The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 221

(I'l.)m I&. So is it in the spiritual roalm. The Holy Ghost is spoken of ae the Sourco sod Im]?Srter of th~ new and holy life; because he himself possosses, in infinite fu)ncss, t.bnt winch we receive according to measure. ,ve recognize the presence of tbe Spirit of God in all God's works and methods, in what nre called nature and nature's lawe. But not i:impl~, the lo-r life-the highest and the best also is his; his also ie the life miich is emphatically Divine. The Spirit of God is, accordingly, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of life. Far from being merely contemplative, the Spirit of God is emphatically energetic. His omnipresence and universal activity bear witness to the justice and the beauty of the designation applied to him-" the Spirit of life." II. THE LIVING SPIRIT IS ALSO TIIE LIFE-IMPARTING SPIRPr, In the Nicene Creed, which bas been in use in Christian Churches for :fifteen hundred years, the Holy Ghost is termed "the Lord and Giver of life." Not only is life in him; it is from him. Wherever we observe the signs of spiritual life, we are justified in attributing them to the Divine influences. That life from the dead should result from the outpouring of the Spirit appears to have been constantly taught by the Hebrew prophets: "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among: the grass, as willows by the water-courses ; " and again, "The Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness shall be a fruitful field, and the fruitful :field be counted for a forest." And when our Lord Jesus taught the great troths of bis kingdom, he expressly referred to this same Divine agency the new life which WD.S to be distinctive of his subjects. Using :figurative language, drawn from the history of the bodily life, he said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;" "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Examples of spiritual death are too common all around. A person may have abundance of life and health and strength of body, he may even be alive intellectually; yet he may be as dead in the sight of God. If there be in him no interest in the Divine presence, no reverence for the Divine Law, no submission to the Divine Word, no devotion to the Divine service, no faith in the Divine promises, the man is dead,-" dead in trespasses and sins; " there is "no life in him." A most striking picture of the condition of dead souls is given by the prophet who records the vision of the valley of dry bones : "There was no life in them." On the other hand, what is meant by spiritual life 1 A truly living Christian is alive to the presence and favour of God, is under the constraint of the love of Christ, delights in the Divine Word, and treasures up its precepts and its promises, is obedient to the commands of Jesus the Lord, and is devoted, gratefully and joyfully, to his service e.nd glory. The things of earth, which are everything to the worldly, have com- paratively little interest for snch, except as they are connected with Christ's kin_e;dom. They "have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." 'l'hat a great change has passed over those who were spiritually dead, but are now "alive unto God through Jesns Christ our Lord," cannot be questioned. No change in condition, from beggary to opulence, from a dunghill to a throne, can for a moment be compared with this change. This is indeed " the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" the "new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." No explanation of this change is reasonable and sufficient which doe11 not refer it to the Spirit of God. To those spiritually awakened, brought to newness of life, the woriis of the apostle may be addressed : " Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ve are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." ff ·we can say, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren," we shall certainly be found forward to acknowledge, "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith be loved us, even when we were dead in sins, bath quickened us together with Christ." It is by the grace and energ! of the Holy Spirit that human souls are born anew, are born from above. That this ecriptural teaching is most reasonable seems as plain e.e can be. If we believe in the existence of human spirits, we must acknowledge their influence over our nature nnd character. The uprigbtnesa and magnanimity of a father, the tenderness and unsclfiHh- nel!I! of a mother, the ennobling and inspiring influence of a true friend, hnve all "I.old" upon us, and hclpe'.l to make 118 what we are that is good. Is it crcdiblo that. on. VUI.1-80.J THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 219