In general, the ministries of traditional mainline churches are done without conscious belief in the Holy Spirit—a belief that goes beyond mouthing the Creed. We mostly rely on the Father and the Son. But ministries lose their effectiveness over time without reliance on the power of the Spirit. Our ministries cannot remain effective without a firm belief in the Holy Spirit and the role he performs. Luther describes how the Spirit “calls me by the Gospel, enlightens me with his gifts, sanctifies and keeps me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth.”
Those roles are the essence of the ministries and church life we try to guide and develop. How can we do that effectively if we are not looking for and expecting the Spirit’s power to accomplish what we are trying to do on our own? Believing in just the Father and the Son is like trying to do ministry with one arm tied behind your back. Without the Spirit, tradition too easily turns into traditionalism.
The Bible word paraklete, with but one exception, always refers to the Spirit. Sometimes it describes his identity, but most times it describes his role. The distinctive role of the Father right now is to create us and provide physical things for us and to defend us. The distinctive role of the Son right now to be our advocate (paraclete) before the Father (1 John 2:1) since our salvation has been achieved. The distinctive role of the Spirit is to be the Father’s and Son’s advocate (paraklete) for what they, the Father and the Son, want done in our churches and daily living.
The Spirit’s role is also to give energy for what the First and Second Persons want to see happen. The Spirit is Christ’s presence among us as he himself remains sitting in heaven at God’s right hand. The apostle Paul frequently describes what happens “in Christ.” Eleven times he assigns that same function to the Spirit. Thus, he uses the two names interchangeably. In all his letters he uses “in Christ” 81 times but “by the Spirit” 143 times. The justification by grace through faith accomplished by Christ is central to Paul’s writing. But even more central is “by the power of the Spirit.”
Reformation theology did not develop all the biblical evidence for what the Spirit does and consequently lost appreciation for how important he is in church ministry. Besides, their key issue then was theology, not church life, which remained strong because it was mandated. In Gordon Fee’s 1994 study God’s Empowering Presence, he unpacks each of Paul’s 143 references to the Spirit. If you doubt any of my interpretations, read Fee’s “Part II Synthesis” of the biblically-based research he did.
The Spirit is Christ’s Presence Today
Whether or not the Spirit is sent also from the Son was the major issue that divided Eastern Orthodox churches from western Roman Catholics in 1054. It was called the “filioque” (“and the son”) controversy. Is the Holy Spirit the Father’s advocate? Or is the Spirit also Christ’s advocate? We are in the western tradition. The Spirit is Christ’s presence with us now. Resisting filioque (and the Son) wording led the Eastern Orthodox Church to split off from the western church in 1054. The Son’s role with the Spirit is that important.
We Christians in both the Roman Catholic tradition and the Protestant reform of it see the Spirit as Christ’s presence in our daily life. So, if you want to see Christ today, pay close attention to what his Spirit is doing around us right now. Look where an exceptional number of people are being called by the Gospel, enlightened with the Spirit’s gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith.
Are you concerned about improving your church ministry? Then watch how the Spirit is blessing the nearby ministries that are focused on the Spirit. It so happens that right now the most effective ministries are in churches that emphasize the Spirit (Pentecostal). Those churches that focus primarily on the Father (Presbyterian and Reformed), as well as those that focus primarily on the Son (Lutheran), are in decline.
To improve the results of your ministry, learn how to recognize or spot the Spirit at work. What are the experiences that trigger the Spirit’s work? Do more of those experiences that have more of those triggers. Many of those trigger experiences are different today than they were fifty years ago.
Since you are not speaking to pentecostals, you need to speak plainly. What do you mean? Are you arguing for some sort of neo-pentecostalism? If so, be open and say it. Confessional Evangelical Christian’s equate your vague phrases with Rod Parsley and T. D. Jake’s- enthusiasm. Is THAT what you’re promoting?
I can only say so much in 550 words. For a further explanation, you could read my book Your Encounters with the Holy Spirit, available on Amazon. I am for becoming a biblically charismatic church as Paul explains that in 1Cor 12 and Romans 12. I am trying to promote a biblical vocabulary different from the Pentecostal experience of Acts 2 and speaking tongues. Pay more attention to the Holy Spirit as Paul explains God’s Empowering Presence in his 143 references to the Spirit.
I spent 20 years in the Church of God in Christ. During that whole time, I felt that something was missing – like about 1900 years of church history. I just got to Confessional Evangelical Christianity a little over 10 years ago. Forgive me, but I’m not quite ready to go back to the things that I left behind.
I sent you a separate email. Glad you ae discovering the depth of historical Christianity/Lutheranism. Sorry for you pain. Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. The baby is the biblical Gospel. It has been expressed in different styles over the centuries.
