On the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

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1John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

By Dr Stephen MK Brunswick

 

This message is to help provide insight into the workings of God in the life of the believer. It helps to know how close His help is here for us in our time, and where every good thing comes from. He is our ready Comforter (Divine Paraclete), present in a way that was known to His Apostles.

Scriptural topics herein:
+ His Triune Nature and Ours
+ The Third Heaven, and Heavens of the Heavens
+ The Person of the Holy Spirit
+ Personal Characteristics of the Holy Spirit
+ The Working of the Holy Spirit
+ Another Comforter
+ The Fruit of the Spirit
+ Guiding us Into All Truth

His Triune Nature and Ours

As knowledge is power, and power is the fuel of victors, we all would be prudent to follow St Paul’s admonishment: Colossians 3:10: “..renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:”

(God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who is one God or “one Elohim”; elohim being plural in Hebrew).

As part of understanding the spiritual battlefields, I think renewing in the knowledge of the inner-workings of our own image, as well as His image that we are made in, will be key.

 

We who are created in the image of God (Adam-kind) are trichotomous (or have 3 parts), with a spirit, and a soul, and a body:

1Thesselonians 5:23: “..your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

These three parts of our nature also have different personalities. We’re warned throughout the Scriptures that if we become controlled by our own heart, or even our own “mind of the flesh” (that is your soul and body operating without our spirit) rather than being lead by our spiritual part of our nature, then we are falling into destruction (Rom 8:6,13).

All three parts of our nature have to work as one, and in proper order. Also the Trinity works in order: the Holy Spirit Praises the Son, and the Son praises the Father. (Jhn 6:14-15)

 

We’re admonished to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, Ephesians 4:22-24, etc: “be renewed in the spirit of your mind… putting off the old man that is corrupt according to deceitful lusts…” en “put on the new man which after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness”.

So we see that we are created as triune, with multiple natures (or persons), within us. The soul is still going through a sanctification process and has to choose between the mind of the flesh or the mind of the spirit on a continual basis. These two natures will even “war against” each other in Romans 7:14-25, see vs 23 “..warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” These internal natures are like opposites of each other, see: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”(Gal 5:17). We will continue to struggle with the flesh, and for this reason we daily confess our shortcomings, and crucify our flesh till either we die or receive our glorified bodies in the resurrection. Christ conquered and overcame the flesh, and also told us we must daily take up our cross, crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit.

 

Much more can be said and taught on these aspects.

 

The Third Heaven, and Heavens of the Heavens

Many correlations of a triunity of God can be made, as is taught within the 3 main sections of the Tabernacles of God, built after the “shadow of heavenly things… according to the pattern shewed to thee on the mount.” (Heb 8:5).

The word “heavens” itself, and even the “heavens of the heavens” (Deu 10:14, 1Ki 8:27, 2Ch 2:6, 2Ch 6:18, Neh 9:6 etc), or a concept of a multiplicity of heavens, are laid out for us in the Holy Scriptures and Apocryphal books. Just look at when Christ spoke about the Kingdom of the heavens (heavens is always plural in Hebrew). In the book of Enoch (which was considered canonical till very recently) there are listed at least 13 heavens.

It says Christ’s ministry (and John’s) was teaching “repent, for the Kingdom of heavens is at hand” (Mat 3:2, 4:17, and Mar 1:15) and it says in those contexts that He healed everyone, casted out all demonic spirits etc. When you realize heaven is plural it brings a little more understanding about it coming to earth (at hand), how to “pray for the Saints at all times” (Eph 6:18) for the dominion of His Saints/holy/separate ones in this lower realm, to experience more of the grace through faith in Christ (His word which is for this world etc). As it says till all the rebel spirits are placed under our feet eventually(Psa 110:1, Rom 16:20, 1Cor 15:25 etc), He will wait at the right hand of the Father. That only in the resurrection that we will have these dominion troubles lifted, once the last enemy is defeated. As we “wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Eph 6:12) this whole teaching of our triune nature becomes vital to know where we do wrestle, and about the best working spiritual weaponry, shields etc.

