The Spirit Gives Life The Flesh Profits Nothing

The Spirit initiates, creates, and give birth to new things.(2 Cor. 3:6)

"It is He who has qualified us making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant (of salvation through Christ) not ministers of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code of the Law kills, but the Holy Spirit makes alive."

Illustration: Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: "Glasgow, Ky.--Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor." Trying to start anything without the Spirit of God is an exercise in futility. We are reliant on the Holy Spirit for the power to start up each new day, each new project and each new relationship.

Associated Press.

Why are so many people hesitant to start something new? Many people are afraid of failing. With the Holy Spirit of God in charge we can be assured that He will give birth to new ideas, new fellowships and new projects that will take a life of their own because He is in them.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Without hope of improvement, few people are motivated to progress. We need the Spirit of God to initiate, to innovate and to inspire us to move on to higher levels of Christ-likeness or our efforts are in vain.

1. Jesus, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, is the author and perfecter of hope and faith. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Heb. 12:2) Allow the Lord to author new ideas in your life so you do not grow stale, bored or lack creativity.

2. The Spirit gave birth to the first century church where thousands experienced a new life in Christ. We read in Acts 2:38, 39 Peter wrote:

"Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized. every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and your children and for all that are far away and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself." (Acts 2:38,39)

The reason that many miss out on the new work of the Spirit is that they are not willing to change their views and invite Him to do a new work in and through them.

It is amazing that the vast majority of new people who are brought in to the church are invited by new believers who are fresh with the excitement of the new birth. Older Christians tend to lose their freshness, excitement and enthusiasm as the years go by.

3. Wherever the Spirit of God is active, you will always find creation of fellowships, converts, and fruits. In Acts 2:41-47 we see the fruit of the initiating enabling power of the Spirit of God to begin new church fellowships:

"Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized and there were added that day about 3000 souls. And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread (including the Lord’s supper) and prayers. And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles....The partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts. Constantly praising God and being in favor and good will with all the people and the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved from spiritual death." (Acts 2:41-47)

It is the Spirit of God that gives effectiveness to church planting, church growth and church health.

4. As the Spirit baptizes us into Christ, we gain a whole new set of values, gifts, and Christlike qualities. He gives every believer hundreds of benefits that will endure for all eternity.

5. The Spirit of God initiates growth, improvement, and progress continually. If you have stopped growing, you have quenched the Spirit. If you hesitate to begin something new, ask the Spirit of innovation.

6. The Spirit of God has ways of forming relationships that seek to renew, remake, and renovate broken things. Without hope there is no hope of progress. Without the Spirit there is no hope of life.

7. The Spirit of God revives as He renews individuals. Paul wrote, "Put off the old self and be renewed in your minds." (Eph. 4:22,23) Put away anger, jealousy, wrath, slander, clamor and put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bearing with one another, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you." (Eph. 4:28-32)