Ministry of the Spirit
The nation of Israel has left us with this understanding. We can't figure out what God has said. The teachers of the law in Jesus day were perplexed and amazed at the words that he spoke. They were ready to stone him, they accused him, they said he was possessed of a devil. This much is sure; of all their teaching and study it left them totally clueless! They had the "word of God", but no understanding.
The walk and life and work of Jesus was a mystery to the people of his day. There was no one on the earth who knew what he was doing. The scripture says, "if they had know, they would not have cruified the Lord of Glory." It was sealed up, and known only to God. The words of Jesus are beyond the minds of men. If not, why didn't they know. As Paul said, "the natural mind is at emity with God." "The natural man doesn't understand the things of God, they are spiritually discerned."
How then can we understand? In ourselves we can't. But Jesus has provided the way. The Holy Spirit of God. When the word of God is proclaimed, the Spirit works in our hearts convincing us of it's truth. As Jesus said, "when the Spirit is come He will convict the world of sin, righteouness, and judgement." Therefore we see to be born of God, we accept the testimony of the Spirit, and receive the word, and the word and the Spirit produce the life in us. As Jesus said, "unless you are born of the Spirit, you can not see the kingdom of God."
This is of major importance when dealing with the unsaved, and also why we are instructed to speak with grace. They will not understand the words so much, but they will understand the spirit by which the testimony is given. All natural men are in darkness, the light of the Spirit will illuminate the word of God. So we conclude that indeed it is all by grace, the unmerited favor of God.
Seeing then that we started with the Spirit, we should also walk with the Spirit. To learn to "stop, look, and listen", and be instructed by the Spirit. We have all received the Spirit that we may know the things freely given to us, that is we who have been born of God. Through the testimony concerning His Son. As the Spirit instructed us into this salvation, he will also lead us into all truth. Our natural mind will not, our own understanding will not, only the revelation and quickening and witness of the Spirit within us can teach us.
The word of God is food, not an intellectual jig-saw puzzle. As recorded, the meat, and the milk of the word. Paul said he wrote with words taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual words. If Paul had to be taught what to write, then surly we have to be taught what they mean. If we where to presume to "know the mind of God", to "be sure I know the doctrines", or any other such boast, we can be sure it's the speech of a fool. Let's not go beyond what we do know and boast of things we know not. The Spirit will lead the humble, but oppose the arrogant.
Consider the works of the Spirit; the stars in the heavens are the result of His power. The names and numbers their size and weight. The orbits and configurations are all known. There eternal purpose and end glory, the whole of their realm and reason for exsistence. This the Spirit worked, all accourding to the mind of God and the Word of God. Understanding all these and producing them by His power. Not only, but of all the planets, and folage, and animals, and everthing that was or is in the mind of God, that was spoken, He has produced all this. Of things of the heavens, or of the things on the earth, and that which regards man and his purposes. Such knowledge is to wonderful for the mind of man.
Back to our case, the Spirit within is to create the realitys of the word, not only to us, but to produce it in us. As written, "we are living epistles". This is food, not a mental exercise. It to grow us into the likeness and people where God dwells. In reality not in theory. There is discussion on two experiences of the Spirit. I myself have had not only two, but twenty. And if I have two hundred I still will need more to become the person that the Lord has made me in the "new creation". Not that any thing is lacking in me, but the understanding of what "the Lord has done" is not complete. The gifts of the Spirit are unlimited, can God be limited? These are listed to encourage us to "seek, ask, and knock" to know the power and the love of God, to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. Let's set aside all our differences and press in to know the Father, and to bring Him glory, and honor, and praises.
The walk and life and work of Jesus was a mystery to the people of his day. There was no one on the earth who knew what he was doing. The scripture says, "if they had know, they would not have cruified the Lord of Glory." It was sealed up, and known only to God. The words of Jesus are beyond the minds of men. If not, why didn't they know. As Paul said, "the natural mind is at emity with God." "The natural man doesn't understand the things of God, they are spiritually discerned."
How then can we understand? In ourselves we can't. But Jesus has provided the way. The Holy Spirit of God. When the word of God is proclaimed, the Spirit works in our hearts convincing us of it's truth. As Jesus said, "when the Spirit is come He will convict the world of sin, righteouness, and judgement." Therefore we see to be born of God, we accept the testimony of the Spirit, and receive the word, and the word and the Spirit produce the life in us. As Jesus said, "unless you are born of the Spirit, you can not see the kingdom of God."
