The Godhood of the Holy Spirit Part 1
It is with undeniable clarity that the Bible also presents us with the fundamental truth that the Holy Spirit is God, or more precisely an integral part of the triune God. From the names or titles that the Bible shows us can be attributed to the Holy Spirit, to the divine attributes of the Holy Spirit, the godhood of the Holy Spirit is undeniable.
There are certain titles attributed to the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture that reflect and highlight the relationship between Him, and the other Persons of the Trinity. The relationship between God the Holy Spirit and God the Father is expressed primarily via two names that have been attributed to the Holy Spirit, ‘the Spirit of God’ and ‘the Spirit of the Lord.’
Matthew 3:16, “Then Jesus when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”
1 Samuel 10:10, “When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.”
As previously mentioned there are two titles, or two names that have been attributed to the Holy Spirit that highlights the relationship between Him and God the Father, and the fact that in purpose they are one, the first being the Spirit of God, the second being the Spirit of the Lord.
Judges 3:10, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel.”
Although the story of judge Othniel, the man upon whom the Spirit of the Lord came is an interesting one, I wanted to include this passage, and the passages to follow, that you might see this second title of ‘the Spirit of the Lord’ being used not only on the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as well.
2 Samuel 23:2, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.”
Acts 8:39, “Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.”
2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
There are also other references to the Holy Spirit that reveal the intimate and intricate relationship between God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. Whenever God speaks in the first person in the Bible, and uses the term ‘My Spirit’ it is the Holy Spirit that He is referring to.
Matthew 12:18, “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.”
The relationship between God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is also clearly outlined within the pages of the New Testament, revealing the symbiotic nature of the Trinity. To remove one of the three Persons of the triune God, is to attempt to minimize or limit the work thereof, and by so doing beginning to fashion a deity of our own making.
Yes, the Holy Spirit, and the work thereof are important for us to know, precisely because the Word of God speaks of Him often in various ways, and by His various titles. To discount such an important part of our faith, to dismiss such an important part of who God is, is utter foolishness if not outright madness.
Before we end today’s post, I want to go through a few of the titles or names that the Holy Spirit carries that also attest and confirm His Godhood.
Beyond being identified as the Comforter, and the Helper, the Holy Spirit has also been identified within the pages of Scripture as the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of life, the Spirit of adoption, and the eternal Spirit.
Romans 1:1-6, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”
1 Peter 4:14, “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.”
Hebrews 9:13-14, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
More could be said on the names or titles of the Holy Spirit, and how they demonstrate and prove His godhood, or divine nature, but just the scripture passages that we’ve quoted thus far ought to solidify this truth in your heart. Tomorrow we continue with the divine attributes of the Holy Spirit, from there, to the symbols representing the Holy Spirit, then we will get into the specificities of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the importance of the day of Pentecost, and as much as the Lord would give.
As I said at the beginning of this journey, this will not be a light walk, it will be a marathon, but the topic of the Holy Spirit has been neglected for far too long, and in times such as these we need His presence, His guidance, and His gifts more than ever before.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 6
The Person of the Holy Spirit Part 4
The third characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He teaches men.
When the Holy Spirit teaches, it can be in various ways, from giving understanding and wisdom, to outright teaching believers in general, to giving believers the words which they must speak when confronted with opposition as we discussed in the previous post.
Nehemiah 9:20, “You also gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.”
John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
So not only does the Holy Spirit teach us all things, He likewise brings to our remembrance the things that Jesus said. It is often that someone comes for counseling on a certain matter, that they approach me and just want to pour their heart out, and in an instant, without my having thought about it, a certain Scripture passage comes to the forefront of my mind, a certain parable that Jesus spoke, or a certain thing that He said, that brings comfort and understanding to the person I am counseling.
If you think about it, you too will realize just how often the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance certain things that Jesus said or certain scripture passages that minister to you in the hour of your need. It is not your intellect, it is not your memorization techniques, it is not your aptitude for remembering vast quantities of data, it is the Spirit of God, it is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter who brings these things to your remembrance, that you may be strengthened, and encouraged.
The fourth characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He testifies.
There are various things of which the Holy Spirit testifies, but first and foremost He testifies of Christ.
John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
The Holy Spirit also testifies in heaven and on earth. He is not relegated to one of two realms, but freely testifies or bears witness both in the heavens, and here on earth.
1 John 5:7-8, “For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
The fifth characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He helps us in various ways.
One of the names of the Holy Spirit is the Helper, and it is by no means a hyperbolic name.
One of the most important ways in which the Holy Spirit helps us is that He convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment. The Holy Spirit shows us the reality of our fallen state, and He reveals to us the paramount need for Christ.
John 16:8-11, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
The Word also tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray, as well as comforts us in our time of need, trial and hardship.
Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
Acts 9:31, “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
As we can clearly see, the Holy Spirit is not just some inactive entity, not just some static presence that does nothing and says nothing, but rather a very involved and perpetually present Person tasked with comforting the church, helping the church, encouraging the church, guiding the church, and even rebuking the church after the ascension of Christ. Jesus promised that the Helper would come; Jesus promised that the Comforter would come, and true to His word He came, in a very real and powerful way.
John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Although we could spend a few good days on these three verses alone, I just want to highlight a few important truths that Jesus Himself spoke concerning the Helper, or the Holy Spirit that was to come.
First, Jesus said, that the Helper, or the Holy Spirit that the Father would send or give us, would abide with us forever. Jesus used the word ‘forever’!
There was no expiration date, there was no limited time offer, there was no clause in the contract that specified it was for one generation and then the Helper would simply return to the Father which had sent Him. Jesus said He would abide with us forever.
Forever is defined as without ever ending, eternally, or for everlasting time. So either Jesus was a liar, or the men going on about the Holy Spirit no longer being active within the congregation of the redeemed are. Sure, I could have sugar coated that a little, but truth is truth, and I just don’t have the energy to strap on the kid gloves every time a sensitive or controversial topic is discussed.
