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>> Dear friends, welcome once
again to "It Is Written Canada."
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We have been studying the topic
of the Trinity, the Godhead.
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Once again, I have joining
me in studio Dr. John Peckham.
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Dr. John Peckham, welcome to
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"It Is Written
Canada" once again.
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>> Thank you for having me.
>> Dr. Peckham is a professor
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at the Theological
Seminary at Andrews University.
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He's authored a number of books,
and actually, Dr. Peckham,
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you are right now working
on a book, writing a book.
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What is that book about,
and when do you expect that
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to be released? >>
Yeah, so there's one book
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that's coming out
at the end of 2018,
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which is on the problem of evil,
called "The Odyssey of Love,"
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and that book will be out
October or November. I'm not
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sure which one, and I'm also
writing a book on the doctrine
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of God, a textbook on the
attributes of God. That will be
out, I don't know when.
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[ Laughter ] >> Well, I will
tell you, if an individual is
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interested in finding some of
these books that Dr. Peckham has
written, you can find them at
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your local bookstore, or you
can go to Amazon and there find
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these books, and I was looking
myself. They are available both
in print form and on the
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Kindle... >> Yes, they
are. >> ...so appreciate that
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availability. Dr. Peckham, just
in summary, we've been talking
about this doctrine of the Holy
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Spirit, the oneness of God and
the context of Him being three
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persons, Father, Son, Holy
Spirit. We spent a good deal of
time talking about Jesus,
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Jesus being fully divine, Jesus
being fully human, yet being
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that Son, the Messiah, having
a function and role and purpose
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as a part of the Godhead, and
now we've been discussing the
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Holy Spirit. Now, we talked the
last time, and we spent almost
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the whole show talking about the
divine attributes of the Holy
Spirit. Why don't we spend just
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a few moments reviewing that and
then delving... We were talking
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just before the show started
about omnipresence, so why don't
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you just summarize the divine
attributes that tell us that the
Holy Spirit is divine,
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and then delve more deeply into
omnipresence? >> Yeah, so we've
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seen that the Holy Spirit is
fully God, and we've begun to
see that the Holy Spirit is a
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person, not just a force or some
kind of appendage of God, if
there were such a thing.
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The Holy Spirit as God is
evident in places like Acts 5,
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where Peter says to Ananias,
"You lied to the Holy Spirit,"
and then in the very next verse,
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says, "You lied to God." >>
Yes. >> The Holy Spirit is God.
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It's clear that the Holy Spirit
has divine attributes in the
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fact that the Holy Spirit is
eternal in places like Hebrews
9:14, has knowledge that only
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God would have, divine knowledge
in 1 Corinthians 2, has the
power of God in Luke 1
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and can apparently be anywhere
because Jesus sends Him to take
His place among the apostles
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as they go out to evangelize
the entire world, which shows us
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that He is omnipresent. There's
nowhere where He cannot go with
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them, nowhere they can go that
He is not with them. >> And so
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we see that it is clear. The
Holy Spirit is divine. We
discussed a few texts.
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In Ephesians, I believe it was
Ephesians 4, about grieving the
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Holy Spirit. >> Yes. >> Can't
grieve a force, can't grieve an
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appendage, using that term.
You must... You grieve a person.
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>> That's right. >> And then
we also spent a little time in
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Romans 8, where in Romans 8, the
Holy Spirit is this person, this
being that helps translate,
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so to speak, our prayers when we
don't know what to pray, when we
don't know what to say,
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when we don't know what to do.
>> Yes. >> What are some of the
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other attributes of the Holy
Spirit that let us know that the
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Holy Spirit is not just some
force, not some appendage of
God, but an actual person?
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>> Yeah, there are many other
characteristics where the Spirit
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acts or is acted upon in
ways that only make sense for a
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person to act or be acted upon
in that way. One is in Luke 12.
Let's go to Luke chapter 12.
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>> Okay. >> Luke
12:12. >> All right.
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>> Now, Jesus is counseling His
followers not to be worried
about when persecution comes,
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and they're dragged before
courts and judges to testify,
and He says, "Don't be worried
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about what you're going to say."
