Who is the Holy Spirit? - His Personality

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ⁴ “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Matthew 28:19-20 ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

GOD IN US, WITH US AND ABOVE US
As we consider the God of the Bible, biblical testimony reveals that God is One in existence and three in identity. The Holy Spirit, who will be the focus of today's blog, is for the Christian "God in us".  God the Father is "God above us", unseen, dwelling in thick darkness, immortal and invisible (Jude 24-25).  God the Son is God with us, visibly revealing the Father, fully divine and completely human (John 1:14,18). God the Holy Spirit is in scripture the Third Person of the Trinity who comes to indwell the Christian at salvation (John 16:17).

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "PERSON"?
Personhood is that quality of a living being that includes the conscious expression of intellect, emotion and will.  The Holy Spirit has emotions, being that He can be grieved by our sin (Ephesians 4:30).  We also see that as the Spirit of revelation He has a mind by which to communicate and articulate Himself to Christians (Ephesians 1:18, 2 Peter 1:21). Finally, the Holy Spirit has a will by which He calls and gifts Christians in the church (Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12,14).  Perhaps the greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit's personhood comes from the lips of Jesus Himself.  Time and time again Christ refers to the Holy Spirit as "He", not "it".  

HOW DOES THE SPIRIT'S PERSONALITY POINT TO HIS DEITY?
John 14:16 has Jesus stating - "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever".  The word "another" in this passage refers to "another of the same kind".  When Christ is speaking to his disciples, He is clearly explaining His Deity, being that to see Him is to see the Father (John 14:7).  In saying to the disciples He is going to "send another comforter", He is stating that the Father and He are going to send forth the third person of the Trinity who shares in their nature.  The logic of Jesus' statements can be summarized below:
1. The Father is God(John 14:1)
2. To see and believe Jesus is to see and believe in God (John 14:1, 7)
3. The Holy Spirit is "another of the same kind" as Jesus Christ (John 14:16)
4. Thus the Holy Spirit is God, sharing in the same Deity as The Father and The Son (John 14:23)

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PERSONAL GOD OF GLORY
The Holy Spirit is God who comes to the sinner, calling them to fall in love with God the Son.  In later blogs we will be exploring more about the God of Glory, the Holy Spirit, "God in us".  

Assurances of Salvation - P4

True Christians long for Christ's return and to be led by the Holy Spirit

We have looked at five assurances or fruits that one can look for when evaluating the genuineness of saving faith in their lives.  How can I know, that I know, that I know that I'm a Christian?  Thus far we have seen that true Christians hate worldliness, love God's word, Christ, God's people, obedience and prayer.  Today we will conclude the assurances of salvation by noting that true Christians long for Christ's return and want to be led by the Holy Spirit.

1. True Christians long for Christ's return

1 John 3:1-3 states - "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." 

 It is no accident that the Christian's pre-occupation with Christ's return should grow over time, since satisfaction with the things of this world gradually pale, and longing to see Jesus should increase.  It can seem at times we are more caught up in the here-and-now than in the sweet-by-and-by.  Yet God's grace prompts us, reminds us, to long for His return.  This is why God's love is the motivation.  If we will but "see, behold" God the Father's love, we will then long for the second coming of Jesus. 

2. True Christians want to be led by the Holy Spirit

As Christians, we will either be "self-led" or "Spirit-led".  Ephesians 5:18 uses the language of "filling" to remind us of the repeated need for the Spirit's leading: "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit".  At salvation, the Christian gets all of the Holy Spirit they will ever need.  From that point onward, the issue becomes: "how much of me does the Holy Spirit have?" 

1 John 4:13 states - "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit."  The battle between "self" and "The Holy Spirit" is a daily affair.  Will I let my emotions and my thinking guide me, or will I order my emotions and thoughts under God's word.  The Holy Spirit living inside every Christian is "God in us", pointing to Jesus, who is "God with us", who bids us to love The Father, "God above us". 

What happens if I cannot gain assurance of salvation?

