An email about the third person of a trinity

Hi D_____,
I’m at least glad to know that the discussion in Uganda is centering on the third person (imposter). The issue of Jesus being both the Son and the Father, is an obvious error from what I can see. I don’t know if that has ever entered any Adventist debate, but I still hear it in the Sunday denominations (mainly some Pentecostal churches). The real trouble for our future is the third person imposter. I’m sad that Ellen White was so emphatic on a heavenly trio. Unless I’m reading the Bible wrong, I don’t see a heavenly trio.

The reason I wrote about “Jesus the Mother of all living” is because I see that when He made man, He made two persons, which had a way of becoming spiritually one, and thus in a corporeal way demonstrate Ephesians 3:9, God created all things through Jesus Christ. Ellen White clearly says that this world and its race were designed to reveal the Godhead in a new way that the angelic hosts didn’t have before our creation. And extension of that thought is that our planet with all of its abundance and its innumerably diverse species represented the kingdom of God, the universe. Christ formed Adam to represent God the Father, and Christ made Eve to represent Himself. He formed Eve from Adam’s heart, as the Son came from the Father’s bosom and ever dwelt there. Women have His gentleness and they focus on tenderly instructing the children, while the fathers tend to larger issues. God the Father tends to the issues of the whole kingdom and universe, while His Son had focused on instructing and being the voice of God to the intelligent universe. And since the controversy in heaven, His focus has been mainly upon redeeming this race, who, as it turns out, is a major player in the whole great controversy issues of God’s character.

In my mind, only two created beings represented the Godhead of two persons. The “council of peace between them both” of Zechariah 6:13 really is not talking about the Godhead at all. Its speaking to the dual role of the Messiah as Prince and Priest. He would sit as a Priest upon His throne. That is why Peter preached Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and foregiveness of sins.” The concept is that Christ would be the new King of His chosen elect, being their Judge, as Prince; and He would also be their Advocate as High Priest. “Messiah the Prince” (Dan. 9:25) is His double role title. In Christ alone is there a theocracy, and that a heavenly one, not the papacy’s earthly theocracy. No one else in heaven and earth can wield the Father’s absolute power without abusing the power. If the Vatican would study the biblical truths instead of their encyclicals, and if the Jews would study their holy scriptures instead of their rabbis, everyone would be in agreement that there should never again be a theocracy on earth. And even the Old Testament Israelite theocracy was only united in the Lord God above. The kings did not wield spiritual power, and the high priests never wielded secular power. Church and state were separated in Israel.

So, the “council of peace” between them both is not the Holy Spirit, and “them” is not the Father and Son, but the Kingship and High Priestly work, even though it can sound like the Father and Son without taking the context into account. Even still, the council is not a third person. Nevertheless, using that phrase out of context, the council would be the union of the Father and Son. It is their Spirit that intertwines like a husband’s love does with his wife’s love in the human race. My question now is, Is it possible that we have overlooked something in this mystery council? Could there be more to the union and interaction between Them? I hope not, because I would have to toss out a lot of writing. But, I would toss it all out if my antitrinitarianism were not true. My big fear is misleading others like Jeroboam did. But, until someone can show me a better way to interpret Romans 8, and other references to the Spirit, as not being the influence, the radiant life and spiritual power of God and His only begotten Son, I must hold to the plain reading of texts regarding the Spirit.

My first question came up in my mind decades ago. It as seen from John 3:34, which contradicted a trinity where the Father gives not the Spirit by measure to His Son. The Father loves the Son, and has given all “things” into His hand. First, I wondered, How could one person of the trinity give a third person to the second person? The plain reading communicated to me that the Father was giving His personal presence, His sealing, His blessing, His reward to His Son for perfect service and His perfect 30 year preparation for the ministry, His new strength and authority needed to fulfill the new appointment, and last of all, a visible laying on of the Father’s hands so that the human race, and especially Israel, could know who the new leader was. It was similar to Eleazer taking the High Priest vestments and assuming the responsibilities of Aaron when his father gave up the ghost. The dove-like packet of glory from Father to Son was like Moses publicly bequeathing all authority to Joshua. “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Deut. 34:9).

