The Spirt of Grace

The Holy Spirit (Part 4)

The Spirit of Grace

Grace is but glory begun, and glory

is but grace perfected

~Jonathan Edwards~

To understand the power of grace we must first understand the basis for it and that is love. In many instances the two words could almost be interchanged in their use. Certainly, without love the outward action of grace is without substance or lasting meaning (1Cor 13). So we begin this discussion of grace with its author and creator, the God who is love (1John 4:16). My hope, in the end, is that we will see our service of grace not only as glory begun, but glory perfected.

Before the beginning of space and time the eternal Triune God existed. They are the persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; three individuals in perfect unity expressing one holy perfect love. Together and alone they are each the perfect representation of the same love. Together, these singular expressions convey a singular will, God’s will. An analogy of their union is to liken them to the sun. There is the substance of the sun itself, which would be likened to God the Father. There is the light of the sun, which would be likened to God the Son, and there is the heat of the sun, which would be likened to God the Holy Spirit. Together, they make up our experience of God. Though the analogy of the inanimate sun compared to the living personalities of the Triune God is anemic, the underlying thought here is that they have multiple forms of expressing a singular idea or will. With God, the one will is always expressed in holy perfect love and God’s love takes many forms.

If God is love, then what is love? First of all love is relational. Without the possibility of relationship, love simply cannot be. Secondly, love is volitional. Love cannot be forced or manipulative, it requires volition of will (choice) from both (or all) parties to commit to the relationship. Thirdly, love is any action that works to support beneficial growth in the relationship. Lastly, there is intent. The focus and strength of commitment behind each action of love determines the depth of love. The varying dynamism of love is reflected in the New Testament as it uses different Greek words to describe different depths of love. As we look at this picture we see that love involves the whole of the spiritual heart. Love necessitates a common belief (truth) that is able to build real, living, and lasting relationship. Love involves volition to bend and show deference (humility) so that growth in the relationship may be mutual. Love needs empathy so that the relationship is not only of the mind, but also involving the broad spectrum of mutually felt emotions that lead to compassionate (or heart felt) responses. Love requires intent to help focus and strengthen the heart (to have courage) in order to remain active in exploration and commitment of relationship, when the drama of everyday life would have it cower alone and be fearful of exposure and hurt. Each chamber of the spiritual heart is involved when love is expressed.

The Triune God is the perfect expression of this love, and it is this love that desires to be manifest in our hearts. However, in order to fulfill God’s desire that we may know His love, the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit is required. For the sake of love, the Triune God will not simply invade our hearts and ruthlessly take over. Because love is an act of volition (free will), we must invite Him into our hearts. It is through Jesus that we come to know God. It is Jesus who asks Father God to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in us (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit, who was the witness and the will of the Father to Jesus, now becomes the witness and the will of Jesus to all those who believe and follow Him (John 16:13-14).

When we become followers of Jesus, we are given a renewed heart. The old heart was dark, consumed with self, insensitive, and driven by fear. In Ezek 36:26, God called the old heart “a heart of stone;” I would liken it to being “petrified,” a heart filled and being filled with stony self-centric callousness and fear. God, by His love, removes this petrified old heart when we become followers (servants) of Jesus. What remains is a (new) renewed functioning heart that becomes the home for the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit moves into the heart, He has a unique and unequivocal affect on each chamber of the heart. As the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17) moves in, the chamber of belief is filled with living truth. In the heart ‘s chamber of empathy, we begin to feel the passion and deep camaraderie of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15). In the chamber of intent, He is the pilot and encourager of our heart (John 14:16). As the Spirit enters the chamber of volition He passes through the door of the heart. In this chamber resides our yes, our no, our bend, and our stand firm. This is the place where we open and close our hearts (Rev 3:20) and submit to His ways (Ezk 36:27) or not.

