House Calls

The Trinity Part 3

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Lomacang (Host), John Stanton

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Series Code: HCL

Program Code: HCL170003A


00:01 Hello, friends, grab your Bible and a friend
00:02 and sit back as we explore God's word together
00:05 on this edition of "House Calls".
00:22 Welcome to another House Calls program
00:25 and so good to have you join us
00:27 as we walk through the word of God together.
00:29 To my right is my good friend, Pastor John Stanton.
00:33 John, it's always good to have you with me.
00:34 Yeah, it's great to be here again.
00:36 You know, it's amazing to think of all the years
00:37 the Lord has allowed us to fulfill a dream
00:39 we had a number of years ago from California.
00:43 Yeah.
00:44 Sat down together and we've said,
00:45 it would be wonderful one day if we could just get together
00:48 and share what the Bible teaches
00:49 on various topics.
00:51 It was almost 20 years ago, can you believe that?
00:52 Ain't that? Ain't that? Wow!
00:55 Time flies and we look back on it
00:57 and say praise the Lord,
00:58 He's allowed us to experience that.
01:00 Yeah, amen.
01:02 And so today, we want to include you in that
01:04 because you are very much a part of this experience
01:06 of your Bible questions, your comments,
01:09 the topics that we talk about
01:10 and we're continuing on the topic of the Holy Spirit,
01:13 the Godhead, the Trinity.
01:15 And today we're gonna specifically focus
01:16 on the topic of the Holy Spirit,
01:18 that he is in fact
01:20 the third person of the Godhead,
01:22 and so stay tuned with us.
01:24 We also include your Bible questions,
01:25 but before we do anything more,
01:27 we always like to begin with the word of prayer.
01:29 And, John, would you pray for us?
01:30 Yes, let's do that.
01:32 Father in heaven,
01:33 we invite Your Spirit to be here with us today,
01:36 that You would glorify Christ in all that we say
01:39 and that we do.
01:40 Speak to those that are hearing that have their Bibles
01:42 and want to learn from them,
01:44 and we just pray that in all things
01:47 that we will give You the honor and glory in Jesus' name, amen.
01:50 Amen, amen.
01:53 You have questions that you often send to us,
01:55 we appreciate those, some of them come by letter,
01:58 others by email, so if you do have any questions
02:01 that you'd like to include the email address
02:04 that we'll give you is
02:06 where you can send those questions.
02:07 You can email us at housecalls@3abn.org.
02:11 That's housecalls@3abn.org.
02:15 And that's the fastest mode of sending your questions.
02:19 We also apologize that there are some questions
02:21 we don't get a chance to get to
02:24 and sometimes we cover them on a program
02:26 that you may miss, so we do apologize for that,
02:29 but we sure do need your input
02:30 and it does make a major difference.
02:32 And on that note, John, what do you have for us
02:35 as far as the question is concerned.
02:36 Well, I've got a question here that comes from Pearl
02:40 and she says that she's heard
02:43 whether it's from us or others
02:45 that there is a verse in the Bible
02:47 in regard to where two or three are gathered
02:49 that God's there.
02:50 Okay.
02:51 And she says,
02:53 what if there's only one person,
02:55 is He still with me?
02:56 Because I'm married
02:58 and my husband does not believe,
03:00 he does not believe, and so is God with me in spirit
03:04 when I'm on my own?
03:06 And so I want to go to that text from Matthew 18,
03:11 the text where two or three are gathered
03:13 and just show you the context of this.
03:15 Okay.
03:17 Because Jesus is speaking about something very specific here.
03:19 I think sometimes we gloss over that,
03:21 we just, we quote,
03:23 "Where two or three gathered he's here,"
03:25 in just about every situation,
03:26 but he does make it very situational here,
03:29 not to say that he's not establishing that
03:31 when we are gathered to pray about something specific
03:34 that he will respond to that,
03:37 but in this case he is speaking about something very specific.
03:41 And so let's see, let's turn to...
03:45 Let see Matthew 18.
03:47 Okay, Matthew 18.
03:50 The passage itself if you know,
03:53 if you've heard of the Matthew 18 principle,
03:56 it's in regard to reconciliation
03:58 how we bring people back in to unity with the church
04:03 and in relationships with each other
04:06 as part of the body of Christ.
04:08 And so if someone has committed a sin
04:10 or wrong against someone else should go to them
04:12 and then appeal to them
04:13 and hopefully bring that relationship back to strength.
04:17 And then if they don't,
04:18 then you take one of the person with you,
04:20 and the third step is
04:21 if they still don't take the whole matter to the church
04:23 and let the church decide
04:25 or even issue some kind of discipline
04:27 in regard to an issue.
04:29 And so in this context of reconciliation going out
04:32 and bringing someone back into the fold,
04:35 back into right relationship not only with you
04:37 but with God Himself, Jesus says these words,
04:41 it's in verse 19, "Again I say to you
04:44 that if two or three...
04:47 if two of you agree on earth
04:49 concerning anything that they ask,
04:50 it will be done for them,
04:54 excuse me, by My Father in heaven.
04:56 For where two or three are gathered together
04:58 in My name,
04:59 I am there in the midst of them."
05:02 So Jesus is talking about
05:04 in the context of reconciliation
05:05 that if you're praying for the restoring of someone
05:10 back into a right relationship with a person
05:13 or a group of people or a church at all,
05:16 God will be there to honor that prayer
05:18 where people have come together for that restoration.
05:22 So that's the context of the actual passage
05:24 of the text
05:26 that she's mentioning here,
05:27 but in the greater context
05:29 I think whenever we come together two or three,
05:31 I think the number isn't as important
05:34 as the coming together and agreeing on something
05:38 that when a church does that, when people come together,
05:41 God is there waiting to and wanting to respond.
05:45 To me, John, it's really a testimony
05:48 for corporate prayer.
05:49 That's right.
05:51 The Lord's encouraging us
05:52 don't just pray alone in your closet,
05:53 that's a good thing, and I say closet
05:55 'cause it doesn't have to be a closet,
05:56 but just praying alone in your room
05:58 wherever you decide to pray.
06:00 We all should have good prayer lives,
06:01 strong prayer lives,
06:03 but corporate prayer is important
06:05 when we come together as a church,
06:06 we pray together and appeal to God,
06:08 in His name on behalf of the church
06:12 there is strength in number in appealing
06:15 to the heart of God with that.
06:17 We don't understand it all,
06:18 but certainly this is what Christ
06:20 is trying to get to here in Matthew 18.
06:22 And in the bigger picture
06:24 and I'm glad you brought that up,
06:26 the bigger picture is
06:27 we're talking about reconciliation.
06:28 One of the principles that were talked about here
06:31 it's a process of one, two, three.
06:34 If you go to a person one to one, that's two people.
06:39 If that person doesn't listen,
06:41 you take another person two and three
06:43 where two or three are gathered,
06:46 it was talking about the concept of witnessing
06:48 and the concept of reconciliation.
06:50 The Lord says, "I'm there in the midst of you."
06:52 And if you go to the Old Testament,
06:54 no one could have been convicted
06:55 on the testimony of one person.
