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The Treatment of the Holy Spirit

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The following is excerpted from R.A. Torrey’s article The Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit, available as one of the many free text commentaries at the Blue Letter Bible.

Previous posts:

  1. The Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit (introduction)
  2. Characteristics of the Holy Spirit
  3. The Acts of the Holy Spirit
  4. The Office of the Holy Spirit

From the introduction to this series:

One of the most characteristic and distinctive doctrines of the Christian faith is that of the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the personality of the Holy Spirit is of the highest importance from the standpoint of worship. If the Holy Spirit is a divine person, worthy to receive our adoration, our faith and our love, and we do not know and recognize Him as such, then we are robbing a divine Being of the adoration and love and confidence which are His due.

There are four lines of proof in the Bible that the Holy Spirit is a person (distinct from the other persons of the Trinity). We already discussed the first three in previous posts (see above). Today, we discuss a fourth proof and conclude this blog series.

The fourth line of proof of the personality of the Holy Spirit is: a treatment is predicated of the Holy Spirit that could only be predicated of a person.

We read inIsaiah 63:10, R. V., “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and Himself fought against them.” Here we see that the Holy Spirit is rebelled against and grieved. (Cf. Ephesians 4:30). You cannot rebel against a mere influence or power. You can only rebel against and grieve a person. Still further we read in Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith He was sanctified, all unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Here we are told that the Holy Spirit is “done despite unto,” that is “treated with contumely.” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament). You cannot “treat with contumely” an influence or power, only a person. Whenever a truth is presented to our thought, it is the Holy Spirit who presents it. If we refuse to listen to that truth, then we turn our backs deliberately upon that divine Person who presents it; we insult Him.

Perhaps, at this present time, the Holy Spirit is trying to bring to the mind of the reader of these lines some truth that the reader is unwilling to accept and you are refusing to listen. Perhaps you are treating that truth, which in the bottom of your heart you know to be true, with contempt, speaking scornfully of it. If so, you are not merely treating abstract truth with contempt, you are scorning and insulting a Person, a divine Person.

Lying to the Holy Spirit

In Acts 5:3, we read, “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” Here we are taught that the Holy Spirit can be lied to. You cannot tell lies to a blind, impersonal influence or power, only to a person. Not every lie is a lie to the Holy Spirit. It was a peculiar kind of lie that Ananias told. From the context we see that Ananias was making a profession of an entire consecration of everything. (See ch.4:36 to 5:11). As Barnabas had laid all at the apostles? feet for the use of Christ and His cause, so Ananias pretended to do the same, but in reality he kept back part; the pretended full consecration was only partial. Real consecration is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The profession of full consecration was to Him and the profession was false. Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit. How often in our consecration meetings today we profess a full consecration, when in reality there is something that we have held back. In doing this, we lie to the Holy Spirit.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

In Matthew 12:31,32, we read, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Here we are told that the Holy Spirit may be blasphemed. It is impossible to blaspheme an influence or power; only a Person can be blasphemed. We are still further told that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a more serious and decisive sin than even the blasphemy of the Son of Man Himself. Could anything make more clear that the Holy Spirit is a person and a divine person?

Summary

To sum it all up, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON. The Scriptures make this plain beyond a question to any one who candidly goes to the Scriptures to find out what they really teach. Theoretically, most of us believe this, but do we in our real thought of Him, in our practical attitude toward Him, treat Him as a Person? Do we regard Him as indeed as real a Person as Jesus Christ, as loving, as wise, as strong, as worthy of our confidence and love and surrender as He? The Holy Spirit came into this world to be to the disciples and to us what Jesus Christ had been to them during the days of His personal companionship with them. (John 14:16,17). Is He that to us? Do we walk in conscious fellowship with Him? Do we realize that He walks by our side every day and hour? Yes, and better than that, that He dwells in our hearts and is ready to fill them and take complete possession of our lives? Do we know the “communion of the Holy Ghost?” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Communion means fellowship, partnership, comradeship. Do we know this personal fellowship, this partnership, this comradeship, this intimate friendship, of the Holy Spirit? Herein lies the secret of a real Christian life, a life of liberty and joy and power and fullness. To have as one’s ever-present Friend, and to be conscious that one has as his ever-present Friend, the Holy Spirit, and to surrender one’s life in all its departments entirely to His control, this is true Christian living.

