Those of you who have been reading along with this blog will
recall that since Easter Sunday we’ve been exploring ways God Refreshes us, and
Blesses us so that we can offer Love to those we meet and interact with. After
a brief hiatus, we are back to look at the work of the Holy Spirit in
Refreshing, Blessing, and Loving.
Many of us are unsure about the Holy Spirit. We may glibly
recite the Nicene Creed that says “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and
Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father
and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets…”
Yet, the Holy Spirit is often rather ignored when considering the 3 persons of
the Trinity. The Father and the Son, yes, they are kind of relatable, but the
Spirit… The Spirit is not as easy to relate to or explain--and I’m not going to
try and explain anything. Instead, we will look at ways the Spirit of the
Living God works in and through us.
Jesus told his disciples, “I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the
Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know
him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) This is a wonderful promise because we are
assured that the Spirit of God lives in us. We don’t have to explain or
understand it, just accept that the Spirit of Truth, our Advocate, is with us
always.
One of the things the Spirit does is Regenerate and Indwell.
Most often we think of ‘regenerate’ in repairing or re-growing cells. It can
also mean to bring new or renewed life to an issue or organization. The Spirit
of God regenerates our souls. Our souls are reborn and made new. You may recall
the story of Nicodemus who came to see Jesus at night. He left with as many
questions as he came with because Jesus told him. “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see
the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone
be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s
womb and be born?’ Jesus
answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no
one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3: 3-5)
The idea of being born again
is confusing. However, as the Spirit works in our lives and souls, we discover
that we are indeed regenerated and made new—born again. In the Letter to the
Romans, we hear the same truth, “If the
Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will
give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”
(Romans 8:11) We may not be able to explain HOW it happens. Like Nicodemus we
may not even be able to understand that it CAN happen. However, because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are
given new life. We are regenerated, we are reborn in a new, spiritual way. Live
into the truth that the Holy Spirit is living and working in you each and every
day.
What might be different about
the way you face the trials and temptations of day-to-day life if you
remembered that God’s Spirit is in you?
Sometimes if we hear familiar
words in a new way, it gives new insight. For a new rendition of the Creed
consider the song This I Believe by
Hillsong. Does the rephrasing of the familiar words make you think about the Spirit and
Trinity in a different way?