It’s that simple: either Jesus lied, or men are lying today!
Jesus said the Helper would abide with us forever, and I for one choose to believe the words of Jesus rather than the words of men. Call me silly, call me stunted, call me narrow minded, but in my estimation Jesus has a better track record as a truth teller than those who are attempting to deny the person and work of the Holy Spirit for today.
The second thing that is of great import within these three verses is that the world cannot receive this Helper whom the Father would send. The world neither sees Him, nor knows Him, and so trying to explain the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Holy Spirit, or the power of the Holy Spirit to those of the world, would be like trying to teach your poodle linear algebra.
This is largely the reason the world’s first tendency is to mock, ridicule, and scorn anything having to do with the Holy Spirit. They can neither see Him, nor know Him, so how can they believe or receive Him?
The third thing that I wanted to point out concerning this passage is that Jesus said the Spirit of truth, the Helper, the Comforter dwells in us. He is not something that flutters about during especially convicting church services, He is not something that is present only when a special speaker comes to our church, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, He lives in us, our hearts are His home, and He is with us in perpetuity.
We are not orphans, we are not alone, we are not left to float upon the sea of this world on our own, with God watching from above crossing His fingers hoping that we make it to shore. The Holy Spirit is among us, His presence is real, His work is undeniable, and the power to which the children of God have access to trough Him, is beyond the understanding of many.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The third characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He teaches men.
When the Holy Spirit teaches, it can be in various ways, from giving understanding and wisdom, to outright teaching believers in general, to giving believers the words which they must speak when confronted with opposition as we discussed in the previous post.
Nehemiah 9:20, “You also gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.”
John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
So not only does the Holy Spirit teach us all things, He likewise brings to our remembrance the things that Jesus said. It is often that someone comes for counseling on a certain matter, that they approach me and just want to pour their heart out, and in an instant, without my having thought about it, a certain Scripture passage comes to the forefront of my mind, a certain parable that Jesus spoke, or a certain thing that He said, that brings comfort and understanding to the person I am counseling.
If you think about it, you too will realize just how often the Holy Spirit brings to your remembrance certain things that Jesus said or certain scripture passages that minister to you in the hour of your need. It is not your intellect, it is not your memorization techniques, it is not your aptitude for remembering vast quantities of data, it is the Spirit of God, it is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter who brings these things to your remembrance, that you may be strengthened, and encouraged.
The fourth characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He testifies.
There are various things of which the Holy Spirit testifies, but first and foremost He testifies of Christ.
John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
The Holy Spirit also testifies in heaven and on earth. He is not relegated to one of two realms, but freely testifies or bears witness both in the heavens, and here on earth.
1 John 5:7-8, “For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
The fifth characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He helps us in various ways.
One of the names of the Holy Spirit is the Helper, and it is by no means a hyperbolic name.
One of the most important ways in which the Holy Spirit helps us is that He convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment. The Holy Spirit shows us the reality of our fallen state, and He reveals to us the paramount need for Christ.
John 16:8-11, “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
The Word also tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray, as well as comforts us in our time of need, trial and hardship.
Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
Acts 9:31, “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
As we can clearly see, the Holy Spirit is not just some inactive entity, not just some static presence that does nothing and says nothing, but rather a very involved and perpetually present Person tasked with comforting the church, helping the church, encouraging the church, guiding the church, and even rebuking the church after the ascension of Christ. Jesus promised that the Helper would come; Jesus promised that the Comforter would come, and true to His word He came, in a very real and powerful way.
John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
Although we could spend a few good days on these three verses alone, I just want to highlight a few important truths that Jesus Himself spoke concerning the Helper, or the Holy Spirit that was to come.
First, Jesus said, that the Helper, or the Holy Spirit that the Father would send or give us, would abide with us forever. Jesus used the word ‘forever’!
There was no expiration date, there was no limited time offer, there was no clause in the contract that specified it was for one generation and then the Helper would simply return to the Father which had sent Him. Jesus said He would abide with us forever.
Forever is defined as without ever ending, eternally, or for everlasting time. So either Jesus was a liar, or the men going on about the Holy Spirit no longer being active within the congregation of the redeemed are. Sure, I could have sugar coated that a little, but truth is truth, and I just don’t have the energy to strap on the kid gloves every time a sensitive or controversial topic is discussed.
It’s that simple: either Jesus lied, or men are lying today!
Jesus said the Helper would abide with us forever, and I for one choose to believe the words of Jesus rather than the words of men. Call me silly, call me stunted, call me narrow minded, but in my estimation Jesus has a better track record as a truth teller than those who are attempting to deny the person and work of the Holy Spirit for today.
The second thing that is of great import within these three verses is that the world cannot receive this Helper whom the Father would send. The world neither sees Him, nor knows Him, and so trying to explain the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Holy Spirit, or the power of the Holy Spirit to those of the world, would be like trying to teach your poodle linear algebra.
This is largely the reason the world’s first tendency is to mock, ridicule, and scorn anything having to do with the Holy Spirit. They can neither see Him, nor know Him, so how can they believe or receive Him?
The third thing that I wanted to point out concerning this passage is that Jesus said the Spirit of truth, the Helper, the Comforter dwells in us. He is not something that flutters about during especially convicting church services, He is not something that is present only when a special speaker comes to our church, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, He lives in us, our hearts are His home, and He is with us in perpetuity.
We are not orphans, we are not alone, we are not left to float upon the sea of this world on our own, with God watching from above crossing His fingers hoping that we make it to shore. The Holy Spirit is among us, His presence is real, His work is undeniable, and the power to which the children of God have access to trough Him, is beyond the understanding of many.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 5
The Person of the Holy Spirit Part 3
The second characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He communicates.
