It is the Spirit who Gives Life
In John 6:63 Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Although Jesus is referring to His words as spirit, it remains true that the Holy Spirit gives life. In Genesis 1:2 we are told that at the beginning the Spirit of God was there hovering over the waters when creation and life was about to be brought into existence. When the Lord first created mankind, He breathed into us the breath of life and life entered into us. In Job 33:4 Job confesses the truth, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the almighty gives me life.” In Ezekiel 37 the prophet receives that great vision of a valley of dry dusty bones. But when the prophet spoke the words of the Lord, the breath, the Spirit of God, poured forth and brought life to those dry dusty bones. “It is the Spirit who gives life.”
We see the Spirit of God bring life to many in the Pentecost story of Acts chapter 2. God poured out His Spirit upon the early followers in the church and they spoke the word of God in many languages and thousands of people came to believe in Jesus. They received eternal life because God’s Spirit was again at work. From that moment on the Christian Church, empowered by God the Holy Spirit, went forth and made the word of the Lord known throughout the world and eternal life has come to many as a result. “It is the Spirit who gives life.”
Still today we look to God to send His Spirit into our lives and the lives of many people so that we and others may receive eternal life. We look to the Spirit of God to work through our efforts and bring the gift of life to the people in our community. We look to God to give and sustain physical life of all ages, including the pre-born. We look to God the Holy Spirit to bring eternal life as He uses the words of Jesus to bring faith and salvation to all who will trust in those words. In this season of Pentecost, God’s Spirit continues to work in our life daily as we read and focus upon the words of God in the Bible, weekly as we hear God’s Word preached and receive the Sacraments, and continually as He sustains a life of faith in us. Without the Spirit no one can say Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). “It is the Spirit who gives life.”
It is therefore vitally important that we do not resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). It is important we do not resist the work of the Holy Spirit by staying away from church and busy ourselves only with the things of the world, for the things of this world often become nothing more than a chasing of the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). We all need the words of Jesus, the sacraments, and the fellowship of believers. God’s Spirit is at work in these places. Do not resist the work of the Holy Spirit, for if you do there is the danger you will lose your faith and lose life, life eternal. Rather, attend church often and let the Spirit bring and sustain life to you. Likewise, do not resist the Holy Spirit by neglecting daily study of the Word and prayer. Rather, study the Bible daily and let the Spirit breathe life into you. Furthermore, do not resist the Spirit by not allowing Him to work through you. Rather, volunteer, help out with the ministries of Rose of Sharon, and be a part of what the Spirit of God builds as He breaths life into the lives of people around us. Bear the fruit of the Spirit which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23).
In this season of Pentecost pray (Luke 11:13) that God would grant His Spirit and guide us as we seek to reach people of all ages, including children and youth, with the life giving, Spirit filled, words of Jesus. Pray that God’s Spirit would work through us to bring to many people in our community the gift of life. May God fill our lives, our church, and our community with His Spirit and thereby give to many the sacred gift of life, for “it is the Spirit who gives life.” Come O Holy Spirit.
Pastor Schoenfeld
Something Everyone Needs to Know
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3) every human being has come into this world as a sinful being. Our sin separates us from God. Left to ourselves we would perish for eternity in hell (John 3:36 & Hebrews 10:26-27).
“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God loves you so much that He came into this world as a human being (Luke 2:1-20). Jesus, the Son of God, lived a perfect life for you (Hebrews 4:14-16), suffered and died upon a cross for you (John 19), and rose from the dead for you (Luke 24). Now our risen Lord will forgive your sin (1 John 1:8-9) and grant eternal salvation to you if you believe in Him.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” Acts 16:31
When God blesses you with a living faith in Jesus you will have a place in heaven. Such salvation comes not by our works but by grace through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8-10).
“And He died for all, that those who live, should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15
Now as those who have been given the gift of heaven we live no longer just for ourselves but to serve God and our fellow human beings. (Ephesians 2:10)
Pastor Schoenfeld