Holy Spirit

According to God’s sovereign will, wisdom, and design, the Holy Spirit works primarily in the background. The Holy Spirit’s focus is always upon the glorification of Jesus Christ.

13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:13-14

There is nowhere in the entire Bible where we are called upon to glorify the Holy Spirit. In fact, there is only one place in the New Testament that puts the focus on glorifying the Father (Romans 15:6); a verse that revolves around Jesus Christ.

5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Romans 15:5-7

Satan is the one who wants God’s way to be broken. He wants to direct men to do things their way and not God’s way. The preeminent elite are his main platform for accomplishing these goals. Through the centuries he has used these ecclesiastical personages to subtly shift the focus away from Jesus to diminish the work of God.

 

Here is what we know from God’s word that applies especially during the church age:

 

To glorify the Holy Spirit one must glorify Jesus Christ.

To glorify the Father, one must glorify Jesus Christ.

To glorify God, one must glorify Jesus Christ.

 

Both the Holy Spirit and the Father want the focus to be upon Jesus so that Jesus is glorified. When Jesus is glorified, then Jesus glorifies the Father. When this occurs, the Holy Spirit is glorified because his work in its finality results in the entire Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) being glorified.

 

It is amazing how God has made things so simple for us; so simple that a child can understand. And that simplicity is to put our focus and glorification on Jesus Christ which results in God being glorified.

 

Jesus is the head of his church, no one else.

Jesus is the one and only Shepherd of his church.

Jesus is the only door for entry into his sheepfold.

Jesus is the only one who is preeminent.

 

Simply put: glorify Jesus Christ.

 

If instead one follows what Satan desires:

 

You will put your focus on glorifying the Holy Spirt.

Or you focus on glorifying the Father.

Or you focus on glorifying God.

 

When any of those occur then Satan has accomplished his desire and you become anti-Christ. Only by focusing your glorification upon Jesus Christ can you truly glorify the entire trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

The Holy Spirit is the perfect example on how to avoid falling into being anti-Christ. He works in the background to facilitate the preeminence and therefore the glorification of Jesus Christ.

 

Satan uses those in preeminence to put more attention onto the Holy Spirit and the Father rather than upon Jesus. He is anti-Christ and wants everyone else to be anti-Christ. If Jesus is fully in charge of his church and not being usurped by those who are preeminent, then the Holy Spirit, working in the background will compel everyone to glorify Jesus Christ.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. I John 2:18

An important verification that we are truly filled with the Holy Spirit is when we put our efforts into glorifying Jesus Christ because that is what the Holy Spirit wants and works within us to happen. If instead, we attempt to place our glorification onto the Holy Spirit or those who usurp the preeminency of Jesus as head of his church that results in fighting against the Holy Spirit, thus making those efforts anti-Christ.

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:11

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. Acts 3:13

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. I Peter 4:11

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. I Peter 1:21

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:25

Getting things out of place or order is one thing and still wrong no matter if done in ignorance. However, to purposefully usurp the preeminency of Jesus Christ within a fellowship shifts the glorification onto those who assume that preeminent position. This is a form of being anti-Christ that should make every preeminent person fear and tremble because that puts them into a position where they are directly fighting the Holy Spirit.

Following the way of the Holy Spirit will take us down the path where preeminence will be avoided. Just as the Holy Spirit facilitates so many things, primarily in the background, so should we. That will avoid us putting the focus on ourselves or the ecclesiastical elite. Just like the Holy Spirit, our focus should always be upon Jesus.