Preparing for Pentecost

1 Corinthians 15.45-46

Who and what we are

The natural human (before he/she sins) = a ‘soulish’ body. This is a very Hebraic understanding rooted in Genesis 2.7. A being created to have communion with God and reflect God, yet a creature made out of dust. Temporary. Contingent. But a creature fitted for more: with the potential to become more than temporary. A potential, not realised, through being debarred access to the fruit of the tree of eternal life, because of sin.

v 45   quotes from the ancient Greek Genesis 2.7, ‘the man became a living soul’ (Heb nephesh, Gk psuche) adding the first Adam. Then adds, the ultimate (eschatos) Adam ‘life imparter’(zwopoioun ) by (eis) Spirit.

Jesus, in and through His resurrection, is the MEANS, the MODEL and the METHOD of heaven-infused living here and now, on this earth.

We start of as ‘soulish’ or natural people. Every person on earth is like this when they are born. But our potential, ruined by sin, is for more. But Jesus has dealt with the sin! Because of what Jesus has done and now does by the Holy Spirit, we can know and receive the life that is Holy-spirit-ual!

What the Spirit does to us

v 46    It is important to understand, practically, what it is the Spirit does to us. He infuses us with His presence and purpose. Therefore because the coming of the Spirit is influential in shaping us, to make a significant difference He has to come in power.

So we can know His peace: that is significant, but it is not what the power does. We can receive the teaching: that too is significant, but it is not what the power does.

What happens when the Spirit comes on us in power? He come in a way that will shake us to the very core of who and what we are. He does this in many different ways. I’ve known the Spirit to come in power on people, quietly and beautifully, when they have been seeking the Lord in prayer. I have known Him come in power with suddenness, shaking them to the very core. I have known people find it exuberant. And I have known people find it so challenging to their identity that it has terrified them.

But what is happening at essence is that the Spirit comes in Pentecostal power in order to transforms us and enable us to be taken up in the ministry that is the mark of those who belong to Jesus Christ. Come, Holy Spirit!

Principled vision

Our Scottish Baptist Union Council residential  meeting at Gartcosh House was well worthwhile. We were reminded afresh, in contrast to the 'vision statements of big business', that our destination is Christ. We want to look at how we best continue in this journey as churches true to Christ in a way that touches our culture and context. A ‘splash of colour’ on the big canvas, a phrase that summarised the keynote address of our new General Director, Alan Donaldson’s, was Building Missional Relationships. A good thought and a good way of engaging. It was also good to be reminded of the 'Principles of Union': the gule that brings the member churches of our Union together:

1 That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour is the sole and absolute Authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
2 That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried and rose again the third day.
3 That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.

I realise afresh how profoundly important these principles are to me as a Christian; the features that make me happy to be a baptist believer. We have to work through afresh what our Declaration of Principles means in practice for all our congregations. We all need to focus in on how these can be outworked in our local contexts.

Our way .... Jesus' way?

Stuart Blythe, in speaking of the identity of Christians within the Baptist Union of Scotland, that the critical question within a meeting of Christians, where there has been a desire to decide the right thing, suggested ‘We believe that Jesus Christ wants us to ….’

Not bad, eh? It would certainly cut out some stuff; and help us focus that a meeting with the Word of God should always lead us into a dependency on the Holy Spirit in order to carry us into effective performance of that command.