As He taught about these individual areas of our soul, and dominions of the heavens, He also included this command to His Apostles to teach the same “Kingdom of heavens” message, and through it, to heal the sick, cast out devils etc, ie Matt 10:7-8. These things go on in the 2nd of the main 3 heavens (weapons in heavenly places) spoken about through the Scriptures.

Not only St Paul spoke of three heavens(2Co 12:2). We see the three heavens were demonstrated also at the death of Christ on the cross. Scripture says His soul went to hell for three days wounding the dragon, opening the gates for believers, etc, however at His death He said “into Thy hands I commend my Spirit” (Luk 23:46), Paul also called his own experience of the 3rd heaven as “caught up into paradise”. So His Spirit went to heaven(3rd heaven), and His soul to hell (or 2nd heaven) and His body went to the grave(1st heaven). Three entirely different locations for each of His three parts of His nature.

 

I hope that after reading this small article, that some who believed Christ only went to sleep in the grave, and only Rome had invented the Trinity etc, that they may repent. However, they don’t have to agree with me on every point brought up herein. This particular concept of Triune heavens is not a totally required knowledge to understand the rest of the message of the work of the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit. While it’s helpful to know about these many heavens, it’s not the main message, and can be better expounded on a whole other study itself. We could expound upon the Biblical functional levels of the 1st heaven being the physical world, 2nd heaven being the world where the soul lives, and 3rd being the realm where our spirit lives with God, presently (and permanently) seated with Him in a justified condition on His throne (Eph 2:6), and other surrounding correlative teachings of the Scriptures.

 

We’re to be “conformed to His image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). From our standard doctrinal understandings we’ve already laid out that His own self went to three locations at His death. So He had to be Himself also a standard triunity of a man (as He came as “The son of Adam” while also holding other offices in a dormancy, in order that He might die in our place. So everything we see with Him is also reiterating our own triune nature as Adamic peoples).

He is also within the greater Trinity of God, welcoming us in as His head of our body. (These things are understood for the Spiritual who are established in the core teachings, having approached it with prayerful study.)  So there we see a trinity, just as was demonstrated there is a heavens of the heavens, a Kingdom framework that is above this world. Living the Biblical positive life is part of bringing His courts to planet earth “entering His courts with praise”. Thanksgiving for His Biblical victories, promises, covenants and true blessings that He has provided in Christ, can be going “into His gates with thanksgiving”(Psa 100:4) as a part of the daily overcoming lifestyle of the believer. The daily prayer Christ gave us to pray has such language, and we can best use it to the fullest. In it we praise Him concerning His Kingdom (spiritual and physical dominion in our Christian zones), as we pray for the day’s daily bread etc.

 

The Person of the Holy Spirit

Our King didn’t mince His words when He commanded us in Matthew 28:19:

 

“…baptizing them, (not only) in the name of the Father, and (not only the name) of the Son, and (also the name) OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” [KJV, Emphasis is mine]

 

As is plain to see, the anti-Trinity crowd really have to cherry pick verses to ignore what Christ taught about the Holy Spirit. They mainly find some referring to the human’s spirit (born again) which refers to the holy and higher born part of you that is reachable so your soul and body may be filled with THE Holy Spirit, and through His power, do His work. Clearly there are many important and beautiful teachings about being Spiritual. However each and every moment you want to be Spiritual is proof the Holy Spirit is working. Sometimes externally, sometimes (if converted to Christ), He fills us (Spirit, and Soul, and Body) to testify of Christ through us.

 

There are several verses clearly referring to the Holy Spirit as a person, rather than an “it”. It’s odd to find how the anti-Trinitarians can ignore these verses. For example in John 14:16-17: “The Spirit, the Comforter” is called a “He” en een “Him”.  We see that confirmed in Greek as well as the King James Version text.