This is of major importance when dealing with the unsaved, and also why we are instructed to speak with grace. They will not understand the words so much, but they will understand the spirit by which the testimony is given. All natural men are in darkness, the light of the Spirit will illuminate the word of God. So we conclude that indeed it is all by grace, the unmerited favor of God.
Seeing then that we started with the Spirit, we should also walk with the Spirit. To learn to "stop, look, and listen", and be instructed by the Spirit. We have all received the Spirit that we may know the things freely given to us, that is we who have been born of God. Through the testimony concerning His Son. As the Spirit instructed us into this salvation, he will also lead us into all truth. Our natural mind will not, our own understanding will not, only the revelation and quickening and witness of the Spirit within us can teach us.
The word of God is food, not an intellectual jig-saw puzzle. As recorded, the meat, and the milk of the word. Paul said he wrote with words taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual words. If Paul had to be taught what to write, then surly we have to be taught what they mean. If we where to presume to "know the mind of God", to "be sure I know the doctrines", or any other such boast, we can be sure it's the speech of a fool. Let's not go beyond what we do know and boast of things we know not. The Spirit will lead the humble, but oppose the arrogant.
Consider the works of the Spirit; the stars in the heavens are the result of His power. The names and numbers their size and weight. The orbits and configurations are all known. There eternal purpose and end glory, the whole of their realm and reason for exsistence. This the Spirit worked, all accourding to the mind of God and the Word of God. Understanding all these and producing them by His power. Not only, but of all the planets, and folage, and animals, and everthing that was or is in the mind of God, that was spoken, He has produced all this. Of things of the heavens, or of the things on the earth, and that which regards man and his purposes. Such knowledge is to wonderful for the mind of man.
Back to our case, the Spirit within is to create the realitys of the word, not only to us, but to produce it in us. As written, "we are living epistles". This is food, not a mental exercise. It to grow us into the likeness and people where God dwells. In reality not in theory. There is discussion on two experiences of the Spirit. I myself have had not only two, but twenty. And if I have two hundred I still will need more to become the person that the Lord has made me in the "new creation". Not that any thing is lacking in me, but the understanding of what "the Lord has done" is not complete. The gifts of the Spirit are unlimited, can God be limited? These are listed to encourage us to "seek, ask, and knock" to know the power and the love of God, to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. Let's set aside all our differences and press in to know the Father, and to bring Him glory, and honor, and praises.
posted by pete porter | 11:33 AM
8 Comments:
Pete,
Amen! I love what you wrote. And I totally agree with it. I especially loved the parts about Scripture being food rather than a jig-saw puzzle, and what you wrote about having continuing new experiences in Christ in order to become what He would have you (and all of us) to be. One thing's for sure, the Christian life is never boring! God bless you, my brother. Keep writing for God!
Love in Christ,
Brooke
Phil,
Thank you, the posts on the Baptism of the Spirit are excellent. I hope everyone who blogs here went over to read them. I appreciate your writting and insight.
Brooke,
Thank you also, I enjoy your site and your honest writting about the walk with the Lord. The life in the Lord is an amazing adventure.
Be Blessed,
Pete
I taught the kids on Sunday about Mysteries. We are watching the Jesus Movie for Children. We defined a Mystery as something that we do not know the answer to, but that it does have an answer. We "can" figure it out, but not without the Holy Spirit. You are right, we need to humble ourselves, give up our own thinking...in order to give the Spirt control. To quote Phil (Col: 27-28). We cannot put God in a box, but we CAN know His will and through His Spirit, he reveals His mysteries to us as well as His will for our live and others lives...One of my husband's seminary professors asks this question: What do you do when a truth of the Bible is presented that is contrary to the logical mind?
Teresa, Great to hear from you. The attitude of a child is really what we all need, simple trust. An interesting question. How about; is there any teaching in the bible that doesn't fly in the face of the logical mind??
Be Blessed,
Pete
Nice post Pete! Speaking of mysteries, my friend and I were trying to solve a puzzle. It was a triangle made of squares and if the squares were shifted, it left a hole in the triangle. We were trying to figure out why that was. After a while, she finally gave it up and said, "It just is." It's such a simple statement but one I think should be applied to the Bible. It just is.
Cosmic,
Nice to have you blog by. I think that "it just is" maybe the finest explanation of faith I've ever heard.
Be Blessed,
Pete
Amen Pete! Another great post! I love how you write these Pete, I know there is a lot of study and research behind them, but its your heart that comes through in them, you have a wonderful 'Ministry in the Spirit"
Be encouraged my friend,
GBYAY
Thank you Brother John. I try to speak to the hearts of people. This is the way of fellowship that I think the Lord desires. Thanks again for your kind encouragement.
Be Blessed,
Pete
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