Church of God, Carmichael, CA
D. O. Teasley, May 15, 1903
[Original Page Numbers]
PA R T I.—THE HOLY SPIRIT
Dispensation of the Holy Spirit
The history of God's dealings with man from the creation of the world to the end of time may be properly divided into three ages as follows: First, Premosaic age; second, Mosaic age; third, Gospel age. In each of the two former ages it may be proper to say that the Spirit of God dealt with man in a degree, but the gospel age is the special dispensation of the Holy Spirit.
There seems to have been a distribution of the work of redemption among the three persons of the Godhead. The Father reserving to Himself the right of supreme authority, became the originator of the gospel plan, in the execution of which the Son and the Holy Spirit had their part. It was the special work of the Son to be a visible teacher of God to man. Man having alienated himself from God and fallen from his holy plane, it was impossible that the death of the creature could atone for his great crime and again lift man from his fallen state in sin to the plane of God's purity; and God being a Spirit could not die; hence, we see the great wisdom of God in clothing Himself in mortal flesh in the person of His Son, and becoming not only a visible teacher of the principles of redemption, but also a vicarious sacrifice. To the Holy Spirit is committed the executive work of the kingdom of God. Thus God the Father originated a scheme, the great plan to redeem the souls of men. Jesus Christ the Son came to earth and propagated the doctrines of the gospel, lived an exemplary life, endured trials and afflictions, proving it possible for man to live to please and glorify his Creator. He being, as he was, God manifest in the flesh, it would be natural for man to suppose that he by the power and omnipotence of God could succeed better than man in living a life of purity. "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 2:17, 18.
Christ thus condescending to the nature of man, proved it possible for man to conquer sin, and left every man without excuse.[23] Exposing Himself as He did to all the woes and temptations of a natural man. He became indeed an example, and last of all He gave His own life blood to seal the plan which He came to reveal. To the Holy Spirit was assigned the executive power, or the putting in force of the plan which the Father schemed and the Son revealed and died to seal. Never in any other age was man so closely connected with God. In this age is assigned to the Holy Spirit the work of calling and saving the lost.
When we speak of the premosaic age we refer to the period of time from creation to Moses; when we speak of the Mosaic age we refer to the period of time from Moses to Christ; and when we speak of the gospel age we refer to the period from Christ to the end of time. When we speak of the dispensation of the Father we refer to the time from creation to Christ, including not only the Mosaic age, but also the premosaic age; when we speak of the dispensation of the Son we refer to the time from the beginning of the ministry of Christ to the day of Pentecost; and when we speak of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit we have reference to the period of time from the day of Pentecost to the judgment. The reader will readily infer from the foregoing that there may be two different divisions made of the world's history, each consisting of three periods; the former growing out of the attitude of God the Father toward men in all ages, and the latter originating from the special dealings of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost with the souls of men at different periods. We may account for the first division given thus: First, God dealt directly with man; second, he dealt with him through Moses, a mediator; third, He deals with him through the combined mediums of His Word and Spirit, Jesus Christ being the mediator. We may account for the second division as follows: First, God dealt personally with man; second, Christ dealt in person with man; and, third, the Holy Spirit operates directly upon the souls of men conjointly with the Word of God or the gospel, which "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1:16.
The dispensation of the Holy Spirit, the most grand and glorious of all dispensations, in the light of which all other dispensations fade into dark insignificance, was inaugurated at the glorious scene of Pentecost, and will only end when the angel shall stand with one foot upon the land and the other upon the sea and swear by Him that liveth forever and ever, that time shall be no more. Then shall the Son of God step from His mediatorial throne of mercy, where He now sits and pleads for [24] the souls of lost humanity, and be seated upon the throne of judgment. Then shall the Spirit cease His wooings; then shall the mountains of God's wrath descend in fury on the ungodly and the pent up fires of eternal justice be poured upon the wicked; and then shall the righteous see their Lord.
