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 By
the Spirit
If we live by the Spirit, then let us walk by the
Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
The Christian life involves adventurous and
dangerous following. It involves being led more
than it involves leading. This is not a passive
process but is quite active…active in listening and
active in following where the Spirit leads. In this
is a subtle yet solid reminder that there is a
relinquishment of one’s own liberty which is
replaced by the freedom for which Christ has set us
free. It is a freedom to follow Him, to submit to
His will, and to serve for the sake of others with
one’s dying breath.
The Christian life is one that is embodied in the
life of Christ. It is not that His life is simply a
role model for us as much as “we have died and our
lives are hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians
3:3). If “it is no longer I who live but Christ
who lives in me, and the life I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20), then
the unity and connection with the life, work and
mission of Christ is not ethereally abstract but
concretely real. Christ Jesus lived by following
the will of the Father who sent Him, and in doing so
graciously led us from death to life. He lived for
the sake of those who could not live, whose eternal
destinies were captive to the captivity of sin. He
walked for the sake of those who were in a
paralyzed, petrified and ossified state of
sin-created helplessness with the sole desire of
causing them to stand up in resurrection glory, to
“take up” their “mat and walk” behind Him through
the grave and gate of death dry-shod into the
Promised Land of paradise and peace. He lived by
following the will of His Father, adventurously
venturing into peril, knowing that by following He
would lead many to life. As His living becomes our
way of living, His death becomes our death and His
life becomes our life.
“If we live by the Spirit, then let us walk by the
Spirit.” It has been said that the crowning gift of
Easter is the gift of the Holy Spirit, the ongoing
and continual presence of Christ in and with His
Holy Church. The Spirit is the breath that we
breathe, the means by which we pray in Christ Jesus,
the giver of our song of praise and the motivator of
our service in the world. As we confess in
Luther’s Small Catechism:
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I believe that I cannot by
my own reason or strength believe in Jesus
Christ my Lord or come to Him, but instead
the Holy Spirit has called me through the
Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, made
me holy, and kept me in the true faith, just
as He calls, gathers, enlightens and makes
holy the whole Christian Church on earth and
keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one
common, true faith. Daily in this Christian
Church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives
all sins—mine and those of all believers.
On the last day the Holy Spirit will raise
me and all the dead and give to me and all
believers in Christ eternal life. This is
most certainly true.” |
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This forgiving Spirit leads
us into new life in Christ Jesus, an
adventurous life of challenges and
opportunities for growth.
As we celebrate the coming of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost and the gifts of the
Spirit, let us open up our hearts to the
Spirit’s work in our lives. Let us open the
sails of our boat for the wind of the Spirit
to blow us as the Spirit sees fit, wherever
that may be. Let us listen to the “still
small voice” of God speaking to us through
His Holy Word and Blessed Sacraments. Let
us let the gifts of the resurrection of
Christ have their way in our lives as we
yield to God, knowing that even if we are
led to the valley of the shadow of death, we
fear no evil because Christ has defeated
death for us. Let us live in the presence
of Christ and rejoice in His presence in our
every day lives as we are present with His
presence in the presence of others.
If we live by the Spirit—and we do---then
let us walk by the Spirit. But let us walk,
to be sure. Let us not stand still, gazing
up into the sky but let us be led by the
Spirit to go where the Spirit leads us. Let
us go to worship our Lord. Let us go to
serve our neighbors. Let us go to fight the
good fight of faith. Let us live in the One
who lives in us, so that the miracle of
Christmas, Easter and Pentecost may be
proclaimed to the world as we wait in hope
for the resurrection of all flesh.
“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your
faithful people and kindle within us the
fire of your love,” so that we may “live by
the Spirit” and “walk by the Spirit” for the
sake of all who are dying around us. O
ever-gracious Holy Spirit, let the mystery
of Easter expressed in the Holy Eucharist
shape our life together, radiate into our
reason for being and mold our mission in the
world!
Peace, joy and love,
Pastor |
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