There is a non-profit organization that, as said in its mission statement, is dedicated to bringing the world liberty, free thinking, open expression of ideas, and peace to the world—certainly a lofty goal, but it sounds admirable, right?

If you want to pitch in and help their cause, they encourage you to volunteer and join them in their endeavors of altruism. If you want to support them financially, then they strongly encourage you to do so. Changing the world takes a lot of resources!

Can you guess what this organization is? It’s not Feeding America. It’s not Compassion International, The Humane Society of the United States, or even your local public library. It is the Atheist Republic organization, who say they are intent on removing the stigma around critical thinking and promoting scientific reasoning.

On their website, there is a section dedicated to quotes from influential atheist thinkers. One of those quotes is from Richard Dawkins, who states the following:

The Genesis story is just one that happened to have been adopted by one particular tribe of Middle Eastern herders. It has no more special status than the belief of a particular West African tribe that the world was created from the excrement of ants.

Richard Dawkins

Many others share Dawkins’ sentiment; look no further than the website on which I found this quote, and you will see this is true. There are others who will not take such a hard stance as that, but they still may find the creation account found in Genesis to be a tough pill to swallow.

It is even common for Christians to experience doubt on whether Genesis’ creation story is a historically reliable narrative on the origins of everything. In reality, though, we can be confident that the creation story in Genesis is a historically and scientifically reliable account on the beginning of creation. Let’s explore why.  

1. It Is in a Divinely Inspired Book

In today’s culture, some people mistakenly believe the creation story is an ancient relic of the past—it’s useful for giving us insight into an old culture, but in terms of accuracy it is not trustworthy because the Bible as a whole is not trustworthy. Such thinking discounts the Bible’s miraculous nature.

Set aside the fact that the Bible is the best selling, most widely translated, most produced book in world history. You can even forget the immense impact the Bible has had in countless countries (no other writing has shaped so many societies more). Simply consider the unity of the Bible’s message, despite it being written over a period of 1600 years by forty different authors with a variety of different backgrounds, such as fishermen, tax collectors, heads of state, and philosophers.

These authors wrote from three distinct continents in wildly differing cultures. Yet, the message of the Bible remains the same throughout each of its books. It has a clearly unified message from start to finish. Every book centers around God’s masterful plan to redeem a broken humanity through the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Such amazing unity in the midst of such extreme diversity is unheard of. For lack of a better word, it is miraculous, showing that the Bible’s writers received divine inspiration from the creator and sustainer of the universe himself. If we receive the story of creation from the Bible, then we know we can believe it, as it comes from the inspired word of God.

2. It Is in a Scientifically Credible Book

To discuss the Bible as evidence for creation a little further, the idea that the former is a scientifically shaky document has become a prevalent one in our society. Although this perspective is popular, it is patently false.

The Bible is not a science book, but when it touches on the subject, it does so with remarkable accuracy. Its writers made many scientific claims that were ahead of their time, impossible to know without divine inspiration.

Take the shape of the earth, for instance. 500 years ago, intellectuals believed it to be flat. However, 2700 years ago, the book of Isaiah was already saying this:

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

Isaiah 40:22

On top of that, if you study the second sentence of that passage, you’ll notice it reveals that God stretches the heavens out. In a relatively recent discovery, scientists have learned our universe is expanding—the heavenly bodies above continue to move away from each other!

Next, the Bible told us the earth is suspended in outer space long before science did!

He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.

Job 26:7

While the contemporaries of its time believed the earth rested upon Atlas’ shoulders, or perhaps on the back of a giant space-elephant (the latter would make for a great Star Trek episode), the Bible was the one making the correct assertion all along.

In short, the Bible is spot-on in any of the scientific commentary it happens to make, which greatly strengthens the case for creation as found in Genesis.

3. Genesis Provides an Orderly Creation Account

Other creation stories within mythology and legend assume the universe has always existed. In other words, they assume it is eternal. The book of Genesis, in contrast, informs us the universe had a beginning. It had a starting point (that’s what the scientific data of today tells us too, by the way).

Not only does Genesis tell us creation had an intentional beginning instead of a randomly induced birth via a cosmic explosion; it also tells us the universe was intentionally designed as well. That is why it is the perfect setting in which life can thrive and sustain itself.

Take a look at the days of creation and the orderly and intentional manner in which God spoke the world into being.

Day 1: light

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Genesis 1:3

Day 2: atmosphere

And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”

Genesis 1:6

Day 3: continents formed

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.

Genesis 1:9

Day 4: sun, moon, and planets

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.

Genesis 1:14-15

Day 5: birds and fish

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”

Genesis 1:20

Day 6: animals and humans

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.

Genesis 1:24

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Genesis 1:26

In these passages, we see the creation process separated into two orderly halves. There were the days of forming, which consisted of light, water/atmosphere, and the ground/vegetation; and there were the days of filling, which consisted of the sun/moon, fish/birds, and animals/humans.

These elements of creation work together in beautiful harmony in order to keep life going, and for the world to have simply happened that way without rhyme or reason is an absurd notion. What if the sun had been just a little closer to earth? What if our atmosphere wasn’t just right for us to thrive in? The list of questions goes on and on.

4. Jesus Affirmed the Creation Story

Finally, for the believers who passionately love God but still retain some doubts about the validity of the creation story, know that the cornerstone of your faith—your redeemer, Messiah, and friend who lowered himself from glory in order to die for you a torturous death so your sins would be forgiven—taught it as truth. Jesus Christ affirms the Genesis creation account because he uses it in his teaching. He quotes from it.

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female?’

Matthew 19:4

If Jesus has been real to you, if you have been in a relationship of love with him, if you have experienced the peace passing understanding that comes from his salvation, if he has transformed your mind and brought purpose to your life…then you can also know the creation story is real. He said it was. He was there when it happened!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

John 8:58

So…

This world will throw everything it has at you to shake your faith. Pop culture scoffs at the idea of a creator. Widely celebrated professors routinely present Genesis 1 and 2 as a lie. Our friends and family often fall away, citing the biblical story as something too far-fetched to be correct. So fortify your faith. Always know why you believe what you believe. Chances are, someone is eventually going to ask you. Don’t you want to be prepared instead of stumbling around for an answer?

Don’t you want to build a stronger foundation of knowledge on which to rest your faith? That is the purpose for today’s exploration. Reflect on this passage as you go about your day, and see what conclusions it brings you to.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

1 Peter 3:15

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

You may be familiar with this passage of scripture. We like to quote it a lot—and for good reason. It’s a great reminder of the intimate connection we have to the Father. He took the time to lovingly, thoroughly create us into being, expending his boundless intellect to instill each of us with the unique personality, gifting, and appearance that would bring him glory and reflect his image.

