The Spirit is, Pt. 6

The only two beings of the Godhead are in Christ’s prayer: “O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self” (John 17:5). The glory between Father and Son is the “eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14) which remained unbroken even though the Father at the cross left His Son for the purpose of redeeming us and for testing His resolve as our eternal Intercessor. “God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31). Notwithstanding, Jesus never left His Father. Their holy, eternal communion is “the Holy Ghost…the power of the Highest” (Luke 1:35), the Father always powerfully initiating the communion and the Son always powerfully responding. Restored communion with Them is the power of the Christian life. Restored communion brings the victory. It will seal us and get us through the staggering troubles before Jesus return.

 

The Godhead are two persons, two beings, “one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). “There is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Cor. 8:6, cf Heb. 7:9, 10). And, becoming one of us, the man Christ Jesus is God’s Intercessor; and He is such specifically because He tasted “death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Only the Son of God can mediate for man because He became a man and died a man; therefore, He was crowned with “glory and honour” (Heb. 2:9). In the plan of redemption, there can be no other Intercessor.

 

Jesus alone could give security to God; for He was equal to God. He alone could be a mediator between God and man; for He possessed divinity and humanity [emphasis mine] (RH April 3, 1894) SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 914.

 

Isaiah knew about the Spirit (see Isaiah 63:10), for he was moved by the Holy Ghost (see Isaiah 48:16). Yet, he wasn’t shown that the Spirit would be exalted in the New Testament; instead, the One Isaiah saw exalted would be the servant Son of God, specifically because He went so low (see Isaiah 53:12). Should the third person of a Trinity be exalted to a place as our second intercessor, both second Person and a third person interceding for us, when this third person never went low? Can God have security by a third person mediator who never knew our infinite shame and damnation? Can such a person correctly represent God’s self-sacrificing nature to us? And, how can we need two intercessors working together between God and man, when God made One all-sufficient, with all power and authority, and we are complete in Him (see Matthew 28:18; Colossians 2:10)? Only one has died for me, Christ alone and once for all. “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34). He alone can I intimately trust (see Hebrews 10:20), and He alone can the Father perfectly trust. Does our one Intercessor need another intercessor to broker between God and man? Do we need an Intercessor in the third person of a Trinity to mediate between us and God’s biblically designated Intercessor, His atoning and adopting Son who lives for one thing—to intercede for us? “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Does the Father love the Holy Ghost like He does His only begotten Son? No. It doesn’t say so in the Bible. Then, what kind of example do the Trinitarians learn from a Trinity? Loveless, Christless religion.

 

“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin―; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Ex. 32:32). A snapshot of the great controversy seen at Sinai, Moses beautifully interceded like the Son of God did in Gethsemane. But, Aaron, the third person in Israel’s intercession led out in the apostasy. Does our one biblically authorized Mediator need a mediator or mediatrix; does His redemption need a co-redemptress? Absolutely not.

 

As with Adam and Eve’s types, Abraham was a type of God, and Sarah typified the pre-incarnate Son of God. Another wife for Abraham could never be the mother of the Messiah and His redeemed. All that Hagar could produce would be enemies against His people. “What saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” (Gal. 4:30). The third person of the ancient Trinity cannot sit with the Heir of God and must leave church doctrine at once, never to return (see Genesis 21:12).

 

Scriptural evidence indicates that Lucifer acted as high priest of the angelic hosts. As covering cherub and of perfect beauty, by his multi-colored glory and stones of fire as he approached God on His holy mountain, his musical instruments for worshiping God paint the picture that he was the organizer and leader of praise to the Highest. Peerless was his representation between God and angelic hosts, which rooted their loyalty to him deeply in their hearts. His mediation, though not perfect on the Father’s infinite scale, worked well to order the government of heaven. However, his role as intercessor was only temporary while the Son was preparing to take that scepter.

 

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father (Gal. 4:1, 2).

 

Eventually the day arrived to exalt the Son to His eternally designated place as Heir to the throne and High Priest over the angelic hosts. This need not have been a demotion for Lucifer. He was to continue his work among the angels. But, now he would represent them before the Son instead of before the Ancient of days. Another more worthy than he was to go before the great King. Naturally, the Son of God should stand in that place. No one else knew the Father like the Son. No one else than the Son could the Father so deeply appreciate; and no one could better understand the Father’s plans than the Son. The heaven of angels deserved the Son of God to publically minister to His Father and to speak to them in His Father’s behalf. It shouldn’t be any other way.

