Believing and Belonging III

III : THE HOLY SPIRIT – OUR GUIDE

John 16:7-13

“There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Jesus was always conscious of the Holy Spirit in His own life, but it was not until His work on earth was finished that the Holy Spirit came to His followers. So important was the coming of the Holy Spirit to the future of God’s Kingdom on earth that Jesus said to His disciples, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you… When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”[1]Jesus often emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit (called “The Comforter” in this text). He told His disciples that it would be through the Spirit that they would find the strength to be able to follow His commands. It was through the Spirit that they would be enabled to meet, courageously, the problems of living and of dying.

The strength of the early Church can only be explained by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Great numbers were added to the Church at that time. The timid were made bold. The weak became strong. The silent became vocal in witnessing to others of salvation through Jesus Christ. A third person of the Godhead had come in power – the Holy Spirit.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Simply speaking, the Holy Spirit is the power of God let loose in the world; but that power has personality. Do you ever feel an inner urge to do a kindly or loving deed? Don’t ignore it. That urge is the Spirit whispering in your ear. Do you feel an impulse to give Christ a larger place in your life? Act upon it. The Spirit is speaking to you. Do you hear a still small voice within you impelling you to a pure and holy way of life? Respond to it. That is the Holy Spirit at work in you. Do you feel yourself strong in temptation, encouraged in moments of despair, comforted in times of sorrow? Accept His help. He is the Holy Spirit.

As Christ walked with His disciples, so the Holy Spirit walks with us today – convicting us of sin, warming our hearts, persuading and helping us to accept Jesus as our Savior, deepening our spiritual lives, making us witnesses for Christ, transforming our weaknesses into strength; and the fruits of this companionship are these: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”[2]

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[1] John 16:7-8

[2] Galatians 5:22

Believing and Belonging II

II : JESUS CHRIST – OUR SAVIOR

Philippians 2:5-11

“The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism)

The Son of God

Who is Jesus Christ? This is the question each one of us must answer. Two thousand years ago people were asking it. In those days, some said He was John the Baptist, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But Jesus stressed the importance of answering the question for oneself. “Who do you say that I am?” asked Jesus. Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”[1] It is upon this statement that the Church was built. Whatever others thought of Him, Jesus knew that He was the Son of God. Nothing less than that is acceptable as a confession of faith from those who would follow Him today.

The Gift of the Heavenly Father

Jesus Christ is the supreme gift of the Heavenly Father to His earthly children. “For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life,”[2] is the best-loved statement of the Christian faith. As the gift of God, Jesus had a mission and often spoke of it. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost,”[3] He said. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”[4] “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”[5]

Our Redeemer

Given for our salvation by the Father, and in turn giving Himself on the cross that we, through Him, might be saved, Jesus states His claim in no uncertain terms, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (that is, will not die eternally). “Do you believe this?”[6]

And so through the years, Christ remains a fact in history, a force in believing hearts, a guide to Christian living, and the Savior of all who will believe, placing into His nail-scarred hands the empty hands of faith.

What we believe is encapsulated, for us, in the words of the -

Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

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[1] Matthew 16:15-16

[2] John 3:16

[3] Luke 19:10

[4] John 14:6

[5] John 10:10

[6] John 11:11

Believing and Belonging

I'm going to post the chapters of a new booklet we are producing at First Presbyterian. It's called "Believing and Belonging" and is a brief introduction to church membership. Today, after an introduction, we look at the nature of God.

Believing and Belonging

What does it mean to be a member of First Presbyterian Church? As with any organization, there are expectations laid upon us all as members. There wouldn’t be much point in saying that we belonged unless that belonging actually made a difference in the things that we believe or in the way in which we live. So, what is expected of you when you become a member? This booklet will help you to understand and, we hope, decide that you, too, want to say that you believe and belong.

