We celebrated Pentecost last week. We are reminded during the season of Pentecost that Jesus, as he always does, fulfilled his promise to his disciples by sending the Holy Spirit. Questions remain, however, as to where we go from here. What does this mean? How can we better understand the role and function of the Holy Spirit?
The Apostle Paul, the most prolific New Testament author, has a great deal to say about the Holy Spirit. Romans 8 is traditionally the place we go to get a better grasp on what Paul and the New Testament has to say about the Holy Spirit.
When we read Romans 8, we find a reoccurring phrase that talks about living, or thinking “according to the Spirit.” What does this mean exactly? Well, in order to understand what Paul means, we often have to take into account the historical context in which he wrote.
For Paul, along with many of his contemporaries, this concept of doing things “according to the Spirit” was deeply connected to time. This may not be what one expects. So what does time have to do with living according to the Spirit?
Paul and many of his contemporaries remembered that God’s work in saving the world was a long and complicated story (just like life). The first major part of the story as recorded in the Old Testament, is quite sad and even tragic. Many people avoid the Old Testament for this very reason, it tends to have a negative tone to it. People are always rebelling and violently warring with one another and God is not happy about it.
This part of the story was understood by Paul as a season in the greater story of God’s plan to save the world. In the midst of that very tragic season in the story, God promises that a new season is coming. God promises through his prophets that this season of human rebellion would come to an end and a new season would take its place.
But what would that new season look like? The new season would be launched through the forgiveness of sins. This forgiveness, however, would be different than the forgiveness provided through the Old Testament sacrificial system. This forgiveness would be eternal. Along with this, this eternal forgiveness would lead to the manifestation of the wonderful love of God into the hearts of believers. This forgiveness would provide and internal cleansing that would prepare for the very nature of God to take up residence in the hearts of believers. This is the new season of the Spirit.
To live according to the Spirit, then, is to embrace that a new era in history has dawned upon the world scene in Jesus the Messiah. Through his forgiveness, people would be freed from slavery to brokeness and violence and the love of God would take up residence in the hearts of humanity through the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. To live according to the Spirit is to love like God loves and to forgive like God forgives.