The Holy Spirit speaks to the children of God in various ways, and at various times, and it is worthwhile for us to take some time and scripturally discover how and when the Holy Spirit communicates or speaks to the believer.
The first way in which the Holy Spirit communicates with us is prophetically. We have various examples of this in the Bible, but due to obvious constraints I will only include a few of them in this teaching.
1 Peter 1:10-12, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.”
2 Peter 1:19-21, “We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
In His communication with us, the Holy Spirit also warns of impending hardships, trials or tribulations that we will have to endure. I realize that even the mention of hardship and tribulation within the context of a Christian’s walk is anathema to many, but we’ve discussed the fact that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution often enough that it would be superfluous of me to revisit the topic. Yes, Christians go through trials, yes, Christians suffer persecution, yes, Christians have hard times, but in His love God via the Holy Spirit often times warns of the hardships, trials, and persecutions that we are soon to endure, that we might prepare spiritually, and know that we endure them for a purpose beyond our current understanding.
Acts 20:22-23, “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”
These are the words of Paul, the apostle of Christ, and what he is saying is that he knows not what awaits him, he has a general understanding of what the future holds for him because in every city that he traveled through, the Holy Spirit gave him a word that chains and tribulations awaited him. God used vessels, He used servants, and by the unction of the Holy Spirit these vessels warned Paul of what awaited him that he might prepare, and stand faithful and strong in the Lord.
Not only does the Holy Spirit communicate with believers, He also teaches them what to speak and what to say when confronted with persecution.
Luke 12:11-12, “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jesus was preparing His disciples for what He knew would soon befall them. He knew that they would be brought before the authorities, He knew that they would be brought before the religious leaders of the synagogues, and He encouraged them by telling them that they ought not to fear for what they should say, or how they would answer the accusations of the magistrates because the Holy Spirit would teach them that very hour what they ought to say. It is one of the most profound promises that Christ made to His disciples, and by association to us, that in the midst of persecution, in the midst of trials, in the midst of being falsely accused due to our faith in Him, the Holy Spirit would be present and He would give us the words to speak.
Throughout the book of Revelation we also see the Spirit speaking to the churches, encouraging some, admonishing others, and rebuking others still.
Revelation 2:17, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
Throughout the Word we see the various characteristics of the Holy Spirit, a Spirit that a large percentage of the church today refuses to acknowledge as being viable and present and at work. This constant denial of the power, the presence, and the person of the Holy Spirit for today can only be in detriment to the body of Christ, making it more susceptible to the attacks of the enemy and more vulnerable to the deception that is running rampant within the house of God. If we have an ear, may we hear what the Spirit says to the churches, may we have an ear to hear that the Holy Spirit, marginalized as He might be within certain circles, is still among us, ready and willing to carry out the tasks He was assigned, to encourage us, to strengthen us, to give us the right words at the right time, that we as servants of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The second characteristic of the Holy Spirit is that He communicates.
The Holy Spirit speaks to the children of God in various ways, and at various times, and it is worthwhile for us to take some time and scripturally discover how and when the Holy Spirit communicates or speaks to the believer.
The first way in which the Holy Spirit communicates with us is prophetically. We have various examples of this in the Bible, but due to obvious constraints I will only include a few of them in this teaching.
1 Peter 1:10-12, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.”
2 Peter 1:19-21, “We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
In His communication with us, the Holy Spirit also warns of impending hardships, trials or tribulations that we will have to endure. I realize that even the mention of hardship and tribulation within the context of a Christian’s walk is anathema to many, but we’ve discussed the fact that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution often enough that it would be superfluous of me to revisit the topic. Yes, Christians go through trials, yes, Christians suffer persecution, yes, Christians have hard times, but in His love God via the Holy Spirit often times warns of the hardships, trials, and persecutions that we are soon to endure, that we might prepare spiritually, and know that we endure them for a purpose beyond our current understanding.
Acts 20:22-23, “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”
These are the words of Paul, the apostle of Christ, and what he is saying is that he knows not what awaits him, he has a general understanding of what the future holds for him because in every city that he traveled through, the Holy Spirit gave him a word that chains and tribulations awaited him. God used vessels, He used servants, and by the unction of the Holy Spirit these vessels warned Paul of what awaited him that he might prepare, and stand faithful and strong in the Lord.
Not only does the Holy Spirit communicate with believers, He also teaches them what to speak and what to say when confronted with persecution.
Luke 12:11-12, “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jesus was preparing His disciples for what He knew would soon befall them. He knew that they would be brought before the authorities, He knew that they would be brought before the religious leaders of the synagogues, and He encouraged them by telling them that they ought not to fear for what they should say, or how they would answer the accusations of the magistrates because the Holy Spirit would teach them that very hour what they ought to say. It is one of the most profound promises that Christ made to His disciples, and by association to us, that in the midst of persecution, in the midst of trials, in the midst of being falsely accused due to our faith in Him, the Holy Spirit would be present and He would give us the words to speak.
Throughout the book of Revelation we also see the Spirit speaking to the churches, encouraging some, admonishing others, and rebuking others still.
Revelation 2:17, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
Throughout the Word we see the various characteristics of the Holy Spirit, a Spirit that a large percentage of the church today refuses to acknowledge as being viable and present and at work. This constant denial of the power, the presence, and the person of the Holy Spirit for today can only be in detriment to the body of Christ, making it more susceptible to the attacks of the enemy and more vulnerable to the deception that is running rampant within the house of God. If we have an ear, may we hear what the Spirit says to the churches, may we have an ear to hear that the Holy Spirit, marginalized as He might be within certain circles, is still among us, ready and willing to carry out the tasks He was assigned, to encourage us, to strengthen us, to give us the right words at the right time, that we as servants of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 4
The Person of the Holy Spirit Part 2
Now that we’ve established, and biblically so that the Holy Spirit is a Person, I want to venture throughout God’s Word and see what the activity of the Holy Spirit entails. This is important to know, because there is much confusion concerning the Holy Spirit, the attributes of the Holy Spirit, and the activity of the Holy Spirit. The confusion I speak of springs not from the Word, which is clear concerning the many works of the Spirit, but from men’s preconceived notions and personal interpretations.