In the Greek as well as Aramaic text there is clear usage of the personal pronouns for “he” and “him”. This should also satisfy any doubters, however there’s more; much more.

 

In 2Corinthians 3:1 it reads: “Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” How much clearer can it get than this passage? The Lord (or YAHWEH) is the Holy Spirit. Also in the Greek is a double confirmation, as it says “the Spirit YAHWEH” twice.  So it’s like saying “God the Holy Spirit” as used commonly in the church. We can say YAHWEH is not an “it”, and we should take the word literal, that YAHWEH Himself is a being, and is a Tri-unity.

 

Very often the name (THE LORD/ or Tetragrammaton YAHWEH) is referenced not only to be the Father and the Son, but also the name of the Person of the Holy Spirit.  As the Holy Spirit will speak of Him, some will prefer to use the name of Jesus Christ (or Yahshua) in describing the name of the Great I AM(Tetragrammaton), as He said “before Abraham was, I AM” (Jhn 8:58).

So we’ve now seen demonstrated all three persons of the Divine name of the Tetragrammaton: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

We are not to diminish any one of them. It says you can speak a word against the Son and it be forgiven, but speaking against the Holy Spirit is dealt with more severity.

 

Mathew 12:32 “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”  (Also see Luke 12:10)

 

It is a pretty strong thing for someone to speak against the Holy Spirit. This may not be speaking of losing eternal salvation, but more about the rewards as it says everyone will receive a reward based on everything they’ve done (every work) and every word they’ve said while in the body, at the judgement seat (Bema/ Reward seat) of Christ (2Co 5:10). That is unless they’re doing the fullest form of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which would be the complete rejection of Jesus Christ. As only rejecting Him would damn someone (Mar 16:16).

I don’t think the Holy Spirit will abandon anyone, but may lift off of people, as well as be quenched or grieved (Eph 4:30, 1Th 5:19), as without Him there would be great chaos.

 

John 14:16-17:  “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

 

So when the Holy Spirit was given now He not only “dwells” with us, but “fills” us. There is now a deeper relationship than the Old Testament times. We now have the “sealing of the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the purchased possession.” (Eph 1:13-14)

 

In the verse, just quoted from John 14:16-17, Christ Himself states the principle that the Father “shall” give the Holy Spirit at some future time. Several times this was reiterated, for example in John 7:39: “..the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (As He did later tell them to go wait for the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost at the upper room, and to “I send the promise… tarry at Jerusalem.. until endued with power from on high” (Luk 24:49). Everyone was looking for that future time when the Holy Spirit would work in a deeper way with power in their lives.

 

This was also foretold in Joel 2:17, as quoted as being the fulfillment in Acts 2:17, that “He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh”. This clearly did begin to be fulfilled in Acts Chapter 2 when that great power was demonstrated to all present, and then the Spirit gave them a synergy to convert the masses. They were given utterances, so that even foreign people heard them as if they were speaking in their own dialects. So while it can be that the Holy Spirit can come upon all flesh, this doesn’t mean that they will receive Him, and be filled with Him, to also be witnesses of Jesus Christ.

 

Personal Characteristics of the Holy Spirit

He’s referred to as a Person (John 6:63; 14:26; Rom. 8:11, 16, 26; 1 John 5:6).

He speaks (2 Sam. 23:2; Acts 1:16; 8:29; 10:19; 11:12; 13:2; 21:11; 28:25–26; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:7–8; Rev. 2:7; 14:13; 22:17).

He witnesses (John 15:26).

He searches (1 Cor. 2:11).

He can be grieved (Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30).

He loves (Rom. 15:30).

He has a mind (Rom. 8:27).

He has intelligence (1 Cor. 2:10–11).

He can be tested (Acts 5:9).

He can be resisted (Acts 7:5).

