The Majestic God - The Wonderful God
The LOVE Of God - The Triune Nature Of God
How Did He Do That?
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Genesis 1:1
One of the words that God uses to describe Himself, is “wonderful.” This description refers to the fact that God is “full of wonder.” In other words, He is hard to understand! The first verse in the Bible makes that clear. The Hebrew word for “God” in Genesis 1:1, is “Elohim,” which refers to two parts of God’s identity: His triune nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the supreme majesty that He holds because of who He is. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit were equal participants in the creation of the heavens and the earth. How does this work? The truth of the matter is, it’s impossible to fully understand. That’s what makes God who He is. He is the Three-In-One-Supremely-Majestic-Creator. We’re just part of His work…
Meant For Good
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; [but] God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as [it is] this day, to save many people alive.”
- Genesis 50:20
The Bible teaches that “love” does not intend harm upon others. The Bible also teaches that God is “love.” Therefore, though bad things happen in life, God does not intend to cause harm by them. God is able to take the evil circumstances of life, and somehow use them for His good purposes, bringing about a quality of life that is unattainable otherwise. How does God bring good out of evil? That is part of His nature as “wonderful.” The Father shows who He is through the manifestation of His identity as the Son. His Spirit shows these qualities in our lives so that His goodness can destroy the works of evil, which is the means by which we are able to escape hell. God shows Himself to us through our hardships, to prove He is can save us from death and the condemnation of our souls.
By The Spirit Of God...
“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all [manner of] workmanship…”
- Exodus 31:3
The mind of God is referred to as “the Father.” His purposes are physically fulfilled exclusively by “the Son.” However, much of God’s work happens through us as people too. How then does God use people, who are contrary to His nature, to do His work? He fills people with His Spirit to live according to His likeness and purposes. When God told His people to build Him a tabernacle, He called on inexperienced and unable people. However, God revealed His power by somehow implanting His wisdom and ability into people. Those people were then equipped to do that which God wanted. This is the way we as people, are able to obey God’s commands – by God really doing the work Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
God Dwelling On Earth?
“And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!”
- 1 Kings 8:26-27
When King Solomon finished building the first temple in Jerusalem, he knew what it was for, but marveled at that purpose. Would the Creator of all things somehow dwell with the people in that building? How could a God of such great power and holiness take a form to dwell in this world with us? Why would He even want to? This was difficult to understand for Solomon. Still, the glory of the LORD filled the temple by a dark cloud, and when the people saw it, they were terrified! Since then, God has taken a different form from a dark cloud – flesh and blood. He came as Jesus to dwell with His people to save souls from hell, through the revelation of His glory. This work of God seems impossible. This work is hard to understand. People still wonder why God would want to do this. But God has done various miracles to connect with His people throughout history. The changed lives that He produces when He makes those connections, proves that His Word is true, even if we can’t understand how He does what He does.
Righteous Love
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
- Psalm 45:7
The righteousness of God is hard to understand. God knows this. That’s why He took the form of flesh to show us what true righteousness looks like. He exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to show us what “right” really is. By God revealing His righteousness through His Anointed – Jesus Christ - we are able to see the problems that really exist in our lives that are sufficient to send us to hell. We are able to see the way of escape too! It might be hard to understand how God did this, but He showed Himself to be right, so that we could see what is really wrong with us, and receive His solution. Now that’s love!
Intimate Love
He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
- Psalm 57:3
God is above all things as the Holy Creator of the universe. That doesn’t mean He is distant. God saw and understood the problem of sin. He could have addressed it from a distance, but He didn’t. True love is an intimate connection. God is love, and proved it by coming into the world to deal with the spiritual issues that plague us. He saw the things from heaven, but came into the world. This way, He was able to address the things that swallow us up, by physically sharing mercy and truth in Jesus. God’s love is not expressed through the distance between heaven and earth. God dwelt among us, so that He could dwell within us as LOVE. The work that the LORD did, coming in the form of flesh to save us from the corruption of our depravity, and the eternal consequences of it, is His distribution of mercy, and the truth of His character. The collective testimony of all these things… THAT’s the Biblical definition of LOVE.
One Gift Equips Another
You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, even [from] the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell [there].
