In my youth I learned we (meaning our church and by implication other Churches of Christ) believe in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then there was an unspoken shhh, relative to the Spirit. Adding to the mystery was the prevalent translation of the word for Spirit at the time, “ghost.” So we believe in a ghost, I thought. Did he resemble “Casper the friendly ghost,” but with a more serious tone? Shhh.
As I began to preach an older preacher once quantified the shhh, I had known, saying “there are two subjects I will not preach on.” I’m not sure what one was, but the other was the indwelling of the Spirit. He was apparently informed about the shhh.
I made a habit of collecting bible literature at each church I visited, when I was in Jr. High and Sr. High; when going to the occasional Christian bookstore; and even once spent food money on bible study material while attending a church workshop. Amidst the material I found one booklet on the Holy Spirit. I don’t recall what it said, but my curiosity was piqued by its novelty.
Spirit, Ghost, shhh. Enough said! Any serious question about his role invited a clear answer. “I don’t know. There is just not much in scripture on the Spirit. But, we believe Him!” “Absolutely!”
In retrospect if I grew up in a Trinitarian church it was more by unquestioned acceptance it was so. A bystanders perception would more likely have labeled us binitarian (God the Father and God the Son). And looking back I wonder to what extent our fellowship was weakened by a lack of influence on the Spirit. To what extent have we incurred a tendency to split and divide over a myriad of disagreements? To what extent have we been less effective in missions? To what extent have we been to impassionate about our faith?
So, the challenge before us is to overcome the encumbrance behind us by noting the discussion within scripture on the Spirit, to incorporate Spirit language into our faith practice, and to invite the Spirit into our lives. Our lives are to be filled with the Spirit, and to the extent we enjoy the influence in our ignorance and due to God’s grace how might our faith change if such influence came through active acknowledgement?
2 comments:
Jerry,
As usual, Jesus said it best:
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Now, I had a conversation with a dear brother the other day who was hung up on baptism and he said (essentially) "See! WATER and the Spirit! You can't be saved without being baptised!" Well, you already know my stance on THAT, but I had to ask, "So, if I were baptised but had no change of heart, no indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the act of getting wet is going to assure my salvation?" He had to agree that water in and of itself is not some magic tonic that sends all souls to heaven! If that were true, then Jesus lied when He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one gets to the Father but by Me!" Jesus doesn't lie and water isn't salvation by itself! We must be "born again" and that rebirth is the very birth of the Spirit of which you speak! God bless you, brother!
A humble reading of the Book of Acts with an open willingness to drink in all that God has to offer should convince any believer of the Nature and the Power of the Holy Spirit. It brought hundreds (perhaps more) to Salvetion on the Day of Pentecost. What a Blessing to realize what The Spirit did for early Christians, and what he does for us, Now and Forever as he indwells within our Soul.
Post a Comment