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A STUDY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part Nine) By Bob Myhan
hen Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said: "Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.' And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:22-27) Solomon understood that God’s form or essence would not [indeed, could not] literally fill the temple. How much less could God’s form or essence literally fill the physical body of a Christian? The Holy Spirit exists in the form of God. He is a personal entity and cannot be divided up and distributed among Christians. Otherwise, the Holy Spirit in one Christian would be separate from the Holy Spirit in every other Christian, the result being a multiplicity of Holy Spirits – one for each Christian. Obviously, “in” is not to be understood literally where the indwelling is concerned. Consider: 1) The Father and the Son are “in” one another. "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21) Surely, Jesus did not mean that He and the Father were “in” one another, literally. At the time He stated this, He was literally on the earth and the Father was literally in heaven. Therefore, the statement must be understood figuratively of the personal relationship between these two members of the Godhead, as literally expressed in the following passages. Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50) 2) The Corinthian brethren were “in” the hearts of Paul and Timothy. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. (2 Cor. 7:3) Were the Corinthians in the hearts of Paul and Timothy literally or were they in their hearts figuratively? Obviously, it is to be understood figuratively. Indeed, how could it be otherwise? Likewise, when the Holy Spirit is said to be “in” Christians, it is to be understood figuratively, not literally. We use the same kind of figure when we say things like, “I can see his father in him.” The means, or agency, of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is explained by Paul. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 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." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:1-17) Note that the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is evidence that one is “not in the flesh” (v. 9), showing that Paul is speaking of something that can be perceived by the senses. Notice, also, the following terms: “walk…according to the Spirit” (v. 1), “live…according to the Spirit” (v. 5), “mind…the things of the Spirit” (v. 5), “to be spiritually minded” (v. 6) and “by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body” (v. 13). These terms emphasize the personal responsibility of Christians in the application of God’s word to their lives. Comparing two of Paul’s prison epistles, we see that to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18-19) is equivalent to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts through the fruit He produces in our lives (Gal. 5:22-25). He dwells in our hearts if and to the extent that we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4-11). [To be continued] DIVINE PROVIDENCE (Part Four) Providence and Individuals (Continued) By Bob Myhan
s seen in the previous article, in order to fulfill the first part of His prediction to Abram [Gen. 15:13-16], God providentially preserved the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through a series of events that resulted from the free will choices of various human beings. (Gen. 37:3-36; 39:1-46:34; Acts 7:9-15) Consider, also, the case of Esther: 1. King Ahasuerus decided to show off his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti 2. Queen Vashti refused to be displayed 3. Ahasuerus decided to replace her 4. Ahasuerus decided to gather many virgins, including Esther, to see whom he would make queen 5. Ahasuerus decided to make Esther his queen not knowing she was Jewish 6. Mordicai decided to reveal to Esther his discovery of a plot to kill the king 7. Esther decided to relate the plot to the king 8. Mordecai decided not to bow down to Haman 9. Haman decided to ask for permission to destroy all Jews 10. Haman decided to build a gallows on which to hang Mordecai 11. The king decided to ask Haman what honor should be paid to a great man (after discovering that Mordecai had not been rewarded for foiling the assassination plot) 12. Haman suggested that the great man should be paraded in front of the people on the king’s horse, which resulted in Mordecai’s being so rewarded 13. Esther decided to petition the king (at risk of death) that she and her people be given the right to defend themselves 14. The king decided to pass a law guaranteeing them that right 15. The king decided to hang Haman on the gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai Through this series of events the tribe of Judah was providentially preserved. [To be continued] |