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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By Dr Joyce, the author
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one seeks God. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no difference.” — Rom. 3:10, 21–22 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
We bring you this week the concluding part of “A Righteousness Revolution,” published last week. For ease of reference, we recap the last paragraph of last week’s article. Please enjoy and pass it on!
THE GOAL OF THIS TRANSFORMATION
What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.
TO BECOME LIKE GOD IN CHARACTER
The whole concept can be summed up in the simple and astonishing statement that we are to become like God. Not like God in power; we can never aspire to that, although we can move in much greater power than many Christians have ever imagined. But like God in character.
We are to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” — Eph. 5:24; the “new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” — Col. 3:10. “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” — 2 Cor. 3:18. “When He appears we shall be like Him” — 1 John 3:2. We are to “participate in the divine nature” — 2 Pet. 1:4. We can have “the mind of Christ” — 1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:5. (Emphasis added in each case.)
Adam and Eve were created in the image of God — Gen. 1:26. With Adam’s Fall, much of that image was lost. But with Christ’s sacrifice for us, those who accept Him as Lord and Saviour can be restored into God’s image.
“Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man [the first Adam], so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven [the second Adam, Jesus Christ]” — 1 Cor. 15:49.
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” — John 14:12.
We think of this (if we dare think of it at all) as meaning that we can heal, cast out demons and even raise people from the dead. It does mean that, and people who have faith in Jesus Christ are doing that now. But does it not mean more?
Jesus said that He did only what He saw the Father doing and spoke only the words the Father gave Him. Can we, should we, expect to do the same? He said, “I and the Father are one.” Can we expect this for ourselves? He said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” — John 14:9. Can this be said of us?
Paul told the Corinthians that they were “clearly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” — 2 Cor. 3:3 (NKJV).
Is this not part of what it means to “be” His witness — Acts 1:8 — so that people can look at us and see Christ? We are to be witnesses by who we are, not just what we say. Jesus expects that there will be something different about us, that people will be able to look at us and know that we are His disciples — John 13:35.
He said of His disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it” — John 17:16.
His demands are to imitate and model Christ’s behaviour and to be clear reflections of the Lord — Matthew 5:16.
ESTABLISHING OUR ATTITUDE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Writing from a prison cell in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote about the attitude a Christian should have: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” — Philippians 1:27.
He is telling us that no matter what unexpected disruptions, frustrations or difficulties come our way, we are to respond with a Christ-like attitude.
Paul later writes, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ” — Philippians 2:5. He also encourages us in Ephesians 5:1 to be “imitators of Christ as dearly beloved children.”
As children love to imitate what they see and repeat what they hear, we also are charged to imitate and model Christ’s behaviour and to be clear reflections of the Lord.
Jesus maintained a perfect attitude in every situation because He prayed about everything and worried about nothing. We, too, should seek God’s guidance about every aspect of our lives and allow Him to work out His perfect will without interference.
Jesus’ attitude was never to become defensive, discouraged or depressed because His goal was to please the Father rather than to achieve His own agenda.
In the midst of trials, He was patient. In the midst of suffering, He was hopeful. In the midst of blessing, He was humble. Even in the midst of ridicule, abuse and hostility, He “made no threats . . . and did not retaliate. Instead He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” — 1 Peter 2:23.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS: LOVING MUHAMMAD MEANS FOLLOWING MUHAMMAD
We say: “We love the Prophet.”
Alhamdulillah.
But the real test of love is not how loudly we shout when someone insults him.
The real test is: Do we behave as he behaved?
Allah says: “Indeed, you are surely of outstanding character.” (Qur’an 68:4)
And Allah says: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.” (Qur’an 33:21)
Therefore, if we claim to defend Muhammad (pbuh) but abandon his patience, mercy, justice and wisdom, we must ask ourselves:
Are we really defending him or are we betraying his example?
AN INSULT DOES NOT MAKE A PRIVATE PERSON A JUDGE AND EXECUTIONER
This point must be understood clearly.
Islam has laws concerning crimes.
Islam has courts.
Islam has legitimate authority.
Islam does not turn every angry individual into judge, jury and executioner.
The Qur’an says: “O believers! Stand firm for justice.” (Qur’an 4:135)
And the Prophet gave severe warnings against unlawful killing.
He said: “Whoever kills a person under covenant will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, 3166)
Therefore, no Muslim should stand in a mosque and mobilize ordinary people to kill another person because of an insult.
That is not prophetic leadership.
That is not emotional courage.
That is not the Sunnah.
And it is certainly not a license for vigilantism.
If an offence has been committed, report it.
If a crime has been committed, let the competent authorities investigate it.
If punishment is legally warranted, let lawful judicial institutions determine it.
The Ghana Police Service has itself reminded religious leaders and the public that freedom of religion or expression cannot be used to justify inciting violence or encouraging people to harm others.
For Muslims, this is not merely a question of Ghanaian law.
It is also a question of taqwā (fear of Allah).
THE PROPHET TAUGHT US HOW TO SPEAK
Allah says: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in the best manner.” (Qur’an 16:125)
This is the Islamic methodology of da’wah:
Wisdom.
Good counsel.
Best argument.
Not abuse.
Not threats.
Not mob action.
Not revenge.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN SOMEONE INSULTS THE PROPHET MOHAMMED (PBUH)?
Servants of Allah, remember these SEVEN STEPS.
1. PAUSE
Do not react while you are angry.
Allah praises those: “Those who restrain anger and pardon people.” (Qur’an 3:134)
2. VERIFY
Do not forward every video.
Do not believe every audio.
Do not react to an edited clip without knowing the context.
10 | P a g e
Allah says: “Then verify.” (Qur’an 49:6)
3. DO NOT RETALIATE WITH AN INSULT
Remember Qur’an 6:108.
We do not insult Jesus (Peace be upon him).
We do not insult Christianity.
We do not insult churches.
We do not insult the Bible.
We can disagree theologically while remaining respectful.
The author is the chief Imam of katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Exper
