How I Used Truth - Lesson 5 - Annotation 4
What is the Holy Spirit? What is the relation of the Holy Spirit to the Father, and to the Son, or the Christ?
4. The Holy Spirit is "the whole Spirit of God in action" (Jesus Christ Heals 182), in movement throughout all creation. The Holy Spirit is the Breath of God moving life, substance, and intelligence into and through man and all creation. It is the "all-sufficiency in all things" as far as creation (including man) is concerned. In Lessons in Truth, page 124, the Holy Spirit is defined very simply as, "God in movement" (Emilie Cady Lessons In Truth 11:24). (See the Annotations for Lesson Eleven, Lessons in Truth, which cover this subject extensively. It is important, however, that some of the information be repeated in this Annotation.)
The Holy Spirit is the activity of God as the Comforter, the Guide, the Protector, the Reminder, the Revealer, the Inspirer, the Helper, the Spirit of Truth. It can also be termed the whole substance of God in motion, supplying each and every part of His creation with whatever is needed for unfoldment and fulfillment.
There is but one God, with three phases of expression. Thus we see the Holy Spirit phase of God related to the Father and to the Son as follows:
The Father is Divine Mind, the reservoir or storehouse, holding all that God is, as Absolute Good, in the form of ideas. The Holy Spirit is the "action phase" of God's nature that allows the expression of these ideas, their unfolding throughout every form of creation, including man. The Father is the Creator, and the Holy Spirit is the activity that allows creation to express and manifest.
Next we consider God the Son. The Father or Divine Mind "moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:2) and this moving is that phase of His being that we term the Holy Spirit. With this movement comes forth the divine patterns for all creation; these patterns are what we call "divine ideas." The one Idea, containing all ideas, is termed the "Son," created in the image and after the likeness of God the Father. At first the Son is just the image-likeness, or blueprint, of God's nature of Absolute Good. Here we see another relation between the Holy Spirit and the Son; the Son remains only an idea until the "whole Spirit of God" moves into action. This moving is the Holy Spirit working through the Son to express the whole God nature. The Son is also called the "Word of God and Charles Fillmore has reiterated in his writings the statement appearing on page 68 of Talks on Truth, "This is exactly what the Word is -- the working power of God" (TT-68). Yet the Word cannot "work" until the Holy Spirit moves through it, provides the plan and the impetus. Without the action of that phase of God's nature which we call the Holy Spirit, there is only the God Idea of spiritual man. When the Holy Spirit moves into action the Idea becomes the Word in action and can begin its work of expressing the whole nature of God.
Just as we have a threefold nature -- spirit, soul, body -- with each phase closely related in being and in activity, so God's nature is one, with three phases of activity which we call the Holy Trinity, or the Godhead. If we understand the relation of one phase to the whole, it is easier for us to understand the relation of the phases to each other. The idea of God in three phases of activity does not exclude the idea of oneness any more than consideration of our threefold nature -- spirit, soul, body -- excludes the understanding of ourselves as a unit.
God as Mind produced not only the ideas of creation, but the idea of spiritual man. Until that part of God's Being which we term the Holy Spirit moved the ideas of creation (including spiritual man) into action, there was no manifest creation, only the blueprint or ideal creation.
But God did not leave His creation. God is not separate from it; He is in it. God-life, substance, intelligence, power and so forth are even now in creation to sustain and maintain every atom. In man we call this inspiring, sustaining, maintaining, breathing of God's nature the Holy Spirit. God as Spirit enlivens and enlightens all creation according to the level of consciousness in each species. In man, however, we believe that the "whole Spirit of God" moves into action. This action is limited only by man's inability to allow it full expression, for in reality there can be no limitation of God.
When we consider the three phases of the nature of God in the simple metaphysical terms of Mind, Idea, and Expression, we see that this trinity is necessary in order that a manifestation may come forth. The words of Paul (in Col. 2:9) take on deeper significance, and we see why he could say of Jesus, "in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Jesus (as the Son) allowed the full and free expression of Divine Mind through Himself by the action of the Holy Spirit. With such an understanding we are no longer puzzled as to why Jesus could be called "the Word . . . made flesh" (John 1:14, A.V.) In Jesus Christ we see the relation between the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son being expressed and manifested in divine order.
The following quotation from Talks on Truth, page 134, gives a further explanation in as simple words as possible for such a deep subject:
"The early disciples knew the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. The Father is always first, the Son second, and the Holy Spirit third. The terms Father and Son express an eternal, reciprocal relation. The (Holy) Spirit is the infinite 'breath' of God, as the Son is His infinite 'Word.' . . .
"The Father is Principle. The Son is Principle revealed in a creative plan. The Holy Spirit is the executive power of both Father and Son, carrying out the creative plan" (Talks on Truth 134).
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Preceding Entry: What is divine substance, and what is its relation to manifest objects?
Following Entry: Explain how God is the supply and the supplier for all creation.
