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NASB | Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. |
Bible Question:
Christ's gift of Holy Spirit to his people is great. But the comments of some of the members of our forum raises a question for me. This question might be a good one to study God's word for an answer. (Or by the indwelling Spirit do we need to consult God's Word?) The general question is what is the relationship between the Spirit and the Word? More specifically, does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit make the Word or parts thereof superfluous? When indwelt by the Holy Spirit do we "automatically know" the will of God? And if the work of the Holy Spirit is to dispense knowledge "automatically," what sense do we make of the verses where God commands us to grow and learn? (Eph. 5:10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 2 Pet. 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. ) Those who have been in the forum for more than a day will know that there won't be agreement on this issue, so let's not try at first to persuade but to clearly present our biblically supported opinion. Peace, Lionstrong |
Bible Answer: Then we have the gospel, which is found throughout Scripture in the Old Testament in type, promise, and prophecy, but which of course is most clearly revealed in Jesus Christ our Redeemer: "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they." --Hebrews 1:1-4 Therefore, we have had Jesus, the clearest representation of God Himself as well as what it means to follow the law of God, dwelling among us. We now, since Pentecost, have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to teach us. So we have God to tell us automatically, right? Well, consider a few things: 1. If the Holy Spirit has indwelt us all, why are there instructions for believers in the New Testament? Since all of the NT was written after Pentecost, why would God inspire so many commandments for believers if the Holy Spirit works independently of His Word? After all, God Himself lives within us, right? Obviously, God did not intend for us to rely on some "feeling" that the Holy Spirit gives us. 2. Why do the epistles refer to and quote the Old Testament so much? If we have the Holy Spirit working through us automatically, isn't all that "Old Testament" stuff for those who didn't have the Spirit of God? Apparently not. 3. If the Holy Spirit teaches us automatically, why is one of His gifts the gift of TEACHING? There is another external source of knowing and doing His will, established by God Himself. 4. The apostles clearly point out that unsound doctrine is already present in the first-century church, and time and again urge believers to hold to sound doctrine. Where do we find doctrine? The Scriptures, not in our minds. All of this centers on a pet passage of many people. Do we believe it? "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." --2 Timothy 3:14-17 Men of God become ADEQUATE through Scripture. Men of God become equipped for every good work through Scripture. The Holy Spirit does not need to reveal any new doctrine to us, because it is all there in Scripture. The Holy Spirit's work is to reveal the truth of Scripture to us, testify to the truth of Scripture, to work in us to will and to work to glorify Him as revealed in Scripture. The problem today with people who are looking for "more" generally rests in the fact that understanding Scripture takes work (2 Peter 3:6-17), and discipline is not something the lazy-minded like as much as a good stage show or "3 simple steps to holiness." --Joe! |