Fruitful Living
The personality of the Holy Spirit
“If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Last Sunday 5th June, 2022 was Pentecost Sunday – we celebrated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles like “flames of fire that were separated and stood over each person there” – Acts 2:3. The church age began as the apostles were “filled with the Holy Spirit” and “began to speak different languages by the power of the Holy Spirit was giving them” – Acts 2:4. Then, and now, people are dramatically changed as the Spirit enters their lives.
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
There are spirits and there are spirits, but the Holy Spirit is distinct and unique from every other spirit. Jesus gives an apt description of Him in John 15:26. He calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, and testifies about Him.” In that brief description, we see the Holy Spirit as having a connection with both God the Father, and God the Son. But just what exactly is this connection? Is it close? Is it distant? Are they mere acquaintances or do they have a deeper relationship?
The Holy Spirit is many things, but He is most importantly the third person in the Trinity. He is one with God the Father and God the Son. He is in fact God the Spirit, the crucial third Person in that God triangle that, though three, are One in mind and purpose.
The Holy Spirit of God is a Person. As much as the Father and Son are Persons, and, therefore, experience all the sinless elements involved within a divine personality.
9 Things that tell us the Holy Spirit is a Person
A. HE HAS A MIND
“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” – Rom. 8:27 (NIV). The first “He” in this verse is a reference to the Son of God, as seen in verse 34 of Romans 8, while the second “He” refers to the Holy Spirit Himself. What a fantastic truth is seen here, for the believer enjoys the intercessory ministry of both the Son and Holy Spirit.
B. HE SEARCHES OUT THE HUMAN MIND
“These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” – 1 Cor. 2:10. In the verse just prior to this (2:9) Paul paraphrases from Isaiah 64:4 and writes: “Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. Because of this, some have erroneously concluded that it is impossible for even the redeemed to know anything concerning heaven. But in 1 Cor. 2:10, we are told that the Holy Spirit reveals such things to us.
C. HE HAS A WILL
“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” – 1 Cor. 12:11. This is a reference to the various spiritual gifts which the Holy Spirit imparts to believers as He determines.
D. HE FORBIDS
“Paul and his companions travelled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” – Acts 16:6-7 (NIV) Here Paul, Silas, and Timothy were prohibited from going to two possible mission fields by the Spirit.
E. HE PERMITS
“After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” – Acts 16:10. This explains the reason for the previous prohibition.
F. HE SPEAKS. NOTE TO WHOM HE SPEAKS
1. To Philip in a desert. “The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” – Acts 8:29
2. To Peter on a housetop. “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.” – Acts 10:19
3. To some elders in Antioch. “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” – Acts 13:2
4. To seven churches in Asia Minor – Rev. chapters 2 and 3. On no less than seven occasions (one to each church) do we read the words “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. – Rev. 2:7, 11, 17,29; 3:6, 13, 22.
G. HE LOVES
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” – Rom. 15:30. It is wonderful to know that each believer is loved by the Father – John 14:21; 16:27; 2 Cor. 9:7; Eph. 2:4; 2 Thess. 2:16
H. HE GRIEVES
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The command here is, literally, “stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God.” They were already doing this – Rev. 2:4. This grieving attributes of the Holy Spirit is really an extension of His love, for while one may be angered by His enemies, He can only be grieved by those He loves.
I. HE PRAYS
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” – Rom. 8:26. In the difficult moments of our lives, how comforting it is to know we are prayed for, perhaps by family members or some godly pastor, but how much more blessed to realise that the Holy Spirit of God offers up fervent and effective prayer for us. In the New Testament alone there are some 261 passages which refer to the Holy Spirit. He is mentioned 56 times in the Gospels, 57 times in the book of Acts, 112 times in the Pauline epistles, and 36 times in the remaining New Testament.
CONCLUSION
The Holy Spirit is not just a figment of imagination, He is one with God and so on this day when we commemorate the outpouring of the coming fully on earth, let’s put our faith in Jesus our Saviour and Lord and accept Him because the Holy Spirit is a person with a mind of His own is one with God.
Our blest Redeemer ere He breathed – MHB 283
1 Our blest Redeemer ere He breathed
His tender last farewell,
A guide, a comforter, bequeathed
With us to dwell.
2 He came in semblance of a dove,
With sheltering wings outspread,
The holy balm of peace and love
On earth to shed.
