Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1961 - Rparchives.org

138 MINUTES OF THE SYNOD OF THE
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO REWRITE CHAPTER VIII
OF THE TESTIMONY
Your Committee would report as follows:
Section 1. The Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Trinity,
proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is truly God, of the
same substance, equal in power and glory with the Father and
the Son. He is to be believed in, loved, obeyed and worshipped
by all men in all ages. II Cor. 13:14, John 14:26, Matt. 28:19,
Luke 1:35, Heb. 10:29, Rev. 22:17, Eph. 2:18-22, John 16:7, Gal.
4:6, Acts 5:3,4, Acts 16:6,7, Mark 3:29, Rom.8:26,27, I John 2:
20-27.
Section 2, The Holy Spirit as the Giver of life is everywhere
present and makes manifest the grace of God toward all His
creatures. He supplies man's powers of reason and conscience,
restrains his disposition toward evil, and moves the individual
and society toward righteous living. His common work for all
mankind does not regenerate but leaves those who reject God
without excuse. Gen. 1:2, Job 33:4, Ps. 104:30, Job 34:14,15,
Gen. 6:3, Isaiah 32:15-17, John 3:17, Rom. 2:14, I Thes. 5:19.
Section 3, The special province of the Holy Spirit is to apply
to man the redeeming benefits of Christ's atoning work. The
outward and ordinary means through which He communicates the
knowledge of redemption is the written Word, in which is infallibly
recorded the will of God for man's salvation. This is a finished
work; but as generation follows generation He enlightens
His people that they may the more fully understand and apply the
Word to their own and the world's problems. Through this Word
He prepares for its reception and accompanies it with His persuasive
power. He regenerates the elect by His gtace, convicts
them of sin, moves them to repentance and persuades and enables
them to embrace Christ through faith. In regeneration He works
secretly, supernaturally, irresistibly. This work is in itself so
distinct and necessary, that without it no evidence of the truth of
the Gospel, no power of argument, no persuasion of love or of
terror, no human eloquence, no combination of the most favorable
circumstances, can be effectual in producing conviction, imparting
illumination or rendering the soul savingly obedient to the faith.
The Holy Spirit, in uniting all believers to Christ, dwells in
them as their Comforter; guiding, teaching and performing in them
all those gtacious offices by which they ate sanctified and sealed
unto the day of redemption. His guiding and teaching are never
conttary to anything written in His Word, but may make clear the
application of its truth to circumstances. He also may direct men
in all the fields of human experience. No new revelation of tedemptive
truth can be expected from any inner light, answer to
prayer, or through dreams and visions. John 3:1-8, Acts 2:38,