The stamp of God’s beauty, wisdom, and creativity is present throughout all of creation. Everywhere we look, we see his masterpieces designed precisely and intricately so that life may be sustained. This is evident in the process of the world’s creation itself. Genesis 1, which details God’s formation of the universe out of nothing, shows us his ingenuity and demonstrates that we are not here by accident.

Let’s open our Bibles to Genesis 1 and take a deep dive into the process of creation together.

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² 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 1:1-2

We’ll stop right here for a moment. Notice the first sentence: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Think about that. God was right there at the beginning of everything. In fact, he was there before the beginning. Before time and space. Before the black void of outer space began expanding. Before all of that, he was. And he brought all there was and is to be into existence from absolutely nothing. This means time, earth, and the structure of the universe are a work of God and God alone. He designed everything from DNA to the laws of physics to the constellations in the night sky: all of it. He authored the blueprint and then carried it out.

We also see that at first, the earth was an unformed, uninhabitable mass. There was no order or cohesion to it…yet.

This brings us to the enlightening topic of binaries in creation. Through the creation process, God establishes order using binaries, which are, in terms of our subject matter, a pair of complimentary yet distinct elements of creation that work together to sustain life.

So, for example, land and sea are known as the land/sea binary. They are polar opposites, but they both work together to keep life going! They also make each other distinct: would land really be land unless there was the sea to sharply contrast with it? Another example is the night/day binary, and the same principle applies here. They are utter opposites, with one characterized by light and one characterized by darkness. However, they work relentlessly to keep the cycle of life continuing and to point out the differences in each other. Again, in the same way that land wouldn’t be land without the sea to make it distinct, would daytime really be daytime if we did not have evening coming later on?

With that said, continue reading Genesis 1 and observe how God uses binaries in the creation process to support life.

day/night:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:3-5

earth/sky:

And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8

land/sea:

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:9-10

sun/moon:

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Genesis 1:14-16

light/darkness:

God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

Genesis 1:17-19

The pattern should be clear at this point. Within these relatively few passages, God creates many binaries that are pivotal to existence on earth. In all this binary talk, though, we have yet to discuss the most important one.

male/female:

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;  male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:26-27

This passage introduces us to the male/female binary, which is central to life. Theological writer Gary Brumbelow calls it a “manifestation of the complimentary nature of creation.” I would go a step further and call it the ultimate manifestation of creation’s complimentary nature.

Genesis 2 goes into more detail regarding the events of those last two verses:

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ¹⁹Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.²³ The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” ²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:18-24

It was not good for Adam to be alone. Yet, no suitable helper for him existed. Nobody was there to be his partner, for him to compliment and for them to compliment him.

It is through the binary of male/female—this pairing of two mentally, emotionally, and physically distinct beings—that life is produced. They are so drastically different, and yet they compliment each other in their difference.

I cannot stress enough how in the process of creation, male/female is the most significant binary God created. Without it, the world would cease to be. Future generations would not be raised up to glorify God in a caring, protective family structure.

This creation binary also demonstrates the Lord’s intentions for the order of nature. Upon reading about God crafting the world together, we see what a God-ordained marriage is supposed to look like: one man and one woman joining together in an exclusive, life-long intimate relationship of love and loyalty.

There are profound implications behind this. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright explains them well:

The binaries in Genesis are so important—…heaven and earth…sea and dry land…male and female. It’s all about God making complementary pairs which are meant to work together. The last scene in the Bible is the new heaven and the new earth, and the symbol for that is the marriage of Christ and his church. It’s not just one or two verses here and there which say this or that. It’s an entire narrative which works with this complementarity … [as] a signpost or a signal about the goodness of the original creation and God’s intention for the eventual new heavens and new earth.

N.T. Wright

The symbolization behind the marriage of a man and woman is beautiful beyond words. The complimentary, life-sustaining marital covenant—the center of every healthy society in creation—is a reminder of the sacred union Christ will one day enjoy with his Church.

Application

To wind things down, let me give you two encouragements you can apply to your life.

Appreciate the Order of Creation

Under the natural order God has established, we are free from having to determine the fabric of reality by ourselves, which is an immense burden for which mankind was not created. We are free from having to make things up and endlessly create our own reality.

In the world we live in, it is not popular to acknowledge that there is an objective truth about what is right and wrong, or what we are here for, or how nature is structured. God’s Word tells us what is and what isn’t right down to our makeup, our marriages, and our gender. These are all unchangeable, absolute truths. Nobody can bend them to their will.

We sometimes don’t like this because we want the freedom to be our own God. In actuality, shaping the world our way creates a nightmare. If we have no unifying agreement about truth, reality, and morality, then that leaves it completely up to us in deciding what truth is. This leads to a never-ending, unfulfilling cycle of remaking our reality.

Appreciate the Unity in Diversity

God has made so, so many elements of creation complimentary: moon/sun, land/sea, light/dark, and of course male/female, showing us how he takes two vastly differing things and then brings them together in harmony to create something good. They, in their wonderful, amazing distinctiveness, work in unity.

This fact of creation brings to mind God’s Trinitarian nature. God himself consists of three unique Persons who work in glorious unity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are not carbon copies of each other. They have different roles, with the Father being the creator and judge of the world, the Son being the savior who pays our debt and reconciles us to God, and the Holy Spirit being our helper and ultimate guide so that God may build his Church. It only makes sense God’s handiwork reflects this unity.

In Closing…

Praise God! In his infinite wisdom, he has formed a world so awe-inducingly complex and majestic, with each piece of the multi-faceted creation puzzle snapping into perfect place with the next, that we should have no doubt we came from a thoughtful, loving creator. Because of this, we need not doubt that we or anything else in the universe occurred by random, arbitrary chance. We were intentionally made with a divine purpose.

Fearfully and wonderfully made indeed!

Last week, we took a deep dive into the divinity of the Holy Spirit, affirming that he is fully God just as the Father and the Son are. This week calls for another exploration of the Spirit, focusing instead on his unique role within the Trinity. Studying such a topic will inevitably result in a broad discussion spanning many categories, as he does so much more than simply one thing.

However, it could be said that the Spirit, in all he does, works to uplift and glorify the Father and Jesus Christ. To this end, he appears to take a behind-the-scenes approach to his work.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the unique role of the Holy Spirit!

What is the Holy Spirit’s Role?

He Convicts the World:

Consider the words of Christ:

⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

John 16:7-8

Here we see the active part the Spirit plays in the realization of our desperate need for a savior. Without his conviction, we would not understand that we are unrighteous. The idea that a totally good and just God must judge us for what we have done would not give us any pause.

Basically, the Holy Spirit’s grace allows us to see how we have sinned against a sovereign God, of whose perfect standard of righteousness we fall short. Without this merciful act, we would not know we need to approach Christ and ask him to be our savior. Salvation could not take place.

