14 I Believe in the Holy Spirit
I Believe in the Holy Spirit
I believe in the Holy Spirit”: so starts the Creed’s third paragraph. From the creating work of the Father and the rescue work of the Son, it turns to the re-creating work of the Spirit, whereby we are actually made new in and through Christ. So we hear of church (new community), forgiveness (new relationship), resurrection (new existence), and everlasting life (new fulfillment). But first comes a profession of faith in the Spirit himself.
The Spirit of Christ
He is divine (“holy” says this). He is an active Person, the Executive of the Godhead. Yes, but doing and aiming at what? Misbelief abounds here. Some associate the Spirit with mystical states and artistic inspirations, both Christian and pagan. Others link the Spirit only with unusual Christian experiences—feeling “high” (to use the world’s word), seeking visions, receiving revelations, speaking in tongues, healing. But these are secondary elements of the Spirit’s work, where they derive from the Spirit at all.
The Old Testament mentions the Spirit in connection with creation, both divine (Genesis 1:2) and human (Exodus 31:1-6); the inspiring of God’s spokesmen (Isaiah 61:1; the Nicene Creed states that the Spirit “spoke by the prophets”); the equipping and enabling of God’s servants (judges, kings, etc.; e.g., Judges 13:25; 14:19; Isaiah 11:2; Zechariah 4:6); and the evoking of godliness in individuals and in the community (Psalm 51:11; Ezekiel 36:26ff.; 37:114; Zechariah 12:10). All this gains deeper meaning in the New Testament, where the Spirit is shown to be a personal agent distinct from the Father and the Son, and is spoken of as the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9, 1 Peter 1:11).
The key to understanding the New Testament view of the Spirit’s work is to see that his purpose is identical with the Father’s—namely, to see glory and praise come to the Son. Accordingly—
First, the Spirit serviced the Son throughout his earthly life from the moment when, as the Creed says, he was “conceived by the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). The Spirit’s dove-like descent on him at his baptism showed not only that he was the Spirit-giver, but also that he was himself Spirit-filled (Luke 4:1; cf. verses 14, 18). It was “through the eternal Spirit” that he offered himself in sacrifice for us (Hebrews 9:14).
Second, the Spirit now acts as Jesus’ agent—”another Comforter” (helper, supporter, advocate, encourager). He shows Jesus to us through the gospel, unites us to him by faith, and indwells us to change us “into his likeness” by causing “the fruit of the Spirit” to grow in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22ff.).
“He will glorify [not himself but] me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). Jesus’ words indicate the self-effacing character of the Spirit; he functions as a floodlight trained on Christ, so that it is Christ, not the Spirit, whom we see. In the gospel message, Jesus is set before us throughout, saying: Come to me; follow me. In our conscience as we hear the gospel with the inner ear of faith, the Spirit, standing behind us as it were to throw light over our shoulder on to Jesus, constantly urges: Go to him; deal with him. So we do—and it is this that makes our life Christian.
Witness and Ministry
The Spirit is witness and teacher (1 John 5:7; 2:27; cf. 4:2ff.) inasmuch as, first, he convinces us that the Jesus of the gospel, the New Testament Christ, really exists, and is what he is “for us men, and for our salvation”; second, he assures us that as believers we are God’s children and heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16ff.); third, he moves us to bear witness to the Christ whom his witness led us to know (cf. John 15:26). What the Spirit’s witnessing effects is not private revelation of something hitherto undisclosed, but personal reception of God’s public testimony which was “there” all along in the Scriptures, but went unheeded. Paul is describing the Spirit’s work of witness when he speaks of “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18).
Third, the Spirit gives to every Christian one or more gifts (i.e., capacities to express Christ in serving God and man), so that “every-member ministry” in the church, which is Christ’s body, may become a reality (1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 4:11-16). This manifold ministry is itself Christ’s own ministry continuing from heaven, through us as his hands, feet, and mouth; and the Spirit’s bestowing of gifts should be seen as further servicing and glorifying of Christ on his part, inasmuch as it is the means whereby Christ’s personal ministry to men is able to go on.
Signs of the Spirit
What then are the signs that Christ’s self-effacing Spirit is at work? Not mystical raptures, nor visions and supposed revelations, nor even healings, tongues, and apparent miracles; for Satan, playing on our psychosomatic complexity and our fallenness, can produce all these things (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9ff.; Colossians 2:18). The only sure signs are that the Christ of the Bible is acknowledged, trusted, loved for his grace and served for his glory, and that believers actually turn from sin to the life of holiness which is Christ’s image in his people (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 3:17). These are the criteria by which we must judge, for instance, the modern “charismatic renewal,” and Christian Science (reaching, perhaps, different verdicts in the two cases).
So when I say, as a Christian, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” my meaning should be, first, that I believe personal fellowship, across space and time, with the living Christ of the New Testament to be a reality, which through the Spirit I have found; second, that I am open to be led by the Spirit, who now indwells me, into Christian knowledge, obedience, and service, and I expect to be so led each day; and, third, that I bless him as the author of my assurance that I am a son and heir of God. Truly, it is a glorious thing to believe in the Holy Spirit!
Further Bible Study
The Spirit’s ministry:
John 7:37-39; 14:15-26; 16:7-15
Romans 8:1-17
Questions for Thought and Discussion
How does the work of the Spirit differ from that of the Father and the Son?
What does the Holy Spirit do as “Jesus’ agent”?
What would you say to a professed Christian who doubted if he had ever experienced the ministry of the Holy Spirit?