When the Spirit of Truth enters through the doorway of our “yes”, and into the chamber of volition, something remarkable and not wholly expected appears, and that is grace (1Pet 5:5). Not only does the extraordinary grace of Jesus enter by the Holy Spirit, but grace is also conceived. It is yieldingness (humility) to the Spirit of Truth that births grace within our heart. This is the grace that is spontaneously produced in the yielded heart and brings forth precious fruit for the nourishment of others.

Grace is the spiritual child birthed of free will and The Spirit of Truth. As a child, grace holds within it the characteristics (or “DNA”) of the parents. The attributes of eternal truth, from the father of grace, are recognizable. Because free will is a gift from God, what can also be seen is that grace is also a free gift from inception. Since grace is a child of free will, the “DNA” of free will produces an individualistic expression of grace that is as unique as every fingerprint, every soul. Though each expression of grace is unique, each expression shares the common heritage of free will and the Spirit of Truth.

As we look at the Triune God we see three persons, three expressions, of a singular will. Perfect love is the sole expression of that will. This perfect bond of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is of their own choosing. We see grace demonstrated between them as each one freely yields their authority to the others, which allows the whole of the nature of God (love) to be fully expressed. Not only does each member of the Godhead freely yield to one another, they also avail or gift their individual empowerments amongst each another in order to manifest and express the manifold life within the relationship. This generated life is one of the endowments of eternal truth. Grace is then not only a gift that is received, it is also the expressed, unmerited, and empowering gift that is given so that each may express their constant love for one another. Each expression of grace builds upon another and so the relationship remains an enduring living structure because eternal truth is the progenitor.

From the beginning, grace has been present. This is not only a grace to heal weakness, sin, or infirmity, but it is a grace that acknowledges, cherishes, and empowers each independent and unique expression of free will within the bounds of truth and all its splendor. This is a grace that manifests great beauty and great joy. We are able to experience and express this grace because we were made in God’s likeness. The same boundless measure of grace (unmerited favor) that is within God’s midst is also available to us, so that we may be like them in growing and expressing the unity of their love (1Pet 4:8-10). This grace creates a dynamic empowering environment when it is free to bless and encourage the manifold expressions (Luke 6:35-36) of all who are in the truth. Grace is then not to be held back, but freely given and freely received (Matt 5:44-48) or we deny the liberty of its heritage. As grace begets grace, a river of living water (John 7:38) flows from your innermost being (the heart) from which others may drink and benefit.

It is here where we can now define grace by its purpose. Grace empowers and frees us to grow as unique expressions of God’s eternal truth, so that we may grow in an ever-increasing expression of love with God and people. Grace is the environment that brings into fruition faith, hope, and love. Grace is given with the hope that the recipient may be nourished, grow, and bear similar fruit to others. Galatians 5:22 states, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” When we live within this power, it is nearly impossible to separate (as it should be) grace from truth. In this we are what we eat and express, the “fruit of the Spirit” (John 4:31-34). From this grace, we see the roots of our service.

So what does it mean then to be a servant? Is it not yielding to the will of another? As stated before, it is yielding to the will of another, the Spirit of Truth, which births (generates) grace within. As we serve, this indwelling grace is generated bringing the power (the Greek word dunamis) to do the will of the Master as promised in Luke 24:49. We are servants of living eternal truth, the Holy Spirit, and the moment we obey (hear and do) the will of His truth we become servers of grace. Grace is manifested as we serve His will. The type or expression of grace that is given will be as unique as each moment, and each person who is giving and receiving. Grace is constantly evolving even though the truth is eternal and constant. This is not contradictory since the goal of grace is to bring about growth. Even as we serve we see growth. There comes a time when the Master no longer calls us slaves, but friends (John 15:14-15). Grace is ever increasing, as growth begets growth in relationship. As a servant serves the servant and as a friend befriends a friend, by grace we serve truth eternal. So as Jesus said in Matt 20:26, “Whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant.”