He has a will (1 Cor. 2:11; 12:7–11).

 

 

The Holy Spirit is also called our teacher, sent in His name:

John 14:26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

 

The Working of the Holy Spirit

John 15:26: “But when the Comforter is come . . . He shall testify of Me.”

 

As the main work of the Holy Spirit is He would testify of Christ (and Christ is the whole word John 1:1, 14 etc), it would be quite the undertaking to write out all the many good things found in His word. The word is what the Holy Spirit testifies of, or “does” in our lives, as witnesses of God’s goodness.

 

As we had read the Spirit Himself had not yet come. Once arrived, it would be known to the believers in Christ, who would testify of His glories and do the works as Divine working through them. In Acts Chapter 2, we read the record of the great moment (on His feast day)when the Holy Spirit came down in the glory cloud etc, the cloven tongues of fire, being filled with the Holy Spirit, etc. Since then all believers are endowed with gifts to turn the masses to Christ, and the Spirit is upon all flesh till they repent, and then He can fill them. The believers filled with the Holy Spirit of God then went on to be witnesses to the masses, speaking in their dialects, converting the masses and setting the world on fire for Jesus Christ.

 

Christ said that when the Holy Spirit would come, He would reprove the world 1. of sin, 2. of righteousness, and 3. of judgement, etc. (Jhn 16:7-11). Throughout Christendom are the daily liturgies that include full confessions of all sins. As this reduces, we’re seeing the end-times prophecy fulfilled that “the man of sin” is more empowered. These general confessions go through just about any aspect of sin that could creep into anyone’s lives. These are exhaustive so to remind anyone that “sin is transgression of the law” (1Jhn 3:4). Most of the law is nationally applicable, which is why the daily prayer begins and ends (or is enclosed and rooted in) His Kingdom come on earth, with this day’s daily bread, forgiveness and deliverances this day, as prayed (Note that it’s not a personal prayer, but a collective to “our father”, for “our bread”, “our deliverance” and “our forgiveness” as a people. Those are not singulars. The day itself is referred to singular, “this day our daily bread”, as is a necessity included in the prayers for His people prayed each individual day, and with such inclusive topics requisite to be within our prayers). Many can agree the food supply is lacking nutrients, are we praying enough for His dominion and occupation in our food supply? Even this one area of His daily prayer contains numerous ways to demonstrate the working of the Holy Spirit in this world!

 

For the rest of the outlying topics of the work of the Holy Spirit, we can say: He gives us the will to do what is good(Phl 2:13), and leads us into all truth(Jhn 16:13).  See:

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”, and Romans 3:11 “..no man seeketh after God.”

 

So if all good things are only done by the leading of the Spirit, this can refer to any one of the best things you can think of in His way of life. So whenever you notice any one doing something good, we should praise God for it (to Whom all credit and glory is due), as that’s proof of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We see that in Romans 3 it continues to say “no man does good, no not one” (only the Holy Spirit does the good through us). So we have a huge debt of thanks to give to the Holy Spirit for His patience with mankind to move us along to do good.

 

As anyone “doing good” is directly attributed to God’s personal working Himself, we still give thanks for the obedient doer. As it does take a yielded vessel, who meets us at least halfway to give us the will to do what is good. Some may not yet understand this truth but we can share our joy in this area lightly at first. In prayers together we can always thank God for their giving them the willing heart. This may be yet another confirmation of “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom 8:16).

 

The Holy Spirit writes God’s laws on our hearts, making it now a desire to perform it out of love, rather than a mere obligation out of legalism. It isn’t the goal of Salvation (which is only by the blood of Jesus) but it is a byproduct (as His law is the true freedom that Christ came to deliver us out of the bondage of the world, the hands of our enemies that we might serve Him without fear in righteousness and holiness all the days of our lives). Most agree the heart has to do with your beliefs, concepts, and attitudes. We can break those three parts down into many messages to meditate on and be edified as we study the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now we have that even greater gift than what they had in the Old Testament, as He writes God’s laws on our hearts (not everyone’s): “..ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart.” (2Cor 3:3). So we see a major work of the Holy Spirit is writing the eternal laws of God on our hearts, as was prophesied in Jeremiah 31:33 etc.

