The Spirit & The People Of God

To be the people of God there is distinct and definite need for the presence, work and transformation that only appears through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. To be the people of God this must be true: the Spirit must be at work in us. So, when we gather in His name, as does the Church, it is possible to gather without really having the presence of God. We have seen this in the Church and it helps to explain the lack of impact that many churches suffer through. They have a form of godliness but they are denying its power.

The work of Holy Spirit is not optional for the disciple of Jesus. Paul sees the Spirit as essential to any hope of living this thing out. The Spirit at work in us is our direct link to God for power, direction, desire, intuition, holiness, insight and hope. The Spirit is what aids us in clearing the mixed messages we will receive between the old self, or the flesh, and new self, or the spirit. The work of the Spirit is not so much about a function, but about all function.

The mystery of what the Holy Spirit does is an internal work; changes that occur under the surface. The Spirit will, in fact, change the internal desires and thought processes in a disciple moving them from darkness to light.

The internal work is key, however it does not stop there. The Holy Spirit has an even greater emphasis on external work. That is to say, the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are predominantly external. The transformation inside is incomplete without the external manifestation. A new mind that is righteous and true is important but not enough, it must be lived out visibly. You know Christ when you obey. Faith in action is always the drive. Contemplation and discovery is important but community focused living displays the real work of the Holy Spirit. Not for ourselves alone do we enjoy the presence and work of the Spirit. It is for the mutual benefit and building up of the community of faith.

So out of this need to build the body of Christ we have been graciously given the gifts of the Spirit. These spiritual blessings have been provided for us to aid in the life of the spirit, the pursuit of God, the development of holiness and the edification of the people of God.

Unity within the community of faith is an example of the work of the Spirit. This is not so much because we want it or just because we work at it. Unity is a gift that grows in a community in much the same way the fruit of the spirit grow in an individual. We do not long for or seek after unity, we long for and seek after God and the Spirit grows amongst us unity. Once the unity is tasted and evident it empowers the Church, both individuals and the collective body, to have spiritual impact and restart the process in the lives of new believers.

g-ram