Why? Because verse 12, "For the
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Holy Spirit will teach you in
that very hour what you ought to
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say." >> Mm-hmm. >> So the
Holy Spirit can teach, right?
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>> Yes. >> This is a
personal attribute. >> Yes.
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>> Teaching, and many other
personal attributes, things that
only persons can do,
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are said of the Holy Spirit.
If we turn over to the book of
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John, John 15:26, John 15:26.
>> Okay. John 15 again, now you
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have focused, and you have
actually recommended our viewers
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and our listeners that really,
reading John 14-16 is really
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going to help in this
understanding. >> That's right.
>> We're right in the heart
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of it here in John 15, and
you said verse... >> Twenty-six.
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>> Twenty-six. >> "But when the
helper comes," there's that word
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again referred to in the last
program, the comforter, the
paracletus, which is what Jesus
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is also referred to as in 1
John, so He's another of the
same kind, the One who takes
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Christ's place among them. Verse
26, "But when the helper comes
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whom I shall send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth,
who proceeds from the Father,
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he will testify of me." Again,
this is a personal attribute,
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witnessing or testifying,
bearing witness. Only a person
can do this. If we turn over to
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the book of Acts, the very,
very next book, Acts chapter 8.
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>> So we're seeing these
personal attributes. >> Yes.
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>> The Spirit teaches. >> Yes.
>> The Spirit can be grieved.
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The Spirit can intercede, and
now what are we going to look
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at? >> Now, Acts 8:29. >>
Yes. >> "Then the Spirit said
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to Philip, 'Go near and overtake
this chariot,'" so the Spirit
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can speak. Right? >> Yes.
>> And again, it always puzzles
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me when people say the Spirit is
less than a person or some kind
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of a force. Forces don't do
these kinds of things. >> That's
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right. >> These are personal
actions, personal
characteristics. >> When we
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speak of forces, when we
think of, like, the force of
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gravity... >> Yes. >> Gravity
doesn't speak to us. >> Yes. >>
And so the Holy Spirit
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is more than just a force. >>
That's right. >> The Holy Spirit
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speaks. The Holy Spirit teaches.
The Holy Spirit testifies. The
Holy Spirit intercedes.
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>> Yes. >> The Holy
Spirit can be grieved.
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>> That's right. >> There seems
to be a great deal of evidence,
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Dr. Peckham. Is there any more
evidence that the Holy Spirit is
a person? >> There's more.
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There is more, if we turn over
to chapter 16 of the book of
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Acts. >> Okay. >> We see that
the Holy Spirit also can forbid
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or allow things, and this
happens in a number of places
with regard to the apostles,
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but just one for today. Acts
16:7, "After they had come to
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Mysia, they tried to go into
Bithynia, but the Spirit did not
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permit them. >> Hmm. >> So
they're forbidden from going
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there based on the plan of God,
and the Spirit is the active
agent that is working through
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the apostles, can forbid or
allow particular activities.
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This is, again, a personal
attribute. >> Now, it's
important as we are looking at
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these personal attributes, and
we're going to look at even more
personal attributes,
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but the Holy Spirit speaks The
Holy Spirit intercedes. The Holy
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Spirit forbids. >> Yes. >> The
Holy Spirit teaches, testifies,
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intercedes, can be grieved.
>> Yes. >> We're mentioning
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just one text in each of
these instances to demonstrate,
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but the reality is there are
a multitude of passages in the
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Scriptures that teaches these
same principles. >> That's
right. >> So what are some of
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the other divine attributes of
the... Excuse me, some of the
personal attributes of the Holy
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Spirit that help us to
understand the Holy Spirit as a
person more than just a force?
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>> Yeah. There are a
few more. If we go over
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to 1 Corinthians 2, we've
seen this already with regard
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to Him having divine knowledge,
but there's a particular term
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there that also, again, signals
that the Holy Spirit is a
person. 1 Corinthians 2:10,
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again, tells us, "God has
revealed them to us through His
Spirit. For the Spirit searches
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all things, yes, the
deep things of God. >> Hmm.
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>> So He searches this
knowledge, right? This is,
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again, a personal attribute.
Then in the same book, 1
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Corinthians 12, many of our
viewers will be aware of
something that Christians call
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"spiritual gifts." >> Yes.
