He's one of Trinity
The Apostles' Creed "I believe in the Holy Spirit."
The Holy Spirit is God. The Apostles' Creed declares it, and the
universal church has believed it since the day of Pentecost,
Acts chapter two. We read in John 4:23-24: 23 But the hour
cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth. (KJV).
God is Spirit. The "hour" of the Holy Spirit's ministry is
coming said Jesus. Jesus said that a time was coming when those
who worshipped God would do so in spirit and in truth. What does
this mean? Jesus was preparing his people for a day when He
would no longer be present with them physically. At this point
He was only hinting about His coming death. The disciples
considered Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah that would establish a
literal kingdom of God upon the earth. The Kingdom would rule
politically over Rome and every other gentile power on the face
of the earth. They were deceived, and Jesus needed to turn their
deception into acceptance of the inevitable. He chose to teach
them about His inevitable death on a Cross by introducing the
subject a little at a time in brevity. They still had many other
things to digest before they could receive the truth about His
purpose on the earth. Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
He did not come to establish a physical domain of God. People
need a spiritual transformation more than they need political
transitions.
Later in John 14:1 Jesus makes a statement about going away to
the Father. We read: 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye
believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where
I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the
way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither
thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my
Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it
sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time
with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath
seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us
the Father? Thomas is representative of the entire group of
disciples when he questions Jesus about His going away to the
Father. Here again the belief system of the disciples was being
challenged. They wanted Jesus to stay with them, overthrow the
hostile Jews, destroy all their opponents, set up the Davidic
rule in Jerusalem and usher in the Kingdom age--peace,
prosperity, heaven on earth.
Jesus in John chapters 14 and 16 states plainly that He was
going to leave His disciples and go to His Father in heaven. He
told them not to be discouraged because He would send the
"Comforter" to them. Although they heard this teaching, it
wasn't until after the day of Pentecost that they understood it.
The Holy Spirit of God has been from the beginning. In Genesis
chapter one the Holy Spirit is at work in creation. When the
priests, prophets, and kings of Israel asked for God's help to
lead Israel, to put down her enemies, to bless them favorably,
it was the Spirit of God that filled them and gave them the
victory. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit
of God came upon Him as He was raised from the water. Jesus
wanted His disciples to know that although He was going away
physically, God would be with them by His Spirit. He told them
that God had always desired that His people know Him in the
reality of His Holy Spirit. True worship is from the spirit of
man that is made one with the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus.
When a man or woman calls upon the name of Jesus for salvation,
according to the teaching of scripture, the Holy Spirit
"baptizes" his or spirit (the inner self) into the body of
Christ. In other words, it requires the work of God to change a
man from old to new. Only the Spirit of God can resurrect a
person from death unto life. Only the Spirit of God can
regenerate the spiritually dead spirit of man. The things of God
always start from within man. A man may hear the Gospel, think
on it and make one of two choices: either choosing to receive it
by believing it---calling on Jesus to save him from his sin, or
rejecting it because, although it makes sense, he's not ready to
believe God for salvation. God is a free moral agent. He has
created us in His image in that we may freely choose Him or
reject Him in this life only. The reason many men reject the
Gospel is not because it doesn't make sense. They reject the
Gospel because they would have to surrender their will to
Jesus--accepting His will, allowing the Spirit of God to
transform them into the image of Jesus. But they are deceived by
these thoughts of having to give up too much. God pays in
dividends that are out of this world.
Once a man or woman receives Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and
savior, Jesus comes to live inside the heart of man. He does
this by His Spirit. Is that difficult for you to receive? It
should be. From the first century until the fourth, the early
church struggled with the concept of how God is singular but
revealed in three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because
of the early heresies of Christianity and of their potential to
destroy orthodox Christianity as was delivered by the original
Apostles, the leaders of the church came together in the fourth
century and stated by edict that God is one but manifested as
Father Son, and Holy Spirit in purpose (not exact wording).
Throughout human history, there have been many things that
mortal man has struggled to understand about God. But then
again, if he could understand and explain everything there is to
know about God, he would be a god. And he is not God. What a man
can not understand in totality by reason, he must accept by
faith. I don't know how it is done, but I believe it is true
that God lives inside me by His Holy Spirit which is also the
Spirit of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is a very important doctrine for the universal
church, why? The church can only be the "church"-- the Body of
Christ, the Bride of Christ, the various members of His hands
and feet--by the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost birthed the
church. The Holy Spirit came to 120 Christians in an upper room
in Jerusalem and so filled them that they saw fire and spoke
with other tongues. They burst forth from the upper room
experience on fire for Jesus. They had a boldness to witness for
Jesus like they had never had before. They now ministered in the
power and might of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came on the
day of Pentecost just like Jesus said He would, to do the work
of church evangelism just like Jesus said He would. If I know
anything about God, it comes to me by the Holy Spirit who
illumines the Word of God to me. It is the Spirit that
illuminates my understanding about the Bible. It is the Holy
Spirit who lives inside me. It is the Holy Spirit that fills me
daily when I pray and ask Him to. The Holy Spirit has baptized
me into the Body of Christ and given me power and authority to
do the things of God. The Holy Spirit helps me pray the perfect
will of God. The Spirit of God "groans" within me in deep
intercessions of prayer (unknown tongues). I am nothing without
God. I was nothing before Jesus came into my heart. Now, having
been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, I can do
anything through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. I am now a
member of the Body of Jesus Christ. I have place, position, and
purpose in Jesus' church. As I call upon the Holy Spirit who is
always present in me, I can accomplish the impossible for God.
All that I am, I am in Christ. I gladly lay down my life daily
by refusing to be driven by self rule. I gladly pick up the
Cross and follow Jesus. He has become the Only Way, the Only
Truth, and the Only Life to me. How about you? Is Jesus living
inside you by His Spirit? If not, call upon Jesus while you can.
Tomorrow might be too late. You have no assurance about
tomorrow. Receive Christ today and start living true life by the
power of His Holy Spirit.
Keep the Faith.
Stay the course, church
Jesus is coming again to establish the Kingdom of God,
literally.
Pastor Terry Dashner (www.ffcba.com)