153. (v) THE LORD WORKS OF HIMSELF FROM THE FATHER, AND NOT THE REVERSE.
Working here means much the same as sending the Holy Spirit, since the activities listed above, which are in general reformation, regeneration, renewal, quickening, sanctification, justification, [cleansing] from evils, forgiveness of sins [and salvation], are the Lord's doing, though at the present time they are attributed to the Holy Spirit as an independent God. These things are performed by the Lord from the Father, and not the reverse, as will first be proved from the Word and then illustrated by many reasoned arguments. The following passages from the Word will serve:
When the Comforter comes whom I shall send from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes forth from the Father, he will bear witness about me, John 15:26.
If I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send him to you, John 16:7.
The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, will not speak of himself, but he will receive of mine and tell it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; it is for this reason that I said that he would receive of mine and tell it to you, John 16:13-15.
The Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified, John 7:39.
Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, Receive the Holy Spirit, John 20:22.
Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I shall do it, John 14:13-14.
[2] These passages show clearly that it is the Lord who sends the Holy Spirit, that is to say, performs the works which at the present day are attributed to the Holy Spirit as an independent God. For He said that He would send him from the Father; that He would send him to you; that the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified; that after He was glorified He breathed on the disciples and said, Receive the Holy Spirit; He also said, Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, and also that the Comforter will receive of mine what he is to tell. The Comforter is identical with the Holy Spirit; see John 14:26. The following passages show that God the Father does not confer these benefits of Himself acting through the Son, but the Son does so of Himself from the Father:
No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the Father's bosom, He has revealed Him, John 1:18.
Elsewhere:
You have never heard the Father's voice, nor have you seen His appearance, John 5:37.
[3] So it follows from these passages that God the Father works in the Son and upon the Son, not through the Son; but the Lord works of Himself
from His Father, for He says:
All things of the Father's are mine, John 16:15. The Father has given all things into the hand of the Son, John 3:35.
Also:
As the Father has life in Himself, so did He grant the Son to have life in Himself, John 5:26.
The words which I speak are spirit and life, John 6:63.
The Lord says that the Spirit of truth comes forth from the Father (John 15:26), because it comes forth from the Father into the Son, and out of the Son from the Father. For this reason too He says:
On that day you will know that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father, and you are in me and I am in you, John 14:11, 20.
These plain sayings of the Lord's show up the manifest error of the Christian world, that it is God the Father who sends the Holy Spirit to men, as well as the error of the Greek church, that God the Father sends Him without any mediation. This teaching, that the Lord of Himself sends the Holy Spirit from God the Father, and not the reverse, has come to me from heaven; the angels call it a secret, because it has not previously been revealed in the world.
