The Holy Spirit

The last few days I've been studying the Holy Spirit and admittedly, this was more of an assigned task than a motivated interest. The Holy Spirit is a concept I've appreciated with little question since the initiation of my faith. As studying theology is teaching me however, there is great importance in understanding why I believe what I do. I gained great pearls this week.

because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. ANd by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:14-17

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27.

The early church certainly appreciated the concept of the Holy Spirit but theologians had so many other concepts to wrestle with after the coming and resurrection of Christ, that the Holy Spirit became more of a theological development of the late twentieth century. We, as Christians, have come to understand the Holy Spirit as wind, as breath, and as charism or the filling of an individual with the spirit of God. The Spirit provides proof or demonstration that believers are indeed children of God, and is the source of spiritual gifts in the life of the individual and church (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; McGrath, 2012).

I was really moved by Alister E. McGrath's statement, author of Theology: The Basics, "The Son is the Word of God, and the Spirit is the breath of God. The Father pronounces his word; at the same time as he utters this word, he breathes out in order to make this word capable of being heard and received. The visual imagery of a spoken word being propelled throughout the world thus helps illuminate both the distinctiveness of Son and Spirit, while at the same time affirming their mutual involvement in the work of the Father" (2012, p 105).

The Christian tradition has generally understood the work of the Holy Spirit to focus on revelation, salvation, and the Christian life (McGrath, 2012, p 108). Consider this, read again the Romans scripture above. Now wrestle with the idea that the Holy Spirit's activity in prayer is triadic, or working in threes. While prayer is one activity, God is simultaneously doing the praying in us, receiving that prayer, and in that exchange, consented to in us, inviting us into the Christian life of redeemed sonship. As my son would say, "mind blown." However, when I read this, my thought was, "Yep. Exactly." No way I could explain this to a non-believer. This would be foolishness to them, but it is perfect truth to those who are sons and daughters of the Lord.

His Head was Crowned with Thorns

There have been far too many times in my life when I've succumbed to the pitiful, self-loathing thoughts Satan so easily traps us within, and while I am better about catching myself in this downward spiral as I grow older and wiser, I am in no way immune. There are days when I feel the isolation rejection brings and fear I am being mocked, ostracized or even pursued.

Interestingly, when I read about Christ this evening, allowing the basic truths to sink in once again... He was born into a poor family. He was born in a cave or stable in an out-of-the-way village. The town he grew up in had the reputation that "nothing good could ever come from there." He spoke Aramaic. He is never said to have written anything except with his finger in the sand. He owned nothing of value. He intentionally took the role of a servant. He touched lepers. He healed the blind. His behavior was consistent with his teaching. He himself became despised by many of his own people. His closest friends deserted him when his hour had come to die. He submitted to a scurrilous trial with false charges. His end was terrible. He was spat upon. His wrists were in chains. His head was crowned with thorns...

Every other time I think I've read about his head being crowned with thorns, I read that with compassion and love and gratitude. I am not sure I've ever thought about the thorn itself. We live in Thorntown, named for its incredible and I mean, incredibly dangerous thorn trees. As I understand, most were cut down because they were harming the children within the community. My own son, Noah, was riding his bicycle last summer and fell into a thorn tree, driving a long, thick thorn into his side. It was significant enough that I had to numb him and use a scalpel to remove it. I can't imagine thorns such as these wrapped around the crown of Christ. It is not simply symbolic jewelry, but further belittling and spatting of hate.

I identified with Christ being born poor, and from a land of no hope, being rejected and despised. I even identified with his being a servant and befriending anyone and everyone the community otherwise rejected. I am encouraged with this understanding and reminded that my Lord was separated, misunderstood, pursued, spat upon, and His head was crowned in thorns. I find it interesting that if my story is told, that I too, have many similarities and landed in a town of thorns. Certainly don't misunderstand me. I am not in anyway meaning to compare myself to the glory of Christ, but rather finding encouragement in His having been fully human and having completely suffered.

I am not alone. I am loved. I too shall pray for those who torment me, that they might also be forgiven. They know not what they do. I will also be reminded that I must demand that Satan leave me be. He has no authority in my life. I am protected by The God.

Thinking as a Scholar

During orientation for the doctoral program, I remember vividly Dr. Osborne talking about how doctoral work will change our way of thinking and in some ways, this will be very isolating. Scholars like to think, which I am learning is not an attribute that is common to everyone. Completing my doctorate, while it had its challenges, was genuinely one of my favored life accomplishments.

As I now study theology, I am again reminded of the importance of using language critically. We must think about what we really mean when we talk about God. Is it really quite as simple as this? The Bible talks about God as almighty. Is that the same as saying God can do anything? The scholar then asks, can God make a triangle with four sides? Can God make a rock which is too heavy for God  to lift?

A scholar might state, "To say that God is almighty means that God can do anything that does not involve logical contradiction." Another route might be, "It is not that God could not do such things, but that those things simply can't be done."

Theology is about more than logical riddles though. The real issue of concern is the divine nature itself. Here's another thought to stew on "Can God force someone who loves him to hate him?" Noah and I talked about this some, and whether free will exists or if we are set on a specific course. Ultimately we have to trust that God will uphold His promises, which is faith that he allows us free will. We also have to ask what is the character of God.

Then we might ask ourselves, "Does God break promises?" There is no logical contradiction here. Promises can be broken. If God can do anything that does not involve logical contradiction, then He can certainly break a promise. Yet, Christians know this is outrageous. Humans may fail; God remains faithful.

