2020-11-27
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Right along, I’ve written that it’s the Holy Spirit that gives me these messages to write to you. He has given me some questions on basic matters of importance to all of us to share. 1) How can we know the Trinity is not three separate beings? In IS 7: 14, the virgin birth of Jesus was foretold. “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son and will call Him Immanuel.” This prophecy foretelling the coming of the Holy Spirit follows, in IS 11: 1-2, with “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” JN 14: 9 & 11, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father…I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me,” Jesus said. JN 14: 26, [Jesus speaking] “The Counselor (the Holy Spirit) Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and make you remember all I have told you.” We are told, in 1 COR 12: 4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” Three personalities unified into one divine Being, each have different functions. EPH 4: 3-5, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.”
2) How do God’s three personalities (the members of the Trinity relate to each other? I’ll use an analogy here. Think of the Father as the CEO, the one who makes all the decisions. Jesus Christ (the Son) is the Vice President in charge of salvation, and the Holy Spirit is the VP in charge of teaching, advice, and conveying the Father’s will to us. COL 1: 15, “Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the Firstborn, superior to all created things.” He lives, for the time being, in heaven—honored there and plans to have a second coming at some time in our future. In COL 1: 26-27, we learn that Christ in us through the Holy Spirit, enables us to tap into the vast wisdom of God. This is the key to God’s mystery. It is Christ that enables this equation to be true: FAITH + NOTHING = SALVATION. EPH 2: 8-10, “For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it. God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus, He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared for us to do.” One last citation lends illumination: RO 8: 11-12, “If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then He Who raised Christ from Death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of His Spirit in you.”
3) How do we prepare to accept the important task to accurately convey the Gospel of Jesus Christ? To whom should we convey it? I’m a believer in healthy relationships; they are what can make our lives worthwhile. We have a vertical one with God and horizontal ones with other people. I attest that these relationships are God’s will, as the Holy Spirit has told me. I’ve seen how they impact my own life. Having said this, the answer to the first question is to make a habit of studying God’s love letter to us (the Bible). This habit uplifts and informs our spirits. That’s the first step, but the Holy Spirit has encouraged another one. That is to establish godly relationships with potential believers and to reach out, with sensitivity and respect, with the message of the Gospel. 1 PET 3: 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” We have been given the great commission by Jesus: MT 28: 19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Our relationship with God is to be active and dynamic, replete with frequent two-way communication through prayer. MT 7: 7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” We should never force ourselves on anyone who refuses to listen, for that isn’t the Father’s will. Sensitivity to the needs of others is essential. When snapping (one is rushed to commit before he is ready) or coercion are present, there are sure to be problems ahead.
PRAYER: O Lord, we approach Your mighty throne with utter respect, acknowledgment of Your attributes and deeds, and reverence. We spend this time in our lives studying Your word and getting closer to You. Your intervention and advice, through the Holy Spirit, is a huge benefit to our lives. It is hard to find a reason to put distance between ourselves and You. We strive to learn to watch You at work in our lives and relationships. When we do this, then we are doubly blessed to know Your generosity and kindness. You teach us what love is, through the Paradigm of Jesus Christ, and urge us to be more like Him. You share the vastness of Your wisdom through Christ in us and the messages of the Holy Spirit. We ask You now to help us to find ways to conform to Your will for us and to strengthen our faith and that of others. Help us to make a deeply ingrained habit of becoming more aware of the blessings You bestow on us. We pray and will pray often for ourselves and the welfare of others. Thank You and praise You for always listening to our requests and victories. We send You our heartfelt love for being the awesome God You are. In the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: There is one more question to discuss, which I will take up in next week’s devotion. It is What is the power of God’s word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Writing a series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, like building a house, must have a foundation. That’s what has been in the last 32 weekly installments. Our Lord expresses it thusly: EPH 2: 20-22, “You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the Cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself. He is the One Who holds the whole building together, and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. In union with Him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” What a great blessing it is that our Lord, with His three personalities, loves us as much as He does! Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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