- Psalm 68:18
God desires to dwell with His people. This is hard to understand. From His perspective (the right and true perspective), He is eternally perfect, holy, glorious, and great. We on the other hand are finite, corrupt, and profane. Why would God want to dwell with people like us? Still, the Bible shows that God, not only has that desire, but changed His form, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to dwell with us. He descended to earth, and then to Hades when He died. He later ascended from the grave, and then to heaven to the right hand of the Father, in front of eyewitnesses, proving His majesty. He did all this in order to save us from corruption, so that the worthless things we do for Him now, will one day be worthy of His glory. If not for His gift first, our gifts to Him are offensive to Him. Since He’s given us His gift, we’re able to serve Him and please Him in that service!
Escaping Death
Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise [and] praise You? Selah.
- Psalm 88:10
The Bible testifies of several instances in which God bodily raised someone from the dead, in both the Old and New Testaments. Most importantly, God took the form of flesh to die for the sin of the world, in order that we could be rescued from our offense against Him. He proved His death to be supremely valuable by raising HIMSELF from the dead. When Jesus did this, He proved that He is God and the TRUE Author of life. Will God really raise up the dead? It’s hard to understand – full of wonder – yet the resurrection is documented in the Bible as true. The testimony of Jesus’ resurrection is documented historical narrative, not a mere “story” or tall tale. So, the answer to the question of Psalm 88:10 is clear. Yes, God WILL work wonders for the dead by giving eternal life; and clearly, Jesus is the only One qualified to fulfill that promise. Is there a greater love than God’s? Not only did He take the form of flesh to die for our sake, but then He raised from the dead to show those who believe that He CAN work wonders for the dead, keeping His promise to give eternal life. Who else loves like that?
A Sign From God
Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! [Is it] a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
- Isaiah 7:13-14
What is the proof that God will fulfill His promises? What is the proof that God will take care of His people? What is the proof that eternal life is real? What is the proof that God is really willing to forgive ALL of our offenses against Him? What is the proof that God is who He said He is? He gave us a sign. He gave us tangible, observable, historically documented proof. According to the prophetic promise of Isaiah 7:13-14, the virgin birth of Jesus is proof of God’s identity, purpose, and promise. Jesus is God in flesh, which was proven true through the miraculous nature of His arrival. The virgin birth is difficult to understand, but God dwelt on this earth to show us exactly who He is, and what He’s all about. That’s pretty compelling evidence of perfect integrity!
Hard To Understand
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Isaiah 9:6
God taught that He would be called various things; but the first name He listed in Isaiah 9:6 was “Wonderful.” This means that God is full of wonder, or better yet, “difficult to understand.” God said that He would be born as a child. Previously, God promised to be born by a virgin woman. The prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 also states that, when born, He would be adopted. The phrase “unto us a Son is given,” is an idiom referring to adoption. Then, after all is said and done, He would carry the world government on His shoulders. How does that happen? God took the form of flesh, born by Mary, given unto adoption through Joseph, and named Yeshua. We call Him Jesus. His true identity was “the Mighty God,” infinitely filled with the Holy Spirit. The people around Jesus called Him “Rabbi” or “Teacher,” fulfilling the role of Counselor. Then, He proved His everlasting nature through His death and resurrection. In this manner, Jesus is the sole administrator of peace, offering forgiveness towards our offenses against the Father. Can anyone fully understand such a quality of love as this?
Boots On The Ground
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
- Isaiah 40:3
God is Spirit in nature. Yet, the foundation of all of God’s promises rests in this one promise: that He would come into this world as a man, to do work that no human being could ever do. This is hard to understand. How does the One True Living God enter the womb of a woman to be born? How does the Spirit of God exist in a human body? How was God in heaven as the Father, and on earth as the Son at once, fulfilling pre-determined purposes all at once? As hard as this is to get, it is foundational to all other promises. He swore to come here to show His love through the destruction of sin. He proved His arrival through the proclamations of a forerunner, and indeed one came in the wilderness to announce the arrival of God in flesh – Elohim – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Oneness
For your Maker [is] your husband, The LORD of hosts [is] His name; and your Redeemer [is] the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
- Isaiah 54:5
The Bible explains that when a man marries a woman, spiritually speaking, the husband and wife are made “one” in the eyes of God. This is a big deal to consider when God compares Himself to our “husband” as the Creator. He is not just our “Maker,” but desires to be “one” with His creation – like a husband to a wife. God’s desire is to have an intimate relationship with His people so that we share in all of His goodness and attributes. Though He is FAR above His creation, He manifests Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to connect with us; and fulfill His desire to embrace us by conforming us into His image through redemption. This requires us to forsake our natural condition, so that we can be made “one” with Him. He is THE GOD of the universe, and LORD of armies, and yet also wants to be “one” with those who are His. Woah!