Comments

  1. I’ve always been of the opinion that if something is dwelling in me to influence and change me, as does the Father (I Jn. 412), the Son (Gal. 2:20), and the Holy Spirit (II Tim. 1:14), then it had better be God.

  2. Chris,

    I’m sorry but God does not possess anyone, or …entirely to His control… or …take complete possession of our lives…

    Isn’t there a verse in the Bible where it says, God does not possess?

    That would type of teaching would teach God controls you, and over steps our free will.

    Now there is a such thing which is deep about God working with your holy spirit, your gift that He gave to you. It’s called the 5 spiritual senses, God works with your personal holy spirit and shows you what to do, in a given situation.

    But never over comes you as a believer, and takes over, I can’t find anything in the Word where it teaches that.

    Jim

    • Jim, are you married? I ask because as a member of The Body of Christ we can use that scenario for comparison. In a sense, when a couple is married they are working on becoming one. You see in the beginning man was…then Father God caused a sleep to fall on Adam…well, you know the scripture. I guess the point is once Adam woke up he learned naming millions of animals in The Garden was easy because now the real work was gonna start. ;>) Anyway after Adam and Eve were introduced to each other the work cut out for them was to become one again.

      They…let me repeat that …THEY were to work at becoming so close that each knew the others thoughts and desires. And the true test of love was that each would not on purpose harm the other mentally, physically, emotionally, etc. They each in a sense were working to possess the other so much that there could be a divine union, an expression of love that could not be divided.

      So it is with The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s desire is to know you more, trust you more, work with you more. And it should your desire to know The Holy Spirit more, trust The Holy Spirit more, work with The Holy Spirit more. Each, let me repeat, EACH of us should be growing together with the The Holy Spirit in such a fashion that we possess The Holy Spirit. Why? Because this type of possession can only happen as each grow in love and respect for the other.

      I think the break down in your understanding to what Chris was saying is maybe you were thinking on the lines of slavery or servant-hood. A true marriage is never about dominion one over the other because that type of possession makes the other an object. Satan dominates, Daddy God partners. We own a car, give orders to a dog, sell a house. True submission from the heart only happens in the realm of respect. A person may work for a boss, but if the employee does not respect the boss the employee will talk behind the bosses back, steal from the company…just will flat out rebel if not openly then behind closed doors. In The Garden, Daddy God gave us dominion over creation not over each other. He flat out told us to work together, not dominate each other.

      A true marriage understands respect of personal identity yet will blend to become stronger which requires intimacy on the deepest level…in the spirit. That type of intimacy knows by a 6th sense, so to speak, that today a quiet gift of flowers will be louder than a school band playing I Got You Babe. I think you get my drift. That type of possession is an expression of true love & reveals a desire not for a servant but a partner. And that my friend is the type of possession The Holy Spirit wants with us each. The Holy Spirit desires more of you, to possess you on the deepest of love levels. Do we desire to possess The Holy Spirit likewise? We should.

      Have a great week,
      Mark (Cov)

      • Ok, first of all let’s get this straight, once your born again, or born from above, you receive a gift or holy spirit from God by grace only, not by works, right?

        Now that being stated, you have holy spirit, the gift that the Giver gave to you. Now, no where in the Word of God, does it say, THAT holy spirit can be taken away. So once you have it, you have it, (if you want to use the word possess, ok, but in this context, you possess it once, or get it, or receive it once, and that is it). We can’t possess it over and over, and I understand your not speaking against that, but where your stepping out of bounds with the Word is when you say God possesses you or me.

        No where does the Word teach that, I’ll eat my Bible if you can break the Greek down and show me, no it doesn’t, it’s not available. God set it up this way, He can’t over step the Free Will law He set up. Sorry

        But, But, But what about all those stories that teach God works this way, God overcoming them and taking over there body, and communicate that God possessed them?

        I personally don’t care what people say, I mean I do, but I base my study and knowledge on the Word.

        For example, you mentioned Adam and Eve, as being one, do you really know what that means before you teach this stuff, or are you taking a crack at it?

        Study “naked”, when you get down the greatest common denominator of that meaning and context involved, this word means — not naked like most students of the think,

        Naked means there was nothing between them, as a marriage, no lies, secrets, nothing, there conversation was pure, holding nothing back, believing in each-other, one on one as being one. Being as one is a fig. as well, they were not one physically, but mentally.

        …each of us should be growing together with the Holy Spirit… Yes that’s the truth and I could back that up with the Word of God.