>> This is one of the major
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chapters about spiritual gifts.
>> Yes. >> Verse 11 tells us,
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"But one and the same
Spirit," after it's listed these
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spiritual gifts, "But one and
the same Spirit works all these
things, distributing to each
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one individually as he wills."
>> Mm-hmm. >> That's a direct
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personal attribute, willing
and giving gifts to whomever He
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wills. This is something only
a person would do. And finally,
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we've already seen over and over
again the commission to baptize
in the name of the Father,
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the Son, and the Spirit, which
just testifies, again, that the
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Spirit is a person just as the
Son and the Father are persons.
>> And so we have all of these
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attributes of the Holy Spirit
as a person. The Holy Spirit
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speaks. The Holy Spirit
forbids or allows. >> Yes.
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>> The Holy Spirit teaches.
>> Yes. >> The Holy Spirit
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testifies or bears witness. The
Holy Spirit intercedes. The Holy
Spirit gives gifts.
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The Holy Spirit searches. >>
Mm-hmm. >> The Holy Spirit has a
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name, and the Holy Spirit
can be grieved. >> That's right.
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>> So, again, once again, the
preponderance of the evidence
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is that the Holy Spirit is not
only divine, but the Holy Spirit
00:10:09.87\00:10:16.08
is a person. >> Yes, and this is
a very important part for us to
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remind ourselves, in case some
of our viewers didn't see one of
the earlier episodes,
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that when we say the Holy Spirit
is a person, we don't mean a
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human person. >> Yes. >> We
mean a person who is an agent,
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who has self-consciousness, can
say, "I am this or that," has a
will, which we just saw
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in the last text the Holy Spirit
has, and it has a faculty of
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reason. >> Yes. >> So
angels in the Bible are persons.
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They're not humans, but
they're persons. >> Yes.
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>> The Holy Spirit is a person
in that respect. Now, don't
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think of them as a physical
human being walking around.
Jesus became a physical
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human being for us, but the
Holy Spirit is not. >> Correct.
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>> That's what we mean by
person, so if the Holy Spirit is
00:10:50.95\00:10:53.28
fully divine and a
person, if Jesus, as we've seen
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in previous episodes, is fully
divine and a person, then the
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early standard we set up, which
is the simplest understanding of
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the Trinity, there is one and
only one God, the Father is God,
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the Son is God, and the Spirit
is God, but the Father is not
the Son, and the Son is not the
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Spirit, and the Spirit is not
the Father. That is the basic
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Trinity doctrine that we've seen
sufficient evidence for to this
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point. >> So now, let's, as we
continue, though, this
discussion on the Spirit,
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we will sometimes hear
referenced the grieving of the
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Spirit or the unpardonable
sin. >> Yes. >> So first, Dr.
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Peckham, why don't you take us
through those passages that talk
about grieving the Spirit
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and the unpardonable sin, and
then let's talk about "What does
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that mean?" >> Yes, Ephesians
4:30, again, just counsels us,
and we'll go there together.
00:11:44.87\00:11:49.64
Ephesians 4:30... >> Okay.
>> ...give us the counsel that,
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and I'll read it, Ephesians
4:30, "And do not grieve
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the Holy Spirit of God, by whom
you were sealed for the day of
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redemption," so He can be
grieved, and He seals, by the
way, another personal
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characteristic. >> Mm-hmm.
Yes. >> But here, do not grieve
00:12:07.02\00:12:08.99
the Spirit. Why is it so
serious to grieve the Spirit?
00:12:08.99\00:12:11.93
Matthew 12 tells us, Matthew
12:31, and these are going to be
the words of Jesus.
00:12:11.93\00:12:20.20
Matthew 12, yeah, Matthew
12, I'm in 13. Matthew 12:31,
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"Therefore I say to you,
every sin and blasphemy will be
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forgiven men, but the blasphemy
against the Spirit will not be
00:12:33.78\00:12:37.42
forgiven men." >> Mm-hmm. >>
"Anyone who speaks a word
against the son of man,
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it will be forgiven him, but
whoever speaks against the Holy
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Spirit, it will not be forgiven
him, either in this age or in
00:12:43.12\00:12:47.46
the age to come," which tells us
a few things. We should be very
careful how we relate
00:12:47.46\00:12:52.13
to the Holy
Spirit. >> Yes. >> Why?
