Godhead

It is with reverence and extreme carefulness that this issue of the Godhead is being addressed in this booklet. Many are ignorant of the warnings given us to beware of delving into speculation about things which have been kept hidden by God. Especially is this true regarding the Godhead and those who make it up.

"Some zealous ones who are aiming and straining every energy for originality have made a grave mistake in trying to get something startling, wonderful, entrancing, before the people, something that they think others do not comprehend; but often they do not themselves know what they are talking about. They speculate upon God's Word, advancing ideas that are not a whit of help to themselves or to the churches. For the time being, they may excite the imagination; but there is a reaction, and these very ideas become a hindrance. Faith is confounded with fancy, and their views may bias the mind in the wrong direction. Let the plain, simple statements of the Word of God be food for the mind; this speculating upon ideas that are not clearly presented there, is dangerous business." 2SM 13-14.

"In regard to the personality and prerogatives of God, where He is, and what He is, this is a subject which we are not to dare to touch. On this theme silence is eloquence. It is those who have no experimental knowledge of God who venture to speculate in regard to Him. Did they know more of Him, they would have less to say about what He is. The one who in the daily life holds closest communion with God, and who has the deepest knowledge of Him, realizes most keenly the utter inability of human beings to explain the Creator." MM 92.

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ..." Ephesians 4:14-15.

"Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken and only those things that cannot be shaken will remain. Satan is making the most desperate efforts to induce souls to range under his banner, and all who yield to his deceptions will wage war against the servants of Prince Immanuel. Watchfulness and prayer must be our safeguards in these days of peril." 1RH 373-74 (Nov 6, 1883).

This subject about the Godhead is such, that if we have the wrong understanding about who comprises it, or the wrong idea of the nature or character of those who make it up, then our whole picture of God will be distorted. Thus our attempts to image God perfectly in character, in order to be fit for heaven, is also affected and imperfect. We are told:

"Just before us is the closing struggle of the great controversy when, with 'all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness,' Satan is to work to misrepresent the character of God, that he may 'seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.'" 5T 746.

"The field into which Satan led our first parents is the same to which he is alluring men today. He is flooding the world with pleasing fables. By every device at his command he tempts men to speculate in regard to God. Thus he seeks to prevent them from obtaining that knowledge of God which is salvation." MH 428.

So if we dabble and speculate into areas which God has kept hidden about Himself or about the Godhead, we are entering into the field of the Mysteries of spiritualism and false doctrines where Satan rules. Thus in this issue of the Godhead, and those who make it up, we must be extremely careful and sure that we have the correct understanding--because our eternal destiny will be at stake.

"The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit." So much in Common, p 33 (written by the World Council of Churches and the Seventh-day Adventist church).

This doctrine of the Trinity destroys the paternal relationship of the Father to His Son! The end conclusion is that the Father and His Son above are just role playing their perspective parts, and Jesus is not really His son. This doctrine completely repudiates the whole plan of redemption! It slights the immense, unfathomable, and infinite love of our heavenly Father to us because it leads the believer to conclude that Jesus is not really the actual Son of God--He is just role playing; hence the Father really didn't give up anything when He sent Jesus to die for us!

Thus when we look at the cross, with the Trinity doctrine in mind, we do not realize nor fully appreciate the great cost for the plan of our salvation. Our hearts are not fully broken, and we do not completely yield ourselves to Jesus, working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, fighting man-fully and woman-fully the battles of the Lord (see Phil 2:12-13; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7; 1T 433; 5T 97-98, 135; 6T 41). Salvation can hardly be obtained while believing this doctrine, and many of the pioneers of Adventism, such as James White, Uriah Smith, J.H. Waggoner, etc., openly denied and challenged this false Trinity doctrine of a 3-in-one God.

This is exactly the same teaching that Babylon holds, and which all the delegates, representing the SDA church worldwide, voted to be the correct doctrine and teaching of the church, at the 1980 General Conference session held in Dallas, Texas. (see Adventist Review, May 1, 1980).

But which of the above views is the correct one? It is interesting that all these different and conflicting beliefs seem to be based upon the Scriptures! It is also very interesting that the particular texts used to prove a belief about the Godhead are, most of the time, the very same texts used to prove a conflicting belief about the Godhead. Each of the same scriptures are just interpreted differently, with each person believing that their own particular view is the only one correct.

As this is the case, which of the above views about the Godhead is correct and how can we prove it? How can we be sure that our own particular belief, that we tenaciously cling to, is the pure truth or a deceptive falsehood? How has the Lord ordained that His remnant people shall be able to know the correct interpretation of the Scriptures and to be absolutely sure that they stand upon the firm platform of eternal truth and not upon sifting sand?

By these two guide-lights--the greater light of the Bible, and the lesser light of the Spirit of Prophecy (see 4RH 486 col 2)--God's remnant people will be able to clearly expose all error and to firmly stand upon the truth! Especially is this the case in this issue of the Godhead and those making it up. To try and find out the revealed truths of the Godhead, without either the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy, would be foolish and would lead us directly onto the Devil's ground of spiritualism.

But so many want to cut, as with a pen knife, the Spirit of Prophecy out of the picture, thinking that they can correctly interpret the Scriptures without the guide-light of the Testimonies. They proudly claim; "I do not need any other writings with which to guide me safely into all truth. I can correctly interpret the Bible, and all I need is the Bible and the Bible alone."

"...one error after another pressed in upon us; ministers and doctors brought in new doctrines. We would search the Scriptures with much prayer, and the Holy Spirit would bring the truth to our minds....The power of God would come upon me, and I was enabled clearly to define what is truth and what is error....I would be taken off in vision, and explanations would be given me....

"All these truths are immortalized in my writings. The Lord never denies His word. Men may get up scheme after scheme, and the enemy will seek to seduce souls from the truth, but all who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days." 8MR 319-20 (Letter 50, 1-30-1906).

God has revealed His truth to us through the Testimonies, and by studying the Bible along with these we will be able to clearly define what is truth and what is error. But if we ignore, reject, and give up some or all of these Testimonies, we will be deluded and caught up in specious errors and false doctrines thinking that we are correctly understanding and interpreting the Bible, when we are actually heading towards eternal ruin.

God, in mercy, has given His remnant people the Spirit of Prophecy to safely lead them to a correct understanding of His sacred Word. Through this God-given means we can be completely sure that our particular interpretation of the Scriptures is correct--when it is in harmony with, or in error--by disagreeing with, the Testimonies!

The Testimonies never contradict the Bible--they are always in harmony, because it is the same Holy Spirit of truth which inspired both. And this Spirit does not lie. Thus in reading the Testimonies, you are reading the correct interpretation of Scriptural truth given--not by Ellen White, but given by God through His Spirit!

This is similar to a ship sailing at sea. The crew must sail with a chart and a compass in order to reach the correct harbor of destination. The chart shows the correct pathway to the destination, and the compass shows the correct direction on how to reach that destination. The chart is large and great in comparison with the small compass. But trying to interpret the chart without the compass leaves you lost without direction; and trying to reach the harbor without the chart leaves you guessing on how to get there. Both must be used in order to have the correct and unfailing interpretation on how to safely reach the harbor. It is the same with the Bible (chart) and the Spirit of Prophecy (compass) in order to reach the harbor (heaven). Using either one without the other, leads to destruction.

As God has made it this way, it will only be those who have a great amount of pride who still refuse to acknowledge, and continue to rebel against, the wisdom of God in giving His people these Testimonies to safely guide them into a correct interpretation of "What saith the Scriptures."

"A certain pride is mingled with the consideration of Bible truth, so that men feel impatient and defeated if they cannot explain every portion of Scripture to their satisfaction. It is too humiliating to them to acknowledge that they do not understand the inspired words." 5T 701.

"Instead of receiving the Testimonies as a blessing from God, they refuse the means God uses to set them right. Such apparently may be very zealous for God, but they put their own interpretation upon the Word and make it contradict what the Lord has revealed in the Testimonies. They think they are doing God's service, but such work God has not given them to do." 10MR 311 (Letter 12, 8-12-1890).

