The Holy Spirit Misunderstood--He Is God

And they were

all filled

with the 

Holy Spirit...

Acts 2:4a

If therefore God 

gave them

the same gift

as He gave us

when we believed

on the 

Lord Jesus Christ,

who was I that I

could withstand God?

Acts 11:17

     In our minds we separate and categorize, make departments, and see things individually. We have a difficult time connecting things together when they are hard to explain. Many people separate the Godhead into three separate individuals and forget that they are all God. It is true that they are Persons of the Godhead and that they have a substance that is theirs, but they are all of the same essence, all have the same purpose, and all operate as One. When the Holy Spirit is said to enter into the life of a person it is God who enters, it is Jesus Christ our Savior who enters, and it is the power of God, God Himself that enters us as the Holy Spirit. Misunderstanding in regards to the Holy Spirit has led to misuse of this Person, and that misuse is the misuse of God, and the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This misuse has led people to accept a pietistic form of worship that became so prominent in the early days of this nation by men such as Charles Finney (1792-1875) among others where the emphasis was on a experiential Christianity. This pietistic movement gave credence to one's feeling as a sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit but did not have the reality of the New Testament, that is there is little or nothing about these movements that needs the death of Jesus Christ. These movements live on the "supernatural" and the "miraculous" and other manifestation that are taught as having the approval of God because these "signs" are due to the filling of the Holy Spirit. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, and prayer and devotion. This frenzied atmosphere causes people to act drunk, bark like dogs, speak in unintelligible sounding languages, shouting and crying out as signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit, but the cost of the cross is absent, the blood of Jesus Christ and is not of the Holy Spirit, in fact this form of worship dishonors our God, the Holy Spirit, and denigrate the passion of Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear, the message plainly stated: true children of God  have an experience and that experience is seen by the hallmark of their personal and passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ, and that devotion is extended to the Person of the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Every other experience is detached from the Person of Jesus Christ. The Bible reveals the pattern for our lives. Therefore it is important that we fully understand the Third Person of the Godhead; the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth!
     We must never be afraid to use the Scriptures properly translated, both in context and in grammar. It is this design by some to make all words in the Bible reflect what they hold as Doctrine, or the dogma of the Church. Religions such as the Jehovah Witnesses believe only that the Holy Spirit is the power of God but is not a Person. The United Pentecostal Church Universal is Modalist and believe that there is no Trinity and that God operates in certain modes but cannot be the other Person while He is in another mode, or as another Person. This then is the question: Is the Holy Spirit a Person or is He just a force, a force of God? To offer one Scripture as proof, or as a proof text is wrong for we must examine Scripture with Scripture, that is all that the Scripture speaks as to any subject. Billy Graham in his book entitled: The Holy Spirit; (Thomas Nelson Publishers; 1988; p.2) makes this statement: "Whoever speaks of the Holy Spirit is "it" is uninstructed, or perhaps even undiscerning. In Romans 8:16 the King James Version refers to the Holy Spirit as "itself." This is a mistranslations have changed "itself" to "himself." I agree with Mr. Graham that to speak of the Holy Spirit as an "it' is unScriptural, but I disagree with him that Romans 8:16 was mistranslated in the King James Version. The Newer Translations have changed "it" to "himself" and as I will show it is they who have mistranslated that verse. The have "massaged" the verse to reflect what they believe to be true of the Holy Spirit. Allow me to quote from the 1611 edition of the King James Bible and I will use the verse from the exact replica of the Bible presented to the King of England but I will use our letters and not their forms: "The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (KJV 1611). Here is the same verse as recorded in the New King James Version: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." (NKJV 1882). Two things to notice: 1. "it" "self" was changed to "Himself" 2. The word "spirit" was capitalized to "Spirit" and the word himself was capitalized to "Himself."Here is the Greek verse from the Textus Receptus and is the same in the Critical text: I will inject the meaning and grammar of the words:

Romans 8:16: αὐτὸ (This is neuter, either nominative or accusative and should be translated as "it") τὸ (This is neuter as the word it points to for spirit is neuter) πνεῦμα (This word is neuter) συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν ὅτι ἐσμὲν τέκνα θεο. (Italics are mine). There is not a masculine noun that would allow for the word "αὐτὸ" to be translated in the masculine, "himself." By forcing this word and this verse to be translated so that it fits with our Doctrine is wrong. Fear is always wrong, and the heretics will use this misuse of the Greek language against us and we who are uninstructed will not be able to answer properly to those heretics. Romans 8:16 is not attempting to teach us that the Holy Spirit is a Person, rather it is teaching us that by the spirit of God this spirit within us, demonstrated by us, reveals that we are the children of God. If we do not have the spirit of Christ is us then the question is: are we a child of God. No! This is not a proof text for the Third Person of the Holy Spirit so it is not to be misused just to prove our Doctrine. There are so many other Scriptures that reveal to us that the Holy Spirit is a Person and it is these Scriptures we must come to know and teach, using them to thwart the Devils darts thrown at the children of God. Truth always trumps a lie. Let us then use Scripture properly and this alone will teach that others hold to an error. Be not afraid of the truth.

