God, the Holy Spirit

Who is the Lord? 

In 2 Cor. 3:17-18 Paul tells us “The Lord is the Spirit.”  In Rom. 10:9 and 2 Cor. 12:3 we are told that “Jesus is Lord.”  Psalm 110:1 tells us that the Father is Lord.  These Scriptures describe three Persons within the Godhead, each being the Lord.

Who is our God? 

In Acts 5:3-4, Peter says that when Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, he lied to God.  John says at John 1:1 that the Word, Jesus, is God.  Also, Thomas agreed as he spoke to Jesus at John 20:28 saying to Him, “The Lord of me and the God of me.” Galatians 1:1, John 5:23 and many other Scripture verses speak of “God the Father.”  We again see one God described in three Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Who is eternal?

The writer of Hebrews 9:14 tells us the Spirit is eternal.  The prophet Micah in Micah 5:2 tells us Jesus is eternal, “His origin is from everlasting.” That word qedem is the strongest Hebrew word for eternity—”beyond the vanishing point.”

Hebrews 7 says that Jesus “is a priest forever, in the order of Melchizadek” (without beginning of days or end of life).  Isaiah 40:28 tells us that “Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”  Genesis 21:33 and Romans 16:26 tells us the Lord is the eternal God.  God alone is eternal and that includes the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

Who is the Creator?

Job 33:4 tells us that “the Spirit of God has made me.”  John 1:3 says that Jesus “made all things” as does Colossians 1:16, 17 and Hebrews 1:10.  Acts 4:24, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 100:3 and many other verses tell us that God is the Creator.

One particular group of false teachers say that Jesus was the first and only direct creation of the Father and that He was God’s master worker who created all “other” things.  This is absolutely not true, for Isaiah 44:24 says that God “created all things” and that He did it “by Himself”—”all alone.”  Again, the Creator is described as One, yet all three Persons of the Godhead are named as our Creator.

Who raised Jesus’ body from the dead?

• Romans 8:11 tells us that the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead.

• John 2:19-22 Jesus tells us that He would raise His own body from the dead.

• Galatians 1:1 says God the Father raised Jesus from the dead.

Once again, we see the triune God in action.  Romans 10:9 says that God raised Jesus from the dead.  So we read that the three Persons of the Trinity raised Jesus’ body.

Who was responsible for Jesus’ birth to the virgin Mary? 

An angel tells us in Matthew 1:20: “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” We know from John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He gave  His only begotten  Son.”   We  also  know that  Jesus  stooped,  lowered Himself, becoming a mere man (Phil. 2:6, 7).  There were three Persons in the Godhead involved in this miraculous act, yet only one God with one nature.

In whose name do Christians baptize and make disciples?

It is in the “name”  (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).  So, we see three Persons who are all the Lord, God, eternal, the Creator, the Person responsible for the virgin birth of Jesus and also for the resurrection of Jesus’ body.

And finally, Christians are told to make and baptize disciples in the “name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Bible reveals to us one God with one nature in three Persons.

The term “trinity” is not found in Scripture.  It was first coined by Tertullian who lived from 160-220 A.D.  Yet, the word “theocracy” is also not  in the Bible but we know that “God rules.”  The word “Bible” is also not found in the Scriptures.  The Trinity is the central doctrine of all mainline historic churches and the trinity has also become the primary doctrine that all cultic groups attack.

The Holy Trinity is true and is very apparent in scripture but difficult to completely understand or explain.  Scripture tells us “the mystery of Godliness is great” (2 Tim. 3:16), that “God’s ways and thoughts are higher than man” (Isa. 55:11), “secret things belong to the Lord” (Deut. 29:29), “who can fathom the mysteries of God?” (Job 11:6).  Paul says it this way in 1 Cor. 13:12, “Now, we see but a poor reflection.  Then we shall see face to face.  Now, I know in part, then I shall know fully.”

Christians are seekers, devoted to the apostles’ teachings (Acts 2:42), daily students of  the scriptures (Acts 17:10, 11), examining, proving, and making sure of all things (1 Thess. 5:21).  God’s Word is the sword of the spirit (Eph. 6:17) and  Christians are soldiers for Christ.

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, who correctly handles the word of truth.”  Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:15, “Sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

Jesus warns us to “watch out” for false teachers and false prophets (Matt. 7:15-23; 24:4, 5, 11, 24).  The apostle Paul sent a warning in 2 Corinthians 11:3, 4, telling believers that deceivers would be teaching a different Jesus, a different gospel, and a different spirit.

Jesus spoke plainly about the Holy Spirit.  He  promised that He would not leave us as orphans (John 14:16, 18).  He would send another Counselor who would teach us all things, He would guide us into all truth (John 16:7, 8, 13).

Jesus likened the Holy Spirit to “streams of living water that will flow from within” those who believe in Him.  He promised that the Holy Spirit would be received after He was glorified (John 7:37-39).  Just before Jesus ascended to heaven He again promised His disciples that they would shortly receive power when the Holy Spirit would come on them and they would be His witnesses (Acts 1:8).

So at Pentecost the Holy Spirit began a great witnessing work for Jesus.  From that time onward Christians have been blessed with God the Holy Spirit living in them (Rom. 8:11).  Believers’ hearts are opened and the Holy Spirit gives them  understanding, even “the deep things of God.”

2 Corinthians 2:10-16 and Romans 8:6-16 tells of this great miracle, explaining that Christians would receive “the mind of Christ.”

In 2 Corinthians 3: 16, 17; 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16,  Paul tells Christians that they are the “temple of God” and that the Holy Spirit lives in them.  What a grand miracle!  God lives in believers and walks with them!