As we study The Holy Scriptures, we want to share what we ponder in our hearts and share how we grow in our lives lived for The LORD. Currently, we are studying the Life of The HOLY SPIRIT and how HE moves in our hearts, lives, relationships and church.
Note: Usually Old Testament scripture is quoted from the New International Version and New Testament scripture is quoted from the Amplified Bible.
A Study of The HOLY SPIRIT
Where is a student of the Bible to begin such a study?
Relationship
Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The Hebrew word for GOD in this Scripture is “ELOHIM,” a plural noun, but the word for “created” is a singular verb.
Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
“Let US” again is a plural noun.
John 1:1-3 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
Trinity:
the word itself in not used within the Scriptures but the reality of the concept is.
But it is not an easy concept to grasp and hold onto. A good example is:
One Woman can be:
a daughter a wife and a mother
all at the same moment in time.
*So is GOD HIMSELF:
FATHER SON and SPIRIT
at all times inseparable?
You Betcha!
Ultimately the idea of Trinity tells us:
GOD Is Relational at All Times, and in every way HE addresses us!
John 16:13-15 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
John 17:4-5 I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed.
*What does “Glorify” mean?
To praise, to enjoy and to delight in.
*What is the ultimate joy of best friends? Each Other's Pleasure? Each Other's Happiness?
*What are best friends willing to do to attain each of these for the other friend?
*Is each willing to sacrifice their own self interests?
*How does this apply for the Trinity? How do THEY EACH glorify The OTHERS?
*Do we as people always glorify our best friends?
No! Every person on earth since Adam and Eve was and continues to be self-consumed and self-centered, and each believes all of life orbits around themselves alone....
But in the Trinity, EACH personality voluntarily circles [orbits] around The OTHERS, pouring perfect love and delight into THEM.
Ponder: What would GOD be like without having HIS BEING in the Trinity?
*How would love look?
*What is power?
*If The LORD was one personality alone, could HE have been loving for all eternity?
Chelsa: I don't think so because HE would be impersonal with no love because in order to truly love there has to be another.
'Chel agrees.
*If one believes the world was created by a GOD Who Is In Community with PERSONS Who have Loved EACH OTHER for all eternity ['eternity' is a idea which 'Chel thinks no human in history has or can ever fully comprehend because it is so mind-boggling] and every person is made in The LORD'S IMAGE as stated in Scripture, as an individual does it change one's perspective of self and others?
*Ponder: What am I made for?
As a Christian, I should practice a self-giving love directed onto others..
*What does self-centeredness do to my personal purpose and to my Godly purpose?
Destroys It!! Self-centeredness destroys all purposes except that of self-gratification.
*Consider: One's Best Friend
*Is one's best friend the person one admires more than any other in entire world?
*Is one willing to do anything in the world possible for this best friend?
*Will the admired also do anything in the world for the admiring?
A best friendship is entered into as a life-long friendship.
*Does that sound like Heaven?
*It Is!*
John 17:20-24 Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me] may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me]; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
GOD made us to share together in HIS PERFECT LOVE, centering our lives on HIM. We were created to know, serve and resemble HIM and to share that with all of those around us.
That sounds so beautiful and wonderful, but “I” have seen how life works....So obviously, we cannot have this by the strength of our own power. It is also obvious what we do have by our own power. So...
*How can we feel this lifelong friendship and love?
*If we can't do that by ourselves, how can we get it?
How Does GOD Works
GOD has revealed HIMSELF to mankind in many different ways.
Old Testament:
*GOD HIMSELF Is Visible, but How?
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