Something that I just now saw reminds me of John 14:16-18. “And he [Moses] gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.” (Deut. 31:23). “And I will be with thee”. That is what Jesus told His disciples at the ascension and also in the upper room. “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Hhim; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18).

Did Moses have an inkling that he would be resurrected? And even though Moses was resurrected, could he come to Joshua by a spirit? Or was Moses saying that all that he had written would have his thoughts and counsel and advice for Joshua to refer to and remember his great mentor/master? Its the same thought the Adventists wondered about as Ellen White aged and there was no sign of a successor prophet. She told them that the Lord had given her no word of a successor, but that all that she had written would be enough to guide the Advent movement safely to the second coming of Jesus. And her counsel has proven true. I’ve come to believe, and I’ve written it into my book on Revelation, that the Spirit that we know is the words of Christ which He said are spirit and life. (John 6:63). In John 14:15-23 three times Jesus explains to His disciples how He would return to them—if they would “keep” [Gr. tēreō, “guard against the loss of”] His words/commandments. If they would “guard against loss” of His words, then they would continue to love Him and be loved of His Father, and therefore both Father and Son would come to the apostles. The Spirit is Them using Christ’s written word as a medium of preparing the human mind and heart to receive Them both through Their spiritual medium. If the written truth is not present, then Spirit of truth is not present. This is the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2). Jesus reiterated this counsel a fourth time, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

I’ll let you go. Take care brother, and thank you for being so faithful to the Spirit of God and to His written word.

David

           

Body, soul, and spirit

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit^G4151 and soul^G5590 and body^G4983 be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thess. 5:23).

 

G4151 pneuma From G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit: -ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare G5590.

 

G5590 psuchē From G5594; breath, that is, (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from G4151, which is the rational immortal soul; and on the other from G2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants; these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew [H5315], [H7307] and [H2416]: -heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.

 

G2222 zōē From G2198; life (literally or figuratively): -life (-time). Compare G5590.

 

G4983 sōma From G4982; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively: -bodily, body, slave.

 

G2307 thelēma From the prolonged form of G2309; a determination (properly the thing), that is, (actively) choice (specifically purpose, decree; abstractly volition) or (passively) inclination: -desire, pleasure, will.

 

Pneuma is our mind, thoughts (spirit), intellect. Psuchē is our heart and spring of action, our life, our soul (yearning).

 

Now the following statement has nothing to do with the immortality of the soul, which is a pagan and occult belief and wholly unbiblical; but for illustration I use the following comparison: Maybe we can say that the psuchē is the person that stays inside the person; and the pneuma is the person that leaves the person and affects others. We have a mind and a heart and a soul yearning (the psuchē) that leaves us and reaches out to others (the pneuma). The abundance of our mind and heart and soul is our psuchē. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matt. 12:34). The mouth breathes out the ideas of our psuchē, and it creates our influence. This is our pneuma, “the spirit”, as the Bible so liberally uses the term.

 

And, we have a body. Our body is tangible, solid.

 

While our mind and emotions and yearnings are invisible inside our minds, and yet can be perceived over great distances through the avenues to the soul; nevertheless, our body spatially is comparatively small. Multitudes of strangers and friends alike can enter our mental and emotional sphere because those aspects of our being can be transmitted over great distances through sight and sound, video, and radio. But, only our closest associates and loved ones are allowed to enter our bodily zone of physical contact where normally only one of our senses—the sense of touch—is permitted.

 

Thus, we have two basic aspects of our being, the extended person—our being that creates our influence—and the local person—our being of a physical body. We are made in God’s image, and 1 Corinthians 2:11 together with Revelation 4:2,3 therefore say that God has the same two zones, or spheres. His Spirit reaches to the uttermost bounds of His creation; and they all sense Him and echo back their gratitude, which He hears. But, only very special people may enter His private, bodily zone. Revelation shows rings of privileged beings that were permitted into His tabernacle, and some into His very presence.

 

“Before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.” (Rev. 4:6). In biblical prophecy, water represents multitudes of intelligent creatures, here the angelic hosts. In this case, those hosts indicate perfect peace in their hearts with God.


