Introduction
The concept of eternity can be overwhelming and is often misunderstood. Salvation, through the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, guarantees eternal life. However, are these simply words, or is there a deeper significance that calls Christians today to recognize the importance of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit (John 16:16), yet the Spirit’s role in the lives of Christians is habitually overlooked, especially when it comes to understanding eternity. Born into sin, God acknowledges that every inclination of our hearts and thoughts are evil from childhood (Genesis 8:21). This sinful nature of fallen man prompted God’s mercy, leading to the sending of the Messiah to die on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.
Understanding the relationship between the body, soul, and spirit is crucial for building a solid foundation that explains the workings of the Holy Spirit within us.
The Body, Soul, and Spirit: Understanding Our Trifold Nature
Our physical bodies make up only a small fraction of who we are. The spirit, in partnership with the soul, represents the most significant aspect of our existence. The body, or flesh, is the physical form of male and female:
- “In the image of God, He created them, male and female” (Genesis 1:27)
The soul encompasses the mind, intellect, emotions, feelings, and thoughts, while the spirit is a distinct, intangible entity that influences our sensory organs.
Roberts Liardon summarizes this idea by acknowledging that we are spirit beings living in a body and controlled by our souls. The common phrase “I sense it in my spirit” highlights the ability to feel and perceive the spiritual realm. For the spirit to function fully, it must be in constant contact and partnership with the soul.
The Sinful Nature and Salvation: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Eternal Journey
The sinful nature of humanity means that we will eventually die in our physical bodies. When we die, our physical bodies decay, but the spirits of our souls require salvation, forming the foundation of the Christian understanding of salvation.
When a person is saved and acknowledges Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they are sealed with the Spirit of God:
- “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13)
The Holy Spirit serves as a mark or sign that distinguishes believers in Christ and guarantees their salvation. The Holy Spirit ensures our safe passage through eternity.
Thus, when we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior by believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths:
- “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)
It is our spirits and souls that are saved from damnation, not our bodies.
The Spirit of God: Understanding the Sacredness of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit of God refers to the Holy Spirit. However, there is a distinction between receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. While salvation guarantees the gift of the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Spirit depends on righteousness and living in alignment with the desires of the Spirit.
Many Christians today have the Spirit of God, but are not filled with the Spirit, as evidenced by their flawed characters, which lack the ideal fruits of the Holy Spirit.
From the time of Noah, when the Nephilim walked the earth, God revealed that His Spirit cannot contend with evil or unholy mortal bodies. God bound the evil spirits, or the spirits of the Nephilim, to earth as their dwelling place, meaning they cannot ascend to heaven. Similarly, the fallen angels received the same fate, perhaps to emphasize God’s holiness, righteousness, and power, all attributes associated with the Holy Spirit. Banishing the spirits of the fallen angels to earth thus highlights the distinction and holiness of the Spirit of God. In the Gospels, evil spirits were afraid of Jesus because they recognized the true power of God’s Spirit.
The immortality of the Holy Spirit is also evidenced through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s Spirit was in Jesus, and it was through the Spirit that Jesus overcame death in His resurrection. His resurrection demonstrates the power of God’s Spirit to overcome death. This is why Paul emphasizes that since the Spirit gave life to Jesus Christ, He will also give life to our mortal bodies after death:
- “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” (Romans 8:11)
Unlike our physical bodies, which are destined for death, the ultimate fate of the Spirit is eternal life.
Living in Accordance with the Desires of the Spirit
Life through the Spirit fulfills God’s promise of eternal life, where we are free from the law of sin and death, resulting in no condemnation. This means we are no longer bound by the sinful nature of the flesh. At this point, we can attain complete righteousness and live in unity with the Spirit.
It’s also crucial to understand that Jesus bound sin to the flesh so that it could die with the flesh. This explains the significance of His death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive forgiveness because Jesus already paid the price through His death on the cross.
Conversely, living with a mindset driven by the desires of the flesh leads to death. As Paul writes:
- “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6)
Fleshly desires such as selfishness, sexual immorality, drunkenness, jealousy, envy, war, corruption, witchcraft, idolatry, and anger lead to death and condemnation. These behaviors conform to the sinful nature of the world, which is hostile to God and does not submit to His laws. Therefore, the flesh will always lust against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:
- “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17)
- “So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16)
On the other hand, when we live in accordance with the Spirit, our mindset aligns with the desires of the Spirit, including peace, love, joy, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, and forbearance. To walk with Jesus Christ and in the Spirit, we must continually crucify the flesh. This is where we find true life and peace. The Spirit of Christ will speak life to us, even after death.
The Spirit and Our Relationship with God
Maintaining a relationship with God requires us to live by the Spirit and align our lives with the desires of the Holy Spirit. The greatest sacrifice that invokes God’s mercy is offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him:
- “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1)
Purity, righteousness, and the desires of the Spirit are essential for receiving anything from God. Conversely, pursuing the lusts of the flesh resists God’s mercies. As the prophet Jonah writes:
- ” They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2:9)
Obedience, time, and dedication are also key sacrifices to God, especially in light of His purpose for our lives. Spending time in His presence, fellowshipping, praying, and communing with God are all pleasing to Him and can invoke His grace and mercy.
Above all, God desires a relationship with us because of His great love for humanity. Obeying His laws and maintaining continuous communication through prayer are foundational in building this relationship. In every area of our lives, we should invite God to walk with us and speak over our situations. This invitation reflects our desire to live and walk by the Spirit.
Hindrances to Living by the Spirit: Sexual Sin
Today, many downplay the seriousness of sexual sin. The phrase “our bodies are the temples of God” is often taken lightly, but in truth, our bodies are vessels for the Holy Spirit. As the Bible teaches, God cannot dwell with evil, just as light has no communion with darkness:
- “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
- “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
When we engage in sexual sin or immoral acts, we defile our bodies. Many modern-day Christians claim to live holy lives, yet they still participate in sexual sin. It can be argued that the Holy Spirit cannot fully dwell in them, which may explain God’s strong opposition to uncleanness and sexual immorality.
The Unforgivable Sin: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, as described in Matthew 12, is the unforgivable sin. No one can curse Jesus while they have the Holy Spirit. Similarly, a person cannot truly acknowledge Jesus as Lord unless they walk with the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, some people ignorantly refuse the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the promised Holy Spirit after salvation. Worryingly, this is the only sin that cannot be forgiven by God.
God, as a loving Father, is able to forgive all sins, but blasphemy against His Spirit is unforgivable.
Some Christians may wonder if their statements against the Spirit could be classified as blasphemy. True believers cannot blaspheme the Holy Spirit because the very nature of the Spirit within them prevents them from cursing the Spirit. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is willful and determined opposition to the Spirit of God. Conversely, true Christians cannot intentionally oppose the Spirit. If they do, they will experience deep remorse in their spirit.
However, Christians are cautioned against grieving the Spirit. Sins of omission and commission, lack of faith, and disunity in the body of Christ all grieve the Holy Spirit.
