Filter by Categories
Whither the Holy Spirit?
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit does not send greetings in the epistolary salutations of the New Testament letters, as there is no Third Person in the God family to offer them. The Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are the only divine Persons, sending Their personal greetings of grace, mercy, and peace to the church. The Holy Spirit, not being a separate entity, is the divine essence of both the Father and the Son, residing in each of God's chosen sons and daughters. Jesus Christ, who most often interacts with humans, is frequently identified as the Spirit by the apostles, with Paul plainly stating in II Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit." The Spirit is also the means by which the Father and the Son live in us, interact with us, empower us, and enable us throughout our developing relationship with Them. Through the Spirit, Christ is in us, and thus the Father is in us as well, uniting us with both of Them in spirit and guiding us to become united with Them in character, as Jesus prays in John 17:20-23 for believers to be one with Them.
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit in us represents the essence of God's mind, taking up residence in our hearts and minds to transform us into the image of the Father and the Son. It is not a physical presence but a spiritual union, reflecting a close relationship with God, where His characteristics, mind, character, attitudes, perspectives, morals, love, faithfulness, and submission to the Father are transferred to us as we yield to Him. Through His Spirit, God actively works to convert us, putting His laws into our hearts and writing them in our minds, a supernatural act of creation that shapes us like a potter forms clay. This Spirit empowers us to change from glory to glory, enabling us to believe and carry out His will through His Word and direct involvement in our lives. God sends forth His Spirit to project His thoughts into our minds, triggering choices and inspiring actions that align with His purpose, as He did when making us aware of imperatives like keeping the Sabbath. It is by His Spirit that we are created, prepared to understand and receive the essence of His mind, so that we may reflect His character and morals, becoming like Him in the image of our Father. The Holy Spirit, as the essence of God's mind, resides in us, not as a physical entity, but through the influence of His truth and power, guiding us to submit to His will and keep His law in spirit, not just in letter. God has empowered us to worship Him in spirit and truth, focusing His attention on us as the apple of His eye, developing His presence in us as we grow in union with Him and the Son. This transformative process is fueled by His Spirit, which purifies our thinking and impels us toward abundant and everlasting life, glorifying Him through our conduct and relationship with Him.
The Holy Spirit: The Power of God
Sermon by Kim MyersThe Holy Spirit in us is a vital force that enables us to comprehend God's way of life, His laws, and His doctrines, transforming us into true Christians and Firstfruits. It is through the Holy Spirit that we become children of God and receive the promise of eternal life. When the Holy Spirit actively works within us, our lives bear the fruit of the Spirit, manifesting love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and self-control, which are elements of God's very character. The Holy Spirit is not a third being or part of a trinity, but the power and mind of God, poured out to us, granting us the ability to understand spiritual truths and overcome sin. God lives in us through the Holy Spirit as we grow spiritually by keeping His laws and living His way of life. The Holy Spirit is given to those whom God calls, who repent, change their lives, and are baptized, opening their minds to the mysteries of truth essential for salvation. It intercedes for us, aids in prayer, provides wisdom and understanding, teaches us God's way, and comforts us in our struggles. The Holy Spirit shapes traits in us to produce its fruit, guiding us to live under God's laws and rule. The gift of the Holy Spirit, offered only to those called as first fruits since Christ established His church, brings eternal life to those faithful and obedient to God's laws and doctrines. It saves us from eternal death, leading us to the gift of eternal life despite our mortal nature and past sins. Given at baptism, the Holy Spirit empowers us to change, understand God's laws and way of life, and bear spiritual fruit, reflecting a sound mind and God's divine nature. Yielding to the Holy Spirit allows God to carry out His will through us, providing the faith needed to overcome sin and grasp spiritual things.
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit is the essence of God's mind, embodying His power over all creation and residing in the sovereignty of His governance and purpose. It is through His Spirit that God acts instantaneously to ensure His will is done, with an awareness so vast and precise that no thought can be withheld from Him. God's Spirit interfaces with man's spirit, enabling revelation, illumination, and inspiration, which are essential for spiritual creation and transformation. These processes allow us to know that God is, to understand Him as our Creator, Savior, and Friend, and to align with His purpose for true success in life. God's Spirit is holy, distinct, and transcendentally pure, infinitely good in all it motivates and energizes, surpassing the spirits of man or satan in purity, knowledge, and character. It replaces the destructive mood and attitude of satan's spirit with one that is joyous, positive, and selfless, freeing us from bondage to failure. By His Spirit, God equips us to discern rightly and make good choices, providing the inclination and power to use knowledge for good rather than evil. The Holy Spirit, as the essence of God's mind, reveals knowledge of Himself and His works through words that are spirit and life, quickening and making alive. Unlike human words, which may not always bring life, God's words consistently activate and motivate when they reach our minds. Through His Spirit, God directly and personally interfaces with us, drawing us to Him in a calling that varies in form but always involves His revelation and transformative power.
Spirituality and True Conversion
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe must guard against the fuzzy, emotional spirituality without a Deity, based upon a worldly syncretism of Eastern and Western philosophical thought.
Holy Days: Pentecost
Bible Study by Earl L. HennThe late spring Feast of Pentecost shows the harvest of firstfruits, God's church. It is a continual reminder of our part in God's plan!
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit is never venerated as a separate being. Our hope is the indwelling of Christ, used interchangeably with 'Spirit of God' and 'Spirit of Truth.'
Peace With God
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsLike the restless motions of the sea, man will always have conflict without God's intervention and without the guiding influence of God's Holy Spirit.
What is Acceptable to the Lord
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWhile Jesus associated with harlots and publicans, He did not condone their works nor had fellowship with the works of darkness. We must follow His example.
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Eight)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJesus Christ and God the Father are one in spirit and purpose, purposing to draw us toward that same kind of unity that currently exists between them.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twelve)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe fault of the Old Covenant was with the hearts of the people. Christ took it upon Himself to amend the fault enabling us to keep the commandments.
Peace with God Through Christ
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe only possibility of attaining peace is a relationship with God—peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which must continually be refined.
Made Alive by Exceeding Greatness!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod granted humans a limited measure of power and dominion at creation, but not until the Day of Pentecost of 31 AD did their potential become fully operative.