If you have not been a Christian your whole life, then you remember the days before you believed. Think about the first time it dawned on you that, left to your own devices, you were woefully and hopelessly sinful. I remember vividly the shame I felt when this knowledge came over me—the knowledge that time and time again, I had sinned against a perfect and holy God who had only ever shown me love.

This was, of course, an unpleasant experience, but it’s what brought me to my knees before Christ, knowing I had no other hope but him. In this way, the conviction of the Holy Spirit informs us of our need to reconcile with a glorious God and brings us to see the miraculous wonder of salvation through Jesus.

He Is Our Advocate and Teacher:

What do you think of when you hear the word “advocate?” It’s a word that evokes strong imagery. If someone is your advocate, then they are always stepping up to the plate for you. They are always encouraging you, looking out for your best interest and promoting your strong traits to others. Personally, I think of a sports agent, who “advocates” for their clientele of players by telling the league executives about how great a player they are, asking around about new opportunities for their players, helping their players market themselves in their career, guiding them to new business opportunities, and so on.

When it comes to the Holy Spirit, though, he does not advocate for our monetary gain—he advocates for us spiritually. Romans 8:26 tells us that he intercedes for us, talking and pleading with God on our behalf using groanings too deep for words. He knows our deepest needs far better than we do, as we do not know what to pray for. That is why, through wordless groans, he speaks for us.

This advocating isn’t the only way the Spirit helps the helps the believer. He teaches us too. Think about it: how much better do you comprehend the wonders of the Bible now as opposed to when you first believed?

The Spirit guides us, helping us take the Word of God as more than just abstract knowledge and apply it in our lives. He treasures scripture in our heart so that we do not forget the promises of God, the salvation we have received, or the commands we must follow in order to make disciples.

All of this not only serves to grow us into closer relationship with God; it also equips us to proclaim his word to others. This equipping, part of which includes the Spirit’s gifts of ministry (we will discuss that soon), is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are not alone in our mission to pass on an obedient relationship with Jesus to our community. The Holy Spirit is there to lead us in our disciplemaking and in our proclamation of Christ!

Look no further than Acts 2 for a concrete example of this. The Holy Spirit, who had just come upon Peter other believers, guided him to give a profound teaching that led to the salvation of thousands:

³⁷ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:37-41

He Regenerates:

…he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

Titus 3:5

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”

John 3:5

Picture a pile of dried twigs and leaves. Not exactly the most beautiful sight to behold, is it? Then picture what happens when someone throws a lit match on the pile. Pretty soon, that pile looks very different—it erupts into burning, dancing flames.

This is a good word picture to describe the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Before placing our faith in Christ, we are dead in our sins: spiritually bankrupt through and through. We are not unlike the twigs and leaves from the previous paragraph, all dried out and devoid of warmth. But then, the instant we become believers, the Holy Spirit sparks a flame of spiritual life within us. It is now our honor to be a new creation in Christ. This happens as soon as we receive the Holy Spirit, an event which occurs the moment we accept Jesus as our savior.

I like the way The Gospel Coalition puts it:

The grace of regeneration is the power of God that grants humans the ability to exercise faith and new inclinations towards God.

The Gospel Coalition

Without regeneration, there is no pursuing a new life with the Father.

He Sanctifies Us:

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

I’ll ask you one more question. How different are you now from when you first became a Christian? If your conduct has become more righteous, your will more aligned with Christ’s will, then this is attributable to the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification.

In layman’s terms, sanctification is the gradual, lifelong process the believer undergoes in which the Spirit leads them to be more like Jesus. Perhaps you have noticed this in your personal walk with the Lord. As time passed, you began to desire the things God desires, and your old life of sin became less and less appealing. Maybe you desire to make disciples and see God transform the lives of others more than you used to. Maybe you no longer lose patience for those who are less mature than you are, instead extending them grace just as God extended grace to you. It could be any number of situations like this. Through consistent sanctification, we better display the fruits of the spirit laid out in Galatians 5:22-23, making us more loving, joyful, patient, forbearing, kind, faithful, good, gentle, and self-controlled.

Sanctification does many things. It grows us internally, drawing us into deeper community with God and helping us glorify him on a whole new level. It also acts as a testimony to those around us. The Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification will not go unnoticed by others in your life, especially those who knew you before it took place.

This stark difference in your character will demonstrate to them that Jesus has made a real, tangible impact on your life. It will show them the hope you have through him, which in turn may lead them to desire God themselves. This is another way the Spirit elevates the Father and the Son.

He Equips:

⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Finally, as if playing a pivotal role in our salvation, helping us understand and draw near to God through his Word, making us new, interceding for us before God, and transforming us to be more like Jesus were not amazing enough, the Holy Spirit is the one who distributes spiritual gifts to the Body of Christ.

It is he who gives proper equipping for making disciples of Jesus Christ and proclaiming the glory of God. He lovingly gives each person a distinct blend of gifting to fit how God fearfully and wonderfully made them and the situations he placed them in. Whatever your particular gifting in ministry is, it came from the Spirit so the Father and the Son Could be honored—so their kingdom could grow.

The Selfless Love of the Spirit

I hope reading this revealed to you new insights about the Spirit. I hope it helps you better appreciate all he does for us in our personal relationship with God and our ministries. Furthermore, I hope it made you appreciate the beautiful model of selfless love the Spirit provides us.

The reason his role is initially less obvious to Christians than the roles of God the Father and God the Son is because he willingly works from behind the curtain, letting the fruits of his labor result in an exaltation of the other two. This is a divine being—fully God and worthy of honor and worship and praise—who chooses to work for the honor of Jesus Christ and the Father.

This is not done because he is somehow lesser than they are. It is done out of love. The work of the Holy Spirit is a work of love.

How often does the Holy Spirit cross your mind? If you stop to think about it, how much do you truly know about him? If you are like many Christians, you may be surprised as you realize you know shockingly little.

Many in the church do not dwell on the wonders of the Holy Spirit anywhere near as much as they should. This is odd. He’s mentioned countless times throughout scripture. He is pivotal to our ministry and the growth of God’s kingdom. Perhaps most importantly, the Holy Spirit is divine. He is one of the three distinct persons that are God.

While we dedicate consistent worship and study to the Father and the Son, as we should, we do not devote the same attention to the Holy Spirit. There could be any number of reasons for this. Don Stewart, a prolific theologian and defender of the faith proposes that we neglect him because teachings on topics such as the Father’s deep love for creation or Christ’s sacrifice for mankind’s sin appear more important.

