The Lord’s Promise of Power (2) — The Exigency of a Re-Awakening on the ‘Ministry’ of the Holy Spirit
1. The festival of revival — the annual feast of Pentecost
While it is only fair that we should acknowledge the works that have been done by individuals and institutions to give voice and visibility to the person and mission of the Holy Spirit, there remains a candid and lingering impression that the ‘ministry’ particular to the Holy Spirit, as intended by the Godhead, for the benefit of those saved by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, is largely unnoted, unapprehended, unexplored, untapped and unsung, among the same masses of us, the ordinary people who avow the name of Christ and live by the standards of his Gospel. In truth, this situation is an exigency, on account of the elements of urgency and necessity, which, I believe, it carries; and I am inclined to the belief that no effort should be spared in drawing attention to this exigency — that is, to the necessity of life-in-the-Spirit and the urgency of a re-awakening on the crucial ‘ministry’ and function exercised by the Holy Spirit, for us, as granted to us by the wisdom and benignity of divine providence.
For this reason, as the season of Pentecost and the feast of the Holy Spirit — the annual festival of spiritual revival — approaches, I take delight, both in offering my own thoughts on the urgency of a ‘life-in-the-Spirit’ re-awakening in our time and in reminding and recommending to everyone to take advantage of this holy season, to re-activate, to re-invite, to re-unite with the Holy Spirit, to re-animate and to re-aflame our hearts with his heavenly fire. There is no better time than now to seek to rediscover the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit and to desire to be led by him; there is no better time than now to reappropriate God’s gift of ‘power’ given to us, which is the Spirit of God himself; there is no better time than now to re-befriend the divine Spirit — our indwelling helper — and to re-awaken his gift of ‘fire’ in our souls. Indeed, we are in the season of the Holy Spirit, not only in this Pentecost juncture of the year, but also in this epoch of salvation timeline; and indeed, we need a re-awakening of this crucial truth — the truth of our bereavement of ‘power’ without deference and devotion to God’s Spirit.
There can be no doubt that pertaining to a functional and fruitful fellowship, a personal and personalised relationship, with the person of the Holy Spirit, most Christians today are gravely wanting. But the Church’s annual commemoration of the descent of the promised Spirit on the first Christians, provides us an annual opportunity of re-union and re-empowerment with the Spirit of God. Gladly, in many places, the nine days season of awaiting in prayer for the Holy Spirit, following the example of the apostles gathered in the upper room, has evolved into an annual occasion of spiritual revival and an opportunity of renewal of personal rapport with the Holy Spirit. The Catholic tradition of Novena to the Holy Spirit, of nine days, preceding the liturgical feast of Pentecost, (plus the Octave of Pentecost, the eight days following the Feast of the Holy Spirit, which was there before 1970) has, in many climes, created an annual season of revival at the feet of the Holy Spirit. It has providentially offered us an occasion of spiritual festivity, a festival of the Holy Spirit, a festival of renewal in the Spirit. This is good tiding! By means of this Catholic tradition, the Spirit of God — who rules in the affairs of men (Dan 4:25) — offers us a festival of re-union and renewal with him, a season of soul refreshment and re-empowerment. As the days of pentecost approaches, as the festival of the Holy Spirit and season of renewal draw near, we cannot but encourage everyone, to reconnect with the divine Spirit, who, in his person and his presence, is the ‘power’ promised us by the Lord.
2. The ’ministry’ of the Holy Spirit — a widespread lingering deficiency
Without doubt, one major deficiency that perhaps Christianity has always suffered, is this ‘unknowing’ that surrounds the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, one major urgency that perhaps orthodox Christianity still faces today, is the necessity of an awakening on the reality and indeed the ‘utility’ of the ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit — and with it, a deeper awareness of the third Person of God. Perhaps, even a new ‘crusade’ of evangelization would be needful in our time, to reintegrate into the consciousness of the Christian masses, the necessity of the ‘ministry’ exercised by the Holy Spirit, as God willed it in the plan of salvation. But, like the twelve disciples that St. Paul met at Ephesus (Acts 19:1–7), even today, there are Christians who may say: ‘we have not even heard that there is a ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit!’ And so, it appears both necessary and urgent to call back the attention of today’s ordinary orthodox Christian, to the special ministry which the Holy Spirit undertakes in favour of the faithful, ordained to aid them in the everyday transactions of the Christian life.
