Short-Post-Friday - The Holy Spirit

 Thinking. What is thinking? Do you think? Most people, according to some experts, rarely think. What we call 'thinking' is usually just organizing pre-packaged ideas, or rearranging suppositions to reconcile a disconnect that confronts us.

That is not REALLY thinking in a classical sense.

If you consider the phrase "the great thinkers of the 19th century", you will most likely, and rightly assume I'm referring to philosophers, physicists and mathematicians. These fields represent classical thinking. Thinking doesn't as much deal with suppositions as it does with exploration of what constitutes suppositions; the principle parts of a matter.

There's a major lack, in my opinion, of real thinking in modern religion. There's a conservative nature to modern religion that holds the unspoken belief that all knowledge has been achieved prior to our existence and that the proper way to live is to maintain it. In the movie Around the World in Eighty Days with Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan, there's a humorous line from the head of the royal department of science that goes something like, 'man, this is the 1800s! Everything that can be invented HAS BEEN invented!". Religion actually believes a version of that reasoning.

Very few religious people ever sit down and ponder the reasons for their beliefs. The modern religious person assumes that because many other people assume the same concept that it must be true. 

What does that have to do with The Holy Spirit? Well, for starters the Holy Spirit is a 'thinking aide'.. Whether a person or a power (that's another topic), It's attributes are laid out in scripture. The Holy Spirit is called 'THE HELPER", and It's job is to 1. Lead us into Truth, and 2. Remind us of the words of Jesus. (John 14) 

I will say this first, and then explain it. The Holy Spirit is of no use to you if you do not practice thinking.

1. The Holy Spirit is 'the helper' not the main participant. It's there to help YOU not the other way around, you have to be doing something in order to receive 'help'. If you are not thinking, you cannot be helped to think.

2. You cannot be led to truth if you are not moving in search of truth. The Holy Spirit is not described as PULLING you into truth it's leading you to where it will be found.

3. Being reminded of Jesus' words is of no value without context. Salvation is not achieved or received or found just by reciting magic words. The words of Jesus are of value because of their application not because of their phonetical beauty. If you are not thinking, then the words of Jesus do not help you.

There's a reason that there's only one sin mentioned in the Bible that you cannot be forgiven of; that is, blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy is a broad concept, but it all comes down to, belittling, denying, rejecting, giving false report of, and causing others to ignore. The reason it is unforgivable is that, if you cannot think, that is to actually consider the principle parts of a matter, then you are unable to repent and change. You CANNOT REPENT if you cannot think. 

If you assume that the Truth is to be found in (a),(specific) man's writings, you are not exercising the Holy Spirit because you are not thinking, you are only assuming.

In a just a few hours many people in Judaism and Christendom will be commemorating the coming down of the Holy Spirit, if you are one of those, it would be of great personal value to consider whether or not you actually use it. 

Remember the Life of Christ, He did not come to validate organized religion, He came to save mankind in spite of organized religion. His words were not magic spells that save those that remember them, they were deep transcendent concepts that challenged the assumptions and suppositions of His time. He didn't send the Holy Spirit to save us, He sent the Holy Spirit to HELP us.