The Incoming of the Holy Spirit

Jesus gives definition to our spirituality and keeps us focused on what's important in everyday life. It is Jesus the Christ who was born, died, resurrected, and rose again to be God among us, our salvation. In Jesus, we live out God's presence and our salvation within the confines of our ordinary, day-to-day humanity with so much familiarity and few fireworks that non-Christians have difficulty believing Christ's reality.

Those who follow Christ must understand that we cannot make Him and His work into an image of our choosing. We must accept the way He works out our salvation and allow Jesus to be God. In true Christianity, spirituality and Jesus must be conjoined, for spirituality without Jesus is subject to our own meanings, inspirations, and aspirations — without the necessity of morals or personal sacrifice. Certainly, "a commitment to Jesus keeps spirituality in touch with God. And a concern for spirituality keeps Jesus in touch with us."

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If we are going to take seriously this notion of spirituality, we are forced to confront the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, one of the most important biblical and theological topics. Practically every theological discussion ultimately turns to this topic, whether or not we realize it. Although there are some potential controversies that can emerge in discussing this topic, it is essential that it not be avoided. The Holy Spirit is all-important in determining your spiritual health and even the future viability of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

Today, and for the next two Sundays, I would like to share with you regarding the theme The Three-fold Secret of the Holy Spirit. I am indebted for this topic and some of this material to James H. McConkey who, in 1897, wrote what has become a classic on this subject. Today's topic is "The Incoming of the Holy Spirit." Next Sunday I will speak on "The Fullness of the Holy Spirit." The final topic will be "The Continuing Fullness of the Holy Spirit."

I.

Let's briefly look at the historic doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Reformed theology has always stressed three great divisions of Christian doctrine. The first article is the doctrine of God the Father. The second article is the doctrine of God the Son — Jesus Christ. The third article is the doctrine of God the Holy Spirit. At times, this third doctrine is the most neglected of all biblical truths. At other times, the pendulum swings the other way. What once seemed to be the private theological domain of the Pentecostal and Holiness groups receives the attention it rightly should have, making a significant impact. Today, in some ways, it has become homogenized into the life of general society as this vague notion of spirituality to which we have already referred, a spirituality disconnected from strong biblical and doctrinal roots.

In my early years of ministry, in the 1960s and 1970s, there was a lot of talk about the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, some of it in a controversial form. There was a lot of discussion about speaking in tongues, healing and prophecy. There was much talk about "a second work of grace," and the "baptism of the Spirit," "sanctification," "a second blessing," "a second baptism of the Spirit." Back in 1975, I was part of a group of 20 American Protestant leaders who were guests of the Vatican in Rome for 15 days of conversations. I was quite struck by how many of the Cardinals made mention of what for them was a new emphasis on the Holy Spirit.