This unique ministry of the Holy Spirit is, however, part and parcel of the design that the provident God made for the salvation of souls; such that when it is not decidedly beckoned and deliberately utilized, the Christian life falls short of the fullness of its joyfulness or its splendour or its power or its sublimity. While he is always present in the Church and in the baptised faithful committed to the life of grace, his presence remains largely unbeckoned and his effects untapped. It is not a few Christians who do not give any thought or action to the need for a personal communion with the Holy Spirit, and who treat his person with reflex inadvertence and cold indifference, in the prosecution of their Christian calling. And so, it becomes important to underline that the role or ministry of the Holy Spirit in the project of salvation is not dispensable or inconsequential: neither is it extra-ordinary or extraneous. Instead, it is a necessary part of it, and, in fact, fundamental to it. Seeing the pathetic apathy, disinterest disregard and crass negligence which orthodox Christians exhibit towards personal and ‘alive’ rapport with the life-giving Spirit, it has become crucial to cry out and to call it out.
The role of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of the world is not secondary, supplementary or subsidiary to the messianic work of Christ. It is not an optional addendum or appendage to the redeeming work of Christ. On the contrary, it is essential and central to it, it pervades it and informs it. It is its livewire; its life principle! Just as from the beginning of creation — in the Godhead — the Holy Spirit was present from the annunciation and the incarnation to the crucifixion and the resurrection. But it was after the ascension, that he took particular control, in the dispensation inaugurated and announced by his special descent at the feast of Pentecost in the Upper Room. The foregoing is in consonance with the three cardinal points of human history as seen from the Christian worldview; namely: creation, redemption and sanctification; which also correspond to the roles of the three divine persons; namely: Father, Son and Spirit.
3. Between the ministry of the ‘Saviour’ and the ministry of the ‘Spirit’
In the same manner that we talk about the ‘ministry’ of Jesus the Christ, we can also talk about the ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit the paraclete. In other words, in the same manner that we talk about the ‘mission’ of Jesus, the second Person of the Godhead, we can also talk about the ‘mission’ of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead. Just as God the Father sent his Son to the world for the work of salvation, God the Father also sent his Spirit to the world for the same work of salvation. The Son and the Spirit both worked on the same project, in the name of the same Father — but each had a definite and different mission. The mission of the Holy Spirit was not to die on the cross, just as the mission of the Christ was not to be the Spiritus Paraclitus. Jesus came from the Father and died to save the world, but the Holy Spirit — who also comes from the Father — also has a role to play in the same work of salvation. Yet the project is one and the same — the salvation of souls. This role that the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the Church as a community of God’s people and in the personal salvation journey of each and every soul, is what here, we refer to as the ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit.
The core mission of Jesus was to die for the guilt of transgressions in place of us, to purchase the expiation of sins and to reconcile us with God; the core mission of the Holy Spirit is to work within us to bring to maturation, fruition and culmination, the gifts of grace and the treasures of salvation. Jesus brings us from death to new life; but it is the Spirit that gives life (Jn 6:63) and keeps us alive in Christ. Jesus transfers us from the darkness into the light; the Holy Spirit transforms us into the light; the Holy Spirit teaches us to walk in the light which is Jesus himself. Jesus brings us to salvation; the Holy Spirit brings us to sanctification. Jesus is the Redeemer; the Holy Spirit is the Helper. Jesus brought us the new life of the new covenant; but it is the indwelling Spirit who works out the renewal of the ‘new man’ out of the ‘old’ self (Titus 3:5–6; Mt 3:11; Jn 3:5); since also, it is sanctification that incarnates into actual Christian living the newness of baptismal regeneration. It was for this reason that Jesus recommended the Holy Spirit to his disciples and as he ascended to the Father he commanded them to await him in prayer and never to embark on any evangelical action until he arrives. (Acts 1:4)
4. What Jesus said about the ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit
It is from Jesus himself that we learn specifically about the fundamental characters of the ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit. As his own public ministry was reaching its close, Jesus began to introduce his disciples to the ‘new’ ministry and the ‘new’ person, who would continue the work of salvation which himself had begun and who would remain with then to the close of the age (Jn 14:16). This ‘new’ minister, this ‘new’ person, is not Christ himself; rather he is “another Advocate” (Jn 14:16). It was Jesus himself who called him ‘Another Advocate’. The Holy Spirit is ‘another’ minister being sent by the Father to man the next phase of the project of salvation after the ascension of Christ. The Holy Spirit is not the Christ. The Holy Spirit is not the same person as Christ. The Holy Spirit is the third person of God; Christ is the second person of God. Perhaps, this is why Jesus used the qualifier ‘another’ for him. As testifies the gospels in many instances, it was Jesus who introduced the apostles to the person of the Holy Spirit; it was him also who taught them about his ministry and the world’s great need of him.
