ANSWERS: 7
  • As far as I'm aware, they hold a Trinitarian view, that is: The Father is fully God, The Son is fully God, The Holy Spirit is fully God; There is One God. I'm not a Seventh Day Adventist so am happy to be open on corrections on what they believe.
  • i am a 7th day adventist. we believe in the god head, the trinity, we belive that their is on father, son, and holy spirit that their minds are linked creating the god head or trinity. if you have more qestions about our beliefs and are curio0us just email me at trevorsaxon@gcsda.org
  • The answer is that no, the Seventh-day Adventists do not believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one entity or Being. They believe that they are three separate Divine Beings. In other words, they believe in a tritheistic Godhead (three gods) rather than the orthodox Trinity (even though they use the word "Trinity" they re-define it as the above). See this link for more info: http://lifeassuranceministries.org/Proclamation2007_MayJun.pdf
  • SDA's believe that God is in three person(the Father,the Son & the Holy Spirit). Yet they are not three gods but it is the three persons together which makes up one Godhead. The following link gives some verses used from the NWT of JW's to show the plurality of God. http://everlasting-gospel.blogspot.com/
  • If you are happy blindly following the crowd or your church on the question of the so called Godhead then read no further. However, if you want to base your faith on the teachings of Christ then you should be ready to ask yourself whether you really must believe in the trinity or in Jesus as God. The following are just a few of the reasons why: . 1 nowhere did Jesus teach about the trinity . 2 nowhere did Jesus utter the three simple words "I am God" or even "worship me" . 3 If Jesus was God he would NOT have said "of that day and hour knoweth NO MAN, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father ONLY." Matthew 24:36 . 4 if Jesus was God he would NOT have said to the Father “that they (the people) might know THEE the ONLY true God" John 17:3 . etc etc In the first video below a former Christian gives one of his reasonings why Jesus cannot be God, while in the second video a lecturer at a theological college challenges the speaker with his assertion that there are verses in the Bible that show Jesus is God. . .
  • It is really good to hear from my friend Borasalama!!! He has put forward some smart videos to disprove a clear teaching in the bible!!!!! I have given below my response quoting his statemnts. - 1 nowhere did Jesus teach about the trinity - - Answer: - Jesus tells his disciples that they should go “and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). In this, the initiatory rite of each believer into the Christian religion, the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly stated. Jesus indicated the three persons that make up one God in the bible in the following [few] verses. - John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. - John 14: 26 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. - - 2 nowhere did Jesus utter the three simple words "I am God" or even "worship me" - - Answer: - My Muslim friend says if one follows what Jesus said, they would conclude Jesus is not God. - Lets explore what Jesus really says: - Jesus said in John 5:39 "You diligently study the SCRIPTURES because ..these are the Scriptures that testify about ME." (Here, Jesus was referring to the Old Testament scriptures because at this time the New Testament was not written).Now Jesus definitely must be some where there in the old testament... - Where is He? - - In Ex. 23:20, God says “Here I am sending an angel [Messenger] ahead of you”. This Messenger is a separate person from God because He is sent by God. This Messenger can forgive sins (which is an attribute of God - Mark2:7). God says “my name (YHWH) is within him” (Ex. 23:21) – Isn’t God declaring He is YHWH too!!!!. It was the messenger “of God who was going ahead of the camp of Israel in a pillar of CLOUD” (Ex. 14:19, 24). Jesus said the "scriptures testify about ME" John 5:39. This messenger is none but Christ. "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the CLOUD and all passed through the sea; for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was CHRIST (1 Cor 10:1-4). - - Christ claims the three simple words, "I AM GOD" in Gen. 31:11-13. - In Exodus 3:2,4,6, The messenger wo is Christ once again claims, "I am the God" of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob!!!! - The messenger claims "I AM" Ex 3:14. No wonder Jesus claimed, "I AM" in John 8:58. - Jesus claims in Rev 22:13 - "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." just like the Almighty in Rev 1:8. - - 3 If Jesus was God he would NOT have said "of that day and hour knoweth NO MAN, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father ONLY." Matthew 24:36 - - Answer: - Jesus is not