As I said in the beginning of this study, my purpose, my hope, and my desire is to Biblically prove out the things that I share with you, so at the end of this protracted journey of discovering the power, the purpose and the presence of the Holy Spirit, you would not walk away with a sense of my teaching, my opinion, or my presuppositions concerning the Holy Spirit, but with a right and true understanding of what the Bible has to say about Him.
So what does the Holy Spirit do? What are the activities, duties or characteristics of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer?
First, the Holy Spirit is tasked with leading, or giving instruction within the body of Christ. Whether leading Jesus into the desert, leading individuals in certain aspect of ministry, the Holy Spirit leads.
Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Acts 10:19-20, “While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.’”
Acts 16:6-7, “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia but the Spirit did not permit them.”
1 Corinthians 2:13, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
Within the context of leading or giving instruction, the Holy Spirit also chooses the elders, or overseers of the body of Christ, those called to minister, give edification, exhortation, teaching or rebuke.
Acts 13:2, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them to.”
Acts 20:28, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
The beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit is that when He leads us, He will always lead us to truth, and He will always lead us to Christ. The Holy Spirit will never seek glory for Himself, He will never seek honor for Himself, He will always and without fail lead us to Jesus, point the way to Jesus, and exalt the name of Jesus.
I take umbrage with individuals who place prophecy above Christ, who believe that experiences, angel visitations, words of knowledge, visions or dreams are more important than humbly following after Christ, because when this mentality sets in we are no longer led by the Spirit, because the Spirit will not lead us anywhere else but to Christ Jesus.
John 16:13-14, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
The leading of the Holy Spirit is not exclusive to elders or deacons, but to all who call themselves children of God. When the Holy Spirit leads us, it is not once in a while, it is not infrequently, but consistently, and perpetually. We see this most clearly in Paul’s epistle to the Romans, where within the context of teaching that the Spirit of God makes us children of God, he also says that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
I realize we started this series out a little scripture heavy, but it is necessary. I believe wholeheartedly that it’s high time that we put more of God’s Word in our teachings and less of our own words therein, because the Word of God gives life, it gives strength, it gives liberty, it gives wisdom, it gives strength, it gives comfort and it gives direction.
We discover the greatness of God through His Word, we discover the majesty of Christ through His Word, and we discover the fullness of the Holy Spirit through His Word. Although the Bible has admittedly fallen out of favor with much of the church, because it is too challenging, too unyielding, too rigid, and too controversial, those who would seek truth, those who would seek knowledge, and those who would seek wisdom have no other avenue, no other means of attaining these things than through the Word of God.
Thankfully the Christian walk is not a popularity contest, it is not about how much of the world considers you harmless, or even friendly to its proclivities, it is about growing in grace, growing in faith, growing in power, and growing in wisdom. In essence, this Christian walk is about daily growing in God, and daily desiring more of Him.
We’ve just scratched the surface in regards to the person of the Holy Spirit, as well as His attributes, and for the next couple days it is these truths that we will be fleshing out scripturally, and exploring in depth.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Now that we’ve established, and biblically so that the Holy Spirit is a Person, I want to venture throughout God’s Word and see what the activity of the Holy Spirit entails. This is important to know, because there is much confusion concerning the Holy Spirit, the attributes of the Holy Spirit, and the activity of the Holy Spirit. The confusion I speak of springs not from the Word, which is clear concerning the many works of the Spirit, but from men’s preconceived notions and personal interpretations.
As I said in the beginning of this study, my purpose, my hope, and my desire is to Biblically prove out the things that I share with you, so at the end of this protracted journey of discovering the power, the purpose and the presence of the Holy Spirit, you would not walk away with a sense of my teaching, my opinion, or my presuppositions concerning the Holy Spirit, but with a right and true understanding of what the Bible has to say about Him.
So what does the Holy Spirit do? What are the activities, duties or characteristics of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer?
First, the Holy Spirit is tasked with leading, or giving instruction within the body of Christ. Whether leading Jesus into the desert, leading individuals in certain aspect of ministry, the Holy Spirit leads.
Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Acts 10:19-20, “While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.’”
Acts 16:6-7, “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia but the Spirit did not permit them.”
1 Corinthians 2:13, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
Within the context of leading or giving instruction, the Holy Spirit also chooses the elders, or overseers of the body of Christ, those called to minister, give edification, exhortation, teaching or rebuke.
Acts 13:2, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them to.”
Acts 20:28, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
The beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit is that when He leads us, He will always lead us to truth, and He will always lead us to Christ. The Holy Spirit will never seek glory for Himself, He will never seek honor for Himself, He will always and without fail lead us to Jesus, point the way to Jesus, and exalt the name of Jesus.
I take umbrage with individuals who place prophecy above Christ, who believe that experiences, angel visitations, words of knowledge, visions or dreams are more important than humbly following after Christ, because when this mentality sets in we are no longer led by the Spirit, because the Spirit will not lead us anywhere else but to Christ Jesus.
John 16:13-14, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
The leading of the Holy Spirit is not exclusive to elders or deacons, but to all who call themselves children of God. When the Holy Spirit leads us, it is not once in a while, it is not infrequently, but consistently, and perpetually. We see this most clearly in Paul’s epistle to the Romans, where within the context of teaching that the Spirit of God makes us children of God, he also says that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
I realize we started this series out a little scripture heavy, but it is necessary. I believe wholeheartedly that it’s high time that we put more of God’s Word in our teachings and less of our own words therein, because the Word of God gives life, it gives strength, it gives liberty, it gives wisdom, it gives strength, it gives comfort and it gives direction.
