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.