“…and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind” (vs. 6). Then closer in to the throne of God’s presence were,  the four cherubim, or what I believe to be the heads of the hosts of heaven, hosts all of who were ever attentive to God’s desires and His communications, and ever returning praise the Father.

 

“And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” (Rev. 4:4).

 

These 24 elders in the throne room must be the literal heavenly counterpart to the 24 typical priests that David instituted to keep a continuous intercession year round. As David’s 24 chief priests ministered in the Son’s earthly sanctuary they typified the actual heavenly sanctuary of God the Father.

While the heavenly sanctuary was His Father’s Most Holy tabernacle, the earthly sanctuary was Christ’s holy habitation, as Malachi 3:1 and Zechariah 6:12,13 and John 2:16,19 foretell. The 24 elders surrounded the Father in a closer proximity than all the heads of the hosts, and their peaceful angelic sea.

 

“And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” (Rev. 4:5).

 

Closer still was the Son of God, seen as the eternally burning, omnipresent, visible source of the glorious Spirit of God, “for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” (Col. 1:19, cf Rev. 5:6).  The earthly seven candlesticks and ever burning altar of incense that were in Christ’s earthly sanctuary represented Himself, who is the Light that lighteth every creature that came into existence, the true Light of the world.

 

After Christ’s exaltation before the hosts of heaven, He took Lucifer’s place as the only authorized voice of communication directly from God. He verbalized God’s thoughts. Even though Lucifer had held that post, he never heard God’s most intimate, deepest thoughts, yearnings, or will.

 

“By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels. He was the Word of God,—God’s thought made audible. In His prayer for His disciples He says, ‘I have declared unto them Thy name,’—’merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,’—’that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.’ But not alone for His earthborn children was this revelation given. Our little world is the lesson book of the universe. God’s wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which ‘angels desire to look,’ and it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven; that the love which ‘seeketh not her own’ has its source in the heart of God; and that in the meek and lowly One is manifested the character of Him who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto.” Desire of Ages, p. 19.

 

Only the Son could satisfy His Father to the infinite degree, thus the Son alone could be the Father’s favored intercessor. Lucifer was a hired hand, and no more able to satisfy God’s deepest desires for the kingdom than Eliezer could satisfy the yearning in Abraham for an heir (see Genesis 15:6). But, Isaac could bring utmost joy to the heart of Abraham; and likewise could the Son to His Father’s heart. The Son was the seven Spirits out of whose mind and mouth God’s infinite thoughts of peace and acceptance could be shed forth to our sin-laden world, as seen in Revelation 5:6. Only the Son could be allowed to sit up close and personal with the self-Existent, the eternal One.

 

“All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” (Matt. 11:27).

 

“For it pleased the Father that in Him [the Son] should all fulness dwell.” (Col. 1:19).

 

But, the whole kingdom knows the Father’s Spirit. Again speaking for His Father, Christ said,

 

“Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” (Jer. 23:23,24).

 

Christ in His earthly ministry had a sea of followers, as the Father had the same wheel within a wheel style relationships. A multitude followed Him, “about five thousand men, beside women and children.” (Matt. 14:21). But within the larger multitude was a smaller multitude, “above five hundred brethren” (1Cor. 15:6). Within that group was a small group, “the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty” (Acts 1:15), of “certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance” (Luke 8:2,3), “and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them” (Luke 24:10), “Cleopas” (Luke 24:18), and “James; then of all the apostles.” (1Cor. 15:7). Within that group Jesus “ordained twelve, that they should be with Him.” (Mark 3:14). But, within the twelve He had three, “Peter and the two sons of Zebedee.” (Matt. 26:37). And finally, of all that crowd He allowed into His innermost zone only John, the youngest, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” (John 21:20). Yet, He walked alone in the earth and often retired to pray, for no one knew Him, and His needs and purposes, like His Father.