     The next blog will continue to use the Greek grammar, and the Hebrew grammar to reveal and teach what the Scriptures reveal as to the Holy Spirit. Let it be understood from the beginning, the word "πνεῦμα" is neuter and in the Greek language, unlike our own, the forms, masculine, feminine, or neuter are what the words are and do not necessarily are to be translated as either of those forms unless the context or the noun that they refer to in the text requires a certain translation. Greek is Greek, English is English, and often we mistranslate because we don't know the difference. Allow me to give my personal view on this subject: I believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead and therefore is God. The Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is of the same essence as the Father, The Son, as God and has His own substance and is one of the means God uses towards His creation, especially towards His children. 

 

For there are three

    that bear witness

in heaven: the Father,

     the Word, and the

Holy Spirit; and these

    three are one. 

                  John 5:7

 

We Love Because We Are A Child Of God

 

Richard L. Crumb 

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

But your shall receive power

when the Holy Spirit 

has come upon you; '

and you shall be witnesses

to Me in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea

and Samaria,

and to the 

ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

     The Sovereignty of God was discussed, the Incarnation of the Wisdom of God was examined. Now we must turn our attention to the Holy Spirit. The Nicene Creed states: "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets...." Do you believe that statement? This creed clearly states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son and as the Doctrine of the Trinity so affirms, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead. This creed being necessary to clarify the position of the Church against the heresies that refuted the Doctrine of the Trinity. There was confusion within the early Church over the inclusion of Filioque (Latin: "and (from) the Son") which is found in the Nicene Creed in the Latin Church but not found in the Greek text which states that the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father" (John 15:26).Filoque has been an ongoing source of conflict between the East and West Churches and contributed to the schism of 1054 A.D. and has been an obstacle to any attempt to reunify the two Churches. The Bible does not use the word "Trinity" yet we as Trinitarian Christians believe in the Trinity and oppose those who do not. The explicit use of a word does not indicate that the truth of the word is not explicitly revealed in Scripture. The same is true of the the use of the word "proceeds" from the Son and the Father. It is Scripture that gives us our Doctrine not we who give the meaning to Scripture. So what does the Scripture reveal?  In John 16:13-15 Jesus says of the Holy Spirit "he will take what is mine and declare it to you", and it is argued that in the relations between the Persons of the Trinity one Person cannot "take" or "receive" (λήψεται) anything from either of the others except by way of procession.Texts such as John 20:22 ("He breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit"), were seen by Fathers of the Church, especially Athanasius, Cyril of Alexandria and Epiphanius of Cyprus as grounds for saying that the Spirit "proceeds substantially from both" the Father and the Son.Other texts that have been used include Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19, where the Holy Spirit is called "the Spirit of the Son", "the Spirit of Christ", "the Spirit of Jesus Christ", and texts in the Gospel of John on the sending of the Holy Spirit by Jesus (14:16, 15:26,16:7). Another form of discontent within the Church is the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, what the Holy Spirit means when it is said that He comes into a person and resides with a child of God. We find within the Charismatic or Pentecostal movement an influence towards those who join them and call this giving of the Holy Spirit "third force." 
     Try and explain electricity! You may give the action of electricity, the movement of atoms excited by an electrical force, that it has a power, that it is dangerous in certain forms, etc. Yet, you have not explained electricity. It is difficult to explain that which is unexplainable. Take another example: Call a person on the other side of the world by using a phone, a cell phone for instance, and immediately that you speak they hear you and vice-versa. Try and explain that seemingly unexplainable. How then are we to explain the Holy Spirit? God in His word has revealed all that we should know. Unfortunately, electricity is misused, phones are used even though we have not a full understanding of their workings, even to the point of misusing them at times. The same is true of the Holy Spirit, He is used in ways that are not Scriptural, ways that give to us a feeling that we know of Him, that we have Him in our lives, yet what we have done is to use the term Holy Spirit, misused the teaching of what the Holy Spirit does for a true Christian, giving a person the feeling of holiness, of being right with God. 
     Who is the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit a Person? Or, is He just a power emanating from God, doing the bidding of God, but is not a Person as the Jehovah Witness teach, or that there is not a Trinity as the Modalist teach? Do you have a clear understanding of the Holy Spirit? Or, do you just tacitly believe, that you have acquiesced and believe so as not to "rock" the boat? Is the Holy Spirit leading your life in the ways of Scripture or is the gifts promised by God more important and used more importantly, than knowing and believing upon the Person of the Holy Spirit. God gives gifts, but only gives the gift, a single use of the Greek word, of the Holy Spirit to reside in the life of His children. We must not conjoin those two things, "gifts" and "gift." 
     This blog is just a beginning, and the above a preface to what will be discussed in the following blogs. We believe that God is a Person, that the Son of God, the Incarnated Wisdom of God, Jesus Christ to be a Person, and we can reach an understanding, a way to explain, their Personhood, but can we explain the Holy Spirit. We must wipe away the cobwebs that so entangle us and confuse us in regards to this Doctrine of the Third Person of the Trinity. Therefore, the first thing that will be discussed is: does the Bible teach that the Holy Spirit is a Person? Is the use of Filioque correct?


