Holy Spirit: Part 2, The New Testament
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
In the New Testament, according to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, the Holy Spirit focuses on empowering the church for its mission. God sends the Holy Spirit to Jesus' followers. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary declares “that the Holy Spirit is sent jointly from God and the Risen Christ.” The New Testament intentionally brings together the Father, the Son, and the Spirit into the One Godhead.
God’s Spirit is part of every book in the New Testament. Each New Testament writer proclaims that “The Spirit makes Christians one ‘in Christ’ and empowers them, not only for the mission of the church, but also for the moral and ethical life appropriate to those who understand themselves to be people of the new age.” The Spirit provides the faithful hope that we can make a difference in fulfilling God’s mission in the world.
The world focuses on self-interest, from individuals to nations. Acting on Christ-like values often gets ignored or mocked. Caring for others more than oneself goes against the world’s truth, and Jesus’ mission activities are labelled as naïvely idealistic, or worse, ignorant. Making positive change that leads to equality and justice is sabotaged because they go against the world’s self-interest. Our hope and trust in God’s missional success are grounded in the belief that we are not fulfilling Jesus’ expectations alone. The Holy Spirit guides our path, providing the right people at the appropriate time, making all things possible. God’s loving care is more powerful than the world’s self-interest.
The Holy Spirit also provides moral and ethical support for living meaningful, caring lives. Again, moral and ethical behavior focuses on both the individual and the larger society. The Spirit calls individuals and churches to address moral and ethical injustice. The Spirit’s push is why people of faith address social and political sin. For example, faithful people must not keep silent when people are shot in the street for protesting the abusive and unethical abduction of human beings in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. Pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit and be ready to accept God’s challenges so that we can help transform God’s world.
