william

Bible on holy spirit

"The Power of God in the Third Person.--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.-- Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 10, p. 37. (1897).

Bible text

Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

"The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church." Desire of Ages, 805.

"Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.

In the gift of the Spirit, Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

“Cumbered with humanity Christ could not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit.” E.G. White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14 (No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084.

July 16, 1892: The Saviour is our Comforter. This I have proved Him to be. {8MR 49.3}

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, in Christ's name. He personifies Christ, yet is a distinct personality. We may have the Holy Spirit if we ask for it and make it [a] habit to turn to and trust in God rather than in any finite human agent who may make mistakes. {20MR 324.2}

The work of the holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this source that power and efficiency come to the worker for God; and the holy Spirit is the comforter, as the personal presence of Christ to the soul. He who looks to Christ in simple, childlike faith, is made a partaker of the divine nature through the agency of the holy Spirit. When led by the Spirit of God, the Christian may know that he is made complete in him who is the head of all things. As Christ was glorified on the day of Pentecost, so will he again be glorified in the closing work of the gospel, when he shall prepare a people to stand the final test, in the closing conflict of the great controversy. The prophet describes the enemy's plan of battle saying:-- {RH, November 29, 1892 par. 3}

And Jesus said He would give us the Comforter. What is the Comforter? It is the Holy Spirit of God. What is the Holy Spirit? It is the representative of Jesus Christ, it is our Advocate that stands by our side and places our petitions before the Father all fragrant with His merits. There He accepts the petition of the humblest saint. He doesn't ask you how much money you have, or how heavy you are loaded with property, but the very humblest saint that brings his petition to God, and [his] thank offering is made fragrant with the riches of His grace, and the Father accepts it as your offering, and the blessing comes to you, grace for grace. {RC 285.4}

It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name." "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth" [John 16:12, 13]. {14MR 179.2}

There are many mysteries which I do not seek to understand or to explain; they are too high for me, and too high for you. On some of these points, silence is golden. Piety, devotion, sanctification of soul, body, and spirit--this is essential for us all. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" [John 17:3]. "This is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life" [John 6:40]. {14MR 179.3}

The work of the holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this source that power and efficiency come to the worker for God; and the holy Spirit is the comforter, as the personal presence of Christ to the soul. He who looks to Christ in simple, childlike faith, is made a partaker of the divine nature through the agency of the holy Spirit. When led by the Spirit of God, the Christian may know that he is made complete in him who is the head of all things. As Christ was glorified on the day of Pentecost, so will he again be glorified in the closing work of the gospel, when he shall prepare a people to stand the final test, in the closing conflict of the great controversy. The prophet describes the enemy's plan of battle saying:-- {RH, November 29, 1892 par. 3}

I urge our people to cease their criticism and evil speaking, and go to God in earnest prayer, asking him to help them to help the erring. Let them link up with one another and with Christ. Let them study the seventeenth of John, and learn how to pray and how to live the prayer of Christ. He is the Comforter. He will abide in their hearts, making their joy full. His words will be to them as the bread of life, and in the strength thus gained they will be enabled to develop characters that will be an honor to God. Perfect Christian fellowship will exist among them. There will be seen in their lives the fruit that always appears as the result of obedience to the truth. {RH, January 27, 1903 par. 13}

Hbr 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Bible text

Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

"But through the power of the incarnation of Christ, God manifest in the flesh, the strength of God is revealed in gentleness and beauty. To 'as many as received him, to them gave he POWER to become the sons of God.' By this POWER we may OVERCOME OUR EVIL TENDENCIES and so modify our imperfect dispositions that the will of God may be fulfilled in us."--Letter 79, May 7, 1903, to J.A. Burden and wife. The Upward Look, 141.

Christ could have returned to His pre-Incarnation state: The humanity of the Son of God trembled in that trying hour. He prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His own tempted, agonized soul. The awful moment had come--that moment which was to decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance. Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was not yet too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man to perish in his iniquity. He might say, Let the transgressor receive the penalty of his sin, and I will go back to My Father. Will the Son of God drink the bitter cup of humiliation and agony? Will the innocent suffer the consequences of the curse of sin, to save the guilty? The words fall tremblingly from the pale lips of Jesus, "O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done." {DA 690.2}

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the

believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

Ellen White on Godhead:

"Before Christ came in the likeness of men, he existed in the express image

of his Father. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Nevertheless

he voluntarily emptied himself, and took the form of a servant. He was the

incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. In him are hid all the

treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Ellen G. White, Youth's Instructor,

20th December 1900 'Christ's humiliation")

Christ our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man's behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ, who presents His blood, ... the Spirit works upon the hearts, drawing our prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving.

The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirit's striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart (1 SM 344).

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the

believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

"Cumbered with humanity Christ could not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit.” E.G. White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14 (No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084.

New Sense

"Christ brought men and women power to overcome. He came to this world in human form, to live a man amongst men. He assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His Incarnation He gained in a NEW SENSE the title of the Son of God. Said the angel to Mary, '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' (Luke 1:35). While the Son of a human being, He became the son of God in a NEW SENSE. Thus He stood in our world--the Son of God, yet allied by birth to the human race." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 226.

***************SDA Church position on the Godhead:

William G. Johnson, Editor of the Adventist Review: "Adventist beliefs have changed over the years under the impact of "present truth." Most startling is the teaching regarding Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.....the Trinitarian understanding of God, now part of our fundamental beliefs, was not generally held by the early Adventists." Adventist Review, Jan 6, 1994, p. 10.

George R. Knight.--Of such significance is this change that George Knight, Andrews University Seminary professor made the following statement in Ministry, the official Seventh-day Adventist journal for ministers:

"Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join the church today if they had to subscribe to the denomination's Fundamental Beliefs. More specifically, most would not be able to agree to belief number 2, which deals with the doctrine of the trinity." Ministry, October, 1993, p. 10.

Gordon Jenson.--"A plan of salvation was encompassed in the covenant made by the Three Persons of the Godhead, who possessed the attributes of Deity equally. In order to eradicate sin and rebellion from the universe and to restore harmony and peace, one of the divine Beings accepted, and entered into the role of the Father, another the role of the Son. The remaining divine Being, the Holy Spirit, was also to participate in effecting the plan of salvation." Gordon Jenson, Adventist Review, October 31, 1996, p. 12.

This statement by Gordon Jenson unmistakably implies that (1) the appellations, Father and Son are merely designations based on an arrangement rather than substantive fact and (2) there are three separate Persons, each of whom is God, equally. The above conclusions are fundamentally opposed to the earlier beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists. This is evident by comparison with a statement of faith that was published in 1874, which declares:

"1. That there is one God, a personal, spiritual Being, the Creator of all things, omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal; infinite in wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and mercy; unchangeable, and everywhere present by His representative, the Holy Spirit. Psalm 189:7.

2. That there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the One by whom God created all things, and by whom they do consist...." Signs of the Times, June 4, 1874.

Position of the Pioneers –

While the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were distinctly non-Trinitarian, it is no less distinct that they were emphatically not Arian. That is, they were just as removed from that camp which denies the divinity of Christ and makes Christ a created being as they were removed from the Trinitarian camp. A sample of statements issued by some of the more notable ones among the Seventh-day Adventist pioneers show that they were not Arian:

"The inexplicable Trinity that makes the Godhead three in one and one in three is bad enough; but that ultra Unitarianism that makes Christ inferior to the Father is worse. Did God say to an inferior, 'let us make man in our image?'" James White, Review and Herald, November 29, 1877.

"....the great mistake of Trinitarians, in arguing this subject, is this: they make no distinction between a denial of a trinity and a denial of the divinity of Christ. They see only the two extremes, between which the truth lies; and take every expression referring to the pre-existence of Christ as evidence of a trinity. The Scriptures abundantly teach the preexistence of Christ and his divinity; but they are entirely silent in regard to a trinity." J. H. Waggoner, Review and Herald, November 10, 1863.

Ellen G. White, by no indication, differed from the

other pioneers on this matter. While she did not use

the term ''trinity'', many of her statements were

clearly incompatible with a trinity concept, but were

evidently consistent with the general view of the

other pioneers. The following statement furnishes an

example:

"Lucifer in heaven, before his rebellion, was a high

and exalted angel, next in honor to God's dear

Son.... Christ, God's dear Son, had the preeminence

over all the angelic host. He was one with

the Father before the angels were created. Lucifer

was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed

command which devolved on Christ alone.

The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that

He might in the presence of all the angels

confer special honor upon His Son.... The Father

then made known that it was ordained by Himself

that Christ His Son, should be equal with Himself;

so that wherever was the presence of His Son,

it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was

to be obeyed as readily as the word of the

Father. His Son He had invested with authority to

command the heavenly host." - E.G. White, the

Story of Redemption, p.13.

Christ was not regarded as a created being, but rather

as the literal Son of God, begotten of the Father;

hence, of the same nature, being equally divine and of

like mind, yet subject to His Father.

A number of questions arise which demand frank and

honest answers. Why did the pioneers of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church write so extensively

against the trinity doctrine and were never once

rebuked or corrected by EGW who was among them? Why

did the Seventh-day Adventist Church accept and

profess Trinitarianism only after EGW had died? Who

or what do we worship? Do we worship a three-person

God-committee or a Personal, Sovereign Being? Was the

love of God for humanity manifested in the sacrifice

of merely a colleague, an associate or a fellow God?

Is Christ not truly the Son of God, but only "Son" by

designation, based on an arrangement?

The faith of the pioneers was predicated on the view

of God as a Personal Being, a literal Father, who has

an eternal relationship with an only begotten,

beloved, literal Son. In the gift to humanity of His

dearly beloved Son is seen the measure of God's love

(John 3:16; 1 John 4:9).

In light of all this and what you have said, I also

believe that we will ultimately agree. I

whole-heartedly believe in Seventh-day Adventism and

my concern is that we will forget the pillars that our

church was built upon. IMO understanding our church

history is important for we must build upon the

pillars of our faith, not replace them.

David Quick

End Position of the Pioneers on the Godhead

*************

One Spirit -- For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Eph. 2:18.