00:12:52.13\00:12:54.27
Because the Holy Spirit is fully
God. It's kind of like sitting
00:12:54.27\00:13:00.04
on a tree branch and then trying
to cut off the branch that
00:13:00.04\00:13:04.51
you're sitting on. >> Yes. >> If
the Holy Spirit takes Christ's
00:13:04.51\00:13:07.32
place among us, He is the
conduit. He is the connection.
He is the way in which
00:13:07.32\00:13:10.92
we can be united to God.
>> Yes. >> If we cut ourselves
00:13:10.92\00:13:13.82
from the Holy Spirit, we are
cutting ourselves off from God.
00:13:13.82\00:13:17.56
This is what some people
call the unpardonable sin,
00:13:17.56\00:13:21.70
unpardonable not because God
is not willing to forgive or to
00:13:21.70\00:13:24.97
pardon -- He is -- but because
if you cut off the very
connection to God in a final
00:13:24.97\00:13:30.14
way, there's nothing left for
you. So many people ask, and
they get fearful at this
00:13:30.14\00:13:35.64
point, and they say, "How do
I know I haven't committed the
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unpardonable sin?" Well, if it's
the Holy Spirit that connects us
to God, one very simple way to
00:13:39.91\00:13:43.69
know you have not committed this
sin is if you have any interest
00:13:43.69\00:13:48.32
in God whatsoever, because if
there's not, the Holy Spirit, if
00:13:48.32\00:13:51.16
the Holy Spirit has completely
left you, you won't be drawn to
come to God because that is
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one of the activities of the
Holy Spirit. Now, that's not to
00:13:54.66\00:13:59.57
say that you shouldn't be, that
you should then say, "Well, I
can go further away from God
00:13:59.57\00:14:03.64
because I haven't grieved Him
yet." If you're worried about
00:14:03.64\00:14:05.97
that, repent and come to God as
quickly as you can, but you can
00:14:05.97\00:14:10.51
know that the unpardonable sin
is only when somebody finally
rejects God fully and finally.
00:14:10.51\00:14:15.55
But we don't want to make the
mistake of waiting too long. The
Bible says, "If today
00:14:15.55\00:14:20.12
you hear His voice, harden not
your heart," but God is willing
00:14:20.12\00:14:24.79
to forgive, but if you finally
reject Him, that is to grieve
00:14:24.79\00:14:29.60
the Holy Spirit. >> Okay, so we
obviously see in the context of
00:14:29.60\00:14:35.84
understanding God is one in
three persons, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit
00:14:35.84\00:14:41.84
is key in understanding
salvation because if we reject,
00:14:41.84\00:14:46.78
we grieve the Holy Spirit. We've
cut off the conduit. We've cut
00:14:46.78\00:14:53.22
off the connection to God, and
in cutting off that connection,
00:14:53.22\00:14:58.03
we are lost. >> That's right. >>
So we obviously see that that is
00:14:58.03\00:15:04.10
a very important role of the
Holy Spirit, but let's talk
further about that.
00:15:04.10\00:15:08.04
What other things are there? Why
is the Spirit so important, and
00:15:08.04\00:15:14.98
what other things does the
Spirit do? >> Yeah, we find
throughout Scripture, the Spirit
00:15:14.98\00:15:19.71
is active in so many ways that
many Christians don't recognize
and was already active
00:15:19.71\00:15:23.72
even before the special
commissioning when Christ comes.
After Christ comes,
00:15:23.72\00:15:27.26
the Spirit is apparently given
license to do even more because
the new Kingdom of God
00:15:27.26\00:15:31.13
has come on the earth, but it
was already active going all the
way back to creation,
00:15:31.13\00:15:35.40
so in Genesis 1... In
fact, we can go there. >> Sure.