Thus the Lord God
     showed me...
                 Amos 7:4a


Be Glad And Rejoice In The Lord


Richard L. Crumb

The Importance Of The Incarnation Is The Cross

For the message of the cross

is foolishness to those 

who are perishing,

but to us who are

being saved 

it is the power

of God.

1Corinthians 1:18

Therefore, if you died

with Christ

from the basic principles

of the world,

why, as though living 

in the world, 

do you subject yourselves

to regulations...

Colossians 2:20

     Jesus Christ became incarnate and demonstrated in the flesh God, that He was God, that He was the Messiah, the One hoped for as the Savior, spoken of by the prophets, written about and believed by the Jewish people for so many years. Jesus Christ performed miracles, He healed physically many people as a sign of His Divinity so that there would be no question that He was the One. Yet, when He came in a way that did not fit the picture that the Jewish people had pictured Him; they rejected Him. When Jesus spoke those His terrible utterances they shrunk back. His denunciations had one thing in mind; the cross. If we focus on the Incarnation alone and shrink back from the cross as though the cross is humiliation, then all we have done is denigrate our Lord and Savior making His Incarnation unnecessary and His words hollow and unexplainable, empty as to any real meaning. Paul stated: "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1Corinthians 2:2). It is the cross where we focus our thinking and our faith is in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. When we focus on anything else we become like the world and focus on the external rather than on the internal. Paul continues: "that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1Corinthians 2:5). The Incarnation was the necessary means by which God would satisfy His justice and that by the death of His Son, His very Wisdom clothed in human flesh. But, If Jesus Christ did not die then there is no salvation and He was not the promised "seed" the savior. Paul in writing to the Galatians the driving force for his life: "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been creucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14). Our spiritual energy comes from the cross, that is what we concentrate upon, that is what is preached. The cross must become the center of our lives and when it is not the center then all types and forms of spirituality occur, those things which are not glorifying to God. 

     The energy of many Churches is upon the external, those euphoric moments that satisfy our senses and feelings. Oh! We are not to be stoic and so humble, that we forget that we are human and do have feelings and sense, it is that we do not worship God and His Son just to become satiated in those senses and feelings. It is when we focus on experiences as a show of our spirituality that is misleading and false for we have not focused on the cross, rather we have focused on the effects of the cross. Many people have walked away from Church because the Church has become feeble, or they run to Churches that will placate them and satisfy their senses and who focuses on experience, on the miracles of Jesus Christ, seeking those things that would make them feel holy and worthy. Let us face one fact: we are not worthy, we are corrupt and we are not perfected as we will be when Jesus Christ comes and takes with Him true believers, the children of God. It is the tragedy of the cross, the fact that by means of the mercy of God He saves us, and that by the death, the resurrection, and the ascension into heaven to be an eternal intercessor or the children of God. We have allowed the things of this world to avert our focus and attention upon the cross, and we have allowed this world to interfere with our consecration of our spiritual energy to become a counterfeit spirituality. Is it our pride that will not allow me to give up those things that divert my attention from the cross? Is that we have come to believe that we are saved and we are going to heaven no matter what because we are the elect of God? We are commanded to work our our salvation, that is not that we can earn salvation, rather that because we are saved our faith is demonstrated and causes us to work out the redemption; faith is the cause and mover of our works: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your won salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). We are in this world but we are not of it; we are to be disconnected to this world fundamentally, we are not disconnected externally. We cannot do this on our own, we do not have the power to resist the temptations of this world, we are not totally sanctified, the old corruption remains in us, therefore we must rely solely on the gift of God who empowers us with the ability to work out our salvation. God will not do it for us, we must do it, only we have the Holy Spirit within us empowering us to be able to resist this world. This essential gift within us is made effectual by our applying the principles that were taught by Jesus Christ and we, His children, come to understand His teachings, those inexplicable teachings by the Holy Spirit teaching us and guiding us as we read upon His word and apply that word in our lives. 

Beloved, I now write

     to you this 

second epistle 

     (in both of which I 

       stir up your pure

       minds by way of reminder)

 that you may be mindful

     of the words which were

spoken before by the 

     holy prophets, and 

of the commandment of us,

     the apostles of the

Lord and savior...

                   2Peter 3:1-2

May God Kindle His Fire In You

Richard L. Crumb

The Incarnation Of Jesus Christ Is Our Surety Of Our Faith

But God forbid that I 

should boast except 

in the cross of our Lord 

Jesus Christ, by whom 

the world has been 

crucified to me, 

and I to the world. 

For in Christ Jesus 

neither circumcision 

nor uncircumcision avails anything,

but a new creation.

And as many as walk 

according to this rule,

peace and mercy by upon them,

and upon the Israel of God.