        But then you step out of bounds dealing with the Word of God and I can’t back it up, when you say,
        …a fashion that we possess the Holy Spirit… Upper case, but it should be lower case. I’m not trying to pick on ya, but when it comes to the Word, I have to know it’s the Word.

        Anyway, let’s get this “possess” thing out of the way, what do you really mean by that word?

        Being possessed?
        Possessing the holy spirit?
        the Holy Spirit (God) possessing you as a believer?

        Anyway, you can see where I’m coming from, if I can’t see it from the Word’s prospective, I wont even try to apply it, I have to see it. Now if someone can show me by the Word and prove it in the Greek and context, Hebrew. And no private interpretation, ok then. Im meek to that, that being the Word, not mans work.

        Bless ya, I didn’t proof read it so,

        • Jim, your hang-up appears to be on ‘free will’. Once you have been regenerated by God the Spirit, your will becomes His will. You submit to Christ as Lord, Master, Overseer of your soul. Your life is not your own, you were bought at a price. You no longer live in rebellion, but now are being conformed to His image. Your will desires what He desires. God will not allow you to use your ‘free will’ to override His will, to sin against Him, or live contrary to His will; if you do and if you belong to Him, you will be disciplined by Him. Submission to Christ is part of being His child. We have freedom in Christ, but that freedom must align itself with His will.

        • Yep Jim, I see where your coming from and am glad your of a mind to study. That’s a good thing to be willing to learn.

          I took a fella hunting a couple years ago. It was interesting. There is a family of mountain lions that travel the creek bottom and he wanted to bag one. You know…help the ranchers and such. Well here we go…he with his 45-70 and dragging a chain to hold the trap. That chain kept snagging on saplings, bouncing off rocks. Me, I didn’t say a word…I just followed. About halfway there he stopped and told me to whisper if I needed to speak cause he didn’t want to spook the mountain lion. I just smiled and nodded ok. After the chilly hike, we headed back to my house. I made a pot of coffee and my friend began to tell me all he learned watching the nature channel on tv about mountain lions. After teaching me and warning me to be careful, he jumped in his big four wheel drive truck and headed back to his house in town. He has a neat two story house just down the street from the grocery store. Well Jim, hope ya like my story. We are all safe…my friend and I made it out of the woods several times…as a matter of fact he called the other day to check on me and I appreciate it. And back around Christmas I saw that mountain lion family…she had two cubs.

          Ok Jim…question.

          Which of these two, The Law or Grace preserves life and builds a companionship?

          Well, I need to run a friend into town…have a great week.

          Mark (Cov)

          • AAHAHAHAhaha! MARK! You’re too funny! OK, here’s my story. I live in LA. see and I had a yeller dog. Now he got to barken one night and I went to see and there was this armadillo trying to dig up under our porch. I got my gloves on went back out with my yeller dog and grabbed that critter by the tail but those sharp claws were dug in and the back ones were slinging dirt in my face. So I backed off and told yeller to “get him boy” well yeller brought the blood but couldn’t get him out either so I called him off went calmly into the house and put a 5 cup pirex in the microwave. I walked back out, warned the little critter and then poured the scalding water on him. The next day when I told the story someone asked. Why didn’t ya shoot it? I said, I’d never do that to one of Gods critters, besides, I wanted him to remember me.

            Just sayen!
            btw, True Story! You’ve never seen anything squeal like that or run so fast the other way! I felt kinda bad. Maybe I shoulda just shot him.

            What it has to do with anything I don’t know but there ya go!

        • I’m only doing this because I want you to, as you say, eat your bible! *chuckle* I think maybe we tend to view the word “possessed” with such a negativity that we miss it’s true meaning. God never forces Himself upon man and possesses them but that was not the issue of the post. The issue was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and I think the scriptures definition and scriptures below back that up 100%. I think you just viewed the word possessed negatively. Not even a demon can possess against our will. Even in the OT Abram and Sari were possessed by the Holy Spirit when God changed their names to Abra”h”am and Sara”h” Genesis 17:5. I you study the reason for the name change you’ll find out that the “h” was the Ruach HaKodesh.

          Definition:
          possessed [pəˈzɛst]
          adj
          1. (foll by of) owning or having
          2. (usually postpositive) under the influence of a powerful force, such as a spirit or strong emotion
          3. a less common word for self-possessed

          Biblical Equivalent:
          1.) 1Cr 6:19-20 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Ruach HaKodesh which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
          also
          Pro 8:22 (NKJV)
          “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

          Psa 74:2 (HNV)
          Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, Which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Tziyon, in which you have lived.

