Standing Out: Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not an “it” or a force but the third person of the Trinity.
She is eternally in a relationship with the eternal Father and the Son. She thinks, feels, acts, guides, mourns as a Person.
Holy Spirit is no less a person or no less God than the Father and the Son.
There is no hierarchy in the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is not a niche topic or division 3 of God. She is as God as God can be along with Father and Son.
The church stands out for her centre-ing on Christ and her participation and satisfaction in the Spirit of our union in Christ.
The Holy Spirit is on the pages of scripture, the whole biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation.
Holy Spirit is involved in the creation, the covenant community known as Isreal, the gifts of the Spirit, the Incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ, the ascension and outpouring at Pentecost.
The story of the Acts and church history is the story of the Spirit’s work with humanity and all of creation to be reconciled to God.
As the church, the community of God’s people, our new life is found in the Spirit, our character is evident as the fruit of life in the Spirit (Galatians 5).
Our gifts are ignited and taken to new levels by the Spirit. Our gatherings are spaces to hear from the Spirit.
The filling of the Holy Spirit can be intoxicating as we discover and experience our union with Christ and place in our heavenly Father’s heart.
Christ calls the time of the Spirit even better than the time of the disciples walking with Him on earth. The Spirit is Truth and makes known everything the Father wants to say to us.
The Spirit awakens our true self as beloved children of God (Romans 8). Truly we are saturated by the Triune God of Love.
The Spirit is an eternal flame that is never exhausted in comforting our souls with Light and Truth and Love.
Taking a step into this reality of our inexpressible union with God’s love by his Spirit could simply start with:
Read the bible’s language of the Spirit to recognise who she is and she works.
Notice and name the work of the Spirit and her Presence in your everyday life - at the table, in a conversation, cleaning the dishes.
Ask Holy Spirit to fill you up and to make known the Mystery that is Christ in you the Hope of Glory.
Remain quiet for one minute in solitude to take a journey into God’s Presence. Thank Him by faith, knowing your feeling have no relation to the objective truth of Christ’s eternal union with you.
