John 3:34 teaches that the Father gave the Spirit directly to Christ “without measure,” meaning without limitation or partial distribution, which is different from the way others received and exercised the power of the Holy Spirit in limited, task-specific ways during certain parts of the Old Testament period (Num. 11:17; Jdg. 3:10) or the miraculous period of the first century A.D. The terms “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “The Anointed One,” indicating that Jesus was anointed in a unique way, fully empowered by the Father.… Read more
Category: God the Father
Are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit All the Same Spirit?
Some claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not distinct Persons at all, but are the same divine Person or Spirit revealed or manifested in different ways. Others claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are truly distinct divine Persons, yet share one undivided divine essence and are therefore regarded together as “the one God.” However, the New Testament most often uses “God” to refer to the Father and explicitly calls Him the “one God” in several key passages (Jn.… Read more
When the Truth About God the Father Sounds Strange
How is it that one of the plain truths of Ephesians 4:4-6 (often called “the seven ones of unity”) now sounds strange to many Christians? “One body… one Spirit… one hope… one Lord… one faith… one baptism… one God and Father of all, who is above all…” (Eph. 4:4-6).
These seven simple, Spirit-given truths are meant to produce unity, yet one of them — the truth about God the Father — has been largely overlooked, softened, or even denied by many children of God.… Read more
Diagram – The Headship of God the Father
Without Holiness, We Will Not See God
Many who claim to be Christians do not seem to take sin seriously. They joke about their disobedience and show little concern for living righteously—but sin is what nailed our Lord to the cross. There is nothing more serious than that, and true love does not rejoice in iniquity (1 Corinthians 13:6). Impenitent sin is just as deadly after conversion as it was before conversion (Acts 8:12–24; 1 Corinthians 10:11–12; James 5:19–20).
Jesus, the very one who died to save us, also commands us to take up our cross of obedience and self-denial daily (Luke 9:23).… Read more
Father, Son, and Spirit
The Bible presents a clear yet profound understanding of “the Godhead” that emphasizes both the Father’s supremacy and the distinct roles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The term “Godhead” refers to Godhood, the divine nature shared by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9; Acts 17:29). While some theological terms such as “Trinity” have been used historically, what many think of when they hear “Trinity” may not be what the Bible teaches.… Read more
Keeping the Unity of the Spirit
In Ephesians chapter four, Paul said Christians must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit (unity based on what the Spirit revealed), being bound together in peace and love (Eph. 4:2-3), but unity and peace are destroyed when people deviate from what the Spirit revealed in the Bible. The Holy Spirit gave us the “seven ones” of unity (Eph. 4:4-6), and to be united we must all agree upon these critical criteria:
- “There is one body,” Christ’s one church for which He died (Eph.
When God’s Patience Runs Out
One of the great characteristics of God is His love for man and His desire that all should come to repentance and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3, 4; 2 Peter 3:9). Because of God’s love, He has often been very patient with people who were in ignorance or rebellion. However, as the Scriptures reveal the mind of God to us (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), we realize that God’s patience with man has its limits.
For example, God gave the people of Noah’s time one hundred twenty years to repent, as Noah was preaching to them and building the ark (Genesis 6:3; 2 Peter 2:5).… Read more
Running from a Lion to a Bear
When Amos addressed Israel regarding the judgment of the Lord, he wrote, “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him. . .” (Amos 5:18, 19). With these verses Amos was referring to inescapable judgment, but it can also be said that sometimes when people attempt to avoid something harmful they may often go to an extreme which can be just as harmful as the issue they were initially trying to avoid. … Read more
The Question of Praying to the Holy Spirit
Should Christians pray to the Holy Spirit? Considering the clarity with which the Scriptures teach men to pray exclusively to the Father, one may wonder why this question even needs asking. Sadly, some openly teach that Christians may address the Holy Spirit in prayer. What are the repercussions if Christians begin believing such a doctrine? In the future, will congregations all over the world be praying to the Holy Spirit in worship assemblies? This is a dangerous doctrine which needs to be answered.… Read more
Cold, Hard Facts for Warm, Tender Hearts
- God hates abortion (Prov. 6:16-17).
- Babies are not born lost in sin or totally depraved—they are pure and will be in Heaven if they die or are murdered (2 Sam. 12:23; Ezek. 18:20; 28:15; Mt. 18:3; 19:14).
- God must come before family (Mt. 10:34-39).
- God loves homosexuals, but He hates homosexuality (Jn. 3:16; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Jude 7; Heb. 1:9).
- A marriage is only for an eligible man and an eligible woman (Mt. 19:3-9).
- A couple joined by God in marriage may only divorce for one reason—fornication (the spouse not guilty of fornication may put away the adulterer—Mt.