ONLY ONE SPIRIT In Ephesians 4:4, Paul tells us there is only one Spirit. Jesus tells us in John 4:24, that God (the Father) is a Spirit. Who therefore, is the one Spirit? God the Father! The simple conclusion is that the Holy Spirit is the internal nature and person of God the Father Himself--the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 1:30). Does that mean that the Father is just a Spirit without any physical body, form or features? Not at all, for Daniel had a vision of the Ancient of days who had a form and sat on a throne (Dan.7:9). Then he saw one like the Son of man... who came to the Ancient of days... (vs. 13). So, the Father most certainly has a bodily form, yet He is also a spiritual being. Does the Father possess Omnipresence? Yes. Is He bodily present everywhere in the Universe? God is omnipresent by His Spirit which is simply another name for His presence, not the outer, but the inner part of Himself. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from your presence? If I I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (Psalm 139:7-9). Here we see that the Spirit of God and His presence are synonymous terms and used interchangeably. Is His Spirit something, or someone, separate from Himself? No. The Spirit is Himself, not His outer body, but rather His inner mind or thoughts. For what man knoweth the things [thoughts] of a man, save the spirit [mind] of man which is in him? even so the things [thoughts] of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God [or mind which is in Him]. (1Cor. 2:11, emphasis supplied). Having a bad spirit is synonymous with having a bad attitude. Have you ever heard the expression, He or she has a filthy mind? Since there is nothing bad or filthy about God, the term Holy is applied when describing His Spirit, mind or presence. BOTH FATHER AND SON SHARE ONE HOLY SPIRIT The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). I was set up [anointed] from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (Proverbs 8:23, emphasis supplied). I believe that thou art the Christ [annointed one], the Son of God, which should come into the world. (John 11:27, emphasis supplied). For as the Father had life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name name than they. (Heb. 1:4). God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Heb. 1:9). And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5). Before the incarnation, the Fathers divine Son was the brightness of His glory, and the express image of his person (Heb. 1:3). The Son not only reflected His Fathers physical characteristics, but was also a partaker of the Divine Nature or Holy Spirit of His Father. The divine unity between the Father and Son is not because they are one person, but because they share one Spirit (1Cor. 6:17). When Gods Son was born in eternity, he was anointed with, and a partaker of the Holy Spirit of His Father. The Son of God partook and reflected His Fathers character to such a degree that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. SR p.13. When the Father produce from Himself His only begotten Son, the body temple of His Son overflowed with the Holy Spirit of His Father. I was set up [anointed] from everlasting,[ from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (Prov. 8:23, emphasis supplied). The phrase set up, in the Strongs concordance #5258 means to annoint. When did God the Father annoint His Son with His Holy Spirit? He was anointed before the earth was. This is why the Bible writers referred to Gods Son as the Christ (or anointed one) before His incarnation as a man. I believe that thou art the Christ [anointed one], the Son of God, which should come into the world. (John 11:27, emphasis supplied). FATHERS NAME: By virtue of His literal Sonship, the Son of God inherited His Fathers name (or character). Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Heb. 1:4). FATHERS LIFE: By virtue of His literal Sonship, the Son of God inherited His Fathers life. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). FATHERS GLORY: By virtue of His literal Sonship, the Son of God inherited His Fathers glory. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5). OIL OF GLADNESS: By virtue of His literal Sonship, the Son of God inherited His Fathers oil of gladness. God, even thy God, have anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Heb.1:9). Since oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, what was the Son of God anointed with? FATHERS SPIRIT: By virtue of His literal Sonship, the Son of God inherited His Fathers Holy Spirit without measure. ... for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (John 3:34). The Son of God was anointed with the Fathers name, life, glory, oil of gladness, which are all synonymous terms for the Fathers Holy Spirit. SPIRIT OF THE FATHER AND/ OR SON At times, the Scriptures use the terms Spirit or Holy Spirit interchangeably when describing the Spirit of the Father, and/or His Son. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God [the Father] dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him [the Father] 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 [the Father] that dwelleth in you. (Rom. 8:9-11, emphasis supplied). In this text, the Spirit is used interchangeably to refer both to the Father and the Son. THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST Since the Son of God shares the same Holy Spirit as His Father, the term Spirit or Holy Spirit can rightly be applied the Him as well. The following is a Bible text that calls Jesus the (Holy) Spirit: Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty...are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as of the Lord the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:17,18 with marginal emphasis). Jesus, as the second Adam, was made a quickening spirit (1Cor. 15:45). Words are expressions of thoughts. The Son is called the word of God (John 1:1-3,14), because He is the physical manifestation, expression, and personification of His Fathers thoughts. Since God (the Father) is a Spirit (John 4:24), and since the Fathers words are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63), the person called the Word of God may be rightly called the Spirit of God as well. Why could Jesus say that the Father was in Him, and He was in His Father? (John 17:21; 14:10). Jesus could truthfully make this statement because this same Word or Holy Spirit was dwelling in the body temples of both the Father and His Son. This is why the scriptures refer to the Father and/or His Son as the Holy Spirit. SPIRIT IN THE WILDERNESS : The Divine Son of God as a representative of His Father is depicted as the Angel who led the children of Israel throughout the wilderness journey. He is also described as the good spirit who instructed them. (Neh. 9:19,20; Hag. 2:5). The divine Son of God was that spirit that went with Caleb because he hath followed me fully said the Lord. The Son of God was the angel of his (Fathers) presence, the one who saved, redeemed, and carried his people when they trusted in Him (Isa. 63:9). And, when they rebelled, He became the holy spirit whom they grieved and vexed (Isa. 63:10). SPIRIT IN THE TEMPLE: Yes, the divine Son of God as a representative of His Father, was the Holy Spirit who dwelt between the two cherubim in the wilderness tabernacle (1Sam. 4:4). Christ was the one who talked with Moses face to face (Exo. 33:11). Christ was the glory of the Lordthat filled up Solomons temple (2 Chron. 5:13,14; 6:1; 7:1-3). Christ was the greater glory of Herods temple, when He went in and cleansed it from corruption (Hag 2:9; John 2:16; John 17:5). Christ was the comforter of His disciples while on earth (John 14:1,27). Christ was the same comforter in another form when He descended upon, and filled His disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; John 14:17-21; Acts 3:26). Christ is the one who promised: I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee(Heb. 13:5). For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matt. 18:20). I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. (Matt. 28:20). Christ is the one knocking at the door of your mind seeking entrance, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him (Rev. 3:20). He is the same one promised to come to His people as the latter rain, the final outpouring of the Spirit of God (Joel 2:23, margin emphasis; Psa.72:6; Hosea 6:3; John 6:63). The Apostle Paul understood and used the following expressions to mean one and the same thing: ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you; your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you: ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; Christ in you, the hope of glory; and, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 3:16,17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16,17; Col. 1:26,27; Phil. 2:5). Throughout both the old and new testament it was the Spirit of God the Father in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself (2Cor. 5:19).
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:42:55 +0000
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