Galatians 6:14-16

     The Israel of the old covenant were the chosen people of God. By means of them the world was to become aware that God exists and that only Him were they to worship. In the new covenant by means of the death and resurrection the seed of Isaac that was promised to him by God extended to all the children of God: "But it s not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, no are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed your seed shall be called.' That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as seed" (Romans 9:6-8; cf. Genesis 21:12). Furthermore, all people are called by God: "As He says also in Hosea; 'I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' there they shall be called sons of the living God" (Romans 6:25-26; cf. Hosea 2:23; 9:26). 
     Our glory, if in anything, is to be thrust upon the cross, for it is by the cross that this new covenant is established and it is by the cross that the promise to Isaac was to be fulfilled. By placing our faith, our glory, in things other than the cross is to nullify all that the cross did for God's children, His seed. For God to send His Wisdom to become Incarnate, only to suffer and die for those who He called, was to become agonized in this Redemption, that is the cross of Jesus Christ. Think upon this fact, the cross was an infinitesimal event, the most important event that ever occurred upon the earth. Re-think what you believe! Re-think as to how as children of God, the spiritual Israel of God, as to how we are to live? As we enter into a time of holidays, times that have become so important in our lives, that has become so secular with emphasis upon things rather than upon God, His Son, and allow the Holy Spirit to enliven us for the work that God has given to all His Children to do, that is, to make disciples, to love as one of God's children: "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him" (1John 3:18-19). Those words of John the beloved disciple and Apostle of Jesus Christ, who walked with Jesus Christ, who laid his head upon the breast of Jesus Christ, are awesome and terrible. He gives us a test of our faith, that is, whether or not we are of the truth: that test consists whether or not we love in deed and in truth, if not, then we are not in the truth. How do we assure ourselves that we are in the truth? In our love shown to the world by our deeds and by being in the truth. We are commanded to love one another in Jesus' words that we are to love God with our hearts: "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). John in his letter adds the words of Jesus Christ: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). As I write this blog I am reminded how far short I have lived most of my life chasing after "things" to make me happy, to fulfill my every desire, only to hang them up in the garage, or to give them away in a "white sale" or to sell them in a garage sale, when the money so easily disposed of to make me happy, did not in actuality make me happy; only broke, only to be in debt to credit card companies, etc. The holidays have become so consumer oriented that the reason for the holidays becomes placed in the "backseat." What have we done? For so long now the Church has forgotten that we are not of this world, this world is not our home, we are just passing through; as the old hymn so states. We have taught our children to desire "things" over the desire to be like God. We give some tacit teaching of God, then, we stand in line for days, hours; rushing, pushing, piling onto our carts, "things" that will show those to whom we are giving them to that we love them. We feel as though we have done a good thing and we feel pleased with ourselves. Oh! We are so lovable! Yet, we have not taken any time, or much time, to teach our children what it means to be a Christian, to teach about the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. But we do have the latest technological equipment, the bigger and better television, etc. Am I saying that those things are to be avoided completely? No! What I am saying is, where is your heart? What is your motivation for giving gifts? God gave the greatest gift of all; His Son. The love of God that we are to display and have in our our, our motivation for the things we do, is not a brotherly love, not a love for our siblings, and family, not a love for our spouses, rather is is a love that is founded upon the principled love of God. It is this principled love that shows the world, God, and is our assurance that we are in the truth: "Beloved, if God so loved us,we also ought to love one another" (1John 4:11).
     Enjoy the holidays, give gifts, but do not forget the reason for the holidays and what God has done for His children. We are not to forget that we are to love in word and deeds. As we enjoy the holidays, as we eat ourselves into oblivion, Ha! do not forget that there are brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who would be so happy if they could only have a grain of rice. We have abused our freedom, our calling to be Christian. The world has become our home. The call for me, and for you, is to examine our hearts, our motives, our deeds: do you love God, Jesus Christ? Do we say that we love God and charge the next item on our credit card, now we owe to someone else not knowing that the next day, all will be lost, jobs, physicality, etc. John in his old age writes: "We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also" (1John 5:19-21). 
       Place your mind, your concentration upon God. Now, if I talk my own talk, it is of no more importance to you that your talk to me; but if  talk the truth of God, then you and I will be in harmony and our lives will have the assurance that we are the children of God. It is the Holy Spirit that leads us in this direction, empowering us to live according to His commandments. 


being justified freely
     by His grace through
the redemption that is
     in Christ Jesus.
                      Romans 3:24


Glorify God Today In Deed and Truth


Richard L. Crumb

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

REJOICE ALWAYS,

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING,

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS;

FOR THIS IS THE WILL

OF GOD IN 

CHRIST JESUS

FOR YOU...

NOW MAY THE GOD OF PEACE

HIMSELF SANCTIFY YOU

COMPLETELY;

AND MAY YOUR WHOLE 

SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY

BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS

AT THE COMING OF OUR

LORD JESUS CHRIST.

1THESSALONIANS 5:16-18; 23

MAY YOU HAVE PEACE IN YOUR HEART WITH THANKSGIVING

RICHARD L. CRUMB

The Incarnation Is a Divine Example Of God's Holiness

For this is the will of God,

your sanctification; that you 

should abstain from sexual immorality;

that each of you should know how to

possess his own vessel in sanctification

and honor, not in passion of lust,

like the Gentiles who do not know God;

that know one should take advantage of and

defraud his brother in this matter.

because the Lord is the avenger of all such,

as we also forewarned you and testified.

For God did not call us to uncleanness, 

but in holiness.