Here is the insight - Christians know God can do anything, but we also know He chose to redeem us. God is symbolized, not by a sword or the chariot, symbols of military and political power, but by a cross, a symbol of shame, defeat and powerlessness. God is limited by His own divinity. Omnipotence should be understood within the context of God's character. We therefore, must consider God in His terms, not in human terms. 

Beyond Reason, but Not Contrary to Reason

I believe in God.

What does this mean? What are we to understand by words such as "belief" and "faith"?

Can God's existance be proven? McGrath argues in his 2012 book that the existence of God is something that reason cannot prove conclusively. "Yet the fact that the existence of God lies beyond reason does not for one moment mean that the existence of God is contrary to reason," (McGrath, 2012, p 3). While we can offer excellent argument for the existance of God, these are not proofs in the sense of rigorous logical demonstratiion or conclusive scientific experiments. Faith is about trust in God, rather than just agreeing that God exists.

Becoming familiar with historical theologians is one of the greatest tasks in front of me, as I am quite unfamiliar with this discipline. Thomas Aquinas is told to be the most famous and influential theologian of the Middle Ages. He was born in Italy and taught at the universities. His fame rests primarily on his writing, Summa Theologiae which was his last, although unfinished, piece of work. He provided "Five Ways" that argued for design and of a creator. He felt that the existence of our universe is something that requires explanation, as it shows evidence of intellectual design.

William Paley (1743-1805) was a theologian who further developed Aquinas argument, stating that the world is like a watch. The world shows evidence of creative design and purpose, so a watchmaker must therefore exist. Paley was also very impressed with the complexity of the human eye, and was confident this was sufficient argument for the presence of a creator. I was equally intrigued and convinced during my studies of human lactation and human milk composition - brilliant design.

Charles Darwin (1809-82) eroded much of these theories, arguing that a natural explanation exists, eliminating the need for an intelligent designer. People were intrigued.

Proofs
Philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-62) argued that Aquinas approach was a bit of a stretch, at least with regards of claiming proof of a creator. "The metaphysical proofs for the existence of God are so remote from human reasoning, and so complex, that they have little impact." Pascal reasoned that the appeal of God to the human condition went far beyond any resonance between the world as we know it and the ideas of Chistian faith. It extends to include a deep-seated longing fo God.

"In the end, according to Pascal, you cannot argue someone into the Kingdom of God. The existence of God is not something that can be proved. Equally, it is not something that can be disproved. It is easy to overlook the fact that atheism is also a faith. An atheist believes that there is no God. This belief, however, is just as difficult to prove as the Christian belief that there is indeed a God.

One of the most severe and perceptive critics for the rational proofs for God's existene is philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951). His point was simply, the so-called "proofs of God's existence" ae generally from those people who already elieve in God and are seeking to justify their faith with a reasoned defense.

A proof of God's existence ought really to be something by means of which one could convince onesel that God exists. But I think that what believers who have furnished such proofs have wanted to do is to give their "belief" an intellectual analysis and foundation, although they themselves would never have come to believe as a result of such proofs.

Faith
I am now in search of John Paul II's 1998 encyclical letter, Fides et Ratio ("Faith and Reason"). He is said to have set out the classic Christian approach to the relation of faith and reason in a very accessible way.

Faith is not blind trust, opposed to the evidence of the world. While Christians can not claim proofs, we do have confirmation of the existence of God. Our world is full of hints of God, His signature, and this corroborates with what we know to be true in our hearts.

Faith seeks understanding. It is maybe a motivated belief, based on evidence. It is a reflection on the clues within the world. A final thought, faith is largely considered in terms of intellectual assent. However, might we consider that faith could be defined as "assent to divine revelation" (McGarth, 2012, p 9). Faith is about more than believing God exists, but also about trusting God.

His Promises
Faith is about trusting the Lord's promises. It isn't simply historical understanding or rationalizing the evidence, but is a personal reference. Faith unites the believer to God, and is concerned with His promises. One must appreciate that sinners can trust the historical details of the gospels, but these facts are capable of creating a trusting relationship for them. Saving faith is about believing these truths were for each of us personally, and was accomplished for our salvation.

This is intriguing to me because those who are unable to forgive themselves would be at risk of missing out on the saving grace of our Lord. If they believed Christ died for others, but could not accept it for themselves, they would perish. Believing in Christ isn't sufficient. One must believe it for themselves, and develop a relationship. Faith is not simply believing, it is acting on that belief, and to rely upon it (McGrath, 2012).

The Strength of our Faith
This is indifferent to our salvation. Faith is a spiritual gift and some are more endowed than others. The gift of salvation however, is unaffected by its abundance. McGrath (2012) offers this example by Luther, "It is like to  people, each of whom owns a hundred gold coin. One may carry them around in a paper sack, the other in an iron chest. But despite these differences, they both own the same treasure. Thus the Christ who you and I own is one and the same irrepsective of the strength or weakness of your faith or mine."

The foundation of one's faith matters far more than its intensity. (McGrath, 2012, p 11)

Faith and Doubt
"Encounter with evil is seen as a necessary prerequisite for spiritual growth and development," (McGrath, 2012, p 13).

We are not annimations or automatons, but individuals who are capable of responding freely to God. Unless a real choice is available between good and evil, the biblical injunctions to "choose good" are meaningless. Good and evil are thus necessary presences within the world, in order that informed and meaningful human development may take place.

Admittedly, I did not comprehend what a degree in theology would be about. I assumed it would be more of a biblical truths study, but it is more understanding why we understand, which I also value. It's giving me a foundation I didn't realize I had ignored. This has been an intimidating adventure, with a learning curve steeper than anticipated, but I appreciate the investment and am thrilled to have the opportunity.