To a lot of people, the Holy Spirit is just that third vague, abstract member of the Trinity. They may regard him as more of an it than a he. If you were to ask them who he is, they might tell you he is a Godly soul or Star Warsy force that comes to live with us, guiding us through life with profound wisdom and knowledge as well as fueling us spiritually…and yes, they would tell you he’s a member of the Trinity, but they would not be able to tell you the implications of that.

The Holy Spirit is fully God, just like the Father and just like the Son. He is worthy of devotion and worship just like the other two. God is not God without the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is God.

Today, we are going to explore three pieces of evidence that demonstrate the Spirit’s divinity.

Evidence #1: The Holy Spirit Is God’s Spirit

The Holy Spirit isn’t just an otherworldly, heavenly being sent by God to do his bidding. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God himself who comes in the name of Jesus Christ to equip the saints and expand the kingdom of God. Take a look at some of the passages that show this:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² 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 1:1-2

For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Matthew 10:20

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:22

These scriptures illustrate the fundamental misunderstanding many Christians have today regarding the Spirit. He is more than an impersonal force. He is more than a friendly ghost we can refer to as an “it.” He is not lesser than the Father and the Son. If God can live in us, making us his dwelling place through the Spirit we have received, then clearly the Spirit is God. If, as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:17, the Lord is the Spirit, then the Spirit must be God. Finally, if, as Jesus explains in Matthew 10:20, the Spirit is the Father’s spirit, then he is undoubtedly God because the Father is God.

Furthermore, this was one curated selection of passages. There are many ore throughout the Bible pointing to the Spirit as God.

Evidence #2: The Holy Spirit Has Immense Power

There is nobody like the Spirit of God. Read the Bible cover to cover, and you will find no person with more power or ability. Let’s unpack a few supporting verses together.

For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

1 Corinthians 2:11-12

God is an infinite, all-powerful being. He is outside of time and space, fully eternal in nature. To wrap your mind around him is to wrap your mind around the incomprehensible. Who can hope to grasp the concept of infinity or the concept of forever? Such a feat would require someone to transcend the material, linear world. Yet, the Holy Spirit, as we see in this passage, knows completely the thoughts of an infinite and eternal God. This is something only God could do.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

1 Corinthians 2:13

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

In these readings, we see the incredible and pivotal work of the Holy Spirit in God’s ministry here on earth, as well as in the individual lives of believers. It is the Holy Spirit who has the divine power to provide Christians with spiritual gifts so that disciples may be made and the body of Christ may be edified. The Holy Spirit helps us, in his great power, to be more like God in conduct and character, sanctifying us and giving us the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is he who grants us understanding of God and guides us along in our teaching of others. Without the awe-inspiring power and authority of the Spirit, there would be no effective ministry, no effective proclamation of the Gospel. So profound and overwhelming is this power, it directs us to the reality of the Holy Spirit’s identity: he is fully God.

There is nobody else in the Bible endowed with as much spiritual authority or influence than the Spirit, save for the other Persons of the Trinity.

Evidence #3: The Holy Spirit is Co-equal

Have you ever heard the saying, when someone was comparing two allegedly similar things, that one “should not even be mentioned in the same breath” as the other? It is an expression used to convey extreme distaste at the thought of pitting two specific entities against each other as one so clearly reigns supreme that it shouldn’t even be a discussion. In a sports debate, for example, an avid LeBron James fan might forcefully assert that “Michael Jordan shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as LeBron James.”

Setting that silly example aside, we see the Holy Spirit mentioned in the same breath as the Father and Jesus. Observe the scriptures below:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

When the speakers in these scriptures mention all of them in the same breath like this, it is deliberate. In passages such as these, the persons of the Trinity are established as co-equals. To describe God, each one is mentioned—including the Holy Spirit. This means the Holy Spirit is God. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son. If the Father and the Son are God, then he must be God too, since he is on equal footing with them.

So What?

Some many wonder why a study on this topic even matters. After all, since the Holy Spirit is God isn’t learning about God the same as learning about the Spirit? Why single out the Holy Spirit in particular?

R.A. Torrey answers this question well. Consider this quote:

If the Holy Spirit is a divine person, worthy to receive our adoration, our faith and our love, and we do not know and recognize him as such, then we are robbing a divine being of the adoration and love and confidence which are his due.

R.A. Torrey

Also, as if the previous tragic statement is not enough, neglecting the Holy Spirit does more than rob God of much-deserved glory: it keeps us from knowing and loving him as we ought.

Think about relationships with other people. In order to grow into closer community and friendship with them, you must learn more about them. Gradually, you discover who they are—their aspirations, their deepest longings, their personality quirks—and this brings you closer. Relationship with God, in this respect, works the same way. To learn more about God and his nature is to grow in relationship with him, or, to put it even more plainly, to grow in understanding of God is to deepen the most important relationship of your life.

Lastly, learning about the Holy Spirit’s divinity informs us of the many amazing ways he advances the Gospel to every corner of the earth. Next week we will explore more intently how he works to accomplish this when we look at the role of the Holy Spirit.

The bodily and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important thing anyone can ever know about. It’s the single greatest, most consequential, most miraculous event in human history. It’s the culmination of God’s plan to restore the brokenness of creation that he began all the way back in the book of Genesis. As followers of Christ, it is foundational to what we believe and the reason we have a hope greater than this world can offer.

This is why having a clear, coherent theology on the bodily and glorious resurrection is so crucial. We must understand why we believe what we believe and the nature of what we believe, as well as equip ourselves to tell others the reason for the hope we have. That is the reason for beginning our exploration on this beautiful, life-giving doctrine.

What Do We Mean by Bodily and Glorious?

It is important to start with the basics. When we refer to Christ’s resurrection as both bodily and glorious, we are referring to two distinct yet interweaving concepts. To say that Christ was raised from the dead bodily is to say that God literally and physically raised him from the dead. Jesus, in our material time and space, went from the state of death to the state of life.

One moment, his heart was not pumping; his lungs were not taking air, and his body was cold. The next, blood began circulating through his system. He drew in a breath. He arose and stood on his two feet. In other words, his resurrection was not symbolic, metaphorical, or figurative, as some may claim today. It did not simply happen “in our hearts” as we spread the message of Christ, keeping him alive through our testifying of his love to others. It actually happened. He actually returned from death to life through a divine act of God.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 

Luke 24:1-7

For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Romans 14:9

Meanwhile, to say that Christ’s resurrection is glorious is to emphasize the magnificent, supernatural aspect of his return from death. Yes, Jesus arose with a body that retained a physical component…but it also appears to be more than that.

 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

John 20:19

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

Luke 24:31

In his new body, Jesus is able to walk through walls. He can make himself appear and disappear at will. His new body is the same one that ascended into heaven and the same one that will return to this world one day riding on a cloud. Through all of this, though, he will always have the holes in his hand, and we will one day have the opportunity to brush our hand over the frame of his face. His body is both spiritual and physical. God did not abandon the material aspect of Christ’s form when he brought him back to life. He kept it—and then added to it. In this way, Christ’s resurrection was both bodily and glorious.

