INTRODUCTION TO AFFIRMATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
As time marches on and the aging process begins to cast a shadow on my short-term memory, my mind seems sharper now than ever regarding long-term memory. It is interesting to me that, at 85 years of age, I am still recalling interpretations of Christian beliefs that have been hallmarks of my ministry for three score and more years.
After all, I have sat under the preaching, on a right regular basis, of no fewer than a dozen inimitable pastors with whom I was associated in my role as Church Consultant, Christian Educator and Community Counselor. In my associations, and during those years of Christian service, each of my pastors involved me in the ministries of preaching and teaching the Word.
Living in the latter days of my life on this earth, with the 21st century well under way, I find myself “up against it” regarding a lot that I read today, and hear, about endeavors by more than a few Christian ministers to re-define basic Christian doctrines – beliefs that, for me, were and still are “pillars” upon which to build one’s Christian life.
In our world of instant communication, we pick up on much negativism as to the validity of our Christian Faith - for instance, the brazenness with which professing Christians embrace ways other than Jesus Christ for being saved – even by folks who know that Jesus proved what He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life . . . No one comes to the Father except by me.”
An illustration of how some folks are thinking occurred at one of my favorite places for fellowship with friends - The Waffle House: One morning while sitting at one end of the coffee shop, I and everyone else could hear a guy at the other end waxing eloquent about religious issues. Although I for the most part had tuned him out, my ears perked up when he started talking about how one goes to heaven. Don’t know how the subject came up, but what I heard this guy say was: “All people of all religions will go to heaven if they’re good.”
Now folks, I’m in favor of everyone being good; and I’m in favor of everyone going to heaven; but it doesn’t matter what I am in favor of, or what the Waffle House customer’s view was; the fact is that the Bible tells us who will and will not go to heaven; and nowhere in the Bible does it say that “all people from all religions will go to heaven if they are good.”
Later in this series, I share my understanding of a Christian view of “how to go to heaven”. The “who and how” of receiving, by grace through faith, God’s gift of eternal life ought to be a major objective of all Christian preaching and teaching.
Pursuing an evangelistic objective, however, in no way diminishes but enhances the importance of affirming and acting upon all other major Christian doctrines – the necessity of which motivated me to reaffirm my Christian beliefs.
There were basically ten tenets which I felt the need to reexamine and work through in my own mind until I could say, “This I believe.”
Yes, reflected in my statements of belief are numerous interpretations and perspectives gained from a lifetime of intensive Bible study, as well as listening with an attentive ear to good teachers and preachers, not to mention all the research done through the years in preparation for teaching teachers – probably the most rewarding aspect of my ministry. Amen.
AFFIRMATIONS – SERMON VII: BELIEF IN GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
One of the earliest insights I gained into the preaching ministry was when I became aware that preachers are good at telling stories that may or may not have happened – sort of like parables.
Jesus was a very effective story teller in the sense that, in his teaching, he told parables – defined by one of my Sunday school teachers as “earthly stories with heavenly meanings.”
As a way of helping folks understand the existence of the Holy Spirit, there has been floating around for many years a “parable” about a boy flying a kite: The kite flew so high that it disappeared into the clouds. A man came by and asked, “What are you doing, son, holding on to that string?” The boy answered, “I’ve got a kite up there.” The man looked up and said, “I don’t see it.” The boy replied, “Well, I know it’s there because I can feel the tug.” That “tug” is like the existence of the Holy Spirit within us.
We may not always see the evidence of the Spirit’s presence, but we feel a “tug” in our hearts, letting us know that we are in touch with God. As far as I am concerned, that “tug” represents as good a description as any about how I know that the Holy Spirit is at work in my life.
Awareness of the Spirit’s presence, coupled with that little “tug” within, has dynamic motivational effects upon me.
The Spirit motivates me to commune with God through prayer.
There’s a little chorus that goes like this: “Oh every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray.” Why is this?
Let me put it this way: In the counseling profession, therapists emphasize the importance of communication between persons in all relationships in life – whether a marriage relationship, a business relationship, a social relationship or simply a relationship between friends.
In my relationship to God the Father, it is so very important for me to stay on “speaking terms” with Him – to be in constant communication with Him; and, the Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead assigned the task of making the connection between me and my Father. How do I know this?