 

My Brazilian wife, Zeny, is very intelligent and loves to communicate. She is always communicating around the house, to me, to the animals, to the potted plants, even to the furniture and walls! And she does the same everywhere she goes. If she is standing in a line, she strikes up a conversation with the person in front of her. And—taboo of all taboos—even in elevators she starts talking! She hates to hear silence! If there’s a space of time to fill with a voice, she will fill it if no one else does! That’s why most people in our town know her. Even the policemen know her personally. She should run for mayor.

 

Zeny is a good example of our God in this respect. She is known far and wide. Her influence spreads out to great distances. And she likes it that way. She loves to be the center of a lot of attention! She even carries things on her head like she did as a child in Brazil, just to have someone stop and take her picture. She is a trip. And doesn’t God love to be at the center of all His children and His creation?

 

Yet, although Zeny lives at the center of her influence, simultaneously she is also out and about in the thoughts of the people. She is present in their memory; but, if they are up close and person they can hear her spirit, and they unite their spirit with hers. The spirit of Zeny is her. Zeny’s spirit is Zeny, and no one else. When people listen to the verbalizing of her mind, they don’t visualize a thought leaving her mouth. They see Zeny. When they remember her words, they visualize her. Maybe they give her a hug, or they shake her hand or hand her a gift. They don’t hand her spirit a gift or give her spirit a hug. Zeny’s thoughts, her mind are the person of Zeny, and the people give their love to her, not to her spirit.

 

Likewise, the “Spirit of your Father” (Matt. 10:20) is felt all the way to the distant-most inhabited world. From His throne our born-again heart can sense His Spirit—thus we sense God. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). We sense God through our Intercessor, who alone can intercede for us to the Father for not only our justification, but also for our sanctification. His presence is fullness of joy because He is our righteousness. By faith our spirit knows that we are at His right hand because He has injected His Spirit into our dead spirit, and has quickened it. And anyone who does not have “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6) is not in Him, but is outside the kingdom of God.


“Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any many have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.... If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Rom. 8:9,11).  Although He sits on His throne, and although we live light-years away, He is here also, because His Spirit reaches to Earth and to our hearts. And not to ours only but into immensity beyond. “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” (Jer. 23:24). As the spirit of Zeny is Zeny, the Spirit of God is God. But, His Spirit is active and powerful and redemptive, and Zeny’s is not, except on a human, social level. However it  mysteriously happens with God’s Spirit, God knows our hearts and our situations, and answers our prayers. “Thou God seest me” (Gen. 16:13); Ishmael^H3458, [H3458 “God will hear” (Gen. 16:11)].

 

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit^G4151 of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit^G4151 of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1Cor. 2:9-12).

 

This verse takes the image of God in man and explains, through our make-up, the Father’s person and how His Spirit functions. I have a mind, heart, and soul, which is my spirit^G4151; and God has the same, which is His Spirit^G4151.

From a distance, we can know the mind of God, which in the deepest, clearest form is only in Christ, to whom His Father “giveth not the Spirit by measure.” (John 3:34). “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor. 2:16). This means that we have the exceedingly great privilege of being, in varying degrees, privy to the mind, heart, and soul of God, to the extent that “the Son will reveal him” (Matt. 11:27).

 

Yet, although we can partake of the Spirit of God through His Son, no one except Jesus can touch the body of God, or even look upon Him. That part of His person is off limits to the whole heavenly and earthly kingdom, except for His only begotten Son. And His Son remains very respectful. He keeps Himself as a servant-Son. He washes His feet. He touches His scepter as it is pointed toward Him. Jesus is love and He “doth not behave [Himself] unseemly” (1 Cor. 13:5). Christ is the example for the rest of the kingdom in this respect.

 

“Jesus, the divine Master, ever exalted the name of His heavenly Father. He taught His disciples to pray, ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.’ Matthew 6:9, A.R.V. And they were not to forget to acknowledge, ‘Thine is . . . the glory.’ Verse 13. So careful was the great Healer to direct attention from Himself to the Source of His power, that the wondering multitude, ‘when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see,’ did not glorify Him, but ‘glorified the God of Israel.’ Matthew 15:31. In the wonderful prayer that Christ offered just before His crucifixion, He declared, ‘I have glorified Thee on the earth.’ ‘Glorify Thy Son,’ He pleaded, ‘that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.’ ‘O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.’ John 17:4, 1, 25, 26.” Prophets and Kings, p. 69.

