The Surprising God

This post begins an eight-part series exploring Raising Adam, Why Jesus Descended into Hell  by Gerrit Dawson.  For other posts in the series, click a number: 2 , 3 ,  4 , 5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 . A few years ago, I had the distinct pleasure of reading Jesus Ascended, the Meaning of Christ's Continuing Incarnation in which pastor and Trinitarian theologian Gerrit Dawson unpacks the vital gospel truth that when Jesus the incarnate Son of God ascended to the Father after his resurrection, he did so bearing our humanity. Jesus, Gerrit reminds us, remains forever fully God and fully human ( click here for key points in this powerful book). Having been blessed by  Jesus Ascended, I was pleased to learn of Gerrit's newest book, Raising Adam, Why Jesus Descended into Hell.  It unpacks the profound implications for our salvation of Jesus'  descent  -- from heaven to earth via the incarnation, in his suffering throughout the course of his ...

This post concludes a series presenting "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit" by Dr. Gary Deddo, President of Grace Communion Seminary . For other posts in the series, click a number:  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 , 5 , 6 . Last time  we noted various aspects of the Spirit's ministry to us both corporately and individually. As we now bring this series to a close, let's look at a primary aspect of the Spirit's ongoing ministry which involves enabling us to make a full and proper response to the truth and reality of who God is, and what he has done, is doing and will yet do in our world, church and individual lives. The nature of our response to God The Holy Spirit works actively in our lives, both individually and corporately, to unbind our wills, unscramble our minds, and refashion our affections so that we can more fully respond with all that we are to all that God is. The Spirit frees us to be receptive at every level of who we are. However, it sometimes ...

This post continues a series presenting "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit" by Dr. Gary Deddo, President of  Grace Communion Seminary . For other posts in the series, click a number:  1 ,  2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 . In thinking about the Holy Spirit and how he works in our lives, it's important to understand that he is a personal agent  -- as personal as the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit works in sovereign grace  according to his nature. Perhaps we're clear as to his grace, but what about his sovereignty? Don't overlook the Spirit's sovereignty When we overlook the Spirit's sovereignty, it's easy to think of him as under our control, as though he is a vending machine, electricity, or genie in a bottle. Such misguided thinking places us in a position of sovereignty over an impersonal power, seeking to control it -- focused on what steps to take, what techniques to use, what conditions to fulfill in order to get the Holy Spirit to work as we wa...

This post continues a series presenting "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit" by Dr. Gary Deddo, President of  Grace Communion Seminary . For other posts in the series, click a number:  1 ,  2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ,  7 . In this post, we'll explore the Holy Spirit's ministry viewed corporately (in the church) and personally (in individual lives). Let's start with a question: Why does any group or individual repent instead of hanging on to their self-justifying pride? The answer is that the Holy Spirit is at work in them, though that work is often unseen. Let me explain. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) The Spirit's often unseen work We typically do not see the Holy Spirit working in a direct way -- most of his ministry among us is deep and internal, working directly with our human spirits (1 Cor. 2: 9-11). Thus, we don't see the Holy Spirit acting. However, we do see the results. When we're repenting, when we...

This post continues a series presenting "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit" by Dr. Gary Deddo, President of  Grace Communion Seminary . For other posts in the series, click a number:  1 ,  2 , 3 , 5 ,  6 ,  7 . Why say anything about the Holy Spirit beyond simply acknowledging him? One reason is to overcome the tendency to disconnect the three divine Persons. We see this in churches where one Person is emphasized to the near exclusion of the other two. But this fragmented approach trips us up in our faith and in our lived relationship to the Triune God. So, our goal is to have an understanding of the Trinity that is faithful to and coherent with the reality of who God actually is in the fullness of all three divine Persons. Our understanding of the Holy Spirit, and our ability to join more fully in what he is doing, will grow as we view him theologically --in relationship to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit by Giaquinto (public domain via Wi...