It is (Re)-Written: Doctrine of God ep 5/7
- Dec 7, 2023
- 8 min read
THE HOLY SPIRIT (SECTION 1)
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2nd Corinthians 3:17
The Lord Jesus Christ is that Spirit? Many Christians hold an understanding of the Holy Spirit that would be contrary to what Paul just said. We ought to examine further who the Holy Spirit really is. Obviously there are things about the Holy Spirit and God in general that we cannot know. On this Moses wrote the following:
(Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV) The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
What we cannot know has not been revealed, neither should we venture into speculation about it. However, what we can know, and therefore, should know, is revealed to us. We must approach this whole series with humble and honest hearts, with no less than complete reverence for the divine so as to not venture onto holy territory with our sandals on as it were. Additionally, we must also guard against false and pretentious reverence that will make us shroud in mystery that which has been revealed. Many Christians so often make this mistake. In his treatise against the Trinity doctrine, the father of modern Physics, Sir. Isaac Newton noted this phenomenon:
“The human race is prone to mysteries, and holds nothing so holy and perfect as that which cannot be understood, and for that reason to like best what they understand least. Truth is ever to be found in simplicity and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things” - [Isaac Newton, Traite sur la trinite (written in French to avoid detection and persecution)]
As faithful Christians therefore we must ask, what has been revealed about the Holy Spirit? Consider the following points
First, in the Bible the word 'spirit' is synonymous with 'heart'. When we say someone has an angry spirit, we mean to say he has displayed an angry heart or disposition. For example, David uses 'Hebrew parallelism' [a Biblical poetic style where a statement is repeated in a different way in order to explain the meaning of the words used] to illustrate this for us:
(Psalms 51:10 KJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Creating a clean heart is equivalent to renewing a right spirit according to the plain reading of the verse above. When God saw how evil had spread the world in the days of Noah, the Bible records that God said:
(Genesis 6:3 KJV) And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
A few verses later we read the following concerning this fact:
(Genesis 6:6 KJV) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
The grieving of the spirit of God is not the grieving of another third divine individual. It is the grieving of the heart of God. This is the unpardonable sin. Once a person persists in sin to the point of grieving the heart of our heavenly Father, they are beyond salvation and only judgement awaits them. This explains how much God must have borne with the errant in the days of Noah "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." (1 Peter 3:20)
In the verse below, he uses the same Hebrew parallelism and in the process illustrates that the Spirit of God is also His presence:
(Psalms 139:7 KJV) Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
This interpretation of the spirit of God is reiterated by David again in his prayer for forgiveness as shown below:
(Psalms 51:11 KJV) Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
From these Biblical definitions we can conclude that the spirit of God is His presence and His heart. Because the spirit of God is also His presence, through it God has a personal intimate knowledge of all things taking place in His universe.
(2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV) For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
(Psalms 11:4 KJV)The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
“The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. "The Lord's throne is in heaven" (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present. He has an intimate knowledge of, and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand.” - [Ellen White, Education, pg 132, paragraph. 2]
The spirit of God is the spiritual presence (or non-physical presence) of God. He is physically present on His throne, but He can send his personal presence anywhere. This then is how God surveyed the earth at creation.
(Genesis 1:2 KJV) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The spirit of God is also His breath and spoken word
(Psalms 33:6 KJV) By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
(Psalms 33:9 KJV) For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
(John 6:63 KJV) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(John 20:22 KJV) And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
The Holy Spirit of God is also the mind of God according to the following Biblical definition
(Isaiah 40:13 KJV) Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
(Romans 11:34 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
(1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The Baptism of Jesus is one place where we learn a lot concerning the Holy Spirit. If the spirit of God is the personal spiritual presence of God, who came down in the form of a dove at the baptism of Jesus? Was it a third individual called the Holy Spirit or was it the Father Himself in a spiritual manifestation?
(Matthew 3:16 KJV) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
(Matthew 3:17 KJV)And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
We see the Spirit of God descending in a dove-like form and we hear the voice of God from heaven saying ‘This is my beloved Son’. Some Christians think this is a proof for the Trinity. However, consider Christ’s own interpretation of who came down in the form of a dove during His baptism:
(John 5:37 KJV) And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
Jesus says that the dove-like form was the representation of the spiritual presence of His Father. It was His Father that came down spiritually in the form of a dove. Ellen White agrees with Jesus on this, she says:
“Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are eager to bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and comfort. But no; the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the Saviour's head descends a dovelike form of purest light,--fit emblem of Him, the meek and lowly One” - {Ellen White, Desire of Ages, pg. 113}
(Ephesians 4:30 KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Some Christians are taught that the Holy Spirit is not the Spirit of God. This is because their teachers want to sustain the idea that the Holy Spirit is another individual from God and His Son. They are therefore left to assume that God does not have a Spirit in Him, or at least they never think about that question. Some are even taught that it is impossible for Christ to be in you, since a different individual called God the Holy Spirit is in you. Paul however disagrees with them and says:
(Romans 8:9 KJV) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(Romans 8:10 KJV) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(Romans 8:11 KJV) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Christ dwells in us through His Spirit. It is not another individual who dwells in us, but Christ Himself, "the Lord is that Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, it is not a different individual from God and His Son but is the very person of God and/or His Son in a non-physical presence/manifestation. The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery, how God can physically be in heaven [the Lord's throne is in heaven] and spiritually (non-bodily) be with me and all believers at the same time [his eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men - Psalms 11:4] is a mystery. What is not a mystery however is the individual that is with us, it is God Himself and it is Christ Himself. [Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. - John 14:23]. The Holy Spirit is that mysterious means through which the presence, mind, breath, power and life of God is communicated to us.
1. Why is there no Scripture command to worship or pray to the Holy Spirit?
2. When God said, “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26) some Christians think that the Holy Spirit as a separate individual God was as well being referred to here. Judging from lesson four, how many beings are in the express image of God? And how does the following quotation assist your answer?
“After the earth was created, and the beasts upon it, the Father and Son carried out their purpose, which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in their own image. They had wrought together in the creation of the earth and every living thing upon it. And now God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image."" - [Ellen White, Story of Redemption pg 20]
3. Consider the following quotations and deduce relevant points to this lesson
“The greatness of God is to us incomprehensible. "The Lord's throne is in heaven" (Psalm 11:4); yet by His Spirit He is everywhere present. He has an intimate knowledge of, and a personal interest in, all the works of His hand.” - [Ellen White, Education, pg 132, paragraph. 2]
“I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" (John 14:18). The divine Spirit that the world's Redeemer promised to send is the presence and power of God. He will not leave His people in the world destitute of His grace, to be buffeted by the enemy of God, and harassed by the oppression of the world; but He will come to them” - [Ellen White, Signs of the Times, November 23, 1891]
“The Lord Jesus standing by the side of the canvasser, walking with them, is the chief worker. If we recognize Christ as the One who is with us to prepare the way, the Holy Spirit by our side will make impressions in just the lines needed” - [Ellen White, Manual for Canvassers, p. 40. (1902)]
“ [John 14:16-17 quoted] This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter.” - [Ellen White, Manuscript releases vol 14, pg 179, paragraph 2]
“The Lord knows all about His faithful servants who for His sake are lying in prison or who are banished to lonely islands. He comforts them with His own presence” - [Ellen White, Desire of Ages, pg 669, par. 3]
“We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus.” - [Ellen White, letter 66, 1894, par. 14]
NEXT: THE HOLY SPIRIT (SECTION 2)
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