Who Is The Holy Spirit?

 

Is the Holy Spirit simply an influence emanating from God?  Is he a power or illumination that God imparts to us?  Or, is he a divine person?  A proper understanding of the identity of the Holy Spirit is critical to properly understanding his work.  A careful study of the Scriptures will bring us to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is a divine person in the Godhead and should be referred to in that manner.

The Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes of personality.  He is not a mere influence, power, or illumination.  The apostle Paul referred to the knowledge the Holy Spirit has concerning the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10-11).  Reference is made to the mind of the Spirit in Romans 8:27.  The affection of love is attributed to the Holy Spirit in Romans 15:30.  We learn he can be grieved in Ephesians 4:30.  The Holy Spirit has the capability of speaking (1 Tim. 4:1) and teaching (John 14:26).  Paul declared that the Holy Spirit can lead (Rom. 8:14).  On one occasion as least, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to travel to Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7).  The Holy Spirit exercised authority in selecting Barnabas and Paul to engage in mission work (Acts 13:2).  It is not the purpose of this article to study the manner in which the Holy Spirit accomplished all these tasks, but merely to point out that these endeavors demand the conclusion that he is a personality and not a glorified “IT.”  It is entirely appropriate, then, to refer to him with personal pronouns, such as “he” and “him.”

The Holy Spirit also possesses the nature of deity.  He is as divine as the Father and the Son are divine.  When Ananias and Sapphira lied regarding their donation to the church, Peter said they lied to the Holy Spirit whom he described as God (Acts 5:4-5).  His deity is affirmed by his possession of all the attributes of deity.  For example, the word eternal is used to describe him (Heb. 9:14).  The Holy Spirit, like the Father and the Son, has neither beginning of days nor end of existence; he is eternal.  As deity, he possesses all knowledge (Jn. 16:12-13), all power  (Lk. 1:35) and is omnipresent (Psa. 139:7-10).  Not only does the Holy Spirit possess all the attributes of deity, but he also performed distinctly divine works.  These attest to his divinity.  For example, the Genesis record relates the Spirit’s involvement in creation (Gen. 1:1-2).  The plural personal pronoun was used when God made man (Gen. 1:26).  This is not to suggest that there was more than one God involved in creation, but that there was more than one personality of the Godhead involved.    Other passages bring to light the Holy Spirit’s role in creation (Psa. 104:30; Job 26:13; 33:4).  Also, the authorship of divine prophecies is attributed to the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Sam. 23:2-3).  The Bible, then, is not the result of special insight and wisdom from religiously minded men, but is from God as men were “moved by the Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit’s name is coupled with other members of the Godhead (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14), suggesting equality with them.  His distinction from the Father and the Son becomes clear at the scene of the Lord’s baptism (Lk. 3:21-22).  The incarnate Son was baptized by John in the Jordan River at which time the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove and the Father spoke from heaven.  While all Three possessed the divine nature (deity), they are distinct divine personalities.

The personality traits as well as the works, attributes and achievements of the Holy Spirit show him to be a personality and not an impersonal force.  They also provide clear testimony to his divinity.

Who Is The Antichrist?

 

Over the years there has been a proliferation of statements from various religious leaders warning men of the coming of the antichrist and the end of time.  A popular description of the antichrist suggests that Christ’s return to the earth will be immediately preceded by the appearance of some powerful political personality who will make a dramatic appearance in history.  One advocate said, “Overnight, he will become the by-word of the world.  He is going to be distinguished as supernatural…He will have a magnetic personality, be personally attractive, and a powerful speaker.”  Through the years the antichrist has been variously identified as Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Kruschev, Castro, Kissinger, and Hussein, among others.  There has never been agreement among proponents as to his identity.

However, the Bible plainly identifies the antichrist and he doesn’t fit the description commonly attributed to him by various religious leaders of today.  The term antichrist is found only five times in scripture and they are all in the epistles of 1^st and 2^nd John (1 Jn. 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 Jn. 7).  Note the description found on the pages of divinely inspired literature.

First, we learn that the antichrist is a contemporary with the apostle John.  John says that “even now many antichrists have arisen” (1 Jn. 2:18).  He further states, “and now it is already in the world” (1 Jn. 4:3).  John did not speak of him in terms of a person or organization that would exist in some remote future.

Second, we learn that there were many antichrists who lived in John’s day (1 Jn. 2:18; 2 Jn. 7).  Present-day proponents try to attach a single mysterious figure, political ruler, or dictator of our modern era to the identity of the antichrist.  Such attempts are in error.

Third, we learn that the antichrists are former Christians who left the faith.  John mentioned that the antichrists “went out from us…” (1 Jn. 2:19).  In other words, they were individuals who had at one time been of God’s spiritual family, but were no longer so.  They had renounced the gospel by which they were saved.  Thus, the antichrist is not some world political leader who is yet to come.  They were people who were alive in John’s day and had turned away from the Lord’s church.

