Niagara Falls Church of Christ
2011 Tennessee Ave., Niagara Falls, NY 14305
(716)285-6534 (716)285-6534 (for phone and fax)
James Lawrence, Herschel Walker - Elders
Eddie J. Cornelius, Minister Emeritus
Thoughts On The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit - 2 #27
The Holy Ghost or Spirit is another much misunderstood manifestation of God. It is important to always associate the Holy Spirit with the word of God as it is in the New Testament. Jesus Said "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Again in Hebrews we are told that ". . . the word of God is quick (or alive), and powerful, . . ." (Heb. 4:12). In view of passages such as this, I believe, it is a grave mistake to try and separate the word and the Spirit into separate entities.
The New Testament refers to the Spirit in several different ways: in John 14:17 it is "the Spirit of Truth"; in Acts 8:39 it is "the Spirit of the Lord; in Rom. 8:2 it is "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus"; in Rom. 8:14 it is "the Spirit of God". Can there be any serious doubt that all these refer to the one and same Spirit. Notice Rom.8:9 which says; "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." Here in this one verse we see "the Spirit", "the Spirit of God" and "the Spirit of Christ". How many Spirits are there? According to Eph. 4:4 there is but one Spirit. This being the case all these must, necessarily, refer to the one Spirit.
God the Father sent Jesus, God the Son, into the world in fleshly form to reveal Himself to man. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). In John 17:26 Jesus Christ made the following statement in His prayer to the Father: "And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." Jesus was always careful to show that the works which He did were not His own but those of the Father who sent Him (John 5:30, 7:16, 8:50, 14:24). The Blood of Jesus is called God's own blood in Acts 20:28 and the righteousness and knowledge of God and Jesus Christ are shown to be one and the same (2 Peter 1:1-3). The hope of the appearing of God and Jesus Christ are shown to be the same event in Titus 2:13.
Jesus promised that when His work was finished here on Earth, He would send "another helper" into the world. He refers to this person as "another Comforter" (John 14:15), "the Spirit of truth" (John 15:26), He that guides into all truth (John 16:13). Jesus said he would send this "helper" but that He would "proceed from the Father" (John 15:26).
Finally, lets notice a few passages that should be of great importance to all Christians. First, notice Rom. 8:9, "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." 2 Cor. 6:16 "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Eph. 3:17-19 "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Notice that God is to dwell in the Christian, The Spirit is to dwell in the Christian, Christ is to dwell in the Christian, the Word is to dwell in the Christian. Are we to understand that there are four separate entities dwelling in Christians? Of course not! These are manifestations of the "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:6).
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