As the Holy Spirit is under the authority of Jesus, so are we. It is Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, who mediates this service of grace so that all may grow and benefit. It is Jesus who is teaching us to receive and not take, and give so that we do not manipulate for our own selfish benefit. We cannot mediate ourselves, because we are sinful, self-centric, individuals. Sin takes and sin manipulates for its own self-centric purpose and not for the purpose of all. Because of sin, we are dead to the grace-filled servants’ life unless we are empowered to become alive to it. In order to live this life of grace we must die to our self-centric life so that Christ may live in us and serve through us by the Holy Spirit. When we die to our own will we are buried with and in Christ (Rom 6:4). This is the death lived by faith so that we may by faith live in Christ. Our servanthood, then, performs two key functions. First, our service keeps us dead to our own will by not fulfilling our own self-centric desires (Rom 8:11-15). It is by our obedience that our service becomes a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1). Secondly, we fulfill God’s original design for us by becoming an eternal participant in a grace filled truth-expressing family of servants. We are becoming a holy body of people building up each other in love (Eph 4:14-16). Servanthood in God’s family is then not coercive subjugation; it is the acknowledgment and expression of grace and truth to which all in God’s kingdom are sacredly bound and wholly built up. Amen.

The Holy Spirit of Truth (Part 3)

The Holy Spirit (Part 3)

The Spirit of Truth

When we become followers of Jesus Christ, it is Jesus himself who asks God the Father to send the person of the Holy Spirit to prepare our way to eternal life. We have become a servant to the person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls Him the Helper, the Comforter, and the Spirit of Truth. We have not become servant to a concept, idea, or some impersonal force, but a living person. The Spirit is the one who led Jesus to victory over death. If we serve the Spirit, He will also train and lead us to the way of eternal life. This relationship with the Holy Spirit is the promise of our great hope to eternally dwell and grow in God’s community of love.

Who is our great master and trainer and how can I increasingly become more sensitive to His needs? As we grow in our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s person we become more “in tune” to His voice and His current wishes. He is “The Spirit of Truth.” As we begin to understand the measure and depth of His truth, we become better servants who are able to perform their duties with a whole and healthy spiritual heart. As the Holy Spirit fills the heart, the chamber of belief is filled with the presence of eternal truth. The chamber of belief supports the heart’s chambers of courage, humility, and compassion as they mutually support belief. This truth is essential to serve well, to love well on earth as in heaven.

The definition of truth has caused much debate between many philosophers and theologians. With most of these men and women, “the truth” speaks of that which is real or at least perceived as real. What constitutes “real” seems to be in the center of many of the debates. Much of reality, or what is true, is seemingly in the eye of the beholder. The reality, “the truth,” which we will focus on, is as displayed in the Bible. The Bible is about the relationship between God and man. God is spirit; therefore, it is the reality of God’s spirit and our spirit that is our focus. It is spiritual reality that gives real meaning to the life we live. Jesus Christ lived and taught about the spiritual reality of eternal truth. In John 1:17 the Bible states, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The following are four key aspects that describe the truth as taught in the Bible and displayed by Jesus. Biblical truth is:

Eternal

Living

Foundational

Sanctifying

These four aspects of biblical truth are displayed in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is truth incarnate. Jesus served the Holy Spirit in truth, not independently by his own power, but through obedience to and with the power given to him by the Holy Spirit. Each of these following aspects of biblical truth is reflected in the life and words of Jesus:

This truth is eternal. Eternity is the unseen infinite place beyond the boundaries of time and space. From this place of infinite potentiality, there is only one expression that brings the living light of truth. God is the living light dwelling in the midst of the dark void of the formless and endless possibility that is eternity. Eternity is His home. It is the lens that He sees through and it is the reality that affects the course of His will. There are no surprises with God. Past, present and future time all exist as now to God. He peers into the seeming endless universe of time and space and sees the smallness of its boundary amidst eternity. It is as if God was looking into an hourglass seeing each moment as a grain of sand interacting and flowing from one side of the hourglass (future) to the other side (past). All the choices made, being made, and yet to be made are ever present before His eyes.

Within this eternal, living, and singular expression of truth resides three beings dwelling together in perfect unity. This Holy Trinity is comprised of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are “The One” possibility united in eternity, the Separate (Holy) God of the Bible who personifies and solely expresses eternal truth. When the boundaries of time and space are no more and its contents melt away into eternity, the Holy God dwelling in unity of truth will remain.

