#48: What is the Relation of the Spirit of God to His Flesh and Blood?

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<li> Email: [email protected]</li>

<li> https://apostolicinternational.com/ </li>

<li> Statement of beliefs: https://apostolicinternational.com/statement-of-beliefs </li>

<li> The sermon: https://apostolicinternational.com/sermons/WHAT_IS_THE_RELATION_OF_THE_SPIRIT_OF_GOD_TO_HIS_FLESH_AND_BLOOD.pdf 

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This sermon explores the relationship between the Spirit of God and His flesh and blood. It begins by establishing that God, being spirit, cannot be made into anything. As stated in John 1:14, his word was made flesh. This distinction is crucial because God's essence is eternal and immutable, as affirmed in Malachi 3:6.

The explanation delves into the scripture in 1 Timothy 6:16 which speaks of Jesus having immortality. How can Jesus have immortality when he died on the Cross? The answer is that when we say “Jesus”, we are speaking about the Spirit in the flesh. Hence Jesus has immortality in his Spirit, but not in the flesh. This interpretation is supported by passages such as Romans 8:11, which speaks of the Spirit of God raising Jesus from the dead. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the mortal flesh and the immortal Spirit of Jesus.

The discourse warns against ancient heresies such as Marcionism and Docetism, which denied the reality of Jesus' physical body and his suffering and death. It underscores the biblical teaching that Jesus was genuinely man, with a corporeal body subject to suffering and death. The rejection of these heretical views is grounded in the biblical accounts of Jesus' physical resurrection and His post-resurrection appearances to His disciples (Luke 24:39).

Furthermore, the sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between the flesh and blood of Jesus and the Spirit of God. It refutes the notion of "spirit flesh" and asserts that Jesus truly died on the cross. It highlights the necessity of the Holy Spirit for spiritual life, even after baptism. The text emphasizes the vital role of the Spirit in giving life, contrasting it with the limitations of the flesh. Ultimately, it warns against reducing the Spirit of God to the flesh and blood of God alone, and the flesh and blood of God to the Spirit of God alone – as that would be a heresy.

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