The Spirit - Immutable

John 16:1,7-10 (ESV) ¹“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. ⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

I love God. I LOVE God. I love all of His attributes. I love all of His characteristics. I love that He exists in three persons. I love the sound of His voice. I love His church. I love His creation. I love what He loves.

Yet, what I love most about Him is found in the Holy Spirit in an obscure presentation of who He is. I want you all to meditate on the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When we study Scripture we find stunning poetry! We find personifications and hyperboles. We find amazing stories of Christ from cover to cover. So, it is really REALLY weird for me to try to ask you to think on a saying that is so cliché to us. Something you might hear your grandpa say to you on “how he used to do it back in the day.”

Yet, this is so true about God as well. Apply that statement to Him. He cannot be broken. He doesn’t need fixing. He exists as He always have since before Creation. Are you tracking with me on this?! God’s ways…they are not our ways. They are perfect. They are pure. They are exact. They do not need to change. So too, He does not need to change.

The attribute of Immutability, in that one is completely unchanging forever, applies to the Holy Spirit so directly! Remember what the Spirit exists to do…to confront the sin in our hearts…to guide people towards a path that is righteous and godly…and to give us gifts with which to serve God’s Kingdom! When you read through the entirety of Scripture, you see this time and time and time again! His ways never change because they don’t need to!

The Spirit convicted people the same way since Creation. The Spirit moved the same way since Creation. The Spirit caused miracles the same way since Creation. The Spirit has spoken to people the same way since Creation. He chose me the same way that He chose Abraham! The same way that He chose Moses or David!

He doesn’t need to change! Look at the Scripture above. It may seem that what I am saying is contradicting the words of Christ! I am convinced that is not the case. The Spirit has always been here. Yet, until Christ’s atonement, the Spirit has never lived within us. He still operated as He saw fit! He still moved to fulfill the will of the Father in unity with God. He still changed hearts and convicted!

Do you know why this is my favorite thing about God as a whole? Let me tell you…it is because it shows me bluntly, that no one person is better than any other. We all NEED God in the same ways. I have found myself looking back and saying, “I wish I had the obedience of Abraham and the courage of David. I wish I could be like Moses or Isaiah!” I have put men on a pedestal. That is sin ironically! It is so wonderful and comforting to know that God has always been as He has always been. He doesn’t need to change as the world changes or as people change. He loves His creation the same as He did before He even created us!

The Holy Spirit, before I was ever created, already was meant for me and desired me…and I can think of nothing more humbling.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!!