The Person Of The Holy Spirit

3. The Spirit reveals to us divine truth. He inspired and preserved the most tangible evidence of His activity, the Scriptures, and He enables us to understand God’s word. Paul writes that Scripture is “spiritually discerned”, meaning that the Spirit illumines God’s revelation, enabling us to clearly grasp and interpret its meaning and then apply it to our daily lives. Have you ever been reading in your Bible, and suddenly you’re hit with an insight that makes a difference in your life? That’s the Spirit at work. Peter states that the writers of our Bible were “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21). He also bears witness with us inwardly that we are God’s people, giving us assurance of our spiritual standing. Our security comes from within. Philip Yancey writes that our “sense of God’s presence may come and go. Yet the believer can have confidence that God is already present, living inside, and need not be summoned from afar.” He is as close as prayer. The Spirit doesn’t speak audibly to us, but impresses us, so that we live by divine guidance and direction. When people speak of having a calling, they mean that the Spirit is leading them in a particular way that is verified by others. Paul writes that he was “constrained” by the Spirit. When we seem to lose our way, the Spirit helps us get back on track. He gives us enough light to take the next step.

4. The Spirit unifies us—He gives us a sense that we are part of an extended family, the family of God, which connects us to all believers. However, we know the roster of Christian groups is quite diverse. What unites us as Christians is greater than that which divides us. We share a common faith and a common destiny, and we share the same Spirit. In one of Paul’s farewell blessings, he commends his readers to “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (II Cor 13:4), and another time he expands the idea to urge believers to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose (Phil 2:1-2). Paul states that “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (I Cor 12:7). The same Spirit breaks down barriers and distinctions, making us one. Are we living in harmony? The church still suffers some divisions, but we’re making progress. We’re doing better at working together. This operates on the personal/individual level—when was the last time you took the initiative to invite someone from church over to your home, or out for coffee? How connected are you to your church family?

In my role as our denominational chaplaincy endorser, I interview seminarians hoping to serve in the military. One key question I ask is whether they’re able to work with, and work for, and minister to people from diverse church backgrounds (while maintaining their own doctrinal integrity). As our town’s Clergy Association president, I strive to get our churches together, working on projects. On Thursdays I lead a non-denominational Bible study at our Senior Center, representing differing churches and points-of-view. Downstairs our united parish food pantry brings together people every Friday from our various churches. We may not think alike on all matters, but we try to work together. We are one in the Spirit.