It doesn’t end there. This has implications for us, and they are profound beyond imagination.

What It Means for Us

1. It Means Jesus Is Who He Said He Is: When he walked the earth, Jesus made a number of extremely bold claims. So bold were these claims, in fact, that he was either a liar, a lunatic, or he was who he said he was. These assertions centered around his identity as the Messiah—the divine savior of humanity sent by God himself. God in the flesh.

The woman said, I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.“

John 4:25-26

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“

John 14:6

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

John 8:58

Jesus dying and rising again confirmed without a doubt that all these statements are true: he truly was and is God’s chosen savior of the world who came down to take the punishment for our sins, bringing us restoration, hope, and peace. Take a look at just two of the prophecies he, in doing so, fulfilled from hundreds of years earlier. Remember, these were made far before Christ came to earth.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hide their faces; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:3-5

Above, we see it prophesied that the Messiah will endure immense suffering and torment from the very people he is set out to save, something that Jesus certainly did when he was crucified at Golgotha.

 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,  and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 53:10

This passage describes that though the Messiah will be crushed for mankind, his days will continue. Furthermore, the Lord’s will is going to prosper in his hand! We see this happen when Jesus raises from the dead. Death does not keep him from seeing more days. Jesus Christ lives, and the will of the Lord prospers in his hand as he builds his Church. This should be enough to convince even the most adamant skeptic that Jesus Christ is the undisputed savior and king of the world, and by his wounds he offers salvation to all who place their faith in him.

2. It Means Creation Will Be Redeemed: Jesus’ bodily and glorious resurrection shows us that creation will one day be free from the curse of sin. It is a precursor to what is coming in the new heaven and the new earth.

Again, draw your attention to the fact that God, upon raising him from the grave, did not replace his physical body with a purely spiritual or ethereal one. No, Jesus retained the physical aspect of his Being and received more on top of it. This shows us that one day, all of creation will be made gloriously anew, and this does not refer exclusively to humanity; it’s all of creation. When the new heaven and the new earth arrive, creation as we know it will not wither away completely. It will be reborn, keeping what was lovely, losing the curse of sin, and adding more glorious things to its repertoire!

Consider this excerpt from Paul:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time

Romans 8:18-22

This is indescribably good news. Sin ravaged the world to its core. One day, God is going to undo all of that…and it will be more wonderful than anyone could imagine. New Testament professor Vern Poythress puts it well in her article “The Reversal of the Curse,” in which she says the idea that “God will simply throw the present creation into the scrap heap, so to speak, and start from scratch” is far from the truth.

3. It Means Humanity Will Be Restored and Made New: Take a look at this passage from Romans.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30

This passage means a lot of different things, especially when pondering on Paul’s term for Jesus: the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Jesus is the firstborn among us in more than one sense, and Poythress again provides valuable insight on the matter—in her understanding, he is, of course, firstborn among us because he is greater than us in authority and he has existed far longer than us (he has always existed). He is firstborn because he transcends us in power and ability, as well as because he was resurrected before any other members of God’s family will be.

However, the professor points out an entire new way of looking at this term by pointing out that Jesus is the representative of humanity. Because of this, his resurrection into his bodily and glorious form foreshadows our coming bodily and glorious resurrections: the new forms we will take as we enjoy intimate community with God in the new heaven and the new earth. His resurrection was the first among many, making him the firstborn among all that follow after him.

His resurrection is the pattern, or model, that we imitate and to which we conform.

Vern Poythress, 2004

So take heart because you are redeemed. You are restored. One day, you will inhabit a world without suffering. Without tears. Without sin. You will walk with Jesus in your new and glorious body, enjoying the fullness of creation without evil. There is no hope greater than this.

There will never be a love that burns with a greater intensity, with a greater ferocity, than the one God has for his creation. Furthermore, out of everything in his beloved creation, humanity is far and away his most beloved. It is a wonderful and profound mystery that the creator of the endlessly expanding universe would even be mindful of us, let alone treasure us so dearly.

This excellent news has, as it should, captured the heart of the Church. It has become a huge point of emphasis in her teaching—again, as it should. However, there are other aspects of God the contemporary Church has, generally speaking, underemphasized or flat-out ignored as a result of this extreme focus on God’s love and benevolence. Scripture tells us God is utterly righteous and just (Psalm 11:17), completely holy in every way. It tells us he detests evil in all its forms (Psalm 11:5), and to violate his perfect law is to engage in an act of deep injustice and disobedience.

Simply put, God loves what is good and hates what is sinful. He is wrathful against sinful acts, and as the all-righteous, almighty judge of creation, he must punish all wickedness. He must punish all instances in which his perfect law has been disobeyed.

At first, this may sound like very, very bad news for us. We’ve all sinned. We’ve all transgressed his good law. We don’t glorify him as we ought, we lie to each other, we hate our neighbor, we lust, and we still have the audacity to feel boastful, self-glorifying pride after doing these things. To pull no punches, we are more sinful than we can hope to understand, and as previously stated, sin incurs the holy wrath of God.

“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.‘”

Romans 3:10

If this is true (and it is), then thank God for the propitiation of Jesus Christ!

What Is Propitiation?

Propitiation sounds like a fancy word, but it’s rather simple to understand.

From a secular perspective, Webster’s Dictionary defines propitiation as “the act of gaining or regaining the favor or goodwill of someone or something” as well as “something that appeases.” To put the word in biblical context, then, propitiation is the satisfaction of God’s sin-incurred wrath through the suffering, sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, in which our sin was placed upon him, and he was punished for it in our place.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ appeases the wrath of God and satisfies his need for justice.

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.“

1 John 2:2

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.“

1 John 4:10

“[Jesus] [w]hom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.“

Romans 3:25

How Does This Work?

The doctrine of propitiation may initially seem odd. You might wonder how the sacrifice of a not guilty party (Jesus) satisfies God’s wrath directed at the wrongdoings of another party (us). This is where the dual nature of Christ comes in. Jesus came to this earth completely God and completely human—100% of both! This means he was able to fully experience what it is to be human (pain, temptation, sorrow, grief, joy, etc.) while still remaining divine and sinless. This voluntary identification with the human condition allowed him to successfully mediate for and represent mankind on our behalf, as we could never hope to mediate between humanity and God in our sinful, broken state. However, his divine nature allowed him to be a perfect, unblemished sacrifice unlike any other—one that covered the sins of humanity once and for all.