Redeem -- Redemption: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb. 2:14.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declare Fd Solaim 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. Isa. 44:6.

Isa 54:5 <http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Isa/Isa054.html> For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

The Father and the Son each have a personality. Christ declared: "I and My Father are one." Yet it was the Son of God who came to the world in human form. Laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown, He clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity through His infinite sacrifice might become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (9T pages 67-68)

In this scripture God and Christ are spoken of separately. They are two distinct persons, but one in mind, one in heart, one in holiness and justice, and purity, and one in the work of seeking to save the sinful race. To those who believe in Christ, God will give power to become His sons even to them that believe on His name. This is the science of the life that now is, and of the life which is to come. This is the true science that our medical men need to study,--the science of the saving grace of the gospel. This is the science that students must study in order to become genuine medical missionaries”. (Miscellaneous Manuscripts and Collections. Battle Creek letters 1928 BCL.127)

“The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and Christ are one.” (MH - 422)

“ I have frequently been falsely charged with teaching views peculiar to Spiritualism. But before the editor of the Day-Star ran into that delusion, the Lord gave me a view of the sad and desolating effects that would be produced upon the flock by him and others in teaching the spiritual views. I have often seen the lovely Jesus, that He is a person . I asked Him if His Father was a person and had a form like Himself. Said Jesus, "I am in the express image of My Father's person."

24. “The new theories in regard to God and Christ, as brought out in "The Living Temple", are not in harmony with the teaching of Christ. The Lord Jesus came to this world to represent the Father. He did not represent God as an essence pervading nature, but as a personal being. Christians should bear in mind that God has a personality as verily as has Christ.” (SPM 324)

36. “Christ our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man’s behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ, who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirit’s striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart.” (1 Selected Messages pages 344)

“No human reasoning of the most learned man can define the operations of the Holy Spirit upon human minds and characters; yet they can see the effects upon the life and actions. The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency. The God of heaven uses his Spirit as it pleases him, and human minds and human judgment and human methods can no more set boundaries to its working, or prescribe as to the channel through which it shall operate, than they can say to the wind, "I bid you to blow in a certain direction, and to conduct yourself in such and such a manner." (Review an Herald 5th May 1896)

“Laying aside his royal robe and kingly crown, Christ clothed his divinity with humanity, that human beings might be raised from their degradation, and placed on vantage-ground. Christ could not have come to this earth with the glory that he had in the heavenly courts. Sinful human beings could not have borne the sight. He veiled his divinity with the garb of humanity, but he did not part with his divinity. A divine-human Saviour, he came to stand at the head of the fallen race, to share in their experience from childhood to manhood. That human beings might be partakers of the divine nature, he came to this earth, and lived a life of perfect obedience”. (RH 15-6-1905)

Same help Christ had Same power Christ had Access to same power

"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 great powers-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-those who receive Christ by living faith are baptised, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ. . . .” (Special Testimonies Series B No.7 page 62 1906).

“In Christ, divinity and humanity were combined. Divinity was not degraded to humanity; divinity held its place, but humanity by being united to divinity, withstood the fiercest test of temptation in the wilderness. The prince of this world came to Christ after his long fast, when he was an hungered, and suggested to him to command the stones to become bread. But the plan of God, devised for the salvation of man, provided that Christ should know hunger, and poverty, and every phase of man's experience. He withstood the temptation, through the power that man may command. He laid hold on the throne of God, and there is not a man or woman who may not have access to the same help through faith in God. Man may become a partaker of the divine nature; not a soul lives who may not summon the aid of Heaven in temptation and trial. Christ came to reveal the Source of his power, that man might never rely on his unaided human capabilities”. (RH 19-2-1890)

From the foundation of the world from the beginning from everlasting

“God and Christ knew from the beginning, of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. "A body," said Christ, "hast thou prepared me." But he did not come in human form until the fulness of time had expired. Then he came to our world, a babe in Bethlehem” (RH.5-4-1906)

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the

believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5:7.

Omega to be wax stronger -- waxing stronger until Jesus comes --"One thing it is certain is soon to be realized, the great apostasy, which is developing and increasing and waxing stronger, and will continue to do so until the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout. We are to hold fast the first principles of our denominated faith, and go forward from strength to increased faith. Ever we are to keep the faith that has been substantiated by the Holy Spirit of God from the earlier events of our experience until the present time. We need now larger breadth, and deeper, more earnest, unwavering faith in the leadings of the Holy Spirit. If we needed the manifest proof of the Holy Spirit's power to confirm truth in the beginning, after the passing of the time, we need to-day all the evidence in the confirmation of the truth, when souls are departing from the faith and giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. There must not be any languishing of soul now." (E.G. White, Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, p. 57).

Spirit remained in Christ's body while in the tomb --

“Jesus said to Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." When he closed his eyes in death upon the cross, the soul of Christ did not go at once to Heaven, as many believe, or how could his words be true--"I am not yet ascended to my Father"? The spirit of Jesus slept in the tomb with his body, and did not wing its way to Heaven, there to maintain a separate existence, and to look down upon the mourning disciples embalming the body from which it had taken flight. All that comprised the life and intelligence of Jesus remained with his body in the sepulcher; and when he came forth it was as a whole being; he did not have to summon his spirit from Heaven. He had power to lay down his life and to take it up again”. (Vol. 3 Spirit of Prophecy page 203)

144,000 one hundred-forty-four thousand not just Jews -- "I [Ellen White in context] have received yours [Bro. Chapman's letter] dated June 3. In this letter you speak in these words: 'Elder Robinson does not wish me to leave, but urges that I enter the canvassing field until such time as the conference can afford to employ me in some other capacity, but states positively that I cannot be sent out to present the truth to others until some points held by me are changed or modified in order that the views regarded by us as a people should be properly set forth. He quotes as a sample, 'My idea in reference to the Holy Ghost's not being the Spirit of God, which is Christ, but the angel Gabriel, and my belief that the 144,000 will be Jews who will acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. On all fundamental points I am in perfect harmony with our people; but when I try to show what seems to me to be new light on the truth, those in authority, none of whom have seemingly ever made a personal investigation of the matter, refuse to look into the Bible, but brand me as a fellow with queer ideas of the Bible.'" Written by Ellen White to Brother Chapman from Petoskey, Michigan, June 11, 1891, Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, p. 175.

The Holy Spirit refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. "It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, 'the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name.' 'I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you' [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, 'I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth' [John 16:12, 13]." Written from Petoskey, Michigan, June 11, 1891, by E.G. White to Brother Chapman. E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume 14, p. 175.

"The sanctification of the soul by the working of the Holy Spirit is the implanting of Christ's nature in humanity." E.G. White, God's Amazing Grace, p. 244; original source: Manuscript 34, 1894.

Two Sacrifices -- Two sacrifices:

"The darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the Cross. Christ bowed His head and died. In His Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a redeemer." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.

"The Incarnation of Christ was an act of self-sacrifice; His life was one of continual self-denial. The highest glory of the love of God to man was manifested in the sacrifice of His only-begotten Son, who was the express image of His person. This is the great mystery of godliness. It is the privilege and the duty of every professed follower of Christ to have the mind of Christ. Without self-denial and cross bearing we cannot be His disciples." E.G. White, Selected Messages, Book 2, p. 185.

Jesus needed the Holy Spirit -- "But Jesus, in His questions about the prophecies of Isaiah that pointed to His first appearing, flashed light into the minds of those who were willing to receive the truth. He Himself had given these prophecies before His INCARNATION in humanity, and as the Holy Spirit brought these things to His mind, and impressed Him with regard to the great work that He was to accomplish, He imparted light and knowledge to those around Him." E.G. White, Lift Him Up, p. 77.

Third person statements: "There are three persons of the Heavenly Trio, in the name of these three great powers -- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized." E.G. White, Series B, No. 7, p. 62-3.

Two sacrifices:

"The darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the Cross. Christ bowed His head and died. In His Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a redeemer." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.

Now who can ever again say that the Incarnation was not a sacrifice in and of itself--without the cross? The "prescribed limit" as a sacrifice, is just that!

How could Christ have reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice in and by His Incarnation? There is only one way! What was the "prescribed limit" of the Everlasting Covenant? That the death of the Testator be effected--that the covenant was of no effect until the death of the Testator should take place. Who was the Testator? The Son of God. The prescribed limit as a sacrifice was death of the Testator. The only way the Son could have reached that prescribed limit as a sacrifice in His Incarnation, was that in His Incarnation He died to the first estate of His Being, His very Divine Nature, and took upon Himself Human Nature. That was a sacrifice in and of itself that satisfied the "prescribed limit as a sacrifice--but not as a redeemer. As our redeemer, Christ must prove that it was possible for man to have never fallen--that it is possible for man to overcome in human nature. Christ proved that and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin--our sin. He died in lieu of us dying. He died that we might live.

"He (Christ) suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which WAS His." Desire of Ages, p. 25; 1 Cor. 11:24-265, cf. John 6:53, 54, Titus 3:5, 6.

The life which WAS His, is the Holy Spirit Divine life and soul he sacrificed for us as the Testator, which reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice. That would have paid the penalty for sin and permitted the universe to go on without experiencing further detriment because of sin. Our world could have been destroyed and the rest of the universe would have survived. But to redeem us, He also died on the cross, paying our penalty--suffering the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His.

"The Incarnation of Christ was an act of self-sacrifice." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 186.

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the

believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

"While we are to be in harmony with God's law, we are not saved by the works of the law, yet we cannot be saved without obedience. The law is the standard by which character is measured. But we cannot possibly keep the commandments of God without the regenerating grace of Christ. Jesus alone can cleanse us from all sin. He does not save us by law, neither will He save us in disobedience to law." E.G. White, Faith and Works, p. 95.

"I am the resurrection, and the life' (John 11:25). He who had said, 'I lay down my life, that I might take it again' (John 10:17), came forth from the grave to life that was IN HIMSELF. Humanity died; DIVINITY DID NOT DIE. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death. He declares that He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will." E.G. White, Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 301.

The Omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ: "It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, 'the spirit of truth, which the father shall send in My name.' 'I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide wiht you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the worl cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and wshall be in you' [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, 'I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: [John 16:12, 13]." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Fourteen, p. 179.

