Tag: spiritual ministry

Spiritual Growth (2 Peter 3:14-18)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year B1 Comment

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this [a new heaven and a new earth] make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (New International Version)

When it comes to Christianity – the Christian life and church ministry – the value and necessity of spiritual growth within individual believers and local churches is of vital importance. 

We were created by God, who made us in the divine image and likeness. That is, we were formed as spiritual people. Every one of us carries within ourselves a God-given spirit; it is a vital part of who we are.

Therefore, we must recognize that the area of our greatest value, potential, fruitfulness, and life fulfillment will be in the realm of the spiritual. 

If we deny our inherent spirituality, whether in thought or in practice, we will inevitably become confused. This then, sets us up for failure, because our basic nature is one of being spiritual persons.

Nothing is more valuable for us than spiritual growth, and the provision God has made for us to experience this growth.

There is a verse tucked away at the end of Peter’s second epistle that states for us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and knowledge are important words that both point to Jesus. 

“Grace” refers to all the benefits of redemption for us through the person and work of Christ.

“Knowledge” denotes all the benefits of God’s revelation to us in Jesus Christ.

Here is a simple, yet profound, observation of the text: The word “grow” is a command; it is not optional. It’s not something to maybe think about doing when we get around to it. God insists that we spiritually grow.

God has made every provision for our spiritual growth. What’s more, we have been given the ability as a redeemed believer, and as a redeemed community, to grow spiritually. 

So then, each and every believer in Jesus Christ, as well as every local church, must face their own personal responsibility to obey this scriptural exhortation. To do otherwise is to live outside of God’s will.

Sticking with the Apostle Peter’s words, here is another verse of importance which relates to our spiritual growth: 

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2, NIV) 

We are to seek the Word of God with the same kind of intensity that a newly born baby will seek for food. As babies, my kids were barracudas when it came to feeding time; they took their eating seriously, and with a lot of gusto. That same desire for feeding must be present with us as Christians and churches. When the command of Peter is obeyed, and made a priority in our life, then we will grow.

Like any good thing in our lives, there are potential problems, along with the benefits. A significant downside, when pursuing spiritual growth, is that we all have a disease-like force in our lives. There exists within us a destructive tendency of lethargy and passivity toward spiritual things.

It’s rather ironic that people who confess Jesus as Lord, and are convinced about their Christianity, can be so doggone nit-picky about trivial matters which don’t really contribute much of anything to their spiritual growth.

And the trivial things only distract us from feeding upon the Word of God, and consuming the Bread of Life. We cannot – we must not – go on living like this and expect to be successful in the Christian life.

If we are going to grow spiritually, we must be about the business of speaking the truth in love – which results in us growing up into people who embody the words and ways of Jesus. (Ephesians 4:15) 

We are to have an aggressive application of the truth in our speech and our actions, which then impacts our daily faith walk with Jesus. 

The way we grow up spiritually, whether personally or corporately, is through practicing the truth of Holy Scripture – which requires reading it, learning it, and knowing it better than we know our own back door.

Our priorities, goals, and values need to reflect a solid commitment to fulfill scriptural truth in daily life. In that vein, let us ask ourselves some penetrating questions:

  • Have we humbled ourselves before God and confessed the things we have done, and the things we have left undone, when it comes to God’s revealed will?
  • Have we humbled ourselves before one another as believers, and in the church, asking for prayer?
  • Have we read the Bible on the subject of spiritual growth, and followed its teachings, so that we can know the joy and love God has for us?
  • Would we be lethargic and passive about treating a physical cancer in our lives?

God the Father and God the Son have conspired together to give believers God the Holy Spirit for our spiritual growth. The blessed Holy Trinity – the God whom Christians serve – has gifted us the Spirit, so that we might come into close fellowship with the Lord Jesus. 

Once we begin to obey the Scripture in this area of practicing biblical truth, we will experience spiritual growth and the joy of the Lord. 

