Out and About 4, In Detail

[HKHaugan]

For us to apprehend the spiritual dimension in detail and to see our part in it we look at Genesis.  First, we accept that God created the heavens and the earth (Gen.1:1).  Second, the Holy Spirit is hovering ready to go to work (1:2).  Third, God said, “Let there be light.”  That’s where we start.  God has given us the light of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, to see in the unseen.  Peter, James and John saw that light in Jesus’ Transfiguration (Mt.17).  As we have already noted Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have the ‘eyes of their heart enlightened (Eph.1:18).’  That prayer covers us as well.  It is the Holy Spirit’s work to enlighten us within so that we can see without.  As we move through the unseen everyday the Holy Spirit nudges us, gives us a discerning gift, moves in what Paul calls ‘the fruit of the Spirit.’  That ‘fruit’ is the lungs of our spiritual breathing life.  Galatians 5:22-23 spells it out,---love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

 

Here is the spiritual atmosphere for the mind, the heart and the spirit to work in harmony.  It is a ‘light’ atmosphere, a spiritual light opening Scripture so that we can peer into the depths of the spiritual dimension. 

 

Scripture does three things, it transfigures, reveals and shows:

 

First, it transfigures Jesus so that we see Him with our hearts by faith as the light of the world (Jn.8:12) as our spiritual rock, our Savior and our Lord. 

 

Second, it reveals Jesus as God in the flesh (Jn.1:14) whose life is a perfect spiritual and physical unity.  He is the focus defining all we need to know about the spiritual dimension, the nature and source of the universe and our humanity, which is first spiritual and secondly physical. 

 

Third, it shows clearly the purpose of Jesus whose spiritual life is freely offered in a faith relationship to revive our spirit through His Spirit, rebuild our heart to be like His heart and restructure our mind to think like His mind thinks.  Thus we are returned to God as He first intended, faithful, loving and a finished work of spiritual art that shows His glory.

 

So between the Holy Spirit, Jesus and Scripture we have the power, the Person and the plan.

 

First, the plan

 

It’s the Father’s will restoring humanity, each one, through a personal relationship with God the Son.  Redemption comes through the Cross to show that death has been overcome and that faith in Jesus is the key to eternal life.  Every person has a longing in their heart for God and the Kingdom.  Jesus is the inviter.  We are the invitees.  A relationship with Him grows us into and in the Kingdom. 

Second, the Person

 

Jesus is the revelation of the plan in action.  He is the Person in whose image we are created.  He is the Person that makes God real, available and accessible.  Through Him we find our identity, our meaning and our purpose.  Through Him all the qualities of God emerge.  With Him we share in the grace and truth of God.  In Him we are spiritually restored, forever.  Without Him we are lost.

 

Third, the power

 

Here we have three stimuli, inspiration, insight and energy.   There is the inspiration in our mind, the insight in our heart and the energy of faith in our spirit.  All three are the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit that works the Scripture to engage the mind.  It is the Holy Spirit through whom Jesus makes sense in our heart and then spurs us on to faithful action.

 

I remember awhile back when I was asked to lead music at a conference in Birmingham.  Before I left, my wife and I had a dispute over whether or not to buy a present for the daughter of someone we knew very well but had never met the daughter.  Funds were tight at that point so I argued not to buy one.  It was unresolved when I left.  When I got to the conference I was in an auditorium waiting to begin.  As I sat there I was reading 1John in order to make sure I would lead correctly the song “1John 4:7-8.”  As I read, my eyes happened to glance across the page and there a verse popped out, 5:1, “Everyone who believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God,” and here is where the Spirit hit me- “…and everyone who loves the father loves the child.”  I immediately got on the phone and told my wife to buy the present. 

 

In what might seem perhaps a rather insignificant incident, my mind, heart and spirit were moved from idea to action, all a work of the Spirit.  It further brought another supporting Scripture to mind, “If you can be trusted in little things you can be trusted in great things (Lk.16:10).”  And who knows, it could be that the little things are the great things especially when it is the Holy Spirit who is the influence.

 

What I want to make sure here is that no one gets the idea that you make a law out of this that says, “I’m going to read a Scripture that will be translated the same way.”  That’s legalism.  What this episode showed was that the Spirit will act through you at His choosing in His way and in His time.  Our task is simply to be spiritually aware and alert not letting a circumstance, problem or obstacle distract us from being open to the Spirit’s work.  Many times the Spirit will act when you least expect.  Be willing to recognize it is the Spirit and the Spirit will confirm it in some way.  The structure for awareness is prayer, reading Scripture, relaxing in Jesus and living every moment spiritually open.  It’s all in letting God be God.