John
4:24 (NASB) "God is spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in (their)
spirit and truth."
In
order to understand the Spirit as relating to mankind we must first understand
God who Himself “is spirit.”
I have purposely titled Part 2
“God is spirit” because the Greek Scripture does
not say “God is a spirit” (KJV), as so
many Bible versions have translated. The article “a” here in the KJV is
italicized, meaning it was inserted by the translators, but not in the oldest Greek
manuscripts.
That would be saying “God is a spirit among other spirits,” which is not
what is being said here. Rather the words more properly are “God is spirit,” without need
for capitalizing the word “spirit.” “Spirit” should not be capitalized as this
is simply telling us of that God’s substance is spirit, as a table may be wood.
Spirit here is not His title.
Why
is this significant? It is because the John 4:24 statement is saying God’s very
material exist as a “spirit being” – not physical. “Spirit” is the substance of
God, as gold may be the substance of a ring.
Upon seeing this fact, then we
can come to realize that our relationship with God then must be also “in Spirit.” God made man with a human
spirit for God and man could come to spirit-union. Zechariah 12:1
(KJV) …the LORD… formeth the spirit of man
within him. Job 33:4 (KJV) The Spirit of
God hath made me, and the breath
(neshamah, spirit) of the Almighty hath given me life
(quickened me). We have a way to really
worship God - John says the real worshippers of God must worship him “in spirit,” that is in and by their
human spirit.
Continuing
with this understanding that our relationship with God is via our human spirit,
which really makes us truly alive, we can then better understand Paul saying he
served God, prayed, and sang with his spirit, as was led in life by “the spirit,” which
is the
indwelling “spirit of
life in Christ Jesus.”
Romans
1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my
spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make
mention of you always in my prayers; 1 Cor. 14:15-16 What is it then? I will pray with
the spirit, and I will pray with the
understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the
understanding also.
Paul was guided and led by
“the Spirit” who impressed Paul’s human
“spirit.”
Acts 18:5 when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit,
and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Acts 16:7
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the
Spirit suffered them not.
God,
In Christ, was processed via incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection in
order to accomplish redemption, but the ultimate point of the cross was that He
might become “the life-giving spirit”
in order to be in the form necessary to indwell each believer’s human
spirit.
First,
the eternal “Word” had to become flesh - human. John 1:14 …
And the Word was made (Gk ginomai, became)
flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Gal 4:4 But
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Then in that process, upon His
death and resurrection, Jesus became “the
life-giving spirit.” 1 Cor. 15:45… the
last Adam (Jesus) was made
(became) a quickening (life-giving)
spirit. As the Spirit, Christ now imparts His “spirit of life” as the new life of a
new race of people – the people of God who bear His very life and nature.
2Corinthians 5:17 (NASB) Therefore if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creature
(creation); the old things
passed away; behold, new things have come. The made new creation part of the
believer is not His body or souls, but his spirit – by regeneration of the
indwelling “Spirit of Christ.”
Upon Jesus’ death and
resurrection as “the spirit of life in Christ,” He indwells the believer
and is available to the believer, as close as the believer’s breath. He is knows
us intimately, and in us be to us what we need.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest (Christ) which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without
sin.
It is by the imparting of His
Spirit into our spirit at the moment of our rebirth that we became one with
Christ’s “Spirit of life.”
John 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit. We’re then literally one with
and in Him by the union of our two spirits 1 Cor.
6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one
spirit.
When we receive the Spirit of
Christ, as the Spirit-Seed of the Father (1Pet 1:23), we become the literal
children of God by a new spirit-birthing.
John 1:12
(NASB) But as many as received Him (Christ’s Spirit), to them He gave the right to become
children of God, even to those who believe in His
name, 1 John 3:1a Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God…