00:15:35.40\00:15:38.23
>> In Genesis 1, in light of
the New Testament, I think it is
00:15:38.23\00:15:44.27
correct to see the reference of
the Spirit in Genesis 1:2 as a
00:15:44.27\00:15:48.64
reference to the Holy Spirit,
and verse 1, of course, tell us,
00:15:48.64\00:15:55.58
"In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth," and
00:15:55.58\00:15:59.55
then verse 2 says, "The earth
was without form and void, and
darkness was on the face of the
00:15:59.55\00:16:04.19
deep, and the Spirit of God was
hovering over the face of the
00:16:04.19\00:16:08.80
waters." >> Mm-hmm. >> So
the Spirit is there in creation,
00:16:08.80\00:16:12.27
but the Holy Spirit is also an
agent of new creation. >> Okay.
00:16:12.27\00:16:16.94
>> We see this in places like
Ezekiel 36. >> Okay, Ezekiel
00:16:16.94\00:16:29.58
36... >> Ezekiel 36, and Ezekiel
36, verse, let's see here, verse
00:16:29.58\00:16:38.39
26. >> Okay. >> It says,
"I will give you a new heart
00:16:38.39\00:16:41.53
and put a new spirit within you.
I will take the heart of stone
00:16:41.53\00:16:45.53
out of your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh. I will put my
Spirit within you and cause you
00:16:45.53\00:16:51.17
to walk in My statutes, and you
will keep My judgements and do
them," so here we have a
00:16:51.17\00:16:57.51
depiction of what some
theologians call "the new
00:16:57.51\00:17:01.58
birth." >> Mm-hmm. >> Right?
And this new birth experience or
00:17:01.58\00:17:04.32
regeneration is having the
Spirit of God within you, so the
Spirit is the agent,
00:17:04.32\00:17:08.22
one of the agents of creation,
at creation and also an agent in
00:17:08.22\00:17:13.23
the new creation where we are
born of God, born of the Spirit.
>> And how critical is that,
00:17:13.23\00:17:18.27
the Holy Spirit there taking
part of creation, the very
creating of this earth,
00:17:18.27\00:17:24.81
but then in the individual, the
person who makes a decision to
00:17:24.81\00:17:31.25
follow after God, to yield their
heart. It's interesting, as we
00:17:31.25\00:17:34.75
are reading that, "I will put my
Spirit within you and cause you
to walk in my statutes."
00:17:34.75\00:17:39.99
>> Yes. >> See, the
Holy Spirit is drawing,
00:17:39.99\00:17:42.56
and you used that word earlier,
conduit, the Holy Spirit draws
00:17:42.56\00:17:47.13
an individual into an obedient
relationship with Him. What
00:17:47.13\00:17:54.40
other things does the Spirit of
God do, or maybe more evidence
on those attributes
00:17:54.40\00:18:02.44
that we've already looked at?
>> Yes. We've already seen that
00:18:02.44\00:18:05.68
the Spirit intercedes for us,
and this is not just in evidence
00:18:05.68\00:18:09.38
of personality, but is just very
important for our relationship
00:18:09.38\00:18:12.42
with God. >> Yeah. >> We saw
that in Romans 8:26-27. If we go
00:18:12.42\00:18:16.79
back to 1 Corinthians 2
one more time... >> Yes.
00:18:16.79\00:18:19.69
>> ...we'll see that the Spirit
not only searches and know the
00:18:19.69\00:18:23.13
things of God, but beyond that
is the active agent in the
inspiration of the Scriptures...
00:18:23.13\00:18:27.54
>> Okay. >> ...which
is why, as we saw earlier,
00:18:27.54\00:18:32.04
the New Testament will quote
the Spirit as saying what Yahweh
00:18:32.04\00:18:36.18
said. >> Yes. >> Because
the Spirit is the active agent
00:18:36.18\00:18:38.31
of the Trinity in the
inspiration of the Scriptures
00:18:38.31\00:18:42.08
and in helping us to understand
them. So verse 11, "For what man
knows the things of a man,
00:18:42.08\00:18:46.69
except the spirit of the man
which is in him? Even so no one
00:18:46.69\00:18:50.26
knows the things of God except
the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the
00:18:50.26\00:18:54.83
world, but the Spirit who is
from God, that we might know the
things that have been freely
00:18:54.83\00:18:58.77
given to us by God. These things
we also speak, not in words
00:18:58.77\00:19:03.41
which man's wisdom teaches but
which the Holy Spirit teaches,
comparing spiritual things
00:19:03.41\00:19:08.48
with spiritual. But the
natural man does not receive
00:19:08.48\00:19:11.81
the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness to him,
nor can he know them because
00:19:11.81\00:19:15.95
they are spiritually discerned."
