Ephesians 4:4-6
"T
here
is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who
is above all, and through all, and in you all."
One Lord. That is
exactly what the Jewish people learn from their childhood.
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" There is ONE
God and Father of all.... Remember
John 4:24?
God is a Spirit that fills the universe.
Paul goes on to say that God the
Father is above all, and through all, and IN YOU ALL. In us all? I thought
the Spirit that was "in us all" was the Holy Ghost? So which is it?
Let's look at more scripture.
Romans 8:7-11
As we read into
Romans chapter 8, the Word gives us some
interesting insight into either some very mistranslated passages (guess
again) or something a little deeper.
Verse 7
starts us off very nicely with a bold statement concerning the "CARNAL"
mind. A carnal mind is one that only thinks of things in relation to it's
own natural world. You've been around folks with a carnal mind, I know you
have.
Without giving multiple examples, let me direct your attention to
the Word of God in
John 3. Nicodemus
had a carnal mind at the time, and could not understand the things of
God. He assumed that he was going to be reincarnated in some form or
fashion (is this where people get that damnable idea?). Jesus had to
instruct him differently. Now we read further: The carnal mind is ENMITY,
it is an enemy, it is at odds with and is AGAINST God. Paul further says
that the carnal mind CAN NOT be subject to the laws of God.
Verse
8 should be an obvious statement to anyone. QUIT GIVING HEED TO
YOUR FLESH!
Verse 9: Now it gets good.
Most people read the beginning of that verse and then STOP
before they finish the verse! Yes, they read it this way: "YOU
ARE NOT IN THE FLESH, BUT IN THE SPIRIT". (that's right...with a period).
I trust that you know better. Look at that very powerful
little word following 'Spirit'. IF.
IF so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. IF. Does that mean that the Spirit of God MAY NOT dwell in
you? Well, doesn't the Spirit of God dwell in EVERY believer? Paul IS
writing to the church isn't he? Well, the fact is this: The Spirit of God
(Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit) does NOT FILL YOU at the very moment you first
believed in Jesus. The Word of God does not support that theory.
Read back through the book of Acts, and pay particular attention to the
BELIEVERS in Acts chapter 19!
In EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE,
the infilling of the Holy Ghost was a distinct and separate experience
from believing. Jude spoke of the "common salvation" (the salvation
experience that was common to ALL churches). Read the Book of Acts. You'll
find out what was "common" to all.
Back to
Romans 8:9 ... IF the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, the
verse doesn't end there. Read on.
"Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Whoa, wait a minute. Let's read
verse 9 again:
Romans 8:9
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if
so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Is this
confusing to you yet? Good, because that means you're at least THINKING!
Now, I thought it was the Holy
Ghost that dwelt in us. Paul is saying it is the Spirit of God and
also saying it is the Spirit of
Christ in you and is using those apparently interchangeably. What is
this all about? Well, don't fret yet, there is more.
Verse 10:
"And
if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is
life because of righteousness."
Now we're back to Christ being in you.
Let's read through to
Verse 11: "But
if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Now we're back to the
Spirit of God (he that raised up Christ from the dead...reference
Acts 3:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:15
for starters).
What is it that Paul is trying to get across to us?