1Thessalonians 4:3-7

     When we chose God by means of the free gift of faith: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8), we have been justified, and sanctified completely and not by any means of ourselves, rather by the life, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven to present His sacrifice to pay for our sins, to meet the justice of God. God being holy has sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins and accepts the eternal intercession that cannot be removed, our sins are eternally obliterated as God sees us through the lens of the Incarnation of His Son. Yes, we are not perfect, our sanctification in this life is a continual life changing event that as we exercise our faith we become more and more devoted to Him. God is holy, He swears by His holiness and will not lie: "Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David" (Psalm 89:35). When swear we swear by something that is greater than us, but God cannot swear by anything greater than Himself, therefore He swears by Himself and will not lie. When we are alienated from God we are alienated from His holiness and do not have the life of God in us: "Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:18). Strip away this holiness of God, then all that has been done is to cause God to be a dead God; Nitschke (1936 – 1998) would have been correct in his assessment of God for he did not see or believe in God, especially a holy God. God is alive and well, He is present in the lives of believers as He promised, that the Holy Spirit resides in His children. "As I live," says the Lord God..." (Ezekiel 18:3; 33:11; Romans 14:11). 
     As we approach a day set aside in this country to recall and remember to be thankful for all that God has provided for He has kept His promise, He has given to man that which is needed for this life, and has give much more, His Incarnated Son, our propitiation for our salvation. It is good to enjoy this day, celebrate and in prayer to God, not just at dinner time, but all day be reminded in your prayers that it is God Who we have as our provider all things. Some will have much, some little, some may not even have a dinner, but they do have life, and they do have their creator, their redeemer who will sustain them everyday, not just on Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, many people can only think of "Black Friday" and the "deals" that await them, and without much thought of God, they plan, spend the night at doorsteps of stores just to beat others to some special supposed item(s) that will give them happiness, even so far as to make them seem special to those who may receive those items. It is good to give gifts, but not at the expense for the reason we celebrate this special day. Would we spend so much exercise, so much loss of sleep, to spend our money, sometimes very foolishly, as it is a time that stores have developed as a day of spending, when we should spend our resources on being a witness for God, our Holy God, who requires righteousness from His people? Thanksgiving Day not only celebrates the goodness of God in provision, but for a country that was built upon the laws of God, but more so it is a day to celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the work He did for those chosen by God, for even giving to those who will not believe upon Him, food, clothing and a country to live as free men and women. Everything we have, or will have, all belongs to God. All people belong to God, and in His righteousness who has received that free gift of faith should fall down and worship Him, for He is Holy.


Behold, all souls are Mine:
     The soul of the father
as well as the soul of the son
     is Mine;
the soul who sins shall die....

If he has walked in My statutes
     and kept My judgments
faithfully--
     He is just;
he shall surely live!
     says the Lord God.
                          Exekiel 18:4;9


Prepare to Celebrate and be Thankful


Richard L. Crumb
                     
 

The Incarnation Is The Very Mind Of God

I have glorified

You on the earth,

I have finished

the work which

You have given

Me to do.

John 17:4

So when Jesus 

had received the

sour wine, He said,

'It is finished!' And

bowing His head, 

He gave up 

His spirit.

John 19:30

     The crucifixion was not something that just happened to Jesus. It was not that the Roman courts would appoint such a death for vile criminals. This event, the crucifixion was not something that could have been prevented. How often do we conceive of an idea, Jesus could have prevented this horrible death for He could have called down legions of angels to protect and save Him. Yes, He could have done such a thing, it was in His power to do so, He created the angels, they served Him, but, His death was the very reason why He came. His death was and is the very mind of God. Jesus was not a martyr, a martyr is someone who could, if he could prevent himself from being a martyr. Jesus did not come to be a martyr, He came to earth for that very reason, His death. It was ordained and decreed by God the Father and the Father clothed His Wisdom in flesh, just so that the Wisdom of God clothed in human flesh would die. If we believe that Jesus' death was for the forgiveness of sins, that God will forgive us because He loves us, then all we have done is to make the oblation, the crucifixion of Jesus unnecessary, and redemption to have no real meaning. God forgives sins because of the death of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins could not happen in any other way than by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became our Savior because of His finished work upon the cross, a work decreed by the Father and carried out by the Son. God does not lie, it is impossible for Him to lie, therefore, when He, in His justice, declared that sin would cause Him to exercise His justice and that sin in His justice required death, He sent His Son to do just that; die and meet the requirements of His justice. It was the death of Jesus Christ that is applied to all of God's children, therefore those who are elected to be His Children are seen by and through the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was and is exalted by the Father, and He receives back the glory He had before He came to earth, to become a baby, a human baby, to suffer, and live as man on earth, the creator of all things, willingly accepted and accomplished the will of the Father. No angel would be used to accomplish this event, this redemption, for no angel had the power to be the propitiation for man's sin. God Himself accomplished that which He desired, that is, to have a people for His children, to live eternally with Him, to be holy, and acceptable in every way. This God did Himself, and Jesus was the means accomplished by His death, a death upon a cross. 

     Admitting that salvation could come in any other way obliterates the Holiness of God. God is Holy, and it is His Holiness that is above all things, above His Sovereignty, His Providence. It is proclaimed, three times, holy, holy, holy is He, and the angels around the throne bow down and cast their crowns to Him, crying Holy, Holy, Holy, (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:10). To view God in any other way is a false view of God's love, and is against the revelation of His Son. God did not save us out of His pity for us, out of sympathy for us, so that He would become a curse for us. No! Jesus Christ became a curse for man out of the Divine decree of God.

