The following is a brief, Scriptural “overview” of my theological perspectives that have come to me during my Spiritual pilgrimage, and by which I try to walk out my Faith:
1. The “Trinity”, I believe to be:
- The Father as the Architect of the Kingdom of God and the Universe – He is the Thinker/Designer,
- The Son is the Speaker – the Word—the “Boss man revealing to others what to do in carrying out the Father’s plans and purposes.
- The Holy Spirit is the Worker/Doer, the One manifesting Jesus’ Presence and Power as God Almighty in the earth; He is the Comforter, Advocate, Helper, Teacher/Revealer, the One bringing conviction, the Spirit of Jesus, and, of course, the Creator.
Like, H2O is a one entity compound manifesting its forms as: a solid –ice; a liquid – water; and a vapor – steam. Yet it always remain H2O despite the level of its temperature. Always in the above whatever Form or Function, the Trinity remains the Godhead.
2. The “Rock” (see: Matthew 16:15-19) upon which the Lord will build His Church is what He saw when the Father revealed by His Spirit to the apostle Peter to be able to know (through inner revelation) and say, “You are 'The Anointed One'" (the Christ/Messiah). In short, this is our Lord’s Modus Operandi as the Head of His Church as a Living Person to His disciples – and not as the Pope of Christianity’s first church and as the founder of “apostolic succession”.
3. Through the Gospel of John, Jesus responds to His disciples on how He implements this process of revelation:
- John 5:19-20 (ESV):
4. By this sharing, He reveals how He implements the Father’s will here on earth.
- John 5:30:
5. Later, He directs His disciples to do the same thing:
- John 15:5-7:
6. Just as the Spirit abode in our Lord and guided Him, so too is today’s disciple (the born again believer, ambassador, and living stone of a holy priesthood):
- 1 Corinthians 3:16:
- Ephesians 3:16:
7. My favorite verse is Romans 8:14:
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
8. Thus, in my view, as He walked here on earth as a Son, so too are His disciples made in the same mold and are to walk as He walked through revelation:
- Galatians 5:25:
- Colosians 2:6:
- 1 John 2:6:
- 1 Peter 2:21:
leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.
9. And how are we disciples to walk? The following are some of the ways:
- Ephesians 5:18-20:
- Colossians 1:9-14:
10. For the disciple to be “filled with the Spirit” requires him to be baptized by our Lord in the Spirit:
- Luke 3:16:
- Acts 1:4-5:
- Luke 24:49:
- Acts 1:8:
Typically, without this “power” the believer can only function in the “flesh” and not be able to be a convincing witness of the Kingdom.
10. This “Baptism in the Spirit” then represents the “Personal Pentecost” for each believer. Thus, when our Lord Jesus sees His disciple seeking for it, and is ready, He then baptizes him/her in to His Spirit by allowing the Spirit to overflow as “rivers of living waters”(John 7:38) from within the spirit and out through the soul and body of the believer according to the gifting He has given them.
11. The Apostle Paul directs the Christian Church to implement this Spiritual life and practice through its members after having been Baptized in the Spirit through use of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (three passages below):
- Ephesians 4:11-14:
In my view, this is how today’s Church is to function.
- 1 Corinthians 12:3-11:
- Romans 12:1-7:
My understanding of the “renewal of your mind” basically has to do with what Paul directs us to do in:
- 2 Corinthians 10:5:
Along this line, A.B. Simpson, a writer years ago, describes the operation of our minds:
"Every second we get a sting from some fiery shaft, some imagination, some memory, some foreboding, some fear, some care…. The only way to be armed against them is to refuse them and their source from which they come.
There is a world of truth here that most Christians have entirely over-looked: They give their spirit and heart to the Lord, but keep their heads to themselves.
Our intellect must be sanctified by being slain and be replaced by the mind of Christ.
The only remedy for bad thoughts is to stop thinking all our own thoughts, to be spiritually decapitated, and to be delivered from the natural mind as well as the natural heart.