saying that He’s ignorant of the hour of His second coming, but rather, He simply will not reveal it or declare it - neither will the angels. - Was Jesus really ignorant of the time of His own second coming? The word used in both passages that is translated as "know", which is the Greek word "eido". The key lies within the main definition of “eido” that was understood to mean “cannot tell”. - - Paul speaking in 1 Corinthians 2:2. “For I determined to know (eido) nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In this verse, Paul is using the exact same word to say that his only desire is to make known or tell of, Jesus. He is saying that he “cannot tell” of anything but Jesus. Paul wasn’t saying, “I’m ignorant of anything else but Jesus”. That would be ludicrous, since he was a well-educated man. He was simply saying that Jesus was the only thing worth telling anyone about! - - In Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32, Jesus is actually saying, “But of that day or hour no one will MAKE KNOWN or tell of, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” - - - 4 if Jesus was God he would NOT have said to the Father “that they (the people) might know THEE the ONLY true God" John 17:3 . - Answer: - Jesus claims, “I am God” in Gen 31:13 and “I am the God of your Fathers (Exodus 3:2,4,6). Therefore, the Father is not the only true God, Jesus is also. Jesus is referred to as the “only Lord” in Jude 4. However Jesus is not the “only” Lord, the Father is also “Lord” (See: Matt 11:25;Deut 10:17).1 Cor 8:6 says “there is one Lord”. Here again, Jesus is not the one and only Lord, Father is also. The terms "one and only" does not exclude the other members of the Godhead, but rather it confirms unity in Godhead. - - - In the first video below a former Christian gives one of his reasonings why Jesus cannot be God, while in the second video a lecturer at a theological college challenges the speaker with his assertion that there are verses in the Bible that show Jesus is God. - Answer: - One of the videos features Dr. Zakir Naik (medical doctor by professional training,) who is a renowned international orator on Islam and Comparative Religion. One can catch him on "Peace T.v". Like Ahmed Deedad,Naik and his fellow folks are quite famous in their attack against the bible. Just Like any other Muslim, they conveniently select texts that supports their arguement ignoring the rest of srciptures (they say it is corrupt). Note: we christians believe in "All Scriptures" and we take all to arrive at a teaching. He is also excellent at debates with some ignorant Christians who are ignorant of scriptures and He makes them really look stupid. . - - - It is in vain to show Muslims who aren't sincere in knowing the truth about Christ. They are so good at pointing at discrepancies in the bible as a last resort when something is shown. Mind you, Quran itself contains plenty of contradictions (of course the Muslims will deny this blaming the translations!!!).Check out the following video & see the pagans roots of Islam. God of islam is not the God who appeared to Abraham or Ishamel. The following is Highly recommended!!!! (Please note that i have nothing against any Muslim and i believe there are very good Muslims out their who are sincere and after the truth.) - - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7282213372966227768&ei=p9z6SP2fKIq6wgOO76H8Cg&q=Islamic+Conection
  • The Holy Spirit, A Person, YET ONE WITH THE TRINITY TEXTS SUPPORTING THE TRINITY Eternal Oneness Deut 6:4 "Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is ONE Lord. Have you ever wondered why it says, "the Lord our God is ONE Lord" and that "There is no other God but One. For even if there are so called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords) yet for us there is ONE GOD; the Father of whom are all things and we for Him; and ONE LORD, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through him exist.1 Corinthians 8:4-6 ONE LORD, ONE GOD, yet here we see TWO, and in other places we see three? It's because GOD is ONE in three persons. "In the beginning God...." Before there was time-- there was God "In the beginning was the Word..." Before there was time---there was the Word. John 1:1-4,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, John 10:30 I and My Father are One John 14:7-11 If you have known me, (Christ) you should have known my Father also: and from now on you know Him, and have seen Him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have thou not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how is it that you say, Show us the Father? Don't you believe I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: God the Father bears witness to Christ’s deity when He addresses Him as God. Heb. 1:8-10 “Unto the Son, he say, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…and thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” Phil. 2.5-7 