Fourth, we learn that the antichrist was one who denied the deity of Jesus.  John asks, “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist…” (1 Jn. 2:22).  Any person, then or now, who denies Christ’s deity is against Him.

Fifth, we learn that the antichrist was one who denied the incarnation of Christ.  John said the person who did not confess that Jesus is come in the flesh is the antichrist (1 Jn. 4:2-3; 2 Jn. 7).  One of the most amazing facts of the redemption story is that the divine Son of God was born of the virgin Mary, lived as a human and died as a human (Phil. 2:5-8).  To deny the humanity of Christ is to be at odds with divine revelation.

Christians need not fear the political, economic, or military developments of the present day.  The Bible does not speak of a world political figure that will suddenly appear on the scene in advance of the second coming of Jesus.  In fact, there will be no “early warning system” in advance of Christ’s coming.  We are urged by Christ to “be ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 24:44).  Just live each day as if it were the last.  By so doing, we prepare ourselves for the end of time.

A "Good" Man Who Was Lost

Two men went to the temple court to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector (Lk. 18:9-14).  The Pharisee would be viewed as a pillar within the community, an ardent patriot, and a respected citizen of the highest character.  On the other hand, the tax collector would be viewed as a traitor to his fellow Jews and the off scouring of his community.  However, it was he who was justified rather than the Pharisee.  Why was the Pharisee lost?  Why did God not accept him?

He was lost because he trusted in his good character to save him.  His prayer was an essay in self-congratulation.  He first congratulated himself on his virtues of omission – that he was not a robber, an evildoer, an adulterer, or even as the tax collector.  Having listed his abstentions from wrong, the Pharisee next informed heaven of his virtues of commission – he fasted twice a week and gave tithes of everything he gained.  Measured by other men, he towered above them.  It had not occurred to him to measure himself by the sky.  A mountain shames a molehill until both are humbled by the stars.  The Pharisee’s virtue was so cankered by pride that it was almost rotten.  Good character is an important part of the Christian life, but it is not the basis of justification before God (Isa. 64:6).

He was lost because he trusted in the performance of religious observances to save him.  The Pharisee fasted twice a week though the only obligatory fast was on the annual observance of the Day of Atonement.  It was believed that Moses ascended Mt. Sinai on Monday to receive the Ten Commandments and descended on Thursday; thus, many Pharisees set these two days aside as days of fasting.  In like manner, many people today trust in religious observances to justify themselves before a holy God.  To many, it matters little that the observances may only be mere inventions of men.  The only thing that matters to them is that the activity has a religious emphasis.  Like Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10) they fail to see the importance of doing what God says in the way He says it is to be done.  In the case of others, they are careful to observe only that which is authorized by God.  However, they do not possess the right attitude or disposition of mind in their observance (cf. 1 Cor. 11:27-31; John 4:24).  Both are wrong.  Merely engaging in the observation of certain religious acts does not justify a person before God (cf. Amos 5:21-24).  We must be careful to only engage in religious activities authorized by God and to do so with the proper motivation.

He was lost because he trusted in his good deeds to save him.  Good works are absolutely essential to a vital faith (Jas. 2:26).  It is one thing to do them, but quite another to depend upon them as the basis of our justification (Eph. 2:8-9).  The mercy of God as demonstrated in the gift of His Son is the foundation of our salvation (Tit. 3:5).

All that can be said about the Pharisee’s goodness is that it was negative.  Even his fasting and tithing were negative things because they consisted in giving up certain things.  That is the reverse of true goodness.  Sadly, the religious life of many people consists entirely of prohibitions.  Such results in a negative life and is only half the story.

Christians and Politics

It has been frequently said that this year’s election is one of the most critical in U.S. history. That may be accurate; I don’t know. Of course, I wasn’t alive during earlier years in our history, so I am not familiar with the political climate or many of the issues facing our young nation. In fact, I had not paid much attention to politics until my college years in the early sixties. I remember Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower as leaders of our nation, but don’t know from personal knowledge the issues that were considered critical during their presidencies. The first president to whom I paid much attention was John F. Kennedy. Since then I have tried to have at least a working knowledge of national and local issues and the people running for office so that I can be an informed voter. During the past fifty years I have basically been conservative in my views and have voted accordingly. I have not always agreed with every stance of the person running for office or the one for whom I voted, but I have evaluated their economic, military, and foreign policy views, as well as other considerations before making a decision. I have tried to cast my vote for the person whom I feel would do the country, state, or local community the most good. I have not confined my voting to one political party, but have placed more emphasis on the person rather than the party. The people for whom I have voted have not always been on the winning ticket, but that is the nature and beauty of our political system in which every legally registered voter has the opportunity of voicing his opinion at the ballot box. Sometimes I have been disappointed in the person elected and at other times have been pleasantly pleased. Over the years, as I have matured both in age and as a Christian, the basis on which I have evaluated political candidates has changed, however. At one time, I paid more attention to their economic, military, and tax policies, etc. than anything else. I don’t mean to diminish these considerations as being unimportant. They are important. I think all of us are interested in the employment rate, economic growth, military supremacy, and entrepreneurship continuing in a positive direction in America. They have a profound impact on world peace, national security, and a general sense of optimism. We live in a nation that has been greatly blessed because these causes have been emphasized by our leaders. For that I am profoundly grateful. The concerns I have just mentioned, however, are not the reasons for our national greatness. America’s greatness is not found in her economic might, her military strength, or her scientific achievements. I have come to realize more convincingly that the foundation for any nation’s greatness is based on her respect for God and the moral standards set forth in the Bible. God’s word declares, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). For that reason I have tried, in the past several years, to pay closer attention to a candidate’s moral convictions and the tenor of his life. What are his views about same sex marriage, homosexuality, abortion, and the sanctity of marriage as presented in the Bible? Is he or she an honest person or do they practice deception and self-justification? Do they respect civil law or circumvent it? Do they pay their taxes or do they look for questionable loopholes? Are they able to exercise self-control over their tempers and sexual urges? Are they “legal thieves” as they rob the general public in order to “line their own pockets”? By their example, are they able to lead us as a nation in the direction of righteous conduct? A nation will deteriorate from within and eventually fall, if respect for God and his moral standards are not maintained. The noted historian, Edward Gibbon once stated that 19 of the 22 civilizations that have arisen collapsed when they reached the moral state that America is in now. That is what concerns me. It seems to me that the voting public would be wise to examine the moral principles that guide the various candidates before entering the ballot box during this election year. It was once observed, “America is great because America is good. When she ceases to be good she will cease to be great.” It takes leaders who are good people to establish and maintain goodness in a nation. Give that some serious thought as you enter the voting booth this year.

Heirs of God

Jean Paul Sarte once wrote, "Man can count on no one but himself. He is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth."

That's one view of life…a rather dismal view. If this is the backdrop against which life is painted then there is no purpose, no reason beyond just the few years that we spend here. This is all we have and all there is. This view casts us as orphans into a strange and foreign place.

But there is another view…a contrasting view. We're not orphans on our own, but we can be adopted into the family of God. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans chapter 8, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him" (vs. 14-17).

The fact that Christians are adopted into the spiritual family of God provides a sense of security, and acceptance, and well-being.

Spiritually speaking, there is only one of two families to which we belong – the family of God or the family of Satan. Jesus declared, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matt. 6:24). He put it another way in this statement, "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters" (Matt. 12:30). True discipleship is not a "both-and" proposition; it is an "either-or" one. Either one is a servant of the Lord or he is not. There is no in-between. Have you obeyed the gospel of Christ in being baptized and, thus, been adopted into the family of God? If not, why not?

Shooting Arrows

The poet has written,

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where.
But long years after in the heart of an oak,
I found my arrow still unbroke.

Once you shoot that arrow, you might lose track of where it is, but that doesn't mean that it ceases to be. And years later you might find it "in the heart of an oak."

There's another mystery. When I share my hopes, my dreams, my thoughts with another person and the years pass, I might forget or lose track, but that doesn't mean those thoughts no longer exist.

When you share life with a friend, it lasts and endures and might even show up again, like that arrow.

Solomon said, "Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days" (Eccl. 11:1). A person never knows the ultimate impact of a thought or deed. At first it might not even by noticed, but later it has a tremendous effect. No wonder the apostle Paul urges us to "be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise" (Eph. 5:15).

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth I knew not where.
But long years after in the heart of a friend,
I found my song from beginning to end.

Tomorrow

I don’t want to live in the future, but I do want to be optimistic and hopeful. I want to believe in tomorrow, and to see the potential that it holds, and to face it with joy and confidence.

James gives us a word of caution about tomorrow. "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ' If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that'" (James 4:13-15, NASV).

Tomorrow doesn't have to be viewed with arrogance and confidence that it will occur. Neither does it have to be viewed with fear, and dread, and anxiety. That’s not much of a way to face tomorrow…or to live today.

I can anticipate tomorrow with a sense of eagerness – not living in the future, or even trusting the future – but allowing a sense of "what’s coming" to give a special flavor and meaning to the now of "today."

A little red-headed orphan in the musical Annie offers this optimistic view. "The sun'll come out tomorrow, So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow, Come what may! Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! You're always a day away!"

Remember that counting time is not nearly as important as making time count.