THE OPERATION OF THE SPIRIT


Everything God does with regard to His interaction with His creation is for the purpose of fulfilling His will:

This is the operation of the Spirit of God in its most obvious form.
God speaks His will, and immediately it is performed by His Spirit power.

It is important to understand that this operation of His Spirit has never ceased.

Our earlier quote from Job refers to this:

This is the only part of the creation with which Yahweh actually speaks - the only part of the creation to have a relationship with the Creator.
This part of the creation is unique.

For 6 days God has created all things to serve man - now He creates man to serve God.
This is the completion of the creation. There is no need for anything else to be made, and it is for this reason that Yahweh now ceases from His work.
The purpose of the creation has now been revealed, and the means by which the will and purpose of God are to be fulfilled, has been brought into existence.

With the human creation, God would interact both by means of His Spirit, and by means of His spoken commandments - but only the latter would be the means by which they would ultimately be shaped according to His will:

The pattern of operation revealed in Genesis has never altered.
God continues to shape His creation by means of His Spirit power and His spoken commandments.

The direct effect of His operation upon us, however, comes in the form of His spoken commandments. The operation of His Spirit power undoubtedly forms part of our shaping process, but indirectly. The use of His Spirit power in our lives is to lead us back to the shaping process already revealed in His commandments.

GOD'S SPIRIT GUIDANCE IN OUR LIVES


Let's see if we can address some of the most frequently asked questions concerning the Holy Spirit, and examine more closely some of the issues we've been discussing.

- How does God guide us by His Spirit power in our lives?

- What is the relationship between guidance by the Word and guidance by the Spirit?

- Is there a Divine method of operation which we can comprehend to some extent, or is the working of God in our lives wholly incomprehensible and mysterious?

GUIDANCE BY THE WORD, GUIDANCE BY THE SPIRIT


God's Word and God's Spirit work in harmony. One will never deny the other, and each will illuminate the power and activity of the other. The one which is always immediately accessible to us, which we have the capacity to examine directly, is the Word itself.

For this reason, we may be sure that any apparent operation of the Spirit may be tested by the Word - this indeed is the Divine precedent. The Word is the ultimate test of the spirits.

If you think you've received a vision from God instructing you to go and spend the rest of your life worshipping a turnip, you can probably be reasonably certain that a quick glance at the Word will provide the necessary instruction required to 'test the spirits'.

The relationship between the revealed Word of God and the action of His Spirit guidance in our lives must be appreciated if we are to understand the working of the Spirit.

Three examples will serve to illustrate these principles.

The first provides an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen (that is, not obviously evident), Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, and finally a revealed explanation of the relationship between the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

The second provides an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, but only an implied explanation of the relationship between the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

The third provides an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, and finally no revealed explanation of the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

BALAAM

GUIDANCE BY THE WORD, GUIDANCE BY THE SPIRIT


Our first example was Balaam. His life provided an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen (that is, not obviously evident), Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, and finally a revealed explanation of the relationship between the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

The second provides an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, but only an implied explanation of the relationship between the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

ELIJAH

One would have thought that Elijah would already have been firmly wrapped in his mantle, cowering from the wind, the earthquake, and the fire - but such was not the case.
It was only this voice which had both the power to compel him to hide his face, yet the compelling intimacy to draw him closer to what he knew was finally the Divine presence.

Perhaps you may think that this was a poor example to bring to the topic under discussion.
Perhaps you may think that it is an obscure example, which isn't directly related to God's guidance of us in our lives at all.

I have chosen this example deliberately. It is obvious from this incident that God was bringing about certain events in Elijah's life in order to guide and teach him - without telling him why they were occurring, or what they actually meant.

In fact nowhere is the meaning of this event revealed to Elijah. God does not tell him, and nor does He insert it conveniently into Elijah's head. My question to us all is, therefore:

'What was Elijah intended to learn from this, and do you think he learned it?'