 

“He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.” (Ps. 18:11).

“Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne.” (Ps. 97:2).

 

As only a few heavenly beings ever see the King, likewise, it was a singular occasion that any man, other than the prophets of Jehovah, saw the Son of God in His glorified, pre-incarnate person. On that occasion, the Lord God invited the leaders of Israel up to Mt. Sinai, to sit before the appearance of Him and His heavenly sea, but not to get any closer. “And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” (Ex. 24:10,11). On that one occasion He was representing His Most Holy Father sitting before the hosts of heaven and the sea of glass, from whom the angelic hosts must keep their distance, lest He cause their extinction.

 

“The matchless splendor of the earthly tabernacle reflected to human vision the glories of that heavenly temple where Christ our forerunner ministers for us before the throne of God. The abiding place of the King of kings, where thousand thousands minister unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him (Daniel 7:10); that temple, filled with the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining guardians, veil their faces in adoration, could find, in the most magnificent structure ever reared by human hands, but a faint reflection of its vastness and glory.” Great Controversy, p. 414.

 

When the Lord Jesus, the Lord God of Israel, said, “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?” (Jer. 23:23) He was saying that through His larger sphere He encompassed earth and the universe, even though His smaller personal zone was actually light-years away with His Father. This thought is confirmed by His appearance on Mount Sinai.

 

The human being was made in God’s image in order to more clearly teach the intelligent universe the mysteries of the hidden Godhead. We all have an influence; others live within our influence. Likewise, we exist within God’s realm. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28). Yet, the unbelieving worldlings in that wonderful environment are disconnected from His spiritual power though they exist within Him. The condition of their unconverted spirits are at odds with His Spirit and Satan’s influence insulates them from His Spirit and causes their spirit and God’s to jar one another.

 

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:17).

 

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Rom. 8:5-10).

 

Living in our town, and knowing Zeny’s welcoming influence draws people to her. When they see her in a store or at the credit union they walk up to her and ask her if she remembers them, and they remind her of something she had done, or good advice she had given them that had helped them or their children. In the same way, living within God’s Spirit draws us to Him. Even His wonderful works of creation glow with messages of His Spirit of love, and leave us with the desire to know the Creator who must be infinitely wise and powerful and full of compassion for His human race.

 

When He can, God uses His Son to give the special dispensation of His Spirit beyond His forbearance—forgiveness of sin and justification. All who desire to be in one accord with God and His Law, and yearn to have complete restoration to the greatly offended Father, will be led to His condemnation of sin and to His Son’s special message of forgiveness and justification of life. Then His atmosphere of power can successfully work itself into them, sanctifying them body, soul, and spirit. His laws and His Spirit will find an answering chord in their spirit, and their physical, mental, and spiritual health will spring forth speedily. Our spirit will be alive “because of righteousness.” (Rom. 8:10). Through the Son, they will be reconciled to the big heart of God and to His “Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2).

Sitting in heavenly places with Jesus today

What do Psalm 91:14, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 1:13, Philippians 3:20, Luke 23:43, Revelation 3:21, and Revelation 5:9,10, and many other Bible texts have in common?

“Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.” (Ps. 91:14).

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Eph. 2:6).

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:” (Col. 1:13).

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Phil. 3:20).

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” (Rev. 3:21).

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9,10).

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” (Eph. 1:13,14).

“Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.” (2Cor. 5:5).

What are we talking about? We are learning what the Spirit is about. According to Paul, the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. The Spirit is about being set on high now because we set our love upon Jesus. The Spirit is about being raised up to sit in heavenly places with our Saviour today because we were quickened who were dead in sins. The Spirit is being translated into the kingdom of God today, because we were redeemed through the blood of Jesus. The Spirit is being with Jesus in paradise today because we have suffered with Jesus and asked Him to remember us. The Spirit is overcoming and sitting with Jesus in His throne room, today. “In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Ps. 16:11).