3 He came in tongues of living flame
To teach, convince, subdue,
All powerful as the wind He came
As viewless too.
4 He comes sweet influence to impart,
A gracious, willing guest,
While He can find one humble heart
Wherein to rest.
5 And His that gentle voice we hear,
Soft as the breath of even,
That checks each fault, that calms each fear,
And speaks of Heav’n.
6 And every virtue we possess,
And every conquest won,
And every thought of holiness,
Are His alone.
Harriet Auber (1773-1862)
Stay blessed!
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Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightgh.org
By Dr Joyce, the author
Fruitful Living
Environmental degradation in contemporary times (Part 3)
Unfortunately, some anti-social human activities today often breach these Islamic principles :
• Illegal mining (Galamsey) leads to water pollution and destroys fertile lands.
• Improper sand mining causes land degradation and deforestation.
• Unauthorised tree felling endangers ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Encroachment on wetlands and water ways leads to urban flooding and ecological imbalance.
These destructive practices violate the ethical duty of humans as stewards of the earth and
contradict both Islamic law and state regulations.
Key International
Environmental Protocols
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – Adopted in 1971, Iran
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) – Adopted in 1982, Jamaica
• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer – Adopted in 1987
• Convention on Biological Diversity – Opened for signature at the Rio Earth Summit, 1992
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Adopted in 1992
• Kyoto Protocol – Adopted in 1997, Japan
• Paris Agreement on Climate Change – Adopted in 2015
These protocols aim to promote sustainable environmental practices, mitigate climate change, and preserve natural habitats. Islam’s emphasis on balance, responsibility, and justice aligns with the goals of these agreements.
Provisions in the 1992
Constitution of Ghana
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana upholds environmental protection:
• Article 36(9): “The State shall take appropriate measures needed to protect and
safeguard the national environment for posterity.”
• Article 41(k): “It shall be the duty of every citizen to protect and safeguard the
environment.”
These provisions demonstrate that environmental responsibility is a constitutional duty for both state and citizens.
National Legal Statutes on
Environmental Protection
Ghana has enacted various environmental laws, including:
• Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490).
This law established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the main state
institution responsible for protecting and improving Ghana’s environment.
The EPA monitors pollution, regulates industrial activities, issues environmental permits, and
ensures that development projects undergo Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)
before approval.
Purpose: To control pollution and ensure sustainable environmental practices in industries, agriculture, and urban development.
Fruitful Living
Renewing our minds (Part 1)
When someone accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, “he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17. That is why Apostle Paul advises us in Romans 12:2 (our key text) “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.” But it doesn’t end there.
A MIND TRANSFORMED
Nature abhors vacuums so when something is taken away from a space and that space is not quickly refilled, other things will start creeping in to fill up the space. The Bible gives an illustration of what happens when a vacuum is created in the life of a believer: “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”- Matthew 12:43-45.
A believer’s Christian experience is supposed to move from the initial phase of justification by faith in Christ, to daily sanctification for holy living, to glorification at Jesus’ second coming, and to eventual restoration to the pre-fall harmony between God and man. Knowing that the heart of a believer cannot be left empty after clearing it of the worldly things, Paul gives the prescription for daily sanctification with which to fill the vacuum: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
WHAT KIND OF
TRANSFORMATION?
Transformation is defined as “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance or a metamorphosis during the life cycle of an animal.” We find these kinds of transformation happening all the time around us. Examples include a baby that we see twenty years later as an adult, a cancer survivor who has regained lost weight, a new mother we saw last when she was eight months pregnant.
I have seen many actors and actresses in real life whose faces do not look as flawless at close range as they do on TV. I now know that the credit for their on-screen transformation often belongs to makeup. Similarly, a smelly room can be transformed with air freshener, people with the right clothing, and a gloomy room with the right colours and objects.
No doubt all of these examples of transformation look good, but they are all external and non-lasting forms of transformation. They are definitely not the kind of transformation Paul has in mind as capable of filling the vacuum left by non-conformity with the world’s pattern. He says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The right kind of transformation that he’s talking about here is not the one that comes from make-up slathered on, or having a particular dress on, or the right colors thrown here and there. It is the kind that comes “by the renewing of the mind.” What then is the state of the human mind that it needs to be thus renewed?
- By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
