God walking with us, or God being IN us?
God walking with us, or God being IN us, is the question? Which will it be?
We are to make the choice, God wants to be IN us, but we have to make His conditions.
God walked with man for some 4,000 years through epiphanies in the Old Testament, then God became flesh in the incarnate Christ Jesus, after the redemptive purpose of Christ (crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection) Jesus went to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and then He came in the Person of the Holy Spirit to dwell IN man who will receive Him. God’s greatest desire is to have an amalgamation with us – making us to be a completely new entity in unity with Him to do His work in the world.
A mal-ga-ma-tion = the action, process or result of combining or unifying; a completely new entity is formed to combine the assets and liabilities of both entities; to blend, comingle, fuse, merge; mingle and mix into a uniform whole; a close union without loss of individual identities; to bring together, pooling of interest to brings about a common goal.
Incarnation = God made flesh, LOGOS or Son. John says, “In the beginning was the Word (God in the fullest sense before the beginning); and the Word (LOGOS) was with God, and the Word was God; the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. The scriptures testify of the Word become flesh, incarnate Word (the birth, early years of Jesus).[1] Jesus was God in a man’s body to fulfil the eternal plan to redeem fallen man. There were several stages through which Jesus brought about that end.
God sent a forerunner to prepare the way, to prepare the soil to be sown (John the Baptist);[2] Jesus’ baptism – the seed sown, announcement to the world that Jesus was the Son;[3] Jesus temptation – the seed along the path, the rocky places, preparation for the temptations that man part of him would face;[4] Jesus’ ministry -the growing up, the falling down, and the reviving from the good see to fruition, through His trials, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection through the great commission;[5] the ascension into heaven and sat at the right hand of God.[6]
Jesus was fathered by the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Life) and mothered of a virgin (human woman) being a combination of God and man, i.e. The God-man; Jesus as a baby was called Emmanuel – “God with us.” Jesus at His birth was the incarnate God with a combination of human (woman). His mother evidently taught him the scriptures and prepared him for the next phase of his life [Protestants do not give credit where credit is due to Mary the mother of Jesus in God’s plan] At His baptism Jesus became the amalgamation- with the full unity of God with all the authority and powers of the Father/Holy Spirit.
Because of the horrible trial and death He was to face, He needed the confirmation at His baptism, and He needed the temptation experience at the outset of His ministry to deal with the devil and put him in his place, to give Him [human part of himself] the confidence to overcome the obstacles He was to face. At His baptism had the power and authority to overcome all those obstacles, yet He limited His power at His own will, by surrendering to the powers of man in order to fulfill His ultimate purpose – to die for the sins of the world.
Prior to His ascension, he reminded that all that had been done [his suffering and death, and his resurrection from the dead was written in the Scriptures from Moses time and the prophets.[7] He promised His disciples that He would return in the person of the Holy Spirit to be with them as a comforter and empower them to do the work He had commissioned them to do, and to even do mightier works than He had done. He told them to wait until they be clothed with power from on high.[8]
The Holy Spirit = “Spirit of Yahweh” (life); also, the ‘paraclete’ (advocate, helper). Another source defines the Holy Spirit as the divine force, quality, and influence of God over all things, the third person of the Trinity, intermediating between God and man.[9]
The Greek for the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is spoken of 385 times in the New Testament; 105 times in the four Gospels; 69 times in Acts; 161 times in Paul’s letters; and 50 other times elsewhere.
Jesus gives His disciples a pep talk just before He ascended to the Father, he describes the work of the Holy Spirit, and the assurance that their grief will turn to joy.[10] He would be turned over to His enemies, go through a mock trial, flog him, make his carry his cross, be nailed to it, hoisted him between heaven and earth, and die a cruel death on that cross. He would be placed in a tomb, and in three days He rose up from the dead, visited with his disciples between his resurrection and His ascension and gave them a final word of assurance that in the end He would win. In His final words, He assured them that He would come to them in the person of the Holy Spirit and empower them in ways they could never imagine.
Most mainline Christian denominations believe [with some Pentecostal exceptions] that when one repents of sin and believes in Jesus, commits one’s life to follow Jesus, one receives the Holy Spirit in their life, plain and simple. That is true to a degree, but there must be qualifications to the degree of the Holy Spirit who is received in the conversion experience.
I believe it is true that the Holy Spirit is given to those who confess Jesus and Lord, but it is kind of like Jesus’ own incarnation – He had to grow up into the fullness of His ultimate mission as the Christ.
So, what is the truth of the Holy Spirit given to those who confess Jesus as Savior and Lord? I believe that the Holy Spirit is a seed with great power – the authority and power of the omnipotent God of the universe to do great and mighty things at our conversion experience, at our “new birth,” at the time when we become a new creature. However, I believe it is a process dependent upon us, not upon God. I believe that God’s progressive revelation is revealed to us as we are able to understand it. Just as when Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures in His final address prior to His ascension.[11]
The Holy Spirit relationship with the Christian could be summed up with the potential of power and authority from the parable of the Sower and the Seed. When a Christian receives the seed of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, there are a lot of pitfalls to the amalgamation of the Holy Spirit (to be in Christ), to develop and use that authority and power of Christ. Authority and power are “in Christ.”