This is also, by the way, where
00:19:15.95\00:19:22.02
the Protestant principle of
spiritual things or spiritually
discerned come from...
00:19:22.02\00:19:25.26
>> Yes. >> ...which is
why we should always seek
00:19:25.26\00:19:27.20
the Spirit's guidance when we
open the Word of God. >> And so
we have these roles
00:19:27.20\00:19:32.67
that the Holy Spirit plays.
The Holy Spirit was an agent at
00:19:32.67\00:19:37.71
creation, joining the Father and
the Son as a part of that
creation. The Holy Spirit, and
00:19:37.71\00:19:43.88
it's an amazing thing as we
think about the oneness of God,
yet the Three, the Father,
00:19:43.88\00:19:47.95
the Son and the Holy Spirit,
in the rebirth experience, that
00:19:47.95\00:19:54.92
newness of life, the individual
is drawn by Jesus and His love
00:19:54.92\00:20:01.56
and His sacrifice, and then the
Holy Spirit is placed within to
00:20:01.56\00:20:06.37
give the power to be obedient
to follow the Father. >> That's
00:20:06.37\00:20:10.37
right. >> And now we have the
Holy Spirit not only inspires
00:20:10.37\00:20:14.84
the Scriptures, and we
talked about that in an earlier
00:20:14.84\00:20:17.58
program, where holy men of God
wrote and spoke as the Spirit
00:20:17.58\00:20:24.35
urged them, but now when we read
the Word of God, the Holy Spirit
actually illuminates
00:20:24.35\00:20:30.76
the Scriptures and leads
us into understanding them.
00:20:30.76\00:20:35.00
>> That's right. >> In
fact, if I recall correctly,
00:20:35.00\00:20:38.10
John chapter 14 pretty
clearly outlines that we cannot
00:20:38.10\00:20:44.27
understand without the Spirit
of truth, as Jesus refers to the
00:20:44.27\00:20:49.98
Holy Spirit. >> That's right.
And this is why the Spirit is so
00:20:49.98\00:20:51.88
important, and on that new birth
experience, this is essential.
00:20:51.88\00:20:55.58
If we go to John 3 and see what
is said in the context of Jesus
on meeting with Nicodemus
00:20:55.58\00:21:01.29
under the cover of night, and
Nicodemus, one of the leaders,
00:21:01.29\00:21:05.36
comes to Jesus, and he's
told about the new birth.
00:21:05.36\00:21:09.43
Beginning of John 3:7, well,
first of all, Jesus says in
00:21:09.43\00:21:14.47
verse 5, "Most assuredly I say
to you, unless one is born of
water and the Spirit,
00:21:14.47\00:21:18.64
he cannot enter the Kingdom of
God. That which is born of the
00:21:18.64\00:21:21.94
flesh is flesh, and that which
is born of the Spirit is
spirit." >> Mm-hmm.
00:21:21.94\00:21:25.25
>> This is how important
the new birth is, which is also
00:21:25.25\00:21:28.28
how important the Spirit is. "Do
not marvel," Jesus says in verse
00:21:28.28\00:21:31.82
7, "that I said to you, you must
be born again. The wind blows
00:21:31.82\00:21:36.09
where it wishes, and you hear
the sound of it but cannot tell
where it comes from and where it
00:21:36.09\00:21:39.79
goes. So is everyone who is born
of the Spirit," so we must be
00:21:39.79\00:21:44.40
born again, and the Spirit is
the agent of that new creation,
00:21:44.40\00:21:49.30
that regeneration, that
born-again experience that every
Christian is to have.
00:21:49.30\00:21:52.44
>> And what's interesting is, of
course, John chapter 3 is where
00:21:52.44\00:21:56.81
that classically famous text is
in John 3:16. >> That's right.
>> And I want to be careful
00:21:56.81\00:22:01.32
in how I refer to that. I don't
want that to come across as
00:22:01.32\00:22:05.42
demeaning, but, you know,
John 3:16 shows up with people
00:22:05.42\00:22:09.56
holding it between football
posts and whatnot. >> Yes, yes.