          Act 20:28 (HNV)
          Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Ruach HaKodesh has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Spirit_(Judaism)

          OH RATS! I MISREAD YOUR POST. OK I GUESS THE BIBLE EATING THING IS OUT! YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CAN THE HOLY SPIRIT BE TAKEN AWAY. NO, IT CAN’T. I AGREE WITH YOU. ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT WAS NOT THE CASE IN THE OT BEFORE PENTECOST.

          BE BLESSED AND WELL MY FRIEND. 🙂

  3. The Holy Spirit can be our best friend, and walk with us constantly, at least if we allow Him too. It is a process of getting to trust & know Him and understand His movement.

    To yield to His Word, His will and His ways. To let Him rise up in you without quenching Him. I am trying 🙂

    Sometimes I have quenched Him only to later beg for forgiveness and ask for a do over in those situations, another chance to for Him to move through me like He would like to.

    I wouldn’t call it possession but I would call it indwelling to a point of allowing Him to flow freely without us interfering with His movement.

    I ask for fresh oil, and a new annoiting quite often. I ask Him to fill me with more of Him alot. He does fill me up and for that I am Grateful and Honored. The filling has also been a process in allowing Him to remove those things not of Him that were in me.

    I had to become completely transparent, I had to allow Him to expose things in me and my behavior that were not of Him. Sometimes I felt completely picked and plucked and others raw like tender fresh skin. But afterwardsa always better, stronger, and with a stronger sense of oneness with HIm.

    I walk with Him and talk with Him, Sometimes in my moments of pain I cry to Him, and in my moments of anger I yell to Him. I laugh with Him and talk with Him all the time.

    He is always there. I am learning He wont leave my side.
    He is just, Kind,and Comforting.

    I am working on learning and believing He will be good to me because I Love Him with all my Heart a Heart he is healing and turning into His. I am glad He finishes what He starts in us !

    • Have you ever worked the “Christ in YOU”, in Col. right?

      Well, that Christ in you, means, that gift with in, that holy spirit, that spirit with in, however people want to state it, is complete in you.

      Now as students or workman of the Word we have to ask the question. What is completeness? what does this mean, how complete?

      For example, if you are a glass of water with no water in it, lets call that person — body and soul.

      If you are a glass of water with water, and the water is alllll the way to the brim, to the top, not overflowing, but to the top. Now let’s call this person — body, soul, spirit, a believer, or someone that has Christ in them and their complete in him.

      How Complete? All the way to the top. completely, completely, complete.

      Now we have to ask another question where most Christians loose the Word, are you complete, YES. But can that completeness go way, or be taken away, or ripped away from you as your a bad believer?

      mmmmmmm, no, no where in the Word does it state, God the Giver, that gives you a gift (holy spirit) will take it away.

      So we as students keep asking the important questions about the holy spirit and go to His Word to find out how it works. So, God being Spirit, which gave YOU spirit or holy spirit (lower case), How does He work with your spirit to communicate to your mind, which involves thoughts? Good question isn’t it, we have to understand these questions to understand God how He works within us, and then were not just guessing all the time HOW HE does, then we’ll have the word to back us up and then you’ll have confidence in this cat.

      Anyway, Studying the Christ in you, will give these answers, and some times to get a question answered it might take 5 years of study, patience right?

      But I have been studying this field for a while and have a pretty goood idea on this stuff, so give me one question and I’ll see if I can answer it. From the Words prospective, not mine. We see that everyday don’t we?

      Jim

  4. I like to think about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit this way.

    I am a house and my heart are the rooms where I live. The Holy Spirit lives with me. Sometimes He is in the same room, sometimes He isn’t. He can sometimes not follow me into these rooms. I miss Him when he doesn’t.

    When together we visit, He gives me refreshing living water to drink, He teaches me truth, we cuddle and as I read His word He teaches me. He feeds me His knowledge. He wipes away my tears.

    Each day I have to go out into the world that satan controls. The Holy Spirit is with me but I’m the active participant in the world. I bring back stuff on my shoes, or maybe drag back an ugly couch I thought might be comfy to sit on, or marbles that I thought I might want to play with.