Furthermore, put yourself in the position of Elijah, and tell us what you believe you would have learned. This is an unusual case in which Elijah knew full well that God was moving in his live in order to teach him, to bring him to a better knowledge and understanding - but God did not explain the event to him, nor was it ever His intention to do so. Why was this?

We saw that the incident in Balaam's life had a harmonious relationship to the commandment already revealed. To what was this incident related?

I have used this incident as an example of those times in our lives when we may be absolutely certain that God is moving in our lives, that He is attempting to guide us in some way, but where we are unaware of the complete meaning and purpose of the events - we are uncertain as to what precisely we are to learn.

I have also used it as an example of God moving in our lives in a manner which we may not understand, and which we may not fully appreciate. It is another example of the necessity of being sensitive to the working of God's Spirit in our lives, in its various modes of operation - without treating God superstitiously and looking for wonders and signs with profound meanings in every incident of our lives.

GUIDANCE BY THE WORD, GUIDANCE BY THE SPIRIT


Our second example provided an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, but only an implied explanation of the relationship between the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

The third provides an example of a revealed Divine commandment, unseen Divine guidance in life to reinforce the commandment, and no explanation of the relationship between the revealed commandment and the unseen guidance.

JONAH


Jonah (his name means 'a dove'), was the son of Ammittai, and God had commanded him to prophesy to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. they were to repent in 40 days from the time of the prophecy, or God would destroy them.

Instead of going to Nineveh (to the north east of Israel), Jonah immediately went to Joppa (a sea port on the western coast of Israel), and boarded a ship to Tarshish.

So why did Jonah want to go there - more to the point, why did Jonah not go where he was told?

Jonah knew that Assyria was a dangerous nation. She was beginning to form a world empire. She was terribly cruel and savage.
Jonah knew full well that Israel would very likely be attacked by Assyria... he wanted to make sure they couldn't repent by not giving them the message of salvation.

Most importantly, he knew the character of God.

Jonah ran because he didn't want Nineveh to have the opportunity of repentance.
God does not recognize some sins as 'worse' than others. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and thus God is calling all men to repentance, as Paul said in Acts.

During Jonah's flight a storm blows up, and the ship begins to founder... the sailors all pray hopelessly to their gods - to no avail (were we surprised?).

The sailors dig Jonah out from under the deck, and confront him:

So, Jonah, being a man who actually does care about his God, has his own conscience smitten by these pagans, who are all trying to obey their gods desparately. He knows also that his life is endangering theirs.

Incredibly, Jonah is being taught by this incident the very compassion for Gentiles, for non-Jews, that God wanted him to understand when he was sent to preach repentance to Nineveh!
If this isn't an example of God's Spirit moving in Jonah's life to bring him wisdom, I don't konw what is.

Repentance and obedience! Amazing! Jonah is bringing Gentiles to repentance and the knowledge of God, even when he's trying his best not to! Of course, he did need some help here from God...

What this really shows is that God is determined to fulfill His purpose, regardless of Jonah's lack of cooperation. In fact it shows also that God is moving in Jonah's life to convert Jonah with the very message of God's forgiveness which he is supposed to be bringing to others.

Ok, so now it's question time...

1) Why did the sailors fear and pray to their gods? Easy question...
Simply put, they recognized their need for salvation, and realised that they could not save themselves. They were made vulnerable by God.

2) Why did the sailors fear and pray to Jonah's God, after they had thrown him overboard, even making sacrifices and vows to God?
They recognised and feared the God who had performed such a miracle. They were in need, and He provided.

Interestingly enough, they didn't stop to wonder if they had to be Jews in order to worship God. What they did recognise was that they had a need for salvation, and that God had fulfilled that need, regardless of who they were. His operation in their lives had already taught them something of His character - the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom indeed, and He had moved in their lives to inspire their change of heart.

