A STUDY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part Fifteen)

By Bob Myhan

Some apparently think that, if the Holy Spirit operates on Christians, He must do so directly (apart from means). There is no need, however, for Him to do so.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Thus, everything the Holy Spirit does, in the Christian, He does by means of the word of God, which is spiritual seed.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.' "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:4-11).

When the same action is affirmed of a person and an instrument it may be said that the person performs the action via the instrument. It would be absurd to say that the person does not perform the action.

Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?

Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?

As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,

Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! (Isa 10:15)

Therefore, to say that the word of God is the instrument by means of which the Holy Spirit works in the Christian, does not minimize the fact that it is the Holy Spirit who is thus working. What, then, does the Holy Spirit do in the Christian?

First, He sanctifies the Christian; that is, He sets the Christian apart from the world.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11)

But this “setting apart” is accomplished by means of our obedience to the word of God.

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17).

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 2:13-14).

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work (2 Tim. 2:19-21).

Thus, the Christian is not sanctified by the Holy Spirit apart from the word.

[To be continued]

DIVINE PROVIDENCE (Part Ten)

Providence and Civil Government

By Bob Myhan

“God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses” (Dan. 5:21). However, there has only been one theocracy, only one nation ruled by God through a systematic law – ancient Israel. G

And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:3-6).

When the ten northern tribes of Israel followed Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and formed a separate and distinct kingdom from Judah, God told Jeroboam,

....if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever' " (1 Kings 11:38-39).

But Jeroboam did not keep the statutes and commandments of God.

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah." Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!" And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense. (1 Kings 12:25-33)

When Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, fell sick Jeroboam sent his wife to the prophet of God to find out what would become of Abijah. Though she was in disguise, God told the prophet who she was and said to tell her that Abijah would die as soon as she stepped foot, again, in the capital city and he would be the only child of Jeroboam who would be buried. The others would be eaten by dogs if they died in the city and eaten by birds if they died in the field. Both Jeroboam’s personal reign and his dynasty would come to a grisly end (1 Kings 14:1-16). All came to pass as a result of free human actions (1 Kings 14:17-20; 15:25-30).

While God did not directly cause these things, He allowed them “because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger” (1 Kings 15:30).

Later, King Ahab’s reign and dynasty also came to a gruesome end. Preparing for battle, he asked Micaiah, the prophet, whether he would survive. The man of God said he would not. So, Ahab disguised himself before proceeding to the battlefield (1 Kings 22:17).

"Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, ‘Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.’ The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot” (1 Kings 22:34-35).

[To be continued]