A NEW SPIRIT

      We might describe the beginning stage of a person’s development as a disciple of Jesus, as that person’s basic belief in God as creator and sustainer of all life, including his or her own. This stage could be called the “getting acquainted” step in a growing relationship. In the next stage, we begin to become “friends” with Jesus by learning about him, accepting him as our Savior, and following him as the ultimate example for a changed life. At this stage, many of us want to stop, confident that we have “arrived” at the place that God wants us to live out the salvation story.

      However, Jesus speaks of another stage in our spiritual growth and continued relationship with him. This step involves another Person of the Trinity, the Spirit of Jesus, and leads to becoming “intimate friends” with Jesus. Jesus said in his farewell conversation with his disciples, and us, in John 14:16-17 that he would give us his spirit, the spirit of truth. That spirit would live in us and transform us into who we really should be as a disciple of Christ.

      In order for the spirit of Jesus to live and manifest himself in our lives, our old spirit must leave. We find the disciples struggling with this repeatedly as they followed Jesus during his ministry. They could not seem to give up their old selfish spirits so that Jesus’ spirit could control their thoughts and actions.

      One example, found in Luke 9, particularly stands out as a demonstration of the disciples’ self-absorbing spirit. We find that the people in a Samaritan village had rejected Jesus and the disciples. So at this point, James and John angrily wanted to call down fire to destroy the people. But Jesus said patiently, “Just look at your spirit. I didn’t come to destroy people, but to save them.”

      I hear this story and wonder, what kind of spirit do I exhibit toward others and toward God? Do my old selfish behaviors and attitudes push aside the Christ-like spirit of love, patience, and compassion? I find myself asking, “Just look at yourself, what kind of spirit was that?”  When we are living carnally, or in the “flesh,” the spirit we show does not come from Jesus, but is what 1Corinthians 2:12 speaks of as the “spirit of the world.” This is certainly not the spirit that an “intimate friend” of Jesus would have.

      So we cry out like David did in Psalm 51, “Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” We realize that we cannot change the old spirit ourselves, instead, we must invite the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and transform, truly change our way of living. We can be saved, not only from our sins, but from ourselves and the old spirit that keeps us bound up. We can be delivered from our lousy attitudes, our me-first thinking, and even our stubborn self-deception. We cannot do this work on our own, but God can transform us as he did the disciples at Pentecost, by filling us with Himself.

      When Jesus breathed on the disciples in John 20:22 and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he invited them and us to a personal Pentecost. That invitation, if accepted, will lead to a new spirit, a new life, and holy living.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 1, 2013