Truth Be Told: A Blog by Pastor Bill Alderson

  In  Judaism , the Holy Spirit is God's divine force, quality, and influence  over the universe and his creation. The Nicene   Creed recognizes the Holy Spirit as the third person of the  Trinity . In  Islam , the Holy Spirit acts as an agent of divine action or communication. In the  Baha’i Faith , the Holy Spirit is seen as the intermediary between God and man and "the outpouring grace of God and the effulgent rays that emanate from His Manifestation." Each faith has its own unique interpretation of His role and purpose.   In like manner, the subject of the Holy Spirit is a highly controversial subject within Christianity. Some segments emphasize the signs and wonders that come from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life, including the outward signs of speaking in tongues and their interpretation. They also recognize the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” as a separate event from the Holy Spirit baptizing each believer into the Bo...

  Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty .           2 Corinthians 3:17   According to Webster’s Dictionary, freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws." The English word "freedom" is etymologically related to the word "friend." Philosophy and religion sometimes associate it with free will as an alternative to determinism or predestination. The Greek word is eleuthería , and it is translated as freedom, generosity, or independence. Freedom is presented as a signal blessing of the economy of grace, which, in contrast with the Old Testament economy, is represented as including independence from religious regulations and legal restrictions; it is freedom from the yoke of the Mosaic Law, f...