The Articles of Religion of the CME Church
Article IV - Of the Holy Ghost
Article IV - Of the Holy Ghost
The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one
substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal
God.
The word very in King
James English means “in truth, truthfully, in actuality.” In contemporary English, that’s “really.” So Article 4 states clearly that the Holy
Ghost is really, actually GOD.
Not a force that shoots out from God. Not a metaphorically symbolical figurative
representation of God’s manifest power.
We’re saying that the Holy Spirit is REALLY God. Very.
The Holy Spirit is everywhere. In other words, He is omnipresent.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from
Your presence? If I ascend into heaven,
You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the
wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there
Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139: 7-10)
The Holy Ghost knows everything that God knows. In other words, the Holy Spirit is omniscient.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of
the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the
Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2: 11)
The Holy Ghost participated
in Creation.
In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and
darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over
the face of the waters. (Genesis 1: 1-2)
Like God the Father (James 1: 17), the the Holy Spirit gives spiritual
gifts according to His own will without conflicting with the Father’s will.
But one and the same
Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He
wills. (1 Corinthians 12: 11)
Jesus intercedes for us in Heaven (Romans 8: 34), and the Holy
Spirit intercedes right alongside Him.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do
not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Now He who searches
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8: 26, 27)
The Holy Spirit acts with the rest of the Trinity to save us from
our sins.
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3: 5, 6)
The Holy Ghost does what only God can do. He is very God.
Which makes me wonder why so many people seem to think they can
boss the Holy Ghost around.
With God it’s not our will, but His, right?
You can pray for a healing, but I don’t know if you really have
the pull to demand one. You can ask the Holy Ghost to manifest a certain gift,
but unless He has already told you that it’s going to happen, I don’t think you
can legitimately declare or decree that it’s going to happen.
Who has directed the
Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? With
whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of
justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations
are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; (Isaiah 40:13-15)
A nation is a drop in the bucket.
Wait. I’m sorry. The nationS (plural) collectively are a
single drop in the Holy Spirit’s bucket.
The sum of our planet’s political and human power is a SMALL speck of
dust on the Holy Ghost’s scale. (Not
even a medium sized piece of dust.)
So you or me standing in front of an altar with a bottle of oil
talking about what the Holy Ghost has to do because the band did 3 extra
choruses and a vamp----- we’re going to make God the Holy Ghost do what we want?
In right relationship with God we have His grace, His favor, and
authority in His name according to His will, but don’t get it twisted.
We walk according to the Spirit. The Spirit does not walk according
to us. (Romans 8)
The Holy Ghost leads. We
follow.
The Holy Spirit is very much God, and the appropriate posture
before Him is faith, reverence, and submission.
For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8: 14)
Anderson T. Graves II is a writer,
community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural
leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor
of Miles Chapel CME Church (5220 Myron Massey Boulevard) in
Fairfield, Alabama; executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth
Networking Organization (SAYNO); and director of rural
leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Friend me
at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves
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