Christian sprituality is not just related to our spritis but is the nature of the relationship of our spirits with the Holy Spirit. Who is he? What does he do and what is our part?
In Isaiah, in the central promise of the Old Testament about the Christ the new covenant, he is described as the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power. the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" (Isa 11:5). These are elaborated in the New Testament in terms of gifts that are granted to all believers, all part of the outpouring of the love of God - as the Spirit dwells on us, so does his love. According to the Fathers of the Church, our work on the disciplines and virtues of life is like rowing a boat, which a slow way of making progress, but when the wind of the Spirit catches our sails, we are impelled rapidly as by the wind. Which is what Jesus said when he spoke of the Holy Spirit to Nicodemus, "the wind blows where it wills... so is everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8).
First we must be born again by the Spirit, live in love, by which his work is released, and avoid those despicable sins that bind us and bind up his work.
Common grace and regular disciplines lay a foundation of virtue. But in the freedom of special inspiration by teh Holy Spirit, we move beyond cooperation with God's principles to be under the operation of his grace. In the disciplines we take action. under the intrusions of the Spirit he takes action and acts within us dramatically as we obey. These two work together. As we row, so he sends the wind.
Our obedience is not one of questioning, but an immediate obedience (though discernment that is genuine and not a delaying tactic may take time). Augustine in his Summa, St Thomas Aquinas and later St Francis De Sales develop a progression based on this. Isaiah 11:5 places the fear of the Lord (or it may be translated "piety") as the framework out of which the gradation of gifts emerges. Fear dreads sin. it is the beginning of wisdom (Psa 110:10). This fear is the detachment from the pleasures of the world, from honors, the forsaking all and denying self of Jesus.
But it is the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry "Abba, Father", the Spirit that helps us in our infirmities, that groans with us as we groan, that fills that disconnection with the fullness of piety of a love for God and humanity and creation.
Building on these processes of fear, renunciation, and devotion, the Holy Spirit gives us gifts of knowledge and discernment. These prevent us from folly. Such discerment or wisdom is based on the human disciplines of study, but moves beyond these to his direct revelation, superior to human knowledge. We begin to know tthe spiritual world around us.
But to that is added fortitude, perseverance, courage, the ability to stand. Thus our actions are based on such revelation. It leads to the gift of martydom that St Paul mentions and is common Christianity. Such is balanced by wisdom, and that kind of wisdom brings peace.
(This introduction is based on reflections from a Catholic theologian on the works of the ancient theologians, in The Three Ages of the interior Life).
While Pentecostalism has centralized the work of the Spirit, it has built on the shoulders of men of God throughout the ages. In this section we will look at diverse persepctives on the Holy Spirit.
The Nature of
the Holy Spirit (ppt)