Jesus said, “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” By God’s design, each person’s individual spirit is able to survive within eternity. Day by day, each spirit is marked with change. These changes will also remain and survive in eternity. Because God is a single living expression within eternity, it is a narrow way that leads to God. Whether each person’s spirit will remain eternally alone (separate) in the darkness of their own singular expression or be eternally bound to the Holy God of truth is a choice that is before each of us.

The eternal truth of God reflects the reality of eternity. Other truths (beliefs) limited by the boundary of space and time are truisms. Truisms whither and die in the atmosphere of eternity, but the truth Jesus lived by and spoke of is the expression of eternal truth. This was proven by His resurrection from the dead. This truth born of God is more than mere truisms as belief is more than the mere understanding of facts. The truth from the Holy Spirit always has a grasp on the unseen reality of eternity. Truisms speak and consider the visible realities. Living only by what we see is what the Bible calls living by the flesh. Only by the Holy Spirit can we grasp eternal truth that is relevant and in context to what God is doing now for the sake of eternity. This work is unseen and is called living by faith. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor 4:17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” While God speaks truth that brings eternity (the unseen) into focus, the devil will often come at us with truisms that bring the flesh (self) into focus. “You will not die” (Gen 3:4) was a truism when the devil spoke to Eve and her body did not “die” (what was seen) the moment she sinned. However, at that moment, she did die to the inclusive life of the eternal creator God (what was unseen). Adam followed in sin shortly thereafter. The truth was that they were now outside the life (will) of God. They were “dead” to God.

Jesus was constantly confronted with truisms. From the very beginning of His ministry he was tested by them. He was sent into the desert by the Holy Spirit and tempted with truisms. The fact that the truisms Jesus faced came from the Bible should unsettle and warn us. It is a reminder that the Bible is a book of life affirming power (the unseen) that is released by the Holy Spirit, and is a book of religious profundity (the seen) that can be used like a snare by the flesh, the world, the evil one. It is not that the devil spoke obvious lies to Jesus in the desert; the devil spoke truisms (facts) out of the Bible and also reiterated a fact that came from the very voice of God. These mere (biblical) facts (truisms) in the context of Jesus’ then current trial had nothing to do (and everything to do) with eternal consequence. Jesus, by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, spoke truth back to the devil. The words that Jesus spoke were rooted in eternity (the unseen) and represented life lived in the reality of eternity (truth). Jesus’ life would be lived by the rule of truth (eternal consequence) because He served the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, to have a life that grasps and affects eternity, we too must learn to live by the voice of the Holy Spirit.

This truth is living. The Holy Spirit is the living personification of truth. Jesus describes and gives title to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Truth” in the Bible three times (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13). Truth is not a dead lifeless rule to God, it brings eternal life to the spirit of man. The word of God (truth) is “living and active” according to the writer of Hebrews (Heb 4:12). In the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15), the word is likened to a seed that grows in the heart and bears fruit. Words (truth) from the Holy Spirit are like seed from the mother plant. Each seed is full of life (pregnant) in itself because it has been given life from its mother. In John 8:31-32 Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” To “know the truth,” is not purely the same as knowledge of facts. In the Bible, this word “know” can refer to intimacy of person and understanding. Intimacy with living truth produces “fruit” from the relationship (Luke 8:15, Gal 6:22-26). The bearing of fruit is the consummate result of a personal and intimate relationship with the living personification of truth, the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). As followers of Jesus, the common relationship with the Spirit of Truth is the “glue” that binds us together and makes us a community of Jesus’ disciples. Together, by guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are actively growing in unity by the way of truth and not by self-centric determination.

