THE EMPTINESS OF HOLINESS
The love of God surpasses all understanding, even of the greatest minds. Like a magnetic field, God's holiness is powered by a love field that attracts and connects the Body of Christ to Himself. Though Spirit is unseen, His presence is the reason we have a church today. Spirit, quite literally, is the most vital element of the church and is the most neglected. His power is what transforms us and is what connects us to the Father.
God has, from the first fall to the last fall, been pouring Himself out to save His children. His sheer nature is emptying and giving of Himself even to the point of death, and His love and mercy are fulfillments of His promises to us. He proves His holiness through the power of His love for us when He tells Moses in Exodus 3:8 (ESV), "And I have come down to deliver them." Even in a sinful state, God comes to man again to begin the restoration of His creation to Himself and gives the law to Moses. The overarching theme of Exodus bridges the promises to the fulfillments. The same overarching bridge from law to grace is how the Lord Jesus delivered us from sin and death, bringing us into the fulfillment of all things culminating on the Day of the Lord.
God’s example of emptying Himself is what He requires from us when He says in Leviticus 19:2 (ESV), “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” We are to give of ourselves and to be poured out as the Apostle Paul described in 2 Timothy 4:6 ESV as a “drink offering”.
Pinnock says in his book, Flame of Love, “Spirit Christology is functionally focused.” There is no sanctification apart from the Holy Spirit. Spirit is equal to the Father and Son in the Trinity. We should look through the lens of the Holy Spirit to see and do everything, with total dependency on the Love that God offers. His holiness is His expression of love as Father.
The rejection of God throughout the Old Testament reveals God's enduring love and devotion to restoring His family. I would have to give up and start over with something that reciprocated the love I had to offer. Jesus tells Saul in Acts 26:14, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads”. God's people have been fighting against Him since the beginning, and throughout the Spirit has been trying to lead and guide us to salvation.
The Lord said, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28) and fulfilled it on the day of Pentecost, sealing the promise from Genesis to restore His family to Himself. The Old Testament is a love letter filled with long-suffering, mercy, and forgiveness. God's character is seen in the fulfillment of His promises to us. Come soon, Lord Jesus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pinnock, Clark H. Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
The love of God surpasses all understanding, even of the greatest minds. Like a magnetic field, God's holiness is powered by a love field that attracts and connects the Body of Christ to Himself. Though Spirit is unseen, His presence is the reason we have a church today. Spirit, quite literally, is the most vital element of the church and is the most neglected. His power is what transforms us and is what connects us to the Father.
God has, from the first fall to the last fall, been pouring Himself out to save His children. His sheer nature is emptying and giving of Himself even to the point of death, and His love and mercy are fulfillments of His promises to us. He proves His holiness through the power of His love for us when He tells Moses in Exodus 3:8 (ESV), "And I have come down to deliver them." Even in a sinful state, God comes to man again to begin the restoration of His creation to Himself and gives the law to Moses. The overarching theme of Exodus bridges the promises to the fulfillments. The same overarching bridge from law to grace is how the Lord Jesus delivered us from sin and death, bringing us into the fulfillment of all things culminating on the Day of the Lord.
God’s example of emptying Himself is what He requires from us when He says in Leviticus 19:2 (ESV), “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” We are to give of ourselves and to be poured out as the Apostle Paul described in 2 Timothy 4:6 ESV as a “drink offering”.
Pinnock says in his book, Flame of Love, “Spirit Christology is functionally focused.” There is no sanctification apart from the Holy Spirit. Spirit is equal to the Father and Son in the Trinity. We should look through the lens of the Holy Spirit to see and do everything, with total dependency on the Love that God offers. His holiness is His expression of love as Father.
The rejection of God throughout the Old Testament reveals God's enduring love and devotion to restoring His family. I would have to give up and start over with something that reciprocated the love I had to offer. Jesus tells Saul in Acts 26:14, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads”. God's people have been fighting against Him since the beginning, and throughout the Spirit has been trying to lead and guide us to salvation.
The Lord said, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28) and fulfilled it on the day of Pentecost, sealing the promise from Genesis to restore His family to Himself. The Old Testament is a love letter filled with long-suffering, mercy, and forgiveness. God's character is seen in the fulfillment of His promises to us. Come soon, Lord Jesus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pinnock, Clark H. Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
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