The writer of Hebrews explains it like this:

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.“

Hebrews 2:17

We could never hope to appease God’s wrath on our own. Left to our own devices, we all deserve eternal separation from him in hell. God knew this, and so much did he love us, he devised a glorious plan of propitiation that allows us to be in community with him, all without compromising his justice.

Implications of Propitiation

Critics of the Bible and Christianity may say that the doctrine of propitiation demonstrates the cold, detached, hateful nature of God. They may claim that no loving, kind-hearted deity would ever harbor such anger towards its creation, and this means God is nothing short of a vengeful monster.

In reality, the doctrine of propitiation demonstrates the exact opposite. It tells us that God, the all-righteous creator and judge from whom morality stems—God who cannot let sin go unpunished (that would make him an unjust, immoral judge!), loved us so much that he was willing to come down to us in the flesh and take the full brunt of justice in our place.

This is powerful, unimaginable love.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“

John 3:16

Looking Ahead

How can we apply this amazing knowledge to our lives?

Recognize Your Fallenness: On your own, you are not enough to sustain yourself through life and ministry. You can know this principal is true because it is deeply rooted in your salvation: on your own, you could do nothing to appease the holy and righteous wrath of God, so you needed him to reach down and help you, and he did that through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Take this to heart in other areas as well. Nowhere in scripture does it say you are to carry the burden of existence alone. If you have accepted Christ, then you have open access to a God who loves you. You have access to a God who is stronger than you could ever fathom. He has equipped you with his Holy Spirit to do every good work. So when your discipling relationship with that person on your heart isn’t panning out the way you would like, and you are starting to feel inadequate for your calling, recognize that you are not enough on your own and, through prayer and reflection, utilize the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. In this same way, when you’re undergoing a time of deep loss and sorrow, perhaps because of the death or sickness of a loved one, once again recognize you are not enough to get through life by yourself, and cry out to the God who saves.

Spread the Good News: Did you know there are thousands of people in your community who, at this moment, are still subject to the full wrath of God? There are people who live next to you, or who pass by you in the grocery store, or who even sit next to you in church, who have not accepted the propitiating sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Think about how lost and hopeless you were before you entered into relationship with God, and let this fuel you to go out and make disciples. Pray and see if there is anyone in your life God is calling you to. What relationships do you have that are spiritually ripe for the plucking? It is not God’s will for any to receive the eternal punishment that is their due, and it shouldn’t be your will either. Get out there and serve so that others may discover the miraculous news of the propitiation Christ offers them!

“That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.“

2 Corinthians 5:19

How often do you feel shame and guilt over your past, unable to focus on the present?

How often do you despair over the person you used to be or over a mistake you recently made that you have already repented for?

Carrying the burden of our sin is not something humans were designed to do, and it is one reason among many that without Christ, our own strength is staggeringly insufficient. That is why, if you follow Jesus Christ, it is wholly unnecessary to continue shouldering this weight.

Yet, how often do we find ourselves wrapped up in soul-crushing self-disgust, dwelling obsessively on the sinful nature Jesus has already saved us from? Church, we have been justified through the blood of Christ. We would do well to consider the implications of this and treasure them in our heart. An education on the doctrine of justification is vital.

What is Justification?

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.“

Romans 5:1

“So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.“

Titus 3:7

Simply put, the justification of the believer is the instantaneous, divine act that occurs when, upon placing our faith in Jesus Christ, God removes from us the “guilty” verdict our sin brings and declares us innocent through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ: no longer sentenced to eternal condemnation. In the moment we become born again, God declares us righteous in his sight—flawless in his eyes. Theological commentator Philip Eveson even describes it as our acquittal! We are “justified!”

It is as if you stood in the divine courtroom where God is the holy judge, and as he reads off all of your charges, you can do nothing but plead guilty to every single one of them. Then, as God finishes reading all our condemning crimes back to you, he informs you that you have two choices: the first option is taking the sentencing you deserve. At this, a pit of despair forms in your stomach. But the all-righteous judge continues! Alternatively, he says, there is someone who underwent a punishment for your crimes in your stead, and all you need to do is accept his offer to cover for you, and your legal record will be wiped spotless.

It is important to note that justification is completely and utterly a gracious act of God made possible through Jesus Christ. It does not come from the inherent righteousness or goodness of the believer; it comes through the supreme love and mercy of God, indescribably poured out to us through the sending of his son to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. It is also not a process that must be maintained through the works and participation of the believer in order to develop and continually cover us from our sin. Justification is an instant union of the believer and Christ’s righteousness that removes the stain of our sin “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.“

Romans 3:28

“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.“

Galatians 2:16

To conclude this explanation, it is not as if or like our sin is gone. Through the justification of Jesus Christ’s suffering on the Christ, our sin is gone. That is not to say we will no longer sin or wrestle with temptation, but it is to say that sin and death no longer bind and shackle us. Our shame is trampled under God’s feet.

It’s Final!

The justified believer does not need to do anything more in order to have intimate community with God or enter into heaven. It is through the believer’s faith, and the justification before God that comes with faith, that we are made to be “without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:22) This means that those who are in Christ never need to worry if God will suddenly decide they aren’t “good enough” to go to heaven or continue enjoying a relationship with him. He will never give them up, seeing them as a lost cause that is to be cast aside and never brought to his attention again. When he looks at us, He sees the righteousness of his son instead of the mess and dysfunction of our sin.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

Romans 6:23

So What Now?

Look outward instead of inward: When we forget about our justification, we often spend so much time wrapped up in our shame and retreat from the rest of reality to occupy this small, guilty space in our mind like it’s a full-time job. Church, when we spend so much time focused inwardly, we lose the ability to live and serve outwardly.

We stop focusing on that discipling relationship we’ve been fostering with that person in our community. We lose our ability to pick up on the needs and hurts of others in day-to-day interactions. We no longer pray for our others and for the Spirit to guide us in our ministry because we’re too fixated on how sinful and wretched we are. We are too focused on us. Let this knowledge assure you that you are fully justified before God, with your sins trampled under his feet, eradicating your guilt. Let it free you from your prison of despair so you may go and let God use you to make disciples in the way he designed you to! Your sins are gone; you’ve been set free.

Jailbreak: In most instances, assisting prisoners in breaking out of jail is a highly illegal and ill-advised pastime. There is one kind of jailbreak, however, that scripture fully endorses, and that is helping others break from the prison of their sin.