This truth is foundational. Because this truth is eternal and grounded in the person of the Holy Spirit (God), this truth is the foundational rock that eternal life is built upon. This is not a mushy truth (sand) (Matt 7:24-27). Eternal (biblical) truth is the real and solid foundation that the church (God’s family) is built upon (Matt 16:17-18). Within the believer the spiritual heart is where this foundation is laid, because it is the place the Holy Spirit renews and resides (Ezk 36:26-27). The heart is the ground where these truths are planted and tested (Luke 8:11-15). God participates in testing the foundations of the heart (Jer 11.20, 1 Chron 29:17, 1 Thes 2:4). He wants us to be ready when we are laid down like a “living stone,” as said in 1 Peter 2:4, and set with the foundational cornerstone of Jesus Christ. The foundations of our hearts are tested and refined by God in the furnace of affliction (1Pet 1:6-7, Isa 48:10, Zec 13:9). His desire (delight) is that we have truth in our innermost being (Psalms 51:6). Our suffering through these tests confirms the foundations of eternal truth in our hearts. When God asks us to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel, it is eternity that elevates our temporal momentary suffering and gives it true meaning. At that moment, the truth is baptizing us in holy fire. Therefore, we become more like Christ as fellow servants in His suffering, His service, and His glory to come (1 Pet 4:12-13).

This truth is sanctifying. The successful testing of our foundations is the result of a process called sanctification. It is the means by which we become holy or set apart. As we go through this process, we begin to “stand out” from the rest of the world. In Hebrews 12:29, the Bible calls holy God “a consuming fire.” God’s fire has two distinct properties. The first is light. Truth brings separation as light defines form and color from shadow and darkness. God is light (John 17:17, 1 John 1:5) and this light dispels all that is false and reveals all that is real and true. We choose to be either exposed by His truth or hide from it. As we choose to be more illuminated by the light of God’s truth we become increasingly free from the lies and overwhelming darkness of sin. Like a two- edged sword, this light shines both ways (Heb 4:12). With laser-like ability, it is able to illuminate, pierce, separate, and discern through all the layers of the human heart of both wielder and recipient. Not a single thought or intent of the heart is hidden from this living illuminating truth.

As we get closer to the light, we begin to feel the effects of the second form that fire takes, which is heat. Holy truth not only defines darkness from light it also tests the enduring qualities of what is revealed and treasured in eternity. These “tests” can be from the flesh, the world, Satan, or God Himself. As we feel the heat, these tests strengthen and build up the heart chamber of intent. It is courage (patient endurance) that is developed as we press into truth. For me, and I hope for you, I pray that that our work be tested sooner than later. In 1 Cor 3:11-15, the bible says the final test will be in eternity. All the attitudes and work of our lives will be tested. The sooner we know whether or not our hearts pursue eternal treasure, the better we can devote ourselves to that pursuit. (Matt 6:19-21).

As relationship (identification) with truth grows, believers become increasingly sanctified (John 17:17). The act of separation is an inevitable process for those who follow the Holy Spirit. It is this separation that allows us to be in the world and not of the world, as Jesus instructs (John 15:19) and prays (John 17:14-17). As such, we are led into the world to serve it not by might nor by strength, but by the Holy Spirit.

These eternal, living, foundational, and sanctifying aspects express a single eternal truth that is at work in the hearts of those who follow Jesus. This truth is the single unifying framework of all of the hearts that follow Jesus and bind us together as family. However, within the bounds of that connection there are very many individuals. The brilliant light of truth refracts uniquely in each sanctified heart and creates its own individual signature response. This is not a bad or evil result, but a unique multicolor response manifested within the bounds of truth. As the Holy Spirit works with each individual, we will see Him as the coach, the encourager, “The Comforter,” as He leads each of us in our individual journeys. As Jesus came in grace and truth, we will next talk about the multicolored grace of the Holy Spirit.

