THE QUEST FOR GOD (Part 12).
1 John 5. Verses 6 – 8 read:
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
The Holy Spirit is the personality of the triune God who is actively at work on earth in this dispensation. Early in this series, we indicated that the Spirit plays a pivotal role in man’s quest for God. He facilitates intimacy between man and God, and without the Holy Spirit, man’s efforts at reaching God would be futile. Today’s text speaks of the means by which the incarnate Christ manifested and the role the Holy Spirit played in his manifestation. The text further establishes the critical role the Holy Spirit continues to play in man’s quest for God.
Today’s text says that Jesus came by water and blood. In other words, the manifestation of Christ was through baptism and crucifixion, respectively. In both occurrences, the Holy Spirit played vital roles. The Holy Spirit descended and settled upon Christ as a dove at his baptism, and the heavens testified of him as the beloved son in whom God is well pleased. At his crucifixion and death, there was a shaking and thundering to signify the presence of the Holy Spirit, which caused the Roman soldier to testify that “this must be the son of God.” The Holy Spirit’s testimony is truth, and he can not be left out of the operations of God on earth in this dispensation.
What is it that sets the Holy Spirit apart for this role. He is the only one with the capacity to bear record or testify both in heaven and on earth. The bearers of record on heaven are three, and they are the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. On the earth, the bearers of witness are the Spirit, the water, and the blood. The Holy Spirit’s strategic role in record bearing in both heaven and earth positions him to take the mysteries in the realm of God and place them in the realm of men. These mysteries come in the form of promises from God’s word, prophecies of scripture, and life-transforming insights.
Based on the mysteries that the Holy Spirit reveals, men are drawn into deep fellowship with God. Anyone who desires progress in his intimacy with God must cultivate and develop closeness with the Holy Spirit because it is the Spirit that facilitates fellowship with God. May we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, be drawn into the depths of God.
SHALOM 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