And what is an earnest? Earnest money is a down payment or promissory note promising that someone will pay us in full. The earnest is based on a promise. If I want to buy a house, I can give $1000 to the owners as my pledge that if they take their house off the market and promise to let me buy their home, while I make arrange for a loan, then I will pay them in full. The earnest is my word in the form of currency. I am so sure that I want the prized habitation that I will put my money where my mouth is.

So, the earnest of our eternal inheritance with God is His gift that we may be already, by faith, in heaven. And the promised earnest of the Spirit is God’s downpayment of a much larger gift later when our habitation will be filled by Him in full. Having the powerful earnest of his inheritance must have been the reason that Paul could say,

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” (2Cor. 4:8-11).

“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee….

Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” (Ps. 91:4-7,9,10).

“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before Me: and…thou shalt be as My mouth.” (Jer. 15:19).

The earnest is Him dwelling in us, and walking with us through His Spirit, by His sealing us in our faith. Similarly, in Jeremiah 15:19 we begin to see how we dwell in Him, how we are “in Him”—by standing before Him by faith. And, later, in the restoration of the eternal kingdom, then our faith would become sight and be actualized. “At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20). And the Father would be in His Son. To be “in” is to have a constant exchange of faith and love. But, “at that day” the faith and love exchange between God and us will be perfect, flawless, incorruptible.

Yet, how can we get there, today? How does He abide in us? How can He today be in us and we in Him? How can He dwell in us so that we can be sure that we are His people? As Moses said, “For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in Thy sight? is it not in that Thou goest with us?” (Ex. 33:16).
 

“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” (1Jn. 5:10).
“For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (2Cor. 6:16). How can the temple of our bodies and minds and souls be sanctified, and be of use for God’s habitation?

“If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:15-18).

“He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21).

“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23).

If we set our love upon Jesus by receiving His words which are “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” (Heb. 4:12), then we “will prepare Him an habitation” (Ex. 15:2), “an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:22). His presence in us is tied to His Law in our hearts, His testimony in our minds. His Spirit and His word always go together. The Spirit issue is not whether or not the Spirit is personal, but that the Spirit is tied with the word of scripture. Are we grounded upon the word of God? If so, then Jesus is very near to us; His Spirit is in us.

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7).

“For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me…. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:55-57,63).

To drink His blood is to drink His water of life from His words; it is to drink His Spirit.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39).

An email on the Comforter

Hello brother.

I’ve listened to the video. I appreciate your concern. I guess it’s too late for you to find the other video you mentioned a while back. Every time I heard Elder Spears quote about the Spirit, I saw the Father, either through Christ, or acting alone. “The Holy Ghost” is “the power of the Highest.” Elder Spears refutes the idea that the Spirit is an impersonal power or energy or influence. I agree. The Holy Ghost is not power or energy or influence. He is the Highest. He is the power of the Father, He has a personality because He is God Himself, He is God’s presence through His Son. He is the Spirit of His Son; He gave His Son His Spirit without measure. “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Gal. 4:6). That Spirit is the “Spirit of promise”, the “promise of the Spirit”, “the earnest of our inheritance”, so that later, for all eternity, we will have the Father’s very presence in all of its fullness. But, for now, if we don’t have the earnest of His Son’s Spirit we are “none of His” (Rom. 8:9) and we cannot be sealed.

I’m not writing all this to debate what Elder Spears said, although I am disappointed that he quoted only select verses that give the impression that the Spirit is other than what the Bible said of it. Unless I am way off track.

Jesus repeated a lesson three times in a row. John 14:15-23 shows Jesus explaining to His disciples that His Father would send another Comforter (verse 16,17). And to leave a hint of who He meant, He clarified to them, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (verse 18). If that is all that He said on this matter, it could be still skewed back to a third person of the Godhead. But He explained two more times.

Then, Judas (not Iscariot) inquired, “Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (John 14:22). Judas heard Jesus clearly say that He would be the one coming to them, manifesting Himself, (speaking to them?) as the Comforting Holy Spirit/Ghost. But, Jesus wouldn’t come to the worldlings. Why not? Because the world, including the sin-loving multitudes in Israel, did not love to hear the Word who had become flesh and was walking among them and speaking words that were quickening Spirit (John 6:63).

