God Revealed #8: United We Stand

This month we celebrate the birth of our nation. Before its birthday on July 4, 1776, the pilgrims and the founding fathers of our nation incubated their plans until they became a reality. It was a united yet diversified plan; each person had a part to fulfill. This is very similar to 3 members of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son—Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.

In creation, all 3 members of the Trinity had a united yet separate part to fulfill. God the Father is sovereign (Rom. 11:36). He developed and was primarily responsible for initiating the plan of creation. Meanwhile, the Son physically carried it out the Father’s plan (Col. 1:16).  “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3; see also 1 Cor. 8:6; Heb. 1:2). And the Holy Spirit helps to sustain it (Gen. 1:2). “You send Your Spirit, and new life is born to replenish all the living of the earth” (Psa. 104:30 TLB). The Holy Spirit “is generally pictured as completing, filling, and giving life to God’s creation” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 266).

For hundreds of years people were united with the thoughts of a free nation which they could call home. Therefore, when the opportunity was given to many living under the oppression of England to leave for the possibility of freedom, they seized it. Freedom did not come easy for them either. When they arrived here, they faced harsh living conditions, added to this were some unfriendly present inhabitants, and a war with England to break their oppression. Freedom was very costly, but well worth it.

This is very similar to a united yet diverse role which each of the three Persons of the Trinity agreed to play in the plan of salvation. J.C. Ryle said, "It was the whole Trinity, which at the beginning of creation said, 'Let Us make man' (Gen. 1:26). It was the whole Trinity again, which at the beginning of the Gospel seemed to say, 'Let Us save man' (Matt. 3:16-17)."

The Father devised the plan (Eph. 1:3-6). This plan was more than just extending mercy. It involved graciously allowing all who would receive His Son to become children of God and have spiritual blessings lavished upon them. Second, the Son made salvation possible by physically paying the price which our sins deserve on the cross (Eph. 1:7-12). Thus, forgiveness is possible by simply receiving what Jesus did for us as Scripture teaches (see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-understand-bible-101-lesson-4b.html). Thus, we can be blessed as a result of Jesus’ performance. And third, the Holy Spirit perfects our salvation (Eph. 1:13-14). He does this by dwelling within us as Christians ensuring our salvation. Thus, we can be blessed by the Spirit’s presence.

When the 56 signers together wrote the Declaration of Independence, they wrote a document that was united with one accord for the liberties of all people. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Bible records the declaration of independence from the chains of sin and death to life everlasting, written by a united yet diverse group of the 3 Persons of the Trinity. The Father inspired its writing (2 Tim. 3:16). Meanwhile, Jesus is called “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13). It was Jesus’ role to communicate the character of God to mankind (John 1:18); “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). And the Holy Spirit enabled the earthly authors to record it accurately (John 14:26).

Once freedom was assured for our founding fathers and the pilgrims who settled here, it was time to take care of matters on the home front. Now people could focus their attention on their family. Many of the settlers had large unified families, yet each person of the family had a role to play.

This is very similar to the family which the Trinity established, the family of God. “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are” (1 John 3:1a NLT). Children of God are those received what Jesus has done from them thus they love God, and they love others (Mark 12:30-31; John 13:35).

As a part of the family of God, each person has an equal yet unique role to play. God “gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and became mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).

Therefore, every believer has a very special yet unique role to play. Maybe you are one whom God has called to fulfill one of the 5 offices listed above. Or maybe you are one whom God has gifted for an administration role, or compassion ministries, or acts of service. Every person has a God-given ability to be used as a part of the united yet diverse family of God

Therefore, it is my prayer that we learn the lessons of the Trinity. May we recognize the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for who they are, the One True God. And may we recognize the value of being united yet diverse, for united we stand.

Because of God’s love,

     Matt

God Revealed #7: A Case For the Trinity

“Hear O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is One” (Deut. 6:4). Over the last 6 months we have seen how Scripture plainly teaches the coequal Deity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit (see http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/search/label/God%20Revealed). The doctrine of 1 God yet 3 distinct Persons who are equally God is known as Trinity or Godhead. Yet since at least Jesus’ time on earth some 2,000 years ago individuals have questioned the validity of the Trinity. Additionally, although the term “Godhead” does appear 3 times in the KJV (Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:20; Col. 2:9), the word “Trinity” does NOT appear in the Bible. However does the concept appear in Scripture? Therefore, let’s consider A Case for the Trinity.