We discover the greatness of God through His Word, we discover the majesty of Christ through His Word, and we discover the fullness of the Holy Spirit through His Word. Although the Bible has admittedly fallen out of favor with much of the church, because it is too challenging, too unyielding, too rigid, and too controversial, those who would seek truth, those who would seek knowledge, and those who would seek wisdom have no other avenue, no other means of attaining these things than through the Word of God.
Thankfully the Christian walk is not a popularity contest, it is not about how much of the world considers you harmless, or even friendly to its proclivities, it is about growing in grace, growing in faith, growing in power, and growing in wisdom. In essence, this Christian walk is about daily growing in God, and daily desiring more of Him.
We’ve just scratched the surface in regards to the person of the Holy Spirit, as well as His attributes, and for the next couple days it is these truths that we will be fleshing out scripturally, and exploring in depth.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 3
The Person of the Holy Spirit Part 1
In Christian theology the Holy Spirit is known as the third Person of the Trinity. The fact that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity underlines two essential truths whose Biblical basis must be demonstrated. These two truths are first, that the Holy Spirit is a Person, and the second truth is that He is part of the Trinity, or the triune God.
There are, as there have always been certain anti Trinitarian doctrines, which deny the existence of certain personal attributes that define the Holy Spirit as a Person, and in an implicit way deny the fact that the Holy Spirit is God. Seeing as these doctrines continue to make headway within the household of faith, I thought it worthwhile to spend some time in going through certain biblical texts which contain the fundamental doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and prove out the fact that indeed He is a Person, and is likewise the third Person making up the Trinity.
The first sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Person and not just an influence, a disembodied power, or an inspiration is the fact that He is a rational being.
When discussing the nature of man, in general we observe three aspects that distinguish and separate us from the animal kingdom. If animals act and react based on stimuli and instinct, the actions men undertake are primarily coordinated by intellect. Second of all, man possesses a sensibility which produces desire, whether desire to know, to explore, to understand, or to perceive, and this in turn influences the intellect. Third of all, man possesses the will which determines his actions, which in turn, if followed through to their rightful conclusion will end in a rational and predetermined goal. In simpler terms, if I purpose to lose ten pounds, then I know what actions I must undertake in order to reach my desired goal, and by following through on the pre-established actions my goal will be a certain one.
Why is any of this relevant within the context of this present study? It is relevant because all three of the elements of personality which I’ve just listed can be seen and readily identified in the Holy Spirit.
One of the most often seen and most telling attributes of the Holy Spirit is His intellect. Yes the Holy Spirit possesses intellect, and this is proven Biblically.
In both Romans and 1 Corinthians, Paul shows us that the Spirit searches the things of God, and that these things of God cannot be known by the mind of man, but rather it is the Holy Spirit which knows them and reveals them to spiritual men.
1 Corinthians 2:10-11, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”
Paul makes an astounding declaration here, one that many who choose not to believe that the Holy Spirit is indeed a person readily dismiss. Paul is writing to the Corinthians concerning the wisdom of God, the hidden things of God, and the hidden wisdom of God, and he says that no one can know the things of God except by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that searches all things, yes, even the deep things of God, and it is through His Spirit that God has revealed His hidden wisdom to us, which He ordained before the ages for our glory.
The fact that the Holy Spirit possesses intellect is also evident in His actions. This is evident throughout the scriptures, especially in the New Testament wherein the Holy Spirit takes on a more active role within the body of Christ after His ascent.
During the Council at Jerusalem the apostles make the following affirmation in regards to the Holy Spirit:
Acts 15:28-29, “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
Another telling attribute of the Holy Spirit is His sensibility.
Throughout the Word of God we can see that the Holy Spirit can be grieved, tested, and even have fellowship with believers. All these are characteristics, and personal attributes of a person or personality.
Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Acts 5:9, “Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.”
Philippians 2:1-2, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, fi any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
The third telling attribute of the Holy Spirit is His will.
The Holy Spirit not only has a will, but asserts His will, as Paul the Apostle of Christ reminds us when discussing the spiritual gifts and the distribution thereof.
1 Corinthians 12:11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
In Christian theology the Holy Spirit is known as the third Person of the Trinity. The fact that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity underlines two essential truths whose Biblical basis must be demonstrated. These two truths are first, that the Holy Spirit is a Person, and the second truth is that He is part of the Trinity, or the triune God.
There are, as there have always been certain anti Trinitarian doctrines, which deny the existence of certain personal attributes that define the Holy Spirit as a Person, and in an implicit way deny the fact that the Holy Spirit is God. Seeing as these doctrines continue to make headway within the household of faith, I thought it worthwhile to spend some time in going through certain biblical texts which contain the fundamental doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and prove out the fact that indeed He is a Person, and is likewise the third Person making up the Trinity.
The first sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Person and not just an influence, a disembodied power, or an inspiration is the fact that He is a rational being.
When discussing the nature of man, in general we observe three aspects that distinguish and separate us from the animal kingdom. If animals act and react based on stimuli and instinct, the actions men undertake are primarily coordinated by intellect. Second of all, man possesses a sensibility which produces desire, whether desire to know, to explore, to understand, or to perceive, and this in turn influences the intellect. Third of all, man possesses the will which determines his actions, which in turn, if followed through to their rightful conclusion will end in a rational and predetermined goal. In simpler terms, if I purpose to lose ten pounds, then I know what actions I must undertake in order to reach my desired goal, and by following through on the pre-established actions my goal will be a certain one.
Why is any of this relevant within the context of this present study? It is relevant because all three of the elements of personality which I’ve just listed can be seen and readily identified in the Holy Spirit.