Purpose of Holy Spirit is not only to sanctify but reprove and convict: "Ye shall receive power, after tht the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.' God has left nothing undone that could in any way work for the recovering of man from the toils of the enemy. He poured upon the disciples the Holy Spirit, in order that they might be enabled to co-operate with divine agencies in reshaping and remodeling human character. Of the Holy Spirit Jesus said, 'He will reprove ["convince,' margin] the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement." The Holy Spirit is not only to sanctify but to convict. No oe can repent of his sons until he is convicted of his guilt. How necessary, then, it is that we should have the Holy Spirit with us when we labor to reach fallen souls. Our human abilities will be exercised in vain unless they are united with this heavenly agency." E.G. White Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 07-16-96.

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Sri

he believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

-- "The darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the cross. Christ bowed His head and died. In His Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a SACRIFICE, but not as a Redeemer. The controversy in regard to the rebellion was answered. The human race has an open door set before them. 'These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth' [Rev. 3:7]." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.

Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

"It is not an easy matter to overcome,.... In the name of Christ ALONE can this great victory be gained." Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 32.

Life that was His might be ours.

The Son of God as the Holy Spirit -- Revelation 2:29 says: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Whose Spirit is the above verse speaking of? Revelation 2:29 has the answer: "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass."

Clearly, the Spirit is that of the Son of God.

Offering and offerer

INCARNATION AN ACT OF SELF-SACRIFICE

"Christ has purchased the world by making a ransom for it, by taking human nature. He was not only the offering, but He himself was the Offerer. He clothed His divinity with humanity, and voluntarily took upon Him human nature, making it possible to offer Himself as a ransom." E.G. White, Manuscript 92, 1899. SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7a, p. 460.

TOKENS OF DIVINITY

"Literally, 'emptied Himself.' This emptying was voluntary (see on John 10:17, 18). It was not possible for Christ to retain all the tokens of divinity and still accomplish the Incarnation." SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 155, col. 1.

Offering and offerer

INCARNATION AN ACT OF SELF-SACRIFICE

Old Testament Holy Spirit:

"But Jesus, in His questions about the prophecies of Isaiah that pointed to His first appearing, flashed light into the minds of those who were willing to receive the truth. He Himself had given these prophecies before His INCARNATION in humanity, and as the Holy Spirit brought these things to His mind, and impressed Him with regard to the great work that He was to accomplish, He imparted light and knowledge to those around Him." E.G. White, Lift Him Up, p. 77.

"In times past holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In ancient times the prophets searched what the spirit of God which was in them signified. The Spirit was not then given in power because Jesus was not yet glorified." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume One, p. 364.

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ both at His Incarnation and on the cross] would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

"He (Christ) suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which WAS His." Desire of Ages, p. 25; 1 Cor. 11:24-265, cf. John 6:53, 54, Titus 3:5, 6.

One of the greatest evidences that Christ laid aside His Son of God life at His Incarnation, and that it remained in heaven while Christ was on earth, is John 3:13. Jesus is speaking face to face with Nicodemus, yet He says the Son of Man is in heaven:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." John 3:13.

This proves the very scenario of the Godhead which I have taught. Jesus came down from heaven, but His first Estate (Being) was still in heaven as He spoke with Nicodemus. And folk like Jim and Norman have said that there is not one Bible verse that substantiates my teaching on the Godhead. This verse agrees with Ellen White when she said that the Holy Spirit, the life, breath soul and mind of Christ, is the Holy Spirit. I rest my case.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

2Cr 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.

Jhn 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 15:26 "When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me." If the ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT OF TRUTH PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER, why does it have to proceed from the Father is there is a third person Holy Spirit who is the avenue through whom the Holy Spirit comes?

Holy Spirit Before the Incarnation Ancients prophets

"All communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam . . . understood the gospel...." E.G. White, The Faith I Life By, p. 47.

"He [Christ] Himself had given these prophecies before His Incarnation in humanity, and as the Holy Spirit brought these things to His mind, and impressed Him with regard to the great work that He was to accomplish, He imparted light and knowledge to those around Him." E.G. White, Lift Him Up, p. 77.

Jhn 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

John 15:26: "When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me."

If the ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT OF TRUTH PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER, why does it have to proceed from the Father is there is a third person Holy Spirit who is the avenue through whom the Holy Spirit comes according to the trinity doctrine?

Who is speaking in John 15:26? Christ. Why does He have to send the Holy Spirit, His Holy Spirit from the Father, when Christ is the way, the truth and the life? It is because Christ laid aside His Holy Spirit as a gift to us, and commended it to the Father as the executor of His will in dispensing this gift. If this were not so, the life, soul and mind of Christ could proceed directly from the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.

Consider the new two verses and what they say about the Holy Spirit:

Mark 13 :11: "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 10:19-20: "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."

So we see that the Father speaks through the Holy Ghost, the life, breath, and soul of Christ, to us. So why do we need a separate Holy Spirit third person from eternity speaking to man. The reason the Father speaks to us through the Holy Ghost in the New Testament is because Jesus' humanity cumbers His Holy Spirit life that He laid aside for us as a gift. That Spirit Life was commended to the Father, and that is why Christ has to pray that the Holy Spirit be sent from the Father which speaketh in you. Why not bypass the Father and just have the Holy Spirit speak through us? Because the Holy Spirit (Ghost) life of Christ was commended (willed) to the Father to be dispensed to us at the Father's discretion, not the discretion of another third person of the Godhead. Were that third person the authority of the Holy Spirit, and if Christ possessed that Holy Spirit, He would not have to speak through the Father who would then speak through a third person Holy Spirit.

But the truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit of the Son was divested of His humanity and operated independently of Christ after the Incarnation as His successor in the earth. But since that successor was commended to the Father, that Holy Spirit can proceed only from the Father.

"The doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine the knowledge of which is certainly necessary to salvation, is not explicitly and evidently laid down in Scripture, in the Protestant sense of private interpretation." Quoted from Doctrinal Catechism (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 22, 1854 - "Only by faith can we accept the existence of the Trinity."(Adventist Review, Vol. 158, No. 31, p. 4)

Jhn 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." II Cor. 3:17.

Hbr 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Now combine the following Scripture with those stated above:

The trinity doctrine says the Son is not the Holy Spirit. How about Acts 20:28:

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."</BLOCKQUOTE>

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

"Christ gives them the breath of HIS OWN SPIRIT, the life of HIS OWN LIFE. The HOLY SPIRIT puts forth its highest energies to work in the heart and mind." Desire of Ages, 827.

"Christ declared that after His ascension, He would send to His church, as His crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take His place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit--the soul of His life!" E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19, 1904.

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me." John 15:26.

The only way anyone can interpret the two following statements so that nothing contradicts is to conclude that the Holy Spirit is the life, breath and soul of Christ:

Overcoming and the Holy Spirit:

"The Power of God in the Third Person.--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.--E.G. White, Evangelism, p. 617.

"Who is it that turns us from our iniquities? "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Acts 3:26.

"Christ is THE SOURCE of every right impulse. He is the ONLY ONE who can arouse in the natural heart, enmity against sin. He is THE SOURCE of our power if we would be saved." E.G. White, Review and Herald, April 1, 1890.

And the evidence mounts! And it will continue to mount!

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail." E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, The Promise of the Spirit, pr. 3,

Did Christ Have a Soul Prior to the Incarnation?

"Those who think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel think of it in relation to themselves and to the world. Few think of its relation to God. Few give thought to the suffering that sin has caused our Creator. All heaven suffered in Christ's agony; but that suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity. The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. When there came upon Israel the calamities that were the sure result of separation from God,--subjugation by their enemies, cruelty, and death, --it is said that 'His SOUL was grieved for the misery of Israel.' 'In all their affliction He was afflicted:.... and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old.' Judges 10:16; Isaiah 63:9." E.G. White, Education, p. 263.

Where does the breath of our soul go when we die? To God. Christ's breath, HIS OWN SPIRIT, went back to God the Father, when Christ died the first death at the Incarnation. Christ was still Divinity, because He voluntarily GAVE HIS LIFE, HIS HOLY SPIRIT to us, and the Father gave Him His life and raised Him from the dead:

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul.

There is only ONE Merriam Webster dictionary entry found for successor.

Main Entry: suc·ces·sor

Pronunciation: s&k-'se-s&r

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English successor, from Old French, from Latin successor, from succedere

Date: 14th century: one that follows; especially : one who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Strong's Concordance on the word Ghost as in Holy Ghost:

(Jesus' own) spirit 6,

(Jesus' own) ghost 2, misc 21; 385

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail." E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, The Promise of the Spirit, pr. 3,

Question: If the Holy Spirit existed as the THIRD PERSON of the Godhead from eternity, as the 27 Fundamentals, p. 61 asserts, why was the Spirit not then given in power because Jesus was not yet glorified?

"But after Christ's ascension, His enthronement in His mediatorial kingdom was signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit." E.G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 120.

Question: If the Holy Spirit existed from time immemorial as the Third Person of the Godhead, why was it not poured out until Christ's ascension? I will tell you the answer according to what God showed me. The reason that the Holy Spirit was not poured out before the ascension, is because the Holy Spirit was the very LIFE, SOUL AND BREATH AND BLOOD of Christ, which was commended to the Father AT THE TIME OF THE INCARNATION IN THE SANCTUARY OF HEAVEN, as Christ's last will and Testament. That last will and Testament provided that upon Christ's death on the cross, what was ONCE (BEFORE THE INCARNATION) His innate Holy Spirit LIFE, SOUL, BREATH AND BLOOD, would be given as a gift to all who would accept His LIFE, SOUL, BREATH AND BLOOD. The life is in the blood. This was all in accordance to The Everlasting Covenant between the Son and the Father, as the means for making an Atonement for sin. This represented a separation of the Holy Spirit, into a THIRD PERSON, for the express purpose of thereafter representing Christ to the world.

The Holy Ghost is a ghost of Christ's character and personality before the Incarnation--His very personhood, SPIRIT, BREATH, SOUL, BLOOD. Somehow, that SOUL BLOOD penetrated Mary, I believe it occurred just by the Spirit speaking, and this is why Ellen White was able to say that His life was UNDERIVED, UNBORROWED, ORIGINAL. He was His own Sire. He was the creator from eternity. He made all things. He, in essence reproduced His own character in another body prepared by Himself via Mary. He was a different SOUL, combined, cumbered with humanity. That different soul could be illustrated by your son's soul, except Christ was able to speak the son into existence. That different soul included a combination of DIVINITY WITH HUMANITY. The Holy Spirit donator was God. The human mother was Mary. Ellen White said that the encumbrance of humanity precluded Christ being in every place personally. This is a huge point. Please I pray dear brother, please NEVER FORGET THIS IMPORTANT POINT. Please FORUM, PLEASE NEVER FORGET THIS POINT. The direct inference is that uncumbered by humanity, Christ could have been in every place personally. His SUCCESSOR when His humanity made this impossible, was the Holy Spirit, thus He left off His Holy Spirit, which had the attribute of omnipresence when it was not cumbered with humanity. Nobody on this forum is equipped to refute with this fact without contradicting Ellen White. So if Christ was returned to His original, full glory in heaven, after the ascension, HE WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED A SUCCESSOR. This is so key and crucial. Please pray about this.

Which Act of Christ First Made the High Standard Attainable--Sanctuary Incarnation or Cross?

Dear Reader,

According to the following statement by Ellen White, which act FIRST made overcoming possible? Was it what Christ laid aside at His Incarnation, or His death on the Cross?

"In the twelfth chapter of Romans we read, 'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE SERVICE. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.' Much is comprehended in this. Here the apostle beseeches us to reach the high standard that it is possible to attain. Christ made it possible when He LAID ASIDE His royal robes, His royal crown, stepped down from His royal throne, clothed His divinity with humanity that humanity might touch humanity. He could not with His glory and majesty take His position among men. The glory must be LAID ASIDE. He must take the rude garments of humanity that He might be afflicted with all the afflictions of humanity, that He might understand their temptations. He would become a faithful judge of how much they had to contend with in the conflict with satanic agencies. Through this experience Christ was enabled to give power to His people, for to 'as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.' See where our power is. It is not in ourselves." E.G. White, Review and Herald, 01-07-02, pr. 2.

WHEN did Christ make it possible for us to reach the high standard that it is possible to attain? "Christ made it possible when He LAID ASIDE His royal robes, His royal crown, stepped down from His royal throne, clothed His divinity with humanity that humanity might touch humanity"

The above statement makes it abundantly clear that Christ made the high standard possible "...when He laid aside His royal robes, His royal crown, stepped down from His royal throne, clothed His divinity with humanity that humanity might touch humanity." This was at His Incarnation. He did not "lay aside" such on the cross. He laid aside all that was "laid aside" at His Incarnation. This was when His Holy Spirit, His VERY LIFE, BREATH AND SOUL, became His successor, for the purpose of aiding men in reaching the Standard.

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail." E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, The Promise of the Spirit, pr. 3,

John 3:13 says:

"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."</BLOCKQUOTE>

Jesus was talking to Nicodemus standing before him in the flesh and He says that the Son of man IS IN HEAVEN. Jesus could have been referring only to His former life, His Holy Spirit, which was indeed in heaven while He was speaking to Nicodemus. This Bible verse (John 3:13), totally supports Ellen White's statement that the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is the life of Christ--the former life of Christ in heaven prior to His Incarnation.

It was Christ's very life, breath and soul that was "laid aside," in order to give us that gift. This was done at the Incarnation; not on the cross. Thus:

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ [ON THE CROSS] would have been of no avail." E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, The Promise of the Spirit, pr. 3,

"The blood of Jesus Christ. . . cleanseth us from all sin" 1 John 1:7.

The life is in the blood. Lev. 17:10-14.

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail." E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, The Promise of the Spirit, pr. 3,

The regenerating agency is the Holy Spirit--the blood (LIFE) of Jesus Christ.

Ron Beaulieu

My Website URL is: <https://members.tripod.com/omega77/AAAEXP.htm>

"But although Christ's divine glory was for a time veiled and eclipsed by His assuming humanity, yet He did not cease to be God when He became man. The human did not take the place of the divine, nor the divine of the human. This is the mystery of godliness. The two expressions human and divine were, in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a distinct

individuality. Though Christ humbled Himself to become man, the Godhead was still His own." [The Signs of the Times, 05-10-99, “Christ Glorified”]

"As the divine Sufferer hung upon the cross, angels gathered about Him, and as they looked upon Him, and heard His cry, they asked, with intense emotion, 'Will not the Lord Jehovah save Him?' ... Then were the words spoken: 'The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent. FATHER AND SON ARE PLEDGED TO FULFILL THE TERMS OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT. God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Christ was not alone in making His great sacrifice. It was the fulfillment of the covenant made between Him and His Father before the foundation of the world was laid. With clasped hands they had entered into the solemn pledge that Christ would become the surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan's sophistry." E.G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 76.

TOKENS OF DIVINITY

Emptied Himself -- Laid aside: "It is obvious that prior to being born of the virgin Mary Jesus was not human at all, and only divine. When Jesus became a man, the Bible says, He emptied Himself. 'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, though it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation ['emptied himself.' --Green's Literal Translation and RSV], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name." Phillippians 2:5-9." Green's Literal Translation and RSV.

Human nature of Christ not changed into the Divine Nature: "Was the human nature of the Son of Mary changed into the divine nature of the Son of God? No; the two natures were mysteriously blended in one person--the Man Christ Jesus." E.G. White, letter 280, 1904). SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 917, col. 2.

Jhn 14:10 Believest thou not that 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 dwelleth in me, he doeth the works

It has been maintained on this forum, by an SDA minister no less, that Christ was not dependent upon His Father for all power moment by moment. I ask you to be the judge of this matter from the following data:

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

"He (Christ) exercised in His own behalf no power which man cannot exercise. As man he met temptation, and overcame in the strength given Him of God. He give us an example of perfect obedience. He has provided that we may become partakers of the divine nature, and assures us that we may overcome AS HE OVERCAME. His life testified that by the aid of the same divine power which Christ received, it is possible for man to obey God's law." E.G. White, Manuscript Releases Volume Seventeen, p. 337.

Mat 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].

If all power was given unto Christ, and His life testified that by the aid of the same divine power which Christ received, we may overcome by moment by moment surrender to that power, it is reasonable to conclude that Christ was moment by moment surrendered to His Father from whom He received ALL POWER. We also know that Christ was surrendered to His Father's Mind or Will, because Christ said that He came to do His father's Will.

Jhn 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

The will of the Father is what was in the Mind of the Father. Jesus said that His Father was in Him and He was in the Father. Does this mean the Father was in Christ all except the Mind of the Father? Jim's says that there is no verse saying explicitly that Christ partook of the Mind of the Father. If Christ partook of the Will of the Father, did He not partake of His mind; And if the Father was in Christ, does that not include the Father's MIND being in Him?

Jhn 14:10 Believest thou not that 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 dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

The life was certainly in Himself, but it was given unto Him.

----- Original Message -----

From: TTJC97@aol.com <mailto:TTJC97@aol.com>

To: rsbeauli@telusplanet.net <mailto:rsbeauli@telusplanet.net>

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That I May Know Him

Resurrection to New Life

PG- 71

He who had said, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again"

(John 10:17), came forth from the grave to life that was in Himself.

Humanity died; divinity did not die. In His divinity Christ possessed

the power to break the bonds of death. He declares that He has life

in Himself to quicken whom He will.

Christ was a partaker of the divine nature: Son of God in a new sense:

"Christ brought men and women power to overcome. He came to this world in human form, to life a man amongst men. He assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His incarnation He gained IN A NEW SENSE the title of the Son of God. " E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol 1, p. 226.

Study of Incarnation profitable:

"The bible is a treasure house of knowledge, and all who make this book their study, sinking the shaft deep in the mine of truth, will exclaim, 'I behold wondrous things out of Thy Word.' The INCARNATION of Christ is but dimly appreciated by many students who have studied long in our schools. This subject should be and will be better understood by all who in truth love truth, and walk in the way of the Lord. The experimental knowledge of this is as essential to sanctify daily, as to redeem." E.G. White, The Educational Messenger, 03-19-09, pr. 06.

"When we want a deep problem to study, let us fix our minds on the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or heaven--the INCARNATION of the Son of God." E.G. White, That I May Know Him, p. 25.

AS ESSENTIAL TO SANCTIFY DAILY AS TO REDEEM: "The Bible is a treasure house of knowledge, and all who make this book their study, sinking the shaft deep into the mine of truth, will exclaim, 'I behold wondrous things out of thy word.' The INCARNATION of Christ is but dimly appreciated by many students who have studied long in our schools. This subject should be and will be better understood by all who in truth love Truth, and walk in the way of the Lord. The experimental knowledge of this is as essential to sanctify daily as to redeem." E.G. White, The Advocate, 05-01-99, pr. 03.

"How necessary that this mine of truth be explored, and the precious treasures of truth be discovered and secured as rich jewels. The Incarnation of Christ, his divinity, his atonement, his wonderful life in heaven as our advocate, the office of the Holy Spirit,--all these living, VITAL THEMES of Christianity are revealed from Genesis to Revelation." E.G. White, Special Testimonies on Education, p. 235.

"As the worker studies the life of Christ, and the character of His mission is dwelt upon, each fresh search will reveal something more deeply interesting than has yet been unfolded. The subject is inexhaustible. The study of the INCARNATION of Christ, His ATONING SACRIFICE and MEDIATORIAL WORK, will employ the mind of the diligent student as long as time shall last." E.G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 251. SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 7a, p. 444.

"When we approach the subject of Christ's divinity clothed with the garb of humanity, we may appropriately heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, 'Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' We must come to the study of this subject with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, and will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth (MS 67, 1898). E.G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 904.

"As the life of Christ and the character of His mission are dwelt upon, rays of light will shine forth more distinctly at every attempt to discover truth. Each fresh search will reveal something more deeply interesting than has yet been unfolded. The subject is inexhaustible. The study of the INCARNATION OF CHRIST, His atoning sacrifice and mediatorial work, will employ the mind of the diligent student as long as time shall last; and looking to heaven with its unnumbered years he will exclaim, 'Great is the mystery of godliness.'" E.G. White, Lift Him Up, p. 378.

"No one can search the Scriptures in the Spirit of Christ without being rewarded. When a man is willing to be instructed as a little child, when he submits wholly to Christ, he will find the truth in His Word. If men would be obedient, they would understand the plan of God's government. The heavenly world would open its treasures of grace and glory for exploration. Human beings would be altogether different from what they are now; for by exploring the mines truth, men would be ennobled. The mystery of redemption, the Incarnation of Christ, His atoning sacrifice, would not be, as they are now, vague in our minds. They would be, not only better understood, but altogether more highly appreciated." E.G. White, My Life Today, p. 108.

"Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Word of God. In eternity we shall learn that which, if we had received the enlightenment that it was possible for us to obtain here, would have opened our understanding. And understanding means obedience to all God's commandments. The plan of God's government would have been understood. The heavenly world would have opened its chambers of grace and glory for exploration. Human beings would have been altogether different from what they now are in form, in speech, in song, for, by exploring the mines of truth, they would have been ennobled. The mystery of redemption, the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ in His mediatorial character, the INCARNATION of Christ our Redeemer, His atoning sacrifice, would not be as they now are, vague in our mind. They would have been, not only better understood, but altogether more highly appreciated." E.G. White, The Upward Look, p. 103.

"The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us...We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, 244.

INCARNATION A CONDESCENSION

NOTHING SO SHOWS THE WONDERFUL CONDESCENSION OF GOD AS THE INCARNATION: "The doctrine of the incarnation of Christ in human flesh is a mystery, 'even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations' (Col. 1:26). It is the great and profound mystery of godliness. 'The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us' (John 1:14). Christ took upon Himself human nature, a nature inferior to His heavenly nature. Nothing so shows the wonderful CONDESCENSION OF GOD as this." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 246.

INCARNATION A GREAT SACRIFICE "The day of Christ's coming will be a day of judgment upon the world. When the multitude of the lost--those who might have been saved, had they obeyed God's law, but who refused to obey--when these see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, they will understand the great sacrifice made in their behalf; they will understand the unmeasured love of the Redeemer, his INCARNATION, the sweat-drops of blood, the marks of the nails in his hands and feet, the pierced side; and they will ask to be hidden from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. They see as in reality the condemnation of Christ, and hear the loud cry, 'Release unto us Barabbas.' They hear the question, What shall be done with Jesus? and the answer, crucify Him, crucify Him!" E.G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 11-22-06, pr. 08.

THE PURPOSE OF HEAVEN IS FULFILLED BY THE INCARNATION: "From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the divine One. But by the INCARNATION of the Son of God, the purpose of heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again his temple." E.G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 12-31-08, pr. 02.

SACRIFICE OF THE INCARNATION, HUMILIATION AND CRUCIFIXION "The only plan that could be devised to save the human race was that which called for the INCARNATION, humiliation, and crucifixion of the Son of God, the Majesty of heaven. After the plan of salvation was devised, Satan could have no ground upon which to found his suggestion that God, because so great, could care nothing for so insignificant a creature as man." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, 01-20-90, pr. 08.

Offering and offerer

INCARNATION AN ACT OF SELF-SACRIFICE

EACH SEPARATE EVENT AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER: "The mystery of the INCARNATION of Christ, the account of his sufferings, his crucifixion, his resurrection, and his ascension, open to all humanity the marvelous love of God. This imparts a power to the truth. The attributes of God were made known through the life and works of Christ. He was the representative of the divine character. The agony of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal, his rejection by the Jewish nation, his trial, the suffering inflicted by scourging and by obliging him to bear his cross,--every incident should be indelibly imprinted upon the minds of men. Each separate event was an important chapter in the working of the redemption of the world." E.G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 06-18-95, pr. 04.

"The incarnation of Christ was an act of self-sacrifice. His life was one of continual self-denial. The highest glory of the love of God to man was manifested in the sacrifice of His only-begotten Son, who was the express image of His person. This is the great mystery of godliness. It is the privilege and the duty of every professed follower of Christ to have the mind of Christ. Without self-denial and cross bearing we cannot be His disciples." E.G. White, Selected Messages, Vol. 2, p. 185.

"Christ took upon Himself humanity, and laid down His life a sacrifice, that man, by becoming a partaker of the divine nature, might have eternal life." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 141.

Note: Both His Incarnation sacrifice and the sacrifice of His humanity on the cross were necessary for salvation, and one without the other is an incomplete sacrifice resulting in no atonement--no Sanctuary Service completed.

"Christ bore the guilt of the sins of the world. Our sufficiency is found only in the INCARNATION and DEATH of the Son of God. He could suffer, because sustained by divinity. He could endure, because He was without one taint of disloyalty or sin." E.G. White, The Youth's Instructor, Aug. 4, 1898, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7a, p. 451.

THE THEMES OF THE GREAT SALVATION "Those who are seeking the righteousness of Christ will be dwelling upon the themes of the great salvation. The Bible is the storehouse that supplies their souls with nourishing food. They meditate upon the INCARNATION of Christ, the contemplate the great sacrifice made to save them from perdition, to bring in pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness. The soul is aglow with these grand and elevating themes. Holiness and truth, grace and righteousness, occupy the thoughts. Self dies, and Christ lives in His servants. In contemplation of the word, their hearts burn within them, as did the hearts of the two disciples while they went to Emmaus, and Christ walked with them by the way, and opened to them the scriptures concerning Himself." E.G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 89.

INCARNATION GLORIFIES THE FATHER: "And the Father demonstrates His infinite love for Christ by receiving and welcoming Christ's friends as His friends. He is satisfied with the atonement made. He is glorified by the incarnation, the life, death, and mediation, of His Son." E.G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 14.

INCARNATION: "The only plan that could be devised to save the human race was that which called for the incarnation, humiliation, and crucifixion of the Son of God, the Majesty of heaven. After the plan of salvation was devised, Satan could have no ground upon which to found his suggestion that God, because so great, could care nothing for so insignificant a creature as man." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, Jan. 20, 1890, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7a, p. 443.

The INCARNATION IS THE VERY HEART OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION:

INCARNATION OF CHRIST TYPIFIED IN THE SANCTUARY SACRIFICIAL SERVICE "The INCARNATION of Christ, typified in the sacrificial service of Israel, and symbolized in all their devotions, is a glorious mystery. In His only begotten Son, God was made manifest to the world. The Son of God laid aside His glory, and clothed Himself with humanity. He became the meek and lowly Jesus. For the sake of sinful men He became poor, that they through His poverty might be made rich." E.G. White, Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, 02-20-99, pr. 01.

"The plan of salvation, of which the incarnation is the very heart, is an exhaustless theme into which we may now look, and that will be the PRIME TOPIC of study through the ceaseless ages of eternity." Selected Messages, Vol. 3, p. 126.

"The Lord did not make man to be redeemed, but to bear His image. But through sin man lost the image of God. It is only by man's redemption that God can accomplish His design for him in making him a son of God." E.G. White, Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 134.

SON OF GOD IN A NEW SENSE:

"(See EGW on John 1:1-3, 14).--The Son of God in a New Sense. Christ brought men and women power to overcome. He came to this world in human form, to live a man amongst men. He assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His incarnation He gained IN A NEW SENSE the title of the Son of God. Said the angel to Mary, '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.' While the Son of a human being, He became the Son of God IN A NEW SENSE. Thus He stood in our world--the Son of God, yet allied by birth to the human race...." E.G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, p. 1114.

SAME SUBSTANCE:

"The Jews had never before heard such words from human lips, and a convicting influence attended them; for it seemed that divinity flashed through humanity as Jesus said, 'I and my Father are one,' The words of Christ were full of deep meaning as he put forth the claim that he and the Father were of one substance, possessing the same attributes.--The Signs of the Times, Nov. 27, 1893, p. 54, E.G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7a, p. 437.

INCARNATION AND CROSS AS SEPARATE SACRIFICES

"The INCARNATION of Christ typified in the sacrificial service of Israel and symbolized in all their devotions, is a glorious mystery. In his only begotten Son, God was made manifest to the world. The Son of God laid aside hsi glory, and clothed himself with humanity. He became the meek and lowly Jesus. For the sake of sinful men, he became poor, that they through his poverty might be made rich." E.G. White, The Youth's Instructor, 09-22-98, pr. 01.

"The darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the cross. Chirst bowed His head and died. In His Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a Redeemer. The controversy in regard to the rebellion was answered. The human race has an open door set before them." E.G. White, Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.

Study of Incarnation Taxes the Mind

"This earth has been honored and blessed with presence of the Son of God. In the Scriptures we red of His INCARNATION, His teaching, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. The effort to understand these wonderful subjects puts to the tax the highest powers of the mind, and then there is an infinity beyond which can not be exhausted. The oftener the mind is called to this study, the stronger and clearer it will become. In the daily life will be revealed the mysteries of godliness, which may be experienced, but can not be explained. Throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity the redeemed will study these subjects, ever gaining from them a deeper and clearer knowledge of God and of Christ." E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, 04-26-05, Pr. 01.

"It requires considerable effort to climb hills, to get upon the rock. And so we find that it will require the exercise of all our abilities, of every spiritual nerve and muscle, to get upon the Living Rock, the Saviour of mankind. It will require all our mental and spiritual power to understand the Word of God, to understand the INCARNATION of Christ, to understand the great plan of redemption. The mind may faint beneath the effort, and yet, there is an infinity beyond. You have only then touched the surface." E.G. White, Manuscript Releases Volume Nine, pr. 3, P. 68.

Old Testament Holy Spirit:

The Incarnation and the Sanctuary Service:

"The wonderful symbol of the living bird dipped in the blood of the bird slain and then set free to its joyous life (Lev. 14:4-8), is to us the symbol of the atonement. There were death and life blended, presenting to the searcher for truth and hidden treasure, the union of the pardoning blood with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer. The bird slain was over living water; that flowing stream was a symbol of the ever flowing, ever cleansing efficacy of the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world..." E.G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, p. 226.

There would have been no complete Atonement without the Icarnation sacrifice of the life and soul of Christ.

The living bird symbolizes the living first estate of the Son. That living bird never died. That living bird that was sacrificed from the foundation of the earth, was the innate Holy Spirit life of Christ. That life [the Holy Spirit life and Soul of Christ] was dipped in the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain on the cross. One sacrifice did not die. The bird dipped in the blood of the bird that died, never died! The other sacrifice, the Lamb, did die, but they symbolized the same person--the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. This is why Christ had to ascend to His Heavenly Father so that the bird (the Holy Spirit life of Christ) could be dipped in the blood of Christ, before His Holy Spirit life could be set free and descend to us as a regenerating agency. This occurred in the Heavenly Sanctuary where all matters concerning the Atonement had their original type. That living bird that was later dipped in the blood of Christ, was the Holy Spirit, appointed for this act from the foundation of the world. That accounts for the three heavenly dignitaries from the foundation of the earth.

The trinity doctrine makes that "bird" dipped in the blood of the bird slain, a person other than the Holy Spirit pre-Incarnation life of the Son. It was the Holy Spirit life of the Son which never died, but was slain from the foundation of the earth. This had everything to do with the Atonement, and symbolizes a sacrificial Atonement other than the Atonement on the cross. This living bird dipped in the blood, was the Holy Spirit life of Christ from the foundation of the earth, and any other third person Holy Spirit is inimical to this great symbol, and is therefore idolatry. The inimical third person of the trinity doctrine is non other than Satan Himself. The real third person of the Holy Spirit is the life, soul and breath of the Son prior to His Incarnation, which became the free bird after the dipping in the blood of Christ. Both were the same person at two different forms of Being and existence.

COMMANDMENTS given by Christ and the Father at Sinai:

"When they came to Sinai, He took occasion to refresh their minds in regard to His requirements. Christ and the Father, standing side by side upon the mount, with solemn majesty proclaimed the Ten Commandments..." E.G. White, Evangelism, p. 616.

PERSON--NOT AN IMPERSONAL FORCE "The Bible reveals that the Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force." SDA 27 Fundamentals, pp. 59, 60.

"The missions of both Jesus and the Holy Spirit were totally interdependent." SDA 27 Fundamentals, p. 62.

Jesus Raised (Resurrected) IN PART by the Spirit "And Jesus, in turn, was conceived of the Spirit (Matt. 1:8-21), baptized by the Spirit (Mark 1:9, 10), led by the Spirit (Luke 4:1), performed His miracles through the Spirit (Matt. 12:24-32), offered Himself at Calvary through the Spirit (Heb. 9:14, 15) and was, in part, resurrected by the Spirit (Rom. 8:11)." SDA's Believe, 27 Fundamentals, p. 62, col. 2.

Trinity in 27 Fundamentals: "The Holy Spirit and the Godhead.--From eternity God the Holy Spirit lived within the Godhead as the third member. The Father, Son, and Spirit are equally self-existent. Though each is equal, an economy of function operates within the Trinity (see chapter 2 of this book)." SDA's Believe, 27 Fundamentals, p. 61, col. 1.

Trinity in 27 Fundamentals: "The Father and Son send the Spirit to reveal Christ to each person. The great burden of the Trinity is to bring God and a knowledge of Christ to everyone (John 17:3) and to make Jesus present and real (Matt. 28:20; cf. Heb. 13:5)." SDA's Believe, 27 Fundamentals, p. 24, col. 2.

Trinity in 27 Fundamentals: "Though all three members of the Trinity work together to save, only Jesus lived as a man, died as a man, and became our Saviour (John 6:47; Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12)." SDA's Believe, 27 Fundamentals, p. 24, col. 2.

Contradiction EGW: "The work of the Holy Spirit does not add anything to the adequacy of the scrifice that Jesus Christ made at the cross." SDA's Believe, 27 Fundamentals, pp. 24, 25.

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail." E.G. White, Review and Herald, May 19,

Holy Spirit Soul as God

Did the God of the Old Testament have a soul?

"And they put away the strange gods from among them,a nd served the

LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel." Judges

10:16.

Karl and Janine, here is the meaning of Nephesh as it is used in the

above verse: I use it to designate a living being, as the following

definition validates. I also use it as did Ellen White, as an

activity of the Mind--the Mind of Christ in us, as the following

definitions validate:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----

Courtesy of the Blue Letter Bible

Lexicon Results for nephesh (Strong's 05315)

Hebrew for 05315

Pronunciation Guide

nephesh {neh'-fesh}

TWOT Reference Root Word

TWOT - 1395a from 05314

Part of Speech

n f

Outline of Biblical Usage

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite,

mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or

being, soul, the inner being of man

b) living being

c) living being (with life in the blood)

d) the man himself, self, person or individual

e) seat of the appetites

f) seat of emotions and passions

g) activity of mind

1) dubious

h) activity of the will

1) dubious

i) activity of the character

1) dubious

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count - Total:

753

AV - soul 475, life 117, person 29, mind 15, heart

15, creature 9,

body 8, himself 8, yourselves 6, dead 5, will

4, desire 4, man 3,

themselves 3, any 3, appetite 2, misc 47; 753

As I explained to Janine, I use it in the sense that Ellen White used

it in the following quote:

"Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his

church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his

place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the

efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his

Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes

away sin.

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus

gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the

sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit

thebeliever becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given

his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and

cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon

the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904,

vol. 5, p. 42.

Also, notice Ellen White's reference to "His Divine Soul" in the

following statement:

"He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty which rolled

like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a

sacrifice, that man should not eternally die. He died, not through

being compelled to die, but by His own free will." E.G. White, SDA

Bible Commentary, Vol. 7a, p. 446.

In saying that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit and the soul of his

life, I believe she used the term soul to imply essence, substance--

Spirit, Mind. I proved to Jim Ayars that Spirit can mean mind. I

will do the same for you.

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful,

even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Ellen White also uses soul as interchangable with breath, as does the

Bible in the following evidence:

"The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The

impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.

It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who

are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the

Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand

as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church." Desire

of Ages, 805.

Jhn 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith

unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy

strength: this [is] the first commandment.

Obviously, soul in the above verse means mind--the thinking apparatus.

"Those who think of the result of hastening or hindering the gospel

think of it in relation to themselves and to the world. Few think of

its relation to God. Few give thought to the suffering that sin has

caused our Creator. All heaven suffered in Christ's agony; but that

suffering did not begin or end with His manifestation in humanity.

The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from

its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every

departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of

humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. When there came

upon Israel the calamities that were the sure result of separation

from God,--subjugation by their enemies, cruelty, and death, --it is

said that 'His SOUL was grieved for the misery of Israel.' 'In all

their affliction He was afflicted:.... and He bare them, and carried

them all the days of old.' Judges 10:16; Isaiah 63:9." E.G. White,

Education, p. 263.

Here is the meaning of pneuma--Ghost as in Holy Ghost. I use it

as "a life giving Spirit." Notice I captioned that definition in red

in the following definition.

Pronunciation Guide

pneuma {pnyoo'-mah}

TDNT Reference Root Word

TDNT - 6:332,876 from 4154

Part of Speech

n n

Outline of Biblical Usage

1) the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit,

coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son

a) sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his

personality and character (the "Holy" Spirit)

b) sometimes referred to in a way which emphasises his work and

power (the Spirit of "Truth")

c) never referred to as a depersonalised force

2) the spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is

animated

a) the rational spirit, the power by which the human being

feels, thinks, decides

b) the soul

3) a spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least

all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring,

deciding, and acting

a) a life giving spirit

b) a human soul that has left the body

c) a spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel

1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as

inhabiting the bodies of men

2) the spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest

angels and equal to God, the divine nature of Christ

4) the disposition or influence which fills and governs the

soul of any one

a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion,

desire, etc.

5) a movement of air (a gentle blast)

a) of the wind, hence the wind itself

b) breath of nostrils or mouth

Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count - Total: 385

AV - Spirit 111, Holy Ghost 89, Spirit (of God) 13,

Spirit (of the Lord) 5, (My) Spirit 3, Spirit (of truth) 3,

Spirit (of Christ) 2, human (spirit) 49, (evil) spirit 47,

spirit (general) 26, spirit 8, (Jesus' own) spirit 6,

(Jesus' own) ghost 2, misc 21; 385

Explanation: Bryan,

Does the New Movement SDA church teach that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ before His Incarnation. That is what Ellen White teaches. She teaches that the Son of God laid aside that first estate of His life forever in order that it might be sent to us as a regenerating agent. That was a great sacrifice in itself and was one without which His sacrifice on the cross would have been to no avail The Holy Spirit always existed as the ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT of Father and Son--one essence--one substance, but Christ laid His aside as His Incarnation for us and that was a sacrifice few will comprehend. Ellen White's version is Biblical, as follows:

Bible text

Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

What we perceive from the above statements, one from EGW and one from Scripture, is that Satan can only be held in check by the power of God in the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit.

Acts says that Jesus turns every one of you from his iniquities. Ellen White says that the Holy Spirit is the life and soul of Christ.

In the gift of the Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could bestow....

The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

"Cumbered with humanity Christ could not be in every place personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit." E.G. White, (Manuscript Releases Volume 14 (No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084.

You might not be able to discern this truth Bryan, as few New Movement Adventists will be able to do so because of removing God from their midsts--Selected Messages, Book 1, 205. Without Him and His Holy Spirit, we can discern nothing.

Mainstream Christianity's concept of the Holy Spirit is that it was a third person from eternity. Ellen White's is that the Holy Spirit is the life and soul of Christ, which He obviously laid aside as His successor on earth, because combined with humanity, He could not be in every place personally. The Holy Spirit life and soul of the pre-Incarnated Son, is divested of the personality of humanity and an independent thereof--an independent third person of the Godhead after the Incarnation. But the Holy Spirit was always extant as the ONE ETERNAL SPIRIT of the Father and Son.

By teaching that the Holy Spirit always existed as a third person from eternity, that obfuscates and actually denies the full sacrifice of Christ for us at His Incarnation as far as giving up that first estate of His existence is concerned. That Incarnation sacrifice was eternally important. The Everlasting Covenant demanded that the Testator die and as long as He was living the covenant was to no avail. The Everlasting Covenant was an atonement for eternal death, our penalty for unpardoned sin. Christ, the Testator, eternally died to His former existence. This met the demands of the Everlasting Covenant, and made proviso for a regenerating agency for us.

"The darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the Cross. Christ bowed His head and died. In His Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a redeemer." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.

That meeting of the "prescribed limit" as a sacrifice, was His eternal death to that first estate of being. That met the prescribed limits of the Everlasting Covenant that the Testator must die. Three days on the cross could not atone for our penalty of the wages of sin which is eternal death. Christ became our redeemer on the cross by taking our sins upon Himself. Both sacrifices are of eternal import, and one without the other is to no avail as far as our salvation is concerned. The Trinity doctrine does not teach the eternal death of Christ to His former being. In that, it denies an important sacrifice. It merely teaches, as I stated before, that the Holy Spirit always existed as a third person of the Godhead. That totally sidesteps the Incarnation sacrifice and its eternal purpose--its Everlasting Covenant satisfying purpose.

"The Spirit was given as a regenerating agency, and without this the sacrifice of Christ (on the Cross--implied) would have been of no avail....

It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42.

As I stated, most "professing" Christians will not understand these facts involving the Everlasting Covenant. They will not even see any difference between the SDA version of the Trinity as held since the early 1930's, which is similar to that of mainstream Christianity, and Ellen White's version which meets the demands of the Everlasting Covenant as requiring some eternal form of death of the Testator to atone for our penalty of eternal death if we do not repent. The crux of this issue is the eternal death of Christ to His former existence, even though that eternal Spirit lives on. That is a form of death. Ellen White says that Christ became the Son of God in a new sense. Indeed, God, combined with man. That is a sacrificial step-down from His previous existence and that step-down is eternal, because He retains His humanity forever.

Hbr 9:16 <http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Hbr/Hbr009.html> For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

Hbr 9:17 <http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Hbr/Hbr009.html> For a testament [is] of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

In substance, if the Testator is alive, the Covenant is of no strength. The Testator died FOREVER to His former existence. That is as close to death as God can come. That is like death to that first estate of Being.

Sincerely,

Ron Beaulieu

----- Original Message -----

From: Bryan Bissell <mailto:bbissell7@yahoo.com>

To: sdaglobal@yahoogroups.com <mailto:sdaglobal@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 10:21 AM

Subject: [sdaglobal] sdaglobal] the trinity & another remnant

Hi,

I keep on reading things on the trinity and remnant ideas...both from your posts and other sites on internet. I haven't discounted your ideas on the trinity and keep on reading and trying to digest them...but I still see essentially no difference between the trinity doctrine that I grew up with and your ideas and Ellen White's writings. They all say that all three persons of the Godhead are distinct persons and are unique but are one in purpose and in thinking and that they are equal. That's simple...but even after all my reading on many sides...I don't see anything different from this basic doctrine and so I still do not understand your minute differentiations about Jesus being the "Son of God" only. If he is the "Son of God" then he is equal in essence and in nature and in purpose to God and there is no difference between calling him the "Son of God" or "Jehovah God". Same with the Holy Spirit.

I recently found a very thoroughly done conservative SDA site at www.theloudcry.net <http://www.theloudcry.net/> that deals with this very well and biblically.

There are several good articles on trinity doctrines at:

<http://www.theloudcry.net/Books%20and%20Articles.htm> (go down to articles on "doctrine of the trinity")

He also has a section on why there will be no remnant coming out of the SDA church that's quite good, documented and extensive at:

<http://www.theloudcry.net/offshootsda.html>Here are just 2 quotes from the trinitarian pages that stood out to me and showed that the early Adventists were anti-trinitarian...but most changed with further study of the Bible and with Ellen White's approval to be essentially the same as the Trinitarians...

In 1846 James White referred to "the old unscriptural trinitarian creed, viz., that

Jesus is the eternal God." But in 1876 he wrote that "S. D. Adventists hold the divinity of Christ so

nearly with the Trinitarians, that we apprehend no trial here."”

"We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking

through these grounds."

Allaback gives the larger context which is as follows:

"The Lord instructed us that this was the place

in which we should locate, and we have had

every reason to think that we are in the right

place. We have been brought together as

a school, and 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."

from Evangelism p. 616

Anyway..some things to stimulate you a little more on this topic. I'll keep cogitating on this for a while...probably until I stop having such a nightmare schedule at my school and actually have a moment to study this out thoroughly. In the mean time though, I'm so far not convinced of anything unbiblical in the current SDA trinity position as I understand it. But, I will keep my mind open to consider new opinions and arguments on either side.

God bless,

Bryan

Bryan Bissell

co-director of Vision English

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JOIN VISION ENGLISH, CHINA GATEWAY & OTHER CUTTING EDGE MISSION SCHOOLS

Speaking English is critical for people around the world. If you speak English fluently, YOU can help give them important skills for life! Mission schools also help 1000s find salvation in Jesus and their life's purpose! Livingstone spoke about his service for God this way, "Can that be called sacrifice which gives us the deepest satisfaction...? Rather, call it a privilege." Experience the privilege and cultural adventure of God's service and be part of a work that will last for eternity! Airfare, salary, housing, training, more provided.

Contact: info@esmilssion.org, bbissell7@yahoo.com, or apply at: <http://www.eslmission.org/china.phtml> (this is for Korea as well as China)

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For some helpful ESL and mission resources, go to:

www.eslmission.org/resources/ <http://www.eslmission.org/resources/>*************************************

I send messages to 3 lists to inspire and give people an oasis in their day. This is a short description of each one:

1) teachers: especially for Christian teachers teaching English as a 2nd language. It has ideas for English & Bible class, jokes, sermons, stories, etc.

To join, send a blank e-mail to: oasis-t-subscribe@topica.com

2) students: I send out easier stories and jokes to this list for students who are NOT native speakers and are just learning English.

To join, send a blank e-mail to: oasis-esl-subscribe@topica.com

3) regular: jokes, inspiring stories, illustrations, and some useful tips on various things, but none of the teaching helps.

To join, send a blank e-mail to: oasis-subscribe@topica.com

An archive of all messages sent is located at (click on which month's messages you want to see):

<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oasis-tj><http://www.topica.com/lists/oasis-t/read> (searchable archive from July, 1999 on)

to contact me (Bryan Bissell), send an e-mail to: dotoree1@yahoo.com

you can call me at home at: 82-51-626-8258 or 82-16-896-8644

*************************************

Romans 12 Place Your Life Before God

1So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

C.S. Lewis provides an illustration offering a clear distinction between the brief and counterfeit earthly pleasures compared with the eternal and abundant promises of intimacy with God. "We are half-hearted creatures," he says, "fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mudpies in the slums because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Mahatma Ghandi, one of the great leaders of this century, made a remarkable statement while addressing a large assembly of leaders and members of the Dutch Reformed church in South Africa. This statement was made as part of a speech which condemned the unjust system of apartheid during the time he lived there and was practicing law. He said to this vast assembly: "When you Christians live the life of your Master, all India will bow down to Christianity." May your life be constantly led of the Spirit so that the world might see in you the wonderful life of Christ and be drawn closer to Him.

"The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." - Albert Schweitzer

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. - Lawrence of Arabia

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Worship

3 Worhsip belongs to God alone, and not to any created being.

Janine responds:

There are two issues here to be addressed. Firstly, I have asked

for Scripture that says worship belongs to God alone. You have not

yet supplied it so I am assuming there is none. Therefore this

first part of the statement is moot.

Ex 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose

name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Isa 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of

their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

Ac 10:25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell

down at his feet, and worshipped him.

Ac 10:26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am

a man.

Re 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had

heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel

which shewed me these things.

Re 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy

fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which

keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

Matt 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it

is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt

thou serve.

Janine:

A son is made up of the same genetic material as the parents. In

the case of Yeshua he is of the same divine substance and essence as

God.

Karl:

Your take on "monogenes" is not correct. The word "genes" of

mongenes is not refering to the gene pool/DNA connection. That is a

different word. This word discribes Jesus as being one of a kind,

the only unnique one. Jesus is unique. (see on John 1:14)

Also, I've tried to assert in the past that Jesus is of the same

substance of God. Thanks for affirming me. This is what makes Him

equal with God, as God.

Jesus' coming forth from the Father has to do with Him becoming a

human. He came forth into this world as a man from God. To come

forth into existance, however, as you mean it; means He didn't exist

before. If He didn't exist before, then God made Him. This of course

is simply not true.

In your haste to conclude me drunk on the wine of Babylon, you throw

out biblical truths making it okay to worship the creation (creater)

and not the creator (See Romans 1 to 2). The very Jesus who declares

Himself the alpha and the omega in Revelation is the eternal God,

not a lessor god and certainly far from a created being.

Karl

The Holy Spirit as a third person

One of the more well-known examples of the existence of three Persons is the baptism of Jesus recorded in Matthew 3:16-17. Here the Father speaks from heaven, the Son is being baptized (and is again described as being the object of the Father's love, paralleling the Johannine usage), and the Spirit is descending as a dove.[7] Jesus is not speaking to himself here (as many non-Christian groups tend to accuse the Trinitarians of making Jesus a ventriloquist), but is spoken to by the Father. There is no confusing of the Persons at the baptism.

And what of the Spirit? Jesus said in John 14:16-17 that the Father would send another (Gr: allos) comforter. Jesus had been the Comforter for the disciples during His earthly ministry, but He was about to leave them and return to heaven where he had been before (John 17:5). The Holy Spirit, identified as a Person by John (through his usage of the masculine ekeinos at John 16:13), is sent both by the Father (John 14:16) as well as by the Son (16:7).[9] The Spirit is not identified as the Father, nor as the Son, for neither could send Himself.

The Full Divinity of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead; He has existed forever, and is equal in divinity to the other two Persons of the Godhead.

