John 4:24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. To properly be pleasing unto God and worship Him in a proper manner, we must try to understand things of the spirit realm. Why?
If we claim to be of the body of Christ, …the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:7-9
If we have not the Spirit of Christ we cannot worship God in Spirit. If we do not know and identify spirit we cannot have the Spirit of God nor Christ.
1 Cor. 2:9-14. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Here we see we are obligated to learn more about things of the spirit realm. If we be of God, His spirit is in us helping us discern spiritual things. Are you discerning everything about the spirit realm to understand first for yourself then to teach others?
Let us try to discern and describe the physical nature of the Spirit realm because the things of literal physical nature are the things we understand. When someone asks us to show them God they are expecting literal physical aspects describing Him so they can begin to comprehend and identify with God.
You have seen police shows on television where an incident has happened and the police seek witnesses. They ask for a physical description of the suspect. Just as a police officer asks us to describe a suspect, can you describe God to someone who perhaps does not believe there is a God?
Knowing, therefore God is a spirit, tell me what he looks like. I am not saying God is a suspect, but can you give me a physical description of Him?
Physical man has a very difficult time picturing spirits. God is a spirit; the Holy Spirit is a spirit; Jesus now is a spirit.
Of these three, which is the easiest to give a physical description? Probably Jesus, so let us start with Jesus. Give me a literal physical description of Jesus.
Jesus
Physical Description
Man, born of woman, made of flesh (Luke 2:7; Mt. 1:23)
Head, arms, hands, torso, legs, feet
Ate physical food and drank water to sustain physical life
Being Hebrew we assume dark hair; olive skin
Mental Description
Has an individual spirit, soul, as mortal man
Had ability to use logical reasoning, to discern things of physical life and spirit
Luke 2:49. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
He expected his earthly parents to understand matters as he did.
Mentally Tempted as Man
Matthew 4:1. 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Physical Death as Man
Had blood in his body which is life.
Lev. 17:11. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: …
Had a physical body which was buried upon its death
Mt. 27:57-60. 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock:
We know and believe Jesus is of the spirit realm, yet we can identify with his spirit. We identify with it because we can mentally identify with what we know. It has been instilled within us things of a literal physical nature and we are accustomed to recognizing such.
Let us turn to describing the physical aspects of God
God
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We draw a blank; many say, No man hath seen God at any time (John 1:18)
If we draw a blank, how can we teach an agnostic? They do not know if or whether there is a god, much less a real living spiritual God, The God who made everything.
We can only describe aspects of the nature of God by the faith we have developed. Those aspects are of a spirit nature. Name some!
God is a spirit. (John 4:24)
God is good or goodness
Matthew 19:17. 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:
All things good are of God.
Turn with me to Genesis 1
Vs. 4–light was good
Vs. 10–dry land and water together was good
Vs. 12–plants of the earth were good
Vs. 18–sun, moon and stars were all good
Vs. 21–animals of sea, creatures of the land, and air were all good
Vs. 25–beasts and cattle were all good
Vs. 31–everything God made was good
God is Holy; His Name is Holy
Ps. 99:1-3. 99 The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. 2 The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people. 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
Leviticus 19:2. 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
God is love and God loves
1 John 4:7-10. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, …
John 3:16-17. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
The only aspect of God we can describe is of a mental, spiritual nature. It is only through faith we see and comprehend a very small portion of the idea and nature of a spirit named God. Through this faith and our own spirit, which was given by God, can we identify God.
How, then, can we identify spirits? God is a spirit and He has a spirit also–The Holy Spirit. Why is His spirit ‘Holy’? God is ‘Holy’ therefore, His spirit has to be Holy also. Now let us try to describe the physical aspects of God’s Spirit, The Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit
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Has anyone seen The Holy Spirit?
Just like God, no man has ever seen God nor His Holy Spirit literally, physically.
How then can we know there is a God and Holy Spirit well enough to tell someone else about them?
One must first be sent the knowledge and wisdom of God. Mt. 16:15-17. 15 He [Jesus] saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
God reveals knowledge of himself to ‘worthy’ man. Not all men can comprehend, therefore, God will not reveal many things to mankind who cannot understand nor will accept.
John 6:35-40. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Notice: Vs. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
Vs. 39. Jesus will lose non
God knows who to send to Jesus. God knows who will see Him; understand Him and be accepting of His will. It is they who will describe God to others.
Some things must be taught in stories using literal physical things to describe the spiritual things so to give understanding. Mark 4:11. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
Apostle Paul, throughout his writings, spoke to man about the ‘mystery’ of the Spirit Nature of God. 1 Corinthians 15:51. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; … Only by revelation of God did Paul have the ability to show others the Spirit Nature of God to man. Eph. 3:2-5. 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; Eph. 3:8-9. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Paul received the mystery to proclaim it to all who would be given grace by God to see and understand.
Can you now see God? Can you now give a physical description of God to teach others, 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen. 1:1?
As we continue to transform our minds to see the Spirit Nature, let us do as Apostle Paul requested, 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. To prove God and His being, we must transform our minds to see the Spirit Nature as it influences our literal physical world.