As a beginning point you will need to start with confession. Out of the heart the mouth speaketh, and proves there is a conversion to the eternal salvation (Rom 10:10). And after receiving Christ, we are to “walk ye in Him” (Col 2:6).

 

In 2Timothy 1:7 it says we have been given “..the Spirit of power, of love, and a sound mind”. The power He will give us is to follow His word and fulfill the word, much more than they were able to do in the past. We now have a special Divine help to get it done, as we yield to Him and go in faith. This miracle power, and “gift of power from on high” (Luk 24:49) has been reiterated in this study now several times.

Regarding gifts, we should point out that a lot of people have a misunderstanding about the word grace (or Charis in Greek) or charisma. That is also the word for a gifted or talented person, or i.e. the “gift of healing” or the ability to do other miracles(See 1Cor 12, each of those “gifts” is the Greek word Charis/grace). This is why it says in Romans 1:15 that “Grace is for obedience”. In other words grace is His Divine enablement empowering us to obey.

 

Rom 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

So much of this requires only our simple yielding and simple faith, trusting in His word. It requires the renewing of our minds in His word, it takes going to listen to His word taught, as it says “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by His spoken word” (Rom 10:17) and “..faith is the victory that overcomes the world.” (1Jo 5:4). That word for “hearing” there in other quotes of Hebrew passages is the word Shama, the word for “obey or respond” to what you heard. So this all agrees with the principle “faith without works is dead”, and you’ll always do it in the Spirit of love.

 

Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit(1Cor 6:19). A temple or vessel doesn’t necessarily get credit for what is done through it. The Holy Spirit Himself working will do His righteousness (operating in the Spirit / His Word and will) through our bodies, and more as we grow in righteousness and leading people to Christ Jesus to convert our hearts so we confess His sovereignty in our lives. Our own bodies are not the originators of His righteousness. A whole study can be done on man’s own righteousness (without God) versus His righteousness in us, which are two different worlds, that are understood in a balanced teaching of love, and pointing us to abide in Christ.

 

Romans 6:13 “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrightousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

 

 

Another Comforter

The unique word for the Comforter (or Advocate) shows up in the Greek only 5 times. It’s the word Paraclete. It’s nearly always translated to English as the word Comforter. One time it was translated as Advocate. Throughout the passages where the word is used, it is indicated that Christ is our Comforter, but then also when He goes away to be with the Father, that another (not He Himself, but part of the Godhead) will come, named the Holy Spirit. He is clear that the Holy Spirit will also be with us. We also learn (as covered in this article) that He is in us personally, working through our bodies as witnesses or living testaments that express praise of Christ. The personal pronouns of “He” (as well as in the original language) etc are repetitiously used when referring to the Holy Spirit.

 

Christ said “I tell you a truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you…” (Jhn 16:7)

 

1John 2:1 “My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate(#3875) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

 

De “other Comforter” that would comfort us, would be in some comparable way as Christ personally comforted the Apostles. He is here but as the saying goes, “My people perish for lack of knowledge”. People often don’t realize they don’t believe the word, or they miss the fact He already fulfilled something immediately when He said He would, and yet people still don’t realize it, and live below their Spiritual privileges (like He wants for us all to have in the blessings of Abraham that come on us by the blood of Jesus Christ (Gal 3) As He said that we’re the head, and not the tail, above and not beneath, lend and do not borrow, walk in health, not in sickness, walk in prosperity, not in poverty etc. We’re to thank Him “abounding therein in thanksgiving” as we grow in Christ (Col 2:6-7). He is the Comforter Who He promised would be sent by God in John 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7.