God will, therefore, put us to school in the difficult task of stopping thinking. We will not only try to think right, but we will stop our thoughts and wait for Him to give us His mind. This may seem to you like annihilation; but you will come to it if you are going to enter into the deepest, sweetest, strongest life, until you shall be afraid to think at all until God first thinks in you.
Have you given your thoughts to God? Have you learned ; the meaning of that cry of David, 'I hate thoughts, but Thy law do I love'”?
In addition, Paul also reminds us that we are made in His Image (originally found in Genesis 1:26-27):
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23:
If I understand what Paul is saying here, it is this:
first of all, we are spirit, that has a soul – our personality/self (made up of intellect, emotions, and will), and, secondly, that lives in a body. Through this living entity, the born again believer/disciple can flow under the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, the word “Christian” means ‘little anointed one’ (Acts 11:26); our Lord is The Anointed One/Messiah, Meshiach/Christ. Thus, like our Lord when He was here on earth and was led of the Spirit of His Father, so too are we to flow and be led by His Holy Spirit – this is the key to walking in the fullness of Life.
My question then is this: where are these gifts today being manifested in most evangelical churches? I for one do not buy the theological position that the Gifts of the Spirit went out of existence/ceased when the Cannon of the Holy Scriptures came into being or when the first Apostles died.
How do I know this, I personally have experienced and lived it over the years through the grace and mercy of our dear Lord Jesus and His Holy Spirit. This to me is how He intended for His Church to function until His next return at the end of the Church Age.
Believe me, it is an Awesome Thing to see and experience the Holy Spirit manifest these Gifts in our midst and knowing that His Power is flowing through you (as He wills and initiates). It does happen today and is available to all of His disciples, if only we will humble ourselves and ask the Lord for this infilling/ baptism of Spirit and Power.
12. Further, the Holy Spirit, not only is our Comforter (Greek: paraclete), Helper, Creator, the Almighty One, but as well our Teacher/Revelator:
- 1 John 2:20:
- 1 John 2:27:
Thus, all true Kingdom wisdom, knowledge, and guidance come through REVELATION of the Holy Spirit living within the believer/disciple – not the intellect, study, or seminary training for the would-be-pastor/teacher (although these can be helpful tools in relating to the world and its systems).
For me, then, much of what has come down through the ages as “Church Tradition” is a result of earlier leaders in the Christian Church abandoning the Spirit’s leadership and drifted off into the "soulish" aspects of being (that is, depending more and more on the intellect, emotions, or self will.
Without being filled with His Holy Spirit and being lead on a daily basis (“denying self” [Luke 9:23]), the preacher/messenger is merely passing along from his training and fleshly mind and experience to his listeners stale, rather than fresh bread (revelation) from the Master.
Thus is seen the extreme need for the preacher/messenger to stay on his knees until He sees fit to reveal to him His Kingdom purposes and direction for “building His Church” at this time.
13. Lastly, perhaps the deepest principle of all that our Lord Jesus taught is this:
- Luke 9:23:
From our birth what is our focus? Self, Self, Self – the only three most important persons in the universe (our trinity): me, myself, and I!!!
Regrettably, much of the focus in the messages heard in today’s Churches is on the believer in order to boost and/or comfort his/her image, rather than to seek the mind and purposes of the Lord as His Spirit operates in the believer through the Gifts of His Church.
13. Of course, there again is God’s enemy – Satan and his followers always at odds against our Lord’s purposes:
- Ephesians 6:10-18:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. [16] In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; [17] and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, [18] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Likewise also:
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5:
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. [4] For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. [5] We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ….
- James 4: 6-10:
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Lastly, of course, the reason our Lord came in the first place was to turn around all that which started in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15ff) so that we may be saved, healed, and delivered (John 3:16) and His Kingdom re-established.
Thus, He, Himself, is our role Model, and the One after Whom we are to walk. Amen.