As Jesus was about to leave His disciples to go back to the Father from whence He came, Jesus told them – and thereby tells you and me – that He would ask the Father, and the Father “will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Holy Spirit.” (John 14)
What this declaration of Jesus tells me is that I have an “advocate” with the Father – in the person of the Holy Spirit. For instance, if I do not know exactly what to say to God, the Spirit does; for, you see, language presents no barrier between the Christian and God.
Furthermore, what I cannot explain to God, the Spirit will. If all I can do is mutter or sputter when making a feeble effort to express myself to God, the Spirit will translate even my groans and my moans; the Spirit will interpret my mutters and my sputters.
Folks, you do not have to be a great orator or be able to speak more than one language – or any language at all – nor do you need a PhD, to communicate with Father God.
Jesus promised His followers that, once He ascended to the place He came from, He would not forsake them – “I will not leave you as orphans.”
Never in my adult Christian life have I felt alone – simply because I know I can pray, whatever my limitations may be, and know for a fact that the Holy Spirit conveys my prayers to the One who has the power to meet my needs.
When I need to be reminded of God’s expectations of me as taught by His Son and my Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit teaches me; therefore, the Spirit motivates me to cling to the teachings of Jesus.
When I need to be guided along paths of righteousness, the Holy Spirit guides me; so, the Spirit motivates me to do right.
When I need to be comforted in times of sorrow, the Holy Spirit comforts me; so, the Spirit motivates me to seek God’s comfort.
When I face challenges to speak the truth in love and, therefore, need to be empowered, I feel the Holy Spirit’s companionship as if He were standing by my side; so, the Spirit motivates me to speak truth – to be firmly committed to “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
Folks, when the early Christians prayed for boldness in times of persecution, “the place was shaken . . . and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)
As Christians, we should be aware that, apart from the Holy Spirit’s power, all efforts for Christ are in vain – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)
If anyone thinks for a moment that, as a follower of Christ, we do not need power, think again. Even Jesus was anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit; without it, He could not have done the works that He did.
If we are to take up our “cross” and follow Jesus, we must be willing to allow a power greater than ourselves to work in us and through us; thus, the Spirit of God empowers us to do Christian service.
Each one of Christ’s followers has been given a gift or gifts for use in Christian service; but none of us has the power in and of ourselves to be effective in the use of our ministry gift(s) apart from the Holy Spirit.
About ministry gifts – the gift of mercy . . . service . . . hospitality . . . giving . . . helping . . . encouragement – there needs to be an administrator of those gifts – the reason being that each Christian has at least one gift, but no one has all gifts. We must all work together!
In her role as administrator in the technical division of one of our state universities, my wife Florence served as coordinator of a diverse, multi-level program involving many professors and instructors. Without her coordination of the entire program, there would have been confusion and chaos, the net result being ineffectiveness.
In Christian endeavors, the distribution of ministry gifts requires administration – an assignment given to the Holy Spirit.
What would we do without the Holy Spirit’s coordination of all the ministry gifts that have been assigned to so many Christians?
Christian ministries can be effectively carried out only if each Christian accepts his or her assignment; then, if we allow the Holy Spirit to be in control, together we CAN and WILL do the work Christ commissioned us to do.
Not only does the Holy Spirit empower the Church to carry out the Lord’s commission, the Spirit also empowers individual Christians to carry out our responsibility of living up to the moral expectations of Christianity.
We call these expectations “fruits of the Spirit” – which all who name the name of Christ are expected to cultivate personally.
When you and I became Christians, the Holy Spirit took up His abode in each of us. Remember how the Apostle Paul put it to the Corinthian Christians in the form of a question? “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple – and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
In his letter to the Romans, Paul spoke of “being sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16). To submit to the process of “sanctification” means that you and I cultivate the “fruits of the Spirit” that are produced in us by the Holy Spirit – specifically, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
A well-known Baptist teacher, J. Clyde Turner, likens these Christian attributes to “three clusters of fruit.” There is the fruit of the inner life – love, joy, and peace . . . the outward life – patience, kindness and goodness . . . the disciplined life – faithfulness, meekness and self-control
Folks, no relationship can be greater than the Christian’s relationship to the Holy Spirit. This uniqueness enables all other relationships to be what they ought to be – relationships that are under the control of the One whose we are and whom we serve, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