     Our portion in regards to salvation is when the free gift of grace and faith is given to us then we acknowledge our sinfulness and that Jesus Christ became a curse for us, for our sinfulness, to wipe away all sin and all of sin's effects, to destroy Satan, that deceiver who has deceived man, becoming the means by which man would sin. It is when we are convicted of sin, not just an acknowledgment of sin, rather a true conviction of  our sin, our unworthiness, we have then been given the conviction of shame and a desire to repent. This is the great mercy of God. He came for His own, He died as the Son of God, the Wisdom of God, the very Word of God, the true God of true God. This He accomplished on the cross. Then so not to leave His children without help, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in His children, to aid them in their sanctification process while here on earth. Do you feel the weight of your own sin? Are you humbled by the fact that you cannot save yourself and God came to do just that; to save you. Why? Because God in His justice required death, a death that could only be redeemed by one who would not be cumbered by inherited sin, One who had no sin, who would not sin, yet undergo humanity revealing God to man. Jesus Christ hates sin, and Calvary was the ultimate way by which He showed His hatred for sin, and His mercy, love, and all this decreed by God. Take all this seriously and you, and I, must become the first person that must leave all sin, lay sin aside, quit being the fraud that sin makes us, we do this by prayer, reading of His word, by association with those of like mind. Stay away from those who mislead people and give credit to man that man can choose God, that the death of His Son was sufficient for everyone. God sent His Son for His Children and Jesus Christ came and finished the work assigned to Him, accepted by Him, and accomplished through Him.

Thanksgiving is coming; a day to set aside to be especially mindful and thankful. Do not just be thankful because you live in the United States, that you have an easier life than others, freedoms many wished they have. Focusing on those things will only cause us to raise ourselves above others. Be thankful for those things, but most of all, be thankful that Jesus Christ came, and finished the work of the Father, and that because of that finished work, eternal life is now available to all of His children.

That all should honor

     the Son just as they

honor the Father. He

     who does not honor

the Son does not honor

     the Father who sent

Him.

                 John 5:23

May the Love of God be in you

Richard L. Crumb

The Incarnated Son Of God Is Not a Phantom-He Had A Real Body

And as they were eating,

Jesus took bread,

blessed and broke it,

and gave it to the 

disciples and said,

'Take, eat:

this is My body.'

Matthew 26:26

     Jesus Christ gave to the Church two sacraments, not seven as so states the Roman Catholic Church. That remembrance that we are given so that always before us is a special event honoring our Savior, Jesus Christ. First, we are to break bread which represents His body, second we are to drink from a cup that represents His blood poured out on behalf of all those that the Father would give to Him. Furthermore, only one institution was given by God, that institution is marriage. One event of remembrance and one institution, given by God and is so often abused. Notice that I will not give any form of advice as to how often one should celebrate the Eucharist as some Churches hold to a specific time and make that the norm for all Christians. Jesus did not give a time, for all He said was to do this celebration "In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me' (1Corinthians 11:25). The thief on the cross who believed in the Son of God; did he celebrate the Lord's supper? No! It is not the eating and drinking that is the most important; it is a matter of the heart. Far too often Churches do not take the time to solemnly celebrate this most wonderful celebration and there is just an open invitation to come and drink and eat without taking time to pray and ask God to forgive them for any sins that they may have committed. Children go and get the Eucharist, even though they have not become Christians, people wander up and retrieve the bread, and the cup, and simply in a rote manner just eat and drink without much, if any, time to pray and celebrate this supper, as they dine unworthy: "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body' (1Corinthians 11:27-29). Do you take the time to celebrate and remember our Lord and Savior taking the time to ask God for forgiveness and take this celebration, the Eucharist seriously? Does your Church actually give these two sacraments the solemn approach, or is it just another event that the Church does just because it seems to the leaders that that is what is supposed to be done? If we do not hold sacred this most important celebration, then it seems reasonable to those who do not actually, solemnly, approach this dinner and dine with the Savior serious, that other things of God will not have the seriousness that God intended: such as the only institution, marriage, just look at the divorces in the Church and this will be confirmed. Many of us have not taken this celebration and remembrance seriously and we have not, then, taken the life and death of Jesus Christ serious. 

     Did not Jesus Christ, the Word of God, God Himself in the Second Person eat and drink, was born of a virgin, live as all men do? Yes! Did not then God take this incarnation serious? Yes! Then why do we not do the same? Jesus Christ was a real person. He took on a real body. He came to this world for us, then why do we act as though it is not all that important even though we may say that it is? Was not Jesus Christ sustained with proper food necessary for the human body? Yes! And this He did while He remained God the Word. As was previously written about: He was united with human flesh and at the same time ordered the universe. During His human life on earth He revealed Himself to be both human and God. Those miraculous acts are rightly assigned to Him, the fact that He ate, drank, slept, was tired, walked, spoke, all were signs that His body belonged to Him and that He, as God, was not just an appearance (Docetism). In heaven He is invisible and is known by the works of creation, and when His Godhead is veiled in human nature, then His bodily acts still declare Him to be not only man, but also the power and the Word of God. He spoke with authority to evil spirits, to drive them out; this is not human, but divine. He cured diseases, all types which deemed Him to be more than man, these acts demonstrated Him to be God. He who did those things must be Himself the One who formed His own body from the virgin. This is not some small proof of His Godhead since it was He who made all things. 

