The gift of the Spirit
by Tania Nelson
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This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has given us of his Spirit (1 John 4:13).
Read 1 John 4:7–21
Today’s Bible reading is an exhortation to ‘love one another, for love comes from God’ (1 John 4:7a). I don’t know about you, but I don’t always feel loving. There are times I avoid people, times when I speak hastily and inappropriately, times when I’m impatient and unkind (actually lots of times when I’m impatient … yes, something I need to work on!). I suspect you, too, have times when that loving feeling is not at the forefront.
However, while loving may not always come naturally, we know that God has given us the Holy Spirit. We can lean on the Spirit for help.
God sent Christ’s Spirit to the disciples at Pentecost, and the crowd heard the disciples preach in their own languages. God gave the Spirit to the 3,000 believers who were baptised that day. God’s Spirit came to you and me in our baptism.
Martin Luther said in his explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed (the article that begins ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit …’):
I believe that I cannot, by my own understanding or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him; but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
Daily in this Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins – mine and those of all believers. On the Last Day, the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead and will give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life.
God’s Spirit is still calling, gathering, enlightening and making us holy. Come, Holy Spirit, and help us to love.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me your Spirit. Thank you, Jesus, for dying and rising to life for me. Thank you, Spirit of God, for calling me, gathering me into your church, instructing me and making me holy. Amen.
Tania is the ministry lead at Mawson Lakes Community Church in suburban Adelaide and is a pastoral ministry student at Australian Lutheran College. Tania loves taking beach walks with her husband, David, spending time with her family and friends, and reading. Sometimes she is blessed to experience all three of these joys at her family shack on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.
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