In this issue of the Godhead, with each contradicting belief being based upon the same Scriptures, and each claiming that they are the only ones correct, the only safe way in which God's remnant people can clearly and safely discover the true understanding of the Godhead, and to avoid being involved in speculation and spiritualism, is by what has already been revealed to us through the Spirit of Prophecy. With this in mind, let us see exactly what the Testimonies reveal in relation to the Godhead.

"There are many issues in our world today in regard to the Creator not being a personal God. God is a being, and man was created in His image. After God created man in His image, the form was perfect in all its arrangements, but it had no vitality. Then a personal, self-existing God breathed into that form the breath of life, and man became a living, breathing, intelligent being.

"No finite mind can fully comprehend the character or the works of the Infinite One. We cannot by searching find out God. To minds the strongest and most highly cultured, as well as to the weakest and most ignorant, that holy Being must remain clothed in mystery." Ed 169.

We can clearly see, without speculation or fallible human reasoning but from what has already been revealed, that the Father is God. He Himself is a Being. He Himself is a Person and has a personality and character all His own. He is living and can exist by Himself without any other power sustaining Him. (please see also these texts: Deut 32:6, Isa 63:16 & 64:8, Jer 3:4, Mal 1:6, Matt 5:45 & 6:6-15, John 20:17, Eph 3:14-15, Heb 12:9, James 1:17, 1 John 3:1)

We can clearly see, without speculation or fallible human reasoning but from what has already been revealed to us through an "It is written," that Jesus Christ Himself is a Person and has a personality and character all His own. He Himself is a living Being. He is the eternal, divine Son of God, entirely distinct and separate from God the Father, yet one with Him.

"Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by this Galilean Rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, He who had been promised to Israel, 'whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.' Micah 5:2, margin." DA 469-70.

"It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses saying, 'I AM THAT I AM....Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.' Ex 3:14. This was the pledge of Israel's deliverance. So when He came 'in the likeness of men,' He declared Himself the I AM." DA 24.

"In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him." 4ST 142 col 1.

"He [Christ] was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent. He was above all finite requirements. He was Himself the law in character. Of the highest angels it could not be said that they had never borne a yoke. The angels all bear the yoke of dependence, the yoke of obedience....Not one of the angels could become a substitute and surety for the human race, for their life is God's; they could not surrender it. On Christ alone the human family depended for their existence. He is the eternal, self-existent Son, on whom no yoke had come....He could say that which not the highest angel could say--'I have power over My own life. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.'" 12MR 395 (Manuscript #101, 1897).

"'In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men.' It is not physical life that is here specified, but immortality, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life. Physical life is something which each individual receives. It is not eternal or immortal; for God, the life-giver, takes it again. But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. 'I lay it down of myself,' He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man. He can possess it only through Christ." 5BC 1130 (also 1SM 296-97).

"He clothed His divinity with humanity. He was all the while as God, but He did not appear as God. He veiled the demonstrations of Deity which had commanded the homage, and called forth the admiration, of the universe of God. He was God while upon earth, but He divested Himself of the form of God, and in its stead took the form and fashion of a man....He was God, but the glories of the form of God He for a while relinquished....He humbled Himself, and took mortality upon Himself. As a member of the human family He was mortal, but as a God He was the fountain of life to the world. He could, in His divine person, ever have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but He voluntarily laid down His life, that in so doing He might give life and bring immortality to light. He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty which rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice, that man should not eternally die.

"Wondrous combination of man and God! He might have helped His human nature to withstand the inroads of disease by pouring from His divine nature vitality and undecaying vigor to the human. But He humbled Himself to man's nature....What humility was this! It amazed angels . The tongue can never describe it; the imagination cannot take it in. The eternal Word consented to be made flesh! God became man!" 2RH 151 col 2 & 3 (also 5BC 1126-27).

"The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father. From everlasting He was the Mediator of the covenant...Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God:...Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore.

We can clearly see, without speculation or fallible human reasoning, that Jesus has life within Himself that is original, unborrowed, and underived. He is the eternal, immortal, and self-existent Son, sustaining and living by Himself, without the power of God--the Father continually sustaining Him.

"...He did not cease to be God when He became man. The human did not take the place of the divine, nor the divine of the human. This is the mystery of godliness. The two expressions "human" and "divine" were, in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a distinct individuality. Though Christ humbled Himself to become man, the Godhead was still His own." 5BC 1129.

We can already see, just by knowing the truth about the Father and the Son, that the Trinity doctrine--a three in one God--is but a grand, deceptive, spiritualistic falsehood, because the Father and Son are two distinct living Persons, Beings, and Gods. Each possessing immortality. Each are self-existing and eternal. Yet They are both united in one purpose--the plan of redemption for humanity.

There are so many winds, beliefs, ideas, speculations, and doctrines blowing around--seemingly based upon the Scriptures--regarding the Holy Spirit; what it is, who it is, it's nature, etc., that many do not know what to believe. So it might be more beneficial to list some of these major "windy" doctrines that are blowing around, and then show if these agree with the inspired Testimonies of God or not.

"They (God's servants) are to contend with supernatural forces, but they are assured of supernatural help. All the intelligences of heaven are in this army. And more than angels are in the ranks. The Holy Spirit, the representative of the Captain of the Lord's host, comes down to direct the battle." DA 352.

"When Christ ascended to the Father, He did not leave His followers without help. The Holy Spirit, as His representative, and the heavenly angels, as ministering spirits, are sent forth to aid those who against great odds are fighting the good fight of faith." SD 35.

"Before offering himself as a sacrificial victim, Christ sought for the most essential and complete gift to bestow his followers, a gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of grace. 'I will pray the Father,' he said, 'and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth...John 14:16-18.

"Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption he had been moving upon men's hearts. But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of his presence would they feel the need of the Spirit, and then he would come." 5RH 470 col 3.

"'In times past holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit'....The success of the ministry of Elias (Elijah) was not due to any inherited qualities he possessed, but to the submission of himself to the Holy Spirit, which was given to him as it will be given to all who exercise living faith in God." 1MR 364-66 (Manuscript #148, 10-8-1899).

"The first chapter of Hebrews contrasts the position of the angels and the position of Christ. God has spoken words concerning Christ that are not to be applied to the angels. They are 'sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation,' but Christ, as Mediator, is the great Minister in the work of redemption. The Holy Spirit is His representative in our world, to execute the divine purpose of bringing to fallen man power from above, that he may be an overcomer." 7BC 922 col 1.

"1 Cor 2:11. John 16:13. Only by the aid of that spirit who in the beginning 'was brooding upon the face of the waters;' of that Word by whom 'all things were made;' of that 'true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,' can the testimony of science be rightly interpreted. Only by their guidance can its deepest truths be discerned." Ed 134.

"Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man's behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ, who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirit's striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart." 1SM 344.

"John 14:16, 17 quoted. The Saviour was pointing forward to the time when the Holy Spirit should come to do a mighty work as His representative....The men and women who through the long centuries of persecution and trial enjoyed a large measure of the presence of the Spirit in their lives...The presence of the Spirit with God's workers will give the proclamation of truth a power that not all the honor or glory of the world could give....

It is clear to those who will allow God to teach them His truths, that Christ is not the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit represents Christ to us. Thus Christ can send the Holy Spirit--His representative--calling it His Spirit, or the Spirit of Christ; but Jesus is not the Holy Spirit. To emphasize this fact, Christ had the Holy Spirit given to Him!

"Every truth is invested by the God of heaven with an influence proportionate to its character and importance. The plan of redemption, which means everything to a lost and ruined world, was to be proclaimed, and the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus brought into vital contact with the heart of the world." 4RH 288 (April 30, 1901).

"When the power of God's grace is felt in our churches, the members will work the works of Christ. Their natural and hereditary traits of character will be transformed by the Spirit that dwelt in the greatest Minister that ever trod the soil of this fallen world. The indwelling of this Spirit will enable them to reveal Christ's likeness, and in proportion to the purity of their piety will be the success of their work." 4MR 371 (Letter 54a, June, 1898).