    He teaches me how to clean my house because I’m going to trip on those marbles or become lazy on that couch. If I listen and obey and we grow in our relationship and the house is a glorious place.

    If I don’t obey and go to another room to avoid Him and watch t.v. the house will quickly become a mess. If I clean out the junk satan sold me at that rubbish sale then I won’t stumble over it and I won’t grieve the Holy Spirit. If I put off cleaning it becomes harder and harder. He’s there but that old couch and a bunch of other junk is separating us. I can no longer fully enjoy our relationship. I can sometimes mistakenly blame Him for not cleaning house when actually He wasn’t the one who brought the junk in and when I stop to consider He’s always helping me clean house when I’m willing to do it. So ok, it’s not His fault but can’t He just blink it away? No, He’s the comforter, counselor, the one who guards and protects me. He’s the one who covers my sin and empowers me with strength to recognize and repent and clean my house and He teaches me to sing while I work.

    As I clean He points out all the lovely things He has decorated my house with. He shows me the difference between rubbish and righteousness. We talk about my day, how he whispered in my ear when satan tried to pawn off that ugly old couch. I learn to turn off the t.v. so I can hear His voice and I realize He’s the best one to control the remote.

    He teaches me not to hang on to curtains of hurt. Let go of bullets of bitterness I thought I might need some day. He explains that the doormat of anger I stuck in the entry works better just outside the door. It will only trip me up in the entry way. I notice now that I follow Him from room to room. Funny, He used to follow me until I learned I like it better following Him. I also notice I talk about Him more and more when I’m out in the world.

    That’s my fairy tale existence with Him. Or is it? I think it’s more real than I can even know and it’s abundantly more than I can ever ask for or imagine. And soon there will be a wedding and I will be transformed from being His child to being His bride. Wow! I can’t wait! 🙂

    • ooo Tess my man,

      There’s is no some times… God is with you all the time. Period. And I can back that up with the Word.

      Now, God being with you and not being with you, at times. Not the Word, this type of teaching leads believers to condemnation in some way, shape or form, just think about it a little, you’ll see it.

      Kind of a cool analogy but it’ll lead you to confusion how God Works with you.

      The Word says you have the gift, Christ in you, What does that mean to you?

      Better question, what does the Word mean when it says that to us as believers? Well, if complete means complete, that means were complete! It really that simple. How complete, we have to ask the question, keep studying it, to see how complete.

      Here’s one for you to get started on your quest of finding out how complete you really are by God giving you that gift, YOU didn’t have to work for.

      When God makes, forms, creates something, Do you think He makes it half-ass, or halfhearted? NO,NO!

      It’s complete, so how complete are you by way of the holy spirit that God gave you as the Giver?

      jim

    • Tess, all biblical truth is parallel and can be explained with a language that a child can understand…and I can understand what you wrote. 🙂 Sitting here, I’m thinking about how you explain you and The Holy Spirit communicate more and more. That is neat. Have you ever noticed how some young married folks have a bossy “partner” and the only way you can tell they are married is they seem to be traveling together? But that old couple that has learned holding hands is not to control but rather an outward expression of an inward connection gives hope.

      My experience has been similar. As I have matured in my relationship I have learned The Holy Spirit wants a true friend, a lover of the heart that is not embarrassed of expression. True enough, you don’t clean house down at the public square. And you should not have to carry the marriage license either just to prove…uhhh…that we are Christians. 😉

      Thanks and have a great week,
      Mark (Cov)

      • Thank you Mark,
        I have noticed the “bossy partner” thing. Aren’t we all kinda like that in our relationship with the Lord? We want to control our lives and claim that He’s in charge but often that’s not the case at all. We pick and choose what we allow Him to control.

        It’s kinda like the “control of the remote” issues people have. Now mind you, I dislike t.v. and rarely ever watch it but using the analogy I find helps alot. I realized somewhere along the way that I was not allowing the Lord total control of the remote. I’d pick my viewing and then expect Him to go along with my choices.

        Then I felt guilty and offered to share the remote but I didn’t always like His choices and he only had control when I allowed it.

        I mean really His choices seem so wholesome all the time and our fleshly selves just want to see a good ole violent or worldly show.

        But I started more and more to like His choices and was finally able to give total control of the remote to God. Now He and I watch the most wonderful things. Good for the soul Godly shows not earthly garbage. Now that He has total control the things He shows me are amazing and good for learning and walking in His light. I don’t care about who shot J.R. anymore. I want to know where Moses crossed over or Noah landed.