In the beginning God walked and talked with man. After the departure of man from God's law, this holy communion was broken, and God only spoke to a few favored souls, who lived at remote periods of time. In fact, for long years God spoke only to the prophets. Just prior to the coming of the Son of man there were over four hundred years in which there was no voice of God to man. This period is generally known as the Night of Judaism. For almost four thousand years God the Father spoke to man Himself through visions, prodigies, and in divers manners until the time was fully come when He should speak to us through His Son. Jesus Christ spent about three years speaking to man in person, after which He ascended on high and sent the Holy Spirit to be the representative of God on earth. Man in the beginning rejected God the Father. The Jews as a nation, and all of the then known world rejected Jesus Christ, and all nations today are rejecting and neglecting the Holy Spirit. True, a few in all ages have accepted; but compared with the teeming millions of earth, "Few there be that find it."
"We then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" 2 Cor. 6:1, 2.
The day referred to in the above text does not refer, as many suppose, to a day of twenty four hours, but to the gospel age, the period of time from the rising of the Sun of righteousness in the Morning of the dispensation of grace to the time when the illuminator of the gospel day shall set forever.
A day does not always mean twenty four hours, but is often used to designate a long period of time. In Num. 14:34 a day is used to represent a year, and in many places in the Old Testament the gospel dispensation is referred to as a day. See Zech. 13:1. In this day the Spirit of God offers salvation full and free to all, and all who ever find God must find Him in the gospel dispensation, as there will be no chance of mercy after the Holy Spirit has ceased to strive with the souls of men.
We will now turn our attention to a comparison of the Holy Spirit dispensation with the legal dispensation, or the law of [25] Moses, which was by far the most prosperous time from the fall of man till the coming of Christ.
THE MOSIAC AGE COMPARED WITH THE GOSPEL AGE.— 1. The mediators. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17. This text introduces to us the two mediators between man and God: viz., Moses and Christ.
Moses was only a man, and his law was only a penal code; while Jesus Christ was both man and God, and His law is "the law of the Spirit of life." Moses was but a mortal man, subject to fallibility and human errors, while Jesus Christ was a "Teacher sent from God." Moses was indeed a mediator; "But now hath he (Christ) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." Heb. 8:6.
2. Their glory compared. "But if the ministration of death, written and engraver in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more cloth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which, remaineth is glorious." 2 Cor. 3:7 11. Notice here the unmistakable superiority of the Holy Spirit dispensation in comparison with the dispensation of Moses.
(a) A ministration of death, followed by a ministration of the Spirit of life.
(b) A ministration written in stone, superseded by a ministration written "not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart." 2 Cor. 3:3.
(c) A ministration of temporal glory, which was to be outshone by an eternal weight of spiritual glory, which is said to be "rather glorious."
(d) A ministration of condemnation which had a glory; but which glory pales to utter insignificance in the light of the ministration of righteousness which exceeds in glory.
3. Their worship compared. "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary." Heb. 9:1. "Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until [26] the time of reformation." Heb. 9:10. Thank God for the time of reformation when we are not imposed upon by the ritualistic services of carnal ordinances, divers washings, etc. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:23, 24. Many, it seems, have not learned that the day of formal worship is past; and so they go on worshipping God, as they suppose, in a formal way, when the only worship God takes notice of is spiritual worship. The Holy Spirit now signifies that the way into the holiest of all is now made manifest since the first tabernacle is no longer standing. Therefore let us draw nigh unto God with a full assurance of faith and worship Him in spirit and in truth.
4. Qualities of the two laws compared. (a) The law of Moses is said to be weak and unprofitable. "For what the law could not do, in that it was WEAK through the flesh, God sending his only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." Rom. 8:3. "For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the WEAKNESS and UNPROFITABLENESS thereof." Heb. 7:18. (b) The New Testament is said to be mighty and powerful. "For the word of God is quick, and POWERFUL." Heb. 4:12. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but MIGHTY through God." 2 Cor. 10.4.