Peace,

DF Cutler

The Holy Spirit (Part 2)

The Holy Spirit (Part 2)

The Voice of the Master

How do we become servants to a God we cannot see? We cannot listen to and serve our own voice without falling into sin. Neither will following the voices of great men or women lead us out of our self-centric prisons. Even the voices, great and small, that lead us to Jesus Himself cannot free us. Only Jesus can lead us out of our self-centric universe. As He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” It is interesting then that Jesus also said, “ I come not to do my will, but the will of the one who sent me.” It is clear that Jesus followed the will of another. So completely is He identified with the will of God the Father that He says to His disciple Phillip, “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father.” We too must become completely identified with the will of the Father if we are to know the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus. As we go forward to follow Christ, I would like us to keep in mind what the Apostle Paul exhorts in Philippians 2:5-7, “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not regard equality with God as a position to be grasped, but emptied himself (of self will), taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in the appearance of men, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” With this in mind, let us hear Jesus’ invitation to “Come, follow Me. ”

In the book of John (12:49-50) Jesus says these words, “I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me gave me a command of what I should say and what I should speak. “And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak.” The voice Jesus speaks of is the voice of the Holy Spirit. This is the same voice that sent Jesus into the desert forty days, where Jesus was tested by the will of His flesh (food), the will of the world (Satan) and lastly the will of His soul (self). These tests were answered not by Jesus’ own words, but by words from scripture given to Him through the Holy Spirit. A brief note here about the words that come from God, there is authority and power that is bound together with the voice of God; God spoke the universe into being. Jesus staked His life upon the will of the Holy Spirit as He walked in the desert for forty days without food. Though His body was starving to death, He chose the Holy Spirit’s will over His own body’s needs. In the second test, Jesus was asked to exchange the will of the Holy Spirit for the will of the Devil. If Jesus would comply, Satan offered Jesus authority over the world’s kingdoms. Jesus chose unto which kingdom (authority) He would bend and that was to worship (serve) God alone. In the third test, Jesus’ authority (self-will) as an empowered servant of God was tried. Jesus answered that He would not put His relationship (to the Holy Spirit) to a test. Performing this test would be as if Jesus were saying, “If you love me God then you will do these things for me.” Jesus would not “take” what was not “given” to Him. Jesus would choose only to do what He was commanded and thus empowered to do by the Holy Spirit. In Father God’s kingdom, His life was to be that of a servant not the Master. This choice, to be a servant, is the “life” of Jesus.

The voice that spoke and empowered Jesus is the same voice that spoke to Peter and sent him to Joppa; this is the voice that spoke and sent Ananias to Paul, and the voice that kept Paul out of Asia and led him to Macedonia. This is the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide the hearts and feet of God’s servants as spoken by the prophet Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 36:25-27, God promises us, His followers, that he will cleanse us, give us a new heart, and a new spirit. God also said that He would place His Spirit within us and cause us to walk in the ways of God. This promise is also mirrored in what Jesus said in John 14:16-17; “I will pray to the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth…” This is the promise of the Holy Spirit “that He will guide us into all truth” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is “The Voice of Truth” and to this voice we are to become servants.

The voice of the Holy Spirit is not necessarily audible to the human ear, but will communicate with and be comprehensible to the willing spiritual heart. Responding by following this voice is foundational to faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6) and this faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17, John 15:26). Our daily walk is to follow what we hear from the Holy Spirit and to follow His leadings. By doing so we walk by faith (hearing) and not by the flesh (natural sight). We follow Him by listening to what He speaks to our hearts. He guides our actions not only by what He says (written and spoken), but also by the breath of His words that blows His holy wind into our spiritual sails. This “wind” brings with it the power and authority to go and do His will. He is “The Helper” that causes us to walk in the ways of God. The Holy Spirit uses many tools to teach and guide us, but it is His voice that we follow. This is not to say that the bible cannot help guide me, but the key to understanding and following the bible is the Holy Spirit. Bible study, prayer, and meditation are wonderful and necessary disciplines to align, still, and quiet the heart. However, the goal of these disciplines is to help us recognize His voice, hear Him speak, and lead (empower) us into being His servants. The bible may teach me how a great sailing ship (life) works, but to what shores I am blown is the domain of the Holy Spirit. It is my relationship to Him that rescues me from sin and moves me toward union with God. It is the still small voice of the Holy Spirit that commands my attention, my service. As Jesus says in John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

It is the transformation of our hearts, our spirits (from self to servant centric) that the Holy Spirit empowers us to accomplish. Remember, it is the heart that God looks upon, tests, and judges. So it is to the heart that God went to in order to initiate (birth) our transformation. Our hearts were stony hard and now they are hearts of flesh. They were deaf and now they are shaped by His quiet voice. We were blind, but now His truth gives us vision. Our hearts were unmoved and now they are moved by the wind of the Holy Spirit. Now transformed, we are ready servants birthed into His family of servants.