06:58 See you have to have at least two or three witnesses,
07:01 so that's kind of the context of it,
07:03 it's not, it's not at all about
07:05 whether or not the Holy Spirit is with you
07:06 or whether or not he's going to leave you
07:07 because John 14:17 says,
07:10 and Jesus talking about the spirit of truth,
07:12 He says, "The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
07:16 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him,
07:20 but you know Him,
07:22 for he dwells with you and will be in you."
07:25 That's a singular application.
07:27 So when you accept the Lord,
07:28 the Spirit of God comes into you as John says,
07:31 "I baptized with water,
07:32 but there's coming one after me
07:34 that baptized with the Holy Spirit
07:36 and with fire."
07:37 So the Holy Spirit when we accept Christ,
07:40 the Holy Spirit is a part of that gift.
07:43 And as he says, "I will never leave you
07:46 and I will never forsake you."
07:48 Now that even in and of itself is conditional
07:51 because when you get to the point,
07:53 if you decide well, you know what?
07:55 And I think you're gonna bring this up
07:57 and so I'm not gonna go ahead.
07:58 There's another question.
08:00 There's another question
08:01 so I'm not going to go to that point yet,
08:02 but in answer to this question,
08:04 the Holy Spirit is a part of that gift
08:05 when we accept Christ
08:06 and He doesn't kind of go
08:08 because you're just by yourself.
08:09 He doesn't say,
08:11 you need one more person for me to show up.
08:12 And that's the answer to the question
08:14 it really is that there is a specific situation
08:17 that Jesus is addressing there,
08:18 and it's not in regard to whether or not the Holy Spirit
08:21 dwells in you individual,
08:22 it's more of a corporate prayer appeal.
08:26 And I think that's good. Right.
08:29 I have a question from evangelist Taylor,
08:32 a very thank you so much evangelist Taylor.
08:35 He says, I am listening to your explanation
08:38 in evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost.
08:42 There is not one scripture
08:44 that reads of one receiving the Holy Ghost
08:47 without speaking another tongues,
08:49 the evidence,
08:51 tongues are not for communication
08:53 to another human but God.
08:55 The gift of tongues are different
08:57 from the evident tongue."
08:59 Whatever evident tongue means,
09:01 but let me answer the first part of the question
09:03 and then I understand the train of thought
09:04 it's about receiving the Holy Spirit
09:06 and speaking in tongues.
09:07 Well, in answer to your question
09:09 that there is not one scripture
09:10 that mentions the receiving of the Holy Ghost
09:13 without speaking in tongues.
09:15 I guess you may have missed John 20:21 to 23
09:21 and let's turn our Bibles there, John 20.
09:24 The unfortunate thing on this topic is those
09:27 that are focused on speaking in tongues
09:30 often only focus on those scriptures
09:32 that support what they believe, however,
09:35 the receiving of the Holy Spirit was
09:38 before the day of Pentecost, lot of people missed that.
09:42 John 20 and I'm going to start with verse 21 to 23,
09:48 well, actually I'll start with verse...
09:50 yeah, 21 down to verse 23.
09:56 "Then Jesus said to them, 'Peace to you,
10:00 as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
10:06 And John 20:22,
10:08 "And when he said and when he had said this,
10:12 notice he breathed on them, and said to them,
10:17 'Receive the Holy Spirit."'
10:22 And there is no evidence, there is not a single word
10:27 after that where they spoke in tongues.
10:29 He says in verse 23 on the contrary,
10:32 "If you forgive the sins of any,
10:34 they are forgiven them,
10:36 if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
10:40 So they receive the Holy Spirit right there,
10:42 he breathed on his disciples
10:45 and they received the Holy Spirit right there
10:47 to go forth and do the work
10:49 that he sent them out two by two to do,
10:51 and there were other disciples extenuating beyond that,
10:54 but he spoke to the disciples there
10:56 breathed on them and he said as he's breathing on them,
10:59 he's empowering them and he says,
11:01 "Receive the Holy Spirit."
11:03 And there's no evidence of them speaking in tongues at all,
11:06 and the reason why?
11:08 And this is something you may miss.
11:10 Let's go to Acts 2 to see what we may have missed.
11:13 Yeah, and that's where I was going next to
11:14 'cause 2 Corinthians talks about
11:16 receiving the Holy Spirit,
11:17 there's no mention of tongues there either.
11:19 Right.
11:20 Let me see... Let...
11:22 Let's go to Acts 2. Acts 2.
11:24 'Cause it shows what speaking in tongues means.
11:26 Not only does it show what speaking in tongues mean,
11:28 it shows why they didn't speak in tongues when they,
11:31 when he said to them in this verse
11:32 receive the Holy Spirit.
11:34 It shows why they didn't speak in tongues
11:36 and why it wasn't even necessary.
11:38 Let's look at Acts 2
11:39 and we're going to look at verse 7 of Acts 2,
11:46 because these are the disciples that are there,
11:48 and notice why they did not need to speak in tongues
11:51 because...
11:52 Well, I'll read the text and then you'll see, all right?
11:56 Acts 2:7,
12:00 "Then they were all amazed..."
12:02 That's the crowd or the group
12:05 that gathered at Jerusalem that day,
12:07 they're all amazed, and here's why they are amazed?
12:10 "They were all amazed and marveled,
12:11 saying to one another,
12:13 'Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?"
12:18 Now let's pause.
12:21 The disciples were all Galileans
12:23 so they didn't need to speak amongst themselves
12:26 with a different language
12:28 because they all understood each other.
12:30 The only time they spoke with other tongues
12:33 or other languages is
12:35 because they were now in the presence of those
12:37 who came from all of the other nations
12:40 and they were dwelling at Jerusalem.
12:43 The Bible says, verse 5,
12:45 "Now they were dwelling in Jerusalem,
12:47 devout in Jerusalem, Jews devout men,
12:52 from every nation under heaven."
12:54 So now these Galileans
12:56 who didn't need to speak in tongues
12:58 because they were all Galileans
13:00 understanding each other's language
13:01 and each other's dialect,
13:03 now they are among a group of individuals from
13:05 all over the world and what they have to do?
13:10 They've got to fulfill the commission Jesus said,
13:12 "Go, you therefore and teach all nations."
13:15 Now if I decide to go to Germany to teach
13:19 and I did not go to school to take the language of German,
13:23 to take the German language.
13:25 But the Lord wants me to go,
13:27 he sends me to Germany and says,
13:28 "Go, teach the gospel."
13:30 What do I need?
13:32 You need to speak German supernaturally somehow.
13:34 And that's exactly
13:36 what happened on the day of Pentecost,
13:37 that's why it says in verse 2.
13:41 "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come,
13:44 they were all with one accord in one place.
13:47 And suddenly" verse 2,
13:49 "There came a sound from heaven,
13:50 as of a rushing mighty wind,
13:53 and it filled the whole house where they were sitting."
13:56 Now what's amazing about this people read this.
14:00 This is the first instance in the New Testament
14:04 where speaking in tongues is mentioned
14:06 and it clearly, clearly unequivocally identifies
14:11 what these tongues were.
14:13 People will read the Day of Pentecost
14:15 where it started and ignore it and say
14:18 no, it's a different kind of language
14:20 that nobody understands.
14:22 In fact, verse 8 of Acts 2...
14:25 So let's...
14:27 Why don't you matter of fact read verse 3 and 4,
14:28 then go down to rest, okay.
14:29 Okay. Verse 3 and 4, John.