You seem willing to put some effort into your process of discovery. I looked up your surface address and have sent you several of my books, including Evangelical Style and Lutheran Substance, which freed up a number of Lutheran pastors to engage in contemporary worship and new forms of outreach. The best on my journey of discovering Paul’s theology of the Spirit is, Encountering the Holy Spirit: Name and Share, Seek More.
I would be glad to discuss your reaction to anything I have written. Just don’t project unto me what you found in your Pentecostal background. The source for my fresh approach is Gordon Fee’s God’s Empowering Presence, his study of Paul’s 143 references to the Spirit in his letters. Pentecostals draw mostly on Acts and just a small proportion of Paul’s writing. Historic Lutheran theologians did not know what to make of the miraculous, especially with Calvin’s pronouncement that the age of miracles ended after biblical times. Few ever explored the range of Paul’s references.
I thank you for engaging with me, and I will read what you send me. “As iron sharpens iron, so does a man his friends.”
I am glad we are engaged. You sent me a private message about your situation, to which I will respond privately.
Speak plainly, please. What are those “triggers” to which you refer? Since you assert that Confessional Evangelicals only engage with Pneumatology theoretically, i.e. creedally, but not experientially, we would be ignorant of the things of which you speak. Therefore, speak plainly and tell us what we don’t know. Don’t be coy – speak without horns.
Again, if you want to know what I am teaching, please take a look at my books, especially Your Encounters with the Holy Spirit. You can also check out the FAQ’s page of my website: https://whathappenedch.wpengine.com/blog/category/faq/
Holy Spirit moves a church from being informational to a life breathing power that changes lives. Informational churches can bring a comfort of continuity with the past and feed a need for unchanging structures and forms in order to satisfy some with security.
I am sure there are many small churches that emphasize the Holy Spirit and stay small.
I like your term “informational church.” That we have been. If we want to be a more effective church we need to move from deductive application to inductive building on experiences. Most Pentecostal churches remain small because they do not have the organizational instinct to handle larger numbers.
Pastor Dave, your comments on the here and now of what the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are doing are really great. It does help me to clarify my thoughts about the Holy Trinity. Very much appreciated!
Also, thank you for your instruction of why the split between Eastern and Western church.
Thank you Pastor Luecke.
I appreciate your steady encouragement.
Thanks for this article, Dave!
Are you the Mike Zehnder who planted a Lutheran church in Colorado? I am glad you are reading my blogs.
Appreciate your comment, “We Christians…see the Spirit as Christ’s presence in our daily lives.” I have always been intrigued by Lloyd Ogilvie’s comment that the Holy Spirit is “the contemporary Christ.” To see the Holy Spirit graciously at work through the Word deepening faith, bringing forth “fruit,” and expressing His “gifts” in me and through me is to encounter and express the transforming presence of Jesus.
Thanks. I have taken your illustration of missing the adventure as the title for the next 26 blogs: Encourage Adventures in Step with the Spirit. Many go to church faithfully but miss the adventure of growth in the Spirit.
Thanks for the history reminder of the “Filioque,” and how that changed things for the church, that is, in a good way with the Holy Spirit bringing us Christ’s presence. Believe it or not I was taught this at Luther Seminary, St. Paul.
Thanks for the affirmation. Few know about the filioque controversy, but that’s OK, because the western catholic church came out on the correct side. The Spirit is Christ in action in our lives.
One seemingly often-neglected work of the Holy Spirit is that of providing courage/boldness for witness. I don’t see this referenced to any degree. The Holy Spirit is the One who moves the disciples from hiding behind locked doors to proclaiming to the group on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is the One who tells Philip to go up and join the Ethiopian in his chariot. The Holy Spirit is the One who tells the church at Antioch to set aside Saul and Barnabas for their mission work.
May the Holy Spirit empower us to be bold, courageous, and sent!
Excellent article Dave! I’ve often heard it said that the Acts of the Apostles really should be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, since the Holy Spirit was the driving force of the early church. Jesus’ disciples spent three years listening to his teachings and watching him perform miracles, but they still were not ready to start and be the church until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” If the disciples were not ready to be the church without this “power from on high” what makes any of us think that we are?
Yes, Luke’s version of the Great Commission is better for today. Stressing the duty to “go, make disciples, baptize and teach” does not motivate much new behavior today. True new motivation comes only from the Holy Spirit. The driving question today is how we can better wait for that power from on high today.
Dave, I can only say so much in 550 words. I am thinking of entitling the next set of 26 “Encourage Adventures in Step with the Spirit. We have many who faithfully go to church yet miss the adventure of keeping in step with the Spirit.