#DailyDevotion No One Can Say Jesus Is YHWH Except By The Holy Spirit
1 Cor. 12:1-11 Fellow Christians, I want you to know about the gifts of the Spirit. 2You know that when you were unbelievers, you were led away in one way or another to idols that cannot talk. 3So I tell you that no one who is speaking by God’s Spirit will say, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one is able to say, “Jesus is the Lord”, except by the Holy Spirit.
When we were unbelievers, St. Paul says, we were led away in one way or another to idols that can’t talk. Unfortunately, because of the deceptiveness of idols, they still often lead us away by idols that can’t talk. What is an idol? Does it have to be an object? I don’t think so. By faith we have both an idol and the true God. Anything that is not God is an idol if we put our faith in it. But faith to do what? To solve our problems, to give us meaning, to define who we are, we turn to idols to do those things. Idols can make us think they are doing these things and they often can for short periods of time. Eventually though they demand their sacrifices and they begin to ruin our lives, turning us inward to ourselves. We sacrifice our health, wealth, family and friends hoping and waiting for this idol to do for us what it once did. So what sort of idols are leading us astray? Wealth is a big one. Other obvious ones are sex, alcohol, drugs, and work. Less obvious ones are patriotism, shopping, food and the like. In fact anything in all creation can become an idol if we look to it to solve our problems and give us comfort, strength and hope. I think, at least in my day and my country, happiness is the biggest non-material false god or idol that we sacrifice everything to get its blessing. Most of these other idols are sub-idols to the false god of happiness.
None of these idols have God’s Spirit and they cannot confess what the Spirit confesses. What does the Spirit confess? The Holy Spirit confesses, “Jesus Christ is LORD.” Now what does it mean to confess that? Well it doesn’t mean to confess Jesus is my king, i.e. that sort of lord. Many heretics who don’t have the Spirit can confess Jesus is my lord and do. What can the heretics not confess? Jesus Christ is the LORD of the Old Testament in the flesh. You see in the Old Testament, rather in translations of the OT God’s personal name is usually not translated or transliterated. We seem to follow the Jewish practice of replacing God’s name with all caps LORD, though ord are usually smaller capital letters. In the Hebrew it is YHWH, Yahweh, sometime written Jehovah (which is YHWH with adonai’s(lord) vowels added to it).
To confess Jesus is LORD is to say Jesus is YHWY in the flesh. The author of Hebrews recognized this when he says in ch. 12, “26He [Moses] considered the abuse suffered for Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to the reward.” It was Jesus who talked with Moses on Mt. Sinai, performed the plagues in Egypt, parted the Red Sea, made the covenant with Israel, fed and watered them, led them to the Promised Land and fought their battles. It was Jesus who tabernacled with the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting. It was Jesus who put his name in the Temple and received Israel’s prayers and sacrifices. You can only say this by the Holy Spirit.
It is Jesus therefore you are to turn to solve all your problems today. It is Jesus you are to turn to give you comfort, strength, hope and meaning. Put aside all these other idols which cannot speak and turn to the one who intercedes for you in the Father’s ear. You will not be disappointed.
Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit so we may turn from idols and confess Jesus Christ is LORD to your glory and for our salvation, now and forever. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.