14:31 "Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire,
14:34 and one set on each of them
14:36 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
14:38 and began to speak with other tongues,
14:40 as the Spirit gave them utterance."
14:42 Notice the King James Version said
14:44 began to speak with tongues,
14:46 but the proper context they began to speak
14:49 with other tongues
14:50 because they were already speaking in tongues,
14:53 the tongue was Galilean, the Galilean tongue,
14:55 whatever language was known in their region,
14:58 that's why when the Lord first breathed on them,
15:00 they didn't need the gift of tongues
15:03 because they were all understanding each other
15:05 very clearly,
15:07 but now the picture changes in verse 5,
15:09 every nation is represented there,
15:11 men out of every nation and all of a sudden verse 6,
15:14 John read that?
15:16 And when the sound occurred, the multitude came together,
15:17 and were confused,
15:19 because everyone heard them speak in his own language."
15:21 Everyone heard him speak in here...
15:23 Everyone heard them speak in his own language.
15:25 Who were them?
15:27 Let's look at verse 8. Go ahead, John.
15:30 "And how is it that we hear,
15:31 each in our own language in which we were born?"
15:33 How? What language?
15:35 The language where we were born.
15:38 Where were they born?
15:39 Go down the list, I'll read it down here,
15:41 verse 9, "Parthians and Medes and Elamites,
15:46 those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus,
15:51 Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt
15:55 and parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene,
15:58 visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,"
16:02 that's converts, verse 11, "Cretans and Arabs
16:06 and once again it says that a third time
16:09 we hear them speaking get this
16:13 in our, in our own tongues,
16:18 the wonderful works of God."
16:21 We heard them speak in our language.
16:25 We hear them speak in the language
16:26 where we were born,
16:28 and finally we hear them speak in our own tongues.
16:32 It's a language that existed.
16:34 So this prayer language,
16:35 this ideology that you could speak to God in the language
16:38 that nobody understands but God is phooey,
16:40 it's foolish, it's not, I don't want to embarrass,
16:42 I don't want to belittle the thing that you practice,
16:46 but it's not scriptural.
16:47 Matter of fact, anything you want to say
16:49 before we go to Romans?
16:50 No, I was going to say the way we see it today practiced
16:53 in many churches
16:55 if that's what was going on in Acts 2,
16:58 it would have done nothing to further the gospel.
17:00 Nothing at all.
17:01 They wouldn't have even been amazed,
17:02 they would have sat back and said,
17:04 "What are they doing?"
17:06 Nobody understands. It's weird.
17:08 In fact, Paul later on says,
17:10 that when we come together for all of the same,
17:12 we all speak the same language,
17:14 you don't have a need for tongues.
17:16 Right.
17:17 People would look at us and think we're crazy,
17:19 so that's what would have happened
17:22 had the current practice happened at that point,
17:25 but the problem is that
17:27 chapter 2 is trying to set the tone
17:29 for the rest of scripture as to how terms or use,
17:33 or what tongues even mean.
17:34 That's right. It simply means languages.
17:36 You know, the amazing thing
17:38 about this whole practice on the day of Pentecost is,
17:41 as you just mentioned a moment ago,
17:43 this was setting the stage for something
17:45 that was larger
17:47 than just being able to speak another languages.
17:51 The whole stage that was being set was
17:53 to communicate the gospel to the rest of the world,
17:55 and the rest of the world suddenly became the field,
17:59 "Go ye therefore and teach all nations."
18:02 The rest of the world became the field of labor now
18:06 for these disciples,
18:07 and then the apostles on the Day of Pentecost.
18:10 So now, the Lord is saying, "I'm sending you out,
18:13 I'm leaving, you gonna do greater works than I've done
18:15 because I've just hung around in Galilee and Nazareth
18:18 where I can walk by foot.
18:20 But now I'm sending you to all the world."
18:22 And you see the explosion of the New Testament church.
18:25 Matter of fact there's a passage
18:26 you want to share.
18:27 Yeah, and there are several times
18:29 then the Holy Spirit
18:32 and the giving of the Holy Spirit
18:34 is mentioned throughout the scriptures,
18:35 throughout the New Testament.
18:37 The problem is if you only have the eye glasses on
18:40 that these people are speaking this language to God
18:43 when you hear Holy Spirit poured out,
18:46 you're going to miss all the other ways
18:49 that the Holy Spirit influence people
18:50 when he was poured out.
18:52 And one of those ways is in 1 Corinthians 2.
18:54 Okay. What verse?
18:57 So it starts with verse 11.
18:59 All right.
19:00 Says, "For what man knows the things of a man
19:02 except the spirit of the man which is in him?
19:04 Even so no one knows the things of God
19:07 except the Spirit of God."
19:09 Notice the emphasis here is in no.
19:11 That's right.
19:12 Okay, 'cause we've already heard twice the word no,
19:15 so something to do with knowledge.
19:17 Verse 12, "Now we have received not the spirit of the world,
19:20 but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things
19:24 which have been freely given to us by God.
19:27 These things we also speak,
19:28 not in words which man's wisdom,
19:30 there's knowledge again,
19:31 teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches
19:33 comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
19:36 But the natural man
19:38 does not receive the things of the Spirit of God,
19:39 for they are foolishness to him,
19:41 nor can he know them,
19:42 because they are spiritually discerned.
19:44 But he who is spiritual judges all things,
19:46 yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
19:49 For who has, rounding it out,
19:51 who has known the mind of the Lord
19:53 that he may instruct Him?
19:54 But we have the mind of Christ."
19:56 So the Holy Spirit, the role of the Holy Spirit here
19:58 in this passage is to bring the mind of Christ into someone
20:01 so that he might know the will of God
20:04 and teach the will of God, and speak of things
20:06 that are involved in the will of God.
20:08 Nothing to do with tongues. No.
20:10 The Holy Spirit given for knowledge, for wisdom,
20:13 and for understanding of God's will.
20:15 And by the way, thank you,
20:17 that was very clearly pointed out.
20:19 It is the work that the spirit does
20:20 to bring about understanding,
20:22 to bring about fruitfulness as Ephesians 4 I believe it is,
20:26 to the church come to the unity of the faith
20:28 and the knowledge of the Son of God.
20:30 And then on the other side of that 1 Corinthians 14,
20:34 God is not the author of confusion.
20:36 Today what happens all of a sudden
20:38 you watch sermons on television
20:39 whatever the popular speaker might be
20:41 and all of a sudden he says...
20:45 And then he goes back...
20:52 No interpretation whatsoever,
20:54 he could have said nothing or anything and no interpreter,
20:59 the Bible says, let if there is no interpreter,
21:03 let him keep silent.
21:06 Secondly, what did he say?
21:09 Well, he wouldn't even know.
21:11 Because there is no interpreter.
21:14 If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent,
21:16 but the inference here is that
21:18 what I'm understanding of this evangelist
21:20 to say the suggestion here is that
21:22 if you are in the spirit, then you must speak in tongues.
21:26 Let's go to 1 Corinthians 12
21:28 because now Ephesians or Galatians 5
21:32 gives us the fruits or the fruit of the spirit,
21:35 love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
21:38 meekness, patient, that's the fruit of the spirit.
21:42 But now 1 Corinthians 12
21:44 talks about the gifts of the spirit.