00:22:09.56\00:22:13.23
>> "But for God so loved the
world," so you have the Father,
"that He gave his only
00:22:13.23\00:22:18.00
begotten." We studied that
phrase earlier, the one and only
unique one. The only begotten
00:22:18.00\00:22:23.34
son "that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have
00:22:23.34\00:22:28.18
everlasting life." That is
the new birth experience, which
00:22:28.18\00:22:33.01
then, in John 3:5 and John 3:7
and 8, Jesus is clear, happens
through the Holy Spirit.
00:22:33.01\00:22:38.95
>> That's right. That's right.
>> And so, I want to get into
00:22:38.95\00:22:41.12
some of these other things that
the Spirit does, but I want to
00:22:41.12\00:22:43.89
very clearly understand what
we are alluding to and what the
00:22:43.89\00:22:48.10
Scripture are pointing to. Is
what we're saying that when we
00:22:48.10\00:22:53.27
talk about the oneness of God,
yet three distinct persons, and
we've seen that those three
00:22:53.27\00:22:58.64
distinct persons have
different roles and functions...
00:22:58.64\00:23:02.81
>> Mm-hmm. >> ...but the
one common unity of those three
00:23:02.81\00:23:09.38
persons is the salvation of
mankind? Would I be overstating
that? >> That's the unified
00:23:09.38\00:23:13.79
purpose of the Trinity in
the plan of redemption. Yes.
00:23:13.79\00:23:16.52
>> And so when we think about
the power of the Holy Spirit,
00:23:16.52\00:23:19.39
when we think about the
sacrifice of the Son, when we
think about the Almighty Father,
00:23:19.39\00:23:24.43
it's so important to understand
that all of that comes in the
00:23:24.43\00:23:27.90
context that their unifying
purpose, their unity, is based
on the salvation of mankind.
00:23:27.90\00:23:33.78
>> Yeah, yeah. They're unified
in a way that goes beyond that,
00:23:33.78\00:23:36.88
but they're unified in that
purpose, absolutely. >> Now,
what other items...
00:23:36.88\00:23:41.28
As we are in the last few
minutes, let's talk about one
00:23:41.28\00:23:46.02
more of the things that the Holy
Spirit does. >> So we have...
00:23:46.02\00:23:50.73
there's many other things. We
already talked about bestowal of
00:23:50.73\00:23:54.73
spiritual gifts. Elsewhere, Paul
says, "The Spirit is the bringer
00:23:54.73\00:23:57.53
of liberty," in 2 Corinthians 3.
One more here is the baptism of
00:23:57.53\00:24:02.17
the Holy Spirit, which also
relates here to what we've been
talking about with the new
00:24:02.17\00:24:06.24
birth. In Acts chapter 1, Acts
1:5, chapter 1 verse 5, the
beginning of verse 4,
00:24:06.24\00:24:15.75
actually, "And being assembled
together with them, Jesus
commanded them not to
00:24:15.75\00:24:19.09
depart from Jerusalum, but to
wait for the promise of the
Father, which he said,
00:24:19.09\00:24:24.19
you have heard from me. For
John truly baptized with water,
00:24:24.19\00:24:27.60
but you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit, not many days
00:24:27.60\00:24:32.63
from now. So this baptism of the
Spirit is to come, and in the
00:24:32.63\00:24:35.60
very next chapter, we see that
it does come at what is called
Pentecost, where the apostles
00:24:35.60\00:24:40.61
are given the ability to speak
in other languages to those that
00:24:40.61\00:24:45.58
are there in town for the
celebration of Pentecost. They
are given the ability
00:24:45.58\00:24:49.48
to speak in languages
they don't know... >> Yes.
00:24:49.48\00:24:51.95
>> ...by the Spirit after they
meet in the upper room in one
00:24:51.95\00:24:55.36
accord. The Spirit comes
upon them in power, and they are
00:24:55.36\00:24:59.46
baptized by the Spirit to do His
will, to do His mission. >> And
so in the last minute
00:24:59.46\00:25:04.87
or so that we have, Dr. Peckham,
we've studied that the Holy
Spirit is fully divine.