One of the most often seen and most telling attributes of the Holy Spirit is His intellect. Yes the Holy Spirit possesses intellect, and this is proven Biblically.
In both Romans and 1 Corinthians, Paul shows us that the Spirit searches the things of God, and that these things of God cannot be known by the mind of man, but rather it is the Holy Spirit which knows them and reveals them to spiritual men.
1 Corinthians 2:10-11, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”
Paul makes an astounding declaration here, one that many who choose not to believe that the Holy Spirit is indeed a person readily dismiss. Paul is writing to the Corinthians concerning the wisdom of God, the hidden things of God, and the hidden wisdom of God, and he says that no one can know the things of God except by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that searches all things, yes, even the deep things of God, and it is through His Spirit that God has revealed His hidden wisdom to us, which He ordained before the ages for our glory.
The fact that the Holy Spirit possesses intellect is also evident in His actions. This is evident throughout the scriptures, especially in the New Testament wherein the Holy Spirit takes on a more active role within the body of Christ after His ascent.
During the Council at Jerusalem the apostles make the following affirmation in regards to the Holy Spirit:
Acts 15:28-29, “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
Another telling attribute of the Holy Spirit is His sensibility.
Throughout the Word of God we can see that the Holy Spirit can be grieved, tested, and even have fellowship with believers. All these are characteristics, and personal attributes of a person or personality.
Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Acts 5:9, “Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.”
Philippians 2:1-2, “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, fi any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
The third telling attribute of the Holy Spirit is His will.
The Holy Spirit not only has a will, but asserts His will, as Paul the Apostle of Christ reminds us when discussing the spiritual gifts and the distribution thereof.
1 Corinthians 12:11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 2
Overview: Part 2
The word for spirit in Hebrew is ruah. It appears in the Old Testament no less than 378 times, being translated as either wind, breath or spirit. The spirit of God is the breath of God, and this divine breath in man is what animates him and gives him life. The spirit is a breath that transcends the physical; it is the wind of God that represents the spiritual element of life as we know it.
The first mention of the term ruah or the Spirit of God in the Old Testament is found no later than the second verse of the first chapter in Genesis.
Genesis 1:2, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Yes, before there was land, before there was creation, before the garden existed and man was placed therein, the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
A thorough study of all the scriptures containing the word spirit or ruah reveals that they can be relegated to one of three major categories depending on the semantic prism or sphere in which the term was used. The three major categories in which the term spirit is used in the Bible are cosmological, anthropological, and theological.
So what do I mean by this? Well, when the Bible uses the term spirit cosmologically, it has to do with nature, the forces of the wind, storms and other attributes of what we would term as naturally occurring. When the Bible uses the term spirit anthropologically it has to do with man and mankind, and when it uses the term from a theological perspective it has to do with God.
The most often repeated symbolism of the spirit is that of air in movement, or the wind of God, regardless of its intensity. This term is used when describing a subtle wind, a storm, the four winds, and even an emotion or anger.
Ezekiel 37:9, “Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘thus says the Lord God: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live.”
When discussing the spirit as breath, throughout the scripture we see that it is referring to the breath of man, describing the three aspects of human existence, the physiological, the psychological, and the spiritual. Essentially, when the term breath is used as a descriptive, in certain passages it can be interpreted as literal breath, in others as spirit, and in others as the soul of man.
While discussing the different aspects of the term ruah might be beneficial and even enlightening, since our focus is on the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit we will limit ourselves to this particular aspect of the discussion and search out a few key characteristics.
Although the term ‘Holy Spirit’ appears only three times in the Old Testament, the terms ‘Spirit of the Lord or Spirit of God’ appear far more frequently.
Psalm 51:11, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
Isaiah 63:10-11, “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy. And He fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: ‘Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them?”
What is evident is that whatever term is used, whether the limited ‘Holy Spirit’ in the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord or the Spirit of God, the presence of this third person of the triune God is readily visible throughout. From being present at creation, to guiding the leaders of God’s people, to convicting the world of sin, the work and presence of the Holy Spirit, although marginalized for many years now, is great and wide and deep indeed.
Since we’ve already established the presence of the Holy Spirit at creation, and we did so Biblically, I wanted to go through a few scripture passages that testify to my second assertion, that of the Holy Spirit having an active role in guiding the leaders of God’s people. The Biblical examples of the Spirit of God being upon or guiding individuals include some of the greatest and best known personalities in Israel’s history.
From Joseph, to Joshua, to Ezekiel, to Gideon to Jephthah, to Samson to Saul, to David, the presence of the Spirit was most visible and manifested itself most readily by way of wisdom. Of Joseph, Bezaleel, Joshua, Micah, and Daniel the Word tells that they were filled with the Spirit, and due to this fact they were full of wisdom.
Exodus 31:1-5, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.”
Deuteronomy 34:9, “Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
Daniel 5:11, “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father – your father the king – made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.”
Micah 3:8, “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”
Throughout the prophetic books, the Spirit of God is the spiritual force, the divine power that inspires the prophets, that puts words in their mouths, and gives them the authority to speak.
1 Samuel 10:6, “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.”
The reason I wanted to include these scriptures in the overview of this series, is to point out the fact that the presence, power, and purpose of the Holy Spirit are not exclusive to the New Testament, they are not something that only came about on the day of Pentecost, but rather they’ve always existed, God has always spoken to His people through His Spirit, and messengers have always been chosen to deliver His words.
The question that we must answer truthfully and honestly, is, if the Holy Spirit, whether as the Spirit of the Lord, or the Spirit of God, has always been among His people, if the Holy Spirit has always operated among the children of God, and has been since the beginning of creation, why would the work of the Holy Spirit suddenly stop? Why would the power of the Holy Spirit suddenly cease to be, if it has been among us since the beginning of creation?
