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LESSON FORTY-SEVEN

THE EXPERIENCE AND ENJOYMENT OF THE SPIRIT AS THE CONSUMMATION OF THE DIVINE TRINITY IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE TRIUNE GOD

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OUTLINE

  1. Working in us, on us, and for us:
    1. Coming upon us as the power.
    2. Filling us outwardly.
    3. Being the element for us to be the sufficient ministers of the new covenant.
    4. Being the element of the ministry of the New Testament.
    5. Giving us the utterance to speak in different tongues.
    6. Witnessing of the resurrected and exalted Christ.
    7. As the power for us to preach the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles.
    8. Demonstrating Himself with power in our preaching.
    9. As the means for us to speak for Christ.

TEXT

In this lesson we will continue to see the different aspects of the Spirit’s work.

59. Coming upon Us as the Power

After the Lord Jesus charged His disciples to go and disciple the nations, bringing them into the Triune God, the all-inclusive Spirit came upon the disciples to enable them to carry out the Lord’s commission. The great commission of bringing others into the Triune God requires not only life but also power. With the Spirit as their life and power, the believers may command the nations to believe in the Lord Jesus so that they may be brought into the organic union with the Triune God.

In Acts 1:8 the Lord says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Here, to receive power is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit (v. 5) for the fulfillment of the promise of the Father (v. 4; Luke 24:49). Having the Holy Spirit upon us is different from having the Holy Spirit in us (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit was breathed into the disciples on the day of the Lord’s resurrection (John 20:22) to be the Spirit of life essentially. The same Spirit came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost to be the Spirit of power economically. As for the Spirit of life, we need to breathe Him in as breath. As for the Spirit of power, we need to put Him on as a uniform.

The function of the Spirit as power is not for the life which we receive from the Lord inwardly; it is for the work which we do for the Lord outwardly. God gives us the Holy Spirit as power for our outward work that He may be our power, authority, ability, and capacity outwardly and be employed by us.
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Truth Lessons, Level 2, Vol. 4   pg 40