 

 

The Fruit of the Spirit

This brings us to the next vital topic. We are all nothing without love as it says in 1Corinthians 13. We must guard and maintain “the fruit of the Spirit”(Gal 5:22), the love, joy and peace. He gives us the power maintain, to grow, to partake of it, and to share and to enjoy it. You may also correlate “the armor of God” (Eph 6:11) to the fruit of the Spirit as protecting these positive vital aspects in the life of the believer. The Psalms of David include many references to these armor pieces, namely “the shield of His faith” and the “buckler of His truth” in our daily spiritual warfare.

As the Holy Spirit empowers us to do anything good, we know for sure that He leads us to protect and cultivate such fruit in our lives.

He also gives us many commands to root out the weeds growing out of the flesh nature: the thorns and thistles, the unthankfulness or anything that subtracts from the fruit. For example He said to “remove all anger”, ”let no root of bitterness remain” etc, as it all grows like weeds. Some people think we need to make a place in our garden for weeds like anger to grow. However, there’s no such command. Quite the contrary. There’s never any shortage of anger, and anger is destructive. The word says don’t let the sun set on your wrath, and in Ephesians 4:31 “..remove all anger” from our lives etc. When it’s removed and stays removed, there’s room for more of the fruit of the spirit to grow, and we can then see clearly. Anger fogs the vision, so should be limited.

We need to feed others with that love, joy, and peace. These typically come from what ever shared joys, love, appreciation etc that you have stored up as treasures of your heart (Mat 12:35) etc. As all good things come from God, why don’t we camp out more at His gates “we enter His gates with thanksgiving”, and express that appreciation towards the others of His kingdom that He has brought into our lives.

 

Guiding us Into All Truth

The Comforter Himself (the Holy Spirit) is called the Spirit of truth, who will lead us into all truth. We have this promise for those of us who “..continue in His word, .. they shall know the truth and the truth will make them free” (Jhn 8:31-32), “When He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself…” (Jhn 16:13), So we see another aspect, the actual physical leading into the truth, is that equivalent comforting nature that Christ gave in His absence of being with us. He however leads us from the inside, from His word, and not being lead by the deceitful carnality in the world.

 

May we all grow in Him. And operate in the one named The Holy Spirit, who is the greatest most powerful Spirit, the Comforter Himself, who will enable us, and will Shepherd us like Christ protected and Shepherded His Apostles. As we read, He will lead us into all truth.

 

So we see that without the intervention, anointing, and working of the Holy Spirit, quickening our mortal bodies (as His Temple) we aren’t going to “seek after God” and we also won’t want to, nor will do, anything good. We especially won’t be doing the most crucial signs of His working to turn people to Christ. We in Christ will be busy praising Him as it says “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:” (Phl 1:27) and that is “…firstly that He came, died, was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures” (1Cor 15:3-4).

 

Some people might be ready for radical revolutions in their lives, but not all around us are. We aren’t to discourage anyone to slow down on their approach. However it does say that the Spirit does things orderly(1Cor 14:40, Col 2:5).

 

So praise God that we know His power is working in us any time we seek to do, or do, what He called good. It will be done in love and in victory as we do things in order. That is proof He loves us and is working in our lives. The Divine Himself is then manifesting into our lives, and it’s good for us to see, and give credit back to God, not of our own works, lest any man should boast. To Him be all glory. It says be not deceived little children, when the good things happen from our bodies it is His righteousness “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous” (1Jo 3:7), and is called “YAHWEH our righteousness” (Isa 54:17 and Jer 23:6) as He does it through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, not of our own strength, but as “yielded vessels” (Rom 6:13, 19). We are to be filled with Him, as His witnesses on the earth.

 

“Be filled with the Spirit…” (Eph 5:18) “stir up the gift of God, that came from laying on of hands” (2Tim 1:6).

