[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 11th of August, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
The Spirit of God… I’ve noted before that evangelist Francis Chan often refers to Him as “the forgotten God” because we tend to not think about the third person of God as much as we do the Father and the Son. We used to call Him the Holy Ghost, and some still do.
But God’s Holy Spirit is not a ghost, not just some disembodied wisp of what was once a life. God’s Spirit is life itself, the bringer and giver of life! And along with Jesus, the Spirit played a crucial role in the creation of our universe. And I say “our” universe because God didn’t need it – He created it all for us.
Let’s go back to the very beginning of our existence, back to Genesis chapter 1, verses 1 through 4 and 26 through 28, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
But God’s Holy Spirit is not a ghost, not just some disembodied wisp of what was once a life. God’s Spirit is life itself, the bringer and giver of life! And along with Jesus, the Spirit played a crucial role in the creation of our universe. And I say “our” universe because God didn’t need it – He created it all for us.
Let’s go back to the very beginning of our existence, back to Genesis chapter 1, verses 1 through 4 and 26 through 28, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
And skipping ahead a few days…
Let us pray… Father God, You created all that exists, that it might glorify You. You created us, and gave us dominion over the rest of Your creation. You breathed life into us and then gave Your own Spirit to live in those who believe in and follow Your Son Jesus. Father, thank You for so wonderful a gift. Thank You for the guidance, comfort, and companionship Your Spirit provides. Please help us to always heed Your Spirit’s leadings and to glorify each and all of Your three persons. Now speak to us this morning, Father, and imprint upon us the message we need to hear. Give us clearer vision into Your will for our lives. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
Most of you know I was educated and trained in the sciences and worked as an engineer for much of my adult life. Yet my scientific background and approach to looking at things around me never changed my firm belief in God as the Creator of all. This mindset is not unique to me, but is shared by many in the science communities. For instance, French Mathematician, Lecompte de Nouy, once examined the laws of probability for a single molecule of high dissymmetry to be formed by the action of chance. De Nouy found that, on an average, the time needed to form just one such molecule that composes our terrestrial globe – our earth - would be about 10 to the 253rd power, or on the order of billions of years.
"But," de Nouy continued ironically, "let us admit that no matter how small the chance, it could happen - one molecule could be created by chance even against such astronomical odds. However, one molecule is of no use. Hundreds of millions of identical molecules are necessary. Thus we either admit the miracle of Creation, or doubt the absolute truth of science."
And then there is philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, leading figure in the philosophy of existentialism and Marxism, who, as he neared the end of his life, told Pierre Victor: "I do not feel that I am the product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short, a being whom only a Creator could put here; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God."
If we are to accept scientific facts while entertaining certain theories, then we should accept that some of those theories cannot be possible in the physical realm. According to de Nouy’s research, such is the case for the theory that all of existence – and especially life - happened by chance. I love his conclusion: we either admit that the creation of this universe was a divine miracle, performed by a Creator, or we disregard all scientific findings.
And then we have Sartre, not necessarily a scientist in the sense of physical nature but definitely a leading proponent of the study of societies and an early practitioner of social engineering. Yet there was Sartre, knowing his end was near, realizing that his own existence did not come about by chance, but at the hands of a Creator, at the hands of God.
We don’t need science to explain or prove how the universe and all that is in it was created. We need no proof of God – that’s what faith is all about. God, in His three persons, set the wheels in motion that brought all there is into existence. The Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the void, over the surface of the waters, awaiting God’s command. And God the Creator spoke existence into being.
Jesus was there, too, active in our creation. When God the Father said, “Let Us make man in Our own image, according to Our likeness”, He wasn’t talking to the angels, because in verse 27 of our reading we see that we were not created in the image or likeness of angels, but of God Himself! This was God the Father, Jesus His Son, and God’s own Holy Spirit, all at work bringing the universe to life.
God’s Holy Spirit gives life, brings life, is life. As we continue in this little series, we will see examples of the Spirit breathing physical life into men. The best example is when the Spirit breathed life back into Jesus and raised Him from the dead. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, chapter 8 verse 11, tells us that...
The Holy Spirit not only gave life back to Jesus, but if He lives within us, He will give life to us as well! And that brings up two important points. The first is the Holy Spirit living within us. God did not send His Spirit to dwell within mankind until the day of Pentecost, as we see in Acts chapter 2. Before that, the Spirit only touched certain people as directed by God. But since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit makes His home within those who believe in and follow God’s Son Jesus. If we truly believe and accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, then God’s Spirit lives in us.
And the second point is as important as the first. Because just as the Spirit gave life back to Jesus after His death, He will give life back to us after our death! This is the promised resurrection, what Jesus promised us, the promise of our hope and faith.
God’s Spirit gives life, brings life, is life. But neither God nor His Spirit are to be trifled with. Listen to the warning God gave, shortly after creation, shortly before destroying most of life in the flood. In Genesis chapter 6, the first part of verse 3, Moses wrote...
The Spirit will not put up with our foolishness and disobedience forever. We are mere flesh and blood, not yet immortal, not spiritual or divine - we can be destroyed.
Again God warns us, this time through His prophet Isaiah, in the 1st verse of chapter 30 when He says...
The human race is rebellious against our Creator. We will take counsel from those we consider wise or knowledgeable, or even from those we simply admire, all the while ignoring what God tells us in His word. We dream up and devise all manner of schemes and plans, without seeking the advice of or direction from the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit. We add sin to sin. How much longer will the Spirit strive with us?
