“How does the Holy Spirit accomplish His work?” is a question that many brethren are confused over today. Some have actually been persuaded away from the teaching of the Bible concerning this matter by a number of people, both liberals and conservatives. It is time to refresh our collective memories relative to the work and the methods of operation of the Holy Spirit.
During the time of the ministry of Jesus and the apostles the Holy Spirit worked directly and miraculously to bring about His will. Anyone can take a concordance and write down every reference to the Spirit in the New Testament. Z. T. Sweeney did so in his book, The Spirit and the Word, published by the Gospel Advocate Company many years ago. The student who examines each of the texts mentioning the Holy Spirit will be impressed with the high percentage of passages in which there is a clear reference to the direct, miraculous work of the Spirit.
Most of the instances refer either to inspiration or to the working of miracles which establish the fact that someone is inspired (and therefore should be heeded). The Holy Spirit was active in the New Testament church. The question many consider is, “Is He active in the church and in the lives of Christians today?” Of course, the answer must be in the affirmative. If the reply were in the negative, we would arrive at the unenviable position of saying that we are on our own and have no Divine help whatsoever, in which case it would be futile to pray or expect God to work on our behalf in a providential way. So the question is not, “Does God do anything?” The question is “How does He do it?”
In Ephesians 6:17 the Christian is admonished to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The Holy Spirit has a weapon, a “sword” that He uses to accomplish His purpose, to effect change in human beings. Does He work providentially? Yes, but events alone will not change anyone without words (correct instruction). The Word is His tool–His means of causing us to come to a knowledge of the Truth.
We are invited to share also in the use of this sword. With it we labor to teach others. On the positive side we use this sword to preach the gospel to the lost and to edify the church. On the negative side we defend against error and a multitude of false doctrines. The same Word that saves men souls (James 1:21) also is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all them that are sanctified (Acts 20:32). The Word is sufficient to accomplish what God wants. He does not use the Word to reach those outside of Christ and then find it necessary to impact the Christian directly because the Word, which was powerful enough to save a soul and start him on his heavenly journey, has now become insufficient to complete the task.
Sweeney (and most other brethren) took issue with this philosophy years ago, showing that the Word (the sword of the Spirit) is sufficient to accomplish all of God’s purposes, thus eliminating the need for extra or special, direct help from God, which implies perfectionism and infallibility (see our article dated 12-17-00 for a further explanation). The following points come from Sweeney’s book. They will sometimes be paraphrased and edited; all the material comes from pages 122-27.
1. In a sense, the Spirit provides for us faith: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
2. The Holy Spirit is active in our birth: “Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The water we understand as baptism, but how is the Spirit involved? “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 2:23). The “seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). The non-Christian hears the Word of God, and if that Word produces faith, he repents of his sins and is baptized for their forgiveness. The Holy Spirit may have providentially arranged the opportunity for him to have heard that word, but it is still the message that converts.
3. The Holy Spirit provides light: “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:130).
4. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom; we are even taught to pray for it (James 1:5). But how does God give us wisdom? Providence may be involved, but ultimately it is from the Word: “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). Even under the old covenant God worked this way: “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7b).
5. The same verse tells us of the impact that the Word has upon us: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Ps. 19:7a).
6. God’s Word (and therefore the Holy Spirit) enlightens us: “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 19:8b).
7. Through the Spirit’s efforts we get understanding: “Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way” (Ps. 119:104).
8. Does the Holy Spirit quicken us, or make us alive? He uses the Word to make that happen: “…for Your word has given me life” (Ps. 119:50).
9. The Holy Spirit uses His Word in order to save us: “…receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).
10. The Spirit is involved in the work of sanctification, but again He uses a mediate or proximate cause upon us. Jesus prayed for His disciples in that connection: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
11. How are we purified? The apostle wrote: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
12. The Word plays a part in cleansing us: “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3).
13. God uses the Word as a means of delivering us from sin: “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And being set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18).
14. We also receive our divine nature through the Word: “By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4).
15. God sanctifies us through His Word and makes us fit for glory: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
16. God even strengthened His people by means of the Word long before the New Testament took effect. “My soul melts from heaviness; strengthen me according to Your word” (Ps. 119:28).
Can anyone name anything that the Holy Spirit has accomplished in us that the Bible does not teach He can accomplish through His Word? What Sweeney observed concerning those who hold to the literal indwelling also holds true for those who posit a “direct” influence:
It is not claimed that a direct indwelling of the Spirit makes any new revelations, adds reasons or offers any new motives than are found in the word of God (125-26).
Therefore, if the Holy Spirit can use His sword, the Word of God, to accomplish all the things listed previously in an indirect manner, then upon what basis would He also need to act personally and directly? To thus argue implies that the Word is somehow insufficient–even though it is the means that the Spirit has chosen to act upon us. The Word says it is sufficient for all these things. Those who argue that we need special extra help further affirm that the direct influence of the Holy Spirit is not altogether sufficient to perfect us, either (for we still choose to sin). The truth is, however, that the sword of the Spirit is sufficient to prepare us for eternity (Acts 20:32).