My prayer is that as you look at your heart, that these various assurances will clarify for you whether or not you are truly a Christian.  The basis of your salvation rests not in how you feel, but rather in God's written word - the Bible; and in God's Living word - Jesus Christ.  Have you by faith trusted in Christ alone by faith alone?  More importantly, are you right now, at this moment, relying upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord and Treasure?   If you cannot answer these questions in the affirmative, Romans 10:9-10 is the plainest verse I know for settling the issue: "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." 

Assurances of Salvation - P3

True Christians love to pray, obey and be with God's p

Assurance of salvation is the Christian's level of confidence in knowing that they know that they know they are Christians.  In today's blog we continue by noting three additional fruits, or grace driven attitudes that should be evident in the person's life who claims Christ as their own.  If the reader would like to review the wider context of this discussion, please look at the last two blogs of this series to review how you can evaluate the genuineness of Christian faith in your own life.

1. True Christians love to approach Christ in prayer

1 John 2:1 tells us: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous".  What is an advocate?  It is someone who is willing to represent our concerns to one who can do something about it.  Knowing that God can hear me, and knowing that I can hear God, can make prayer transform into something that I look forward to.  Note what David states in Psalm 42:3: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and  appear before God?"  David could not wait to pray.  True Christians will grow over time to appreciate Christ in prayer. 

2. True Christians love to obey God

1 John 2:3 notes - "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments."  Do I find obeying the Lord a drudgery or a delight?  Undoubtedly Christians experience up and down times in their Christian walk, where some days seem easier to obey God than others.  Yet it is in the area of following the Lord's leading where I truly gain the confidence of assurance.  For if I walk out the light God grants me in a given area of obedience, God pledges to grant me greater light to walk by (please compare 1 John 1:7-8).  It has been well said by older saints that one the one hand, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone apart from works.  However, following our committment of faith, we are being saved by a faith that is never alone.  1 John 5:3 states plainly: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome."

3. True Christians love being with other Christians

1 John 2:10-11 makes this observation - "The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."  The verbs underlined in this verse indicate a "continual, ongoing, persistent attitude".  More often than not the Bible measures the genuineness of one's love for Christ by how much on-going love they have for other Christians.  Why?  Because loving the brethren gives us practice for loving those who are not Christians.  If anything, loving other Christians is the most basic level of expressing God's love to other people. 


Unless hindered by circumstances out of one's control (such as illness or emergency), the Christian will ache in their heart whenever they miss church.  Grace-driven motives makes church attendance not a matter of a check-off list item, but rather an event whereby I reinforce my love for Jesus by being around other Christians.  Hebrews 10:25 states - "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."  

Come back tomorrow, dear reader, as we will look at further assurances of salvation described by 1 John.  May the Lord bless you this Lord's day. 

Assurances of Salvation - Part 2

Assurances of Salvation - The Christian's love for God's Closeness and the scriptures 

Yesterday we noted that assurance of salvation refers to "knowing that I know that I know that I am a Christian".  We also observed that a true believer in Jesus Christ is known by what he or she loves, and what he or she hates.  From this point onward, 1 John gives us affirmations of assurance based upon various things that the Christian loves.  Truly if we say we love Jesus Christ, then it will be exhibited by loving the things that He loves.  As we progress into 1 John, let me mention the key verse of the letter, 1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."  So what particular areas should a true believer in Jesus Christ see themselves growing in love with as they walk with the Lord?  What areas indicate, bear witness, give evidence that I truly am saved from the wrath to come, and have a true heart of faith in Jesus Christ?  Below are a couple of key areas that a true child of God should see more and more love.

1. True Christians will ultimately love closeness above comfort

 1 John 1:7-9 states: "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   Positively speaking, to fear God means that I will make it my aim to not let anything get between me and my closeness with the Lord.  John especially is fond of describing the believer's walk in terms of "walking" and "light".  Do I find the pattern of my life gravitating more towards those things which will build me up in my relationship with Christ, or do I go for those things that will gain me favor in the eyes of men? 

