Category: Attributes of God, love, light and spirit!

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water.  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3

This, continues a series on the attributes of God.  Previously, we discussed that God is light and love which are all part of God.  This is not to take away from the Trinity which is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit all of which also are God.  In the book of John, he writes about Jesus being the Word of God, which makes the Word part of the Trinity, the threefold nature of God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

John 1:1-3

John then tells us that Jesus was the Word in the flesh.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

So, the Word and the Spirit are both attributes of God which go all the way back to Genesis, the very beginning.  Man’s spiritual origination also goes all the way back to the beginning as we discover in Genesis.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

 Notice also that it says, let US make man in OUR image, this is showing us that God is more than one but is the Father, the word and the Holy Spirit!  Everything we see is done by God speaking the Word, then his Spirit moves and it is done!

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them.  Genesis 1:26-27

We, the scripture says were made in the image of God! Man was made with a spirit, as indicated below and we also have the ability to love. Not only that but what we think and say you will see truly matters, it manifests in our life!

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  Genesis 2:7

In the above scripture reference the word for the, “breath of life”, in Hebrew is, ruach, which literally means, spirit.  So, God breathed the breath of life, spirit, into man.  This is very powerful to know for the Spirit of God is literally, life, truth, the power of God.   But man lived according to what only his physical senses showed him or her, not realizing that there is a connection we can make which brings real life and power to the believer.  Jesus said that all we have to do to receive this Spirit, to make contact with His Spirit, is to ask.  He also instructs us that when you ask, BELIEVE you receive!  No matter what we pray for we must believe we receive our petition, what we ask for, because everything in the kingdom of God works by faith.

And I say unto you, Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?  Or if he shall ask an egg will he offer him a scorpion?  If ye then, being evil?, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?  Luke 11:9-13

Then Jesus explains to us that what we have in our heart, on the inside of us, what we think, believe and speak,  brings about those things which manifest in our life!  This is huge because when we go back to Genesis the same principle applies to how God operates and creates.  The Spirit was hovering over the waters, then God spoke and what ever He spoke was created.  We are made in the image of God, we are not God, for even Jesus said, The Father is greater than I. John 14:28 but he was One with the Father.  So the spiritual principles working in man are those of the Father, his Spirit is one with our spirit when we are connected to the vine.  So what we think, believe and speak manifests in our life!

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:35-37

This is why we need to be filled with the Spirit!  When we are filled the Spirit of God, which is real life, love, truth and power then we are living in accordance, in harmony with God.  Then, we can truly live the abundant life!  This is living righteously, in right-standing with God, knowing that God/Christ are in us.  The apostle Paul said it this way.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  Romans 8:14-17

Jesus said, I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you,  Abide in me, and I in you, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  Then he repeats it a little differently so that we are sure to truly understand and it contains a promise! I am the vine, ye are the branches;  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  John 15:1-7

Then later he goes on to say, If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, (the fruit of the Spirit is joy, love, peace and power) and that your joy might be full.  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

God is love, light and Spirit and the word is filled with power which is released through the Spirit!  Jesus tells us that if we abide in him, who is one with the Father, we will be like a branch on a vine.  The branch is not different from the vine but has the very same life force flowing through it.  This is amazing!  This is where we want to be, one with the Father and Christ speaking the word of God for it is written, Through faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3  This shows us that the Word and the Spirit, in the invisible realm is what makes, things which are seen, they were not made by things by things which do appear.  So, we must do our work in the unseen spiritual realm, believing, acting in faith, receiving the Holy Spirit!

So, how do we do this?  We ask, believing that we receive in faith, and do what He said, love one another, love God, who is love, light, Spirit, and the word,. Yes, we must abide in love, for God is love and his Spirit connects with our spirit. In the scriptures it says this about the word.

The word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. Deuteronomy 30:14

The scriptures also tell us this about the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  Luke 17:21

We are wonderfully made in the image of God, that is why this is possible and Jesus shows us the way, IS the way!

Until next time, may we all walk in the Spirit and love!  The Father is love and we are commanded to love.  Jesus, being one with the Father, prayed in John 17:21 that we too would be one, That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me , and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou has sent me. We are Gods ambassadors and are to do his will walking in the power of the Spirit!  May you all be truly blessed!

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

  Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  1John 4:6-8

Last time we spoke about God being light, which comes from the first chapter in the first epistle of John which is quite amazing since this light certainly seems to have manifested in the Transfiguration

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. Matthew 17:1-2

Jesus also spoke of being, the light of life, here:

I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.    John 8:12

But here is a second attribute, characteristic or more accurately, the very essence of God, love!  In John’s first epistle he goes on to talk a great deal about this.  He wants us to realize that God is love, so to know God, we too must love.

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  1John 4:122-16

This brings us to a deeper understanding of who God is and what if anything is required of us as believers.  A person may refrain from engaging in bad habits but still be missing out on a relationship with the Creator simply because of a lack of love.  Love, is God, so to be in God, we too must love not only the Father but others also.  The scriptures write about this too, in pretty blunt and clear terms.

If a man say, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.   1John 4:20-21

Jesus clearly stated this commandment, loving one another in the synoptic gospel of John many times, not just once but many times so we would clearly understand.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:12

The Christ also connects a promise to these scriptures.  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. Then he gives us the commandment again.  These things I command you, that ye love one another.  John 15: 16-17

So, this commandment to love is also connected to the promise that, whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.  Earlier on in the chapter he says something very similar to this but even more powerful as we see here.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.  Then the admonishment again, If ye love me, keep my commandments.  John 14: 12-15

These powerful, dynamic verses show us what it is to be a Christian!  Without love it is all futile.  This is why Jesus came, to show us the way to the abundant life.  Prior to his coming it was simply do’s and don’ts of the law.  This is true still with some believers today.  They may not drink or smoke but where is the love?  Without the love it is just a health club, it may be good for you but it falls way short, missing the mark, which is exactly what sin is, missing the mark.  So then, what is the mark?  What is the goal?

The goal, the mark we are aiming for is to, be one with the Father, Christ and one another, all of us one!

That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: John 17:21

Jesus used the analogy of he is the vine and we are the branches.  He said, I am the vine, ye are the branches;  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them unto the fire, and they are burned.  If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  There is that promise again.  Then he goes on to say, Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  Then the commandment again, If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.  John 15: 5-10

Realizing that God is love, light and spirit gives us new powerful insight into the kingdom of God.  We are told to seek first the kingdom of God but when we think of this kingdom as one of light and love then we gain understanding.  Look at how the perspective may change when you say seek first the kingdom of light, or seek first the kingdom of love.  Since God is love then we understand why we must love.  A vine branch is of the same substance as the vine.  It is all alive and inter-connected.

We too are to realize our inter-connectedness, our oneness with God and one another. To do so we must love!

Until next time, may we all love one another, lift each other up and share God’s love! Light and love to all…