Shining With Glory
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice [was] like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.
- Ezekiel 43:2
The glory of God has appeared to people in the form of a cloud, fire, loud noises, rainbows, earthquakes and many other supernatural events. The world hasn’t seen anything yet! The glory of God will come again. He has taken the form of flesh in the past to forgive sins. Next, He will return to judge sinners that refuse His offer of forgiveness. He will come back in that same flesh that was raised in glory, in order to express the FULL magnitude of His majesty as ELOHIM. How does light shine from a human body? We’ll have to wait and see, but since this is the manner in which God will fulfill His eternal promises, rest assured that God WILL prove just how wonderful He is – VERY soon!
The Ultimate Stain Remover
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.
- Joel 2:26
There are some stains that are simply impossible to remove. Depending on what causes the stain and how long the stain has existed, some stains leave a permanent mark, totally ruining many things. If this is true for certain spills, accidents, and tragedies, how much more concerning sin? Sin leaves a mark every time it’s committed, and scripture teaches that a righteous man falls seven times a day, best-case scenario! That’s one heck of a stain that God sees on the souls of all people. It’s no wonder we’re all so offensive to Him. Yet, God promised a solution. God promised to satisfy His people, which means that the stain that sin causes, and the shame that comes with it, must be removed. How can we be truly satisfied, and without shame in the eyes of God, unless God deals with sin on our behalf? THIS is true love - God revealed Himself in flesh to remove the incredible stain of sin from our souls, so that we can stand before Him clean, without shame, and satisfied. It’s hard to understand why God would do such a thing for us, and it’s hard to understand how He does it all. The difficulty we have in understanding any of this, doesn’t keep it all from being true. Praise the LORD!
The Joy Of The LORD
The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet [you] with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
- Zephaniah 3:17
What pleases God? According to the Bible, we as His people please Him – when we have faith in the Word of His testimony! Still, God rejoices over us! This is difficult to understand. The Bible says that none are righteous. The Bible says that together, we have all become unprofitable. The Bible says our righteousness is like filthy rags from God’s perspective. Our sinful nature is offensive to God. Why would He rejoice over us? This is the extent of God’s love: He revealed Himself in flesh to forgive our offenses, and impart His Spirit, in order to conform us into His image. He saves us from ourselves, in order to make us like Him. He doesn’t rejoice over the people we are today, but instead, He rejoices over us because of the One He will make us like in the end… Jesus!
God Calls His Shots
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us.”
- Matthew 1:23
The birth and circumstances of Jesus were proclaimed through Bible prophecy nearly seven hundred years before they happened. God explained that the birth, and circumstances of Jesus’ birth would be a sign to prove the integrity of His purposes and promises. If God said He would give a sign to prove His love for His people, what does the manifestation and fulfillment of the sign mean? God truly loves His people! God said He would work an obvious miracle to prove His integrity to fulfill His covenants. When Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born from a virgin woman like the Father promised, He proved His ability and willingness to fulfill every other facet of His Word also. God, and His Word, has ALL the integrity in the world! This means that, His love is not circumstantial or conditional. His love is hard to understand, but is undeniably tangible, because He became undeniably tangible in flesh. The Father proclaimed it. The Spirit enabled it. Jesus fulfilled it. How much should we trust, and depend on the One who calls His shots like this?
Blessed!
“Blessed [is] the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people…”
- Luke 1:68
The Bible teaches that “love” is the work that God did to reveal Himself as Jesus – the Son of God and Messiah – in order to offer salvation to those who believe. God expressed love by “visiting” His people to “redeem” them from sin, death, and hell. If we believe this as true, then we are beneficiaries of God’s character, nature, eternal purposes and promises. Looking at the testimony of Jesus as it is written in scripture, we see that He is eternal. He is good. He is righteous. He is glorious. Jesus is truly “blessed.” Our benefit, is to share in the “blessing” that makes up Jesus’ nature. Is there a greater love than this?
Unique Oneness
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared [Him].