 

As we trust and obey, then our bodies are then indeed “..the Temple of the Holy Spirit“ (1Cor 6:19). As He (the Holy Spirit) does as is received from the Son and the Father, taking no credit for Himself, as also we are to do the same. We are like unprofitable servants, only doing that which is our duty to do. Our flesh minds and flesh bodies should get no credit, but fall into line with our Spirit nature. Even then our Master YAHWEH (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit), should get all the Glory for the inspiration, as well the ability to do it.

 

He will lead us into all truth.  All God asks for is a simple faith, or to meet Him halfway on the points He clearly gave for responsible obedience. If there is true faith then there will be some actions on His word. If in doubt about His word, there’s safety in a multitude of counsellors. You can always reach out to other elders who hold the main doctrines, to help teach these deeper Divine truths.

 

There’s a popular myth going around that the Holy Spirit may lead them to break His word. However that’s part of the lies in the great “falling away”(2Th 2:3) from the truth. We are to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God”(1Jo 4:1). We’re to discern if we’re dealing with an unclean spirit or the Holy Spirit. We know about the fruit, but emotions are often a difficult gauge, ever changing like water.

We have clear standards God has given us in His word to be able to tell whether we’re coming near the “broad path of destruction” or the “narrow path of life”. Mainly we have His word “Thy word.. is a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105) and so we have the guidelines to the true light.

A major guidepost for the true path of life would be found in Isaiah 8:20: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Also see Rev 12:17).

Regarding the gifts of the Spirit, even of the most flamboyant ones, these are encouraged. However, there is always a way to ensure it’s done orderly. The Didache says let the Prophets give thanks as often as they desire, however, that’s under the subheadings of the Eucharist/Communion itself which is the word “thanksgiving” in Greek (where in each Gospel it says Christ “gave Thanks”, at the Last Supper). This type of thanksgiving of taking the communion is a very orderly act, sacred, reverent, repentant, and done with a strong reckoning of the worthily approach of being one with the body of Christ Jesus  Himself.

In the main listing of the gifts of the Spirit it should be noted that “a word of wisdom” is at the top of the list (1Cor 12:8).  In James 3:17 We’re told if this wisdom is from above, then it is shared with gentleness, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality  (in other words, open minded to learn together), without hypocrisy, humbly and peacefully.

I’m not saying everyone should be fruit inspectors either, as we will be accountable on judgement day only for our own actions. We all have enough trouble to judge our own selves, lest we be judged. We shouldn’t judge any one in Christ, as 1Corinthians 13 says “love hopes all things, love believes all things, ..etc.”

We are to trust that all those in Christ are quickly confessing any sins and getting back onto the path of life, so for us it should be only a “reward seat”, rather than judgement. As it says in Romans 8:1: “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…”

If you’ve caught yourself straying off that path of life (even worry is a sin), then He’s given us the quick remedy, as found in the Lord’s prayer. Part of that prayer includes the words “forgive us as we forgive others..”. Both of these aspects work hand-in-hand, and will ensure a true reckoning to get back right with God from the heart. Sin does separate us from God, and so a full confession and repentance is advised to be done immediately. It is something all Christians readily do, and quickly reap the rewards, of a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The General Confession (as found in the Book of Common Prayer) is also a good one for using at any time, or starting your day out right with the morning service.

Think through the words as you pray. Make sure it’s not just done with your body, but are thought about in the meanings with your mind. Make them not just part of your mind, but in your heart / your attitudes, emotions etc. As we reflect on the words they become new to us, and are more fortified in our hearts. In addition to these Biblical prayers, expand that prayer life by doing some new memory verses of the Scriptures together with your family. As we thank Him with love, “placing our love upon Him”(Ps 91:14) regularly, we will more and more enjoy the fruits of the Spirit. The regular prayers as found in our liturgies also help to ensure we’re not locking the Holy Spirit down in our basement, but have His true Biblical tempo of the good news operating.