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form (very nature) of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, In the following study we will show that Jesus Christ is as verily Jehovah God, as the Father. Please, ALWAYS, it must be kept in mind that the Father is in all TRUTH "Jehovah God, as Christ is IN TRUTH "Jehovah God." This demonstrates the closeness of the Father and the Son, their essential unity and oneness, for as we have just read, Jesus declared that, "I and my Father are ONE." The understanding of the TRINITY shows that: There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal Persons. So we see here that the TRINITY teaches that there are THREE distinct persons together in ONE unified Godhood, One in substance, character, purpose, co-eternal, and equal, in absolute unity and closeness, yet three persons, working in total harmony together. The NAME of the GODHEAD is "JEHOVAH". Who is the "FIRST AND THE LAST?" Is. 44.6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, AND his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Here we saw the two in ONE) Is. 48.12-13 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am He; I am the first, I also am the last.> Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: (Col. 2:16 says by Christ's hand ALL things were created) Is. 48.16-17 Come ye near to me, hear this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there I AM: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, has sent me. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God. (Here we have all three in ONE) This is a very interesting verse. It sets forth the eternity of Christ, and reveals that the God and His Spirit sent HIM! The above WORDS WERE SPOKEN BY CHRIST-- and HE is sent by the LORD GOD, and HIS SPIRIT-- and yet HE TESTIFIES THAT HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY AND EVERLASTING GOD. When John sees Christ He again claims the same titles: In Rev. 1.17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: And it was to the church of Smyrna in Rev. 2.8 that Christ again announced the name: "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;" And the Revelation given to us of Jesus ends with the WORDS: Rev. 22.12-13 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Rev. 1:7-8 " "Look He is coming with the clouds, every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him. . . I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, "who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Is. 44.6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. These very texts testify that Christ is the ALMIGHTY GOD. Psalms 50.1-3 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. Is. 44.6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. The Name of God is a UNIFIED ONE. Psalms 110:1 "Jehovah said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." The word "Lord" is from "adoni". Jesus quotes these words in Matthew 22:44,45 substituting "kurios" for both "Jehovah and "Adoni". Apparently God the Father (Jehovah) is speaking to the Son (Adoni). But, as we see from Christ's quoting, this does not make the Son inferior to the Father as He uses the term "Jehovah" for both! In Genesis 18:26,27 the same Person of the Godhead is called Jehovah in one verse and "Adoni" in the next. "And "Jehovah" said....and Abraham answered.. unto "Adonai"" These two titles are used interchangeably in reference to the Persons of the Godhead. In Jeremiah 23:5,6 God the Father is Jehovah in the first verse, but in the next the Son bears the title Jehovah. (Jehovah our Righteousness) We see the same in Genesis 19:24 and Hosea 1:7. "Then "Jehovah" rained fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the "Jehovah" in heaven. "The word of (the Lord) "Jehovah"...I will have mercy on the house of Judah, I will save them by the ( Lord the God) "Jehovah" the "Elohim." (Elohim is the plural rendering of the word "GOD") Deuteronomy 6:4 "The Lord (Jehovah) our God (Elohim) is One Lord (Jehovah)." The word translated "one" is "echad". It is the same Hebrew word translated "one" in Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be ONE." The husband and wife are still TWO separate persons, yet the Bible says they shall be ONE. In the same way God the Father and God the Son are separate personalities yet they constitute (with the Holy Spirit) "ONE JEHOVAH". "Echad" is a very common word for "one" and means "one in unity", "one in plurality" as well as the numerical number one. If Moses would have wished to emphasize one singular God he would have used "yachid" as in Genesis 22:2. Instead he used "echad in order to allow for a plurality. Thus we see the term: Jehovah can refer to either God the Father, or God the Son, or to the whole combined Godhead. Who was the God Who Spoke in the Old Testament? El and Jehovah are the names of the GODHEAD, and they are often used interchangeably for the members of the GODHEAD. This is a very interesting discovery. For further study reveals that the God who revealed Himself in the Old Testament is the same God Who revealed Himself in the New Testament. It is Jesus Christ, who all through human history, is the link between mankind and heaven. All those references to THE LORD, refer to Jesus Christ! He is GOD MANIFESTED! He was the ONE in the Pillar of Cloud, He was the Rock that followed the children of Israel in the Wilderness! 