“the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2, NKJV)
We are currently still examining the characteristics of “the Spirit of the Lord” (Isa. 11:2), and trying to find out how the first of the seven Spirits of God all have distinctive functions.
In the previous teachings we looked at the assignment given in Eph.7:4 (ACV): “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”. This means that the Holy Spirit can express himself within you, especially in terms of your thought processes. These thoughts are however not fleeting, passing or ephemeral thoughts – it brings about your characteristic nature as a human being. We know this from Prov. 23:7 (ACV): “For as he thinks within himself, so is he.” Isaiah (26:3) was already aware of this principle: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you …” (ESV). In Col. 3:1-2 Paul focuses the attention on this: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Also in Phil. 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” In 2 Cor. 10:5 we are advised to “bring … every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”.
In addition to the consequences of the working of the Holy Spirit on us and in us through our thoughts, it is important to know that the Holy Spirit works through us “in the ministry of the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:8). Verse 6 (ASV) notes that we are ministers of the Spirit because we have been called as “ministers of a new covenant”. This Testament is not the New Testament of the Bible, which necessarily makes us ministers of the Bible, although it can obviously also include this. Jesus Christ is the New Testament: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40). To be ministers of the new covenant means to release “the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2), and to dispense that triumphant “life of Jesus … manifested in our body”.
Eph. 2:2 refers to the spirit that opposes this Spirit as “the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience”. Obviously this spirit also works through the mind of “those who go against the purpose of God” (BBE). The Mirror Bible phrases it as follows: “swept along under a powerful invisible influence, a spirit-energy … to dictate through unbelief”. In verse 3 he notes that these people are “engaged in an expression of a life ruled by mind-games”. Everything that is not Christ is represented by this spirit, therefore I call it the spirit of the antichrist, or as 1 John 4:3 states, “the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world”. The Mirror Bible paraphrases it as follows: “the typical pseudo mind-set of the spirit of this fallen cosmic system,” and in verse 4 he calls it “the futile anti-Christ mind-sets”.
- Selah: Explain the spirit of the antichrist to someone.
- Read: 16-18
- Memorise: 17:7