     At the your next opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist taking the bread and drinking the cup take time to pray, cleanse your heart, ask for forgiveness, and in all solemnity dine with the Lord. Don't in any way make light of these two sacraments for it is by these sacraments we remember our Savior who is God, who died for our sins, who gives to His children, eternal life. Paul admonishes the Corinthian Church who had allowed this important event to become common, a vulgar event that had lost it meaning by saying: "For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world" (1Corinthians 11:30-32). If you hold and partake of these sacraments seriously, then you will hold the only institution seriously, for in both accounts we are showing our love to God, and not blaspheming Him in our laxness in our worship.

As you know how 

     we exhorted,

and comforted, and

     charged every one

of you, as a father does

     his own children,

that you would walk

     worthy of God

how calls you into 

     His own kingdom

and glory.

             1Thessalonians 2:11-12

Come Today To God With A Thankful Heart

Richard L. Crumb

 

Jesus By Means Of The Incarnation Came To His Own

He came to His own,

and His own

did not receive Him....

And the Word became

flesh and dwelt

among us, and we 

beheld Hid glory,

the glory of the 

only begotten 

of the Father,

full of grace

and truth.

John 1:11, 14

     Were not the Israelites chosen by God to be His special people? They were chosen by God over all other nations, and by the Israelite nation the Messiah would come to earth incarnated, that is to be in the flesh. By God's omniscience, His Providence He chose this particular nation. So then, why is it so hard to admit that He would choose a particular people? Yet, when He appeared on earth as a man, even though they were familiar with the times, that the Messiah would appear according to prophecy; they refused to recognize Him. The good news is that when Jesus Christ appeared on earth in His human body and was refused by His own He gave the right to others to become a child of God: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). Many people, theologians, Christians, point to this Scripture and use it as proof that man can choose God by just believing. It is true that man must choose to believe on Messiah, that His death on the cross was the payment for their sins, but, how can a man who is corrupt, who has lost the ability to have communication with God, who is totally depraved, choose God? Man cannot choose God by their own will, they must be born again by the will of God: "Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). John makes it very clear, not by blood of man, not be will of the flesh, that is there is nothing a person can do to earn to be a child of God, no works of the flesh, and lastly, man cannot will to be a child of God. All the choosing is to be done by God, according to His Providence, His Sovereignty. If you know, and you will know, that you are chosen by God, then shout praise to God. 

     The soul of man can behold things that are outside the body. What is meant by "behold?" To observe, to recognize, to look at, and this man can do for we know from the very intuition that God placed in man, by means of his very soul, know that there is a God, and that this God, being God, deserves our worship. We may refuse, but refusal is not to admit that He does not exist. Yes, we can "behold" but we cannot move those things which are outside our body, we cannot energize them in any way, not by thinking about them to cause them to move. Yet, the Word of God, in His Incarnation, in His human nature, can do what natural man cannot do, that is, His body was not in any way a limitation, but an instrument so that He was both in the body, and in all things outside the body. He was resting in the Father alone. Was He not the Wisdom of God. Could not God, who created from nothing all that is, clothed Wisdom? Yes! This is most amazing and supernatural; Jesus Christ was a man, living human being who at the one and same time was sustaining life of the universe. Was it not the Word of God that the Scriptures affirm that it was He who created the world? Yes! But the Father, God, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit were attributed to be the creator. So then, why would it be far-fetched to say that the Word, the Wisdom of God, would continue to hold the creation in place? He was in constant union with the Father. He was not changed just because He was born of a virgin woman. His was not defiled just because He was in a human body. This human body of Jesus Christ was sanctified by Him being in it. How? He was not born as a son of Adam, He was the Only-Begotten Son of God. His being in a human body does not mean that He shares the nature of everything, only that He gives all things their being and sustains them in it. Jesus Christ, in His Incarnation enlightens and purifies all things so that the body He resided in while here upon the earth was not defiled, it was cleansed and quickened. 

     All of God's children are called by God, drawn to Him, and enabled by Him, so that this free gift of faith enables man to choose Him. Jesus Christ did not come to earth for all men, this is an unScriptural view of the oblation and Incarnation. Peter, the Apostle, the one that walked with Jesus wrote: "For to this (that is to be a child of God) you were called (you did not choose Him, He called you) because Christ also suffered for us (who are the us? 1Peter 1:1-2; points to the fact that he was writing to the elect vs.2) an example, that you (that you and me, those chosen, elected by God) should follow His steps" (1Peter 1:21). The question is whether or not you and I are following in His steps, that is are we as Augustine stated: "Love God, and live life." How peaceful it is to live as God has directed, the Ten Commandments applies to us today, and if followed, we have no worry, not to say there will not be tribulation, Jesus pointed out that this would happen, rather we can go about life without fear. For instance, don't drink to much, if you do, then you are subject to the police, especially if the stop you. They will arrest you, and that fun time of drinking will become a carbuncle of trouble for the rest of your life. Pray to God for the help that is needed, rely on Him, trust Him, it is by faith we live, not hope, a sure faith (Hebrews 11:1). Peter quoting from the Psalms: "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil" (1Peter 3:10-12; cf. Psalm 34:12-16; 37:27).

