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Dale Bruner and the Holy Spirit

 

I Will Sing of My Redeemer (with 1st-3rd grade skit intro and choir)

 

In my quest to understand the Trinity more and in understanding how the Holy Spirit engages as part of the Godhead, I ran across Dale Bruner’s material. Let me share some quotes and thoughts.

Dale Bruner wrote about this. He said that the Spirit could be pictured by my drawing a stick figure (representing Jesus) on a blackboard. Then, to express what the Spirit does, I stand behind the blackboard, reach around with one hand, and point with a single finger to the image of Jesus: “Look at him, listen to him, learn from him, follow him, worship him, be devoted to him, serve him, love him, be preoccupied with him.”

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. – John 16:12-15  ESV

In other words, the Holy Spirit doesn’t exist in order to draw attention to Himself, He wants to get people to focus on Jesus. Self-giving, unconditional loving, mutual affirmation, promoting the welfare of the other.

 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:26  ESV

The Spirit is always pointing people back to the Son.

“It is often said that the Holy Spirit is the Cinderella of the trinity …the great neglected person of the godhead. But the holy spirit’s desire and work is that we would be thrilled again, excited again, and gripped again by the words and majesty and relevance of Jesus. The holy spirit does not mind being the Cinderella outside the ballroom if the prince is being honored in his kingdom.” – Dale Bruner, The Shy Member of the Trinity  

“One of the most surprising discoveries in my own study of the doctrine and experience of the Spirit in the New Testament is what I can only call the shyness of the Spirit… What I mean here is not the shyness of timidity but the shyness of deference, the shyness of a concentrated attention on another; it is not the shyness (which we often experience) of self-centeredness, but the shyness of an other-centeredness. It is in a word, the shyness of love.” ~ Dale Bruner, in The Holy Spirit: Shy Member of the Trinity” – Dale Bruner, The Shy Member of the Trinity

It is, in short, the shyness of love. Bruner points out the ministry of the Spirit in the Gospel of John, a ministry constantly to draw attention not to Himself but to the Son—the Spirit comes in the Son’s name, bears witness to the Son, glorifies the Son

 “It is worth noticing that the voice from Heaven does not say, ‘Hey! Listen to Me too! Don’t forget about me! Don’t be too taken up with my Son!’ …God the Father is shy, too. The whole blessed Trinity is shy. Each member of the Trinity points faithfully and selflessly to the other in a gracious circle.” ~ Dale Bruner

 

 

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Axiomatic

 

As a parent, I know that I must teach God’s Word and diligently bring it forward as a loving disciple, in a pattern of discipleship, throughout my children’s life.

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
he will give delight to your heart. – Proverbs 29:17  ESV

As a disciple of God’s wisdom, when I read God’s word, even today, I still come to the place where I know so little in comprehending God. He alone has experienced the breadth of the universe and has harnessed the full power of nature. Has anyone else?

Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
    Surely you know!

 Every word of God proves true;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. – Proverbs 30:4-5  ESV

There is no other son’s name than Jesus. He has the wisdom and power described here. Jesus has a name describing Him as “Word of God,” and so it is no surprise to find that in the next verse.

I am called on to know God, the One who sometimes shakes my foundations but the One who will not forsake me because I have put my trust in Him. I am called to follow the word of God and put action to His promises.

F.B.Meyer wrote, “What we are is more important than what we say. Our life is our best sermon. If we would expend as much care on the hidden man of the heart as many do on the outer, what lovely characters would result.“

What am I called to do with this wisdom imparted to me? There are eight parables in Matthew 13 and maybe the first and last ones may be the most important. The first one is the Parable of the Sower and here is the last one:

“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” – Matthew 13:51-52  ESV

The teaching reflects my responsibility when I am taught what the Kingdom of Heaven is all about. I am a student, teacher and a leader. I feed into the household of faith. I have a rich, inspired storehouse of essential spiritual treasures from which I can draw on to perform what God has called me to do.

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