 

Now, Lucifer had the privilege to demonstrate the spirit of God’s home—self-sacrificing love. He could offer such a gift to the King which would have struck a higher note of joy and thanksgiving among the hosts under his leadership. His Gethsemane of stepping down would have taught a lesson to the whole family in heaven, which would have gone down in eternal history. Self-sacrifice, the rule of law and citizenship would have been cemented more firmly than ever.

 

Nevertheless, when the Father’s providence made that arrangement possible for His mightiest cherub, emotion trumped reason in the mind of Lucifer.

 

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation (Jas. 3:1).

 

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (1 Cor. 10:12).

 

The new under-secretary allowed envy toward Michael to destroy his service to God. When, he could have joyfully served the Crown Prince, Lucifer failed the great test from the Father. Pride had been silently sneaking into the motives of highest created being as he discharged his high office and won the acclaim of his brethren. Rather than pushing out errant thoughts of his high status and achievements, as enemies of the kingdom, he dwelt upon them and entertained them. All of this the Father and Son saw long before the dissention that erupted later. From the beginning of Lucifer’s creation the Son knew him. Michael discerned his strengths and weaknesses, his talents and wisdom and power to influence. While Lucifer had rapidly developed head and shoulders above the angelic ranks for his capabilities, Michael’s communion with His Father had, from the beginning of the kingdom, taught the Son that Lucifer would have to face a difficult test one day.

 

That test would be the day of inauguration of the only begotten Prince to His place before His Father. He who came out from the bosom of His Father must remain next to the Most High as co-Regent. The place which Lucifer held as prime minister must become secondary to the Crown Prince. The roots of pride which Lucifer had not disciplined now took their natural course, springing up into internal rage and hidden insolence. The spirit of sin motivating Lucifer was noticed by no one among the joyful sons of God. But, Father and Son sensed every heart-felt grumble in Lucifer’s discharge of duty. While the happy hosts accomplished his orders, Lucifer began weaving in a new familiarity undue to his office of justice and mercy. He created a new office for himself where self-pity dictated its commands and requests. Self-exaltation would replace self-abnegation. Self-indulgence would take the place of self-denial. Subtly, the old paths where is the good way was altered. The original religion was changed in those whose minds the most powerful angel could bend away from the true Rulers of the kingdom.

 

Ashtoreth, the Queen of heaven was born. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Eze. 28:15). Lucifer competed with Michael for the office of Crown Prince and High Priest. She would be the mediatrix of God, and ascend even higher than God, to become the mother of God. This third person competing for divine honors is what the great controversy is all about. The contest between Christ and Satan is what made up the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. “Worship God”, “Worship Him who made heaven and earth.” “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come.” These all speak to the dissatisfaction of Lucifer in the very courts of heaven. During the warfare after Christ’s successful accomplishment of the provisions for the salvation of mankind, Lucifer early on moved into his long sought-for place in the Godhead. Even as third person, he would manipulate the doctrines of Christianity to exalt his presence above the true Father and Son Godhead in the hearts and minds of the lukewarm, worldly, non-discerning Christians.

 

As he had done throughout the Old Testament period, Lucifer used dissembling and flattery to God, and the same gushing and doting, unduly familiar, selfish, carnal love, which had been so successful to win holy angels, now to attract the weakened natures of fallen mankind. Ashtoreth and her many other guises in all the world religions wove that undue familiarity and love-sick sentimentalism into her new religion to simulate the only one, true religion founded upon principle and entrusted by Christ to Adam and the holy seed of Eve. The whole period of heavy truth and justice upon sin would be fought against until Michael the Prince Messiah would come. Christ would raise truth and grace to a higher standard; but Ashtoreth would then subsume Christianity and make the renovated, God-given system his own again.

 

But, the ancient Queen goddess of doting and persecution, would again arise among her peer saints and be worshiped on earth, even as the indefatigable angel Satan would take his Queen of heaven throne as the third person of the Godhead, again inhabiting the praises of Israel. “They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:4). The Queen would ascend again to the heights of heaven and stand up against the Prince of princes. She would again cast down and devour the faith of God’s people and persecute those whose faith would not be robbed by her captivating pagan mysteries and fictions, and by her complex sacraments.

 

There is more to the final test for humanity than the Sabbath issue; and simply whether or not to worship is not the issue of today. The final issue of worship today centers on who we worship; the issue is who gives the soul rest because both opposing powers, Christ and Satan, promise to give peace and rest. False worship through Spiritual Formation and celebration are looming higher and higher on today’s horizon of deception. Yet, our current dangers are deeper than Spiritual Formation and celebration. Those two new-comers are but the lying medium for Protestants to worship “they know not what.”

