The Doctrine of the holy spirit—iv - Chambers, Oswald
The Spirit’s Cathedral
Ephesians 2:19–22
1. The habitation of the holy ghost in the mortal christian
What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy ghost . . . ? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
It is one thing to have participated in regeneration and sanctification and quite another thing to enjoy the knowledge that your body is the temple of the holy ghost. That is not an experience, it is a rev- elation, and a revelation which takes some believing, and then some obeying. Many even in the experience of entire sanctification are ignorant what the apostle Paul is talking about. As saints our brains ought to be used to systematise and make our own the great revelations given in gods word regarding his pur- pose for us. People say, i have received the holy spirit, therefore everything i want to do is inspired by him. By no means; i have to see that i instruct myself regarding these revelations which are only interpreted to me by the holy ghost, never by my natural wisdom. There are some saints who are ideally actual, i. E. , instructed as well as sanctified and living in unsullied communion with god, and there are others who are like Ephraim, a cake not turned. Once let it dawn on your mind that your body is the temple of the holy ghost and instantly the impossible becomes possible; the things you used to pray about, you no longer pray about, but do. As in the natural world, so in the spiritual, knowledge is power. All we need to experience is that we have passed out of death into life (RV ): what we need to know takes all time and eternity. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true god . . . ( john 17:3). Begin to know him now, and finish never!
. . . In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of god through the spirit (Ephesians 2:22). The conception in these verses is wonderful in its illuminating power, viz. , god is building us for himself. He does not explain why he takes us certain ways, but this passage explains it: he is building a habitation for himself.
I am his house—for him to go in and out.
He builds me now—and if I cannot see
At any time what he is doing with me,
‘Tis that he makes the house for me too grand.
George MacDonald
2. The habitation of the holy ghost in the mystic Christ (1 Corinthians 12:1327)
For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body. . . . (1 Corinthians 12:13)
God is the architect of the human body and he is also the architect of the body of Christ. There are two bodies of christ: the historic body and the mystical body. The historic Jesus was the habitation of the holy ghost (see Luke 3:22; john 1:3233), and the mystic christ, i. E. , the body of Christ composed of those who have experienced regeneration and sancti- fication, is likewise the habitation of the holy ghost. When we are baptised with the holy ghost we are no longer isolated believers but part of the mystical body of Christ. Beware of attempting to live a holy life alone, it is impossible. Paul continually insists on the together aspectgod . . . Hath quickened us together, . . . And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together . . . (Ephesians 2:46). The together aspect is always the work of the holy ghost.
After the resurrection we read that our lord breathed on the disciples and said, receive ye the holy ghost: i. E. , he imparted to them the holy ghost who quickened them. On the day of pentecost we read that there appeared unto them tongues distributing them- selves [mg], like as of fire (rv)and the disciples were baptised by the personal holy ghost: the quickening became an equipment. But ye shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come upon you (acts 1:8). The baptism of the holy ghost is the complete uniting of the quickened believer with christ himself.
For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body. The baptism with the holy ghost is not only a personal experience, it is an experience which makes individual Christians one in the lord. The only way saints can meet together as one is through the bap- tism of the holy ghost, not through external organisations. The end of all divisions in work for god is when he changes fever into white-heated fervour. Oh, the foolish fever there is these days! Organising this, organising that; a fever of intense activity for god. What is wanted is the baptism with the holy ghost which will mean our lords prayer in john 17 is answered that they all may be one; as thou, father, art in me, and i in thee, that they also may be one in us ( john 17:21).
3. The habitation of the holy ghost in the militant church
. . . And gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body. (Ephesians 1:22)
The habitation of the holy ghost in the church is not yet mature, it is easy to despise or ignore it. The habitation of god through the spirit refers to the christian community as it is in this dispensation, and it is an amazing mix-up! But christ loves the church so patiently that he will cleanse it from every blemish, and present it to himself a glorious church, not hav- ing spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing . . . (Ephesians 5:27). The different offices of the church are ordained of god and are based, not on the natural gifts of man, but on the spiritual gifts which Christ gave after he ascended . . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers . . . For the edifying [building up, rv ] of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1112); consequently the only sign that a particular gift comes from the risen Christ is that it edifies the church. Nothing else is of any account, no flights of imagination, no spiritual fancies, only one thing is of account, viz. , the building up of men and women in the knowledge of the lord. One essential difference between before pentecost and after pentecost is that from gods standpoint there are no great men after pentecost. We make great men and women, god does not. No one is called now to be an isolated lonely prophet; the prophets are a figure of the whole christian church which is to be isolated collectively from the world.
There is a time coming when this earth will be the habitation of god, at present it is usurped by the world systems of men; when these disappear, then gods new heaven and new earth will emerge (revelation 21:1).