CONTENTS
Foreword
PART I
Chapter 1: The Person of the Holy Spirit
Chapter 2: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Chapter 3: The Holy Spirit and the Covenant of Grace
Chapter 4: The Spirit as the Spirit of Truth
Chapter 5: The Holy Spirit and Assurance
Chapter 6: The Holy Spirit and the Church
PART II
Chapter 7: The Out-Flowing Spirit of Jesus
Chapter 8: The Bride’s Prayer for the Bridegroom’s Coming
APPENDIX
About the British Reformed Fellowship
FOREWORD
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work,” Jesus once declared to the unbelieving Jews at a feast in Jerusalem (John 5:17). Everything that the Father works, He works through the Son. In fact, the Father always works through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. This is the glory and beauty of the Triune God, always at peace and rest, and always working.
This book, The Work of the Holy Spirit, develops a worthy theme. In the Bible, we read of the Spirit working from the very first chapter (Gen. 1:2) to the very last (Rev. 22:17). He wrought the creation (Gen. 1:2) and He has been working “hitherto” (cf. John 5:17).
Before the world was or, more accurately, in the timeless Trinitarian God, the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:17) is the perfect, personal bond of love between the Father and the Son. To the Holy Ghost is ascribed the blessed work of searching “the deep things of [the Triune] God” (I Cor. 2:10).
The hidden wisdom of God in Jesus Christ (I Cor. 2:5-10) is now “revealed” to us by the Spirit (v. 10; cf. vv. 11-16) in the Scriptures God breathed forth by the Spirit (II Tim. 3:16). Moreover, “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17) is active in faithful saints and churches illuminating us so that we understand the Word by faith (Eph. 3:17-18).
Nothing, and no one, less than the Holy Spirit Himself has been working through the preparing and delivering of the eight speeches on the Holy Spirit’s work which are now the eight chapters of this book. Here is biblical, creedal and soul-refreshing teaching that honours the Holy Spirit who glorifies Jesus Christ and, thereby, the Triune God (John 16:13-15). May the Spirit bless to the hearts of the readers this book which explains and applies the biblical truth of His work!
A word about the origin of this book. Part I contains the six main lectures by Profs. David Engelsma and Herman Hanko at the tenth biennial British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) Family Conference at the Share Centre on Upper Lough Erne in Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland (August, 2008). Part II consists of the two Lord’s Day sermons at this conference by the same two brethren. The members of the BRF decided to include these two addresses in this book because they further develop aspects of the Holy Spirit and His work.
One of the chapters is significantly longer than the rest: “The Holy Spirit and Assurance.” Given the erroneous and harmful teaching of many conservative Presbyterian and Reformed men, past and present, Prof. Engelsma developed and expanded this lecture for the written page. This more detailed and polemical chapter adds to the value of the book and, we trust, will bring many to greater consolation in the gospel of Christ through the work of the Comforter!
Thus we send forth The Work of the Holy Spirit to the reading public. It is a worthy addition to the two previous BRF publications by Profs. Hanko and Engelsma: Keeping God’s Covenant (2006) and The Five Points of Calvinism (2008).
The special lecture on “Charismaticism” which I gave at the BRF Conference on “The Work of the Holy Spirit” will be published, God-willing, in a future issue of the British Reformed Journal (BRJ). For information about the BRJ (and the BRF), see the Appendix, “About the British Reformed Fellowship.”
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (II Cor. 13:14).
Rev. Angus Stewart
BRF Chairman
This book can also be read on-line.
To order in N. America, please contact Crete PRC Evangelism Committee.
“Thank you so much for The Work of the Holy Spirit … The book is already being a blessing.” – Halifax, England
“Some years ago I purchased and read The Work of the Holy Spirit, by Profs. David Engelsma and Herman Hanko. During recent days I read it again and it is marvelous … I was raised in Romanism in the Chicago suburbs and was taught works-righteousness, and came to faith at 20 years old (in a Pentecostal church). Then for a while, I was in the Charismatic movement (I went between that and a Bible church!) until the Lord himself got me out of both, mainly through Reformed pastors and writers. I really appreciated the long chapter on ‘The Holy Spirit and Assurance’ (of salvation). [It] covered every issue, including Puritanism’s error and Romanism’s similar error, using Scripture and Calvin, not leaving out that only in the way of a holy life do we enjoy the assurance that we are children of God.” – Michigan, USA
