The Spirit of God (1)

Sunday 23 May 2021

(Jesus said) : When to me, I will pray to the Father and he will give you another defender so that he will stay with you eternally ; the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept because it does not see it and does not know it. But you know him, because he remains in you and he will be in you. John 14. 16, 17

The Spirit of God (1)

In leaving his disciples, Jesus promises to send them from Heaven "another defender", the Holy Spirit. The Bible distinguishes between the three divine persons : Father, Son and Holy Spirit ; they are present during the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (Matthew 3:16, 17). It is recalled in Christian baptism (Matthew 28:19).

As had been promised the Spirit descended on believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). That day the Church was formed, and the Spirit made his home there. It is made up of all those who believe in Jesus, the Son of God. Since then, the Holy Spirit has been present on earth. He will remain there until the day when the Church is taken up to heaven to meet her Lord. As long as it is there, the Spirit "holds back" the surge of evil (2 Thessalonians 2. 7).

Jesus promised that the Spirit would stay with the Church eternally. She is his temple, he dwells in her. It is the spirit that unites all believers, the body of Christ, with its head, Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 ; 12. 13).

The Spirit of God also dwells in each individual believer, and will never leave him (1 Corinthians 6:19 ; John 14. 16). And the fact that the Spirit dwells in the body of every believer guarantees the future resurrection of the children of God who have already passed away (Romans 8:11). Tomorrow we will see other aspects of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer.

(end tomorrow)

Source (The Good Seed)