THE TWO-LEGGED STOOL
It is quite
possible to sit on a two-legged stool, but you must use the strength of your
legs to keep it stable. A three-legged stool however, provides its own
stability on any terrain.
If we apply
this physical truth to our spiritual life, there is a comparison. Let the stool
represent our relationship with God, and the legs of the stool be the trinity
of God. Now if we relate to God by only two of the Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Ghost. then we must provide the work of the missing person (leg).
There are
those who relate to Father and Holy Spirit, neglecting the Son, and must do the
work of the Son on his own. But this is impossible, since the work of the Son
is justification and no one can justify themselves, the situation fails.
There are
those who relate to Son and Holy Spirit, neglecting the Father, and must do the
work of the Father on his own. This is impossible because the Son cannot
operate without the Father, and this situation also fails.
There are
those who relate to Father and Son, neglecting the Holy Spirit, and must do the
work of the Holy Spirit on his own. This is impossible because the Holy Spirit
is the power of God for us and He is the teacher of the things of Christ. So,
this situation fails, also.
The only
stable Spiritual life for the Christian is the full-Trinity life, the life that
submits itself to the fullness of the Godhead as did Jesus. This position does
not depend upon man’s ability to act as God in any capacity. We are to be like
Christ, to act by Him, but not act for Him.
Churches
today spend much time studying God’s graces and mercies, but little about God’s
power in our lives, neglecting the Holy Ghost, the indwelling Holy Spirit. The
term, “Holy Spirit” as opposed to “Holy Ghost” provides us a major part of the
problem of the churches. The New Testament term, “Holy Spirit” has become
confused with the Old Testament “Holy Spirit” which was provided by God as the
hovering, external guide for His people as they traveled in the wilderness. In
very few instances was the Spirit at work from WITHIN one of God’s servants.
Since
Jesus’ baptism by John the work of the Holy Spirit has been primarily from
WITHIN the believer through Spiritual Baptism by Jesus, Himself. Remember what
John the Baptist said? ”I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to
bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Mt
3:11) This Spirit Baptism enables the Holy Spirit to dwell WITHIN the believer,
hence the Name “Holy GHOST”. When we hear or read this name we now know the
position of the Spirit of God to be WITHIN the believer, not external as with
the Old Testament Saints.
The
churches have lost their power today because they are taught that the believer
receives the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion when really what they
receive is the Spirit of Christ, or the Spirit of Son-ship. “But when the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive
the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit
of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
(Ga 4:4-7) After we have become adopted
sons of God, we are given the work of Christ to perform. Jesus said that He
would send another Comforter, the Holy Ghost to live within us and not leave us
and who would provide us power for serving God.
Having the
Spirit of the Son does not include the Holy Ghost (Spirit). This is where the
missing third leg of the stool comes into play. The believer, confusing the
Spirit of the Son with the Holy Ghost, goes about in an unstable spiritual
condition, without power to do God’s work. The power to get the work done now
must come from the believer himself, a poor substitute for the Spiritual power
of God, the Holy Ghost.
Jesus was
baptized with the Holy Ghost at the time of His water baptism by John.
Saul of
Tarsus, converted on the road to Damascus was baptized with the Holy Ghost
after his conversion.
The
believers who were obedient in gathering themselves in the upper room in Acts 2
were baptized with the Holy Ghost, as they were promised, if they would wait
for the promise of God.
The
Ephesian believers in Acts 19:1-7 received the baptism with the Holy Ghost as
those in Acts 2.
These
occurrences make it clear, together
with the text of Acts 1:6-9, that this baptism is separate from that of
the Baptism into the Body of Christ: “When they therefore were come
together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again
the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the
times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight.”
The baptism
into the Body of Christ, or Son-ship when we were adopted into God’s family is
found in 1Co 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been
all made to drink into one Spirit.:” This
is not the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire described by John.
How and
when will the churches come to learn these truths? They will learn them after
they again begin to use the only Bible that teaches the differences of the
ministry of the Spirit of God. The only Bible that uses the defining name for
the indwelling Spirit of God, “Holy Ghost”, is the old King James Holy
Bible, the only English Word of God used for nearly four centuries. All modern
Bibles use only “Holy Spirit” in the New Testament with no identity for the
Spirit of God’s indwelling power compared with that of the Old Testament..
There is a
wonderful, revealing Word from our Lord, Jesus, concerning the Holy Ghost as
the “Spirit of Truth” found in John 14:15-17 “If ye love me, keep
my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
So when the
old King James Bible comes back into use, then they will learn the Truth by the
Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost of God. Until then churches must try to balance
themselves on their two-legged spiritual stools.