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Theology - Pneumatology: Cuttings from a Pentecost Homily

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The Spirit is the Spirit of love. He is the love-gift that binds the Father and Son, and is the love of God poured into our hearts. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, male or female. Each of us is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, to edify the church: One is given wisdom by the Spirit, another knowledge, another faith, another healing, prophecy, tongues, distinguishing of tongues, interpretation of tongues, serving, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, showing mercy – all by the same Spirit. By the Spirit, the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control spring up from earthy men.

The Spirit remakes us from head to toe. By the Spirit, our eyes are opened. By the Spirit, we hear with understanding. By the Spirit, our hearts are filled with joy. By the Spirit, our hands are made strong for battle. By the Spirit, our feet walk in the way of God commandments. By the Spirit who knows the depths of God, our minds are illumined to know the mysteries of the kingdom. As we drink of the Spirit, we taste and see that the Lord is good.

The Spirit is our inheritance. We are heirs of God; God is not only the one who gives an inheritance, but He is the very substance of our inheritance. We are the firstborn of the greater Elijah, Jesus, who leaves behind the double-portion of His Spirit, the inheritance of firstborn sons, to us, Elisha. The Spirit is the inheritance of the sons of God. The Spirit is the Spirit of sonship, by which we cry out that the Father is our Father, by whom we join in the Son’s eternal cry, Abba, Father!

The Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of strength and of the fear of the Lord. By the Spirit we preach good news to the poor, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to captives, declare the favorable year of the Lord.

The Spirit is the ink of God, who writes with the finger of His Spirit not on stone but on tablets of the human heart.

The Lord is Spirit; and the where the Spirit is there is liberty. Walk into a tense situation, and don’t quite know what to say. What do you do? Freeze. But the Spirit is the Spirit of liberty; He unfreezes, and Jesus promises that the Spirit will lead us to speak His words. Rely on the Spirit. Be carried by the Spirit.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, May 9, 2008 at 8:10 am

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Theology - Pneumatology: Cuttings from a Pentecost Homily

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