21:47 Let's go ahead and look at, see what the Spirit does here.
21:49 To me, you said something profound.
21:51 Because when the Holy Spirit comes in you,
21:53 he brings fruit...
21:54 Right. As well as gifts.
21:56 Right, but the fruit comes first...
21:57 All you are doing is emphasizing one gift,
21:59 you're missing all the fruit,
22:01 you're missing all the other gifts,
22:02 and I think that's what you're pointing out here,
22:04 I'm kind of jumping to the conclusion
22:05 but what you just said is very important.
22:08 Fruit is internal conversion, transformation,
22:10 gifts are empowerment for ministry.
22:13 And then let me make a point very clearly Matthew 7:20,
22:17 it never said by their gifts you'll know them,
22:20 by their fruits you will know them.
22:22 We are identifying
22:24 our Christian connection by gifts,
22:25 that's not scriptural.
22:28 The connection to Christ is by fruit,
22:31 by their fruits you will know them, Matthew 7:20,
22:34 "Therefore by their fruits, you will know them."
22:38 You don't know them by their gifts,
22:40 because many in Matthew 7
22:41 that very same passage many will say,
22:44 Lord, haven't we prophesied a gift of the spirit,
22:48 gift of prophecy, haven't we prophesied?
22:51 Haven't we done many wonderful works
22:52 in Your name?
22:54 Haven't we cast out demons in Your name?
22:56 Emphasis on gifts. Emphasis on gifts.
22:59 He said, "But I never knew you."
23:01 But how will I know that I know you,
23:03 how will you know that you know me?
23:04 By their fruits, you will know them.
23:07 If you love Me, keep my commandments.
23:08 He who says, I know Him
23:09 and does not keep His commandments is a liar
23:11 and the truth is not in him."
23:13 1 John 2:3, 4.
23:15 But let's look now 1 Corinthians 12
23:17 because starting in verse 4,
23:20 I'm going to start and then I'm gonna break it down,
23:21 let you read some so that the persons listening
23:24 can understand that while you don't get,
23:26 you don't lose the message by the same voice, all right?
23:30 Verse 1 it says,
23:31 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,
23:34 I do not want you to be ignorant."
23:36 Now verse 4, John.
23:39 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
23:42 There are differences of ministries,
23:44 but the same Lord."
23:45 Keep going.
23:47 "And there are diversities of activities,
23:49 but it is the same God who works all in all."
23:51 Now verse 7.
23:53 "But the manifestation of the Spirit
23:54 is given to each one for the profit of all."
23:57 Okay, now, if the gift you have doesn't profit me,
24:00 God's not going to give it to you.
24:03 It says clearly,
24:04 "The manifestation of the Spirit
24:06 is given to each one for the profit of all."
24:09 So all of a sudden I'm going to start talking
24:10 in the language of no explanation,
24:12 what profit is it?
24:14 And that's why in 1 Corinthians 11,
24:17 matter of fact it's 1 Corinthians 14,
24:18 you know, he says when all of a sudden
24:20 somebody starts speaking and no one interprets it,
24:22 it's like you're speaking to the air,
24:25 you're not even speaking into yourself,
24:27 you're like speaking into the air,
24:30 and so but let's look at this...
24:31 And the emphasis here
24:32 though are gifts are for the profit of all...
24:34 Everybody.
24:35 Where fruit are for the profit of yourself
24:37 that benefits others
24:38 because of course what comes out if he was Jesus,
24:41 but it is specifically for the conversion
24:43 and the transformation personally,
24:45 spiritually of yourself.
24:47 Beautifully said.
24:48 The intention is different in both.
24:50 And now notice, we're gonna go down the categories
24:52 and make it very clear here.
24:54 It says in verse 8, "For two one is
24:56 given the word of wisdom through the Spirit,
24:59 to another the word of knowledge
25:02 through the same Spirit, to another faith,
25:06 verse 9, by the same Spirit,
25:08 to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
25:11 to another working of miracles, to another prophecy,
25:15 to another discerning of spirits,
25:17 to another different kinds of tongues,
25:20 to another the interpretation of tongues."
25:23 Now what I want to make it very clear here
25:28 in what you'll discover is the one
25:30 who is giving these gifts is the Spirit,
25:33 he's giving it as he sees the need.
25:37 This is something I want to emphasize once again.
25:39 He is the one that's giving it.
25:41 You can't tell him which one you want.
25:44 He's giving it, he's deciding like Christmas,
25:47 like your birthday, you may have out a wish list
25:51 but people ultimately decide
25:53 what gifts they're going to give you.
25:54 Most people that get gifts don't know
25:56 what gift they're getting
25:57 because the giver is the one that decides,
25:59 in the same way the Holy Spirit is the one
26:01 who decides what gift he is giving,
26:03 because he knows where you are
26:04 and what ministry gift you need.
26:07 He gives it as he wills.
26:08 Matter of fact, verse 11, read that, John, verse 11?
26:14 "But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
26:17 distributing to each one individually as He wills."
26:19 As he wills not as you want,
26:23 this is the big Achilles heel in the Christian world today,
26:27 they're saying this is the gift I want, I want tongues.
26:30 Holy Spirit says, no, I'm giving you what I will,
26:34 not your will but as he wills.
26:36 And I would even suggest because of the fact
26:40 that tongues is typically associated
26:41 with evangelistic purposes
26:44 and there are less, many less evangelists
26:46 than there are many of the other
26:47 kinds of equipping gifts
26:49 that probably the gift of tongues is
26:50 one of the least given by the Holy Spirit.
26:53 And not only is it mentioned last
26:54 and that's not even significant to any factor,
26:57 but the point that's being mentioned,
26:59 and now we're going to go to the question
27:00 because this is something vitally important
27:02 and Christians that want to sound like
27:03 they have this edge on everybody else,
27:05 go to this, they don't often go to this passage.
27:08 Now, John, I'll go to the same chapter,
27:12 chapter 12 but we're going to go
27:15 now to verse 27 down to verse 31, I'll read that.
27:20 Say that again for reference.
27:22 1 Corinthians 12:27-31,
27:26 "Now you are the Body of Christ,
27:28 and members individually."
27:30 I am reading from the New King James Version,
27:33 "And God has appointed these in the church:
27:36 first apostles, secondarily prophets,
27:40 third teachers, after that miracles,
27:43 then gifts of healings, helps, administrations,
27:48 varieties of tongues."
27:50 Varieties of tongues. Interesting.
27:52 Not, not a weird tongue but varieties, what tongue?
27:56 And Paul in 1 Corinthians 14,
27:58 speaking to the Corinthians he says,
28:00 in verse 3 or verse 5 of 1 Corinthians 14,
28:04 I'll just peak there and come right back.
28:07 He says, "I wish you all spoke with tongues,
28:09 but even more that you prophesied.
28:12 And because he says,
28:13 "I speak with more tongues than you all."
28:15 See Paul says, I speak in more tongues than any of you guys,
28:18 what was he saying?
28:19 I speak more languages.
28:21 I speak more languages, that was not the issue,
28:23 but let's go on and finish the context.
28:25 Now, John 29 to 31 is
28:27 and slowly emphasize these points of 1 Corinthians 12.
28:31 "Are all apostles?" No.
28:33 "Are all prophets?" No.
28:34 "Are all teachers?" No.
