Friday, January 30, 2009

The Holy Spirit was always my favorite member of the Trinity

"The communion between Christ and believers, while it is so intimate and unbreakable that it can scarcely be expressed in words and can only be somewhat made clear by images (such as head and body, vine and branch, bridegroom and bride), it is still not a pantheistic mingling or identification, no transference of substance, no consubstantial oneness like that of the three persons in the Trinity, nor a personal union like that of the two natures in Christ.  Christ and believers remain distinct.  Their personalities are maintained.  The mystical union is a union of persons, not only in will and disposition but also in being and nature.  
This communion is brought about by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in Christ as the head and in believers as his members...Only the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, can so unite people with Christ that they share in his person and benefits and cannot be separated form him by death or the grave, by the world or by Satan (577)."

Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation (vol. 4)

I love this stuff now.  But I love it knowing that a lot of people think theology like this is lame.  But I think its truth make any lameness worth it.  (This is referencing the argument post below).

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