1 Cor. 10.4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. John 1.18 "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared" 4T.159.003 "It was the Son of God who stood as an armed warrior before the [Joshua] leader of Israel. It was the One who had conducted the Hebrews through the wilderness, enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night." COL.287.001 "Christ was the leader of the children of Israel in their wilderness wanderings. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, He led and guided them. He preserved them from the perils of the wilderness, He brought them into the land of promise, and in the sight of all the nations that acknowledged not God He established Israel as His own chosen possession, the Lord's vineyard." Isaiah 9:6 "Unto us a child is born. . .his name shall be called ...The mighty El (el-ribbor), The everlasting Father, . . . This is a prophecy of the Christ child. And His name is EL .. EL is also one of Jehovah's names! See Young's Analytical Concordance under "God" Exodus 6:3 proves that EL and Jehovah are the same person, "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of Almighty (el-shaddar)... but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them." Here it is clearly proven that EL and Jehovah represent the same person of the Godhead! Which member is this? See Matthew 1:23 "They shall call his name EmmanuEL which being interpreted is God (EL) with us! Isaiah 43:12 states: "You are my witnesses, says Jehovah, that I am (EL) God. Jehovah is our Judge? Who is our judge -- which member of the Godhead? Deut. 32:36 For Jehovah shall judge his people Psalms 7:8 Jehovah shall judge the people Isaiah 33:22 Jehovah is our judge The Old Testament is clear -- Jehovah is the Judge! Who is Jehovah? John 5:22 The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son." 2 Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. There is only One judge -- Jehovah Who is Christ Our Lord. Yet Jesus says: 8.16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. So WHO is our judge? Christ and God the Father work TOGETHER FOR THEY ARE BOTH JEHOVAH. Christ confesses our names before the Father--Rev. 3:5 Who is the Creator? Genesis 1:1 "In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth" Mal. 2.10 says the Father created us: "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" Eph. 3:9 God, (The Deity) who created all things by Jesus Christ: Colossians 1.16,17 For by him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Therefore even the Sabbath was created by Christ who declares Himself as Lord of the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) Keep in mind however, that the term "Jehovah" is applied to all three members of the Godhead. "Gen. 1:26 And God (Elohim) said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." So when ELOHIM says “Let US make man in OUR image” there is no question the term is PLURAL. A plural ONENESS. The Bible says that, GOD CREATED AND SAID LET US MAKE…. God to the Son says…"You Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth" (Heb. 1:10 ) in the beginning they created the world TOGETHER AS ONE GOD JEHOVAH. " Deut 6:4 "Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is ONE Lord. The word ONE is not "yachid" or singular, it is Echad, a compound one. From everlasting to everlasting is our God -- three persons operating in perfect harmony and unity. In Genesis 17, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am El Shaddai.....(The Almighty God) and ELohin (plural form of God) talked with him.....to be ELohin to you. The fact that the Bible writers used both the terms “EL” (single) and “Elohim”(plural) intensives the concept of ONE GOD (singular) IN THREE PERSONS. (plural)---If this were not the truth, they would have used ONLY “EL”. Isaiah 45:21 I the LORD? (Jehovah) and there is no God (Elohim, plural) else beside me; a just God (El, singular) and a Saviour; there is none beside me. There is no other God but Jehovah, yet this is defined with the plural term. Then it mentions the just God, and the Saviour? Who is the Saviour? 2 Tim. 1.8-10 the gospel according to the power of God; ….. is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Yes, there IS ONLY ONE GOD, yet three persons in perfect unity. They do seem to have an orderly system of authority -- God the Father being the head and Christ. Christ is the One who is the bridge between God and Man, and the Holy Spirit is actively working. Each has their roles -- but all three work together. 