Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 99:393 (Jan 1942)
Article: The Person of the Holy Spirit Part 8 The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
Author: John F. Walvoord

BSac 99:393 (Jan 42) p. 26

The Person of the Holy Spirit
Part 8
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer

John F. Walvoord

(Continued from the October-December Number, 1941)

[Author’s Note: Having previously considered the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation, we treat here the important work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian as evidenced in spiritual gifts, experience, and service for God.]

Introduction.

Few subjects are of more immediate moment in the experience of the believer in Christ than the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in His relation to the spiritual life. Important as other considerations may be from the standpoint of doctrine and accurate interpretation of the Scriptures, the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer has a prior place because it is directly related to every reality of the believer’s experience. The believer’s sanctification, spiritual understanding, assurance, service, prayer, and worship all spring from the work of the Spirit within. A proper understanding of the doctrine of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer will do much to unlock the possibilities for spiritual blessing and usefulness, and it is, accordingly, the duty of those who teach and preach to give careful attention to its study and proclamation.

The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer falls into two well-defined categories. The important subject of spiritual gifts as bestowed by the Holy Spirit must be considered first, as the preliminary to all the operations of the Spirit. Second, the work of the Holy Spirit in filling the believer, with consideration of its Biblical conditions and results, must be presented. The two aspects together determine the place and fruitfulness of every believer.

I. The Work of the Holy Spirit in Bestowing Spiritual Gifts

The church from the beginning has been plagued by two opposing extremes in its doctrine of spiritual gifts. From the

BSac 99:393 (Jan 42) p. 27

first, as the Corinthian epistles bear witness, there was abuse of spiritual gifts. In the course of the history of the church, excesses of the wildest kind are found in relation to this doctrine. On the other hand, there has been an appalling failure to appreciate the importance of spiritual gifts as determining the ministry of the church and as being essential to all its fruitfulness. The proper balance of doctrine is found in the Scriptures, and excesses have been noteworthy in their neglect of what the Scriptures actually teach. In the Scriptural revelation, certain facts are of great importance. First, the nature of the gifts of the Holy Spirit must be determined from the Scriptures. This at once distinguishes the true from the false. Second, spiritual gifts w...