In any given community, the majority of people do not have a deep, intimate relationship with Christ. They are still bound and shackled by their sin. That is why you, driven by a fervent love and thankfulness for the freedom from sin Christ has given you, are called to go and make disciples of them! You are called to go and tell them of the God who breaks every chain that binds us. So think hard—in what way is God wanting to use you to break others out of prison? Who is there in your life you can invest in? If you can’t immediately discern anyone, pray to God that He would help you. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.“

Romans 3:23-24

Christians spend a lot of time immersed in the New Testament. In our personal study time, we read the epistles of Paul, drawing hope from his encouragements to the early Christian Church as well as implementing necessary changes in our lives from his admonitions and warnings. We celebrate Easter and Christmas, two major holidays based on seismic events taking place in the New Testament, and we reflect on their meaning. We go to any given church service on any given Sunday morning, and chances are, the sermon will be on a New Testament book.

This makes sense. We are comfortable with the New Testament. Within its pages we find the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the central message of the entire Bible and the culmination of God’s mission to restore the brokenness of creation. However, the Old Testament is also vitally important because all of it leads to Jesus. I’ll say it again: it is not just the New that is about Jesus—the Old Testament is too. God’s plan to restore the brokenness of creation has been the same from the very beginning. This is made abundantly clear through biblical types and antitypes, also referred to as typology.

What are Types?

A type can refer to an event, person, or object in the Old Testament that points to the life, death, Person, and work of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. For example, Jonah is a type of Christ in that he spent three days submerged within the darkness of the great fish that swallowed him, only for him to emerge from his watery prison three days later through the deliverance of God. See how this symbolizes Christ? Jesus Christ spent three days dead from his crucifixion, only for him to emerge from the darkness of his tomb three days later. This fulfillment, so to speak, of the Old Testament type we see in Jonah, is called the antitype. Jesus Christ emerging from the tomb is the antitype of Jonah emerging from the fish.

It is worth noting that types and antitypes do not have to specifically relate to Christ. They can pertain to other aspects of God as well, but this article is focused on types of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, let’s dive into some profound examples of types and antitypes and explore their beautiful implications.

Examples of Types

Melchizedek

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God most high, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God most high, Creator of heaven and earth, and praise be to God most high, who delivered your enemies into your hand.‘”

Genesis 14:18-20

Not much is known about the mysterious man named Melchizedek. He has only a handful of sentences dedicated to him within Genesis 14, and later authors of scripture will discuss his significance. Despite his unknown backstory and lineage, however, he is a powerful type of Christ.

He shows up after Abram rescues Lot from hostile foreign forces, introduced as the king of Salem, which would one day be Jerusalem. He is described as a “priest of God most high,” as you just read, and his name translates to “king of righteousness,” or “my king is righteousness.” This title is given to him even though he is not a Levite, who under Mosaic Law were the only ones eligible for priesthood (the Mosaic Law did not exist at the time of this passage).

All these attributes point to Christ, the antitype of Melchizedek. Consider how Melchizedek was the king of what would one day become Jerusalem; Jesus is the definitive and eternal king of Jerusalem. Melchizedek was a righteous high priest of God who was not in the line of the Levites, and Jesus is the perfect high priest of God, also not a Levite, who mediates for mankind before God, gifting us mercy, grace, and hope. Consider what the writer of Hebrews has to say about this comparison.

“If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people stablished that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come [Jesus], one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron [a Levite]?”

Hebrews 7:11

“And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears [Jesus], one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.”

Hebrews 7:15-16

Abraham, Isaac, the Mountain, and the Ram

Our next example of biblical typology comes only a handful of chapters later in Genesis 22:1-14. The story of God’s test of Abraham by commanding him to travel to a mountain and sacrifice Isaac offers multiple types of Christ; in fact, so many elements of this passage point to Christ that one might say the story itself is one big type of Jesus.

The story is too long for a direct quote, but the basic premise is this: On the way up the mountain, Isaac asks Abraham what animal they will use to sacrifice, to which Abraham simply states that the Lord will provide. Abraham later binds Isaac up, sets him on the altar, and prepares to slay his son. At the last moment, however, the angel of the Lord stops Abraham from doing so, instead directing him to sacrifice a ram caught in a nearby thicket. Grateful that he doesn’t have to sacrifice his son, Abraham names the site “The Lord will provide.”

There’s a bit to unpack here. Firstly, consider Isaac: he is a type of Christ because he is Abraham’s son, and he must be offered as a sacrifice, whereas sonship is also an integral part of Jesus’ identity, and He is the ultimate sacrifice. The ram caught in the thickets is a type of Christ in that it is slaughtered in place of Isaac, just as Jesus suffered in place of us all. This sequence of events occurs on an elevated area above the ground, a mountain, and Jesus’ crucifixion occurs on an elevated area above the ground on a hill. Finally, in this passage, Abraham states that “God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering,” and later names the sacrificial site “The Lord Will Provide.” Verse fourteen even declares that “to this day it is said ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’” Well, what happened about two thousand years after the events taking place here? The Lord did provide the lamb: he sent Jesus Christ to die for us.

The Passover Lamb

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ‘This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.'”

Exodus 12:1-7

This is perhaps one of the more sobering types of Christ, but it is nonetheless beautiful and effective. In order to save their firstborn children from the coming Angel of Death, who was on its way to kill the oldest child in each Egyptian household, the Israelites needed to slaughter a lamb and cover their doorway with its blood so death would “pass over” them.

The parallels to Jesus here are unmistakable. Think about it—the animal the Israelites had to sacrifice was a lamb. Jesus is referred to as the Lamb in scripture on numerous occasions (John 1:29, Isaiah 53:7, 1 Peter 1:19). In order to save their firstborns from death, the Israelites needed to cover their doorway with the blood of the lamb, and in order for us to be saved from eternal death, the blood of Christ must cover us. The Israelites had to eat the lamb; Christ has us partake in communion, in which the elements of bread and wine symbolize his flesh and blood respectively, to remember his body which was broken for all mankind (Luke 22:14-20).

So Why Does This Matter?

These are just three of many, many types that fill the pages of the Old Testament. They are certainly fascinating, but one may wonder why they matter. What’s the purpose of pointing these out? For one, they demonstrate centrality of Christ to the Bible. Make no mistake: the Bible, in its entirety, is about Jesus Christ the Messiah. Both testaments are built around him. The Old Testament demonstrates to us the need for Christ. It tells us of how humanity fell into sin and brokenness, the staggering weight of the Law, humanity’s need for redemption and a savior, and God’s plan to establish Israel as a nation that will offer hope and deliverance to the broken world.

The New Testament tells us about the fulfillment of God’s plan through Jesus Christ, the freedom from sin and death bestowed by his gift of salvation, the mission of the Church now that this has happened, and how we are to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible.