28:36 "Are all workers of miracle?" No.
28:38 "Do all have gifts of healings?"
28:39 No.
28:40 "Do all speak with tongues?" No.
28:42 "Do all interpret?" No.
28:43 "But earnestly desire the best gifts.
28:45 And yet I know
28:47 you more excellent, I will show you more excellent way."
28:50 Okay, so what's the answer to all the questions?
28:52 No. No.
28:54 Why?
28:55 Because the Spirit decides, he gives as he wills.
29:00 So why don't you speak in tongues
29:03 because the Spirit didn't decide
29:04 to give me that gift, why?
29:06 Because I'm in Galilee, and he's a Galilean,
29:09 and she's a Galilean, I am in Southern Illinois,
29:12 he speaks English, I speak English,
29:14 one of the strangest things is
29:17 we are all in an English congregation
29:19 and we said now we have the Spirit language.
29:21 Now let me show you the Spirit language very quickly
29:23 and then we'll transition.
29:25 This is very important topic. Let's go now to Romans 8.
29:30 Let me show you what the Spirit does
29:31 and what we cannot do.
29:33 Romans 8, this is very important
29:36 because what happens is
29:37 we're claiming to do something that we cannot do.
29:40 And this is a work of the Spirit
29:42 we cannot do.
29:44 And so, in the King James Version
29:45 it talks about when the Spirit came down
29:48 and when Holy Spirit was poured out
29:49 on the day of Pentecost,
29:51 the Spirit gave them utterance,
29:53 this ability now to speak in other languages.
29:55 But notice what we cannot do.
29:58 Look at Romans 8,
30:01 all right, verse 26.
30:07 "Likewise the Spirit also helps
30:11 in our weaknesses.
30:14 For we do not know
30:15 what we should pray for as we ought,
30:19 but the Spirit Himself
30:22 makes intercession for us with groanings,
30:26 and get this, which cannot to be uttered."
30:29 Meaning we can't do it.
30:31 Some people have said to me, that's a prayer language.
30:35 The Holy Spirit does what we cannot do.
30:39 He has the ability to communicate
30:43 to Christ in a language that we could never
30:46 which cannot be uttered,
30:49 so why do we...
30:51 What is the super need of speaking in tongues
30:55 when you are in an English congregation,
30:58 there is no need.
30:59 If you are in the fields,
31:01 and John, strangely enough
31:02 I used to watch Benny Hinn years ago,
31:03 I'll use him as an example.
31:05 Benny Hinn is a great proponent of speaking in tongues.
31:08 I would see some of his evangelistic series
31:10 when he's in a Latin country, a foreign country,
31:14 he always had an interpreter standing
31:15 right next to him.
31:17 He's speaking in English,
31:19 they are interpreting to the crowd
31:20 and I always said to myself,
31:22 "Why don't this man
31:23 who always says he has the gift of tongues?
31:25 Why don't he just speak
31:26 and the whole congregation understand it."
31:28 Never did,
31:29 because the gift properly understood
31:32 is a gift that the Spirit gives
31:35 and he decides when to give it
31:37 and to whom to give it as he wills.
31:42 I think it's a good transitional point.
31:43 Yeah.
31:45 Well, last comment though on the last verse
31:46 that we talked about
31:48 that we read from 1 Corinthians 12,
31:52 it says desire the best gifts,
31:53 that word best is kind of a difficult word
31:55 to understand in English,
31:57 doesn't really translate well.
31:58 It means the gifts that do the most good.
32:01 Very good point.
32:02 Okay, so in your situation desire the gift
32:05 that is going to be most effective
32:07 as you share your faith with others,
32:09 that's what he's saying.
32:10 He's not saying the best,
32:11 ooh, which one of the list is the best.
32:13 He's saying the most profitable gift,
32:17 the most effective gift at how I'm serving
32:19 I'm called to serve God
32:20 so, anyway just want to make that statement
32:22 'cause I know what's ringing in their head
32:23 look the best gift
32:25 and look on this list the best gift is tongue.
32:27 Here's the challenge that we have, John,
32:30 and this is a transition kind of a point here.
32:33 The challenge is
32:35 that many who hear these things,
32:37 the stuff even that we teach
32:39 all they're thinking about is how to oppose them.
32:43 Let's find the text that disagree with us.
32:45 And many do that.
32:47 They're not hearing the teaching,
32:48 many do that, I'm not saying everybody,
32:50 I'm saying those that, that are strong against it,
32:52 we receive the letters,
32:54 we receive letters
32:55 coming out hard against
32:57 some of the stuff we're teaching
32:58 and I know the conviction is happening,
33:00 it's just the,
33:01 the actual looking at this and understanding it
33:04 is not happening.
33:05 And so, you know,
33:07 we're not here to convince people
33:08 that are so in this
33:10 that they're just not going to hear anything we're saying,
33:12 we're here to kind of share for those
33:13 that don't understand what the gift of tongues
33:16 or the gift of any other thing is.
33:18 In fact the best thing they could hear
33:19 from what we just said is the fact
33:21 that the Holy Spirit brings fruit in our lives
33:24 and is also then through us working
33:27 through us bringing gifts so that we might serve others,
33:29 that's the best thing they could hear from,
33:31 from this whole talk.
33:32 So anyway, I just want to mention that
33:34 because I think sometimes we get lost
33:36 in proving that point,
33:38 and we're not here to prove a point,
33:39 we're here to share what the Bible says.
33:41 What the Bible says,
33:42 the Lord is the only one that can do the proving.
33:44 Thank you so much for your questions
33:46 and your comments.
33:47 If you have any more questions that you'd like to send to us,
33:49 we spent a little bit more time today
33:50 on that question
33:52 because it was vitally important.
33:54 If you have any more questions or comments
33:55 you'd like to send to us,
33:57 send those to housecalls@3abn.org
34:00 That's housecalls@3abn.org
34:04 We surely do appreciate it.
34:06 Today
34:07 we are going to on the topic of the Spirit now.
34:10 We're going to go ahead and wind up our discussion
34:15 which we began on the Godhead, the Trinity.
34:20 Today, we're going to talk about the Holy Spirit
34:22 as the third person of the Godhead.
34:24 In fact, we've already kind of begun to do this...
34:26 We've already started.
34:28 We've talked about,
34:29 we've shared a couple of texts there
34:31 which shows that the Holy Spirit has a mind
34:35 that wills
34:37 'cause he distributes the gifts
34:39 according to how he wills.
34:42 And so you find throughout scripture the Holy Spirit
34:47 is a personality, he's an individual.
34:52 Just a few things here,
34:53 just to mention quickly because I know
34:55 we don't have a lot of time to spend on this,
34:57 but it is an important aspect of the Trinity
35:00 that is confusing many today.
35:02 In the ministry of the Holy Spirit
35:04 and how he ministers to us and through us.
35:07 The Bible speaks on of a number of things
35:11 using the pronoun he, speaking to a person,
35:15 "He teaches the truth."
35:17 John 16:13. "He convicts of sin."
35:20 John 16:8, "He helps."
35:22 John 14:16. "He testifies."
35:24 John 15:26. "He guides."
35:27 John 16:13. "He regenerates."
35:30 Titus 3:5, Ezekiel 36:25-27,
35:33 "He forbids and exhibits or prohibits,"
35:36 excuse me, Acts 16:6,
35:38 "He commands, same verse, He appoints."