00:25:04.87\00:25:11.27
We've seen that the Holy
Spirit is a person... >> Yes.
00:25:11.27\00:25:14.88
>> ...and we have seen that the
Holy Spirit is active, an active
00:25:14.88\00:25:21.68
agent, doing a number of
different things, many of them
00:25:21.68\00:25:25.42
a part of the plan of salvation
for humanity. What are some last
00:25:25.42\00:25:31.03
words about the Holy Spirit that
can bring our viewer, to bring
00:25:31.03\00:25:35.96
our listener, hope in the
message of the power of the Holy
Spirit? >> Yeah, I think the
00:25:35.96\00:25:41.74
biggest key is to understand,
how can we receive the Spirit?
And the way we receive
00:25:41.74\00:25:45.94
the Spirit is by receiving
Christ. If you are in Christ by
00:25:45.94\00:25:51.81
faith, then you will receive the
Spirit of God. >> And with that,
00:25:51.81\00:25:56.58
Dr. Peckham, can you pray for
our viewers and for our
listeners to receive Christ, and
00:25:56.58\00:26:02.59
in turn, receive the power
of the Holy Spirit? >> Yes.
00:26:02.59\00:26:05.49
Let's pray. Dear Father in
heaven, we praise Your name.
00:26:05.49\00:26:09.96
We thank You so much for being
the awesome God that You are who
00:26:09.96\00:26:13.64
have loved us so much and has
done everything that can be done
in the plan of salvation for us.
00:26:13.64\00:26:20.41
We pray even now that You will
open our hearts, that You will
00:26:20.41\00:26:23.55
open the hearts of all of
our viewers to accept Your Son,
00:26:23.55\00:26:27.45
Jesus Christ, and to receive
through Him the power of Your
00:26:27.45\00:26:31.39
Holy Spirit, not only that we
might live transformed lives,
but that we might help others
00:26:31.39\00:26:35.49
to know You and also be saved
and enjoy eternal life with you.
00:26:35.49\00:26:40.23
We pray these things
in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:26:40.23\00:26:43.40
>> Amen. Dear friend,
when Jesus died on the Cross,
00:26:43.40\00:26:49.80
when He left this earth to
return to heaven, He did not
00:26:49.80\00:26:55.51
leave us and abandon us, but, in
fact, He sent us the helper, the
00:26:55.51\00:27:01.35
comforter, the Holy Spirit,
the conduit between heaven and
00:27:01.35\00:27:07.59
earth, the Holy Spirit that
inspired men and women to write
00:27:07.59\00:27:13.06
the Scriptures, the road map
to lead us back to Jesus Christ,
00:27:13.06\00:27:19.67
that we might be fully
restored to Him. Today, friend,
00:27:19.67\00:27:24.24
I want to offer you the book
"The Holy Spirit: The Need."
This little booklet,
00:27:24.24\00:27:30.28
written by Doug Batchelor,
is a resource that will help you
00:27:30.28\00:27:36.02
understand not only the work of
the Holy Spirit, but how you can
00:27:36.02\00:27:40.59
receive the power of the Holy
Spirit in your life. Here's the
information you need
00:27:40.59\00:27:44.59
for today's offer. >>
To request today's offer,
00:27:44.59\00:27:48.43
just log on to
www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca.
00:27:48.43\00:27:53.37
If you prefer, you may call
toll free at 1-888-CALL-IIW.
00:27:53.37\00:27:59.24
And thank you for
your prayer requests
00:27:59.24\00:28:01.51
and your generous financial
support. >> Dr. John Peckham,
00:28:01.51\00:28:05.28
thank you once again for helping
us understand the depth of God's
00:28:05.28\00:28:10.12
love. >> Thank you, Chris. >>
Dear friend, do you desire to
know God more fully?
00:28:10.12\00:28:16.49
Do you desire to follow Him?
I hope today that you found hope
00:28:16.49\00:28:24.10
in Jesus Christ. Please join us
again next week. Until then,
remember, it is written -- "Man
00:28:24.10\00:28:28.44
shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God."
00:28:28.44\00:28:35.81
い い
00:28:35.81\00:28:51.46
い
00:28:51.46\00:28:59.10