What does SPIRIT mean?
March 14, 2022
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, Jesus gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4-5 [NIV]
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
John 16:7 [NIV]
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:7-8 [NIV]
Understanding “Spirit” is Vital!
As Jesus said in John 16:7, “It is better for us that he is going away because he can send his Counselor to us.” The word Counselor here is the same as the Holy Spirit.
Do we know what spirit is? Can we recognize spirit? It is intangible like the human mind, but can we tell the difference between what our mind is telling us versus what the spirit is telling us? That is why I am highly interested to know what spirit is, not just as an Oriental man who is interested in the concept of Eastern spirits. I have heard several American mothers who were concerned that I would teach unknown Oriental/Eastern spiritual exercises to their child(ren) as a Martial Arts Master.
I would not!
Spirit is, however, a vital point that we need to understand clearly because it is the main source of power for our well-being.
Power has two elements.
Power has both volume and direction. Volume is the amount of power and direction is how that power is used, i.e. its intention or purpose. For example, the automobile has a lot of horsepower (volume) yet how many people are killed by them (direction)? That said, however, how useful are automobiles to human life in the modern age? The same can be said of dynamite, money, knowledge, etc. This gives us a good clue about how to discern what the human mind is telling us versus what the Holy Spirit is telling us. The Holy Spirit will never lead us in the wrong direction.
What does spirit mean?
All activities require some form of energy. For example, just as the human body can move muscles with energy from food, a car burns gasoline to fuel the engine and make the wheels turn. A modern civilized world without electricity is unimaginable since electricity is the main form of physical power in modern society. So then, what is the main source of energy for intangible beings such as life? Spirit is the main source of energy for the intangibles of this world like life! Spirit is energy! Spirit is the life force! Therefore, God is Spirit which means God is the source of energy for the intangible world.
If a reader has difficulty accepting that God is Spirit (see scriptures above), then just accept that spirit is the source of energy!
Conclusion:
Don’t let your fear of the unknown elements of the Spirit concern you; rather, you need to have a desire to know the Holy Spirit and put forth the effort to study it.
It is so vital to study the spirit because it is the main source of all of the good power and leads us to a deeper understanding of human life. This knowledge will guide us to find the meaning of human life for each of us.
All of the above is what I offer you. I will guide you to learn more about spirit from a Biblical perspective through the exercise of Martial Arts. (Taekwondo)
NEXT TIME….
Do you know what the difference between Martial Arts and Martial Sports is? The concept of “Ki” is essential to understanding that “Ki” has been used in the East for a very long time as the term for spirit or life force. I will make another blog post soon to follow up on this. I hope you’ll join me as we explore even more.
Thank you for reading.
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