35:41 So you get the picture,
35:43 I mean I could go endlessly on with this but these,
35:45 these are the things the Holy Spirit does
35:48 in behalf of Christ
35:50 who has as we said in our last verse given up,
35:53 or our last program, given up His omnipresence,
35:55 He's given up significant things
35:58 as the second person of the Godhead
36:01 for our redemption,
36:03 and one of those this is His omnipresence.
36:06 Very, very good point.
36:07 And so the Holy Spirit,
36:09 He is sending into the world to represent Him,
36:12 to bring His will, His desires,
36:14 His work in and through His people
36:19 to evangelize the world with the salvation of God
36:21 and His gospel.
36:22 So this is what He's given
36:25 and He works through the Holy Spirit to do
36:27 and just to remove it as a force is,
36:30 is really a dangerous position
36:33 because you're reducing
36:38 the power that works in you that to understand you
36:41 and to give you the understanding of God,
36:43 you're reducing that power to just simply, just a force.
36:48 And at least they're saying,
36:50 I know I recognize this is a force from God,
36:52 but this is something God dwelling in us
36:56 has the ability to know us and to give us exactly
36:59 what we need because of His knowledge,
37:02 and that His knowledge of the Spirit,
37:04 not knowledge that comes
37:05 from God supernaturally through a force.
37:08 He gives us a Spirit
37:09 that is constantly working in us.
37:11 There is another function of the Spirit
37:13 that I think sometimes people miss,
37:15 amazingly miss and the work that the Spirit
37:19 does is different than the work that Jesus did,
37:22 follow me very carefully.
37:24 Jesus came to take our place,
37:29 Jesus came to be our sacrifice,
37:33 Jesus came to be our offering,
37:35 Jesus came to deliver us
37:39 from the penalty of sin.
37:43 I want you to follow me very carefully
37:45 which we call justification,
37:48 having been justified freely,
37:53 that's the price Jesus paid,
37:55 it's not free, it's free to us,
37:57 but it wasn't free to Him.
37:59 We had been justified freely,
38:00 okay, that's justification
38:02 which means now because of His righteousness,
38:04 because of His blood,
38:06 we are seen as just as if we had never sin,
38:10 that's justification.
38:12 But when He left what function now did He leave to the Spirit?
38:18 Sanctification.
38:20 Let's look at this.
38:21 Now, if the Spirit was just a force...
38:26 First of all, let's go to John 16,
38:28 I want you to see this.
38:30 The work that the Spirit was appointed to do
38:34 could not have started until Jesus left.
38:38 Jesus did the work of justification
38:40 but there's a work of sanctification
38:42 that could not begin until Jesus left.
38:45 Look at John 16
38:46 and we're going to go ahead and start with verse 7,
38:50 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth.
38:54 It is to your advantage or expedient that I go away,
38:59 for if I do not go away,
39:00 the Helper or the Comforter will not come to you,
39:05 but if I depart, I will send him to you.
39:08 And when he comes, look at what he does,
39:11 he will convict the world of sin,
39:14 and of righteousness, and of judgment."
39:17 These are the three things he is going to do.
39:19 He's going to continually
39:20 let you know you have need of me.
39:21 He's going to convict the world of sin.
39:23 When you see sin,
39:24 you have need of a Savior then of the next stage
39:28 and of righteousness,
39:30 that's the part that Jesus didn't come to work,
39:33 He came to accomplish the imparting,
39:36 but the imputing now of this constant growth
39:40 in grace is something done by the Spirit,
39:42 it's called sanctification.
39:44 But let me go one more thing the Spirit is going to do,
39:47 verse 13 "However,
39:49 when He, the Spirit of truth, has come,
39:52 he will guide you into all truth."
39:54 That's the process he's going to continue guiding you,
39:57 but he's not going to speak on his own authority,
39:59 in the very same verse.
40:00 But whatever he hears he will speak,
40:02 and he will tell you things to come.
40:04 He will glorify Me,
40:05 for He will take of what is Mine
40:08 and declare it to you."
40:09 So you see clearly here,
40:11 this is not a ventriloquist
40:14 channeling himself because Jesus said,
40:17 I've got to leave so he can come.
40:20 I'm leaving, he's coming.
40:22 When I leave, he'll come.
40:24 If I stay here, he won't come, so it's necessary for me to go.
40:26 So he's saying, that he will come
40:28 and impart the benefits
40:30 of what I've begun and what I, my finish work,
40:32 he will now impart to you the benefits of my salvation.
40:37 Exactly, exactly the salvation that I have left,
40:41 now he's going to come,
40:42 he's going to enhance this thing,
40:43 he's not going to make it a better salvation
40:46 but he's going to now walk you through the process.
40:48 What is the process? Sanctification.
40:50 Romans 15:16, let's look at that and, John,
40:53 if you get there, I want you to read that.
40:56 Romans 15:16 we often missed the aspect of sanctification.
41:01 Sanctification is a work that cannot be carried on
41:03 by just a doctrinal belief.
41:06 Romans 15,
41:07 I'm getting there now, here it is,
41:10 I'm offsetting my pages,
41:11 they're nice and loose that I want to turn together.
41:12 Okay, Romans 15:16
41:15 but read verse 15
41:18 because it actually is a continuation thought,
41:21 well, actually 14 to 16.
41:22 Okay.
41:24 "Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren,
41:27 that you also are full of goodness,
41:30 filled with all knowledge,
41:31 able also to admonish one another."
41:33 Okay, so what are they, full of goodness,
41:35 filled with knowledge, able to admonish one another,
41:38 that's great, verse 15.
41:39 "Nevertheless, brethren,
41:41 I have written more boldly to you
41:42 on some points, as reminding you,
41:45 because of the grace given to me by God."
41:47 Okay.
41:48 "That I might be a minister of Jesus Christ
41:50 to the Gentiles,
41:51 ministering the gospel of God,
41:53 that the offering of the Gentiles
41:55 might be acceptable,
41:56 sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
41:57 Okay. Sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
42:00 The sanctification process there is a process
42:02 that it's a continuation of,
42:04 it's a continuational process also this,
42:08 this process of sanctification
42:10 is emphasized again in conjunction
42:13 with the blood of Christ in 1 Peter 1:2,
42:17 "Elect according to the foreknowledge
42:19 of God the Father,
42:20 in sanctification of the Spirit for obedience
42:24 and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
42:27 Grace to you and peace be multiplied."
42:30 1 Peter 1:2.
42:32 Sanctification,
42:34 the one that the Bible says so clearly.
42:37 1 Thessalonians 5:23, listen to this,
42:41 "Now may the God of peace himself
42:43 sanctify you completely."
42:48 The completion of sanctification
42:49 is what the Spirit continues to do.
42:52 The process of sanctification is a completion process.
42:55 Salvation is the start,
42:57 sanctification is the continual growth in grace,
43:00 and then glorification comes when sin is eternally removed.
43:04 So the spirit carries on this work,
43:06 so we can divorce ourselves from the Spirit.
43:08 And, John, as we speak about the Spirit here,
43:10 I want to just emphasize this
43:11 and I'll give it back to you here is that
43:13 when you say the Spirit is not a person,
43:17 now you are dealing with a force.
43:19 You're dealing with wind.
