Tuesday: The Love of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit has been misunderstood, almost as much as the Father. Some theologians have thought of the Spirit as the love between the Father and the Son. In other words, the Spirit is merely affection between the Father and the Son. This means that He is diminished to a relationship between two members of the Godhead and is not a member Himself.
Image © Dave OConnell Goodsalt.com
But Scripture proves His personhood. Christians are baptized in His name along with the Father and Son (Matt. 28:19) . The Spirit glorifies Christ (John 16:14) . The Spirit convicts people (John 16:8) . He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30) . He is a Comforter (John 14:16) , Helper (NKJV) , Counselor (RSV) . He teaches (Luke 12:12) , intercedes (Rom. 8:26), and sanctifies (1 Pet. 1:2) . Christ said the Spirit guides people into all truth (John 16:13) .
In short, the Holy Spirit is God, as are the Father and the Son. Together, they are One God.
Everything the Spirit does reveals divine love. What are some of the things He does? Luke 12:12, John 16:8-13, Acts 13:2.
The greatest evidence that the Holy Spirit is God is the incarnation of Christ. Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20) . Only God could “create” like that.
The Holy Spirit is able to perform two opposite miracles for Christ. First, He brought the omnipresent Christ into the womb of Mary. Christ ascended bodily to heaven in a human body, confined within that body. Second, the Spirit brings Christ confined by His humanity and, in another inexplicable miracle, makes Him present to Christians around the world.
Thus, the Holy Spirit, along with the Father and the Son, is working in our behalf. “The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave Themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption”. — Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health, p. 222.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit love us equally and are working in order to save us into God’s eternal kingdom. How can we, then, neglect so great a salvation?
| How much comfort can we draw from the fact that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all at work for our eternal good? |
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The Love Of The Spirit
Convicts us of sin
Convicts us of righteousness
Convicts us of judgement
Agape (self sacrificing love) demonstrated
Holy Spirit dwelling inside unholy me
Transforming me to become holy is LOVE beyond human comprehension.
The Love of the Spirit
Wow, if I did not know better I would say that you are talking about the love of a Mother. This is not meant in a negative way. After all the same is implied in the words of the Son of God.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Nicodemus' reaction was half right concerning what the Savior meant.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
But that cannot be, because all the members of the Godhead have to be masculine. Right?
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Woops, Adam AND EVE were made in the image and LIKENESS of God?? Do you mean to tell me that women are represented in the Family of God???
Why not? Do we not refer to our Heavenly Family as a Family? Are we not created in the image and likeness of God?
And if we do some thinking about which member of the Godhead was with Mary, when the Savior was reborn as a man, we discover that it was the Spirit. And there is a good reason for that. The word "Surrogate" seems to clear the air for those who may question the pink elephant in the room. God thinks well ahead of us, friends. God's righteousness and doings are way ahead of our thinking.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Eve is not an Alien of God's creation. Sanctification rightly belongs in the hands of the Member of a Family who gives birth to children. Everything ascribed to the Holy Spirit is consistent with womanly tasks, come to think of it. Isn't that a nice thought?
Indeed, both man and woman are created in the image of the One supreme God who is manifest as a Trinity. I see no hint in Scripture that man is created in the image of one member of the Godhead and Eve in the image of another.
While some people, including many Adventists, may see God as "masculine," Adventists do not teach that. We recognize that there is no scriptural basis for assigning any gender to any member of the Godhead. Rather, it seems that the many references to the personality and character of God incorporate both masculine and feminine qualities.
Truly the togetherness that is with the God head is so amaizing full of love but all doings is to save man kind from sin.How I wish we all strive to have eternal life
There is something like a family reunion here. They are three, but with only one purpose! Each one does His part for the good of all. We need them equally! I keep asking myself why do I worry so much? When I (together with all humanity), by choice, can be a member of this wonderful family?
Can someone please help me understand the sentence in our lesson above:
‘Second, the Spirit brings Christ confined by His humanity and...makes Him present to Christians around the world.’
When Christ appeared to Christians after His resurrection it was only near the area of Jerusalem. Is it referring to how everyone will see Him when He returns?
Cayla,
The Non-Trinitarians often use the rationale that the Spirit of Christ is somehow free to roam anywhere, while the Body is in heaven. And that idea seems to be occasionally picked up, unintentionally or intentionally by some from both camps. The best policy is to rely on the Bible. Humans too often cannot think too far ahead, when they compose comments. It is far more reliable to rely on Gods words the very words which come out of His mouth.
Mat_4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Christ did not confine himself to humanity for 33 1/2 years while He was walking on this earth. He is confined to humanity forever.
The limitation of Christ humanity did not limit the Spirit from presenting Christ around the world.
In other words, Christ is not confined by humanity through the Spirit.
Cayla, as Newbegin said, Christ took on a human body for eternity. So he can only be physically at one place at a time. That's why Christ said, "It is better that I go away, for if I don't go away, the Spirit will not come." (John 16:7) The omnipresence of the Spirit explains how it is better for the disciples that Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Spirit to represent Him.
I love a quote from EGW that is found in a chapter entitled "Growing up into Christ," in her book called "Steps to Christ." There she says that in the Gift of His Son Jesus, God has created an ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE as real as the air we breathe. I would say that this is because of the Ministry of His HOLY SPIRIT. I am always blessed when I remember this quote and see the atmosphere and ask God to bless me with HIS ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE.
Cayla, read Eph 3:14-19. When God gives His Spirit to those open and receptive to it(not harboring sin in their life), this brings Christ into the heart through the Spirit's influence. Christ is then revealed in full measure to the Spirit-filled soul.
Like the wind, we cannot define the Spirit of God, but we can see the results of it's influence in our lives if we don't grieve it away.
Thank goodness you exist.
In mexico english studies really do not exist.my spanish is not great. Thanks again Jessus is alive!
Trully the Lord is our fortress, since God is in three state;son, spirit and God himself. The spirit is there to show us the way and believe the word of God
For sure when we are with the Holy Spirit, we are are with God the father and the God the son. It comes true what Jesus said the "I will never leave you alone".