11. In what clear words does Jesus explain the two phases of working of the Holy Spirit? John 14:17.
NOTE: ‘When Christ gave His disciples the promise of the Spirit, He was nearing the close of His earthly ministry. He was standing in the shadow of the cross, with a full realisation of the load of guilt that was to rest upon Him as the Sin Bearer. Before offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, He instructed His disciples regarding a most essential and complete gift which He was to bestow upon His followers, the gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of His grace. “I will pray the Father,” He said, “and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:16, 17. The Saviour was pointing forward to the time when the Holy Spirit should come to do a mighty work as His representative.’ Acts of the Apostles, page 47.
12. How do our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ work together, above all and through all, along with the Holy Spirit working in all, to keep the body of Christ in the earth as one? Eph 4:3-6.
NOTE: ‘Christ is represented as dwelling in His people; and believers, as “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,” says Paul, “beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, page 45.
LESSON INSIGHT: As soon as we awaken to the calls of the Holy Spirit, He takes us and grafts us into Christ the Vine. There we are cared for and tended by Our Father the divine Gardener. Isaiah spoke of this too. “Trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3. We are fed by the Word of God and watered by the Holy Spirit. Each sign of growth is rejoiced over by the Chief Gardener, as we rejoice over the plants we grow. Do we realise how much care goes into our nurturing? The love, the attention, the atmosphere, and even the careful pruning we are given. God will never cause us to come to nothing. He just wants the best from us. Then when the fruits appear and ripen, the life of Christ is fully revealed and all heaven rejoices. This is a miracle considering we were each a ‘rescue plant’. Next time you are gardening think of what heaven is doing for you. Do you have the Lifegiving words of scripture flowing through you?
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT: Maybe not what we know about the Holy Spirit, but what we observe. As Jesus said, Like the wind! The Bible frequently uses illustrations from the natural world of God’s Creation to teach us about the mysterious reality of our spiritual experience. The Holy Spirit is not visible to us any more than is the life-giving sap in the fruit trees, but yet we see the fruitage. We do not deny the sap’s existence. The same life-giving, life-changing power is in the Bible, the Word of God. We can see the miracles of lives changed by that Word. Once again, we do not deny that there is power in the printed words on those pages, even though we have no concept of how God works to transform lives through them. God is a God of power, working to awaken us, to lift us up and to bring us a rich life. If doubts begin to creep in, let us not try to analyse the fellowship of the Spirit as He comforts our spirit. Let us humble our hearts and look at the growing, living things of nature. There is mystery there too. But we do not doubt the process because we cannot explain the harvest! Then let us rest in the Lord. ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.’ Ecclesiastes 5:2. As Job said, ‘I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.’ Job 40:4.