1 Cor. 11:3 indicates that as Christ is "the head of every man" so God is "the head of Christ". 1 Cor. 15:24 and 28 indicates that Christ will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to Him. Oh there are many more Bible studies on the trinity -- this barely scrapes the surface -- How the three most powerful, wonderful persons work as ONE for the salvation of every person who will just reach up and say -- Lord I am yours, take my heart, renew it, lead me by your hand into your kingdom. The Trinity and the First Commandment The first commandment states: Thou shalt have no other God's before Me. The Bible clearly expounds on this, saying people are NOT to worship any other gods. Duet. 34:14 "You shall worship no other god, for the LORD, is a jealous God." Luke 4:8 "It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and HIM ONLY you shall serve." Yet we see commands to worship God AND to worship Christ. Hebrews 1:6 "He says" Let all the angels of God worship Him. (CHRIST). So if we deny that Christ is fully God with the Father, we would either have to say the ten commandments were not valid, or that we must stop worshipping Christ and deny ourselves of our Savior. The truth of course, is that CHRIST and GOD are both fully and equally God. For Jesus said, "I and My Father are ONE! He who has seen ME has seen the Father". John 10:30 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." John 8:58 Vincent, in his WORD STUDIES, says, “It is important to observe the distinction between the two verbs (was, am). Abraham’s life WAS under the conditions of time, and therefore had a temporal beginning. Hence, Abraham came into being , or was born (genes Thai) Jesus’ life was from, and to eternity. Hence the formula for absolute, timeless existence, I am (ego eimi)’ Wordsworth’s Greek Testaments says” “Before Abraham was born, I AM. It would seem that the words “ego eimi (I AM) are used by our Lord three times (v. 23,24,28) in this chapter to signify HIS OWN DIVINE PRE-existence. I AM, meaning --from everlasting, and His co-existence with the Father…Why did He not say, before Abraham I was, instead He says I AM? Because He uses this word, “I AM” as His Father uses it; for it signifies perpetual existence, independent of all time…The Deity has no past or future, but a perpetual present, and therefore He uses the present tense, and says “I AM” Therefore there is no conflict in worshipping Christ the Son and God the Father, for they are ONE GOD. God the Father testifies that Christ is God: Hebrews 1.8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. We also have this testimony that Christ is God: John 20.28,29 "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed" ----------------- TEXTS CONTAINING ALL THREE PERSONS OF THE GODHEAD Following are some texts showing the understanding of the Three in One, Godhead. Isaiah 48:17 From the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit have sent ME. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer. Matt. 28:19 Baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit 11 Cor. 13:14 Grace of Christ, the love of God and the commuion of the Holy Spirit. 11 Cor. 1:21,22 He Who establishes in Christ, anointed us is God, and given us the Spirit 1 Cor. 6:11,12 Justified in the name of Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Ephesians 4:4-6 There is ONE SPIRIT, ONE LORD, ONE FATHER AND GOD OF ALL. 1 Thess. 5:18-19 Will of God in Christ Jesus...quench not the Spirit. 1 Peter 1:2 foreknowledge of God the Father, sanctification of Spirit, blood of Christ Jude 20-21 Praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of Jesus Christ. Notice also that ALL THREE MEMBERS were present at creation Genesis 1:1,2 In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth...And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the the waters. And God said, ..... Genesis 1:26 "Let US make man in OUR image...so God created man in His image..male and female He created THEM. Col. 1:15 "By Him [Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, ...all things were created through Him and for Him." All three were present at the incarnation! Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Is. 48.16-17 Come ye near to me, hear this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there I AM: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, has sent me. Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God. Isaiah 9:6 Christ's NAME, carries the Full Godhead: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given and His NAME shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. THE MIGHTY GOD is Wonderful! The One God is comprised of the Father, the Prince of Peace (Christ) and the Counselor (Holy S One of the oldest errors in the world is mankinds' persistent desire to reduce God to some force he can manipulate in order to increase his own powers.