Divided But Not Separate

By Tammy Lacock

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, KJV)

In this week’s podcast, Warren Litzman emphasizes the keen distinction between the ministry of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to help us understand the “Mystery of Godliness.”

In Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God clearly makes a distinction also between our souls and our spirits, the areas in which the ministry of the Holy Spirit (in our souls) and the ministry of the Christ (in our spirits) are divided!

Warren explains that in John chapters 14 through 16, Christ defines the role of the Holy Spirit. Specifically in John 14:26, He tells us, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Christ is clear that the Holy Spirit’s role is to teach us of Christ, to renew our minds of Him. The Holy Spirit works in our souls, our minds, wills, and emotions. He not only gives us knowledge of Christ, but He also helps us understand that knowledge so we grow closer to Him.

Christ tells us here that if he doesn’t go to the Father (seated at His right hand) now, the Holy Spirit will not come. And he must come so that we will not know Him in the flesh any longer.

We must know Him in Spirit.

The Holy Spirit teaches us all things about Christ. It is only by revelation of the Holy Spirit that we come to an understanding of where Christ is and who He is.

Paul explains this revelation throughout his epistles, that Christ now lives in him, in his spirit. He makes it clear that we no longer live, Christ is our new life, our only Life. One of many examples is in Galatians 2:20 (KJV), “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

For us to know Christ in Spirit now, to know Him as our new life, our only life, we must allow the Holy Spirit to teach us this new knowledge (as he did with Paul) and allow Him to give us understanding of this knowledge. This is where we begin to understand in our own lives the “Mystery of Godliness” as Warren puts it.

The “Mystery of Godliness” is revealed to us at our level of understanding. The understanding by the Holy Spirit, that Christ now abides in us and we in Him (John 15:4), produces a spontaneous living in our lives. We begin to understand that Christ‘s ministry of salvation is to abide in our spirits, joined to Him in one Spirit. And yet Christ is also seated at the Right Hand of the Father, a mystery that we may never comprehend while we are here in our bodies.

Warren helps us understand that although we must see the distinction of Christ’s work and the work of the Holy Spirit, they are not separate. They are always in agreement and work hand in hand because they are both parts of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit reveals to us Christ and all things Christ. As we grow in our understanding of who He is now in us in Spirit, we begin to live lives where Christ comes through us spontaneously.

As believers, we are not separated now from Christ. We are one in Him. In fact, Christ in us is who God sees now. He no longer sees us by what we do or don’t do in our bodies. He no longer sees our lives, He sees Christ. From the moment we believe, by God’s Grace, we stand righteous before Him because our new life is Christ. Our old lives have been “crucified with Christ, and we no longer live.” Christ is our only life.

As we grow up in Him, the Holy Spirit will reveal more of Him to us in our minds (our soul area), giving us even more of an understanding of who we are now: bona fide children of God!

Joined to Christ in one Spirit!