Olson begins chapter two identifying who the holy spirit is. “one thing that can definitely be said is that the holy spirit is not an ‘it’. the holy spirit is a person [italics added]. . . . is the holy spirit truly divine? scripture reveals to us that the holy spirit is god and it does so in abundance.”

“. . . when jesus was with his disciples at the last supper shortly before he went to the cross,” it is recorded in john 14:15-17 that he said, "“if you love me, keep my commandments. i will pray to the father, and he will give you another counselor, that he may be with you forever: the spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive, for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you [bold type added].”

i begin posting an excerpt from the introduction in Olson’s book:

“. . . the holy spirit sets us apart, regenerates our [human] spirit, and opens the door to a deep relationship with god. through sanctification, the spirit guides our transformation into a new creation and nurtures our spiritual life so it may grow and flourish.”

as we proceed through the following blogs, we shall gain a deeper understanding of the truths related in the above post.

The book to which i am referring is by don c. olson, ph.d. it is entitled the holy spirit: who he is and how he works in our lives. the subtitle summarizes the book’s contents very accurately. it is a book that i recommend to those who wish to learn more about the holy spirit, so often neglected in the christian church. soon i shall be posting excerpts from the book as blogs.

all credit will be given to its author, “a scientist who came to the christian faith later in life, wrestling with questions yet seeking deeper understanding. [he is] someone who stands in awe of the spirit’s work.” (comments by steve cochran on book cover)

i am finishing an excellent book by a fellow christian apologist who addresses practical aspects of the Holy spirit. i shall be posting excerpts from that book that will complement my blogs dealing with the holy spirit.

I cite Dembski:

“More generally, in any inquiry, scientific or otherwise, if we are trying to understand an information transfer, the first thing we witness is an information relationship, and only then are we in a position to uncover how energy might have given rise to that relationship. Some form of energy must presumably be involved - we are supposing that information transfers require energy transfers (though not necessarily material energy transfers). Moreover, if the energy can’t be material, then it must be nonmaterial.”

In my studies and writings I have relied significantly upon the work of William A. Dembski. I am sharing his comments that consider how God, who is immaterial and Spirit, interacts with the material world, including the human brain. Quantum mechanics gives nondeterminism to the universe which characterizes it as being informationally open and accommodating free will. Here is Dembski’s informative quote taken from my book, The Boundless Love of God: A Holy Spirit Story:

“. . . such [an open] universe will produce . . . patterns of events that stand out against the backdrop of randomness. . . . Such patterns [intended by God] could reasonably be interpreted as constituting novel information inputted from outside the system . . . in a nondeterministic universe, diving action could impart information into matter [e.g. a neural synaptic network] without violating any physical laws by which matter operates . . . A deity capable of co-opting randomness would impart information by arranging outcomes [with small probabilities and specification], but do so by channeling the material energy in ways that violate no principle governing matter. If divine action takes this form, the problem of finding the missing material energy by which God introduces novel information into the world simply does not arise. . . . information is then being transferred without any transfer of material energy. . . . Quantum mechanics . . . offers such a picture of the universe, allowing God free play at the quantum level. . . . In a world of irreducibly chance or random events [integral to the neural synapse], as some interpretations of quantum theory allow, [the Mind of] God can channel such events [and communications] toward preordained ends.”

Since the mind of Man is created in the image of the Mind of God, the postulate that Dembski shares reasonably applies to the immaterial mind of Man which can also channel communications of encoded information toward preordained ends with meaning and purpose.

I cite Alvin Plantinga in my second book who also addresses the openness of the universe to novel information. Here are my comments:

Plantinga states that classical science does not claim that the universe is causally closed. His statements are consistent with special divine action in the world. Just as God, who is immaterial and Spirit, can act in the physical universe, so too can the immaterial minds of human beings. There is no objection to special divine action or for human free action, dualistically conceived. Plantinga goes further to state that the indeterminism of quantum mechanics offers even less of a problem for divine action than classical science. “. . . special divine action . . . is by no means incompatible with quantum mechanics . . . because . . . quantum mechanics doesn’t determine a specific outcome for a given set of initial conditions, but instead merely assigns probabilities to the possible outcomes.” Plantinga states further, “Perhaps He is also very much a hands on God, constantly active in history, leading, guiding, persuading and redeeming His people, blessing them with ‘the internal Witness of the Holy Spirit’ (Calvin) or ‘the Internal instigation of the Holy Spirit’ (Acquinas) and conferring upon them the gift of faith.”

I close the blog posts taken from T. W. Hunt’s book with his discussion of the Kingdom of God within us:

“The individual with the kingdom within [indwelling] is blessed of God. The kingdom within blesses because it is the source of a deep and undisturbable happiness. The blessing has two main expressions.

“The first is peace. . . . the mind of Christ is an integrated mind, where every factor and facet work together instead of against each other. All parts of the mind are in harmony with one another. Because of that, outer conflict cannot penetrate the peace that makes up that harmony.

“This peace is both a gift and a discipline. The gift is the Holy Spirit’s blessing on the integrated mind. The discipline is that self-control that will not allow foreign thoughts to disquiet the processes of thought. . . . Peace is the birthright of the believer and the fruit of the Spirit.

“The second aspect of the blessing is joy. The highest joy that the redeemed individual can know is ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 13:14). Joy is also a gift and a discipline. This gift also is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The discipline is abiding in Christ. After talking about abiding, He said, ‘These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full’ (John 15:11). We are to abide in Him to have the joy.”

Yes, Satan can still tempt, as Hunt points out, but we can resist him with the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit manifested through our will, our choice. I highly recommend Hunt’s book, The Mind of Christ: The Transforming Power of Thinking His Thoughts.

Ryrie addresses the means of regeneration:

“The Scriptures clearly teach that regeneration is the act of God. Direct statements show this (John 1:13) as well as statements that link regeneration to spiritual resurrection - an act which God alone can accomplish (John 5:21-24; Romans 6:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17). . . . it is the work of the Holy Spirit of God (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5). . . . the means of regeneration is the Spirit’s effecting the new birth in those who believe in Christ.”

As I have shared in my books and blogs the sin sacrifice of Jesus Christ provided for the restoration of a permanent indwelling of the human spirit by the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent upon His resurrection. Recipients of this blessing are repentant believers. I have addressed the dualist interaction that characterizes this two-way communion through God’s created synaptic networks in our time. In this connection the Bible and neuroscience, properly interpreted, are in concordance. Ryrie states further, “. . . the actual event of being born again happens instantaneously. . . . people do not birth themselves, but that they are birthed by Someone Else, the Holy Spirit.”

Ryrie cites Romans 8:11:

“Romans 8:11 reads: ‘But if the Spirit of Him [God] who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.’ . . . The Holy Spirit’s indwelling of the believer is a guarantee of the believer’s future resurrection.”