I write to you,

    little children,

because your sins are

    forgiven you for

His name sake.

               1John 2:12

Stay in His Word, Read It Daily

Richard L. Crumb

The Incarnation Revealed The Promised Savior

And I will put

enmity between

you and the woman,

and between your seed

and her Seed;

He shall bruise

your head,

and you shall

bruise His heel.'

Genesis 3:15

 

     The above Scripture is one of familiarity for most all Christians. Allow me to give some thought in regards to this verse. First it is a prophecy and as most all prophecies do, it has a double meaning: one meaning applies to Eve and her children that there would be enmity between her seed, her children, and his seed. Who then is the one spoken about as to his seed? It is the Serpent, the Devil, Satan, and is it not true that there is great enmity between those who desire to follow the God of the Bible and those who do not? Yes! Secondly, this prophecy refers to another one as so mentioned in the verse that the Serpent would bruise the heel of one of her seed. Paul aids us: "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen" (Romans 16:20). Paul point to the fact that her seed is Jesus Christ. Then the prophecy adds that her seed would bruise the head of the Serpent, this is confirmed by John in the Revelation: "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast tot he earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9). It is plain and clear from all other prophecies, and from the presence and events surrounding the Person of Jesus Christ that He was the promised "seed" and that He is the Savior. Jesus Christ revealed in every dimension, above in heaven, in creation on earth by means of the Incarnation, even to the very depths, that is in Hades, the common grave of mankind, in the breadth of His work proclaimed throughout the world that all things have been filled with the knowledge of God.

     Why did not Jesus Christ offer His sacrifice immediately when He came to earth? That is a good question. I might add that I am glad He didn't for if He did, would I be here to live and write this blog? Some might admit that that would have been a good thing! Ha! Seriously, if He had done such a thing upon His arrival in the Incarnation and had surrendered His body to death, then be raised from that death immediately, all this to have been done upon His appearance on earth as a man, He would have ceased to be and object of our senses. Instead, He lived among men in His human body and let Himself be seen in it, doing acts and giving signs that showed Him not only to be man, but also God, the Word, the promised one given to Eve. 

     There are two things that the Savior did for us by becoming man: first, He banished death from us and made us anew. Secondly, He is invisible and imperceptible as God in heaven, yet, through His words He revealed visibly Himself as the Word of the Father, the Ruler and King of the whole creation. When we examine this paradox we find that Jesus Christ was not hedged in by His body. His presence in the body did not prevent His being present elsewhere as well. Far too often we make Jesus to be a separate being by the fact that He was in a human body placing Him to be only here on earth. We forget that He was God, the Second Person of the Godhead, and this association with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead did not split Him apart by becoming flesh. As man He resided on earth, and as God He remains in heaven as well, He is God and He is everywhere at all times, God, and has never separated Himself as the Second Person to be a separate being. He came to earth, took on human flesh for the purpose and design of the end by the Father, by the counsel of the Godhead. When Jesus Christ moved His body, He did not cease to direct the universe by His Mind and might. As the word of God, God Himself in the Second Person, the truth is that in Himself He contained all things. Was He not the creator of the Universe? Yes! I will list a few things that pertain to the Incarnation, the Savior.

1. He is present everywhere, yet, is distinct in being from it.

2. He is ordering and directing, giving life to all.

3. He is containing all yet He Himself, is not contained.

4. He exists with the Father, He is the same essence as the Father, in this life He is demonstrating the Son of God.

5. Existing in a human body, a body to which He gives life, He is still the source of all life to all the universe.

6. he is present in every part of it,yet is outside the whole.

7. He is revealed both through the works of His body, and through His activity in the world.

     By means of this evidence, these facts, is He not to be worshiped? Yes! And as I presented before, He is to be worshiped according to that which is appropriated to God for He is God. We worship Him in spirit and truth. Yes, our senses are enlivened, we are conscious of our heart rejoicing in the fact that God, by means of the Son, the Incarnation, saved, but there is no appropriateness when worship is only touching our senses giving a false impression that we are doing that which is holy and appropriate when the Bible does not reveal, it is His revelation to us, that method of worship. Prayer, read His word, apply His word to our lives, our worship is not in some form of gyration, or outbursts, such as barking like dogs, falling on the ground rolling around as if crazy, these are appealing to our senses but not appropriate for worship to our God, our Savior. May we always be reminded, to call oneself a Christian is to live as a Christian, no matter what, for what can be done to the children of God? Death? Ha! Kill us, we go to heaven. But fear the one who can not only kill the soul, but can limit the children of God in applying the Scriptures to our lives.

O LORD, the hope 

    of Israel,

all who forsake You 

    shall be ashamed.

Those who depart 

    from Me shall be

written in the earth,

    because they have

forsaken the LORD,

    the fountain of

living waters.

                   Jeremiah 17:13

As A Christian Do Not Be Ashamed

Richard L. Crumb