It’s all about Jesus. Types and antitypes of Christ also show us that God has had this plan to rescue us from the very beginning. There was never a time when he wasn’t on a mission to pull his creation out from the mire of suffering, pain, and eternal death. It was his mission when Abraham met Melchizedek. It was his mission when he provided a ram for Abraham and Isaac. It was his mission when he instructed the Israelites to cover their doorway with the blood of the Passover lamb. It was his mission when he sent his son to die for us. It has always, always been the mission of God to redeem his creation through Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, it continues to be his mission today. That is where you and I come in. It is our job today to pass on an obedient relationship with Jesus to our communities, so that we may make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. We must bring the abundance, hope, and redemption of Jesus Christ to as many as will accept it.

That is our mission.

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.‘”

Matthew 28:16-20

“My goodness, this world is beyond saving.”

“I could never have imagined things would get this bad. Jesus needs to come back already!”

“Things have never been this horrible.”

All the above statements are common sentiments shared among many Western-world Christians. Perhaps you have heard fellow brothers and sisters in Christ voice these concerns. Perhaps you have voiced them. Furthermore, you might think it’s ridiculous to entertain any viewpoint other than the one that maintains America is a little red wagon speeding out of control down a steep, steep hill.

After all, you may say, consider the reality of the situation! We live in a country that permits its citizens to terminate new life as God fearfully and wonderfully knits it together in the womb. We live in a country that, at least on a legal and widely cultural scale, has rejected God’s perfect plan for the marriage and family structure of one man and one woman together for life. We live in a country that seems to be on the slow but destructive path of centralizing government power to a select few elites who appear to be more interested in globalism than the people they are tasked with serving.

To top things off, the Pew Research Center conducted a study on the shifting Christian landscape in the United States as recently as 2019. The results? Not exactly encouraging. Sixty-five percent of US adults identified themselves as some form of Christian, a figure down twelve points from ten years ago.

However, despite the various problems currently running rampant through American society, I would strongly suggest that hope and optimism are the more appropriate (as well as necessary) outlooks for the American Christian than cynicism and pessimism. Let’s delve into why.

I will divide this exploration into two brief sections on why the American Christian should live with hope and optimism for the future: the legal perspective and the community perspective.

The Legal Perspective

Christians despair daily about the state of our politics; you need look no further than your Facebook timeline to know this is true. Now, make no mistake: government officials propose and legislate many unbiblical and sinful laws. There is no getting around that because it is the truth.

With that said, when you’re watching the national news (which is totally not designed to rile you up so you keep engaging with their content, by the way) and the totally unbiased reporter is telling you about the latest plan so-and-so has put forth in their state, or when they’re discussing the moral philosophy of the latest anti-Christian-values politician, understand that hope is far from lost.

A human with a bad political agenda is not going to defeat God’s will or take away His sovereignty. Does that mean God won’t give a nation over to its poor decisions? No, of course not—the Israelites would not have entered into Babylonian captivity if that were the case. But one must also remember that America is not one hundred percent morally bankrupt.

America is not a monolith. Every state in the United States of America enjoys a degree of sovereignty. Are they enjoying less and less sovereignty as time passes by? Yes, and that needs to be addressed. Still, in much of their policies and their government, they are independent, and they have not—as one cohesive unit—rejected Christian values. There is much reason for hope and optimism for what states may do with this freedom.

Take, for instance, the writing of Robert P George, an esteemed professor of law at Princeton University. In his article “Roe Will Go,” he discusses the latest case pending before the Supreme Court, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

This is the first case in forty-nine years exploring the constitutional right to “elective abortions.” George knows the majority of the Supreme Court Justices and has good reason to believe six of the nine will vote in favor of reversing the federal enforcement of legal abortion, citing Roe v. Wade as “grossly unfaithful to the Constitution and unjust.”

This case is set to begin on December 1, 2021. Not horribly far away, is it?

All of this, by the way, will have been made possible by decades of Americans fighting for morality and truth. They did not give up. Their labor in our democratic system has culminated in a court that is poised to strike down the evil and baseless constitutional “right” to abortion.

To tie this in with the topic of state sovereignty, this means the legality of terminating one’s pregnancy will once again be up to the states to decide. A large portion of them will certainly use this freedom to strike abortion down, clearly demonstrating that, as previously mentioned, the United States is not a monolith in uniform agreement to spurn God’s commandments. There are still many people inside and outside of government who care deeply about Christian values.

Sitting back and declaring America a hopeless case is not only incorrect, then; it is dangerous. It breeds complacency, a contentment to complain about the state of society without doing anything and “wait for Jesus to come back to judge everyone.” This is not the attitude that brought Roe v. Wade back to the Supreme Court’s attention.

The Community Perspective

It is easy, after comparing how the world is currently to how it was in the past, to conclude that we as a country, down to a minute county by county level, are utterly hostile to the Gospel message (or anything at all God-related, for that matter).

Yes, it is true that there are some individuals who want nothing to do with Christ and refuse to hear anything about Him, and indeed, Christ tells us we are to “shake the dust off [our] feet” when we leave them, pressing ever onward on mission (Matthew 10:14).

Will most people we encounter be like this, though? Will the average person in your community be totally turned off by the Gospel? The answer is a resounding no. Most people whom you take time to build a relationship with, take time to pour into and invest in, are remarkably receptive to the Gospel message. The truth is, most people feel lost, confused, desperate, tired, guilty, lonely, and—deep, deep down—empty. And Jesus Christ satisfies their longing in a profound way that nothing else comes close to.

Look at what God has done through our own Crossroads Community Church, for example. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we’ve developed outposts in Algonac, Marine City, St. Clair, Richmond, and Fort Gratiot. What are outposts? They are serving partnerships with our community that develop churches where everyday life happens. Richmond has become its own independent church organization with its own bi-weekly services, and Marine City is heading in that direction as well.

These outposts were only made possible by faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who, instead of giving up because of their bleak perception of America’s spiritual health, obediently answered Jesus’ call by proclaiming His good news to new people—new people who were receptive to what the scriptures have to say.

I can personally attest to this. The Lord led me to join the Marine City outpost about a year ago. I have witnessed the change that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has brought into the lives of those in the community. He has given them hope, peace, perseverance, purpose, and unbridled joy. At the last weekly discipleship meeting we held, a young man showed the other outpost members the prayer map he had drawn consisting of people he hoped to disciple. A woman, upon having the discipleship tool known as the bridge illustration demonstrated to her, is eager to put it into practice and is going to demonstrate it to us at a future gathering to prepare. Later this month, they and others will attend the sixth monthly Marine City Church service.

These are just two stories from one outpost.

Now What?

I write all this to say that our awesome, life-giving, purpose-instilling Father in heaven is still very much at work in America and beyond. So take heart, and do not lose hope because there is evil in the world. There is a God who saves. There is a God who redeems. Do not become complacent. Rather, strive to pass on an obedient relationship with Christ to your community. You will marvel at the change that will take place and at the impact He will have on others’ lives.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

“We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”

Hebrews 3:14