 

When no new questions are started by investigation of the Scriptures, when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves, to make sure that they have the truth, there will be many now, as in ancient times, who will hold to tradition, and worship they know not what Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 39.

 

The very foundation of worship lies in these two diverging paths, either the doctrine of God or the doctrine of the Trinity. We were created with the strong propensity to worship God who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and to worship the Son of God who is the fullness of the Godhead manifested. But, the doting, grace-only Queen of heaven is alive and seductive, and particularly ravenous to receive worship from every religionist.

 

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world The Desire of Ages, p. 324.

 

The deceiver wants to inhabit the prayers and praises of Israel. He salivates to exalt himself this way, as he did since the start of the great controversy (see Isaiah 14:14). By using the ancient Trinity, the seducer can insert an assent to another intercessor in the place of surrender to God’s justice and repentance for Christ’s mercy. Thus, he can minimize the gospel’s impact to the world by the 144,000 and attempt to derail the conversion of the “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9). And thus, the worship of the Holy Spirit, which is sweeping the Protestant churches today, displaces the character study of, imitation of, and reliance upon, God the Father and His only-Begotten, both being the only Fullness of the Godhead.

 

The “new power” that gives the “new heart” is the Spirit of Christ, Christ Himself with His “heavenly agencies” being one of “the two great powers” that contend for the control of humanity. Much more than a casual, carnal assent to a third person of the Trinity, God’s Spirit must cause us to stand “guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19) and then “dwell” (Rom. 8:11) in us in order to make us subject to “my law” (Jer. 31:33), “the law of God” (Rom. 8:7). Therefore, to set aside the offensive Law and the bold Testimony, and to join with the whole world in assenting to a third person of the Trinity for fear of Catholic excommunication or Protestant ostracism, praying to and worshiping that third person, is a subtle denial of the biblical, transformational gift of God. It is denying God the surrender of our will to His Law and of our heart to His Son’s heavenly agencies (see 2 Timothy 3:5; John 4:10; Genesis 32:25-28; Matthew 21:44). Assent to a third being of the Trinity is the most ancient rebellion.

 

Such Ecumenical worship means to receive the pagan Queen of heaven into the heart and the mark of the Beast into the conscience (see Revelation 13:3, 4; 14:4, 9-11) until the last plagues result. The Trinity falsehood provides a sensual substitute in place of surrender to the true Spirit’s condemnation of sin and our “work of conforming…characters to the divine model” The Great Controversy, p. 464. The new source of peace in a global revival comes from empty emotion and love-sick sentimentalism. As warned of in the third angel’s message, in order to counteract the wrath of God’s justice unmixed with mercy, Spiritual Formation and Queen of heaven trinity worship will add drunkenness to the last days’ tremendous thirst. Worship deluded and drunken with imaginary peace (see Jeremiah 6:14; Daniel 8:24, 25) will overwork the world’s emotions until the soul is left dark in the fifth plague. Imaginary peace will gather the deluded masses of the world to accept Satan’s impersonation of Christ’s Second Advent. Trinity worship and Spiritual Formation reveries will be instrumental in leading the nations of the earth to obey the prince of darkness when he commands the masses to hunt down all who are sealed with the holy Spirit of Christ, who are wrestling with a unique depression by seeing God’s wrath against a world sunken in sin, and with uncertainty of being prepared for His return. The preaching of that lawless, “amazing grace”-only false gospel will preempt the true Spirit of holiness that clothes us with power to overcome sin in our battle for primitive godliness. But, the gift of the Holy Spirit will not be given in full until the true Jesus returns in unearthly, inconceivable power, and we are permanently changed. Until that day, we are not the church victorious over sin, but groaning for that victory and militant against our ungodliness.

 

Is the Spirit ever called Jehovah, as the Father and Son are? No. As the first man and his wife were named Adam (see Genesis 5:1, 2), so the Father and Son alone are named Jehovah. To call the Spirit, “God the Holy Spirit”, is extremely unbiblical, and blasphemous. The Holy Ghost is not a “being” to be worshiped. Jehovah alone is to be worshiped. “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt. 4:10). Neither the Bible nor the Spirit of Prophecy calls us to worship or pray to the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit was never worshiped in the Bible, how can It be God or a member of the Godhead? But, nowadays we see such a worship practice running rampantly throughout the denominations, and in our own. Not only is this biblically unsound, but it is opening the door to the long foretold Baal-peor apostasy and spiritualism.