The first piece of evidence will take us all the way back to opening chapter of the Bible. In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness…” Who are the individuals that are referred to here with the use of plural pronouns? Some have said that God was talking to angels. However, nowhere in Scripture do we find angels referred to in God’s image. Others will say that this is a plural of majesty of a king. For example, a king might say “We are pleased to grant your request.” However, the earliest recorded example of this was roughly 1,400 years after Genesis w as written and in a different language/cultural than the OT. Therefore, the plurality of God is taught in the OT and the Hebrew verbs which are used in conjunction with point one God, the Trinity (see also Gen. 3:22; 11:7; Isa. 6:8).

The second piece of evidence to consider is the 1 God. Jesus says “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30). Likewise Jesus told the Apostle Philip: “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 see also verses 10-11). The simple truth is that there is only 1 God (Rom. 3:30).

The third piece of evidence to consider is the 3 distinct Persons yet 1 God. At Jesus’ baptism all 3 members of the Trinity were present. God the Father’s voice came from heaven saying, “This is My Son, with Him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). And God the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove (Matt. 3:16). When one studies the pages of the Bible they will find over 60 passages which mention the 3 different Persons of the Trinity together. 

Isa. 11:1-2; 42:1; 48:16; 61:1; 63:9-14;	1 Cor. 2:10-16, 6:11, 15-19, 12:3-6;	Tit. 3:4-6
Zech. 12:10;	2 Cor. 1:21-22; 3:3-6, 13:14;	Heb. 6:4-6; 9:14
Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19	Gal. 2:21-3:2; 4:6;	1 Peter 1:2; 4:14;
Luke 1:35, 24:49;	Eph. 1:17; 2:18; 3:11-17; 4:4-6; 5:18-20	1 John 3:23-24; 4:2, 13-14
John 3:34-35; 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15	Col. 1:6-8;	Jude 20-21
Acts 2:33, 38-39;	1 Thess. 1:1-5; 4:2, 8; 5:18-19	Rev. 1:4-5, 2:27-29, 3:5-6, 12-13, 21-22, 14:12-13, 22:17-18.
Rom. 1:1-4, 5:1-5, 14:17-18, 15:16, 30;	2 Thess. 2:13-14; 3:5;

And the fourth piece of evidence to consider is their coequal nature. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not inferior to God the Father. In Biblical times, for a person to be considered “a son of” meant that they were equal to their father. Therefore, when Jesus made Himself equal with God the Father, the non-believing Jews wanted to kill Him (John 5:17-18). Then when Jesus gives the Great Commission He shows that all 3 Persons of the Trinity are equal (Matt. 28:19).

This leaves us with a challenging proposition: how can God be one yet three at the same time? This is where an illustration is helpful.

The simplest way to explain the Trinity is to do a little math. What does 1 x 1 x 1=? Answer: 1. Thus, God the Father times God the Son times God the Holy Spirit equals 1 God! Other analogies have been made/or could be made but most tend to really teach heresies which have led to many of the cults that we see today.

Even though we may not fully comprehend the Trinity; when one considers the case, it is what Scripture teaches. Besides that, let’s be honest, how great would God be if we could fully comprehend Him? There are a lot of things which we do not understand; yet God is all knowing. There are a lot of things which we are incapable of doing; yet God is all powerful. And I’m sure all of us wish that we could be in multiple places from time to time; yet for God it is a constant reality.

Therefore, it’s no wonder that the Psalmist declared “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Psa. 139:6; see also (Job 11:7-9; 26:5-14; 37:5). All of this should leave us with just one response “Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

More of Him, less of me,

     Matt 

God Revealed #6: Our Secret Weapon

           Look up there in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No it’s superman! Who is that in the sky? No, it’s not Clark Kent, it is the Holy Spirit. But what super powers does He have?

The Holy Spirit has 3 primary functions in our world today. Each one of these functions reveal God’s love for us.

First, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). God does not want us to experience judgment. However, to a righteous Judge, justice must be served, and any sin, regardless of what mankind may think, is deserving of eternity in hell (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, the Holy Spirit convicts us so that we might receive the cure which Jesus made available through what He did on the cross.

The Holy Spirit’s conviction is similar to that of a doctor telling a patient that they have cancer. The patient is overwhelmed with the thoughts of dying; however, the doctor reassures the patient that while the cancer is life threatening, a procedure can be done which will remove the cancer and thereby enable the patient to enjoy life for many years yet to come.  

Likewise, the Holy Spirit’s conviction is really a display of God’s grace since He does not want us to end up in the location where our sins are leading us. So through the Holy Spirit’s conviction/leading, He seeks to get us on the right path, which leads to eternal life.

Once a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit will continue to convict us of sin and righteousness, refining us into the people we were always meant to be: holy and righteous. Thus, in this first function of the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed from a sinner headed for hell to a righteous saint headed for heaven. God has great things in store for us, but it is going to take having our rough edges knocked off through the work of the Holy Spirit.  