Peace to All,

David C.

The Holy Spirit (Part 1)

THE SERVANT CENTRIC DISCIPLE

The Holy Spirit (Part 1)

Jesus said, “ that the greatest in heaven will be the servant of all.” It is the inherent nature of God’s perfect love to serve. We see this servant love in God the creator who loved us so much that He gave (served) us His son. We see this servant love when we look at Jesus who did not come to be served, but to serve. We see this servant love in the Holy Spirit who convicts, teaches, and comforts in truth so that we too may live in unity with them. This is the God-in-Three who dwell in the unity of perfectly expressed love. This God created us in their image that we too may be in union with them. With this in mind, God did not create us to be outside slaves to His will. He created us so we could love freely in the unity of His will. This great and perfect love is then wholly served and is served wholly by all within this unified body.

We were born to serve. In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul makes that fact clear. We are slaves to our own (sinful) nature or servants to God’s nature, by the Holy Spirit. There is no escape or recourse from this fate. We will either act out of our inherent selfish desires leading to ever increasing separation (sin), or we will serve the Father and draw near. Jesus chose the latter. He successfully conquered sin and death by completely yielding his life to the Holy Spirit. If we too are to escape a life of endless sin (self-absorption), then we have only one choice and that is to follow Jesus’ footsteps and become yielded to the Holy Spirit.

When we become Christians we have ceased yielding to one master and have begun to do the will of a new Master. We have said “no“ to a life of self-serving desire and have said “yes” to serve the desire of the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit’s goal is no less than to grow us into a place of unity with God, whose purpose is to bring all into the unity of His love. This is the ministry of reconciliation that the Apostle Paul speaks of. While we are here on this earth this ministry is the goal of the Holy Spirit and subsequently our service. If the nature of sin is to grow self, then the nature of the Father ’s love is in contrast to grow a community of “us.” God builds this community by growing relationships (us) in grace with truth. Our service to the Holy Spirit will be to allow Him to transform us by His grace and truth, so that we can learn to serve (participate in) this everlasting community.

There is a problem; our hearts are addicts to sin and primarily serve only in fulfilling self. Our inherent selfish nature makes our service to God futile. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they went from the “Eternal Us” (abiding in God) to the “Mortal I” (self). The original internal voice shifted from “What can I do for us” to the singular “What’s in it for me. ” The context of their relational position and thinking shifted from God’s love (it’s about us) to selfish desire (it’s about me). Adam and Eve exercised their gift of freewill to be independent of God. Once freewill is exercised in this manner we have not the power to go back. The same freewill that made it possible for our eternal souls to love freely is now in bondage to self-centric sin. The reference point of our soul is no longer “us,” but stuck and bound to self-referenced self-centered control. This is the “black hole” of sin that draws us ever inward to eternal relational death (hell). So God, because of His great love, did what we could not do. He brought us out of bondage to sin and bound us back to Him. He gave us Jesus Christ’s life and death so that we could become free once more to choose whom we will serve.

We cannot make the transition back to abiding with God without the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that binds “us” eternally together. He is the link between each of our individual free wills so that we may all be unified in the Spirit of God. As Jesus demonstrated and taught, we too must say “yes” with our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s authority in our lives. In doing so, we receive acknowledgement from God the Father by our “adoption as sons” as the Apostle Paul puts it. As His children we are again “one body.” We have become servants in a family of servants. Once more we are able to go about the Father’s business, the business of tending and being tended in the garden of His perfect love.