The Word and the Spirit: a divine relationship mystery! • Deshen Daily

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8, KJV)

Glory & Grace Daily devotional for yesterday discussed the astonishing relationship between the Word, the words of God, and Jesus. The mysteries of God revealed to us are endless! It will go one step further today to discuss the mystery of the relationship between the Word and the Spirit.

The Word is a Divine Being, God Himself. In the mystery of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is also a Divine Being, a Person and that Person is Himself God, just like the Father. Yet there are not three Gods, but one God. When God revealed Himself on the throne in the Old as well as the New Testament, no prophet ever saw three beings seated on the throne. Neither did they see one Divine Being on the throne and two others on His right hand and on His left. He is One God who exists and operates as three distinct persons or better still personalities. Our natural minds will only have to accept the temporary limitation of not fully understanding what this is.

However, let me move further to show you the astonishing relationship of the oneness of the Word and the Spirit in the operations of God. The Holy Spirit is called “spirit”, not because the Father and the Word are not spirit. The Word is also spirit! 2 Thes 2:8 above says Jesus will consume the Wicked by the spirit of His mouth. It calls the Word the “spirit of His mouth”. The Greek Word spirit, just as the Hebrew Ruach means breath. Just as I discussed yesterday for the term “word”, “breath” is used as a metaphor to describe divine realities. It does not mean the Holy Spirit is breath or wind. However, there is something about breath that makes it suitable to describe both the Word and the Spirit.

Yesterday, I stated that words reveal. Today, I will go a little further to describe how words are produced. When we speak, the breath from our lungs creates sounds waves. So words are produced and sustained by breath. Breath is at the nature of what words are, how they are produced and initially sustained. In simple language, I would say words are the sound we hear and the invisible breath that sustains them. Herein lies the mystery of the mysterious oneness of the Word and the Spirit. The Word is spirit and the Spirit is IN the Word! The Word is indeed the Spirit gone forth.

This is so important to grasp. I have shared before that there is an error common amongst us Pentecostals or charismatic that states there are some people who are of the Word while others are of the Spirit. There is a truth in this, which is that there are some preachers who are more into knowledge and others into power. However, there is a big error in it which we must correct quickly. There is nothing like being more of the Word or in the Spirit. The Spirit is in the Word, and the power of the Word is the Spirit. When you are studying the Word or preaching for example, you are interacting with the Holy Spirit! Please remove the idea from your mind that the Holy Spirit is at work ONLY when we are praying or manifesting power such as in laying on of hands on people and seeing them fall to the ground. The greatest avenue of operation of the Spirit in your life is through the Word! May the Lord opens your understanding to receive this mystery revealed to us!

MEDITATE

How does the metaphor of breath as discussed above explain the distinction as well as the unity of the Word and the Holy Spirit.

APPLY THE WORD

The Spirit and the Word are NOT two options God has given you to select the One you are most comfortable with. No! Learn to relate with God and operate with Him in all the ways He has revealed to us. There is a place for knowledge, prayer, or supernatural manifestations with the power of God. Did you know you were interacting with the Holy Spirit as you read this devotional, explaining the Word to you? The Lord opens your eyes to this mystery!