43:21 You don't know where it came from,
43:23 you don't know where it's headed.
43:25 Only time that that's talked about
43:26 in the Bible is in John 3.
43:28 He, Jesus uses the illustration to Nicodemus,
43:31 says, this is how the Spirit works.
43:33 It's like a wind,
43:34 you don't know where it's coming from,
43:35 you don't know where it's going,
43:37 so also is the work of the Spirit.
43:38 You don't know when it started,
43:40 you don't know when it's going to end,
43:41 it's a work that you cannot predict.
43:43 He's not saying the Holy Spirit is a wind.
43:46 Yeah, and that's key right there, yeah.
43:50 Many of what is being opposed
43:53 not only in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
43:54 but I'm sure in many other denominations
43:57 who are struggling with this issue
44:00 and some are actually losing their faith
44:01 because of this issue sadly.
44:04 I know for our church
44:05 many of it is going back to a time
44:09 that even as far back as the Arian Controversy
44:11 where you're talking about the divinity of Christ
44:13 and some of the issues surrounding that,
44:15 but the remnants of that of course is
44:18 that this anti-Trinitarian, anti-Catholic,
44:21 so it's probably
44:22 in much of the Protestant denominations today as well,
44:25 but this is going back
44:26 to trying to restore old paths.
44:31 And the confusion often happens at least within our church,
44:35 the confusion happens here
44:38 in that in defining what the old paths really are.
44:42 That's right.
44:43 There's this neo-restorationism that's occurring
44:46 and so in their mind one of the pillars,
44:48 one of the strengths of the churches back
44:50 then was the anti-Trinitarian stance,
44:53 but in nowhere do we find
44:54 not only in our writings of history,
44:58 but in the writings
45:00 that we get from Ellen White either.
45:03 There's no evidence there that the subject of the Trinity
45:07 or the Godhead however,
45:08 whatever term
45:10 you're going to use is a pillar.
45:11 No, no, you're right.
45:13 It's something that they understood
45:14 and grew in over time.
45:17 In fact we as a church
45:19 deliberately did not accept a creed.
45:22 I know we talked about this before just briefly.
45:25 We understood that truth grew over time
45:27 and God allowed truth
45:29 and brought truth to his people over time
45:31 that you realize it's for seven years,
45:34 Sabbath keeping began at 6 o'clock.
45:37 Sabbath keeping begin at 6 o'clock
45:39 and God did nothing about that for seven years
45:43 and it wasn't because
45:45 some vision or dream that we changed,
45:47 but it was Andrews
45:49 who did his full study on it and realized,
45:51 "Hey, wait a minute, the Jews have it right."
45:54 Hence it's sundown.
45:55 And we then changed
45:57 from the 6 o'clock time to sunrise.
45:58 You mean, John Nevins Andrews.
45:59 Yeah. Yeah.
46:01 And so it's studying the Word of God
46:03 and seeing how truth is given and help comes over time,
46:07 it's something we have done
46:08 as a people for a long, long time.
46:10 And so, I just want to read a brief statement here
46:13 and this one comes from a letter
46:18 to Elder Daniels in 1907,
46:21 so Ellen White wrote
46:22 this a good eight years before her death
46:24 and she writes,
46:26 "The word of the Lord has guided our steps
46:27 since the passing of time since 1844,
46:30 we have searched the scriptures,
46:31 we have built solidly
46:33 and we have not had to tear up our foundations
46:35 and put in new timbers."
46:37 That's right.
46:38 What you don't maybe understand is that the understanding
46:42 and acceptance of Trinitarian beliefs had already,
46:45 was already well underway at that time.
46:48 So she evidently sees and she wrote in many cases
46:53 in support of a full understanding of Christ
46:56 and His divinity,
46:57 we've already covered those issues
46:59 how His nature,
47:00 what His nature is and who He was,
47:02 and then the Holy Spirit and his role,
47:04 he's a distinct personality.
47:06 That's right.
47:07 And so anyway this confusion is something
47:11 that we're trying to clear up,
47:12 but I know some of the text
47:13 that we've given things are read by others
47:15 and they're answering in their own minds
47:17 to think of something else to oppose that,
47:19 but I'm here to say that,
47:21 I think it's a dangerous position
47:22 to oppose.
47:26 God Himself,
47:28 who is coming to bring understanding,
47:30 coming to bring discernment,
47:32 coming to bring transformation,
47:34 and when we do that
47:36 we in many ways can quench the very thing that we seek.
47:41 The working of the Holy Spirit
47:42 with the fullness of his power as God,
47:45 a person, a personhood of God in our lives at work.
47:49 I think it's a tremendous blessing,
47:51 John, to know that we have God working in us.
47:56 Not just from outside on us,
47:59 God has been put in us.
48:03 The thought God is working in us not making us God,
48:08 but empowering and strengthening
48:09 and transforming and working in us
48:12 and it's just, it's an amazing thought
48:15 that he would do that for us,
48:16 this gift is more than we think.
48:19 John, it's so amazing...
48:21 We don't want to minimize it.
48:22 And the thing that's being minimized
48:24 about this belief on the Holy Spirit
48:25 is that we're just saying
48:27 that he's not a person of the Godhead.
48:28 Well, that's unfortunate
48:29 because the Bible doesn't support that theology.
48:32 I wouldn't even say theology,
48:33 the Bible doesn't support that viewpoint,
48:35 theology is the truth about God.
48:37 The Bible doesn't support that viewpoint at all.
48:39 If you go to the Book of Acts 5,
48:40 and I'm going to give you a couple of passages here.
48:43 Acts 5 is a passage in the Bible
48:45 or story in the Bible that shows us
48:47 how the New Testament church began to be formed.
48:49 And at the beginning
48:51 of the New Testament church being formed,
48:52 there were certain parameters
48:54 that the Lord made sure were in place
48:56 that the church would not go off tangent,
48:58 or go awry, or lose its way as it were,
49:01 or just become a fraction that is all splintered.
49:04 The Lord wanted the church
49:06 to be as pure at its inception
49:08 as He would want the church to be at any point.
49:12 So He dealt with fractions in the church
49:14 that were adverse to the strength of the church
49:17 and the Spirit of God was very much a part of that,
49:20 and notice what happened, the story isn't clear.
49:24 The church was growing and they decided to do
49:28 a "fundraiser" to strengthen the church.
49:33 The church had many members that had many, many needs.
49:36 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon the congregants
49:40 and they decided
49:42 we're going to go ahead as Acts 4:37 ends,
49:47 it says, having land, speaking about the church.
49:51 Acts chapter 4:30...
49:55 Let's just say verse 34, Acts 4:34,
50:00 I'm going to read this,
50:02 "Nor was there any among them who lacked,
50:06 for all who were possessors of the land
50:10 and houses sold to them,
50:12 and brought the proceeds of the things
50:15 that were sold,
50:16 and laid them at the apostles' feet,
50:19 and they distributed to each as anyone had need."
50:23 And verse 37,
50:24 "Having land, sold it,
50:26 and brought the money
50:27 and laid it at the apostles' feet."
50:29 So seeing this display Ananias and Sapphira,
50:34 this is in verse 1 of chapter 5,
50:36 "But a certain man named Ananias,
50:38 with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession."
50:41 And it says in verse 2,
50:42 "And they kept back part of the proceeds."
