The Godhead (Part
3)
The Holy Spirit was also present and active at the time of
creation. The role of the Spirit at different times seems to have been that of
creating order and system(Gen. 1: 2).
(Gen 1:1-2 KJV)
In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth.
{2} 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 Holy Spirit came upon men in the Old Testament and
gave them gifts of artistry and craftsmenship:
(Exo 35:30-35
KJV)
And Moses said unto the
children of Israel,
See, the LORD hath called by name
Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of
Judah;
{31} And he hath filled him
with the spirit of God,
in wisdom, in understanding, and
in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
{32} And to devise curious
works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
{33} And in the cutting of
stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
{34} And he hath put in his heart
that he may teach,
both he, and Aholiab, the son of
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
{35} Them hath he filled
with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work,
of the engraver, and of the
cunning workman,
and of the embroiderer, in blue,
and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the
weaver,
even of them that do any
work, and of those that devise cunning work.
The Holy Spirit came upon King Saul and caused him to
become a new man and to prophesy:
(1 Sam 10:5-7
KJV)
After that thou shalt come
to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the
Philistines:
and it shall come to pass,
when thou art come thither to the city,
that thou shalt meet a company of
prophets coming down from the high place
with a psaltery, and a tabret, and
a pipe, and a harp, before them;
and they shall prophesy:
{6} And the spirit of the LORD
will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them,
and shalt be turned into another
man.
{7} And let it be, when
these signs are come unto thee,
that thou do as occasion
serve thee;
for God is with
thee.
The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and caused her to
conceive the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Luke 1:30-35
KJV)
And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
{31} And, behold, thou shalt
conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
{32} He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest:
and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David:
{33} And he shall reign over
the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there shall be
no end.
{34} Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
{35} And the angel answered and
said unto her,
The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God.
The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His Baptism, and
with the Voice of the Father demonstrated the Trinity relationship of the
Godhead.
(Mat 3:16-17
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:
{17} And lo a voice from heaven,
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
(Mat 4:1 KJV) Then was Jesus
led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil.
The Holy Spirit acts in the Regeneration of a sinner
to make him/her a "born again" child of God.
(John 3:3-8 KJV)
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.
{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?
{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.
{6} That which is born of
the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
{7} Marvel not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be born again.
{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.
The Holy
Spirit ministers to us during times of
witnessing, especially when under persecution:
(Mat 10:16-20
KJV)
Behold, I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves:
be ye therefore wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves.
{17} But beware of men: for they
will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their
synagogues;
{18} And ye shall be brought
before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the
Gentiles.
{19} But when they deliver
you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak:
for it shall be given you in that
same hour what ye shall speak.
{20} For it is not ye that
speak,
but the Spirit of your
Father which speaketh in you.
After Christ returned to Heaven at His Ascension, The Holy Spirit
was given to indwell the believer forever. In John 16:17, the
emphasis is on Christ's going away and the Holy Spirit's being sent by the
Father to replace our Lord Himself. This change, Jesus said, would be beneficial
for His disciples. An impersonal force could hardly improve on the personal
presence of Jesus Christ. The Spirit is presented as on the same level of Jesus.
{"Another" here is allos, "another of the same sort,"in
Greek (Jn. 14: 16). The other greek word for other,
heteros, means "another of a different sort" as in Matt 6:24 "hate the one and
love the OTHER=heteros}
(John 14:16-20 KJV)
And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
{17} Even the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you.
{18} I will not leave you
comfortless: I will come to you.
{19} Yet a little while, and the
world seeth me no more;
but ye see me: because I live, ye
shall live also.
{20} At that day ye shall know
that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Repeatedly (John 16:7-15), Jesus used the masculine personal
pronoun "He" when referring to the Spirit. As we have pointed out, the Greek
word translated "spirit" is the same as that for "breath," and is neuter in
gender. Jesus used the masculine pronoun deliberately, intending it to indicate
personality and intimacy.
(John 16:7-15
KJV)
Nevertheless I tell you the truth;
It is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
{8} And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment:
{9} Of sin, because they
believe not on me;
{10} Of righteousness, because I
go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
{11} Of judgment, because the
prince of this world is judged.
{12} I have yet many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
{13} Howbeit when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: f
or he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will show you things to
come.
{14} He shall glorify me: for he
shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
{15} All things that the Father
hath are mine: t
herefore said I, that he shall
take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
Though the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Great
Commision and baptismal formula. The Lord told the disciples,
(Mat 28:18-20
KJV)
And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying,
All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.