(a) Moses' law was faulty. "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." Hebrews 8:7, 8. (b) Christ's law is perfect. "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope (New Testament) did." Heb. 7:19. "But whoso looketh into the PERFECT LAW of liberty." James 1:25.
5. Experiences attainable under the two dispensations compared. (a) Justification. The justification of the law was only ceremonial, and could not take away sins. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." Heb. 10 4. The justification of the New Testament cleanses from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), gives peace with God (Rom. 5:1), makes us sons of God (1 John 3:1), and enables us to live a holy life. "Whosoever is born of God cloth not commit sin." 1 John 3:9. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." 1 John 3:6. [27]
(b) Santification. The sanctification of the Old Testament was only an outward act, which men could do for themselves. "For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy." Lev. 11:44. Men could sanctify each other. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people and sanctify them today and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes." Ex. 19:10. It being only an outward form, houses, fields, and numerous inanimate objects could be sanctified.
Under the New Testament nothing but the heart of man is said to be sanctified, and the sanctification of other objects is unknown. This sanctification is an inwrought work accomplished by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:16) through the truth (John 17:17), and with the blood of Jesus Christ. Heb. 13:12.
6. Duration of the two laws compared. (a) The duration of the legal dispensation. Why was the law given? "It was added because of transgression, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made." Gal. 3:19. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Gal. 3:24, 25. A schoolmaster in ancient times was a man who led the pupils to the teacher, and after he had led the pupils to the teacher his task was done: so when the law had led the world up to the Great Teacher whom all its types pointed to, its task was done, it had an end.
It is obvious to all from the above texts that the law of Moses was never intended to continue, only till the promised seed should come. So if we can ascertain who the seed is, and when he came, we can readily determine when the law had an end. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Gal. 3:16. All who believe on Christ to the salvation of their souls are also included in the seed. "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29.
Paul draws the final conclusion and tells us in plain words where the law ended. "For CHRIST is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. 10:4. Then the law of Moses was only temporary and reached from Sinai to Christ. The only Biblical position, then, is, that God intended the law of Moses to continue only till Christ should come and then establish a better one. "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached." Luke 16:16. By this text we learn that the work which was carried [28] out and completed by Christ was commenced by John the Baptist. The preaching of John was the twilight of the gospel day, and even in the first dawning of the Holy Spirit dispensation the Mosaic economy faded to deathly palor. "Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." Heb. 8:13. "But," says an objector, "was not the law of Moses to last forever?" It is true that the Passover was to be observed as an ordinance forever (Ex. 12:14 17), and yet Paul says that all the ordinances of the law were nailed to the cross. Col. 2:14 16; Eph. 2:15. This does not seem strange when we understand that FOREVER as used in the Old Testament did not always mean eternally or throughout endless ages. Many things were said to last forever which have a very short duration, of which we will mention a few for example. The slave under certain circumstances was to serve his master forever. See Ex. 21:6. In this case forever was only a life time. Jonah said, "The earth with her bars was about me forever." Jonah 2:6. "Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:17. So in this case forever was only three days and three nights. From this we can easily see how the ordinances of the law were to last forever and yet have an end when Christ came. They all had their end in the cross together with the whole Mosaic economy.
(b) The duration of the gospel dispensation. The end of the gospel dispensation knoweth no man, no, not even the angels of heaven, nor yet the Son of God: but the Father only. Mark 13:32. The new covenant is called the everlasting covenant. The gospel is called the everlasting gospel. Rev. 14:6. EVERLASTING, unlike FOREVER in the Old Testament, means "eternal duration." As long as God's mercy is extended to man, as long as the sun shines or the moon gives her light; so long will the new covenant endure. Yea, it is more durable than these, for it is firmer than the fixed stars, and will outshine the sun; and when the earth and all things therein are consumed the covenant of Christ shall still prove true throughout endless ages world without end. Though the dispensation of grace will have an end and the Holy Spirit will cease the redemption work, yet the new covenant will endure. [29]