Growing in Christ
Holy Spirit
Why you need the Holy Spirit
06 months ago
In doing a little research today, I ran across a section I’d marked in On Communion with God from a previous read that I thought I’d share. I tend to like lists, especially pithy ones that pack a lot of weight into a small amount of space. What I appreciate about what Dr. Owen says bellow is that he hits home on the mundain needs of the Spirit in daily life. We never drift towards godliness, and thus never drift towards a reliance on the Spirit. Thus, daily, I’m either content in Christ or complaining, hardened against sin or wooed by it, puffed up by performance or humbled by grace, taken in by the love of money and our sex-saturated culture, or fretting about the world around me. Without the Spirit, none of those distinctions have hope in them, but with the “consolations” or help of the Spirit there is the power of Christ to walk in wisdom and holiness.
In a word, in all the concernments of this life, and in our whole expectation of another, we stand in need of the consolations of the Holy Ghost.
- 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.
- 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 Owen, On Communion with God, Works II: 261.
Other editions:
Puritan Paperback Series: On Communion with God by John Owen (with abridgments and edits to be easier to read)
Communion with the Triune God by John Owen, edited by Justin Taylor and Kelly M. Kapic
A meditation on the fruit of the Spirit
07 months ago
I was startled by little grammatical thing in Galatians 5 the other week. Have you ever noticed that we generally say “The fruits of the Spirit,” when the text actually puts it in the singular form, “fruit of the Spirit”? It’s not just a lack of the “s” on “fruits”, but the singularity of it is reinforced by the “is” – “the fruit of the Spirit is” – which means that whatever the “fruit of the Spirit” is, it’s equivocated as being equal to what follows (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) as a whole, not as parts.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)
This observation got my mind on a trail of thought, let me see if I can spell it out to be of use to you.
If “the fruit of the Spirit” is equivocated with the list that follows as a whole and not parts, this means that where weakness and indulgence to the flesh exists (“fruits of the flesh”) in a believer, that there is a deeper principle in the soil that already indwells and exists in the soul for the sake of repentance, hope, and growth in that area.
There is no second-blessing godliness. We do not, in a real way, need to pray for the Lord to gift us love, joy, peace, etc. But rather, we need to pray for the Spirit who is living in us to continue to cultivate that area (where the weakness/sin is) in our soul (that he is already producing growth in!) so that we might experience and see the manifestation of the desired fruit of the evidence of his indwelling Life and presence.
The Spirit does not take up shop in our soul and wait for our requests for change to be made in just the right way to then send a mail-order off for that desired fruit of his presence. The Spirit moves in with life, a graciously, godly life that starts producing life immediately that brings forth fruit, which consists of every category in the spectrum of life: conviction, repentance, trust, and growth, feeling conviction for the lack of self-control is evidence that the Spirit is pushing up life into the soil of our hearts for the fruit of his living presence.
What a hope giving reality. No more second-blessing godliness. Life in the Spirit! There is nothing I lack – and the belief that I do is the inherent sin in second-blessing godliness – I have the Spirit. Whatever I need, God is already giving. It already exists in the Spirit’s indwelling life.
I executed myself this morning.
02 years ago
I got stood up today. You know:
“Hey, let’s do coffee!”
“Awesome. [Fill in scheduling] See you there!”
Time arrives… your sitting there… waiting… and waiting… and waiting…
What do you do? I typically ruminate and internally fume with a nice face on.
I can’t believe this. I rearrange my schedule. I get here almost on time. I buy my coffee. Don’t they know I’ve sacrificed to be here? How can they be so irresponsible? I’m the one trying to be godly here and invest in other people’s lives.
You can see the wickedness of that line of thinking. Maybe you’ve been down that road before. I have, a lot.
So it happened again this morning. And I began to see those thoughts creep in. If we want to be honest about it, they are simply fruits of the flesh – the result of sowing to our pride, vanity, and arrogance:
Now the works of the flesh are evident…idolatry…enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions (Gal. 5:20).
That’s me.
[Enter, Holy Spirit.]
I began to walk down this road of thinking again this morning, but had hesitations and an inner conflict. I didn’t merely know my thinking on this path was wrong, I actually didn’t want it.
I executed myself this morning.
It wasn’t me, I promise; but then again, it was. Part of me wanted to be offended by my friend stiffing me at Starbucks. I wanted to ruminate upon all that had occurred. But then I wanted to not be me. I didn’t want to be the mean Jacob who would hold this over my friend, even internally and secretly; a grudge down in the cellar in a little jar that I could go and contemplate when I wanted to crawl into my little whole of self-pity.
If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)
The Spirit moved in me. He is working in me to conform me to the kingdom of light that Christ transferred me to by his blood. It has to be the Spirit, you see, it can’t be me. Why?
Because men on death row don’t give up without a fight.
