In this post, I want us to turn our attention to the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. Many reformed Christians like the idea that the Holy Spirit works in their life, but they also think he causes charismatic emotionalism if hearts are not guarded. This idea is understandable considering the false teachings of our charismatic Nomian and Antinomian brothers and sisters. Louis Berkhof opens his section on “The Operations of the Holy Spirit in General” with this warning: “Therefore it is necessary to guard against all one-sidedness, and to avoid both the Scylla of Nomism, as it appears in Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Neonomism, and the Charybdis of Antinomianism, as it reared its head, sometimes as specific doctrine and sometimes as a mere doctrinal tendency, in some of the sects, such as the Nicolaitans, the Alexandrian Gnostics, the Brethren of the Free Spirit, the Anabaptists of the more fanatic type, the followers of Agricola, the Moravians, and some of the Plymouth brethren” (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 355). Therefore, it is prudent to consider what the Confessions, Catechisms, and Creeds teach us about the Holy Spirit’s role.
For this discussion, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly known as the Nicene Creed, is an excellent place to start. In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea met to nail down Jesus’s Lordship as equal with the Father and not a created being. Then in 381 AD, the council met in Constantinople to confirm the Holy Spirit as equal with the Father and the Son, making up the Holy Three in One Trinity(John 15:26, Gal. 4:6; c.f. WCF 2.3). Thus, the Nicene Creed states, “And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets” (Nicene Creed with history). From the Nicene Creed, we understand the Holy Spirit has three roles to play in the Christian Life: 1) He gives life to the believer, 2) The Christian is to worship and glorify him, and 3) He guides the believer.
Undoubtedly, God, the Holy Spirit, gives life. Speaking directly about this grace, The Westminster Larger Catechism question 32 states, “…and requiring faith as the condition of interest in [Christ] (John 3:16,36; John 1:12), promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit (Isa. 59:12; Luke 11:13; John 14:16-20; 1 Cor, 12:13; Rom. 8:9), to all his elects, to work in them that faith (2 Cor. 4:13, 1 Cor. 12:3,9; Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 16:14; 2 Pet. 1:1), with all other saving graces (Gal. 5:22-23)…” (WLC). The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks and answers this way: “How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured? We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us (John 1:11-12), which is the work especially of God the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:4-7; John 16:14-15)” (WSC). Commenting on the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration, giving life, John Owen says, “Regeneration is a creating act of almighty power. A new principle or law is created in us by the Holy Spirit (Psa. 51:10; Eph. 2:10). This new creation is not a new habit formed in us, but a new power and ability. So, it is called ‘the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). This new creation is a habitual new power and ability created in us by God and it bears his image (Eph. 4:22-24)” (John Owen, The Holy Spirit, 48).
Secondly, the Christian is to worship and glorify the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. Here the WSC questions one, four, and six are pertinent to explain this part of the Nicene Creed: “Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God (Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11), and to enjoy him forever (Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4). Q. 4. What is God? A. God is a Spirit (Deut. 4:15-19; Luke 24:39; John 1:18; 4:24; Acts 17:29), infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead? A. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2); and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory (Ps. 45:6; John 1:1; 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Jude 24-25)” (WSC)
Clearly, worshiping God becomes the most essential aspect of the Christian life after they are regenerated. Since the Holy Spirit is God, the believer should not neglect to worship him as a part of the Trinity. Wilhelmus À Brakel puts it this way, “The Holy Spirit is not merely a Person, but He is a divine Person. He is the true, eternal God who has created the heavens and the earth. This becomes evident from the fact that divine names, attributes, works, and honor are attributed to Him” (Wilhelmus À Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service:1, 168). Commenting on the Holy Spirit as a part of the Christian religion, Charles Hodge states, “All the liturgies, prayers, and praises of the Church, are filled with appeals and addresses to the Holy Ghost. This is a fact which admits of no rational solution if the Scriptures do not really teach that the Spirit is a distinct person” (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology: 1, 526-27)
Finally, the Holy Spirit’s third role in a Christian’s life is to guide them. This topic will be dealt with more thoroughly in the following post on its own. However, this post will conclude with the reminder by Charles Hodge that the Holy Spirit is the “executer of the Godhead. Whatever God does, he does by the Spirit” (Hodge, 529). And then John Owen proclaims, “The ministry of the gospel by which we are born again is called the ministry of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:8). The promise of the Holy Spirit under the gospel is to all believers and not just a few (Rom. 8:9; John 14:16; Matt. 28:20). We are taught to pray that God would give us his Holy Spirit, so that with his help we live to God in the holy obedience he requires (Luke 11:9-13; Matt. 7:11; Eph. 1:17, 3:16; Col. 2:2; Rom. 8:26)” (Owen, 19). Indeed, may we fervently pray, as Owen describes.
Andrews PCA 