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.