As we noted yesterday, there will be those moments when the true Christian may choose the things of this world above the things of Christ.  However, the true heart of faith cannot persist in such a state.  That is why verse 9 is included, since a true believer will correct their course and ultimately strive towards the light.  Their love for Jesus, ultimately, is greater than anything they could have towards the world.

2. True Christians have a growing love for His word

1 John 2:3 states - "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments."  Jesus says a similar statement in John 14:21"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”  The way I regard the written word of God is directly related to how I regard the living word Jesus Christ.  Love for the scriptures is the response of a human heart that is open to and touched by the work of God's Divine Grace.  When I find myself wavering in my love and passion for the word, I find the words of Psalm 119:18 helpful " Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law."  We need God's grace to enable us to love the things He loves.  A true believer, over time, will not only learn to love the scripture, but to live to love the scripture.  Why?  Because it is the written word of God that points the Christian to their first love, Jesus Christ. 

Assurances of Salvation - Part One

Assurances of Salvation in 1 John

In today's blog, and over the next few days, we aim to explore specific statements from the New Testament book of 1 John that will answer this one question: "How can I know, that I know, that I'm still a Christian?"  Doubt is a form of unbelief about what God has done for us in the past.  Many Christians walk around with troubling doubts about their salvation.  Thankfully, scripture gives us clear guidance on this matter. 

The book of 1 John has 105 verses with over 70 statements about assurance of salvation.  In fact 1 John 5:13 is the ket verses describing the purpose of the book: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." This little word "know" refers to certainty gained by observation and experience, and is found some 25 times in John's short book.  Thus assurance of salvation can be defined as: "I know, that I know I'm a Christian."  Understand dear reader, Christianity is not a " hope-so salvation" or "maybe salvation", rather the Bible's testimony for the true Christian is that they can have a "know-so salvation".

Assurance is demonstrated by what a Christian loves and hates

1 John aims to help you know, have confidence, have certainty about your relationship with Jesus Christ.  How does John reinforce that?  By setting forth specific instances of things the true child of God loves, and those things that a true child of God hates.  Below we will begin exploring these assurances of salvation by noting first what a true believer will hate.  Look for these attitudes, expressions in your own life, and by faith and God's word test to see if you know, that you know that you're a Christian.

1. A True Christian Hates Sin  1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15-17 states: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." 

What in the world is "the world"?

The world in this verse is not in reference to the planet earth, rather it is describe the system of unbelief that non-Christians operate by.  When a person is worldy, it simply describes the common held convictions they share with the unbelieving world in rebellion against God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Its one thing to be tempted and even at times go through seasons where we want to slip back to the former way of life before salvation.  But the "love of the world" described here is a continual, on-going perisistence in a system of unbelief hostile to Christ. 

Three components of "the world"

Note the three components of the world: lust of the flesh, the eyes and pride of life.  If I persistently love what is seen above Christ whom I can't see, then I need to re-evaluate my profession of salvation.  In terms of the flesh, the flesh is a particular attitude that strives to embrace the world.  Am I continually embracing that which is outside the known will of God?  If so, I need to check whether or not I received Christ by faith in the first place.  What about the boastful pride of life?  Am I more concerned with possessions than possessing Christ?  Questions such as these help us test where we are at in our walk.  Either I have come to possess Christ by faith, and thus will exhibit fruit that matches with what I profess; or I am only professing Christ with my lips, and need to possess Him by faith. 

Ultimately the true Christian cannot persist in worldliness

That is the whole point of the passage: persisting, on-going, non-regret over choosing the things of the world over Christ.  If I find myself caught up in the world, does that mean that I am not Christian?  It all depends where I run to after I discover worldliness.  If I keep running into the arms of the world, with no regrets, then I need to evaluate whether I'm merely a "professor" rather than a "possessor" of Christ.  However, If come running to Christ, asking for forgiveness, acknowledging that I not merely did a bad thing, but offended God's very character in me, then I have just demonstrated evidence of true salvation. 

Is there hope for Christians who dabble in worldliness?