--- The whole NEW AGE movement is built on precisely the concept of the "Great Force" to be "tapped into" of "having god inside" as a force quite devoid of personality, and if you only tap into the force you can supposedly become godlike yourself. It is the essence of Eastern religion. Pantheisim has tried to gain recognition in our church, and had the founders earlier grasped the fullness of the Godhead: three persons in one, the pantheistic problem that caused considerable controversy, would probably never have been the problem it was. The HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON, the third PERSON of the ONE GODHEAD. He is unencumbered with humanity, and therefore omnipresent, but a person none the less Who comes and teaches, and convicts people of their sin and leads them into truth. To take away the personality of the Holy Spirit, and divest Him of all personal qualities and make "it" merely "the God power", is the very basis of Pantheism, (God in everything) and leads to Christianized New Age spiritualistic falsehoods. The Trinity doctrine recognizes the Holy Spirit as a PERSON. The third person of the Godhead. Even though the Greek word for "SPIRIT" is a "neuter" gender, (IT) the Bible writers use the masculine pronouns (HE, HIS) to replace the neuter form Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13) even though syntactical that was inconsistant. Also the HOLY SPIRIT is endowed with very "personal" characteristics like: Intelligence and knowledge, feelings and teaching ability. (John 14:26) "for He will teach you all things". 1 Cor. 2:13,14 He teaches us spiritual things, helping us to discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 12:11),He makes decisions --deciding who gets what spiritual gift He has emotions and can be grieved (Eph. 4:30) Romans 8:26 "The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (John 16:8) He convicts of sin, of righteousness and judgment Rev. 22:17 He invites people to "come" (Matt. 12:31, Mark 3:29) He can be sinned and blasphemed against, which can lead to the unpardonable sin "The Spirit Himself bears witness.... that we are children of God (Romans 8:16 He speaks (Acts 8:29) teaches (Luke 12:12) reveals (Luke 2:26) testifies (Acts 20:23) searches (1 Cor. 2:10,11) He sets people apart for service and sends them on their way (Acts 13:2,4) He commands and guides (Acts 8:29) He declares things to come (John 16:13) Romans 8:5 He sets our minds on the things of God Romans 8:13 Through the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body Peter says:-- Acts 5:3-5 Why did you lie to the Holy Spirit, ...you have lied to God. Hebrews 9:14 says the Holy Spirit is eternal. Romans 15:30 says the Holy Spirit loves. 1 Cor. 12:11 says the Holy Spirit divides gifts to every man as HE wills. He has a will. He has emotions. He has a mind. Romans 8:27 He that searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession.... In John 14-16 Christ referred to the Holy Spirit 24 times with personal PRONOUNS. HE, HIM. He addresses the Holy Spirit as a person, and treats Him as a person. He calls Him the Paraclete, which is a title which could only be held by a person. The Paraclete, is "ANOTHER Counselor" (John 14:16) who will come and instruct. "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things (14:26) "When the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who comes forth from the Father, He will bear witness to me (15:26-27) "When the Spirit of truth comes, HE will guide you into all truth, for HE will... glorify ME, for HE will take what is mine and declare it to you (16:13-14) The Bible speaks of Him as: 1. The Spirit Himself (Romans 8:16; 8:26) 2. The Spirit of God (Romans 8:9; 8:14) 3. The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9) The Spirit is all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. Some say the Holy Spirit is not a "third person" of the Godhead, but really is Christ returning to earth "in another form". However, in John 14:16 Jesus says: I will ask the Father, and He will give you ANOTHER Counsellor." What does the word "another" mean? It means "different or distinct from the one it is being compared to. When Jesus said "ANOTHER" was being sent, He obviously meant that He would ask for a Counsellor other than Himself, because He was going away. The Counsellor would take His place. Of course there are texts that seem to say it is Christ "coming to us". For the nature of the trinity is that when ONE of the three is present, all three are present. For they know each others thoughts as if they were their own. However, Jesus makes clear distinction that "the comforter" is ANOTHER, not Himself. When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, HE WILL TESTIFY OF ME." (John 15:26) Jesus also "broke" the rules of grammer here, to give the "Holy Spirit" personality. The word for "Spirit" is neuter, and should in strict grammar be referred to as "It". But Jesus refers to "THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH" as "HE". What does EGW say about the Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the Godhead? Desire of Ages p.671.002 In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. BT.1906-03-01.001 The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight. The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The word of God declares Him to be "the express image of His person." "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Here is shown the personality of the Father. The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. In the name of these three powers,--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ. Signs of Times,June 19, 1901 Our sanctification is the work of the FATHER, THE SON, and THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is the fulfilment of the covenant that God has made with those who bind themselve up with Him, to stand with Him, with His Son, and with His Spirit in holy fellowship.... God's Amazing Grace 194.1 (Review and Herald June 10, 1902) The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer. Signs of the Times, December 1, 1898 par. 2 What gift could He bestow rich enough to signalize and grace His ascension to the mediatorial throne? It must be worthy of His greatness and His royalty. He determined to give His representative, the third person of the Godhead. This gift could not be excelled. He would give all gifts in one, and therefore the divine Spirit, converting, enlightening, sanctifying, would be His donation. Periodical--SW.1905-11-28.002 It must be worthy of his greatness and his royalty. He determined to give his representative, the third person of the Godhead. RH.1904-05-19.003 The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of man to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fulness of divine power. RH.1908-11-19.006 Of the Spirit, Jesus said, "He shall glorify me." The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of his love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing his grace to the world. SPTA10.025.002 (Letter 8, 1896, p. 1 (To "My Brethren in America," February 6, 1896.) Evil had been accumulating for centuries, and could only be restrained and resisted by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fulness of divine power. Another spirit must be met; for the essence of evil was working in all ways, and the submission of man to this satanic captivity was amazing. Here we see that the Third Person of the Godhead meets and fights the evil spirit (satan) SPTA10.037.001 The prince of the power of evil can only be held in check by the power of God in the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. Councils on Health p. 222 The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. Manuscript Release 7:299 Written in 1899 "We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds, that the Lord God is our keeper, and helper. He hears every word we utter and knows every thought of the mind.: When one person of the Godhead is present, God is fully present. Now how does this relate to "spiritualism". For the work of the TRUE HOLY SPIRIT is in direct opposition to the work of the FALSE AND EVIL SPIRITS. In a booklet that has been circulated to SDA's, called "Who is Telling the Truth about God", the authors deny that the Holy Spirit is the third PERSON of the Godhead and say the Holy Spirit is simply Jesus "coming back in ANOTHER FORM". The Holy Spirit, they say, is but the Spirit of Christ and of God. This is rather close to spiritualism which says: When Jesus appeared to hundreds of people after His death, He “materialized.” There is no resurrection. There is materialization. In this sense Jesus became the spirit guide of His disciples and could materialize and dematerialize at will. This doctrine of God is panentheistic, spiritualism. Panentheism teaches that God's Spirit is “in” the world in the sense that just as the soul or "spirit" is in the body, so God's spirit is in the world. The world is, then, God’s body. God's spirit is therefore an impersonal infinite, intelligence and energy that pervades the world and is in everything, including you-- thus you look inside to find the "god within". We see in the BIBLE that there is ONE GOD. -- A personal God. The true God is comprised of three persons, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is in perfect oneness with the other, yet each is a person. There is no "spiritualistic force" floating around. We deal with a personal God. When ONE of the three is present, their "oneness of thought and purpose" makes it so all three are present. For God knows the mind of the Holy Spirit. They KNOW each other's minds. We do not look within, to find the "spirit" within. We look UP, to God, and surrender to HIM and search for HIM in the scriptures and revelations, and the HOLY SPIRIT guides us into all truth.

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