The second primary function of the Holy Spirit is the seal of our salvation. According to Acts 2:38, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in a person’s life at baptism. This is called the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. From this point on, He in a sense becomes our conscience, guiding us as Christians, enabling us to arrive safely at our true home, heaven.

Jesus taught that when people saw Him, they saw the Father (John 14:7-11), likewise, when we have the Holy Spirit living within us, Jesus is present (Acts 1:1-2). Therefore, in this manor, Jesus explained this guidance to our heavenly home by saying, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand” (John 10:27-29). Thus, God’s loving hand is safely guiding through the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, as the seal of our salvation, the Holy Spirit testifies within us that we are a child of God (Rom. 8:9). It is interesting to note that the Greek word which speaks of the Holy Spirit being the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance in heaven is the same word which is used for that of an engagement ring (Eph. 1:13-14). Just think about that! We are wearing a picture of the wondrous marriage celebration which will take place one day in heaven between Jesus and the church.

The third primary function of the Holy Spirit is to empower us as Christians. This is God’s loving hand giving us the resources/spiritual gifts necessary to complete the task He places before us. These spiritual gifts vary greatly, yet everyone’s gift has a very unique and special purpose. No one’s gift is better than anyone else’s. Therefore, the Holy Spirit has gifted you in a very special way.

EQUIPPING GIFTS		KEY WORDS	DESIRES	LEADS BY
1	Pastoring	Shepherd	To care for/protect	People sensitivity
2	Leadership	Orchestrator	To give direction	Vision/team sense
3	Exhortation	Encourager	To motivate	Inspiration/practical application
4	Evangelism	Soul winner	New Christians	Strength of conviction
5	Missionary	Foundation builder	New churches	God-given authority
6	Teaching	Doctrine developer	To teach	Biblical facts
7	Wisdom	Understanding	To apply knowledge	God-given insight
SERVING GIFTS		KEY WORDS	DESIRES	SERVES BY
8	Helps	Assisting	Free others to use gifts	Helping
9	Administration	Planner	Organization	Providing the details
10	Service	Need meter	Help however, wherever	Practical support
11	Mercy	Comforter	To show compassion	Kindness
12	Giving	Liberally give away	To share resources	sharing
13	Hospitality	Hosting for God	To open home	Openness
14	Intercession	Prayer warrior	Intercede	Praying

These gifts assist us in building up others within the church in order to unite all who are following the true faith. Additionally, these gifts assist us in leading others to a saving knowledge of Christ; as all of us are enabled in our own way to reach out to those around us telling them of the great love of God. (Eph. 4:12).

A good way to recognize the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has empowered you with is to consider what bothers you in church. If you are bothered that our church does not do more outreach, you are probably gifted in evangelism. If you are bothered by a lack of caring within the church, you probably have the gift of mercy. If you are looking around and think, “This church needs to be more organized!” you are probably a gifted as an administrator.

When one considers the 3 primary functions of the Holy Spirit, they realize that He is our secret weapon. He is our secret weapon which aids us in coming to Christ, thus, receiving salvation. He is our secret weapon which gives us great assurance and confidence about where we will spend eternity. And He is our secret weapon for living the lives we were always meant to live, for He gives us the abilities and gifting to accomplish things we could never accomplish by ourselves.

Because of God’s love,

     Matt

God Revealed #5: The Mystery Man of Truth

      The Holy Spirit is probably one of the most misunderstood subjects within Christianity. Some teach that He is not a person but rather simply a force, or even possibly a myth. Others teach with their actions/emphasis that He greater than God the Father or God the Son. Still others teach with their actions/emphasis that He is only to be thought of in the context of side show phonies. And then some don’t talk about Him at all. But what does the Bible have to say about the Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit and what is He like?  For the next 2 months we are going to discuss the Holy Spirit. There are a few vitally important things to consider concerning the Holy Spirit.

First, the Holy Spirit is a person (John 15:26; 16:7, 8, 13, 14). Second, He is God (Acts 5:3-4). Third, He is separate from God the Father and God the Son Jesus Christ. At Jesus’ baptism, all 3 members of the Trinity were present (we’ll talk more about the concept of the Trinity in June). In Matthew 3:13-17 we see Jesus being baptized.  After Jesus came out of the water, God the Father said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). And just as Jesus was coming up out of the waters, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove (Matt. 3:16). 

Apart from these 3 things, the Holy Spirit has several names all revealing who He is and what He does. Several of these names and attributes point to the Truth.  The Holy Spirit is the One primarily responsible for revealing the truth about God to mankind.