1 John 1:9 states: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Notice the promise: forgiveness and cleansing.  Let me state this a plainly as possible: A true Christian cannot lose there salvation nor will a true Christian ultimately ever want to lose salvation.  There will be those seasons in a Christian's life when they might very well fall for the enticements of this world.  Ask the great apostle Peter, who doubt Christ three times.  He clearly was worldly.  But what does the scripture tell us in John 21?  When Jesus came to Him, He in repentance told Jesus "yes Lord, you know that I love you" three times.  Jesus restored Him, cleansed him from the affects of his denials, and that man became the premier leader in the early church. 

These ways of evaluating our heart are crucial to our Christian growth.  Thankfully the scriptures, not our feelings, are the chief way we know whether or not we are Christians. Right after the passages describing the world, John states in 1 John 2:21 "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth."  As we draw assurance from the scriptures, our emotions and our thoughts will line up behind the scriptures, like little children behind a parent.  For it is in the scriptures I meet and commune with the very Jesus I not only profess to know, but know that I know that I know. 

Reasons why I run to Christ and the Bible

I want the reader to consider the similarities that exist between the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ.  These similarities are what drive me to run to the scriptures and to know and meet the living Christ.  I pray that you too will be stimulated to seek the Living Word of the Written word.

The Bible is the Living Will of God

Christ is the Living God bidding me to do His will

The Bible never fails in its message

Christ never fails in His Ministry

The Bible is the lamp searching my heart

Christ is the light shining into my heart through the Bible

The Bible is preparing me for Heaven

Christ is preparing Heaven for me

The Bible never changes and abides

Christ never changes and abides

Satan can't defeat the Bible

Christ defeated Satan

The Bible secures my faith today

Christ has already secured my hope for tomorrow

Who You Are, and Whose You Are

Today's blog continues from yesterday's focus upon how Jesus Christ is ministering in the life of Christians today.  We saw how His role as Prophet and Priest enables us to grow in the Christian life.  Today we continue by noting His Kingship, and how this office sheds even greater life on who the Christian really is in Christ.  If you would like to pick up the context of this blog, I would encourage the reader to read the blogs from the previous two days.

3. Christ as King reigns over believers and is worthy of worship, since He is both God and man

Hebrews 1:4 has already been considered in this blog, since in his humanity Jesus Christ demonstrated He was qualified to obtain the inheritance of His Father's Kingdom.  However we must also remember that as God, Christ is by right the True King.  Hebrews 1:5 notes - "For by which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?  And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son"?

The remarkable thing about this text is that on the one hand, when looking at Jesus as man, he obtained the right to inherit all things by living, dying and resurrecting from the dead in history. However as Christ the Divine Second Person of the Trinity, there has never been a time where He was never the True King.  

To be in Christ is to become in experience who I already am in position

Why did Jesus Christ have to obtain in his humanity the right that by virtue of His Deity He already possessed?  Quite simply because all of those who would unite to Him by faith are called to walk out their faith as heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:6-9).  Believers are given the incredible destiny as someday ruling and reigning with Christ. Furthermore, the Christian is already positionally ruling and reigning with Christ in the heavenlies.  In the realm of everyday experience the believer has to battle the world, the flesh and the devil.  By doing this the Christian progressively becomes in experience who they already are in position. 

Even though Christ has already accomplished the fact of the believer's kingly destiny, it is the believer's responsibility to obtain by growing experience the realization of who they are in Christ.  Daily exposure to God's word and prayer, and weekly times of being with God's people are the chief ways of remembering who I am and whose I am - Christ's treasured possession. (please compare Psalm 119:9-11, Hebrews 4:16 & Hebrews 10:24-25)

As those who are called to be co-kings with Christ and who are guided by Him in the prophetic scriptures, believers are also to live forth His presence as priests.  As 1 Peter 2:9 notes - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."  Dear Christian, as you go forth, don't forget who you are (a co-heir with the Prophet, Priest, King Jesus Christ) and whose you are (Christ's treasured possession).