| THEME: | THE HOLY GHOST AND THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT |
| LESSON: | THREE |
| TOPIC: | The Holy Ghost: The Spirit of Nature Formation and Destruction |
| TEXT: | Genesis 1:2; Romans 8:14,16; 1st Corinthians 2:9-14 |
MEMORY TRACK:
By God’s grace, in our last lesson, we learnt that God created a realm of the spirit for man on earth which according to Gen 1:5-8 is called heaven of the earth or “the Air” – according to the wisdom of epistles given to Apostle Paul in the New Testament (Ephesians 2:2; 1st Thessalonians 4:17). We also saw that the realm of the spirit for us believers is in the Holy Ghost which was sent by the Father in answer to Jesus’ prayer after His resurrection and glorification (Romans 14:17). Emphasis was also placed on the striking differences between the Holy Spirit, His Gifts, His spirits, and His Things, by drawing lines of distinction between the within and without operations of the Holy Ghost.
The Spirit of Creation (Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30)
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of creation of this present existence. He created the world without as we can see and are seeing. Everything in heaven and earth (and that constitutes heaven and earth) was created by Him. Through the fall, Satan pushed His knowledge (Genesis 2:15-17) into man’s soul after killing man’s spirit. Over thousands of years, Satan has converted his knowledge into lines, and eventually natures into the souls of men (Ephesians 2:2). The real reason for the giving of the Holy Spirit is to come and do the work of nature formation in man (spirit, soul and body). At the new birth, the spirit of a believer is recreated/created with “Christ’s life” by the Holy Spirit (2nd Corinthians 5:17; 1st Corinthians 12:13). Furthermore, through the milk of the word, the Holy Ghost achieves the formation of the nature of a child in the soul of a believer (1st Corinthians 3:1-2; Hebrews 5:12-13).
How does the Holy Spirit form natures in the soul of God’s People?
In nature formation, there is the place of precepts (Isaiah 28:10-11). Through the seven spirits of the Lord (for the formation of Christ) and/or the seven spirits of God (for the building of Everlasting Life), the Holy Ghost gives precepts (i.e. aligned knowledge or theory of God’s life) through the ministers whom He has raised and anointed and begins the process of nature formation in the soul of God’s people. Precepts are very important and necessary for the Holy Spirit to begin the work of nature formation, and to begin the “deconstruction” of old sinful natures/lives in the souls of believers (Jeremiah 1:9-10).
Even satan obeys and submits to the principle of KNOWLEDGE FIRST or PRECEPTS FIRST. This was apparent when he wanted to bring his sinful natures into man’s world (natures of sin and death, and hell and death – Genesis 2:9,15-17; Romans 5:12). Sin and death, and hell and death are not knowledge, rather they are natures resident in satan and his cohorts that fell from heaven (or from the heavenly nature, which was their first estate – Jude 1:6).
But for that nature to be imparted into mankind, satan puts forth his knowledge in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Being a thief, it is obvious that he stole the template of knowledge or precepts first from God. It is good to note that WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE, being given and learnt first, natures are not sure. Today, humanity both knowingly and unknowingly knows the knowledge and holds the precept of satan (Revelation 2:24).
How did man come into the acquisition of satan’s nature? (Ephesians 2:2-3; 1st Corinthians 12:2)
Satan and his cohorts, through the knowledge of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, began to teach man and led man in the direction of perdition, birthing forth lifestyles, ways and wisdom of life that is in AGREEMENT with, and working towards the actualization of the paintings that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil projects. Satan began driving humanity towards a hope/a haven of bliss that would birth and make man totally alienated from God. And as man pursue that hope or ambition, we obey the devil and his cohorts, and that obedience to the devil gradually led to breaking down life bulwark or raisings in man’s soul, and natures of God (and His laws in mankind) eventually broken down!
Evil spirits do not live in men, rather they lead man from the external and make him an enemy of God! Many Old Testament saints who walked with God in their different generations fought satan and his cohorts and did not allow wrong natures to be formed. But most of humanity have obeyed satan and have inherited his natures in their souls.
The Holy Spirit: the Spirit of Truth that guides us into nature formation/acquisition (John 16:7-15)
The Holy Spirit does not begin dealing with us as the Spirit of Truth (The Lord – the Spirit in the midst of the lampstand, the Spirit that cultures the very life of Christ/God into our souls).
At the level of knowledge, His operations upon a believer are by the three pair spirits (six or 3 pair spirits) of the Lord or of God. These pair spirits are the spirits of the theory of God, and the spirits that are responsible for formation of natures.
Acquisition of Truth within: The ministry and work of the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 4:20-21; Psalms 51:6; John
16:3; 1st Corinthians 10:13)
This is the blessed ministry of the Holy Spirit in forming natures. The Holy Spirit (Spirit of life for Christ/ Spirit of God for Everlasting Life) supervises the conscious formation of natures within us (Romans 8:9). The real and major work of the Holy Ghost is to form and make the natures/lives of Christ and God in us, using the gospel.
Below are some avenues/ways through which the Holy Spirit fulfils His ministry of nature formation in our souls:
- Allowing and/or managing troubles and tribulations around and within us (Acts 14:22; 2nd Corinthians 1:3-9; 1st Corinthians 10:13); and
- Leading those that natures or lives of Christ/God are to be formed in through objective and subjective leadings (Romans 8:14,16,36).