"The Father gave His Spirit without measure to His Son, and we also may partake of its fullness....To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling." 5RH 463 col 2 (Nov 5, 1908).

So Jesus is not the Holy Spirit, but needed to have the Holy Spirit given to Him in order to be our perfect example while on this earth. And since Jesus lost His omnipresence by taking humanity (see 6BC 1054 col 1), He must now use the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit in order to meet with His people on earth. Through the omnipresence of the Person of the Holy Spirit, Christ would be set free from the limiting affects of humanity, and thus could be present and represent Himself at all times and in all places among His people.

"Although our Lord ascended from earth to heaven, the Holy Spirit was appointed as His representative among men....Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent." 14MR 23 (Manuscript 57a, 1895).

"Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, 'the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name.' 'I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you' [John 14:16-17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter." 14MR 179 (Letter 7, 6-11-1891).

"The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high....

"He would intercede for them, and would send them His own representative, the Holy Spirit, who would attend them in their work. This representative would not appear in human form, but by faith would be seen and recognized by all who should believe in Christ." 3RH 511 col 3 (Oct 26, 1896).

"John 14:16-17 quoted. Christ was about to depart to His home in the heavenly courts. But He assured His disciples that He would send them another Comforter, who would abide with them forever....[Verses 18-19 quoted]. A precious, glorious assurance of eternal life! Even though He was to be absent, their relation to Him was to be that of a child to its parent.

"The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." 12MR 260-61 (Manuscript 41, 1897).

"Christ breathed on His disciples, and said, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost.' This is the great gift of heaven. Christ imparted to them through the Spirit His own sanctification. He imbued them with His power, that they might win souls to the gospel. Henceforth Christ would live through their faculties, and speak through their words. They were privileged to know that hereafter He and they were to be one. They must cherish His principles and be controlled by His Spirit." SD 294.

"When the time came for Him (Jesus) to leave them, He gave them grace and power to carry forward His work in His name. They were to shed abroad the light of His gospel of love and healing. And the Saviour promised that His presence would be always with them. Through the Holy Spirit He would be even nearer to them than when He walked visibly among men." MH 103-04.

"And Pentecost brought them the presence of the Comforter, of whom Christ had said, He 'shall be in you.' And He had further said, 'It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.' John 14:17, 16:7. Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of His children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them." SC 74-75.

"They would realize no break in their communion, and no diminution of power because of the Saviour's absence. While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth....His energizing presence is still with His church." DA 166.

"When He (Christ) should come forth from the tomb, their sorrow would be turned to joy. After His ascension He was to be absent in person; but through the Comforter He would still be with them, and they were not to spend their time in mourning....but by faith they were to look to the sanctuary above, where Jesus was ministering for them; they were to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, His representative, and to rejoice in the light of His presence....when Christ was not personally with them (after His ascension), and they failed to discern the Comforter, then it would be more fitting for them to fast." DA 277.

"Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament. Our Saviour, the outshining of the Father's glory, is both the Old and the New." COL 126.

"While Jesus ministers in the true sanctuary above, He is through His Holy Spirit working through His earthly messengers. These agencies will accomplish more than the printed page, if they will go forth in the Spirit and power of Christ. Christ will work through His chosen ministers, filling them with His Spirit, and thus fulfilling to them the assurance, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' Matt. 28:20." CH 545.

"We fail many times because we do not realize that Christ is with us by His Spirit as truly as when, in the days of His humiliation, He moved visibly upon the earth. The lapse of time has wrought no change in His parting promise to His apostles as He was taken up from them into heaven: 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'" 4T 529.

"In this conflict of righteousness against unrighteousness we can be successful only by the divine aid. Our finite will must be brought into submission to the will of the Infinite; the human will must be blended with the divine. This will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid; and every conquest will tend to the recovery of God's purchased possession, to the restoration of his image in the soul.

"The Lord Jesus acts through the Holy Spirit; for it is his representative. Through it he infuses spiritual life into the soul, quickening its energies for good, cleansing it from moral defilement, and giving it a fitness for his kingdom. Jesus has large blessings to bestow, rich gifts to distribute among men. He is the wonderful Counselor, infinite in wisdom and strength; and if we will acknowledge the power of his Spirit, and submit to be molded by it, we shall stand complete in him. What a thought is this! In Christ 'dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him.' Never will the human heart know happiness until it is submitted to be molded by the Spirit of God. The Spirit conforms the renewed soul to the model, Jesus Christ. Through the influence of the Spirit, enmity against God is changed into faith and love, and pride into humility....

"The divine Spirit reveals its working on the human heart. When the Holy Spirit operates upon the mind, the human agent will understand the statement made by Christ, 'He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.' Subjection to the word of God means the restoration of one's self. Let Christ work by His Holy Spirit, and awaken you as from the dead, and carry your minds along with His. Let Him employ your faculties. He has created your every capability that you may better honor and glorify His name." TM 396.

"Keep cheerful. Do not forget that you have a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which Christ has appointed. You are never alone. If you will listen to the voice that now speaks to you, if you will respond without delay to the knocking at the door of your heart, 'Come in, Lord Jesus, that I may sup with Thee, and Thee with me,' the heavenly Guest will enter. When this element, which is all divine, abides with you, there is peace and rest....Remember the words of Christ, remember that He is an unseen presence in the person of the Holy Spirit." Letter 124, 1897 (see also AH 350).

"Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit." PK 49-50.

"The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands and thousands of holy beings, all waiting to do His will. Through the agency of His Spirit and His angels He ministers to the children of men." MH 417.

"From the beginning, God has been working by His Holy Spirit through human instrumentalities for the accomplishment of His purpose in behalf of the fallen race. This was manifest in the lives of the patriarchs. To the church in the wilderness also, in the time of moses, God gave His 'good Spirit to instruct them.' Nehemiah 9:20. And in the days of the apostles He wrought mightily for His church through the agency of the Holy Spirit." AA 53.

"The Holy Spirit is a free, working, independent agency. The God of heaven uses His Spirit as it pleases Him; and human judgment, and human methods can no more set boundaries to its working, or prescribe the channel through which it shall operate." 4ST 503 col 1 (March 8, 1910).

"The time (after Christ's ascension) had now come. The Spirit had been waiting for the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. For ten days the disciples offered their petitions for the outpouring of the Spirit, and Christ in heaven added His intercession." 6BC 1055 col 1.

"The Holy Spirit is a person, for He beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. When this witness is borne, it carries its own evidence....The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God." Ev 616-17.

"...no distance, no circumstances can separate us from 'the Comforter.' Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is there, always a Presence, a Person connected with heaven, One given us in Christ's place, to act in His stead. He is always at our right hand, to speak to us soothing, gentle words, to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer." 2MR 32 (Letter 89b, 1897).

"When you will come under the divine guidance, the Comforter will lead you into all truth. The office of the Holy Spirit is to take the things of Christ as they fall from His lips, and infuse them as living principles into the hearts opened to receive them. Then we will know both the Father and the Son." 14MR 174 (Letter 40, 1890).

Lest some will take the position that all these above written Testimonies have been altered in the past to say these things, the following is from a talk given at Avondale, Australia April 15, 1899--meaning that it was written down as it came from Ellen White's own mouth.

So the Holy Spirit is not an angel or another name for the work of the angels, because He is higher than angels. Neither was the Holy Spirit only in existence since Christ became human, because from the very beginning of the work of redemption He had been moving upon men's hearts. Neither is the Holy Spirit the Father, or the Son, or a combination of the two together. Neither is the Holy Spirit just a power or force, but is a living Person with a personality who bears witness and comforts us in Christ's place and acts in His stead, who Itself teaches and enlightens us using Its own mind and puts forth Its highest energies in working for our salvation by taking the words of Christ as they fall from His lips to infuse these into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is as much a Person as God is a Person, and the Spirit shows us He is a Person by walking among us.

