s it is _in truth, the word of God_, which effectually worketh also
in you that believe." Here Paul declares that the word which he spoke,
taught by the Spirit of God, was _the very word of God_.

CHAPTER XXII. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS CHRIST.

Jesus Christ Himself is the one perfect manifestation in history of the
complete work of the Holy Spirit in man.

1. _Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit._ We read in Luke i. 35,
R. V., "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee; and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee:
wherefore also that which is to be born shall be called holy, the Son of
God." As we have already seen, in regeneration the believer is begotten of
God, but Jesus Christ was begotten of God in His original generation. He
is the only begotten Son of God (John iii. 16). It was entirely by the
Spirit's power working in Mary that the Son of God was formed within her.
The regenerated man has a carnal nature received from his earthly father
and a new nature imparted by God. Jesus Christ had only the one holy
nature, that which in man is called the new nature. Nevertheless, He was a
real man as He had a human mother.

2. _Jesus Christ led a holy and spotless life and offered Himself without
spot to God through the working of the Holy Spirit._ We read in Heb. ix.
14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who _through the eternal __
Spirit offered Himself without spot to God_, purge your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God." Jesus Christ met and overcame
temptations as other men may meet and overcome them, in the power of the
Holy Spirit. He was tempted and suffered through temptation (Heb. iii.
18), He was tempted in all points like as we are (Heb. iv. 15), but never
once in any way did He yield to temptation. He was tempted entirely apart
from sin (Heb. iv. 15), but He won His victories in a way that is open for
all of us to win victory, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. _Jesus Christ was anointed and fitted for service by the Holy Spirit._
We read in Acts x. 38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth _with the Holy
Ghost and with power_: who went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." In a prophetic vision
of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament we read in Isa. lxi. 1, "_The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me_, because the LORD hath anointed me to
preach good tidings