- John 1:18
As Christians, we walk by faith, not by sight. This doesn’t mean that our faith is blind. True, no one has seen God at any time, but that refers God the Father. Thankfully, God has revealed Himself both as Son and Holy Spirit to make Himself known to us in other ways. Jesus is God in flesh. What we see of Him in scripture, is equal to that which we would see as the Father. The phrase “only begotten Son,” means that Jesus is unique in this sense. He’s the only physical version of God that exists. Jesus alone dwells intimately “in the bosom” of the Father, referring to their “oneness.” So, while we walk by faith in the promises of the Father, we can confidently look to the Son to know the true love of God, and the guarantee of those promises.
The LOVE of God
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
- John 3:16
What is love really? According to John 3:16, love is the revelation of Jesus as “the only begotten Son.” The phrase “only begotten” refers to His unique nature as God in flesh. Jesus is “only begotten” in the sense that there is not another human being like Him. The phrase, “the Son” refers to Jesus’ identity as the “Heir” of God. Jesus inherited ALL of the Father’s eternal attributes and characteristics, as a man. They are one in the same. In other words, Jesus is God in human form. So, how did God “love” the world? He gave Himself in a form that would be sufficient to pay for ALL of the offenses we all cause against Him (sin), so that we don’t have to burn in hell for it. Instead, those who believe in this truth, can be joined to Him in His kingdom of heaven. It’s hard to imagine such a thing, and hard to fully understanding, but it’s true. That is God’s brand of love!
Home Sweet Home
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
- John 14:23
It’s hard to imagine the nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that those who “love” Him will have the privilege of “playing host” to both Him AND the Father! How does that work? What is the brand of “love” that enables us to this privilege? It refers to the same quality of love that God shows us. In other words, God will dwell in our hearts by His Spirit in order to manifest His own character and nature through our lives, so that He can conform us to His image, as His instrument of righteousness. Whoa! So, even though we as believers struggle in this life, God’s presence with us actually makes us right at home in this sense.
Pouring Out The LOVE
“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.”
- Acts 2:33
The Day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2 was a wild day! It must have been quite a spectacle to see people native to one culture understand languages that were foreign to them. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where a person who’s never understood one language can suddenly understand it in a moment of time, and also speak that language. Yet, that’s what the Bible says. But why shouldn’t this be possible? If God could take the form of flesh to manifest the miracle of the resurrection, couldn’t He also fill the hearts, minds, and mouths of His people by His Spirit, to proclaim the wonderful nature of His promises? Why wouldn’t the Holy Spirit be able to equip people to offer up praises to the Triune God, to glorify Jesus, in any language He wants? Sure, God is hard to understand, but it’s quite amazing to see the things that the Father accomplishes in His people, by His Spirit because of the work of Jesus!
Complete Work, Complete blessing
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
- Acts 20:28
How do we know that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all One? The authority that we have to take care of one another as the church, comes from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has equal authority over God’s church. The Holy Spirit is God. We know the church belongs to God because He is the One that purchased it. God purchased the church with “His own blood” referring to the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is God also. These things are this way, according to the will of the Father. The Father is God too. This means that our privilege as the church, is based on the purchase the Father made through the blood of His flesh as Jesus, also through the distribution of ability by His Spirit. If one part is missing, it doesn’t work, and we don’t benefit.
The One True Living God
[And] declared [to be] the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
- Romans 1:4
God is One, but exists in three distinct forms, for the benefit of those called to be His. He is Father, referring to the determined purposes of God - the mind of God. He is Son, referring to the physical manifestation of the mind of God – Jesus Christ. How do we know Jesus is God in flesh? He was appointed as such, made evident by His possession and administration of the “Spirit of holiness” – the third facet of God. How do we know this is true? Who else but God could raise themselves from the dead according to a promise and guarantee, previously made? Though Jesus died as a man, He rose from the dead to prove, not only that He’s God, but the God of eternal life! It’s hard to understand, but the historically-documented testimony of eyewitnesses, and an empty tomb, prove that this is all undeniably true!
Love Demonstrated
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:8
The love of God is hard to understand, which is why He gave us a physical demonstration. The word describing God’s demonstration literally means, “to set with another.” In other words, God as “love” set Himself with us, so that we could see what true love looks like. What does true love look like? It looks like the perfect, holy, righteous, and just God taking the form of flesh, in order to die for those who offended Him, so that those who believe in His testimony can be forgiven of offenses, and escape hellfire! God transformed His appearance in order to die to Himself for the SPIRITUAL benefit of those who deserved death. That’s God’s brand of love.
