Holy Ghost is the third person of the God head and he is God’s mark or stamp of ownership upon the new creation. At the new birth, God deposits in our spirit the first instalment of our inheritance — the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, a divine personality who comes and makes his home in us forever.
Hebrew 8:6 says, But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
You see, the new covenant, which is covenant that we have, is a better covenant and it is established upon better promises, because it provides three relations that God sustains towards the new creation.
First, God is for us; second, God is with us; third, God is in us.
In the old covenant, God was with Israel, and was for Israel but was not in Israel; because in the old covenant, God’s presence was kept enclosed in the Holy of Holies made with hand and no man dared approach the Holy of Holies except the High Priest. If anyone else went near the Holy of Holies, he/she was slain.
It was required that every male in all of Israel present himself at least once a year in Jerusalem, because that was where God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies.
The High Priest, who was the official mediator between God and Israel, was designated by God to offer sacrifices and make atonement for his sins and that of the people. The High Priest went into the Holy of Holies on the day of atonement, covered in blood to atone for his sins and the sins of the people.
While Jesus was hanging on the cross and about to give up the ghost, he said, it is finished: When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (John 19:30).
Contrary to religious beliefs, the phrase “it is finished” was not in reference to the new covenant, but to the old covenant under which the presence God dwelth in the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem.
You see, the new covenant did not come into effect until Jesus was raised from the dead, ascended on High into the Heavenly Holy of Holies with his own blood and obtained eternal redemption for humanity… when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Also Hebrew 10:12 declares, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God”.
Once Jesus obtained eternal redemption for us as cited above, then (and only then) were the new covenant consummated and ratified.
However, we understand that once Jesus pronounced the word it is finished — the curtain that partitioned the Holy of Holies, which was 40ft wide, 20ft long and four inches thick, was rent in twain or torn into two from top to bottom. The import of this tearing was to show that the old covenant was finished and God’s presence would no longer be kept shut up in man-made Holy of Holies.
Now, God lives and dwells in us through the power of the Holy Ghost. Mark 9:23 says If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
When we believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, God comes and takes up residence in our spirit through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We understand that with God all things are possible, and since “God with whom all things are possible now live us,” all thing becomes possible to us.
1 John 4:4 says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. The one who is the world is the adversary, Satan, also known as the God of this world (2 Corinthian 4:4). But the one that is in us — the Holy Spirit — is greater. God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
All that God could possibly be to us and do for us, the Holy Ghost — through the indwelling presence — is to us.
Romans 8:31 says, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Someone can be with you and not for you: Jesus alluded to this sort of relations, saying these people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me (Mathews 15:18).
Judas was with Jesus, but because of the love of money, he was not for Jesus. Thus, he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (30 silver coins) (Mathew 26:15).
God be for us infers God being on our side and because God is on our side, no one can be against us.
However, note that you are not in an unfamiliar territory when people out of jealousy plot, scheme and conspire against you. Acts 7:9 says, Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him.
Speaking of Joseph’s ordeal, Moses, in Genesis 39: 21, affirms: the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
And… The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Genesis 39:23).
However, prior to this prison experience, Joseph had been sold by his brother and Potiphar, the captain of the palace guards, bought him as a household slave.
The Scripture says The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
Potiphar recognized that God was with Joseph, that he had the Midas touch, and everything he touched turned to Gold. So put him in charge of everything he had.
And everything Potiphar had became Gold. Genesis 38:5 says, From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.
You see, every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything things is God (Hebrews 3:5).
Potiphar was one smart dude. I wish we would have many men with Potiphar’s attitude in the body of Christ — men who would recognize special abilities and gifts in others and encourage and nurse it, rather than become jealous and attempt to kill it.
Though Joseph was running the show, Potiphar was the one who got the glory. Joseph became a successful man because God was with him and his boss benefited.
“God with” equals success or prosperity. “God in” equals indestructibility, and “God for” equals victory.
By Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe(Ps)