Each of the three times in verses 15, 21, and 23 Jesus explained that whoever keeps His commandments or words will find that Himself and His Father would come to him and make him Their habitation. The Father and Son filling your habitation is the Holy Ghost, the Comforter that Jesus promised. J____, haven’t you found the word of God to do as Jesus was explaining to His disciples? I know you have. Don’t the promises and commands of the written word grab hold of your conscience? That’s Jesus and the Father drawing close. For in Them we live and move and have our being. “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” (Jer. 23:24). In verse 17 Jesus said the Comforter dwelled with them because Jesus had been walking with them. And the Comforter would be in them. In what way? Jesus and His Father would dwell in them (verses 21, 23).

 

“Joh 14:15  If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.

Joh 14:21  He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.

Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.

Joh 14:24  He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.”

 

In His presence is fullness of joy. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” (Rev. 1:10). Being in Jesus’ glorified presence is the sealing and is what makes prophets. This is what Jesus said to Jeremiah.

“Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before Me: and...thou shalt be as My mouth.” (Jer. 15:19).

Being in Jesus’ presence, standing before Him, sitting at His feet and hearing Him, is what Ellen White describes in her visions and dreams. She was in the Spirit; she was sealed. In the sealing, we have an example in her and all the prophets of what to expect for us if we are in the Latter Rain.

Elder Spears quoted from Hebrews 4:12, and I’m glad he did because that verse again links the words of Jesus to the Spirit, that if we keep them despite their sharpness and pointedness, cutting away our flesh from us and leaving our spirit purified, then we have cooperated with Jesus to prepare for Him a habitation. This is how essential the scripture is to not only our salvation, but also to be part of the 144,000 and take part in the sealing. I foresee the day when water baptism will go the way of circumcision, and the sealing will become the new requirement of God. This is not because baptism is wrong, any more than circumcision is wrong, but because baptism has lost the original significance and it no longer distinguishes those who are God’s from those who aren’t. Many who have been baptized will realize the need for something more; and many others will be satisfied to be submerged in water and nothing more.

Correctly understanding the doctrine of the Spirit is utterly essential for receiving the seal because being sealed and having the Comforter require a desperate love for the word of God. Today most people don’t understand the Bible, and don’t try to understand it. “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). How can people be fortified by the sealing if they don’t “keep” (John 14:15, 21, 23) [G5083 tereo, “guard against the loss of”] the word of God? Its not possible to be sealed if they repeatedly turned down Bible study when they had the opportunity. They will hear, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him”. But they will have a lamp with no oil. The word of God, which is the main authorized source of light to the conscience through the oil of the Spirit of God, is not filling the conscience, and therefore neither is God and His Son, together being the other Comforter, both filling them, according to the context of John 14:21, 23.

It was the wrong assumptions of the rabbis that led them further and further away from the truth, so far that when Jesus reset their understandings they called Him a deceiver. His words were incomprehensible to them, unacceptable, just plain not true. How could so many rabbis, venerable men of God, be wrong? “Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.” (John 7:47-49).

Maybe I am cursed. Maybe I am deluded. But I will say that either the Spirit of the Lord or the Spirit of Satan keeps moving me in this direction and making this subject clearer to me. And at the same time, those who hold to the Trinity and Spiritual Formation are leading people to worship and pray to “the Spirit”, when we both know that that Spirit is not from God, per Great Controversy, page 464.

“The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming. The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.  

     In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be manifest in the more extensive movements of the future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God’s word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God’s blessing is not bestowed.”

 

Brother, again I want you to know that I don’t write these things to be combative. We are beloved brethren, and always will be. We will march together in the Latter Rain. We may die together before Jesus returns. To die together would be my greatest privilege. But, I also see a soon-coming collision in the Advent movement over this very issue. The collision must come.

“The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls. Christ’s ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results with God.” Great Controversy, p. 610. If Christ’s words in John 14 and elsewhere regarding the Spirit make any impression on your mind, then you know why I remain confident to be anti-Trinitarian.

Love you, brother,

David

Dear blog reader, if you want to hear the video, its through Amazing Facts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYVGnGfEgf4&feature=youtu.be