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)
The fact of the matter is that I really don’t want to live in such a way to enjoy God without God working in me to enjoy him. I’d probably enjoy a good revelry in feeling superior to another person.
But here’s how this morning worked. I killed those desires. I repented of them the moment they came up and looked to thinking gracious, loving thoughts. All of that is not me. That was the Spirit. And the outcome? Joy. He works his power in me because of Christ to kill those things that Christ killed to give me the reward that Christ got: joy.
I got joy from executing myself this morning.
Why joy? I think I experienced joy because I could see that God was working in me – he hadn’t left me to the fruit of my sinful heart. Joy because I belong to him and enjoy Him doing construction work in me – and I see the results. I am not a loving person by nature, but God is, and he’s making to be like him. That’s the Gospel at work in me. Small steps at a time for small people. Praise his name.
The Effects of a Depraved Mind in Believers
03 years ago
Bellow is a selection from Owen’s work on the Holy Spirit where he’s discussing the “futility” or vanity of the depraved mind (Ephesians 4:17) and how this persists in believers after they have experienced the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
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And there are three effects of this natural vanity of the mind in its depraved condition to be found among believers themselves:—
- An instability in holy duties, as meditation, prayer, and hearing of the word. How ready is the mind to wander in them, and to give entertainment unto vain and fond imaginations, at least unto thoughts and apprehensions of things unsuited to the duties wherein we are engaged! How difficult is it to keep it up unto an even, fixed, stable frame of acting spiritually in spiritual things! How is it ready at every breath to unbend and let down its intension! All we experience or complain of in this kind is from the uncured relics of this vanity.
- This is that which inclines and leads men towards a conformity with and unto a vain world, in its customs, habits, and ordinary converse; which are all vain and foolish… Professors, it may be, will not comply with the world in the things before mentioned, that have no other use nor end but merely to support, act, and nourish vanity; but from other things, which, being indifferent in themselves, are yet filled with vanity in their use, how ready are many for a compliance with the course of the world, which lieth in evil and passeth away!
- It acts itself in fond and foolish imaginations, whereby it secretly makes provision for the flesh and the lusts thereof; for they all generally lead unto self-exaltation and satisfaction.
And these, if not carefully checked, will proceed to such an excess as greatly to taint the whole soul. And in these things lie the principal cause and occasion of all other sins and miscarriages. We have, therefore, no more important duty incumbent on us than mightily to oppose this radical distemper. It is so, also, to attend diligently unto the remedy of it; and this consists,
- In a holy fixedness of mind, and an habitual inclination unto things spiritual; which is communicated unto us by the Holy Ghost, as shall be afterward declared, Eph. iv. 23, 24.
- In the due and constant improvement of that gracious principle, —[1.] By constant watchfulness against the mind’s acting itself in vain, foolish, unprofitable imaginations, so far at least [as] that vain thoughts may not lodge in us; [2.] By exercising it continually unto holy spiritual meditations, “minding always the things that are above,” Col. iii. 2; [3.] By a constant, conscientious humbling of our souls, for all the vain actings of our minds that we do observe; — all which might be usefully enlarged on, but that we must return.
(Works of John Owen, III: 254-55 – My formatting)
Spirit of Christ
04 years ago
A name for the Holy Spirit that John Owen recently drew my attention to is, “the Spirit of Christ” in Romans 8:9. Of course I’d read, and knew the name before, but had not given deep thought. There is something enormously powerful in understanding the name “Spirit of Christ” in the names of the Holy Spirit. The core of this name is that the Spirit proceeds from Christ himself. The Spirit coming to us is the fulfillment of Christ’s promise in John 14:16, 26. And this is what struck me – the Holy Spirit comes to me directly from the hand of Christ. He, in a sense, still has the residue of the hand of Christ upon him when he comes to me. This image comes to mind: I love to get hand written letters, mostly because I think it is so cool to hold a letter in my hand that was last in the writer’s hand, then sent directly to me. It’s personal. So is the Holy Spirit.
When we experience a change of heart and mind to see, ascend to, and embrace Jesus Christ in the gospel, all of this action is the Holy Spirit’s prompting in our hearts. And he is there directly out of the hand of Christ; he is, in a real sense, our first taste of being with Christ. He is that letter from our lover’s hand. And because he is from Christ himself, and like him, the Holy Spirit’s work in us is to make us like Christ. We really know the present and real existence of Jesus Christ by the work and taste of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds.
The nature of the Spirit being named the Spirit of Christ is to draw our attention to the direct procession of the Holy Spirit from real, living, risen, glorified Jesus Christ to the believer, carrying all the Gospel graces of Jesus to the believer as a present witness to the truth of Christ. We know that Jesus lives because we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds turning us to believe in Jesus. And we know we have the Holy Spirit because we believe and trust only in the Gospel. All this comes from Jesus Christ.
