Heaven’s Seal on Christ’s Atonement

That the giving of the Holy Spirit to believers is the testimony of heaven that the blood of Christ has been accepted as a complete atonement for all sin, we also find in the words of the apostle in 1 John 5: 6, where he spoke about Jesus, saying:

“This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” (1 John 5:6)

We see that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the blood of Jesus. In other words, the giving of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus constitutes the united testimony of the Father and the Spirit together to the all-sufficiency of the blood of Jesus to cleanse the believer from all sin.

This harmonises with Peter’s teaching on the day of Pentecost concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Having first spoken of Christ’s death and resurrection, Peter continues:

“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:33)

Christ first purchased man’s redemption by His atoning death and resurrection. Then He ascended to His Father in heaven and there presented the blood which was the evidence and seal of redemption. Upon the Father’s acceptance of the blood, Christ received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit to pour out upon those who believed in Him.

We may now sum up the revelation of Scripture concerning the plan of God to bestow upon all believers the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Implicit in God’s choice of Abraham was the promise of the blessing of the Holy Spirit to all nations through Christ. By His blood shed upon the cross, Christ purchased for all believers the legal right to this blessing. After presenting His blood in heaven, Christ received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit Himself, who is the gift, was poured out from heaven upon the waiting believers on earth.

Thus, Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all three concerned in planning, purchasing and providing this, the supreme promise and the greatest of all gifts, for all God’s believing people.

In the next week we will view this same gift of the Holy Spirit from the human standpoint and consider the conditions which must be met in the life of each believer who desires to receive the gift.