Since the Spirit is a Person, and can walk among us, He also must be able to assume form and shape. He assumed the form and shape resembling a dove (Matt 3:16, Isaiah 11:2, Luke 3:22, John 1:32). He assumed the form and shape resembling flaming tongues (Acts 2:2-4). He literally picked up servants of God from one area and then carried them to a different area in order to continue the spreading of the gospel (see Acts 8:39-40; Ezekiel 3:14-15). The Holy Spirit even assumes the form of an angel with a writers inkhorn by His side--who seals the servants of the Lord (see Ephesians 4:30), and then returns to the Lord after His sealing work is accomplished (see Ezekiel 9:1-11); and the Holy Spirit is also represented as the mighty angel of Revelation 18:1 (see 2RH 555 col 2, 7BC 984). And some pioneers--such as S.N. Haskell, and G.B. Starr--believed the Holy Spirit had also assumed human form on this earth during the time of Abraham, appearing and speaking to many as Melchizedek--the King of Salem, the King of Peace, the King of Righteousness, the priest of the most high God! (see Bible Training School, November, 1903, p 90, November, 1904, p 85-86, White Document File #375 for Starr's statement of Ellen White's agreement to this belief, Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews 7:1-4, 17-22, 1BC 1092-93, Romans 8:26-27, Hebrews 9:14).

"Evil had been accumulating for centuries, and could only be restrained and resisted by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power." 10MR 63 (Letter 8, 2-6-1896) (also Series A#10 p 25, TM 392, UL 51).

We can clearly see, without speculation or fallible human reasoning, but from what has already been revealed to us through an "it is written," that the Holy Spirit Himself is a living Person. He Himself has a personality all His own. And the Holy Spirit Himself is the third mighty distinct Person and power in the Godhead.

What about the belief that the Holy Spirit is a person, and even the third Person of the Godhead, but that He is not divine and thus cannot be a God Himself? As the Father is divine or God, and as Christ is another divine God, is the Holy Spirit another divine God also?

"Man cannot possibly work out his own salvation without the ordained divine power...He cannot of himself move one step toward Christ without the Spirit of God [drawing] him, and this drawing is ever, and will continue until man grieves the Holy Ghost by his persistent refusal. The Spirit of God does not propose to do our part either in the willing or the doing. This is the work of the human agent in co-operating with the divine agencies..." 2MR 34-35 (Letter 135, 1898).

"...how earnestly should we pray that He who 'searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God,' He whose office it is to bring all things to the remembrance of God's people, and to guide them into all truth, may be with us in the investigation of His Holy Word." TM 111.

"The Holy Spirit indites all genuine prayer. I have learned to know that in all my intercessions the Spirit intercedes for me and for all the saints; but His intercessions are according to the will of God, never contrary to His will. 'The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities;' and the Spirit, being God, knoweth the mind of God; therefore in every prayer of ours for the sick, or for other needs, the will of God is to be regarded. 1 Cor 2:11." 2ST 516 col 2 (Oct 3, 1892).

In unmistakably clear words, we can see that the Holy Spirit Himself is a third divine Person and a God, distinct from the Person of God--the Father and the Person of God--the Son. (please see also these texts: Gen 1:2, Ex 35:21, Job 26:13 & 33:4, Ps 51:11 & 104:30 & 139:7, Isa 40:7, 13-17 & 63:10-11, Ez 3:12, 14, 24-27 & 11:1, 5, Matt 12:31-32, Luke 12:12, John 14:26 & 15:26 & 16:7-14, Acts 2:4 & 5:3-4 & 8:29 & 10:11-20 & 13:2, 4 & 15:28 & 16:6-7 & 20:22-23 & 21:11, Rom 8:16, 26, 34 & 15:13, 1 Cor 2:13 & 12:8, 11, Eph 4:30 (Ez 9:3-4 & 3T 267), 1 Tim 4:1, Heb 9:14 & 10:15, 2 Pet 1:21, Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29 & 3:6, 13, 22 & 22:17).

We have discovered that the Godhead is not made up of one God with three different persons or heads--as the Trinity doctrine, spiritualism, and even pantheism falsely states. Pantheism states that there is but one God, but this one God subdivided or split Himself up into many different beings or things. But the truth is that the Godhead is made up of three different and distinct divine Persons and GODS; GOD--the Father, GOD--the Son, and GOD--the Holy Ghost!

"When we have accepted Christ, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit have pledged ourselves to serve God, the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit--the three dignitaries and powers of heaven--pledge Themselves that every facility shall be given to us if we carry out our baptismal vows...When we are true to our vows, He says, 'I will receive you.'" 6BC 1075.

And for those who believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person, but not a Being, and for those who believe that the above written testimonies have been changed to say these things, the following is a sermon given on October 20, 1906 which was written down as it came from Ellen White's own mouth:

"You are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. You are raised up out of the water to live henceforth in newness of life--to live a new life. You are born unto God, and you stand under the sanction and the power of the three holiest beings in heaven, who are able to keep you from falling..." Sermons and Talks, p 367-68 (7MR 267).

The Holy Spirit is indeed a holy Person and a Being. In fact, any dictionary will tell you that a person is a being, and a being is a person--you cannot be one without also being the other! So to be the third Person of the Godhead, is the same as calling the Holy Spirit the third Being of the Godhead.

The Godhead is not a Trinity--not a 3 in 1 God, but inspiration declares the Godhead as being made up of a "heavenly trio"--three powerful, holy, Divine Persons, Beings, and Gods. Each of these three holiest Beings in heaven have an important and distinct job; using Their own God-ship and powers in union and oneness with each other to save fallen humanity. God--the Father united through God--the Son united through God--the Holy Spirit united to Their true people.

"...in the name of these three great powers--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their effort to live the new life in Christ." Series B#7 p 62. (please see also these Bible texts regarding all three: Isa 48:16-17, Matt 28:19, Mark 12:36, Luke 1:35 & 3:22, John 14:16 & 15:26 & 16:15, Acts 2:33, Rom 8:27 & 15:16, 2 Cor 13:14, Eph 2:18, Col 2:2-3, Heb 9:14, 1 Pet 1:2, Jude 20-21).

"Christ made baptism the entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost....Baptized into the threefold name...at the very entrance of their christian life...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, powers infinite and omniscient, receive those who truly enter into covenant relation with God. They are present at every baptism..." 6BC 1075.

"When you took these vows, you pledged yourself, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that you would live unto God, and you have no right to break this pledge. The help of the three great powers is placed at your disposal." 5RH 143 col 3 (RC 178).

"By our baptismal pledge we avouched and solemnly confessed the Lord Jehovah as our ruler. We virtually took a solemn oath, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that henceforth our lives would be merged into the life of these three great agencies, that the life we should live in the flesh would be lived in faithful obedience to God's sacred law." 1MR 118 (Manuscript #67, 7-6-1907) (also 1BC 1120, AG 150).

"Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit....Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then cooperate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf." Manuscript #11, 1901 (also 7BC 908, 4ST 186 col 1 (June 19, 1901).

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, man is laid in his watery grave, buried with Christ in baptism, and raised from the water to live the new life of loyalty to God. The three great powers in heaven are witnesses; They are invisible but present." 6BC 1074 (also FLB 146).

"The rite of baptism is administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. These three great powers of heaven pledge Themselves to be the efficiency of all who submit to this ordinance, and who faithfully keep the vow they then make." 6MR 27 (Manuscript #78, 1905).

"Baptism is a most solemn ceremony. When men and women, truly converted are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, these three representatives of heavenly authority behold the scene, and accept the vows made by human agents to walk henceforth in newness of life." 6MR 29 (Letter 174, 12-21-1909).

"The presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the three highest powers in the universe and those in whose name the believer is baptized, is pledged to be with every striving soul. It will impart grace and strength to all who will watch unto prayer, to all who will purify the soul by obedience to the truth. And it will make the believer instrumental in leading other souls to accept Christ by faith." PUR 7-2-1908.

"Those who submit to the solemn rite of baptism pledge themselves to devote their lives to God's service; and the three great powers of heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, pledge themselves to cooperate with them, to work in and through them. As men and women thus enter into covenant relation with God, they take the name of Christian. Henceforth they are to live the life of Christ. They have been buried with Him, and they are to 'seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.'" 4ST 282 col 1 (March 11, 1903).

