How the Word works together with the Spirit
And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me (Ezekiel 2:1–2, KJV)
The Word is God( John 1:1), and the Spirit is the Lord, that is, the same God! ( 2 Cor. 3:17). This is the mystery of the Trinity. One problem we have created for ourselves is that we have so much focused on the revelation of the Trinity, that we seem to have forgotten that it is ONE GOD. The Trinity and the unity(oneness) of the Godhead are inseparable.
I wrote a devotional a while ago to explain that God does nothing without His Word( John 1:3) and His Word works by His Spirit. The Word and the Spirit are one(unity) yet distinct( Trinity). The Holy Spirit is in the Word of God, and the Word works by the Spirit, and is the trigger for the Spirit to move. An example of this remarkable truth is seen in our verse above.
God spoke to Ezekiel to stand upon his feet. For that Word spoken by God to come to pass, the Spirit entered into Ezekiel and set him upon his feet, that is, brought the Word to pass! This is how God works! It is crucial for us to remove the mentality we have developed that separates the Word from the Spirit. For example, we often say there are some preachers that are “more into the Word” while others are more “into the Spirit.” There is some truth being communicated by this but on the whole, it is a terrible mistake. Every time you are reading the Word, be conscious that you are reading the Holy Spirit! He is in the Word, and the Word is in the Spirit!
MEDITATE
Did God create the world by the Word, the Spirit or both? Were you born again by the Word, the Spirit or both? How does the Word and the Spirit work together in both the creation and the new birth?
APPLY THE WORD
The example of ministers above is just one. Another example is that we have been trained in Church to listen to the sermon and then “get into a time of ministration of the Spirit “. The average believer does not often pay attention to the Word being taught but usually waits for the end of the message so that the Holy Spirit will move when the minister starts praying for people. What a disaster in our thinking. The Word of God is the Holy Spirit gone forth! He is in the Word! The greatest tool in the hands of the Spirit to change your life is not the minister’s hand that is laid upon you. It is the Word of God in his or her mouth. It is the Word in the scriptures. Pay attention and receive from the Spirit in every way, whether through the Word preached or the special ministrations through the minister.
PRAY
Ask the Lord to help you fully understand the amazing ways He operates in our lives.
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Thanks for your inspiring teachings
I have
You are welcome. We praise the Lord indeed for His Word. Blessings