit

In Communion with God, John Owen explains why we need the comforts, or consolations, of the Holy Spirit:

• Without them, we shall either despise afflictions or faint under them, and God be neglected as to his intendments in them.
• Without them, sin will either harden us to a contempt of it, or cast us down to a neglect of the remedies graciously provided against it.
• Without them, duties will either puff us up with pride, or leave us without that sweetness which is in new obedience.
• Without them, prosperity will make us carnal, sensual, and to take up our contentment in these things, and utterly weaken us for the trials of adversity.
• Without them, the comforts of our relations will separate us from God, and the loss of them make our hearts as Nabal’s [1 Samuel 25].
• Without them, the calamity of the church will overwhelm us, and the prosperity of the church will not concern us.
• Without them, we shall have wisdom for no work, peace in no condition, strength for no duty, success in no trial, joy in no state—no comfort in life, no light in death.

John Piper on the Holy Spirit at work today

John Piper has recently summarized his position on the work of the Holy Spirit in a sermon on August 20th. The full sermon is freely available in text, audio and video from Desiring God.

“Should we be expecting the same miraculous confirmations of our witnessing [evangelism] today? My answer is yes, but not in the same measure that the apostles experienced this miraculous power. The reason I say yes is that I don’t see any compelling reason given in the New Testament that God has declared a moratorium on miracles. But I do see lists of miraculous gifts for the church (not just apostles) in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. So I think God intends to bless his word and his people with miracles in our day — extraordinary works of divine power that go beyond the laws of nature.

… when the Lord Jesus returns to heaven and the apostles have laid the foundation of the church in the New Testament and are taken off the scene, I think what we have is not a de-supernatualized religion. Not at all! The Holy Spirit has been poured out, and he is still fully capable of doing signs and wonders. Rather, we have a centralized focus on the word of God, the gospel, because all the central acts of salvation are now in history and it is the word that connects us with these saving acts of God in the past.

… As long as we keep the word of God in its properly central place, I think it would please the Lord for us to pray the way the early church did in Acts 4:29-30. Here’s what they said, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” We don’t dictate when or what kind or how many miracles God may do among us. But not to ask for them seems to me to be more secularistic and naturalistic than biblical.”

- John Piper, sermon: By Signs and Wonders, 8/20/06