The Holy Spirit's Work in Salvation

Question. But some may say, Wherein doth the saving grace of the Spirit appear?

Answer. In many things.

In taking possession of us for His own, in His making of us His house and habitation, so that though the Father and the Son have both gloriously put forth gracious acts in order to our salvation, yet the Spirit is the first that makes seizure of us. Christ, therefore, when He went away, said not that He would send the Father, but the Spirit, and that He should be in us forever. “If I depart,” said Christ, “I will send Him, the Spirit of truth, the Comforter.”

The Holy Spirit coming into us and dwelling in us, worketh out many salvations for us now, and each of them in order also to our being saved for ever.

  1. He saveth us from our darkness by illuminating us; hence He is called “the Spirit of revelation,” because He openeth the blind eyes, and so consequently delivereth us from that darkness which else would drown us in the deeps of hell.

     

  2. He it is that convinceth us of the evil of our unbelief, and that shows us the necessity of our believing in Christ; without the conviction of this we should perish.

     

  3. This is that finger of God by which the devil is made to give place unto grace, by whose power else we should be carried headlong to hell.

     

  4. This is He that worketh faith in our hearts, without which neither the grace of the Father nor the grace of the Son can save us, “For he that believeth not shall be damned.”

     

  5. This is He by whom we are born again; and he that is not so born can neither see nor inherit the kingdom of heaven.

     

  6. This is He that setteth up His kingdom in the heart, and by that means keepeth out the devil after he is cast out, which kingdom of the Spirit, whoever wanteth, they lie liable to a worse possession of the devil than ever.

     

  7. By this Spirit we come to see the beauty of Christ, without a sight of which we should never desire Him, but should certainly live in the neglect of Him, and perish.

     

  8. By this Spirit we are helped to praise God acceptably, but without it, it is impossible to be heard unto salvation.

     

  9. By this blessed Spirit the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, and our hearts are directed into the love of God.

     

  10. By this blessed Spirit we are led from the ways of the flesh into the ways of life, and by it our mortal body, as well as our immortal soul is quickened in the service of God.

     

  11. By this good Spirit we keep that good thing, even the seed of God, that at first by the Word of God was infused into us, and without which we are liable to the worst damnation.

     

  12. By this good Spirit we have help and light against all the wisdom and cunning of the world, which putteth forth itself in its most cursed sophistications to overthrow the simplicity that is in Christ.

     

  13. By this good Spirit our graces are maintained in life and vigor, as faith, hope, love, a spirit of prayer, and every grace.

     

  14. By this good Spirit we are sealed to the day of redemption.

     

  15. And by this good Spirit we are made to wait with patience until the redemption of the purchased possession comes.

Now all these things are so necessary to our salvation that I know not which of them can be wanting; neither can any of them be by any means attained but be this blessed Spirit.

 

-preacher  John Bunyan (1628-1688 A.D.)

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