"As a christian submits to the solemn rite of baptism, the three highest powers in the universe,--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,--place Their approval on this act, pledging Themselves to exert Their power in his behalf as he strives to honor God." 6MR 26 (Letter 53, 1-26-1904) (also 4ST 399 col 1, Aug 16, 1905, RC 107).

"The three great powers of heaven pledge themselves to furnish to the Christian all the assistance he requires. The Spirit changes the heart of stone to the heart of flesh. And by partaking of the word of God, eating the flesh and drinking the blood of His Son, Christians obtain an experience that is after the divine similitude. When Christ abides in the heart by faith, the Christian is the temple of God. Christ does not abide in the heart of the sinner, but hearts that are susceptible to the influence of Heaven's instrumentalities, and have been sanctified by obedience to the truth, are representatives of His righteousness." 4MR 368-69 (Letter 53, 1-26-1904) (also 4ST 399 col 1 (Aug 16, 1905).

"Those who proclaim the third angel's message must put on the whole armor of God, that they may stand boldly at their post, in the face of detraction and falsehood, fighting the good fight of faith, resisting the enemy with the word, 'It is written.' Keep yourselves where the three great powers of heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, can be your efficiency. These powers work with the one who gives himself unreservedly to God. The strength of heaven is at the command of God's believing ones. The man who takes God as his trust is barricaded by an impregnable wall." Southern Watchman 2-23-1904 (also 4ST 512, IHP 176).

"Those who have been baptized and have taken their stand on the Lord's side, separating from the enemy, have pledged themselves to the service of God. When you went down into the water and were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these three great powers of heaven pledged themselves to give you power and grace to resist every temptation to dishonor God. When you rose from the water, you represented the resurrection of Christ." 19MR 235.

"No requirement is laid upon man that Christ has not obeyed. We can overcome as He overcame, if we will avail ourselves of the help of the three great powers of heaven, who are waiting to answer the demand made upon Them by God's people for power to defeat satanic agencies." NL 124.

"As Christians submit to the solemn rite of baptism, He registers the vow that they make to be true to Him. This vow is their oath of allegiance. They are baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Thus they are united with the three great powers of heaven. They pledge themselves to renounce the world and to observe the laws of the kingdom of God. Henceforth they are to walk in newness of life. No longer are they to follow the traditions of men. No longer are they to follow dishonest methods. They are to obey the statutes of the kingdom of heaven. They are to seek God's honor. If they will be true to their vow, they will be furnished with grace and power that will enable them to fulfill all righteousness. 'As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.'" Ev 307-08 (Letter 129, 1903) (Also OHC 157).

"Let us not forget our baptismal vow. In the presence of the three highest powers of heaven,--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,--we have pledged ourselves to do the will of Him who, over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, declared, 'I am the resurrection and the life.'" 5RH 45 col 1.

"There is to be the imprint of the sacred name, baptizing the believers in the name of the threefold powers in the heavenly world. The human mind is impressed in this ceremony, the beginning of the christian life. It means very much. The work of salvation is not a small matter, but so vast that the highest authorities are taken hold of by the expressed faith of the human agency....The three great and glorious heavenly characters are present on the occasion of baptism. All the human capabilities are to be henceforth consecrated powers to do service to God in representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost upon whom they depend. All heaven is represented by these three in covenant relation with the new life." 6MR 389 (Manuscript #45, 5-14-1904).

There are some who believe that the writings of Ellen White have been altered or changed in the past to say the above things. For these, the following are the actual words spoken by sister White in sermons or talks before hundreds of people, and which were then printed for all to read.

"We are ordained unto God to bear fruit. Was this not our experience when we were led down into the water and baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost? What did that mean?--it meant that the three great powers in heaven were pledged to keep us so long as we remain one with Christ, united to the vine." 6MR 29 (Sermon given March 10, 1908).

"In the name of whom were you baptized? You went down into the water in the name of the three great Worthies in heaven,--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost....Those who have been baptized can claim the help of the three great Worthies of heaven to keep them from falling, and to reveal through them a character that is after the divine similitude....When I feel oppressed, and hardly know how to relate myself toward the work that God has given me to do, I just call upon the three great Worthies..." Sermon given Oct 20, 1906 (See Manuscript Release #307 p 2, 4, 7MR 267-68).

"We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three great, infinite powers are unitedly pledged to work in our behalf if we cooperate with them." Sermon given April 3, 1901 in the early morning meeting at the 1901 General Conference Session (see 1901 GCB, p 36-37, LHU 109).

For those who still believe that the writings of Ellen White have been changed in the past to say the things above, the following is a talk given by Ellen White, which was written down as the words came out of her mouth in which she is quoting from a printed testimony from one of her own previously published writings (Testimony #34--see 1901 GCB p 212). This proves that no changes or alterations could have been made at all in her printed writings regarding all of the above quotations which you have read regarding the Godhead or those three holy divine Beings making it up!

"...'at our baptism we pledged ourselves to Him (Jesus), and received the ordinance in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, these three great powers of heaven pledged themselves to work in our behalf, not only to begin, but to finish our faith." Talk given April 14, 1901 at the 1901 General Conference Session (see 1901 GCB, p 215).

We can clearly see, without speculation or faulty human reasoning, that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit Themselves are described as each One being eternal, personal, and one of the holy dignitaries of heaven. Each are a living Person, a holy Being, and One of the three highest powers in the universe. Each are One of the three great Worthies, and One of the three highest representatives of heavenly authority. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are each one infinite and omniscient, and have their own personality and heavenly character! Thus the Godhead is made up of three distinct divine Persons, Beings, and God's--making a heavenly trio--united together in one purpose, to make possible the plan of our salvation and redemption.

But there are some who do not believe the above truths of the Godhead, who believe that their opposite positions and interpretations to be based solidly upon the Scriptures, who also refuse to believe any of the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy which contradicts these beliefs, and who doubt that their beliefs are wrong and spiritualistic in nature.

How can these individuals possibly be reached with the truth? Trying to show them Scriptures proving them wrong is useless, because they interpret them differently; hence the Scriptures can not break through their deception. Trying to show them Testimonies proving them wrong is also useless, because they do not believe the writings, or believe that all of the writings have been altered to say what it does. So how can these deceived ones be shown that they are directly involved in spiritualistic falsehoods and are spreading occultic doctrines of satanic lies?

The only way left, to try and break through the spell of deception these precious souls are involved in, is to compare what they believe and teach with what the occult and spiritualistic movement believes and teaches about the same issue. If their beliefs are the same as the occult, then the doctrine is directly from the devil, is indeed spiritualistic in nature, and these individuals are directly involved in believing and spreading doctrines of devils from the bottomless pit--whether they will admit this or not!

In sincere hope that these deceived individuals can be brought to a realization of the spell they are under, and brought away from the prison of falsehood they are in to be free in Jesus and His pure truth, let us quote directly from some of their tapes, videos, and booklets regarding their beliefs and teachings of the Godhead, and then compare these statements with what the occult and spiritualistic movement believes and teaches on the same subject. And please NOTE: in revealing the names of those teaching such things, it is not with any malice against them personally of any sort that this is being done. These individuals mentioned are precious in God's sight; but they are not keeping their speculative beliefs to themselves, but have preached, taught, and spread such false doctrines--either by sermons, tapes, videos, booklets, etc., far and wide; and some are most zealously doing so. They all have been warned clearly of the errors in what they believe and teach, yet have continued on in doing so. Thus other precious souls bought by the blood of Christ are being confused and mislead by these spiritualistic doctrines, and if the trumpet notes of warning are not raised in alerting them and others to the danger, then blood would be on our shoulders for not doing our duty (see Ezekiel 3:17-21, 33:1-20).

The false spiritualistic beliefs which are being taught about the Godhead are: that Jesus was literally birthed or born out of the person of the Father before creation, and that is how Jesus became the only begotten Son of God; that the Father is the only God, or the only true God in the Godhead, and that there was a time in which the Father existed alone before giving birth to Christ; that the Holy Spirit is not a separate Being or Person other than the Father or the Son, and that He is not the third Being or Person of the Godhead, but is referred to as being the breath, or life, or light, or power, etc., of God, or the combination of Father and Son together.

