The Holy Spirit's Curriculum: Teaching God's Children About Jesus
Author: Frank Tunstall
The three persons in the Trinity are One, and not one member has ever acted solo or independently. The devil has never been able to penetrate the bond in the Trinity.
Jesus taught the disciples the Holy Spirit would be guided in the same way Jesus was guided. "I tell you the truth,” Jesus taught, “the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what He sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all he does” (John 5:19-20).
The Jews were trying their best to trip Jesus up, but He answered, “I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So, whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say“ (John 12:49-50).
Speaking in very human terms, the members of the Trinity protect each other. Three cords are not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:1). This understanding helps explain why Satan has never been able to penetrate the bond in the Trinity and motivate even one of the Persons in the Trinity to speak or act independently.
“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:13-15).
Blessed truth this - no independence, none at all, exits in God’s heaven; in fact, the term, independent, is not in the vocabulary of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth is also the Spirit of prophecy. Jesus said the Spirit will declare “what is yet to come.” The prophet Agabus, for one example among so many, predicted “through the Spirit” that a “severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.” It happened “during the reign of Claudius” (Acts 11:28).
The members of the Trinity also freely give honor and glory to each other without any selfishness or jealousy. The Holy Spirit brought glory to Jesus by taking from Jesus what was His, and making it known to His disciples. The Holy Spirit has never tried independently to write a new Bible, for example. Instead, the Spirit teaches God’s children who Jesus is and what He said and did. Jesus is the curriculum of the Holy Spirit.
“All that belongs to the Father is mine,” Jesus taught. This explains why Jesus said, “The Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:14-16). This marvelous teaching shows the Holy Spirit seeks no honor for Himself; instead, all the accolades go to Jesus.
Simply put, there is no egotism in the Trinity. The Spirit takes from the great library of everything Jesus taught and did, and all that Jesus is, and makes Jesus known to the Lord’s followers. The Apostle John wrote as He concluded His Gospel that “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down,” John wrote, “he supposed even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 24:25). But the Holy Spirit knows everything about Jesus and all His knowledge squares with the written Bible.
It begs to be re-affirmed. The Holy Spirit’s curriculum is Jesus. All that the Heavenly Father is, Jesus is, and the Holy Spirit is. This Trinitarian language shows the inter-relationships between the Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It also illustrates why the devil has never been able to penetrate the bond that is in the Trinity, and never will.
Since the Trinity exists in this bond of three that cannot be broken, it only follows believers in the church, including pastors and teachers, need devoted prayer partners. In fact, it is a necessity for effective kingdom service. Jesus was emphatic when He taught, “I say to you if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).
Only two is enough to begin such a partnership, and three makes a bond not easily broken.
Author: Frank Tunstall
The three persons in the Trinity are One, and not one member has ever acted solo or independently. The devil has never been able to penetrate the bond in the Trinity.
Jesus taught the disciples the Holy Spirit would be guided in the same way Jesus was guided. "I tell you the truth,” Jesus taught, “the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what He sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all he does” (John 5:19-20).
The Jews were trying their best to trip Jesus up, but He answered, “I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So, whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say“ (John 12:49-50).
Speaking in very human terms, the members of the Trinity protect each other. Three cords are not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:1). This understanding helps explain why Satan has never been able to penetrate the bond in the Trinity and motivate even one of the Persons in the Trinity to speak or act independently.
“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:13-15).
Blessed truth this - no independence, none at all, exits in God’s heaven; in fact, the term, independent, is not in the vocabulary of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth is also the Spirit of prophecy. Jesus said the Spirit will declare “what is yet to come.” The prophet Agabus, for one example among so many, predicted “through the Spirit” that a “severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.” It happened “during the reign of Claudius” (Acts 11:28).
The members of the Trinity also freely give honor and glory to each other without any selfishness or jealousy. The Holy Spirit brought glory to Jesus by taking from Jesus what was His, and making it known to His disciples. The Holy Spirit has never tried independently to write a new Bible, for example. Instead, the Spirit teaches God’s children who Jesus is and what He said and did. Jesus is the curriculum of the Holy Spirit.
“All that belongs to the Father is mine,” Jesus taught. This explains why Jesus said, “The Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:14-16). This marvelous teaching shows the Holy Spirit seeks no honor for Himself; instead, all the accolades go to Jesus.
Simply put, there is no egotism in the Trinity. The Spirit takes from the great library of everything Jesus taught and did, and all that Jesus is, and makes Jesus known to the Lord’s followers. The Apostle John wrote as He concluded His Gospel that “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down,” John wrote, “he supposed even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 24:25). But the Holy Spirit knows everything about Jesus and all His knowledge squares with the written Bible.
It begs to be re-affirmed. The Holy Spirit’s curriculum is Jesus. All that the Heavenly Father is, Jesus is, and the Holy Spirit is. This Trinitarian language shows the inter-relationships between the Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It also illustrates why the devil has never been able to penetrate the bond that is in the Trinity, and never will.
Since the Trinity exists in this bond of three that cannot be broken, it only follows believers in the church, including pastors and teachers, need devoted prayer partners. In fact, it is a necessity for effective kingdom service. Jesus was emphatic when He taught, “I say to you if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).
Only two is enough to begin such a partnership, and three makes a bond not easily broken.