However, if we allow ourselves to remain lethargic and apathetic concerning spirituality, we will not become our true selves. We must choose to make a biblical response to God, to one another, and to ourself. 

Spiritual growth is not a matter of personal willpower that can be achieved by our own efforts. Instead, we must face our spiritual condition, and seek help within the community of the redeemed, the church. Then, spiritual growth will become a reality.

Gracious heavenly Father, the God of all mercy, thank you for adding another day to my life. I dedicate both my soul and my body to serving you with a right spirit and a holy life. Strengthen me in this life, so that I may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Spirit’s Ministry (John 14:25-26)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Jesus said:

“I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you.” (Common English Bible)

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (English Standard Version)

“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.” (The Message)

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (New International Version)

“These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” (American Standard Version)

“These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (Revised Standard Version)

“The Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ unites us to himself.”

John Calvin

We are now in the season of “Ordinary Time” or “Proper Time” in the Church Year. It is “ordinary” in the sense that the Holy Spirit has been given to do the “proper” ongoing work of growing believers in Christ and helping them live into his directives.

The Spirit is our Teacher, cultivating and stirring-up within us all that we need for the Christian life.

As you can see from a few of the various English translations of today’s Gospel verses, there is no uniform rendering of the original Greek word, “Paraclete.” That’s because this word for the Spirit is so rich and full that it’s difficult to encompass what it means with a single English word.

A straightforward literal translation of “Paraclete” needs a phrase rather than a word: “Called alongside for encouragement,” fairly-well translates it. All the various words used in the different versions of the New Testament are accurate – yet they merely bring out one dimension to the understanding of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.

Our needs as followers of Jesus are many – thus requiring a multi-faceted mentoring ministry by the Spirit.

The Spirit was sent to be with Christians continually as their Teacher, reminding them of all Jesus has said and done as the ultimate witness to Christ’s life and ministry.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to provide comfort and aid for Christians, especially in difficult situations; the Spirit helps in a time of need.

The force of “Paraclete” is even more than this because there’s also the dimension of the Spirit being our close companion. Indeed, it is a special friend who stands up for us, advocates on our behalf, gives us remedial teaching, and brings comfort.

The Holy Spirit is motivated (just like the Father and the Son) with love for us, to give whatever we need to live a successful, abundant, and full Christian life.

In whatever situation we face, the Holy Spirit is something of a divine concierge in the middle of adversity who is attentive to every need.

The true difficulty in describing the Spirit’s ministry with us is that the Spirit is God – and no amount of description will adequately get our minds around the Spirit. God is much too big for that. All metaphors, images, and words fall short of genuinely expressing the Spirit’s immense work.

Perhaps a story will better illustrate the Spirit’s nature and work. When my girls were small and I was a financially struggling seminarian, we were one evening down to our last bit of food. Although they thought it was a privilege to eat Wheaties for supper, my wife and I knew the cupboard was now bare. So, we prayed.

As we got up from our knees and started off for bed, there was a knock at our patio back door. We looked at each other wondering who in the world it could be at such a late hour. When I drew the shades, one of our neighbors, a little Puerto Rican woman, was outside holding what appeared to be more than her own body weight in overflowing grocery bags.

I ushered her in and before I could say a word, she said, “I went to bed and had just fallen into a deep sleep. But the Holy Spirit woke me up and told me to take as many groceries as I could carry to you. So, here I am.” In that moment, I knew in my head and felt in my heart a ministry of the Spirit which transcends language.

The next morning our girls learned something about God that they would never get from listening to their Dad’s teaching and preaching. This is a story which gets retold often because it reminds us of how God meets us in our need and how much God cares.

Through such encounters with the Spirit (and I have mercifully been granted many of them!) I begin to understand and appreciate the wisdom of the saints throughout the ages:

“When the grace of the Holy Spirit enters a soul and is established there, it gushes forth more powerfully than any other spring; it neither ceases, dries up, nor is exhausted. And the Savior, to signify this inexhaustible gift of grace, calls it a spring and a torrent; He also calls it gushing water, to indicate its force and impetus.”