Caleb Alonso--"Where did He [Christ] come from? He came out of the Father, and down into the world. He came out of the Father from all eternity, and went down as the incarnation." Video Taped Sermon in two parts from Redlands, Calif, on Sabbath 12-21-91: this quote is from Part One.

Caleb Alonso--"...the Father in His foreknowledge sees the problem with sin, and He decided He's going to have a son that will take care of that problem in advance. He would give a part of His very life to redeem man....And He [Christ] has come out from His [Father's] very bosom." Video Taped Sermon, Part Two, 12-21-91.

Bill Stringfellow--"Is Jesus a product of His heavenly Father?...Did Christ ever become God's Son--like Isaac became Abraham's?...Christ didn't bring Himself into being...God the Father gave life to Christ....God gave His Son life." Video Taped Presentation from Concerned Publications in Two Parts, "A Special Message For a Special People: The Red Flag Is Waving", March, 1994, the above quote is from Part One.

Spiritualism--"Son of God, First-Born...the Second Logos or Higher Self,--the first emanation from the Father, the Absolute, or the First Logos." Dictionary of All Scriptures and Myths, by G.A. Gaskell, p 702 (this dictionary uses the philosophic sacredly held writings of all religions such as Zoroaster, Philo, Swedenborg, Buddah, Hermes, the Qabbalah, etc., in order to derive the definitions--hence the definitions given are mystical and spiritualistic).

"From our proper Source, that is to say, from the Father and all that which lives in Him, there shines,' says Ruysbroeck, 'an eternal Ray, the which is the Birth of the Son....We are celebrating the feast of the Eternal Birth which God the Father has borne..." Mysticism, p 146, by E. Underhill, quoted in Dictionary, p 702.

So spiritualism also teaches that the Son of God was literally birthed or born out of the Father from eternity--before anything else was created. Thus the above individuals are involved in occultic beliefs, are voicing doctrines of devils, and are guilty of spreading spiritualistic lies as being the truth--putting darkness for light.

This spiritualistic doctrine--that Christ was literally birthed or born out of the Father, gave rise to the spiritualistic belief that God must have female capabilities in order to give birth: the occult teaches that God is both father and mother in one being, or the "father-mother God." This belief is the foundation of the spiritualistic doctrine of dualism, yin-yang, positive-negative, that both good and evil must exist in order for the universe to survive and for man to achieve God-hood.

Since the false belief that Jesus became the literal Son of God by literally being born or brought forth out of the Father before the earth was created, is clearly and only a teaching of spiritualism and thus a doctrine of devils: some may ask, "When then does the Bible say that Jesus literally became the only begotten Son of God?" These following texts may help in this issue.

In the words "I will be to him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son" and again "I will declare the decree," shows a future time in which a Father and Son relationship was literally to exist. These texts also reveal that God and Michael (Jesus) were already in existence before this parental decree was to be made of Michael becoming Jesus the literal Son of God, and God becoming His literal Father. But when did this decree come to pass?

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end....

"And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten thee." Acts 13:33.

With these above texts in mind, it seems clear that Jesus was not literally born out of the Person of the Father as spiritualists teach, but that he literally became the only born or begotten Son of God after He took humanity upon Himself, continuing on as such throughout eternity. Through the plan of redemption, God literally became Christ's Father when Michael became Jesus in humanity, and Michael literally became the only born or begotten Son of God when he became Jesus Christ in humanity. There is definitely no role-playing involved here, because God literally became the Father of Jesus, and Jesus literally became the only born of the Father at his birth into humanity.

With this understanding, Proverbs 8:22-31--which speaks specifically about Jesus (see 5RH 227-28)--becomes clearer. In verse 22 the word "possessed" translates "erected" (see Strong's Concordance #7069), and in verse 23 the word "set up" translates "anointed" (see Strong's #5258). But Christ was anointed or appointed and erected to what purpose before the foundation of the earth was laid?

"Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. 'A body,' said Christ, 'hast thou prepared me' (Heb. 10:5)." 1SM 250.

The words "brought forth" in verses 24-25 translates "to wait patiently" (see Strong's #2342), and the words "brought up" translates "to support, be faithful, steadfast" (see Strong's #539). So putting all these translations together, we have the correct understanding of what is being stated in Proverbs 8.

"The Lord (erected) me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was (appointed) from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there was no depths, I was (patiently waiting); when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I (patiently waiting). While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

"When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: when he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one (supporting or being steadfast) with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." Proverbs 8:22-31. (See also these tests: Ps 45:6-7 & 89:27 & 110:1, Isa 9:6 & 43:3, 12-14 & 45:14-15, Jer 23:5-6, Micah 5:2, Matt 11:27, John 1:1-14 & 5:18,23 & 14:1 & 17:5 & 20:28, Rom 9:5, Titus 2:10, Heb 1:8-12 & 13:8, 1 John 5:20).

No where does this text support the spiritualistic interpretation of Christ being literally born or brought forth or birthed out of the Person of the Father. But it does lend support that before the earth was created, Michael covenanted with God and was appointed to be humanity's Mediator and Substitute for sin, that Michael was patiently waiting for this time to come about, waiting for that "body" to be prepared for him (see Hebrews 10:5-7), being daily the supporter and delight of God.

Through the plan of redemption, which was "devised from all eternity" (3ST 96 col 3, Feb 5, 1894), Christ was "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8), was also referred to "even as the eternal Son of God" (1SM 247) from eternity, and "from everlasting He was the mediator of the covenant" (5BC 227). Yet Christ was not literally slain until his death on the cross, He was not literally born or birthed the Son of God until becoming human, and did not literally become our high priest and mediator before God until His ascension; yet He is still one and the same Being existing from all eternity--thus He could claim all of the above as His from all eternity.

Through the plan of redemption Christ from eternity voluntarily lowered Himself from being equal with God the Father (see Zechariah 13:7, Psalms 55:13) in order to take humanity as His own--not to do His will, but the will of His Father, thus showing the perfect pattern for salvation. The Father has voluntarily exalted Christ back to His original position of equality with Him which Christ (Michael) had in the beginning (John 1:1, 10:30, 17:5), that at the name of Christ every knee should bow (Phil 2:6-11). What love does Christ show for us to voluntarily lower Himself from equality with God the Father to become one of us--His creation! And what love does the Father show to us that through His Son we can become sons and daughters of Him and He our Father! And what love does the Holy Spirit show for us by supplying the grace and the power to make all this possible and effectual in and through our lives--transforming us from sin to righteousness--bringing Christ and our Father to our side, and being another Comforter and Intercessor! And all this is possible through the plan of redemption!

For those who still have questions, there is really very little revealed to us about the Persons in the Godhead before the time of the creation of angels. Hence it is God's purpose to keep it hidden, and it should be our response to avoid all speculation or theories about this--thus staying away from all spiritualistic deceptions. Some things we will never know until we can ask God directly for the explanation.

Spiritualism--"Holy is God, the Father of all things, the One who is before the First Beginning." The Secret Teachings of All Ages, p XL, by Manly P. Hall--33rd Degree Mason (Hall is quoting Hermes or Cush who was the interpreter of the Mysteries, or basically the founder of spiritualistic Babylonian religion. Cush was also the father of Nimrod, who founded Babylon and then based its Mystery religion upon the teachings of his father).

Spiritualism--"The Qabbalists [Qabbala is Jewish witchcraft] conceive of the Supreme Deity as an Incomprehensible Principle to be discovered only through the process of eliminating, in order, all its cognizable attributes. That which remains...is AIN SOPH, the eternal state of Being....all [things are] nourished by AIN SOPH and all with their source in...AIN SOPH, the only Immortal--whence they came." Hall, p CXVII.

So spiritualism also teaches that the Father is the only God, and that there was a time in which the Father existed alone before giving birth to Christ. But this is nothing new, because Hermes or Cush is the one who began this spiritualistic doctrine of Babylonian Mysteries right after the flood!