The Deep Things Of God
But God has revealed [them] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10
When God described His attributes as the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6, He began with the title “Wonderful,” which means, “difficult to understand.” How then do we come to understand who God is, what He’s all about, and how He works? How do we know God’s true purposes and promises if His thoughts are so far from our natural way of thinking? The Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of those who believe, in order to give understanding of the things the Father reveals according to His Word (The Bible). Since the Spirit is God, He knows all of the mysterious, difficult, and deep things of Him. Since the Spirit is the true Author of scripture, He knows how to give us understanding of the TRUE meaning of His Word, to know who God TRULY is. Is there a better source to hear the truth about God from, than God Himself, as the Spirit teaches through the Word? Is there a better place to receive God’s communication, than from within our own soul?
Our Father...
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
- Galatians 4:6
God revealed Himself in the form of flesh as Jesus to save souls, unto eternal life for those who believe. This shows how God’s purposes are eternally centered, and have a spiritual emphasis. We are neither eternal nor spiritual. Enter the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwells in our hearts to confirm God’s work as true, whether we fully understand it or not. He teaches about the identity and work of Jesus that makes us one with the Father, heirs of His promises, and teaches us to depend on Him according to the love He expressed while saving our souls from hell. The true children of God cry out to Him because of the Spirit that He gave. The Spirit equips us to do so. It’s His job. We get to have a relationship with God as our Father, because the Son and Holy Spirit make it possible. We don’t try to fabricate this sort of relationship with God ourselves. That’s impossible. Instead, the Bible here shows that this relationship is the evidence of God’s influence in our lives. If He’s really our LORD and Savior, we’ll be connected to Him as our Father. This means that, the patterns and motives of Jesus’ character and purpose will become evident in our lives, by the Spirit – whether we can fully explain it or not.
Destined For Connection
In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
- Ephesians 2:22
It’s hard to understand God’s ability to be in all places at all times. Still, if God isn’t omnipresent, He can’t fulfill the promises He made. This is why the ministry of the Holy Spirit is so important to understand. If not for the Holy Spirit, we have no connection to God. Jesus provided access to the Father by His sacrifice, but the Spirit provides connection to make that access functional in spiritual and practical ways. God is able to be everywhere at once by His Spirit, dwelling with each of His people all at once, from within. At the same time though, God is One. The Spirit dwells in many people all over, but desires to bring many people together through His unique and transcendent love, in order to show the oneness that makes God who He is. God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to bless His people through THIS connection that He makes, in spite of who we are. Those who repent and believe in these truths, are the ones who benefit from that work.
Knowing The Unknowable
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.
- 1 Timothy 3:16
The Bible admits that God is mysterious. This doesn’t mean that He can’t be known, but that He must be known by certain means that aren’t immediately obvious – through the Gospel. Without faith in the testimony of the triune God, as it’s written in the Bible, the hidden things of God remain unknown. The mind of the Father took the form of flesh as Jesus. The Holy Spirit validated Jesus as God. Angels, Jews, and Gentiles were witness to this public confirmation. Millions of believers throughout history, filled with God’s Spirit, also testify of this truth. All to say that, God is exactly who He says He is, and His promises are true, proven by the RIDICULOUS abundance of evidence. If you don’t know, it’s not because of an absence of verified proof.
The Key To A Clean Conscience
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
- Hebrews 9:14
The love of God is the only true love and is expressed one way. God loved the world and demonstrated that love by taking the form of flesh to offer Himself as a sacrifice. In doing this, the eternally pure, self-existing and self-sustaining blood of God was shed. The people at Jesus’ crucifixion saw a battered man hanging on a tree. That man was filled with the Spirit of God. His blood was made up by the DNA of the Almighty. This is why His blood cleanses from sin and saves us from hellfire. Jesus’ identity was proved through the resurrection, showing that He is indeed, the One True Living God. Such great love deserves great thanks.
The LOVE Of The Holy Spirit
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…
- 1 Peter 3:18
Jesus served as our example of what a servant of God looks like. He came into this world as God in flesh to die to Himself in order to provide spiritual benefits for others – the just for the unjust. This is God’s love. Yet, even as God in flesh, Jesus was empowered by the Spirit. This shows that our obedient service to God comes by the same Spirit. Our ability to walk according to the likeness of Jesus’ resurrection, and model the life of Christ, comes by the same Spirit. Our ability to love like God comes by the same Spirit. Enduring the suffering required to live this way comes by the power of the same Spirit. This is how we’re brought to God.