Hello! This month a FACET shares what’s happening here as we talk about knowing and growing with God:
As we start to dig into the Persons of God this month, we wanted to preface with a bit about what we believe. We believe in one God who exists in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are three individual Persons of one magnificent God. There are numerous scriptures throughout the New Testament that reference the three Persons of God individually, and together, giving us glimpses of the personality and characteristics of God. If you wrestle with the thought of one God in three Persons, we encourage you to lean in, pray, and ask God to further reveal Himself. We pray you find comfort in the greatness and vastness of our God, knowing we will forever have more to learn about Him.
Once upon a time…
I (Jennifer) put God in a box. He seemed, like the wind, invisible. In my ignorance, I assumed the situation was like Shrödinger’s cat: He was there, but I could never be sure if He was alive or dead. (Forgive me, Father!) I couldn’t be sure of what He might or might not do…or what He definitely wouldn’t do. My rebel heart was on a rampage.
Every so often it’s still tempting to throw a little tantrum when I can’t see what He’s doing, when I don’t know which way to go in the silence, when I can’t be sure He’s working in the way I’d like. (Key words: the way I’d like!)
The real truth is: this was nothing my Abba Father couldn’t handle or lead me through, and He graciously and mercifully did!
There was Someone I didn’t know…
I wasn’t reading enough of the Bible or looking very closely at the evidence surrounding me. It was the perfect setup for a setback in what should have been an intimate relationship with my God. How I calibrated “truth” in my life and heart mattered. A person’s version of truth and reality comes from somewhere; mine was a lot “loosey-goosey.”
Who is He?
When the conversation revolves around God, only ultimate truth will do. And His identity—Father, Son, and Spirit—that’s where His holiness, bigness, and otherness leaves me (and you?) speechless. Since it’s impossible to use my limited language and experience to express His identity with specific clarity, I know better than to try, I suppose. For simplicity, I want to think about the Person of God who has been my heart’s longing to know more and more intimately: His Holy Spirit.
Spirit of God…
The Spirit! I grew up reading ‘Holy Ghost’ in my Bible. Not a wrong translation necessarily, of course, but I’ve always had a certain mindset in connection with “ghost” because I lived through the extremes of the cultural conversation about spiritual things: Casper the Friendly Ghost and Poltergeist. It’s not surprising the culture holds mistaken ideas about His identity. What a challenging way to think about spiritual things and, ultimately, the Person of God!
God in us…
We have been given an incredible gift! Father God has always been for us; Jesus, Immanuel, is God with us; and Holy Spirit is God filling us. Please know there is little I can say here that is pinpoint accurate. I’m humbled with every word I try to put on the page.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. Romans 8:9 ESV
For me, silence falls on those words.
The gift of Him and assurance…
Not only does every believer receive the presence of the Person of God, Holy Spirit, as a definite seal of belonging to God.
1 …I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12 ESV
A sure sign of life in Christ! We cannot speak truth, or perhaps even desire godly things, without the beautiful activity of His Spirit. Thank you, God, that You never wanted any of us to die apart from You (Matthew 18:14) and gifted us Your Spirit! Thank you, Spirit of mercy!
As if He were not enough…
In humility I come to these words and sit with them. Really—as if HE were not enough, He generously fills us with truth, wisdom, strength, and integrity we couldn’t even attempt to muster up!
For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.
Philippians 2:13 HCSB
And that’s why it has to be His truth, love, and power. Ours is flawed and weak in comparison. By His strength…
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit… 11 All these [gifts] are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12
Galatians 5:22-26 (fruit) and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (gifts) reveal how a believer is equipped. A range of gifts are given in order to glorify God and bless others. How generous is our God!
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 2 Peter 1:3 ESV
“All we need for life and godliness”…that’s what some translations say. Thank goodness! It’s the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes that happen.
A prayer…
I would love to pray for both of us, friend, if you’ll have it:
I’m asking You, Spirit, to do this very thing: work in us! Grant us fresh mercy.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. — Psalm 51:1-2, Psalm 51:10-12
Enable us to desire and do the will of God, which is “good and perfect and pleasing” (Romans 12:1-2). We know Your goodness, love, and holiness; and we are getting to know the things You will do! Holy Spirit, we want to be intimately knowing and growing with YOU! Help us lean into the Word of God instead of others’ takes on what the Bible says.
Neither by our human strength nor our measly power, ‘but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts’ (Zechariah 4:6).
“By my Spirit,” says the Lord. It’s a good word!
Thanks for reading, friend. Be blessed as you go today! Should you choose to share this with a friend, I’d be humbled.
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