50:45 So now they come to the service.
50:47 And they say to Peter.
50:50 They come separately first Ananias comes,
50:53 then Sapphira later, and it says in verse 8,
50:56 "And Peter answered and says,
50:58 well, verse 3,
51:00 "But Peter said, "Ananias, listen to this very carefully,
51:04 why has Satan filled your heart
51:06 to lie to the Holy Spirit?
51:09 Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit
51:14 or to whom was he lying."
51:16 Look at verse 4.
51:18 "While he remained, was it not your own?
51:20 And after it was sold, was it not your own,
51:23 why have you conceived this thing in your heart?"
51:27 Get this,
51:28 he first said the Holy Spirit and then he says,
51:30 "You have not lied to men but to God."
51:34 Peter clearly as the apostle said
51:37 why has Satan filled your heart to the lie to the Holy Spirit,
51:40 you have not lied to men, but to God.
51:43 Clearly the person of the Godhead,
51:45 he equates the Holy Spirit as the person of the Godhead.
51:50 So now get this.
51:52 The lying to the Holy Spirit, you know why they died?
51:57 Because they grieved the Spirit
52:00 and the grieving of the Spirit as a matter of fact
52:02 I believe it's us in Matthew to show the difference,
52:04 anything you want to say on that, John?
52:08 No, I just, I'm going to read a statement here
52:09 as we begin to close in regard to the Holy Spirit,
52:14 but I think the point you're making are very good
52:17 because it is a dangerous point to start to,
52:19 position to start to think
52:21 in terms of the Holy Spirit is not being God Himself,
52:26 but the Bible speaks very strongly.
52:27 Jesus speaks very strongly
52:29 against lying to the Holy Spirit,
52:32 obviously played out there in the story
52:34 you just read,
52:35 but also in blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
52:41 In fact blaspheming against Jesus
52:44 is not seen as something worthy of condemnation,
52:48 God can deal with that,
52:50 but the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit,
52:52 I don't know if that's where you were going
52:54 with the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit
52:56 is much more problematic
52:58 because it's the denial
53:00 of the presence of Christ working and living in you.
53:03 That's right.
53:05 And the presence of Christ
53:07 comes to you in the fullness of God Himself and His Spirit.
53:12 And that's why Peter made it even clearer in verse 9,
53:15 he says, and Peter said to her, that is to Sapphira,
53:18 "How is it that you have agreed together
53:21 to test the Spirit of the Lord."
53:25 How you guys,
53:27 you lied to the Spirit which is to God,
53:29 the Spirit of the Lord.
53:31 How did you, why would you do that?
53:32 And to show you that they are not the same,
53:34 to show you that Jesus
53:36 and the Holy Spirit are not the same,
53:38 one is, I have to leave for him to come,
53:40 but to show you how powerful it is,
53:42 and by the way,
53:43 you're going to read that statement, John?
53:45 No, I'm going to do it at the end.
53:46 Okay, here it is, Matthew 12:31,
53:50 speaking about the blasphemy
53:51 you alluded to that showing how dangerous it is.
53:54 Jesus said,
53:55 "Therefore, I say to you
53:57 every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men..."
54:01 Matthew 12:31,
54:03 "But the blasphemy against the Spirit
54:05 will not be forgiven men.
54:07 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man,
54:10 it will be forgiven him,
54:12 but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit,
54:15 it will not be forgiven him
54:16 either in this age or in the age to come."
54:20 Two different persons...
54:21 Completely. Right.
54:23 Spoken of in that verse.
54:24 So to merge them together and say,
54:26 well, he means the Spirit of Christ.
54:27 No, that's not what he means
54:29 because if He meant the Spirit of Christ,
54:30 then it would be forgiven,
54:33 but He didn't mean the Spirit of Christ.
54:34 He says, "If you blaspheme against Me,
54:37 I'll forgive you,
54:38 but Him it won't be forgiven in this life
54:40 nor in the age to come."
54:42 And the terms the free Spirit of Christ is intended,
54:45 it is intended to take this.
54:46 Spirit of the Lord.
54:48 Spirit of the Lord or the Spirit of Christ
54:49 and you will find that in the writings of Paul,
54:52 but Jesus came to glorify His Father.
54:54 That's right.
54:56 And then the Holy Spirit is sent to glorify Jesus.
54:59 And the three are working together
55:01 to bring glory to God.
55:03 So the Spirit of Christ simply means
55:05 that the Holy Spirit in his activities
55:09 as the agent of salvation and personal transformation,
55:13 recreation in us
55:15 that He is bringing Christ into our life,
55:18 He is then the Spirit of Christ Himself.
55:20 That's right.
55:21 That's all it means,
55:22 it doesn't mean that it is just a Spirit
55:24 and it's not really a person of the Godhead.
55:29 It means far more than that. That's right.
55:32 The same, the same actuating connection
55:34 that Christ has with the Father
55:36 and with the Spirit
55:37 is the same thing that unified together,
55:39 that's why when you see that Jesus said,
55:41 it will not be forgiven
55:42 when you speak against the Holy Spirit,
55:45 it also says in Ephesians 4:30,
55:48 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
55:51 by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
55:54 And Paul says it so simply in 1 Thessalonians 5:19,
55:59 "Do not quench the spirit."
56:01 Yeah.
56:02 At the turn of the century
56:04 from right around the period of 1900,
56:07 as I mentioned before 1905 was a statement
56:09 I read from before.
56:12 What you have is this,
56:14 this clear conveying of thought
56:17 of the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
56:19 Ellen White gets very specific on this.
56:21 Just a couple of things that she mentions
56:22 just for those who are listening
56:25 from Manuscript 66 in 1899, page nine,
56:29 "We have been brought together as a school
56:32 and we need to realize that the Holy Spirit
56:34 who is as much a person
56:35 as God is a person is walking through these grounds
56:39 and that the Lord God is our keeper and helper."
56:42 So she's very clear in her statement on that.
56:45 Here's another one in 1906,
56:47 "The Holy Spirit has a personality
56:50 else he could not bear witness to our spirits
56:52 and with our spirits
56:54 that we are the children of God,
56:55 he must also be a divine person,
56:57 else he could not search out the secrets
56:59 which lie hidden in the mind of God."
57:01 Wow.
57:03 So very clear,
57:04 I mean what happens is often some will say,
57:05 well, you read those
57:07 but she really didn't write that
57:08 and then you're getting all these conspiracies.
57:10 The only way to establish an anti-Trinitarian stance
57:14 for our church today is to revise history
57:18 and to instill some kind of
57:20 a conspiracy theory
57:24 that happened with regard to what she actually wrote.
57:27 So anyway, sad to say but that is happening.
57:30 But I think we've clearly established
57:32 what the Bible does say on this topic today.
57:35 You know, and that's why what happened
57:37 in the days of the antediluvians,
57:39 when you deny the Spirit, it's dangerous,
57:41 it could happen to you.
57:42 The Lord said,
57:44 "My Spirit will not always strive with men
57:45 when he was Jewish from the antediluvians,
57:48 we saw what happen,
57:49 we must pray the prayer of David,
57:50 Psalms 51:11,
57:52 "Do not cast me away from the presence
57:55 and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
57:59 May that be your prayer,
58:00 and may God bless you until we see you again.


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Revised 2017-06-21