Jesus began to teach them about the Holy Spirit way before the days of his own departure. In this way, thanks to Jesus, the apostles knew about the Holy Spirit and his great work, way before they encountered him on the morning of the feast of Pentecost in the upper room. Jesus confirmed that the Holy Spirit would work on the same project as him; he would continue his ministry of teaching and would, in a special way, lead them to the depth of revelation. “I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. However, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and he will declare to you what is to come” (Jn 16:13) Therefore, he calls him ‘the Spirit of truth’ (Jn 14:17); who would lead them to all truth (Jn 16:13) and remind them of everything he taught them (Jn 14:26). Jesus called him the Comforter who would come from the Father (Jn 15:26) with the mission to comfort unto perseverance — perhaps in the face of the persecutions that earmarks faithful Christian living.
In John 16:7, Jesus alludes to the need of the coming of the Holy Spirit and by extension, of the ministry he exercises. “I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Jesus seems to be saying: yes you have me, but you will not have me forever; you also need the Holy Spirit; and unless I go he cannot come. When he says ‘It is for your benefit that I am going away’, he seems to be saying: there is something which belongs to the Holy Spirit alone to do for you — it would profit you if he comes. In other words, the Holy Spirit also has a mission and a ministry for God’s people. The image that John 16:7 creates is this: Jesus has executed his part in God’s project of salvation, and now he wants to go, so that the Holy Spirit will come and take over in order to execute his own part of the same mission of salvation. Clearly then, Jesus is indicating to us that he is not the only person that God sent, God also sent another person called the Holy Spirit. In other words: in God’s mission of salvation, there is a ministry that belongs to Christ and there is another ministry that uniquely belongs to the Holy Spirit.
5. The Son brings salvation, the Spirit brings power
While Jesus represents God’s promise of redemption, the Holy Spirit represents God’s promise of power. While the Incarnation signals the fulfilment of God’s promise of salvation, Pentecost symbolises the fulfilment of God’s promise of power. While the Son brings salvation, the Spirit brings power. The Son is the word of God; the Spirit is the power of God. Jesus teaches us the word of and the will of God; the Holy Spirit imbues us with the power to practice the word and live out the will of God. In all of his dealings with men, the Spirit of God, is the conveyor of God’s power. The Holy Spirit is ‘the promise of the Father’ announced by Christ to his followers. This promise of the Father, is the ‘promise of power’ (Luke 24:49) which would empower, embolden and enlighten the disciples and followers of the Christ in the task of witnessing to the gospel of salvation in their preaching and in their own Christian living.
Confirming that the Holy Spirit is the Father’s promise of power, Jesus says: “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) We see clearly here that this ‘promise of the Father’ is the promise of power. God’s gracious plan is to “clothe” the believers with ‘power form on high’. The purpose is to divinely equip the followers of Christ for the task of Christian discipleship, the Christian apostolate of bringing Christ to the world, by living out the values of the Gospel in everyday life; in the same manner that the same Spirit ‘overshadowed” the Virgin Mary for the incarnation and maternity of Christ. (Lk 1:35) In all of God’s dealing with man, there is always the element of ‘power’. For the Christian, this element of power is crucial, since Christianity is essentially a religion of power — a religion enabled and made possible only by divine power. Without this element of ‘power’ — whose minister is the Holy Spirit — Christianity becomes merely a historical movement or a cultural phenomenon; the Christian life becomes lame and barren, robbed of the prodigies and fruits natural to it. But gladly, God gave his Church a gift of power — the Holy Spirit, who is the ‘power-principle’ which makes Christianity both powerful and preeminent, and Christian living both possible and pleasant.
Michael Richmond Duru
24th May 2022
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