In Christ = a new creation; all things have passed away; one who has Christ’ undivided attention.
In Paul’s 13 epistles, “in Christ” appears 164 times; Paul’s major emphasis is on “in Christ.” “In Christ” is that one’s primary goal, a new and true center is to follow the will of God in Christ Jesus; to acknowledge that the old self is dead and the new life is now hidden with Christ in God.[12] To be “born again” ingrafted into Christ Jesus. He is the vine, we are the branches.[13] If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. The living union with Christ is absolutely necessary. In Christ you have great potential; without Him you are useless to do anything for the Kingdom of God; you are just treading water but going nowhere. So, it is important to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to be in Christ.
Pitfalls to amalgamation with the Holy Spirit (in Christ). Using the analogy of the parable of the Sower and the seed[14] we use the seed as the Holy Spirit in this way:
1. The seed falls on the path = the Holy Spirit is planted in your life at your conversion, but you just don’t have your heart in it, kind of like saying words that I confess my sins, accept Jesus, and are baptized, and go to church fairly regularly, a nominal Christian; yes, I’m a Christian but I don’t do anything from there.
2. The seed on rocky ground = there is very little soil, don’t give much time to God and His Word, just kind of skim by hoping to make it to heaven; don’t worry about this Christian thing, I kind of like having fire insurance, you know.
3. Seed falls among thorns = you are satisfied with your relationship with God; caught up with worldly pursuits – getting an education, worldly goods, money, status, career, climbing the corporate ladder, human relationships that crowd out your time for God. God is just one of those things I think about when I’m in trouble and need some help fast.
4.Seed that falls on good ground = Something is changing in my life – God is becoming the highest priority in my life; God is becomming a regular part of my day through prayer, study of the Word, and Christ-like actions; want to learn more about Jesus and how to please Him; you heart swells with Jesus to the point that you are willing to die to self and let Jesus relinquish the driver’s seat in your life; you are content to sit in the passenger seat and let Him have complete control of my life.
If one has come to that point, he/she is becoming conditioned to being amalgamated to Christ = become a completely new entity, formed to combine the assets and liabilities of both entities; to blend, comingle, fuse, merge; mingle and mix into a uniform whole; a close union without loss of individual identities, but to bring together, pooling of interest to bring about a common goal with Jesus in the driver’s seat.
When the disciples had waited [about 50 days after resurrection], as Jesus instructed them, for the gift my Father promised; they pondered in their hearts and prayed remembering what Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.[15] They were in one place, in one accord, and it suddenly came upon them – the descent of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Christian church.
On the day of Pentecost, suddenly came upon them like a violent wind from heaven and filled the whole house, and they saw like tongues of fire and came and rested on each of them (either the apostles or the 120, probably the apostles is indicated because they had been prepared of the occurrence), and they were filled (amalgamated) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (they spoke as needed because people of many languages were there). Those speaking were completely under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit as they spoke languages they did not previously learned or understood, but those of various languages understood them completely. What an experience! What a miraculous event, indeed! What a God thing that could not be explained!
We see the fulfilling of Jesus’ promises to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I do what I’ve been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to my Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”[16]
An interesting fact is that ole Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, filled with the Holy Spirit (amalgamated in Christ) Peter was the spokesperson to announce the message of what was happening and 3,000 people were converted to the Christian faith. Is that a miracle, or what?
After this miraculous occurrence (saved and filled with the Holy Spirit), they went in every direction sharing the “good news” and several signs and wonders were performed by the apostles among the people[17]and many were being saved in the region. As history tells us that experience spread to other parts of the region and did exactly what Jesus had commissioned them to do.
So where are we in the process of being baptized, receiving the fullness of, being an amalgamation in Christ Jesus so that we can do the things He has promised from the Father?
There is a process:
1. Repent of our sins, receive Jesus as Savior and Lord;
2. Follow His words as recorded in the Word of God (the Bible);
3. Making God THE priority in our life;
4. Get into the Word, pray and seek His face and ask for the fullness;
5. Die to self and put Jesus in the driver’s seat in our lives
6. Ask amalgamated in Christ and follow His leading
7 And you can do signs and wonders that Jesus did.
8. You will fulfill your mission as God planned.
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[1] Matthew chapters 1 – 2
[2] Matthew 3:1-12
[3] Matthew 3:13-17
[4] Matthew 4:1-11
[5] Matthew 4:12- 28:20
[6] Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:10
[7] Luke 24:45-47
[8] Luke 24:48
[9] Wikipedia, article on Holy Spirit
[10] John 15:26 -16:1-33
[11] Luke 24:45
[12] Colossians 3:3-5
[13] John 15:5
[14] Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
[15] Acts 1:4-8
[16] John 14:12-15
[17] Acts 2:43; 5:12