I
believe the subject of “the
Spirit,”
as used by the Apostle Paul, is one of the most misunderstood terms among
Christians. Yet,
no subject is as vital to the Christian because the Apostle Paul tells us the
Christian’s life and walk is to be conducted in accord with, and by the supply
of “the
Spirit.”
Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
Since we live (have
life) by the Spirit, let us keep in
step with the Spirit.
From
verse this we can see that ultimately the Christian
must come to personally and experientially know “the Spirit”
which
is “the
spirit of life in Christ
Jesus”
who indwells them, if the believer is to learn to live by Christ’s indwelling
(Col 1:27) “…spirit of life in Christ
Jesus” (Rom 8:2, 1John 4:13).
I believe that much of the problem for Christians stems
from them most often subscribing to a misunderstanding of the “Trinity” that
leads them to consider the “One Lord” and “One God” as being almost as three
individual Gods. Many Christians seem to slice and dice the Godhead as though
they were not one at all. Yet, Paul tells us in clear literal terms that there
is but “one Lord …One God,” and “one Spirit” who indwells the
believer.
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one
baptism, 6 One God
and Father of all, who is above
all, and through all, and in you
all.
Nobody can fully explain the Triune Godhead. For example, how can one
explain Isaiah 9:6, which says the child born, the Son given and everlasting
Father are one, except by faith to believe the Scripture?
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace.
Here we see that the child is the Son, who is at the very same time the
mighty God and everlasting Father. This would mean the Son praying in the garden
at Gethsemane was the Father in heaven who was
hearing that prayer. We can only accept this by faith.
Yet, Paul gives us some visibility in understanding the matter of the
Godhead. Paul says the fact is that the Lord Jesus
Christ now is “the Spirit,” and as
we’ve seen, there is but “one
Spirit.” Here we see who
“the spirit” is today – it is the
risen “spirit of life
in Christ Jesus.”
2Cor 3:17
Now the Lord (Jesus
Christ) is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
liberty.
Peter tells us the Lord Jesus
Christ is the Lord. Acts 2:36
(KJV) Therefore let all the house
of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ.
Let’s now get a look at how the Triune
Godhead worked to become available in order to indwell believers. Our communion
or a union with God the Father
exists…via the Lord Jesus Christ…who now “is that Spirit” in the believer’s
spirit. This following verse attributes certain functions to the One, Three
person, divine Godhead.
2Cor
13:14 The
1) grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and 2) the love of
God, and 3) the communion of the Holy Ghost, be (is) with you all. (Bracketed numbers
inserted)
1) From this we see that “the grace” that we receive from the
Godhead is “the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ.” John 1:17b
… grace and truth (reality) came by Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ
Himself is the grace-life that is given to us via the process that He endured;
His incarnation, His death at the cross of Calvary, and His resurrected “spirit of life,” received as the free
gift of God the Father given to believers.
2) The “the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ” came as result of the “love of God” the Father. The singular motive of
God’s heart is “love,” as a giver of
His Son, as the expression of “the love of God.”
3) While it was necessary that God’s Son would first
become incarnated in human flesh to accomplish the gift of God’s love, the Son
still had to, in some way, become available to believers in a form that could personally reach
and touch each person individually. That form was achieved in that the crucified
and resurrected Jesus “became the life-giving spirit” (1Cor 15:45b). In this way, Jesus would
become joined to the believer’s spirit and thus we enjoy “the
communion of the Holy Spirit.”
Thus, we see that the Godhead, the One God, reached down to man by coming
to mankind in the human flesh of the “Son
of Man” – Jesus of Nazareth. Then upon His death and resurrection as “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” God
was enabled to enter into man’s human spirit, to become one with man’s human
spirit (Zechar. 12:1). It thus became possible for God and man to come to
spirit-union.
1 Corinthians
15:45 … The first man Adam was
made (became) a living soul; the last
Adam (Christ) was made (became) a
quickening (life-giving) spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is
joined unto the Lord is one
spirit.
From this we can see that it was vitally necessary that the Godhead be
processed, via Jesus of Nazareth, in order that He might become “the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”; such that we might have “the communion” that we now enjoy with
God, which is “the communion of the Holy
Spirit.” In that union, the grace and love of God is with every one of God’s
Spirit-birthed children.
Every believer can say, “We
know by experience that it is God, in Christ, now as “the
Spirit,” who is with us.”
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that
we are the children of God: