God in Us

In the Church of God International's Systematic Theology Project, we find one of the clearest and most succinct statements of the Armstrongist view of the Holy Spirit. We read there: The Holy Spirit is described in the Bible as “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of the Lord,” “the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” “the Spirit of truth,” and “comforter,” or “advocate.” It is the power of God, the mind of God and the extended means by which God accomplishes His work throughout the universe. As such, the Holy Spirit is not a separate being; it has no independent existence as an individual entity or person within the Godhead (Acts 2:17; Rom 8:26; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 1:3). In short, they reject the doctrine of the Trinity by reducing the Holy Spirit to a nonentity.

Now, there are a number of passages in Scripture which refute this view, but I believe that those passages which deal with the notion of "God in us" are the most convincing in establishing the real nature and work of the Holy Spirit acting in concert (and complete harmony) with the Father and the Son. This wholly biblical concept makes clear that the Holy Spirit is an important member of the Godhead. Moreover, like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit has its own unique role to play in the accomplishment of God's will (especially where we are concerned). These passages also clearly establish that all three entities represent ONE Almighty God!

In the Gospel of John, after revealing to his disciples that he was the way to the Father and making very clear that they [Father and Son] were ONE (John 14:6-11), Jesus Christ had this to say about the Holy Spirit: If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate [Comforter], who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:15-21, NLT)

As a part of that same discourse, Jesus went on to make clear how the three members of the Godhead would act in concert. He said: “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." (John 14:23-26, NLT) In other words, the Holy Spirit would serve his disciples in his absence - after he had returned to the Father in Heaven.

Jesus went on to expound on this subject in the record of his discourse which follows the above remarks in the next two chapters of the same account. He said: "But I will send you the Advocate [Comforter]—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me." (John 15:26, NLT) Christ went on to reiterate and embellish this revelation in the following chapter too. We read there that he said: “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate [Comforter] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’" (John 16:5-15, NLT) In other words, just as Christ was carrying the Father's message and representing him to humankind, the Holy Spirit would carry Christ's message and remind them of the things which Christ had taught them and done!

This very clear revelation of the nature and work of the Holy Spirit was affirmed by the experiences and writings of Christ's disciples. On the first Pentecost after Christ's resurrection and ascension to Heaven, we read this about the events of that day: On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability." (Acts 2:1-4, NLT) This was the fulfillment of what Christ had promised them in the account of his ministry in the Gospel of John.

Paul wrote to the saints at Rome: "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:5-11, NLT)

Likewise, in his epistle to the saints at Corinth, Paul wrote one of the clearest expressions of "God in us" found in Scripture. He wrote: "Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple." (I Corinthians 3:16-17, NLT) In his letter to the saints at Ephesus, Paul wrote: "So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22, NLT) Finally, in his second epistle to his young protege, Timothy, he referenced the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within us (II Timothy 1:14)

We should also note that the Greek word translated into English as (dwell(s) or dwelleth) literally means to inhabit or live within. Hence, we can clearly see the error of the Armstrongist view. If the Holy Spirit is not a part of the Trinity, then how can God be living within us? If the Holy Spirit is not a "separate being," "person," or "entity," how can it act on our behalf or comfort us? How can a "power" teach us something or help us to remember anything? If the Holy Spirit isn't part of the Trinity, then why does Christ attribute a separate role for it to play in God's plans? How can a nonentity engender immortal life within us or guide us into anything? No, I'm sorry - the Armstrongist view simply does NOT hold up to scrutiny! What do you think?