A STUDY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part Fourteen)

By Bob Myhan

As a member of the Godhead the Holy Spirit is a wholly spiritual being, infinite in all His characteristics. As a result, He cannot be qualified or quantified by physical characteristics such as height, weight, girth or mass. Nor can He be located via physical coordinates or distributed into multiple containers like so much iced tea poured from a single pitcher into several glasses. He is an individual and, therefore, indivisible.

There is a difference between form and presence. When, for example, a preacher stands before a congregation, his presence fills the auditorium but not his form. In the same way the light of an electric bulb may fill a room but not the bulb itself.

Paul explains the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Romans eight, where he writes, “there is...no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” He explains this, saying that “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.” He goes on to explain that to be “carnally minded” is equivalent to setting one’s mind “on the things of the flesh” and to be “spiritually minded” is equivalent to setting one’s mind “on the things of the Spirit.” (8:1-5) He says, further, that “you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” (6-9)

There is no need for Paul’s language to be any more literal when he writes, “the Spirit of God dwells in you,” than when he writes, “you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” Both are figures of speech such as Jesus used when praying,

"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)

The Father was no more literally in the Son than the Son was literally in the Father. The Son was literally on earth and the Father was literally in heaven (Matt. 6:9). Thus, Jesus was figuratively referring to the close relationship between Himself and the Father.

Scientists tell us that every living thing has DNA. Likewise, God’s word contains spiritual DNA for the spirit of man.

Jesus said,

“The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11).

Paul wrote to Timothy,

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

This being so, everything God expects His children to be is contained within the spiritual seed of His word. This is no doubt what Jesus meant when He said,

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:63-68)

Thus, the word of God is all that the Christian needs in order to “be all that he can be.” This was affirmed long ago by God through the Prophet, Isaiah.

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10, 11)

[To be continued]

DIVINE PROVIDENCE (Part Nine)

Providence and Civil Government (Continued)

By Bob Myhan

Because Solomon sinned against God by both encouraging and practicing idolatry,

Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen." (1 Kings 11:11-13)

But how did God “tear the kingdom away from” Solomon? He did it through the decisions of Rehoboam to raise taxes and the decision of the northern tribes to rebel.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." So he said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." And the people departed.

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, "How do you advise me to answer these people?" And they spoke to him, saying, "If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. And he said to them, "What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?" Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us'--thus you shall say to them: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist! And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!' "

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, "Come back to me the third day." Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!" So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

"What share have we in David?

We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.

To your tents, O Israel!

Now, see to your own house, O David!"

So Israel departed to their tents.

But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. (1 Kings 12:1-17)

No doubt God could have done it by a direct operation but He did it indirectly – not by miracle but by providence.

[To be continued]