This spiritualistic belief leads to the concept that if the Father is the only God, then Christ cannot be God, and neither can the Holy Ghost. Another concept is that the Father is the only True God, and that Christ is a lessor god and not equal with the Father, or was not always a God but was made a God. These spiritualistic concepts are exactly the same falsehoods that Babylonian churches, ministers, and New Age writers are espousing.

Bill Stringfellow--"Therefore there was a time before Christ was Sanctified [made a God] by His Father...Christ was one day ordained as a part of divinity. He wasn't always worshipped, but there came a definite time when God ordained that Jesus be worshipped just like Himself." Video Taped Presentation, Part One, March, 1994.

Helen Shookman--"[Jesus said] I am not God....I do not want you to worship me." A Course in Miracles (regarded as a New Age Bible, and written under the direction of a spirit calling itself Jesus), quoted from 1991 tape by Texe Marrs, "High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

This spiritualistic belief that there is only one true God, and that He existed alone before all things--including Jesus, would lead you into the pantheistic belief that God just subdivided Himself, His essence or His divine substance, into different parts; such as a Son, or a Holy Spirit, etc. Thus God would be the continuous source and sustainer of all these parts of His, because He would be in all these parts. This is exactly the pantheistic belief of the Trinity--one God divided into three parts. Hence, even though Fred Alaback, Marty Wold, Scott Stanley, John Smith, John Encisco, Caleb Alonso, Bill Stringfellow, etc., teach against the Trinity doctrine, they are actually believing and teaching the same concept as the Trinity--one true God birthing out of Himself others! Which is nothing more than pure pantheism and spiritualism!

Marty Wold in quoting Edward Edstrom in support of his beliefs--"'AND SO WE SEE ONE God known to His universe through three personal manifestations of Himself: first, the Father--the Eternal Personal Spirit in union and operating through the original divine form of the same God; second, the same Eternal Personal Spirit interacting through the begotten form of the same God; and third, the same one Eternal Personal Spirit at work in, and upholding, all the works of creation above and beyond the 'material' VISIBLE PRESENCE of this Father and Son. Here we have not three Gods, but one! Here also we have one God, not two; yet, however two visible, 'tangible', real forms which bring to a 'SENSES' experience the same one Divine Spirit!'" Open Form Letter, 8-19-87, p 11.

Bill Stringfellow--"...Christ hasn't existed as long as His Father...He got His self-existence through inheritance. As a matter of fact, Michael got all of the powers and attributes of His Father from His Father....Michael came into existence through His Father and for His Father..." Video Taped Presentation, Part Two, March, 1994.

Spiritualism--"The Father uttered himself and all creatures in the Word, his Son, and the return of the Father into himself includes the like return of all creatures into the same Eternal Source. The logical genesis of the Son furnishes a type of all evolution or creation; the Son is the unity of all the works of God....God is in all things, and God is all things." Dictionary, p 770.

So spiritualism also teaches that God just subdivided Himself, His essence or His divine substance, into different parts; such as a Son, or a Holy Spirit, etc. Thus God would be the continuous source and sustainer of all these parts of His, because He would be in all these parts. And this spiritualistic doctrine is nothing new, but was taught nearly 4,000 years ago by Hermes--who originated the doctrines of Babylonian spiritualistic Mysteries.

The following teach that the Holy Spirit is not a separate Being or Person other than the Father or the Son, and that He is not the third Being or Person of the Godhead, but is referred to as being the breath, or life, or light, or power, etc., of God, or the combination of Father and Son together.

"'Through a part of Himself, His inner being, His inner self, His ultimate inner reality, the source or seat of His vitality, His inner person, the center of His full person, His soul, His mind, His breath of life, God reaches to the actual 'ends' of His infinite universe 'touching' everything and everyone with His own real presence!...

Spiritualism--"The difference between the Father and the Son is this--'The Father' is to express God-hidden, 'The Son' is God-manifest, and the 'Holy Ghost' is the knowledge of the Spirit of truth, proceeding from the experience of both, as God hidden, and revealed." Dictionary, p 770.

Spiritualism--"In the heart of the Trinity [or One God] the Creator laughs and gives birth to the child. The child laughs back at the Creator and together they give birth to the Spirit." Meister Eckhart quoted in The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, p 218-19, by Matthew Fox.

Spiritualism--"I [Father of All Things] order you [Son of Light] to go forth, to become as a guide to those who wander in darkness, that all man within whom dwells the spirit of My Mind (The Universal Mind) may be saved by My Mind in you, which shall call forth My Mind in them....for I am the Mind of the Mysteries...'" Hall quoting Hermes, p XL.

So spiritualism also teaches that the Holy Spirit is not a separate Being or Person other than the Father or the Son, but is referred to as being the breath, or life, or light, or power, etc., of God, or the combination of Father and Son together. And this false doctrine of devils is not new, but began to be taught by Hermes--nearly 4,000 years ago! But the truth of God is just the opposite to this falsehood (see p 18-22).

You can clearly see that by believing the teachings of Fred Alaback, Marty Wold, John Smith, Scott Stanley, Caleb Alonso, Bill Stringfellow, and who ever else adopts and spreads these teachings, you would be directly involved in spiritualism and under bondage to doctrines of devils, instead of being free in the pure truths of God found in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy!

It is also very interesting, that the Holy Spirit Himself--as a Person and Divine Being--is being mercilessly attacked. Why is this? Because it is only through the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit Itself that the Father and Christ can be with us; it is only through the Holy Spirit Itself that the plan of our redemption can be made effectual in our lives; it is only through the Holy Spirit Itself and Its power that we can overcome sin and become perfect like our God in character; and it is only through the Holy Spirit Himself that Satan's power can be broken and made of none effect!

"The Holy Spirit was promised to be with those who were wrestling for victory, in demonstration of all mightiness, endowing the human agent with supernatural powers, and instructing the ignorant in the mysteries of the kingdom of God. That the Holy Spirit is to be the grand helper, is a wonderful promise.

"Of what avail would it have been to us that the only begotten Son of God had humbled Himself, endured the temptations of the wily foe, and wrestled with him during His entire life on earth, and died the Just for the unjust, that humanity might not perish, if the Holy Spirit had not been given as a constant, working, regenerating agent to make effectual in our case what had been wrought out by the world's Redeemer?

"The promised Holy Spirit...is constantly at work to draw the attention to the great official sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary, and to unfold to the world the love of God to man, and to open to the convicted soul the precious things in the Scriptures, and to open to darkened minds the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, the truths that make their hearts burn within them with the awakened intelligence of the truths of eternity.

"Who but the Holy Spirit presents before the mind the moral standard of righteousness and convinces of sin, and produces godly sorrow which worketh repentance that needeth not to be repented of, and inspires the exercise of faith in Him who alone can save from all sin?

"Who but the Holy Spirit can work with human minds to transform character by withdrawing the affections from those things which are temporal, perishable, and imbues the soul with earnest desire by presenting the immortal inheritance, the eternal substance which is imperishable, and recreates, refines, and sanctifies the human agents that they may become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King?" 2MR 14-15 (Manuscript #1, 11-13-1892).

"The Comforter is called 'the Spirit of truth.' His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood....Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the Word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.

"The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer." 5RH 471 col 1 (also DA 671, FLB 52, LHU 191, AG 194).

Satan's hatred is intense against the Holy Spirit! And he is doing all he can to attack the Holy Spirit Itself--trying to get humanity to deny that the Holy Spirit Itself exists as a third divine Person and Being in the Godhead. If this is accomplished, and we believe that there is not a Holy Spirit--rejecting Him as being the third Person and third Being in the Godhead, then how can we expect the Holy Spirit Itself to work for us? How can we expect the Holy Spirit to help us, when we've rejected Him? Thus the devil wins the battle.

Those early Christian believers, who did not know that the Holy Ghost existed, did not have the Holy Spirit's power in their lives (see Acts 8:14-17, 18:1-7). And it will be the same with us if we believe that there is not a third living Person and Being in the Godhead whose name is the Holy Spirit!