And this sends my heart in worship: that I have a foretaste of the glory of my Savior. I love Jesus. I really do. And I long to see my Lord. What comfort it is to my heart to know that while the hours are evil between our meeting, the Spirit is a foretaste, a first fruit, a seal of the things to come in the revealing of Jesus Christ.
Thoughts on the “filling of the Spirit”
04 years ago
I struggle to understand what people mean when they say “the filling if the Spirit” or “the Holy Spirit is moving here”. I am a continuationist, and firmly believe that the Spirit is presently working in the redeemed of Christ with gifts for the life of discipleship after the Master. So categorically I affirm that the Spirit works, fills, empowers, gifts, etc. in many various ways. However, I am continually perplexed by what is exactly being communicated in the statement, “filled by the Spirit” – it’s an ambiguous phrase to me, as well as my wife. That said, I feel that the confusion is more on my side than on those who use it, and so I’m seeking to work through what it means. Below are some reflective thoughts on seeking to move myself into an understanding of what is being communicated. Not all the Scriptures in mind for these points are quoted, but there were many in mind as I worked through this.
- The Third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not just Spirit, it is itself potently holy; it is holy, promotes holiness, it creates holiness. It is itself the strength of God for the name of God. (Rf. Rom. 1:4, 8:13, Eph. 1:13,14, Rev. 1:4,12,16, 20 – where the perfect (7) Spirit is shown to be the foundation of the church, held in the hand of power of Christ).
- This is why, fundamentally, on Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit is mainly, and chiefly expressed in the preaching of the Gospel. (Rf. Acts 2:4 runs immediately into v. 14 – 5-13 is a parenthesis of sorts.)
- A foundational action of the Spirit is birthing believers into a clear, permanent, and pervasive distinction with the world. (Rf. John 3:3, Titus 2:4-8, Jer. 31:33 with Ezek. 11:19-20, Phil. 2:13,1 Cor. 2:12,14-15.)
- We are all born into a state of being ruled by the spirit of “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
- One of the things that comes out of this powerful phrase Paul uses is that air itself is permeating. There is something that we are born into, something that engulfs us, that in some serious sense, sustains us, nourishes us, and replenishes us.
- Air, to our physical bodies, must be present for us to live. Air, in a spiritual sense, is ruled by spiritual forces, and thereby derives what sort of nurturing it shall have.
- We know from this verse and Eph. 6:12 that the spirit of the power of the air is at war with God. The air of this world is being ruled by Satan; those of this world belong to him, they breath his air, they follow his rule.
- For the Holy Spirit to come and “fill us” is in some very real sense capturing the positive contrary of Eph. 2:2 – the Spirit of the power of God filling us.
- There are fundamentally two kingdoms in the universe, that of light, and that of darkness; flesh and spirit, life and death, God and Satan, holy and sin. The Holy Spirit “filling believers” is what God does to those who belong to them, weaning them off the World by the superior power of his presence within them.
- So, more fully, we can say that the Spirit fills believers to their promotion in holiness and sanctification, which is for the believer what the strength of God does. Jesus perfected us, and we are sanctified in him (Heb. 9:28), and therefore, the Spirit is working in us, being our air of his power, so to cause us to change to a different rule.
- We experience living under the rule of the power of the air felt natural and normal before the illumination to saving faith in a believer – it can also be said that the living in the Spirit is natural and normal (compared to fanciful flights of imaginative and preposterous stories). However, it can also be terribly uncomfortable, and uneasy seeing that we are corrupted in our nature to feel more at home with sin and wickedness than holiness and righteousness. The point here, however, is that spiritual existence is a “normal and natural” thing – it is the master you are under that determines how things are played out and to what end.
- The experiential note of the “filling of the Holy Spirit” is, to some degree, that holy sense of the value of the cross, and the redemption purchased there in being presently, actively, and powerfully applied to our existence.
- The “filling” is also that deep sense of the value of God in a new way. Phrases like “a fresh filling” are, for me, unhelpful at times. A renewed sense of the value, beauty, worth, and glory of God in some new understanding of him, or a deeper resolution and power for holy living to God are how we experience this renewed enlarged view.
- Ergo:: The phrase “The Holy Spirit is here with us, doing X, moving Y, etc.” is a pastoral recognition of the Spirit doing this “filling” in a body of believers, not just for an individual.
- The experiential side of this can be where Michelle and I struggle, as it seems. I think this should be, in part, buffered by personalities. Some people are extroversive than others. However, I think for us, the difference is that our hearts are not thrown into the adoration of God via the empowering of the Holy Spirit with the same affection, or with the same sensitivity as others may be experiencing. This is wrong, and we recognize it, and we seek to work through it by the Holy Spirit. I want to be more sensitive to the Spirit. This will come through a continual, steadfast existence before God in prayer and praise of his glory.