So, what's a good way of teaching Jonah the same thing that these men were taught?
Put him in a situation in which he is utterly dependent on God for his survival.
Just killing him isn't going to help - God provides Jonah with the same opportunity for repentance which He had provided the Ninehvites, and the sailors on the ship.

The opportunity of repentance which Jonah had denied others...

So what's it going to take to get the message through to Jonah?
How about putting him in a situation in which his salvation is dependent utterly on God...

Jonah's learning things already!

Appropriately enough, he is learning what the sailors themselves have already learned - while he is quoting the psalm, the sailors are obeying the psalm:

Jonah needs another reminder of the lesson he has learned earlier, he also needs to understand that God extends forgiveness even to people who are going to sin again.
That lesson would be taught to him through the painful experience of the gourd and the hot east wind.

GUIDANCE BY THE WORD, GUIDANCE BY THE SPIRIT


What then have we seen thus far?

1) We have seen that God has moved and worked in the lives of men and women in order to guide them and give them knowledge and understanding. God has not ceased to operate in this way, and continues to do so in our own lives today.

2) We have seen the relationship between the revealed Divine commandment.
That is, the unseen working of God's Spirit in our lives by various means, through various channels and various agents, is for the purpose of reinforcing the previously revealed Divine commandment, and increasing our understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the Divine commandment and will.

3) Thus, as we have seen, there is never any contradiction between the revealed Divine commandment and the working of His Spirit in our lives. This principle holds true for each and every way in which the Spirit works in anyone's life.

4) We have also seen that where our understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of the revealed Divine commandment is lacking, God uses the indirect operation of the Spirit to correct and guide our understanding in the various ways of which we have read.

5) We have seen that this indirect operation of the Spirit does not always result in the immediate and complete understanding of the revealed Divine commandment by the individual being so guided. Three times God intervened in the life of Balaam in order to reinforce the commandment He had already given. But despite this intervention, Balaam either failed to understand or disobeyed willfully. Similarly, Job underwent enormous trial and pressure in his life as the Spirit of God influenced him indirectly, but failed to appreciate completely the guidance he was receiving.

It is evident therefore that this method of indirect guidance by the Spirit does not necessarily always result in the individual concerned understanding the message which they are being taught, or appreciating fully the knowledge to which they are being guided.

6) Very importantly, however, we have seen that despite the limitation of this means of guidance (a limitation which is the result of the limitations of the flesh, not the Spirit), it is the principal means by which the Spirit operates in our lives.

For thousands of years it has been the method which God has used above all others, the method which He has chosen to use as the most common and almost exclusive means of instruction and guidance. It is for this very reason that those instances in which God has operated in some way directly on individuals by means of His Spirit (Samson, Solomon, David, Christ, the apostles, for example), are so obvious to us - they are different, they are distinct, they are separated from the normal operation, they are quite clearly a departure from the usual experience and they are the exception to the rule.

7) In contrast to the occasional incapacity of individuals to discern and learn from the indirect working of the Spirit in their lives, those moments in which the Spirit has operated directly on individuals have always been without any ambiguity whatsoever.

- When Samson received the Holy Spirit, he knew he had received the power of God - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

- When Solomon received wisdom from God, he knew he had received wisdom beyond the level of normal human understanding - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

- When David recieved inspiration from God, he knew he had received such inspiration - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

- When Daniel and his friends received wisdom from God, they knew they had received wisdom from God which was not the result of their Babylonian education - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

- When Daniel was inspired by God in answer to prayer, that he might give the correct interpretation of prophecy, he knew that he had received such inspiration - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

- When Christ received wisdom, understanding, spiritual insight and strength beyond the normal human capacity, he knew he had received such gifts - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

- When the apostles received the Holy Spirit in order to recall infallibly the words of Christ, to expound the Scriptures as if they had been trained in them, to prophesy future events, to heal or to strike blind, they knew they had received these powers - and others could see clearly that this was the case.

Examples could well be multiplied, but the point is obvious.