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Reorienting Pneumatology: It's All About Love

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Post-Pentecost we get into the habit of talking about the Holy Spirit. Most people from my tradition (Protestant evangelical), when thinking and talking about the Holy Spirit, have the tendency to talk about the “gifts” associated with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Most often we equate the Holy Spirit thinking with “Pentecostalism” or “charasmaticism”. Unfortunately, concerning our thinking about the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), this primary point of reference (“gifts”) has caused us to put the accent on the wrong syllable concerning what the Holy Spirit is all about.

If I were to ask someone, “how do you know when the Holy Spirit is present?” The typical answer refers to these “gifts” (i.e., tongues, supernatural healing, discernment, word of knowledge, etc.) that are associated with supernatural “outward” powers. But what about “holiness”? Isn’t holiness the primary fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence? He is, after all, the HOLY Spirit, or “Spirit of Holiness” (Romans 1:4, which reads, “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord”, ESV, emphasis added).

HOLINESS is the trademark fruit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

But what is holiness? Hundreds, if not thousands of volumes have been written with the goal of answering that question. In the end, I believe that holiness is love. Not just any love, however, it is self-giving, self-sacrificing love.

To be “holy” is to be set a part like God is set a part; not in divinity, but in character. And how do we get a clear portrait of God? Jesus. After all, Jesus is the “imprint of his very nature” (Heb  1:3).

We are able to look at the entire life of Jesus and put everything he did and said together to collectively inform us concerning the character and heart posture of God.

The ultimate act that testifies to the nature of God (holiness) is the cross.

Rom 5:8 reads, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the perfect image of holiness. This is the heart posture that the Holy Spirit wishes to produces in those who love, obey, and believe in Jesus.

So how do we know when the Holy Spirit is present in a person’s life? Or a church’s life? Self-Giving love will be present. The very character of Christ will be apparent.

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Much more than supernatural outward gifts (as noted above), the Holy Spirit makes himself known by glorifying the loving character of Christ in the individual as well as collectively in the church.

Is the Holy Spirit alive in you?

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