{19} Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations,
baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
{20} Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.
Association of the Holy Spirit with the other two Persons of the
Trinity also appears in 1 Peter 1:1, 2 and in Jude 20, 21.
(1 Pet 1:2-5
KJV)
Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of
the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of
the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied.
{3} Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant
mercy
hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
{4} To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
{5} Who are kept by the power of
God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last
time.
(Jude 1:20-21 KJV)
But ye, beloved, building up
yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy
Ghost,
{21} Keep yourselves in the
love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
The Holy Spirit is treated as a person. Ananias was struck
dead for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3).
(Acts 5:1-5
KJV)
But a certain man named
Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
{2} And kept back part of the
price, his wife also being privy to it,
and brought a certain part, and
laid it, at the apostles' feet.
{3} But Peter said, Ananias, why
hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost,
and to keep back part of the price
of the land?
{4} Whiles it remained, was it not
thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?
why hast thou conceived this thing
in thine heart?
thou hast not lied unto men, but
unto God.
{5} And Ananias hearing these
words fell down, and gave up the ghost:
and great fear came on all
them that heard these things.
The Spirit may be grieved (Eph. 4:30)
(Eph 4:21-30
KJV)
If so be that ye have heard
him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
{22} That ye put off concerning
the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according
to the deceitful lusts;
{23} And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind;
{24} And that ye put on the
new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness.
{25} Wherefore putting away
lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour:
for we are members one of another.
{26} Be ye angry, and sin not: let
not the sun go down upon your wrath:
{27} Neither give place to the
devil.
{28} Let him that stole
steal no more:
but rather let him labour, working
with his hands the thing which is good,
that he may have to give to
him that needeth.
{29} Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use
of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
{30} And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day
of redemption.
The Holy Spirit may be sinned against by unforgivable blasphemy
(Mark 3:29). None of these things would be true of an impersonal force.
(Mark 3:28-30
KJV)
Verily I say unto you, All
sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men,
and blasphemies wherewith soever
they shall blaspheme:
{29} But he that shall
blaspheme{Grk=speak evil of} against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness,
but is in danger of eternal
damnation:
{30} Because they said, He hath an
unclean spirit.
The Holy Spirit does things which only a person could do.
He speaks:
(Acts 8:26-29
KJV)
And the angel of the Lord spake
unto Philip, saying,
Arise, and go toward the
south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
{27} And he arose and went: and,
behold, a man of Ethiopia,
an eunuch of great authority under
Candace queen of the Ethiopians,
who had the charge of all
her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
{28} Was returning, and sitting in
his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
{29} Then the Spirit said unto
Philip,
Go near, and join thyself to
this chariot.
He strives:
(Gen 6:3a
KJV)
And the LORD said, My spirit
shall not always strive with man,
for that he also is
flesh:
He helps us in our infirmities, interceding for
us,
(Rom 8:26-28
KJV)
Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be
uttered.
{27} And he that searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for
the saints according to the will of God.
{28} And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
He reveals, searches, and knows: (1 Cor. 2:10,
11).
(1 Cor 2:9-16
KJV)
But as it is written, Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him.
{10} But God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God.
{11} For what man knoweth the
things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
{12} Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the
things that are freely given to us of God.
{13} Which things also we speak,
not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with
spiritual.
{14} But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
{15} But he that is spiritual
judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
{16} For who hath known the mind
of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of
Christ.
He distributes spiritual gifts "to every man severally as He
will" (1 Cor. 12:11).
(1 Cor 12:3-11
KJV)
Wherefore I give you to
understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed:
and that no man can say that Jesus
is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
{4} Now there are diversities of
gifts, but the same Spirit.
{5} And there are differences of
administrations, but the same Lord.
{6} And there are diversities of
operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
{7} But the manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
{8} For to one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom;
to another the word of knowledge
by the same Spirit;
{9} To another faith by the same
Spirit;
to another the gifts of healing by
the same Spirit;
{10} To another the working of
miracles; to another prophecy; to
another discerning of spirits;
to another divers kinds of
tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
{11} But all these worketh that
one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as
he will.
None of these verbs could rightly be used of a mere influence.
The Holy Spirit also shares the common and essential nature and
traits of deity, as we shall see in Part 4.
God Bless you as you ponder these things.
In Christ..brother bob...<><
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