THE BIBLE

First, He has the attributes of divinity: He is Omniscient (1 Cor 2:10-12; 1 Cor 2:10; Rom 11:33). He is Omnipotent (Job 33:4; Genesis 1:2). He is Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10; In 14: 17). He is Eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He is Holy (Matt 12:32). He is Love (Gal 5:22). He is Truth (In 14:17; 15:26).

Second, He does the works of divinity: The Creation (Gen 1:2; Ps 104:30; Job 26:13). The Birth of Christ (Matt 1:20). The Inspiration of God's Word (2 Peter 1:21). The New Birth (Titus 3:5; In 3:6). Intercession (Rom 8:26) Ministry (John 14:16).

THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY

“The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; for it is His representative. "-Messages to Young People, 55.

“We need to realize that the Holy Spirit, who is as much a person as God is a person, is walking through these grounds." -Manuscript 66, 1899 (Evangelism, 616).

“The Holy Spirit is a person, for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries with it its own evidence. At such times we believe and are sure that we are children of God. .

“The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a Divine Person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. 'For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” -Manuscript 20, 1906 (Evangelism, 616-61 7).

“Those who reject the Spirit of truth place themselves under the control of a spirit that is opposed to the Word and work of God. For a time they may continue to teach some phases of the truth, but their refusal to accept all the light God sends will after a time place them where they will do the work of a false watchman. . There will always be those who are seeking for something new and who stretch and strain the Word of God to make it support their ideas and theories." -Sermons and Talks, Vol. I, 385, 387 (Manuscript 125, September 4, 1907).

THE THREE PERSONS OF THE GODHEAD

"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."-Counsels on Health. 222.

“The three powers of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, are pledged to be their strength and their efficiency in their new life in Christ Jesus. "-Australian Union Conference Record, October 7, 1907.

“We are to co-operate with the three highest powers in heaven, -the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, —and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God. "-Special Testimonies, Series B. No. 7.51 (Evangelism, 617).

“When we have accepted Christ, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit have pledged ourselves to serve God, the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit -the three dignitaries and powers of heaven pledge themselves that every facility shall be given to us if we carry out our baptismal vows to "come out from among them, and be . . separate. . and touch not the unclean thing." 6 Bible Commentary. 1075 (Manuscript 85. 1901).

“Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. . Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then cooperate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf. "-7 Bible Commentary. 908 (Manuscript 11. 1901).

“There are three living Persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers-The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.” -Special Testimonies, Series B, No.7. 63 (Evangelism, 615).

“The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost supply the power that makes him victorious in every conflict with the prince of darkness."-6 Manuscript Releases, 167 (Letter 200, December 15, 1902).

"They pledge themselves to devote their lives to God's service; and the three great powers in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, pledge Themselves to cooperate with them, to work in and through them."-6 Manuscript Releases, 166 (Manuscript 118, October 6. 1902).

"As a Christian submits to the solemn rite of baptism, the three highest powers in the universe, -the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, -place Their approval on this act, pledging Themselves to exert Their power in his behalf as he strives to honor God."-6 Manuscript Releases, 26 (Letter 53, January 26. 1904; 4 Signs, 399. August 16. 1905),

"Those who submit to the solemn rite of baptism pledge themselves to devote their lives to God's service; and the three great powers of heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. pledge themselves to cooperate with them, to work in and through them."-4 Signs. 282 (March 11. 1903).

The Full Ministry of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead, is working to draw us to God and save us. We should not deny His existence.

THE BIBLE

First, He exhibits five attributes of a person: He has intellect—The Spirit searches all things— (1 Cor 2: 10). He has knowledge— The Holy Spirit understands the mind of God (1 Cor 2: 11). He has a mind—The Father knows the mind of the Spirit (Rom 8:27). He has emotions—Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God" (Eph 4:30). The Holy Spirit is grieved when we lie (v. 25), are angry (v. 26), steal or are lazy (v. 28), or speak unkind words (v. 29). He has a will (Acts 16:6).

Second, He does ten things, which a divine Person would do: He testifies--He will bear witness of Me- (Jn 15:26). He helps—He is the “Comforter" (Jn 14:16). He teaches—He teaches us (In 14:26). He guides—He guides us in our search for truth (Jn 16:13). He convinces and convicts—He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:8). He regenerates (Eze 36:25-27: Titus 3:5). He intercedes (Rom 8:26,34: Heb 7:25). He commands (Acts 13:2). He sends out (Acts 13:4). He forbids and prohibits (Acts 8:29)..

Third, certain things can be done toward Him, which could not be done if He did not have a personality; He can be obeyed—In Acts 10, the Lord told Peter to go to the house of Cornelius. He obeyed the Holy Spirit and went. He can be resisted—Stephen told the Jews, about to stone him, that they were -stiff-necked . . always resisting the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51). He can be grieved—The Holy Spirit is grieved when a person sins (Eph 4:30: cf. lsa 63: 10). He can be blasphemed (Matt 12:32: Mk 3:29-30). He can be lied to (Acts 5:3).

Fourth, He is frequently referred to in the grammatical masculine (John 15:26. John 16:13-14).

THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY

"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 fullness 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."-Testimonies to Ministers. 392.

"The Holy Spirit unites with the powers of grace that God has provided to turn souls to Christ. "-5 Review. 341.

"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."-Special Testimonies, Series A. No. 10,37 (Evangelism. 617).

"By the Spirit which searches all things, even the deep things of God, have been revealed precious truths which cannot be described by pen or voice." Sons and Daughters of God. 34.

"The Holy Spirit was eagerly sought for in the schools of the prophets."-12 Manuscript Releases. 147 (Manuscript 69. June 19. 1908).

"The time (after Christ's ascension) had now come. The Spirit had been waiting for the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. For ten days the disciples offered their petitions for the outpouring of the Spirit, and Christ in heaven added His intercession."-6 Bible Commentary, 1055.

"Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He [Christ] would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent."-14 Manuscript Releases. 23 (Manuscript 5a. 1895; Desire of Ages. 669-670 is similar).

"He (Christ) would intercede for them, and would send them His own representative, the Holy Spirit, who would attend them in their work. This representative would not appear in human form, but by faith would be seen and recognized by all who should believe in Christ."-3 Review. 511 (October 26, 1896).

"Christ, as Mediator, is the great Minister in the work of redemption. The Holy Spirit is His representative in our world, to execute the divine purpose of bringing to fallen man power from above, that he may be an overcomer. -- 7 Bible Commentary, 922.

“The Saviour promised that His presence would be always with them. Through the Holy Spirit He would be even nearer to them than when He walked visibly among men."-Ministry of Healing. 104.

“Jesus had assured them that He would send the Comforter, as an equivalent for His visible presence." -3 Spirit of Prophecy. 256.

"Why should we not expect the Holy Watcher to come into our schools?"-Counsels to Teachers, 370. {The Holy Spirit as a Person walking in our schools: 8T 62. the whole page; CT 68; 417-418.}

Two Sacrifices -- Two sacrifices:

"The darkness rolled away from the Saviour and from the Cross. Christ bowed His head and died. In His Incarnation He had reached the prescribed limit as a sacrifice, but not as a redeemer." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume Twelve, p. 409.

Sessler on Holy Spirit

Was Jesus or the Holy Spirit at one time NON-EXISTENT?

For those SDA brothers and sisters that believe Jesus was at one time non-existent, or you believe that the Holy Spirit was at one time merely an "essence" or non-existent until the incarnation of Christ. Please review the following questions. I pray Sister White's comments are sufficient. They seem rather blunt to me.

Q- DO YOU BELIEVE THE SON OF GOD WAS AT ONE TIME NON-EXISTENT, BUT THE FATHER WAS ALIVE?

Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God.... In speaking of his pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him.--Signs of the Times, Aug. 29, 1900. {Ev 615.2}

Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption He had been moving upon men's hearts. But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come. -Desire of Ages 669.1

Q- WHEN THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION WAS MADE BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD, WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT AT THAT TIME?

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. In order fully to carry out this plan, it was decided that Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, should give Himself an offering for sin. -Counsels on Health 1923- p 222

"Life, Original, Unborrowed, Underived.--Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection, and the life." In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. "He that hath the Son hath life." The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life."--The Desire of Ages, p. 530 (1898) {Ev 616.2}

"The Pre-existent, Self-existent Son of God.--Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God.... In speaking of his pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him." --Signs of the Times, Aug. 29, 1900. {Ev 615.2}

"He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent. . . . He is the eternal, self-existent Son." --Manuscript 101, 1897. {Ev 615.3}

Divine Nature Holy Spirit Godhead Issue

"By his obedience to all the commandments of God, Christ wrought out a redemption for man. This was not done by going out of himself to another, but by taking humanity into himself. Thus Christ gave to humanity an existence out of himself. To bring humanity into Christ, to bring the fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work of redemption. Christ took human nature that men might be one with him as he is one with the Father, that God may love man as he loves his only begotten Son, that men may be partakers of the divine nature, and be complete in him. {RH, April 5, 1906 par. 15}

"The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ. This union is represented by the union of the vine and the branches. Finite man is united to the manhood of Christ. Through faith human nature is assimilated with Christ's nature. We are made one with God in Christ." {RH, April 5, 1906 par. 16}

The Indwelling Spirit

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:24. {FLB 57.1}

The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. {FLB 57.2}

The Holy Spirit will enter the heart that can boast of nothing. The love of Jesus will fill the vacuum that is made by the emptying out of self. {FLB 57.3}

Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal. {FLB 57.4}

We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. {FLB 57.5}

The Holy Spirit is to be continually present with the believer. We have need more carefully to consider the fact that the Comforter is to abide with us. If we individually comprehended this truth, we should never feel alone. When assailed by the enemy, when overwhelmed by temptation, we are to repose our faith in God; for we have His pledged word that we are never to be left to battle alone. Every soul, pardoned of sin, is precious in His sight--more precious than the whole world. It has been purchased at infinite cost, and Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died. {FLB 57.6}

Christ is represented by the Holy Spirit; and when this Spirit is appreciated, when those controlled by the Spirit communicate to others the energy with which they are imbued, an invisible chord is touched which electrifies the whole. Would that we could all understand how boundless are the divine resources.
58
{FLB 57.7}

heather

Ron Beaulieu