18: We Have Landed, but We Want the Land
“To flourish, then, we need to be Holy Spirit people. The only way the church can be God’s kind of church is through the power of the Spirit. Only the Spirit empowers us to transcend differences and to transform our preferences into love for others.” Six teachings from Paul about the Holy Spirit.
- IF JESUS AND THE APOSTLES NEEDED THE SPIRIT, SO DO WE. It was the poser of the Holy Spirit that allowed Jesus to do what he did. And, therefore, it should be a surprise that Peter and Paul were spirit filled.
- WHAT THE SPIRIT OCCUPIES, THE SPIRIT TRANSFORMS. In fact, when God is present in the form of the Holy Spirit, transformation MUST occur.
- EACH OF HAS THE SPIRIT AND GIFTS, INCLUDING YOU. “Jesus, Peter, the Pentecost Christians, Paul, and all the converts — Jews and Gentiles — received the Spirit. They didn’t have to beg for it. To get the Spirit one must simply believe and receive. God sends the Spirit to all who ask.”
- WE CAN BE FULL OF THE SPIRIT. Paul contrasts being full of win with being full of the Spirit.
- THE SPIRIT BATTLES THE FORCES OF EVIL THROUGH US.
- WE HAVE LANDED, BUT WE WANT THE LAND. “Here’s what Paul is saying: We’ve got the Spirit, and the Spirit in us is a “seal of ownership” and a down payment that guarantees our participation in the kingdom. This is a way of saying once again that salvation, as we saw a few chapters back, is a lifelong (and longer) process.”
SPIRIT FLOURISHING. In the local church, as improbable as it seems, God is cooking up his future kingdom.
Excerpt From: Scot McKnight. “A Fellowship of Differents.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/9W9u1.l