The Holy Spirit

Testimonials

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1. 

   Jonathan Morse – 17 April 2026

   There may not be any other doctrine that has experienced more doctrinal “drift” or “dilution” than the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. As one blessed to grow up in Bible-believing home, I ashamedly worshiped a Trinity closer to the “Father, Son, and HOLY BIBLE,” neglecting the Holy Spirit in my spiritual conscious and practice. Yet this neglect still permeates the church even at the highest levels. For example, I recently attended the Shepherds Conference where I listened to one pastor preach for an entire hour about the power of God’s Word, while never ONCE mentioning the Holy Spirit. Such a neglect is catastrophic to the sanctification of the church while stealing from the glory of God.

   Here John Owen, arguably the most Trinitarian-focused of the Puritans, lays out one of the most compelling writings on the work of the Holy Spirit and why this doctrine matters in both ‘orthodoxy’ and ‘orthopraxy.” This is not a cold doctrine meant for the mind, but one that should warm the heart and be the ultimate basis of being able to boldly come daily before the throne of grace.

   John Owen begins by saying that the Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead who “carries out all that God has planned.” While making it clear that as the triune God, the Trinity is involved in every action, “yet at the same time each person has a special role to fulfill in that work.” This is beautifully seen in the gift of salvation, where the Father’s “special role” was to plan it, the Son’s to purchase it, and the Holy Spirit to enable sinners to receive it. Regarding this later role, Owen describes it as being the “good wine which was kept to the last” (Isa. 35:7, 44:3, Joel 2:28, Ezek. 11:19; 36:27).

   Owen’s thesis is to explain that there are three things necessary to “fit man for life with God.” He must be able to 1. Know the mind and will of God, 2. Have a heart that desires and loves the will of God, and 3. Have the ability to carry out the will of God. Because all three of these faculties were lost when sin entered the world, the Holy Spirit is the decisive actor in making man fit for communion with God.

   I especially loved how Owen systematically described the integral work of the Holy Spirit in the entire ministry of Jesus Christ. I’ve often unintentionally imagined Christ as the God man carrying out his works on earth independent of any reliance on the Spirit. Yet this could not be further from the truth and serves as a compelling example to us on our pilgrimage of the primacy of the Holy Spirit’s work in EVERY act of ours.