St. John Chrysostom

“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.”

Corrie Ten Boom

May you know the ministry of the Spirit, inside and out, in all ways and in all circumstances.

A Prayer of St. Augustine:

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy. Amen.

John 14:25-26 – The Spirit’s Ministry

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Holy Spirit

“I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you.” (CEB) 

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (ESV) 

“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.” (MSG) 

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (NIV) 

“These things have I spoken unto you, while yet abiding with you. But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” (ASV) 

“These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (RSV) 

Calvin Holy Spirit quote

We are now in the season of “Ordinary Time” or “Proper Time” in the Church Year. It is “ordinary” in the sense that the Holy Spirit has been given to do the “proper” ongoing work of growing believers in Christ and helping them live into his directives. The Spirit is our Teacher, cultivating and stirring-up within us all that we need for the Christian life. 

As you can see from the various English translations of today’s Gospel verses, there is no uniform rendering of the original Greek word, “Paraclete.” That is because this word for the Spirit is so rich and full that it is difficult to encompass what it means with a single English word. 

A straightforward literal translation of “Paraclete” needs a phrase rather than a word: “Called alongside for encouragement,” fairly-well translates the word. All the various words used in the different versions of the New Testament are accurate – yet they merely bring out one dimension to the understanding of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. Our needs as followers of Jesus are many – thus requiring a multi-faceted mentoring ministry by the Spirit. 

“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” –Corrie Ten Boom 

The Spirit was sent to be with Christians continually as their Teacher, reminding them of all Jesus has said and done as the ultimate witness to Christ’s life and ministry. So, the role of the Holy Spirit is providing aid for Christians, especially in difficult situations; the Spirit helps in a time of need. The force of “Paraclete” is even more than this because there is also the dimension of the Spirit being our close companion, as well. Indeed, it is a special friend who stands up for us, advocates on our behalf, gives us remedial teaching, and brings comfort. In other words, the Holy Spirit is motivated (just like the Father and the Son) with love for us.  

Whatever we need, the Holy Spirit is something of a divine concierge in the middle of adversity who is attentive to every need. The true difficulty in describing the Spirit’s ministry with us is that the Spirit is God – and no amount of description will adequately get our minds around the Spirit. God is much too big for that. All metaphors, images, and words fall short of genuinely expressing the Spirit’s immense work. 

Perhaps a story will better illustrate the Spirit’s nature and work. When my girls were small and I was a financially struggling seminarian, we were one evening down to our last bit of food. Although they thought it was a privilege to eat Wheaties for supper, my wife and I knew the cupboard was now bare. So, we prayed. As we got up from our knees and started off for bed, there was a knock at our patio back door. We looked at each other wondering who in the world it could be at such a late hour. When I drew the shades, one of our neighbors, a little Puerto Rican woman, was outside holding what appeared to be more than her own body weight in overflowing grocery bags. As I ushered her in and before I could say a word, she said this: “I went to bed and just fallen into a deep sleep. But the Holy Spirit woke me up and told me to take as many groceries as I could carry to you. So, here I am.” 

In that moment, I knew in my head and felt in my heart a ministry of the Spirit which transcends language. What is more, the next morning our girls learned something about God that they would never get from listening to their Dad’s teaching and preaching. I must also add that this is a story which gets retold often because it reminds us of how God meets us in our need and how much God cares. 

Through such encounters with the Spirit (and I have mercifully been granted many of them!) I begin to understand and appreciate the wisdom of the saints throughout the ages: 

“When the grace of the Holy Spirit enters a soul and is established there, it gushes forth more powerfully than any other spring; it neither ceases, dries up, nor is exhausted. And the Savior, to signify this inexhaustible gift of grace, calls it a spring and a torrent; He also calls it gushing water, to indicate its force and impetus.” –St. John Chrysostom 

May you know the ministry of the Spirit, inside and out, in all ways and in all circumstances. 

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy. Amen. 

–A Prayer of St. Augustine