The Holy Ghost is often described as light. He shines in the darkness of the heart and convinces us of our sin (Jn 16:7-11). It is the lamp that illuminates the word of God, teaching the truth and presenting the truth as precious (1Co 2. 6-16). And the Spirit enlightens Christ that we may see his glory and be transformed (Jn 16:14), so 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks of becomes more christlike as he contemplates the glory of Christ, like Moses. His face was transfigured when he saw the glory of the Lord on Mount Sinai (Ex 34:29; 2Co 3:7), so we will be transformed when, through the Spirit, we contemplate God’s glory before Christ.
Therefore, the Spirit is a light to us in three ways: by exposing our guilt, illuminating the word of God, and showing us Christ; or, to put it another way, such as Divine Light, the Holy Ghost works to reveal sin, reveal When we close our eyes to this light, or despise what we should see through its brightness, we are guilty of resisting the Spirit (Acts 7. 51), or turning it off (1 Ts 5. 19) or saddening the Spirit (Ephesians 4. 30). There may be small nuances between the three terms, but they all speak of the same fundamental reality: refusing to see and like what the Spirit wants to show us.
- So are there three ways to sadden the Holy Ghost?Three ways that can be surprising.
- Because they correspond to the three ways in which the Spirit acts as a light to denounce our guilt.
- Enlighten the word.
- And show us Christ.
First, let us sadden the Holy Ghost when we use it as an excuse for our sin. The Spirit is the source of conviction in human hearts. How sad, therefore, when Christians try to use the Spirit as a license for ruthless behavior. Do we see people if they’re really deceived or intentional charlatans?they declare that the leadership of the Spirit is the reason for their non-biblical divorce, or of their economic misconduct, or of their beloved new sexual liberation. The Holy Spirit is always the Spirit of Holiness. Your intention is to show us our sin. If the Holy Ghost becomes sad when we move from righteousness to sin, how sad it must be when we declare the authority of the Spirit for such a deliberate rebellion!
Second, let us sadden the Holy Ghost when we put him in competition with the scriptures. The Spirit works to reveal the truth of God’s word and not to turn away from it. There is no place in the Christian life to assume or suggest such special attention to The Bible is in no way contrary to sincere devotion to the Holy Spirit. Anyone who wants to honor the Spirit will do well to honor the scriptures he has inspired as a means of enlightenment.
Christians sometimes cite John 16:13’s promise that the Spirit will guide them to the whole truth, as a reason to expect the third person of the Godhead to give us new knowledge not found in the scriptures, but the truth?John 16 refers to the whole truth about everything that relates to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. The Spirit will reveal the things to come, revealing to the Apostles (v. 12) the meaning of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and resurrection. Exaltation. The Spirit, speaking through the Father and the Son, would help the Apostles remember what Jesus said and understand the true meaning of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished (Jn 14:26).
This means that the Spirit is responsible for the truths preached by the Apostles and, in turn, they were written in what we now call the New Testament. And we don’t need to go beyond the Bible?For he the Apostles, and those under the aegis of their authority, wrote the Bible through the revelation of the Spirit. The Bible is the book of the Spirit. Insisting on exegetic precision, theological rigor, and attentive attention to the word of God should never be reduced to filling our heads with knowledge, let alone in any way contrary to the real work of the Spirit.
Third, let us sadden the Holy Ghost when we suggest that he is jealous of our focus on Christ. The work of the Holy Ghost is to serve. It says only what he hears (Jn 16:13). He declares what is given to him; their mission is to glorify another (John 16:14). The three peoples of the Trinity are fully God, and yet, in the divine economy, the Son makes known the Father and the Spirit glorifies the Son. Yes, it is a terrible one to ignore the Spirit and it is unwise to neglect the indispensable role it plays in our lives, but we must not think that we can focus too much on Christ, or that when we exalt Christ for the glory of God the Father, the spirit somehow gets bored in a corner. The purpose of the Spirit is to enlighten Christ; has no desire to enlighten him.
Exalting Christ, focusing on Christ, talking a lot, and often singing about Christ are not proof of the rejection of the Spirit, but of the work of the Spirit. If the symbol of the church is the cross and not the dove, it is because the Spirit wants it to be so. As JIPacker says, “The message the Spirit sends us is never: “Look at me; Listen to me; Come to me; You know me, but still:?Look at him, look at his glory; Listen to him and listen to his word; Go to him and have life; know him and come from his gift and peace. “
Again, knowing nothing about the Holy Ghost is a grave mistake (see Acts 19:2). But when Christians deploy exaggerated attention to Christ or complain that the cross is given too much importance, such protests sadden the Spirit Himself; the Holy Ghost not only expects to be noticed and praised; his work is not to shine before us, but to illuminate the glory of Christ. To contemplate the glory of God the Father in the face of the Son Jesus Christ is not to marginalize the Holy Ghost; is to celebrate his work of grace among us.
Whether we are talking about holiness, the Bible, or Jesus Christ, let us never oppose the Spirit to what he wants to accomplish; we do not honor the Spirit by trying to diminish what he seeks to exalt; and we don’t follow in his footsteps. throwing others (or ourselves) in the direction of what saddens them most.