Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts …
Summary: In this passage, Paul gives us a different twist on what it means to have God’s Spirit in us.
For those of us prone to ponder the mystery of God being God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all at once, this passage offers a new insight into God’s multiplicity of self-expression.
The “Spirit of God” is somewhat of an enigma. We are first introduced to the Spirit of God in the Book of Genesis.
“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)
Much later, in John’s Gospel, we read about the Spirit’s close association with Jesus. John 1:1 famously reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John then goes on to explain that the Word and the Son (Jesus) are the same (John 1:14). Later in John’s Gospel, John records Jesus promising to send the Holy Spirit (a.k.a. the “Spirit of Truth”).
Now, Paul describes this Spirit as the “Spirit of [God’s] Son.”
Could it be that the “Spirit of God,” the “Holy Spirit,” and the “Spirit of [God’s] Son” are all one and the same?
Jesus tells Nicodemus that “no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). He then goes on to explain that he is talking about a spiritual rebirth (John 3:6).
Why do we need to be born again spiritually?
The answer to this question harkens back to the timeless tale of man’s first rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). God warned Adam that touching the Tree of Knowledge would bring death (Genesis 2:16-17). What Adam didn’t understand was that God was referring to the spiritual death that would result. After disobeying God, Adam and Eve’s spirits were separated from God. They were no longer part of God’s family. Like the Prodigal Son, they had turned their back on their Father and left home (Luke 15:11-32).
Being “born again” is to be reunited with our Father. It is to be “born again” spiritually. Ultimately, it is the reunion between Father and child. We come back to our Father, and our Father welcomes us back. This new birth is not only having a new relationship with our Father but also having the Father renew our spirit. His Spirit fills ours with the Holy Spirit, or as Paul describes it, the “Spirit of his Son.”
Application: Know that Jesus is always with you!
Food for Thought: What does it mean to have the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts?
To know [understand, comprehend, accept as true] the love of Christ, live in the faith of His life, death, resurrection, and promise to redeem your life [from the calling and through sanctification], and call Him Lord and Master. We then begin and continue to grow in understanding of our spiritual selves, and Christ is there in the center giving us life.
Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Thank you, Chris!
To know the love of Christ is indeed a life changing experience! 🙂
The Triune nature of God is clearly hard for us to understand. While we are created in His image, He is still different than us. He is the Creator and we are the creature. In Matthew 28: 19, Jesus refers to the singular Name of God as including three distinct Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So Yahweh is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you, but that is a bit of a mystery to me.
To have the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts means that the Holy God is living in us. The Holy Spirit tells our spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8: 16). This happens when we respond to the gospel message – the Spirit takes up residence in our hearts – the seat of our will, passions, mind, desires, etc. (Ephesians 1: 13 – 14; 2 Corinthians 1: 21 – 22).
Thank you, Rich!
Yes, the nature of God IS a mystery to me! But we can kinda relate to the three-ness in his image … after all, there is “me, myself, and I.” 🙂
(Freud would say we have the id, ego, and super ego …)
Thanks. However me, myself and I are all the same person. Illustrations are hard to get to one God in three Persons. But I know many make attempts at trying😊
What does it mean to have the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts?
John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This becomes reality for all who chose to repent and turn from sin, choosing instead to serve our Sovereign God.
We who were dead in our sins, receive eternal life as God in the power of the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts. We are no longer enemies of God, but live in peace with God, as He becomes the power in each of us to live and speak in His power, His will over our flesh.
1 John 5:11-12, Ephesians 2:5, 3:16-18, Romans 5:1-2, 2 Peter 1:3-10
He is the source and power of our faith, His seal has been placed on us, and His Spirit in our hearts is His pledge of what is to come. He is the source of all Spiritual Gifts which allow each to become the unique source of His power being used to help others come to know and serve God.
2 Corinthians 1:22, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 2:5
Ron
I love the ‘vine and branches’ analogy. It suggests we have the blood of Jesus pumping through our veins because we are connected to him. The blood of our Lord is the power of forgiveness and healing.
Very well said Brother!