The Names of the Holy Spirit (Holy Spirit appears 94 times in the NIV)
Spirit of the Lord (Jud. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13,4; 19:9; 2 Sam. 23:2; 1 Kin. 18:12; 22:24; 2 Kin. 2:16; 2 Chr. 18:23; 20:14; Isa. 11:2; 40:7, 13; 59:19; 63:14; Ezek. 11:5; Hos. 13:15; Mic. 2:7; 3:8; Acts 5:9; 2 Cor. 3:17)	Spirit of God (Gen. 1:2; 41:38; Ex. 31:3; Job 33:4; Matt. 3:16; 1 Cor. 3:16)	Spirit of the Living God (2 Cor. 3:3)	Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11)
Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 4:6)	Spirit of Grace (Zech. 12:10; Heb. 10:29)	Spirit of Life (Rom. 8:2)	Spirit of Holiness (Rom. 1:4)
Teacher (1 Cor. 2:13)	Convicter of Sin (John 16:7-11; 1 Thess. 1:5)	Lord (2 Cor. 3:18)	Guide (John 16:13)
Witness (Rom. 8:16; Heb. 2:4; 10:15)	Helper (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7)	Counselor (John 14:26)	Intercessor (Rom. 8:26)
Author of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21)	Indweller of Believers (Rom. 8:9-11; Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Cor. 6:19)	Deposit/Seal (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14)	Gift (Acts 2:38)
The Contrasts of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Spirit (Matt. 4:1; John 3:6; 1 Cor. 2:10; 1 Tim. 4:1)	The Holy Spirit is symbolized by a Dove (Matt. 3:16); the Wind (Acts 2:1-4); Fire (Acts 2:3)	The Holy Spirit is a Male Person (John 15:26; 16:7, 8, 13, 14)	The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4), equal with Father & Son (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2)
The Attributes of Deity of the Holy Spirit
Eternal (Heb. 9:14)	All knowing (Isa. 40:13-14; 1 Cor. 2:10)	All powerful (Psa. 104:30; Zech. 4:6; Luke 1:35; Rom. 15:13)	Present everywhere (Psa. 139:7-10)
Creator of all things (Gen. 1:2; Psa. 104:30)	Gives life (Job 33:4; John 3:8; Rom. 8:10-11; 2 Cor. 3:6)	Empowers believers (Ex. 31:3; 35:31, 34; Num. 27:18; Jud. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Sam. 11:6; 16:13;  19:20; Ezek. 11:5, 13; Hag. 2:5; Luke 4:14, 18-19; Acts 1:8; 6:5, 8; Rom. 15:19; 1 Cor. 2:4; 12:11)	Responsible for and involved in salvation  (John 3:5; 6:63; Acts 2:38-39; 5:32; 9:17, 18; 1 Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:5)
Receives worship (Psa. 18:3; John 4:23-24; Phil. 3:3)	Active in prayer (Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 6:18; Jude 1:20)		Imparts righteousness and sanctification (Rom. 14:17; 15:16; 1 Cor. 6:11)
Sins Against the Holy Spirit
Rebel (Isa. 63:10)	Resist/Unbelief (Acts 7:51)	Insult (Heb. 10:29)	Lie to (Acts 5:3)
Grieve (Eph. 4:30)	Quench (1 Thess. 5:19)	Reject (1 Thess. 4:8)	Blasphemy (Matt. 12:31)

The Holy Spirit is ultimately responsible for the written Word of God, which contains the truth about God (Acts 1:16; 28:25; Heb. 3:7).  The Holy Spirit moved over 40 different earthly authors to write the Bible. This truth was NOT subject to these individuals’ interpretation (2 Peter 1:20-21). The evidence which verifies this truth is extensive. If 40 different people wrote about a topic, there would surely be major differences and contradictions, yet this is not the case in the Bible!

The Apostle Paul said, “When we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you” (1 Thess. 1:5 NLT).

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit confirms the truth of Scripture in the hearts of those who hear it with an open mind. Sometimes this will bring conviction that what we are doing is not right (John 16:8). Other times He will confirm that path which we are on (Acts 15:28).

Moreover, the Holy Spirit has all the wisdom and knowledge which we need for whatever situation we encounter (1 Cor. 12:8; Eph. 1:17). He has given us all we need in His Word, the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17). This is often going to take asking God for the wisdom which we need, seeking it out in His Word, and being willing to trust the Holy Spirit’s leading. Isn’t it amazing what is available to us (Jer. 33:3; James 1:5)? 

With this understanding, that the Holy Spirit is the author of the infallible written Word of God, I have to ask: How much time are you spending in God’s Word every day? The Holy Spirit wants to help you; He wants guide you; but you must first be willing to listen to what the Truth is.

More of Him, less of me,

     Matt