This devilish attack against the Holy Spirit Itself is being made by men who profess to be God's servants and ministers among the separated remnant people of God. These men may appear as the ministers of righteousness, yet they are voicing the spiritualistic words of the devil (see 2 Cor 11:13-15). They claim and teach that the Holy Spirit is not a living third divine Person or Being of His own--when He really is; that He doesn't have a name or character all His own--when He really has; and that He does not have a mind of and cannot think on His own--when He really does.

So, for those who are saying that the Holy Spirit is not a personal, living holy Being--the third God in the Godhead--possessing a personality and character all His own, when He actually is and has, they are really denying and condemning the Holy Ghost Itself! Sister White writes:

"When men feel competent to pronounce judgment and condemn the Holy Spirit, they do a work for themselves which will be difficult to counteract. The whole head becomes weak, and the discernment so weak that it is apt to judge unrighteously." 4MR 358 (Letter 6, 10-21-1894).

"We need to dwell more constantly and earnestly upon the grace of the Holy Spirit. This we do not discern with our natural eyes, yet by faith we see its office work, and we cannot render to God supreme love and honor if we do not recognize the Holy Spirit which the Lord sends. The Holy Spirit represents Jesus Christ." 2MR 38 (Manuscript #59, 8-16-1900).

"Those who reject the Spirit of truth place themselves under the control of a spirit that is opposed to the word and work of God. For a time they may continue to teach some phases of the truth, but their refusal to accept all the light that God sends will after a time place them where they will do the work of a false watchman....There will always be those who are seeking for something new, and who stretch and strain the Word of God to make it support their ideas and theories." Manuscript Release #723, p 2-3 (Manuscript #125, 7-4-1907).

We already read that as far back as the flood, followers of these Babylonian Mysteries were active in spreading such satanic falsehoods. And in 1851, his followers were still active in denying and rejecting the Holy Spirit Itself. But it didn't end there among the remnant people.

"Your ideas...do not harmonize with the light which God has given me. The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery not clearly revealed, and you will never be able to explain it to others because the Lord has not revealed it to you. You may gather together Scriptures and put your construction upon them, but the application is not correct. The expositions by which you sustain your position are not sound. You may lead some to accept your explanations, but you do them no good, nor are they, through accepting your views, enabled to do others good.

"I hope that you will seek to be in harmony with the body. I have been shown that you would not exert a saving influence in teaching the truth, because your mind is restless, and unless you drank deeper of the Fountain of life, you would make the mistake that many others have made, of thinking that you have new light, when it is only a new phase of error.

"You need to come into harmony with your brethren. You may take certain views of Scripture and, searching the Bible in the light of your ideas, may gather together a large number of texts and claim that they mean this and that, and call for anyone to prove to you that your views are incorrect, but what influence could anyone have upon your mind, when he takes the same Scriptures and interprets and applies them differently? Both of you claim to found your views on the Bible.

"It is your duty to come as near to the people as you can, and not to get as far away from them as possible, and by your interpretation make a difference that should not exist. Here is your danger, of diverting minds from the real issues for this time. And you are not the only one who seems to be moved with ambition in this direction. It would not be right or prudent to send you out as a worker to promulgate your peculiar ideas and thus cause division; we have plenty of this now. We want men of solid experience, who will anchor minds and not send them adrift without chart or compass.

After 1891, the Lord continued to reveal to sister White more truth regarding the Nature of the Holy Spirit, which she faithfully put down in her writings. That is why we find so much material regarding the Nature of the Holy Spirit after 1891, which we do not find before.

Also after 1891, Kellogg began spreading abroad his spiritualistic views about the Godhead, seemingly backed up by the Scriptures, but was leading his listeners to conclude that the three living Persons of the Godhead were not Persons at all, but were nothing more than three essences or vapors (see Series B#7 p 62-63).

Sister White faithfully met these and other great errors, which were attacking the Nature of GOD--the Father, GOD--the Son, and GOD--the Holy Spirit, with the written word. She did so, so that when other messages would arise denying GOD--the Father, GOD--the Son, or GOD--the Holy Ghost, His remnant people could firmly stand upon the truth already revealed and refute these errors with an "It is written."

That is why so many, including Satan, want us to give up or ignore these precious Testimonies from God and stick to the Bible and the Bible alone. And when the Testimonies are rejected, so that the correct interpretation of the Scriptures is not recognized, then the only thing left to interpret the Scriptures would be man and his fallible, erring, foolish human reasoning and wisdom, and confusion will spread rampant just in proportion as the Testimonies are given up!

For those who continue to hold divergent views from the truths that have already been revealed through the Spirit of Prophecy regarding the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost, are dealing with their souls salvation. They had better repent of their pride and rebellion, realizing that human reasoning and wisdom is foolishness with God, and accept the Spirit of Prophecy's interpretation of "What saith the Scriptures."

The Testimonies are ordained by God Himself as the means by which His true remnant people can correctly detect truth from error! Unless these individuals bring themselves into complete--not partial--harmony with what sister White has written regarding GOD--the Father, GOD--the Son, and GOD--the Holy Ghost, they can only expect to continue to misinterpret and wrest the Scriptures, to continue to drift away from the truth, to continue to lose their spiritual discernment, and to continue to mislead other souls of the Lord's flock to their eternal death.

"It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith, of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our positions, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction." 4T 211.

"When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after suppositions contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained. Men will arise with interpretations of Scripture which are to them truth, but which are not truth....One will arise, and still another, with new light, which contradicts the light that God has given under the demonstration of His Holy Spirit." 1SM 161.

"It will be one of the great evils that will come to our people to have the Scriptures taken out of their true place and so interpreted as to substantiate error that contradicts the light and the testimonies that God has been giving us for the past half century." MR #737, p 12 (Manuscript 59, May 20, 1905).

I pray that these individuals will wake up before it is too late, before they "go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken," because they would not give glory to the Lord by hearing, following, and voicing all the words of the Lord--the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy!

"My brethren seem to judge me as taking positions that are not necessary. They do not see that God in his own wisdom has made revelations to me which cannot successfully be contradicted or disputed. All the oppositions or gainsayings to make my testimony of none effect only compels from me, by the urgency of the Spirit of God, a more decided repetition, and to stand on the light revealed with all the force of the strength God has given me. All the arguments of men, all their opposing influence, is of no force to me. Whatever may be the position or the doctrines of these men, and however firm may have been my confidence in them heretofore, when they take false positions all their arguments against what I know the Lord has shown me to be truth are vain....Let God be true and every man a liar.

"Every word is in harmony with the living Oracles, and it is only by wresting the Scriptures from their true meaning, by misapplying and misinterpreting them, and the Testimonies which God has given me, that this can be gainsaid. Those who do this are like the impenitent Jews, who had eyes, but saw not, ears they had, but they heard not, neither would they understand. Why? Lest they should be converted and have to acknowledge that all their ideas were not correct. This they were too proud to do, and therefore persisted in rejecting God's counsel and the light and evidence which had been given. Thus they deluded their own souls and the souls of others." Manuscript Release #881, p 1-2 (Manuscript #25, 1-7-1890).

"When strong minded men once set their will against God's will, it is not easy for them to admit that they have erred in judgment. It is very difficult for such men to come fully into the light by honestly confessing their sins; for Satan has great power over the minds of many to whom God has granted evidence sufficient to encourage faith and inspire confidence. Many will not be convinced, because they are not inclined to confess. To resist and reject even one ray of light from heaven because of pride and stubbornness of heart, makes it easier to refuse the light the second time. Thus men form the habit of rejecting light...

"The light of truth is constantly shining, but many men and women comprehend it not, and why?--Because selfishness, egotism, pride blind their spiritual eyesight. Standing between them and the true light, is the idol of their own opinion." Manuscript Release #77, p 6 (Manuscript #21, 2-7-1891).

"Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive." Jeremiah 13:15-17.

I also pray that the rest of God's people will be fully warned and will never deny or set aside the Spirit of Prophecy just because it contradicts some beloved interpretation which they think the Bible sustains. May the words of God be true, and every one else a liar who holds not to all the words of God--the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy!