THE HOLY SPIRIT IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER

John 1:32,33

32. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

John  3:5,6

5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 4:24

24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 7:37-39

37. In the last, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (inward parts) shall flow rivers of living water.

39. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

John 2:7-10

7. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

10. And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

Our Scriptures for this chapter are taken entirely from the Gospel of John. In the first seven chapters of this Gospel, we have a very striking, progressive unfolding of doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit. First, it is explained in abstract statements of truth, and then illustrated in a very significant and beautiful miracle.

We now wish to consider a few thoughts concerning the Spirit's relation to Christ.

In John 1:32 we see the Spirit, like a dove, descending from heaven and abiding on Jesus. Then in John 3:34 we are told that God did not give the Spirit by measure to Him.

Jesus, being always free from depravity -- from any moral infirmity that would prevent the workings of the Spirit, was literally filled and flooded, soul, mind, and body, all the time. As God's children, it is our privilege to have this fullness of the Spirit. To receive Him without measure is indeed a glorious privilege.

Up to this time all men who had received the Spirit, had been given Him by measure; that is, they had received some of His gifts and power. But Christ received the Spirit Himself in His personal presence and fullness. Christ first received Him as a pattern for His followers, and then gave Him forth to them, from His very own heart. Therefore, we read not only of Christ's receiving the Spirit, but of His giving the Spirit. John 1:33 says, "The same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." So it is through Him that we receive the Spirit. He comes not only from the Father, but from the Son. It is the glorious blood-bought privilege of every born-again person to be baptized with the Holy Ghost by fully submitting himself to the blessed Lord.

It is not so much a matter of compulsion by which we thus receive the Spirit -- Although it is true that we must have Him in sanctifying grace and power if we want to be prepared to meet Jesus at the end of our sojourn here. But it is, more truly, a privilege. We can reject Him and be eternally lost if we want to. We are not compelled to go to heaven. But it is our glorious privilege to be born again and then receive the Holy Ghost in His cleansing power and fullness. Then we may go sweeping through the gates of the city of God when our sojourn here is ended.

WE NOW SEE THE HOLY GHOST IN RELATION TO BELIEVERS

In John 3:5, 6, He is presented to us as the Spirit of regeneration. Jesus says here, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

This explicit statement of Jesus clearly states that every human soul is barred from the kingdom of God unless he experiences the new birth from heaven. This statement leaves no exception.

The very first experience of the Christian life is to receive a new heart by the effective administration of the Holy Spirit. Jesus plainly states that without this experience we cannot even see the kingdom of God, and certainly are powerless to enter It.

The Holy Spirit must create within us a new life -- altogether new spiritual senses through which we are adapted to live a spiritual life. A complete transformation takes place in the soul who is thus born of the Spirit. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). The apostle Paul declares, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17). Next we see the Holy Spirit in the aspect of His deeper work, that of personally indwelling the heart. In John 4:14 we find the words of Jesus to the woman of Samaria, "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Again we hear Jesus call, "If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink."

W. B. Godbey says, "This is one of the finest passages in all the Bible, transcendently profound, sublime, thrillingly edifying, lucidly expository of the glorious, positive side of experimental sanctification, progressing indefinitely through time and eternity -- first, ankle deep -putting us where we walk with God incessantly, going only where Jesus goes; then wading in unto the knees -- reaching an experience of great proficiency in kneeology, though ever so ignorant of theology, where we learn the grand secret of conquering on our knees; passing another interim of recognition and appreciation, we wade in up to the loins; then passing another interval of progress, we wade in over our heads; now we can swim and relax on the current of God's grace."

Drinking of the Spirit is more than receiving the Spirit. It is possible for us to receive the Spirit and yet not take advantage of our great privilege by drinking from the flowing fountain as abundantly as we might. The soul who is not drinking of the Spirit will very probably be dull in his prayer life, and slow in testimony.

In I Corinthians 12:13 the Apostle uses the Same figure: "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body . . . and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." To use an old figure, we might illustrate by referring to the bottle in the ocean and the ocean in the bottle.

Drinking of the Spirit is the habit of faith. It is an exercise of our spiritual senses which constantly renews and quickens our spiritual life, filling us and refreshing us, so that we are glad to pour out our full vessel in service for others. The possession of the Spirit demands, on our part, the proclaiming of His power to others.

So we read in the next verse, verse 38, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (inward parts) shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.)"

This is the outflow of the spiritual life. It is the evidence that we are filled because we now occupy ourselves in helping others to obtain this blessing. No mere physical manifestation, or demonstration, such as "speaking in tongues," can be the proof of the Spirit's abiding presence. But this outflow of the spiritual life is an unmistakable evidence.

Like Elijah's river, it is flowing out, and not in. The word river suggests the idea of fullness, magnitude, abundance; it makes one think of that which is spontaneous, free, overflowing. This experience of "great grace" does not need to be pumped up. It flows of itself for very fullness.

God does not desire anything that must be pressed or squeezed from an unwilling giver. Prayer that is offered to God from a sense of duty is not apt to accomplish very much. Prayer must be natural, as in David's case when he said that he found a prayer in his heart. Work that is done because we feel that it is our bounden duty, will not merit, nor receive, much reward. The word that is spoken because it is expected of us, will not be very effective.

All these -- prayer, work and words that are the result of a sense of duty -- are indeed cold and, as has been mentioned, comparatively worthless. The power of the Holy Spirit makes us enthusiastic for God. Let us look at a beautiful object lesson of this truth in the second chapter of this blessed Gospel of John. It is the Miracle of Cana of Galilee.

We are told that this was the first of Christ's miracles; because of this fact, it must have had a special significance. We are also told that it was a miracle which manifested forth Jesus' glory, and this suggests to us that there was some deep lesson back of this miracle which made it worthy to occupy a place right in the beginning of John's Gospel. Indeed it is a kind of parable and symbol of the whole truth which we have been endeavoring to unfold from the direct teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ in the passages which we have mentioned.

In the miracle at Cana we see the failure of our natural life, joy, and love, in the exhaustion of Cana's wine. Beautiful indeed is the bridal scene with its fair and fragrant blossoms, the freshness and beauty of young womanhood, the vigor and nobility of young manhood, bright and sunny hopes, and prospects of future happiness.

But, oh, how soon the vision fails! How quickly the goblet of pleasure is drained! How often the serpent is found in the dregs, and all that remains is a memory, more bitter because of the joy that has turned to sadness! So is a life lived for this world.

Alas for life if this were all! But it is just when the natural fails that the divine begins. It is just when the old creation dies, that the new creation rises. It is just when Cana's wine is exhausted, that Jesus of Nazareth appears. Yes, He is always ready and willing to take over when we come to Him with our failures.

In this great miracle we have a magnificent illustration of regeneration and sanctification. The water Symbolizes life; and the wine, the Holy Spirit. In the regenerated experience we receive the water of life; and in sanctification the new wine of the Kingdom. Let every regenerated person make a complete consecration to God, and then turn over his experience to the Omnipotent Sanctifier, implicitly trusting Him to bestow the sanctifying experience.

Next we have the filling of the vessels. The Master commands, "Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them to the brim." These were just water pots made for ordinary use. They were earthen vessels. But they were empty and clean. All that was necessary was to fill the vessels with pure water.

The vessels at the wedding feast represent the vessels of our lives. We are but earthen vessels -- just common stuff. But if the empty vessels are offered to the Master, He will fill them. And if they are filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit, then something will surely come to pass. There will be surprising experiences in the life that becomes filled with God, just as marked as was the surprise of those who poured the water into the vessels at Cana and immediately drew out the best of wine. But these vessels of ours must be full "to the brim." Everything else must be out. The Holy Spirit does not take us by halves, nor will He give Himself by halves. No one is sanctified by degrees. The work of sanctification is instantaneous, and then follows a wonderful life of growth in grace and spiritual development which was not possible before. It is the fullness which makes the overflow.

Next comes the other, or nobler, side of the miracle. The filling is the smallest part. What next? "Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast." Begin to use the water and, lo, it becomes wine!

How clear and plain the lesson! Both water and wine are types of the Holy Spirit. Water speaks of cleansing and fullness. Wine tells of joy, of love, and of life divine.

When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are Christians who minister to thirsty souls refreshing "cold water"; but when we are pouring forth His fullness in holy service, we are the bearers of heavenly wine.

There is a passage of Scripture in the New Testament which refers to "rivers of living water." They are running out and running over -- but they suggest more than water. There is the joy and the gladness in the Spirit-filled heart that turns all life into a marriage feast and a joyful song.

Even the world itself is forced to admit, like the ruler of Cana's wedding, "The best wine has come last."