I Believe in the Holy Ghost
On Sunday, 24 October 2004, Pastor Hunter turned his attention to the clause "I believe in the Holy Ghost," as he continued his fall series on The Apostles' Creed. Mr. Hunter began by noting that the presence of the Holy Spirit is often neglected in non-charismatic denominations, such as the Presbyterian Church (USA), except on Pentecostal Sunday. Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit underpins our lives as Christians.
As a parallel, he said, consider that the term "Holy Spirit" doesn't appear in the Old Testament, yet in Genesis it is the Holy Spirit--the breath of God--that brings order out of chaos and breathes life into the first human.
The Genesis story points to the first essential functions of the Holy Spirit: breathing new life, making all things new, and bringing order out of chaos. The Holy Spirit can bring order to the chaos of our lives by healing our broken relationships. As Paul's passage in Corinthians points out, the spirit manifests itself in difference ways in our lives. Yet if we are Christians, we have the spirit.
The Holy Spirit also works in our lives to reveal the truth of Christ to us and to guide our actions. Here, Mr. Hunter parsed the Greek word Paraclete, which is a New Testament word used to refer to the Holy Spirit. Rich in meanings, the word carries definitions such as such as advocate, comforter, counselor, and--from Greek military history--a fighting companion who protects your back.
By bringing us into a new relationship with God, the Holy Spirit reveals another essential function, one which is typified by the word Abba (i.e., "Daddy") for God. The Holy Spirit binds us into a new family. Any talent or gift that we use to build up this family, is a spiritual gift--a gift from God to helps us build up the Church and strengthen our whole faith family.
Finally, the Holy Spirit guides our prayers. The Holy Spirit is not exactly synonymous with our consciences, Mr. Hunter explained, but it is the way God guides us, prompting us during prayer to remember and tend to those things we have neglected, avoided, or suppressed.
Mr. Hunter concluded the sermon by directing our thoughts to the way the relatively recent Brief Statement of Faith (1983) treats the topic of the Holy Spirit:
We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the church.
The same Spirit
who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.
In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth,
praying, Come, Lord Jesus!
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