Ralph Riggs - The Spirit Himself

THE SPIRIT HIMSELF

Ralph M. Riggs

PENTECOSTAL CLASSICS

THE SPIRIT HIMSELF beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.

And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but THE SPIRIT HIMSELF maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

American Standard Version

1977, 1949 by Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, Missouri 65802-1894. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the copyright owner, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.

International Standard Book Number 0-88243-590-6

PREFACE

The ministers of the Pentecostal Movement have been so busy preaching the truths vouchsafed to them in these last days, that not many writers have taken time to set down in systematic form these things which are most surely believed among us. There are now thousands of students in our Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges who must be taught, among the doctrines of Christianity, the distinctive doctrines of our Church. Our ministers likewise are in need of additional material relating to our distinctive testimony. Our laymen, too, may profit by having a new book concerning Pentecostal doctrine. To all these we ascribe and dedicate the following pages.

The notes from which this book has been written were prepared as studies in Pentecostal Truth for use in the 1948 Michigan Ministers Seminar. To the ministers who constituted the class at this seminar goes credit for profitable discussion of the many matters which are dealt with herein.

We acknowledge assistance and guidance received from the authors mentioned in the Bibliography, many of whom we have quoted in these pages. Above all, to the Spirit Himself go our deepest gratitude and sincerest praise for the revelation of the truths which we believe He has granted us in this treatise.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers..

Among Pentecostal people there is not the slightest wavering concerning the divine authorship of the Scriptures. There is not one doubter among them concerning the creation of the world and all life by the fiat of God, as over against the popular heresy of evolution. The eternal deity of Christ, the only begotten Son of God; His virgin birth; His miracles; His vicarious death on Calvary; His physical resurrection from the dead, are all firmly believed by all Pentecostal people. The one defection that has come to our ranks has grown out of an over-emphasis of the doctrine of the deity of Christ. There is a group which is Pentecostal which now holds that there is only one person in the Godhead and His name is Jesus. This departure from orthodoxy is deplored by the great majority of Pentecostal people and fellowship has been withdrawn from this erring group. With this one exception, the Pentecostal ranks have been kept pure and unsullied by variation from standard orthodoxy; and the Pentecostal people can be said to be most intense and wholehearted in their worship, in their separation from the world, and in their evangelistic and missionary zeal.

Yet, it is the way which they (others) call heresy. It is the sect that is everywhere spoken against. only concern is lest it be our own faults for which we suffer, rather than purely for our religious faith and practice.

The reason for this estrangement and opposition lies largely in the fear of what is called emotionalism and in the lack of information concerning the doctrines of Pentecostals. Caricatures and excesses have also occurred, unfortunately, and these have caused a reaction which has naturally been unfavorable. All of this serves as a cloud to hide the work of God from those who should appreciate it, and constitutes a stumbling stone and rock of offense to shut out those who are not hungry enough for God to be willing to go without the camp bearing His reproach.

There are many thousands who are sincere followers of our Lord and who believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but who are strangers to the Pentecostal experience. It is to be regretted that the joy and power of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and subsequent blessings have not yet been entered into by these friends. To them we extend a sincere hand of encouragement and assistance. We commend to their consideration the study of the Holy Spirit which follows. We ask only that they search the Scriptures to see if these things be so.

N O one can be a consistent believer of the Bible without holding the doctrine of the tri-unity of the Godhead. In addition to the numberless references to the different persons of the Godhead which are found throughout the whole Word of God, there are certain particular passages which refer to all three members of the Trinity. When Jesus was baptized in Jordan, John saw the Holy Spirit descending and heard a voice from heaven saying, This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. are further scriptures representing all three members of the Holy Trinity.

An additional proof of the existence of three persons in the Godhead is found in the fact that God is so complete, contains in His character such a wide range and broad compass of all virtues, and is such a perfect example in every respect, that it is necessary that there be a plurality of persons in the Godhead in order to contain and express it all. Strength, courage, humility, love, faith, hope, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, righteousness, holiness, power, wisdom, truth, comfort, faithfulness, authority, companionship, serviceall find perfect embodiment and expression in God. If the Godhead were only the sovereign Ruler, He could not have vacated His throne to become a helpless baby and to demonstrate the perfect humility which is inherent in His nature and which He manifested when He girded Himself and washed the disciples feet. If there were no God the Son, then God the Father would have had no opportunity to have loved from the foundation of the world. In reality He could not even be the God of Love that He is, for there can be no love of others if there is no expression of it, and there could have been no expression of Gods love had there not been other members of the Trinity upon whom to bestow . How could He ever have descended to the blackout of Calvary, if there had been no God the Father in whom the Son could trust and who raised Him from the dead? These considerations are themselves proofs of the fact that there are distinct persons in the great infinite Godhead.

This membership of the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity is itself proof of the Personality of the Holy Spirit. Additional proof of His personality is found in the fact that the attributes of personality are manifested by Him. He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit.. Thus we see that He has mind, will, and emotions.

Personal activities are also ascribed to Him. He strives with sinners..

There are those who have difficulty in distinguishing between personality (being a person) and corporeity (having a body). They cannot understand or believe that anything which is invisible and intangible, and does not have a body, can be a person. Jesus said, A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.. Thus God exists as an invisible Spirit without flesh and bones. But the Creator and Ruler of a universe of persons must be Himself a person. The Holy Spirit is a spirit, like God the Father, and so the Holy Spirit is also a person. His omnipresence is an impossible conception if we confine Him to a body. Having the faculties and attributes of a person constitutes a person, whether or not that person customarily resides in a body.