153. (5) The Lord operates of Himself from the Father, and not the reverse. To operate here means the same as sending the Holy Spirit, since the above mentioned operations (which, in general, are reformation, regeneration, renewal, vivification, sanctification, justification, purification from evils, and forgiveness of sins and salvation), which are at this day attributed to the Holy Spirit as a God by Himself, are operations of the Lord. That these are of the Lord from the Father and not the reverse, shall first be proved from the Word, and afterwards illustrated by various things that appeal to the reason. From the Word by the following passages:
When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that goes forth from the Father, He shall bear witness of Me (John 15:26). If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go away I will send Him unto you (John 16:7). The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, shall not speak from Himself, but He shall take of Mine and shall declare it unto you. All things whatsoever the Father hath are Mine; therefore said I that He shall take of Mine and shall declare it unto 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 ye the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name I will do it (John 14:13, 14). [2] From these passages it is very evident that the Lord sends the Holy Spirit, that is, effects those things which at this day are ascribed to the Holy Spirit as a God by Himself; for He says that "He will send the Comforter from the Father," that "He will send it to them," that "the Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified;" and after the glorification He breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit;" also that He said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do;" and that the Comforter "shall take of Mine what He is to declare." That the Comforter and the Holy Spirit are the same see John 14:26. That God the Father does not operate these energies of Himself through the Son, but that the Son operates them of Himself from the Father, is evident from the following:
No one hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath brought Him forth to view (John 1:18). And elsewhere:
Ye have neither heard the Father's voice at any time nor seen His form (John 5:37). [3] From all this it follows that God the Father operates in and into the Son, but not through the Son; also that the Lord operates of Himself from His Father; for He says:
All things of the Father are Mine (John 16:15). The Father hath given all things into the hand of the Son (John 3:35). Again:
As the Father hath life in Himself so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26). And again:
The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life (John 6:63). The Lord declares that the Spirit of truth goes forth from the Father (John 15:26), because it goes forth from God the Father into the Son, and out of the Son from the Father. Therefore He also says:
In that day ye shall know that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father, and ye in Me and I in you (John 14:11, 20). From these plain declarations of the Lord an error of the Christian world is clearly manifest, namely, that God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to man; also the error of the Greek Church, which is, that God the Father sends the Holy Spirit directly. The truth that the Lord of Himself from God the Father sends the Holy Spirit, and not the reverse, is from heaven. The angels call this an arcanum because it has not before been disclosed to the world.
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