Here is my post on the Holy Spirit... This is from Mere Christianity.
In Christianity God is not a static thing – not even a person – but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance. The union between the Father and the Son is such a live concrete thing that this union itself is also a Person. I know this is almost inconceivable, but look at it thus. You know that among human beings, when they get together in a family, or a club, or a trade union, people talk about the ‘spirit’ of that family, club, or trade union. The talk about its ‘spirit’ because the individual members, when they are together, do really develop particular ways of talking and behaving which they would not have if they were apart (this corporate behavior may, of course, be either better or worse than their private behavior). It is as if a sort of communal personality came into existence. Of course, it is not a real person: it is only rather like a person. But that is just one of the differences between God and us. What grows out of the joint life of the Father and Son is a real Person, this Person is in fact the Third of the three Persons who are God.
Also This
This third Person is called, in technical language, the Holy Ghost or the ‘spirit’ of God. Do not be worried or surprised if you find it (or Him) rather vaguer or more shadowy in your mind than the other two. I think there is a reason why that must be so. In the Christian life you are not usually looking at Him. He is always acting through you. If you think of the Father as something ‘out there’, in front of you, and of the Son as someone standing at your side, helping you to pray, trying to turn you into another son, then you have to think of the third Person as something inside you, or behind you. Perhaps some people might find it easier to begin with the third Person and work backwards. God is love, and that love works through men—especially through the whole community of Christians. But this spirit of love is, from all eternity, a love going on between the Father and the Son.
but not this...
Holy Ghost Shake
What are your views on the Holy Spirit?
Let me know what you think.
Your Friend Jack-
If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.
Jack - Your explanation of this difficult concept is so helpful to me! I wonder, would you be willing to say a few words about the gift of tongues as you outline it in your essay, "Transposition" in "The Weight of Glory"?
ReplyDeleteThanks as always Mr. Jackson for your comments-
ReplyDeleteYes of I course I would explain my views on Speaking in Tongues.
First of all, it's not the most important aspect of the holy Spirit, but it was an important part of Pentecost. What happened that day is men spoke in different languages in which they themselves could not understand, but the important thing was, other could. It was not gibberish, but it was a language for others to hear God's Word. And of course it's important, because this is the birth of the Church! so it needs to be taken seriously.
It is in my opinion been used as just hysteria these days. When it is taken as gyrating bodies, and crazy blabbering, it is very easy for outsiders to attack it. Especially easy for the naturalists as they do not believe in any super natural events at all. If we act crazy we just give them more reasons to doubt. This is just a brief summary statement for my beliefs, any more questions or comments would be great.
Is the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues the same as what happened during Pentecost?
DeleteI think that is the original time of speaking in tongues, what do you think?
DeleteThanks for these thoughts, Jack. I always find my concept of God enlarged by your reflections. So, is it more correct to say, "God is a Person," or "God is three Persons?" Most of the time Christians speak of God as a Person (singular), and refer to a "personal relationship" with Him. Is that valid, in light of the nature of the Trinity as you outline above? Certainly, it does not seem correct to say a "personal relationship with Them."
ReplyDelete@Mary M, thank you so much for the comments. I think in reality, God is three persons as the Apostles Creed was written, but in living it out, it is better to call God a him not them. It's tricky, if you go too far in either direction, you will fall into heresy.
ReplyDeleteYou can see the work of each of them in your lives, but Jesus by himself without the calling of the Father wouldn't do much good. Hopefully I explain that well.