God’s Holy Spirit gave us life, and He can take it away. If He lives within us, if we truly believe in Jesus as the Son of God and in our hearts accept Him as Lord and do as He bids us, then the Spirit will give us new life after we leave this earth, this life behind. But for many, that’s an awfully big “if”.
It’s easy to believe in Jesus as God’s Son. The demons believe that. Satan knows it to be true. The hard part, and what makes all the difference, is that our belief must guide our obedience. We must truly and fully accept Jesus as Lord and Master as well as Savior, doing as He commands us, living as He led us to live by His own example.
The time to fully commit is now, before the final day of harvest. Surrender to Jesus, surrender to the Spirit of God. And live again. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, there is no greater gift You could give mankind that Your own Spirit as our personal Guide and Companion. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in us. Thank You for helping us find our way when we are lost. Please speak to us through Your Spirit and guide us in this life. Please forgive us when we ignore the direction Your Spirit gives. Help us be more obedient.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, it was by Your request that God sent His Spirit to live in all believers, to be our Guide, our Helper and our constant Companion. Thank You, Lord, for so beautiful a gift. Please help us to sincerely follow Your commands and do as You would have us do. Show us where and how we can best serve You.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves about on the earth.”
--Genesis 1:1-4, 26-28 (NKJV)
Most of you know I was educated and trained in the sciences and worked as an engineer for much of my adult life. Yet my scientific background and approach to looking at things around me never changed my firm belief in God as the Creator of all. This mindset is not unique to me, but is shared by many in the science communities. For instance, French Mathematician, Lecompte de Nouy, once examined the laws of probability for a single molecule of high dissymmetry to be formed by the action of chance. De Nouy found that, on an average, the time needed to form just one such molecule that composes our terrestrial globe – our earth - would be about 10 to the 253rd power, or on the order of billions of years.
"But," de Nouy continued ironically, "let us admit that no matter how small the chance, it could happen - one molecule could be created by chance even against such astronomical odds. However, one molecule is of no use. Hundreds of millions of identical molecules are necessary. Thus we either admit the miracle of Creation, or doubt the absolute truth of science."
And then there is philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, leading figure in the philosophy of existentialism and Marxism, who, as he neared the end of his life, told Pierre Victor: "I do not feel that I am the product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short, a being whom only a Creator could put here; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God."
If we are to accept scientific facts while entertaining certain theories, then we should accept that some of those theories cannot be possible in the physical realm. According to de Nouy’s research, such is the case for the theory that all of existence – and especially life - happened by chance. I love his conclusion: we either admit that the creation of this universe was a divine miracle, performed by a Creator, or we disregard all scientific findings.
And then we have Sartre, not necessarily a scientist in the sense of physical nature but definitely a leading proponent of the study of societies and an early practitioner of social engineering. Yet there was Sartre, knowing his end was near, realizing that his own existence did not come about by chance, but at the hands of a Creator, at the hands of God.
We don’t need science to explain or prove how the universe and all that is in it was created. We need no proof of God – that’s what faith is all about. God, in His three persons, set the wheels in motion that brought all there is into existence. The Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the void, over the surface of the waters, awaiting God’s command. And God the Creator spoke existence into being.
Jesus was there, too, active in our creation. When God the Father said, “Let Us make man in Our own image, according to Our likeness”, He wasn’t talking to the angels, because in verse 27 of our reading we see that we were not created in the image or likeness of angels, but of God Himself! This was God the Father, Jesus His Son, and God’s own Holy Spirit, all at work bringing the universe to life.
God’s Holy Spirit gives life, brings life, is life. As we continue in this little series, we will see examples of the Spirit breathing physical life into men. The best example is when the Spirit breathed life back into Jesus and raised Him from the dead. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, chapter 8 verse 11, tells us that...
11 The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way.
--Romans 8:11 (NKJV)
And the second point is as important as the first. Because just as the Spirit gave life back to Jesus after His death, He will give life back to us after our death! This is the promised resurrection, what Jesus promised us, the promise of our hope and faith.
God’s Spirit gives life, brings life, is life. But neither God nor His Spirit are to be trifled with. Listen to the warning God gave, shortly after creation, shortly before destroying most of life in the flood. In Genesis chapter 6, the first part of verse 3, Moses wrote...
3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh.”
--Genesis 6:3a (NKJV)
Again God warns us, this time through His prophet Isaiah, in the 1st verse of chapter 30 when He says...
1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin."
--Isaiah 30:1 (NKJV)
God’s Holy Spirit gave us life, and He can take it away. If He lives within us, if we truly believe in Jesus as the Son of God and in our hearts accept Him as Lord and do as He bids us, then the Spirit will give us new life after we leave this earth, this life behind. But for many, that’s an awfully big “if”.
It’s easy to believe in Jesus as God’s Son. The demons believe that. Satan knows it to be true. The hard part, and what makes all the difference, is that our belief must guide our obedience. We must truly and fully accept Jesus as Lord and Master as well as Savior, doing as He commands us, living as He led us to live by His own example.
The time to fully commit is now, before the final day of harvest. Surrender to Jesus, surrender to the Spirit of God. And live again. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, there is no greater gift You could give mankind that Your own Spirit as our personal Guide and Companion. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Holy Spirit to live in us. Thank You for helping us find our way when we are lost. Please speak to us through Your Spirit and guide us in this life. Please forgive us when we ignore the direction Your Spirit gives. Help us be more obedient.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our disobedient ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, it was by Your request that God sent His Spirit to live in all believers, to be our Guide, our Helper and our constant Companion. Thank You, Lord, for so beautiful a gift. Please help us to sincerely follow Your commands and do as You would have us do. Show us where and how we can best serve You.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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