Further to the paper The Holy Spirit we proceed to develop the concepts of the place of the Holy Spirit and its relationship in the Godhead. From an understanding of that position we might then be able to more correctly understand, from the biblical narrative, its purpose and its end product in the elect.

E-mail: secretary@ccg.org

This paper is available from the World Wide Web page:
http://www.logon.org and http://www.ccg.org

To understand the Holy Spirit one must understand God and Christ and the relationships involved.

God the Father alone is immortal. Jesus the Son of God is the first begotten (prototokos) of the creation (Col. 1:15) the beginning (arche) of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14). The Holy Spirit is the essence or power of God that Christ promised to send to the elect (Jn. 16:7).

Without a clear understanding of the God we worship, it is impossible to fully understand His will and please Him. We would then be unable to enter the Kingdom of God at the first resurrection. The Holy Spirit is the means by which we understand the Bible where God reveals His directions and plans for us. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14) and the Spirit of faith (2Cor. 4:13), which searches and knows all things (1Cor. 2:10-11).

God is Spirit and has always existed. When we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism God is in us and Christ is in us, hence God will be all, in all (Eph. 4:4-6). It is important to understand that there is only one God and Father of all.

Prior to baptism, the Holy Spirit works with us drawing us to God through Christ (Heb. 7:25). On repentance and baptism we receive the Holy Spirit in us, through the laying on of hands by one of God’s ministers. The Spirit then empowers the individual.

We are required to study the Bible and learn everything we can. Christ said that his meat and drink was to do the will of God and complete His work (Jn. 4:34); so too must ours be. Christ also said that we must live by every word of God (Mat. 4:4).

The Spirit is not simply an entity, but a power and an empowering attribute of God. God gives us His Spirit so that we can partake of His divine nature (2Pet. 1:3-4).

God called us to His own glory and excellence making us partakers of His Spirit so that we might know Him. The Spirit enables us to action. There must therefore be fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits are those worthy of repentance (Lk. 3:8) and are the fruits of righteousness (Phil. 1:11)

The Holy Spirit leads us to all truth (Jn. 16:13). The Holy Spirit is the guardianship of truth (2Tim. 6:13), power, love and self-control. The elect worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth (Jn. 4:23-24). We cannot worship God unless we worship Him in the Holy Spirit in truth.

The keeping of the commandments is essential to the retention of the truth (1John 2:4-5). We all have an obligation to identify what is of the Spirit of truth and work for and support that truth.

Profession of the faith is not enough. Faith made perfect by works (Jas. 2:20,22). The works that perfect the faith are based on love.

The entire question of love is predicated upon the love of God and the love of mankind. The product of love through the Holy Spirit has many by-products that identify it (1Cor. 13:1-13).

From love proceeds the next series of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Joy is derived from the attainment of an aspect of the Plan of God. Only through love can true joy be experienced.

Peace comes from the perfect relationship that flows from the love of God and the hope and faith that is predicated to Him. God calls us to peace (1Cor. 7:15).

Patience is learnt from tribulation, or from suffering we attain endurance. Through patience we possess our souls or being (Lk. 21:19).

Kindness or Gentleness: The word for kindness in the Hebrew is…chesed. By implication it means piety when directed towards God. The word used in Galatians 5:22-23 translated gentleness in the KJV and kindness in the RSV is the Greek word SGD 5544 chrestotes, which is derived from SGD 5543 chrestos.

The sense is thus a piety and gentleness of nature, which is able to be useful to the work of God.

Goodness is derived from the Greek word SGD 19 agathosune meaning goodness as virtue.

Faithfulness or Faith is the faith in biblical truth and the word of God. The adherence to the faith once delivered is sought with diligence and conviction.

Gentleness or Meekness: SGD 4236 is derived from SGD 4235 gentleness. By implication it means humility and hence meekness.

Self control or Temperance from SGD 1466 egkrateia is derived from SGD 1468 egkrates, which means to be strong in a thing or masterful.

The three pillars are, love, faith and hope, but love is the greatest. From love we develop these other fruit, but Truth is the overall stamp of the Holy Spirit.

From truth comes joy, peace, patience, kindness or gentleness, goodness, faithfulness or faith, gentleness or meekness, then self-control and temperance. These elements demonstrate the operation of the power of God in the individual.

We can judge ourselves and others by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the real power of our faith and the centre of that love is based upon truth. If we haven’t got love we have nothing.