Interesting Questions-16

"Mystified by the Holy Spirit"

Letter to the Editor:
GOD'S MESSAGE, July 2007, p.4

I HAD BEEN a regular viewer of your TV broadcast. I am a former Catholic who left the church because  I   could do longer understand my stand   as a "Christian."  I practically studied and . . fellowshipped with almost all religions starting with the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists,   Unification Church, Baptist, Pentecostals, and Mormons. ... The Iglesia ni Cristo was never in my mind because of the question on the deity of Christ. After thorough study,  I   could  no    longer defend my faith in the Trinity which   is copied from an ancient pagan doctrine of anthropomorphism.  I now  deeply believe   that  Jesus    is    truly human.  However, I am still confused with   the concept of the Holy Spirit. Can you explain to me further what is the Holy Spirit, its role and significance in our Christian lives? Everything is very  clear to me now except this aspect.

Oscar Erasquin
oscarerasquin@yahoo.com

Editor's reply:

That you went out of your way to seek the truth shows the intensity of your desire to be saved—and this is actually what God has set as His condition for men to be saved, that is, to know the truth (I Tim. 2:3-4).

For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4, NKJV)

As to your query on what is the Holy Spirit, we give you as an answer this promise made by our Lord Jesus Christ to His true believers:

"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you" (John 14:26, New King James Version)

Christ promised  that  God would send the Holy Spirit as the Comforter of His people. Christ also said that He Himself would send the Holy Spirit which is also called the Helper and the Spirit of truth (John 15:26).

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. (John 15:26, NKJV) 

Being sent by God and Christ, the Holy Spirit cannot be God,   as  what the Trinity doctrine stipulates, for the one who is sent is not greater than the one who sent him (John 13:16).

Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. (John 13:16, NKJV)

The Holy Spirit is also described in the Bible as the power of God (Acts 1:8) that He sends to help us in our weaknesses and infirmities (Rom. 8:26) and to strengthen us so that we can withstand our many trials  in life and still remain rooted to our faith:

 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8,TEV)

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26, NKJV)

This prayer of  Apostle Paul, especially its last few lines, is also our prayer for you and for al I others who seek the truth that leads to salvation. May God continue to enlighten   you and bless you in your quest   to become His true servant.

"I ask God  from  the wealth  of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your  inner serves, and I pray   that Christ   will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people. may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love." (Eph. 3:16--18, Today's English Version)

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