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
The word for spirit in Hebrew is ruah. It appears in the Old Testament no less than 378 times, being translated as either wind, breath or spirit. The spirit of God is the breath of God, and this divine breath in man is what animates him and gives him life. The spirit is a breath that transcends the physical; it is the wind of God that represents the spiritual element of life as we know it.
The first mention of the term ruah or the Spirit of God in the Old Testament is found no later than the second verse of the first chapter in Genesis.
Genesis 1:2, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Yes, before there was land, before there was creation, before the garden existed and man was placed therein, the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
A thorough study of all the scriptures containing the word spirit or ruah reveals that they can be relegated to one of three major categories depending on the semantic prism or sphere in which the term was used. The three major categories in which the term spirit is used in the Bible are cosmological, anthropological, and theological.
So what do I mean by this? Well, when the Bible uses the term spirit cosmologically, it has to do with nature, the forces of the wind, storms and other attributes of what we would term as naturally occurring. When the Bible uses the term spirit anthropologically it has to do with man and mankind, and when it uses the term from a theological perspective it has to do with God.
The most often repeated symbolism of the spirit is that of air in movement, or the wind of God, regardless of its intensity. This term is used when describing a subtle wind, a storm, the four winds, and even an emotion or anger.
Ezekiel 37:9, “Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘thus says the Lord God: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live.”
When discussing the spirit as breath, throughout the scripture we see that it is referring to the breath of man, describing the three aspects of human existence, the physiological, the psychological, and the spiritual. Essentially, when the term breath is used as a descriptive, in certain passages it can be interpreted as literal breath, in others as spirit, and in others as the soul of man.
While discussing the different aspects of the term ruah might be beneficial and even enlightening, since our focus is on the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit we will limit ourselves to this particular aspect of the discussion and search out a few key characteristics.
Although the term ‘Holy Spirit’ appears only three times in the Old Testament, the terms ‘Spirit of the Lord or Spirit of God’ appear far more frequently.
Psalm 51:11, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
Isaiah 63:10-11, “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy. And He fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: ‘Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them?”
What is evident is that whatever term is used, whether the limited ‘Holy Spirit’ in the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord or the Spirit of God, the presence of this third person of the triune God is readily visible throughout. From being present at creation, to guiding the leaders of God’s people, to convicting the world of sin, the work and presence of the Holy Spirit, although marginalized for many years now, is great and wide and deep indeed.
Since we’ve already established the presence of the Holy Spirit at creation, and we did so Biblically, I wanted to go through a few scripture passages that testify to my second assertion, that of the Holy Spirit having an active role in guiding the leaders of God’s people. The Biblical examples of the Spirit of God being upon or guiding individuals include some of the greatest and best known personalities in Israel’s history.
From Joseph, to Joshua, to Ezekiel, to Gideon to Jephthah, to Samson to Saul, to David, the presence of the Spirit was most visible and manifested itself most readily by way of wisdom. Of Joseph, Bezaleel, Joshua, Micah, and Daniel the Word tells that they were filled with the Spirit, and due to this fact they were full of wisdom.
Exodus 31:1-5, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.”
Deuteronomy 34:9, “Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
Daniel 5:11, “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father – your father the king – made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.”
Micah 3:8, “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.”
Throughout the prophetic books, the Spirit of God is the spiritual force, the divine power that inspires the prophets, that puts words in their mouths, and gives them the authority to speak.
1 Samuel 10:6, “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.”
The reason I wanted to include these scriptures in the overview of this series, is to point out the fact that the presence, power, and purpose of the Holy Spirit are not exclusive to the New Testament, they are not something that only came about on the day of Pentecost, but rather they’ve always existed, God has always spoken to His people through His Spirit, and messengers have always been chosen to deliver His words.
The question that we must answer truthfully and honestly, is, if the Holy Spirit, whether as the Spirit of the Lord, or the Spirit of God, has always been among His people, if the Holy Spirit has always operated among the children of God, and has been since the beginning of creation, why would the work of the Holy Spirit suddenly stop? Why would the power of the Holy Spirit suddenly cease to be, if it has been among us since the beginning of creation?
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Holy Spirit: Power Presence and Purpose Part 1
Overview: Part 1
Of the three persons making up the triune God, it is doubtless and self-evident that the Holy Spirit is least discussed, least studied and least focused upon. Even though the New Testament presents the saving work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a very balanced manner, underlining the role each of the three Persons of the Trinity have, as early as the post-apostolic period we can already observe a decline in the focus upon the place and the role of the Holy Spirit within the context of the Trinity.
Some have referred to the Holy Spirit as the forgotten attribute of God, while others have said that the Holy Spirit is the one Person of the triune God no one speaks or writes about anymore. Pneumatology, or the study of the Holy Spirit has also fallen out of favor with theologians and scholars because whether they consider the Holy Spirit to be a power, an influence, or an inspiration, some have parted with the reality that the Holy Spirit is a Person. For many, the Holy Spirit is just a force lurking in the shadows, unable to perform any actions in and of Himself, and no longer relevant to the times and the season in which we are living.
‘That all ended with the Apostles’ some say, with an air or pity, ‘God doesn’t do that anymore, why discuss it or study it?’
When pressed on the matter however, and asked for biblical proof that ‘God doesn’t do that anymore’ whether heal, give prophecies, dreams, visions, discernment or wisdom, all the defenders of cessationism come up with one scripture in Corinthians that they interpret through the prism of their denominational dogma, discounting all the words of Christ, of Peter, of Paul, of Luke and of Matthew. At a certain point in this series, we might even get into why cessationists believe what they believe, but we have a far road to travel before we get into such specifics.
Before you start rolling your eyes, imagining a guy in a tweed jacket and a turtleneck sweater giving a boring lecture, this will not be a systematic theology course on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, but a sincere and honest investigation, a journey into a far too long neglected attribute and cornerstone of our faith, one that promises to challenge, enlighten and even excite us to the reality of who the Holy Spirit truly is, His power, His presence in our lives, His availability to those who believe, and the purpose for which He descended.