        As for the real life t.v. and remote. If we would all turn that satan owned cesspool off we’d be surprised how quickly we’d start to dislike it.

        We claim to be Christians and then daily we invited murder, blasphemy, sex, dysfunctional families and relationship and every evil concept into our homes to subtly pollute our minds, souls, children and total living environment.
        We participate and then don’t want to admit how much it really affects us.

        Shalom! 🙂

        • Love the remote Thing Sis 🙂 I get it
          Be Blessed and continue to seek His Face
          Donna

        • Like the remote analogy as well. The things of God are very simple, and yet complex. Another thing I have noticed is scripture actually is applicable in our daily life which adds value once we recognize that tidbit. To have possession of the remote is to have possession of responsibility. And the remote in our daily life seems to me would be our eyes, ears, and mouth. Thank you…thinking the mute button is a good one to use on the temptations that somehow seem to cross everyone’s life path.

          One of the things I have learned is Daddy God through The Holy Spirit talks to us consistently in the same manner but individually. It cuts down on the confusion and helps us recognize His voice. I began to learn that when I had a DUH moment. As a teenager I went stomping up to my dad and demanded to know why he treated me different than my brother. Imagine that…a kid demanding something. Interesting thing is my dad answered me calmly…but firmly. His response was…because he is different than you. I had a HUH moment then, but my dad explained. My dad pointed out that my brother was seven years younger than me, that his attention span was different, etc…and of course my dad pointed out God made us each unique.

          Since Daddy God on purpose made us each distinctive, it would be a dishonor to treat us exactly the same. We each, my brother and I, had our chores but our strength levels were different…some talents were different. And so our assignments were different. To use the mute button on my mouth so my ears could hear, or changing the channel so my eyes don’t filter muck has been a growth experience. 😉 Powerful little thing that remote.

          Have a great day…shalom alechem.
          Mark (Cov)

          • And, aleikhem shalom to you my brother-in-Christ.

            I agree, we all are distinctly unique and beloved by our Father, Abba.

            One of the best learning moments was when I realized it’s not what you look at it’s what you see and I’ve learned I have to listen to really hear. The wonders of our God! I’m happy to be stuck in the wonderment of it all.

            I breath now and just wait to be in His presence before I start to pray. That one was huge for me. I used to just talk and talk in prayer but now I bring each person or issue up and just lay it at His feet. I don’t explain it, mentally work it, beg to have it or do all the brain work. I just put it before Him in prayer and I’ve found it stays right there, safe and sound in the arms of the God who knows it all and cares.

            Pardes my friend. I read the bible and let the Holy Spirit lead me, knowing I’ll come upon the same scripture tomorrow and another truth about that same scripture will sparkle anew.

            Ever to seek His face. There’s nothing better! 🙂

        • That being said,

          Now how important is Ephesians 4:2, which I call the fab. 4.

          Humility
          meekness
          Longsuffering
          forebearing one another in Love

          Now, how can we have meekness with out Humility? We cant

          How can we have longsuffering with out Meekness? we cant

          How can we have Longsuffering with out Love? We can’t

          You mentioned humility, and Ephesians 4, 5, 6 are the practical side of Ephesians.

          And what did God start out teaching us, how important it is to have a balanced walk and He starts it with Humility.

          Jim

  5. Too funny Jim,
    You got my gender wrong! LOL I think you may have also misunderstood my feelings on the matter as well. The Holy Spirit does dwell in me and He is with me ALL the time. But we all war against the flesh. Perfection in Him is a certainty but we, as Paul says in Philippians 3:12-13 are finished products yet.

    I’m not sure where you think I have it wrong. Could you be more specific please?

    • …The Holy Spirit does dwell in me and He is with me ALL the time. …

      Question, do you think your holy spirit can be ripped away? simple question.

      Jim

      • No Jim,
        I don’t believe the Holy Spirit can be ripped away. I’m not sure if your question was directed at me but that’s my answer and I believe that position is very clear in the Word of God.

        I do think the Holy Spirit worked differently in the OT. Psalm 51:11 I haven’t studied that thoroughly however.

        Be blessed and well! 🙂

  6. I’m still laughing! I can’t believe someone can use a housekeeping analogy and Jim doesn’t pick up the gender thing! hahahahaha!!! and did he read the end of the story? hahaha!!! Just joshen with ya Jim!