DIVYA JYOTI VOL. 60 ISSUE E-5 MONTH-MAY YEAR-2009

The Church in the 21st century, when in a hectic world of need, seems to be devoid of the spiritual power and zeal as compared to that of the first century Church formed after Pentecost because it has lost sight of the fact that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, is the Administrator of her affairs in the dispensation of grace. Rarely, we find the appearance of Pentecostal inspiration and enthusiasm in contemporary Christianity. But Christianity is nothing if not spiritual. Why has not the Church, now about 2000 years old, achieved a fuller realization of the witness of the Holy Spirit? Has the Church accomplished all the purpose and mission of God? Certainly not, till in this hi-tech world a major task of evangelisation and spiritual renewal is finished.
Christians everywhere should hence desire for a more comprehensive knowledge of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. They should wish to understand with ardent fervour how the Spirit's fullness can be received and retained. Realizing all that the Third Person of the Trinity has for us, means the transformation of facts of promise into factors of power. When Spirit-filled, life is enriched, labour is empowered, and the Lord is enthroned.
The doctrine of the Spirit is mysterious because of our finite and incomplete understanding. The truth of the Spirit transcends, but does not contradict reason. Unfortunately, it is imperative to grasp the truth of the Spirit for many reasons: Because it is a i) neglected doctrine, ii) misunderstood doctrine, iii) perverted doctrine, iv) Scriptural doctrine, and v) a practical doctrine. Bearing in mind that He, the Holy Spirit, is referred to some 90 times in the Old Testament with 18 different designations applied to him, and around 260 times in the New Testament with 39 different names or titles we realize His conspicuous place in this age of grace, which is the dispensation of "the ministration of the Spirit" (2 Corinth. 3:8); and that it is spiritually disastrous to neglect what the Bible reveals of His activities.

The Names and Titles of the Spirit
In the Old Testament, we have 18 different titles given to Him, falling into three groups:
a) Those expressing His relation to God- The Spirit of God, The Spirit of the Lord, My Spirit, Thy Spirit, His Spirit
b) Those expressing His character- Thy Good Spirit, A Free Spirit, Thy Holy Spirit, a New Spirit
c) Those expressing His operations upon men- The Spirit of Wisdom, of Understanding, of Counsel and Might, of Knlowledge, of Grace and Supplication, of Burning, The Voice of the Almighty, The Breath of the Almighty

In the New testament we can find 39 different designations applied to the selfsame Spirit, falling into 5 separate groups:
a) Names expressing His relation to God the Father-viz. The Promise of the Father, The gift of God, the Spirit of the Living God, The Power of the Highest et al.
b) Names expressing His relation to God the Son- viz. The Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of His Son, Another comforter
c) Names expressing His relation to God's people viz. The Spirit of A) Holiness, B)Life, Adoption, C) Faith, D) Praise, E) Power and discipline, F) Grace, G) Glory, and H) The Comforter, I) The Anointing
d) Names setting forth His own essential character- The Holy One
e) Names expressing His own special Deity: One Spirit, Eternal Spirit, Seven Spirits. .

The Symbols of the Spirit
By means of symbols, parables, metaphors, and emblems it pleases God to reveal Himself to our hearts, to communicate His will to man in his everyday language. Following are the emblems for the Holy Spirit divided into three groups:
1. Inanimate nature: Air(wind, breath), water (rivers, rain, floods, springs), fire, oil, seed, seal, wine
2. Animal nature: Dove, peace, beauty, innocence, patience, sincerity
3. Human life: The Finger of God, The Porter of the Flock, The number Seven, The Paraclete
The Holy Spirit is in many ways the secret of all divine blessings:
a) Breath & wind: secret of vitality- life
Speech-testimony, Motion- activity
b)Dew,water & rain: secret of satisfaction -thirst, Beauty-flowers, Fertility-crops, harvests
c) Oil: secret of joy-cheerfulness
facility-readiness, fragrance-unction
d) Fire: secret of light-knowledge
Heat-love, Power-conquest

The Scriptures and the Spirit
A close study of Scripture reveals there great dispensations or ages, in which one Person in the Godhead is prominent. In the Old Testament we have the dispensation of God the Father. In the Gospels, we have the dispensation of God the Son, during which He lives with us, promising to send the Spirit. In the Acts and the epistles we have the dispensation of God the Spirit, who carries on the work of Christ in and through us. And the Holy Three are vitally connected. The Spirit is spoken of as being "third" not in any sense of inferiority, for all three Persons in the Trinity are coequal( in power and glory) and coeternal. He is spoken of as being "third" because of His manifestation and work. Thus the order of divine performance is, from the Father- through the Son- by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, the last revealed personality of the Trinity, is 'third' not in order of time, or dignity of nature, but in order and manner of subsisting. The Holy Spirit is the Link between the Father and the Son, and is linked to the Father by the Son. The Spirit truly possesses a personality being able to think, feel and will and having the capacity for fellowship- the elements needed for a personality. Even Christ accepted Him as a Person(cf. Jn. 16). The Spirit searches, cries, testifies, teaches, leads, commands, pray, constrains and restrains. The Spirit shares the attributes of the Father and the Son - Eternity, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, Sovereignty, Holiness and Foreknowledge and performs tasks, as God in action, only possible to Deity like that of Creation, Resurrection, Regeneration and Inspiration.

Activities of the Spirit in the Old Testament

Association in Creation
He is Co-Creator of: the world, man, animal world, beauty, substance, rest, death, Christ's human body, the new nature, the Church, the Scriptures.
Association with Old Testament Characters: as seen in rulers and kings, in power conferred upon judges, in ministry of prophets, and in the service of priests.
Association with Institutions: The Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temple.
Association with Nations: Israel, Canaan

Activities of the Spirit in the New Testament
Christ's public ministry: the Spirit, Prophesied about Him, testifies of Christ, Glorifies Christ, convicts the world about Christ, Transforms men into Christ's image. Christ was Prophesied by the Spirit, Born of the Spirit, Justified by the Spirit, Anointed with the Spirit, Gladdened by the Spirit, Died by the Spirit, Raised by the Spirit and gave Commandments by the Spirit.

The Saints and the Spirit
Regarding the association between the Holy Spirit and the Church as a collective body of Saints, we can note the following aspects:
1. The Spirit brought the Church into being
(cf. Acts 2:47; Eph. 2:5-6; 1 Cor. 12:13-27)
2. The Spirit is the source of Church unity
(cf. Gal. 3:27-28; Eph. 4:3-4; 1 Cor. 12:12-26)
3. The Spirit fashions the Church into His Temple (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Pet. 2:5)
4. The Spirit bestows His gifts upon the Church
(cf. 1 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 4:11-12)
5. The Spirit governs and controls the Church
(cf. Acts 13:2,4, 8-9; 16:6-7; 20:28; Rev. 2-3)
6. The Spirit supplies all that is necessary for the Church's growth (cf. Acts 9:31)
7. The Spirit ever magnifies Christ as the Head of the Church (cf. Jn. 16:13-14; Eph 1:22-23)