SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/2/2016
8:48 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Christ Experienced The Power of the
Holy Spirit Without Limit
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: John 3:34
Message of
the verse: “34 “For He whom God has sent speaks the
words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.” We spoke a little bit about what this verse
teaches us in our last SD, but will add more to this one as this is a very
important subject.
I want to begin this section by quoting from a
sermon that John MacArthur preached in the 1970’s: “All right, then fourthly, John shows the
supremacy of Christ in verse 34 by saying this, "He was sent by God with
full Holy Spirit presence." Now we know the prophets were sent by God. But
not like Jesus, John says. And John says, listen, I can look back at my own
case, Luke 1 says this, that I was filled with the Holy Ghost from my mother's
womb. Listen, God really prepared me for my ministry. The Holy Spirit was in me
from the beginning. But even that can't compare with the fullness of the Spirit
that operated in Jesus Christ, I only experienced it in a limited way. That's
verse 34, "For He whom God hath sent speaks the words of God always, inevitably,
for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him." In other words, there's no limitation of the
Holy Spirit's power on Christ. You know, the Holy Spirit dwells within
us but is limited, right? He's
limited by our sinful nature. He's limited because we're not divine. Christ divinely was the
embodiment of the Godhead, doesn't the Bible say that? He was the fullness of
the Godhead...what?...bodily. The fullness of the Spirit of God was in Him.
John says, "Sure it's remarkable the Holy Spirit filled me, but He is the fullness of His
expression." So again that comparison...the supremacy of Christ in
the relation of the Holy Spirit to each of them. The greatest man had the Holy
Spirit but God in Christ, the full Holy Spirit totally without limitation.”
John Calvin writes the following about Christ given
the Spirit without measure: “For God
giveth not the Spirit by measure. This passage is explained in two ways. Some
extend it to the ordinary dispensation in this manner: that God, who is the
inexhaustible fountain of all benefits, does not in the least degree diminish
his resources, when he largely and plentifully bestows his gifts on men. They
who draw from any vessel what they give to others come at last to the bottom;
but there is no danger that anything of this sort can happen with God, nor will
the abundance of his gifts ever be so large that he cannot go beyond it,
whenever he shall be pleased to make a new exercise of liberality. This
exposition appears to have some plausibility, for the sentence is indefinite;
that is, it does not expressly point out any person. {1 }
“But I am more disposed to follow Augustine, who
explains that it was said concerning Christ. Nor is there any force in the
objection, that no express mention is made of Christ in this clause, since all
ambiguity is removed by the next clause, in which that which might seem to have
been said indiscriminately about many is limited to Christ. For these words
were unquestionably added for the sake of explanation, that the Father hath
given all things into the hand of his Son, because he loveth him, and ought
therefore to be read as placed in immediate connection. The verb in the present
tense — giveth — denotes, as it were, a continued act; for though Christ was all at once
endued with the Spirit in the highest perfection, yet, as he continually flows,
as it were, from a source, and is widely diffused, there is no impropriety in
saying that Christ now receives him from the Father. But if any one choose to
interpret it more simply, it is no unusual thing that there should be a change
of tenses in such verbs, and that giveth should be put for hath given. {2 }
The meaning is now plain, that the Spirit was not
given to Christ by measure, as if the power of grace which he possesses were in
any way limited; as Paul teaches that to everyone is given according to the
measure of the gift, (#Eph 4:7), so that there is no one who alone has full
abundance. For while this is the mutual bond of brotherly intercourse between
us, that no man separately considered has everything that he needs, but all
require the aid of each other, Christ differs from us in this respect, that the Father has poured out
upon him an unlimited abundance of his Spirit. And, certainly, it is
proper that the Spirit should dwell without measure in him, that we may all draw out of his
fullness, as we have seen in the first chapter. And to this relates what
immediately follows, that the Father hath given all things into his hand; for by these words John the Baptist not only
declares the excellence of Christ, but, at the same time, points out the end
and use of the riches with which he is endued; namely, that Christ, having been
appointed by the Father to be the administrator, he distributes to everyone as
he chooses, and as he finds to be necessary; as Paul explains more fully in the
fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, which I lately quoted. Although God enriches his own
people in a variety of ways, this is peculiar to Christ alone, that he has all
things in his hand.
We have one more point to make in this section that
we have been looking at in this last section from the third chapter of the
gospel of John, and God willing, we will look at that in our next SD as we
finish this third chapter which we began on the 12th of January. I am looking forward to our study in the 4th
chapter of John as we study first in that chapter about the woman at the well
and we will probably look at what true worship is as it is spoken of in that
chapter.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I am thankful that Christ has given to me the
Holy Spirit to guide my life, and to show me what is in His Word as He is the
author of the Word of God.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Not to quench the power of the Holy
Spirit in my life.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “John the Baptist” (John
1:29).
Today’s Bible
question: “Nebuchadnezzar was king of
what place?”
Answer in our next SD.
2/2/2016 9:24 AM
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