Throughout this protracted series, my pledge and promise is that we will approach the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from a biblical perspective, and not from the perspective of any given denomination. I will do my best to limit sharing my own theological presuppositions, knowing full well that I will not be able to shake them off altogether, because let’s face it, we begin this journey with the premise that the Holy Spirit is still relevant, active, available, and necessary for the children of God. I did however come to this conclusion not through the prism of denominational dogma, but rather diligent and prolonged study of God’s Holy Word.
If we believe the Word of God to be true, and the times that are upon us will be the most trying times the Church has ever seen, why would God in His eternal wisdom now choose to remove the one Person from our midst who is tasked with warning us, encouraging us, strengthening us, and guiding us? If God is not a respecter of persons, why would He choose to pour out the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit on one singular generation, making it unavailable to everyone else for the rest of time? These are logical questions to which those who contend that the Holy Spirit is no longer among us, and no longer available to us, have no logical or reasonable answers.
I realize I’m getting ahead of myself, but there is no scripture within the entirety of the Bible that would even hint at the idea that the Holy Spirit and the gifts thereof somehow had an expiration date, that the power would somehow descend upon a select few and summarily be withdrawn from the earth.
What could be worse than preparing for a battle, having access to all the weapons necessary to win said battle, yet somehow be tricked or deceived into believing that you in fact have no access to said weapons or the possibility of ever attaining them?
Ambitious as the following may sound, Lord willing the plan for this series is as follows: First, we will be defining the person of the Holy Spirit, Biblically tracing His mention from the book of Genesis, through the entirety of the Old Testament, going on to the promise of Christ that His disciples would be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, to the fulfillment of the promise on the day of Pentecost, to the individual gifts of the Holy Spirit, their availability, and whatever else the Lord would impress upon my heart along the way.
Yes, it will be extensive, yes it will be thorough, and yes it is necessary that it be this in depth, largely due to the neglect that the work, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit has suffered for so long.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Of the three persons making up the triune God, it is doubtless and self-evident that the Holy Spirit is least discussed, least studied and least focused upon. Even though the New Testament presents the saving work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a very balanced manner, underlining the role each of the three Persons of the Trinity have, as early as the post-apostolic period we can already observe a decline in the focus upon the place and the role of the Holy Spirit within the context of the Trinity.
Some have referred to the Holy Spirit as the forgotten attribute of God, while others have said that the Holy Spirit is the one Person of the triune God no one speaks or writes about anymore. Pneumatology, or the study of the Holy Spirit has also fallen out of favor with theologians and scholars because whether they consider the Holy Spirit to be a power, an influence, or an inspiration, some have parted with the reality that the Holy Spirit is a Person. For many, the Holy Spirit is just a force lurking in the shadows, unable to perform any actions in and of Himself, and no longer relevant to the times and the season in which we are living.
‘That all ended with the Apostles’ some say, with an air or pity, ‘God doesn’t do that anymore, why discuss it or study it?’
When pressed on the matter however, and asked for biblical proof that ‘God doesn’t do that anymore’ whether heal, give prophecies, dreams, visions, discernment or wisdom, all the defenders of cessationism come up with one scripture in Corinthians that they interpret through the prism of their denominational dogma, discounting all the words of Christ, of Peter, of Paul, of Luke and of Matthew. At a certain point in this series, we might even get into why cessationists believe what they believe, but we have a far road to travel before we get into such specifics.
Before you start rolling your eyes, imagining a guy in a tweed jacket and a turtleneck sweater giving a boring lecture, this will not be a systematic theology course on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, but a sincere and honest investigation, a journey into a far too long neglected attribute and cornerstone of our faith, one that promises to challenge, enlighten and even excite us to the reality of who the Holy Spirit truly is, His power, His presence in our lives, His availability to those who believe, and the purpose for which He descended.
Throughout this protracted series, my pledge and promise is that we will approach the doctrine of the Holy Spirit from a biblical perspective, and not from the perspective of any given denomination. I will do my best to limit sharing my own theological presuppositions, knowing full well that I will not be able to shake them off altogether, because let’s face it, we begin this journey with the premise that the Holy Spirit is still relevant, active, available, and necessary for the children of God. I did however come to this conclusion not through the prism of denominational dogma, but rather diligent and prolonged study of God’s Holy Word.
If we believe the Word of God to be true, and the times that are upon us will be the most trying times the Church has ever seen, why would God in His eternal wisdom now choose to remove the one Person from our midst who is tasked with warning us, encouraging us, strengthening us, and guiding us? If God is not a respecter of persons, why would He choose to pour out the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit on one singular generation, making it unavailable to everyone else for the rest of time? These are logical questions to which those who contend that the Holy Spirit is no longer among us, and no longer available to us, have no logical or reasonable answers.
I realize I’m getting ahead of myself, but there is no scripture within the entirety of the Bible that would even hint at the idea that the Holy Spirit and the gifts thereof somehow had an expiration date, that the power would somehow descend upon a select few and summarily be withdrawn from the earth.
What could be worse than preparing for a battle, having access to all the weapons necessary to win said battle, yet somehow be tricked or deceived into believing that you in fact have no access to said weapons or the possibility of ever attaining them?
Ambitious as the following may sound, Lord willing the plan for this series is as follows: First, we will be defining the person of the Holy Spirit, Biblically tracing His mention from the book of Genesis, through the entirety of the Old Testament, going on to the promise of Christ that His disciples would be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, to the fulfillment of the promise on the day of Pentecost, to the individual gifts of the Holy Spirit, their availability, and whatever else the Lord would impress upon my heart along the way.
Yes, it will be extensive, yes it will be thorough, and yes it is necessary that it be this in depth, largely due to the neglect that the work, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit has suffered for so long.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