There are certain foundational beliefs to which you must subscribe if you are to be a member of the church. Don’t worry, we’re not going to ask you how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or to explain supralapsarianism, whatever that is! But we do think you should be able to say who God is to you, and what Jesus Christ has done for you. In the following pages you will find an introduction to these core beliefs. It’s only an introduction, but it’s a start. We hope that you will learn more and more about what it means to call yourself a Christian as you take the journey of faith with us.

You will also find a basic introduction to the way the church is organized, locally, regionally, and nationally. You’ll learn some of the terminology that will help you to understand us. Hopefully, too, you will be able to discern the shared values that are important to us. Most of all, we hope that you will feel that you want to belong. Of course, you are already welcome, but if you become a member you will be able to participate in every aspect of the church’s life.

We hope that you will never stop asking questions, but we trust that, in the faith we share, you will find enough answers to be able to say that you take:

- The Father to be your Father;

- The Son to be your Savior and Lord; and

- The Holy Spirit to be your Helper and Guide.

May God bless you richly.

Alan Trafford.

I : GOD – OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

Isaiah 40:28-31

Who is God?

When the Westminster Confession of Faith was being written, in the seventeenth century, in London, those who had been charged with writing it had great difficulty in formulating a simple, yet comprehensive, definition of God. It was during this period, in which they were earnestly seeking the right words, that one of the ministers was asked to lead in prayer. The words that came from his lips have come down to us as a wonderful definition of our Heavenly Father. He began, “O God, who art a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in Thy being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” The Westminster Assembly took this and used it as the definition of God. It is still a fitting definition for us, today.

The Basis of the Christian Religion

All religions are founded on belief in God, but they differ as to who and what He is. The Christian religion begins with revelation. It is based on the belief that Christ is the Son of God; its understanding of who God is and of what God is is based upon what Jesus Christ said about Him, and upon the life Jesus lived on earth. Many times, Jesus referred to God as His “Father.” This is how He prayed, and this is how He taught the disciples to pray. “When you pray,” He said, “say, Our Father, who art in heaven.”[1] Or, “In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”[2]

How Jesus Revealed God

Jesus said, “He that has seen me has seen the Father.”[3]And so it is that, as we look at Jesus, we see God. We see Jesus feeding the hungry, and we know that God cares about our physical needs and our economic problems. We see Him weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, and we know that God is sympathetic to our sufferings. We want to know whether God forgives our sins, and we see Jesus bending over a sinful woman and saying, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and sin no more.”[4] We worry about death, and we hear Him saying, “I am going there to prepare a place for you,”[5]and we are at rest. We hear Him speak, and we hear the voice of God. As Christians, we know who God is because He has revealed His nature through His Son.

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[1] Luke 11:2

[2] Matthew 5:16

[3] John 14:9

[4] John 8:11

[5] John 14:2

Fellow Servants of Christ

Read Colossians 4:10-18

Paul's letter to the Colossians concludes with a portrait gallery of pen-pictures of his circle of friends and helpers. They live again for us in these verses.




First: three Jewish Christians (v.11). Aristarchus, who shared Paul's imprisonment, possibly voluntarily in order to serve Paul. Mark, who had failed so badly once that Paul would not have him as a companion; he is now back in his place on the team and is fully accepted. (Do we ever harbor grudges and keep people down by reminding them of their failures?) And Jesus, called Justus. Some commentators have wondered whether he changed his name in order to avoid using the same name as his Savior.




Second: five Gentile Christians (non Jews), all very different. Epaphras, the man of prayer, who is "working hard" (v.13), which demonstrates that prayer and hard work are not mutually exclusive, and that prayer is not a way of avoiding work! Luke, a dear friend and a doctor, which was God's way of providing a personal health service for Paul. Demas, who later yielded to the pressures of the world and walked away from his responsibilities. Nympha, who opened her house for the Christians to meet in - a risky thing to do in those days. And Archippus, a leader in Colossae, who needed to be encouraged to keep going and not to give up.

Have you ever wondered how your Christian service would be summed up in one sentence?

Prayer: Lord God, so work in my life that I may, in the end, hear Your commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant." To you alone be the glory. Amen.