Life in the Spirit

Life in the Spirit Rev Dr Mathew Vellanickal

The Universal Church is preparing for the Great jubilee. 1998 is the year set apart to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit and experience him. The life of the Church is the life of the Holy Spirit. The Church is not just an institution, not just an organization, with rules, responsibilities, authorities and subjects. All these factors are present in the Church. The Church is the fellowship of those who are born in the Spirit, led by the Spirit and live in the Spirit.

One evening Nicodemus, a teacher of the Pharisees, came to see Jesus. "He came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God'"(Jn 3:2). Nicodemus, a teacher of the Jews, acknowledges Jesus as a Teacher from God. The Divine Teacher teaches the teacher of this world. Jesus does not compliment Nicodemus who came to him as an acquaintance. On the contrary, he says in strong words, "You must be born again." Not a physical birth but the experience of a spiritual birth. "You claim to know me. But you do not know the kingdom of God or its glory." Jesus came as the Good News that reveals this kingdom of God to the children of God.

To know Jesus is not just to know the person of Jesus. Rather it is to begin to live filled with the Spirit of Jesus. That is why the Church is called a community that is born in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit and lives in the Spirit.

It is time to rectify external observances. All those who received Baptism have been born in the Spirit. They should also be living in the Spirit.

The Bible speaks of two Pentecosts. One is the Pentecost of John. The other is the Pentecost of Luke that all know about. On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection, the Spirit came upon the Virgin Mother and the Apostles in the form of fiery tongues (cf Acts 2:1 ff.).

However in John 20:22 we read thus: "When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'"(Jn 20:22) On the very first day of his Resurrection, Jesus breathed on the apostles and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit". Certainly, at that moment the Holy Spirit filled them. This Pentecost became a stable experience on the fiftieth day. In other words, the Holy Spirit whom we receive in Baptism must become the Pentecost mentioned in Luke. Only then does it become a life in the Spirit.

What happened during these fifty days ? The resurrected Jesus taught his disciples for forty days. They assembled in the Cenacle and were adored in prayer (Acts 1:3). They then had the experience of the word of God. They also had the experience of prayer. When both these experiences fused, it became the Pentecost experience. Thirdly, those days were days of waiting. All the retreats and conventions that are held these days are all days of such waiting. These are the days of the experience of the word of God; of the experience of prayer. God speaks through the life of men. We must, therefore, open our hearts to God's word. It is the experience of being in the presence of God that we go through during days of prayer.

The disciples going to Emmaus did not recognise Jesus (cf Lk 24:13ff). But they had the Christ-experience during the breaking of the bread. Those who live the life of the Spirit have the experience of being spiritually renewed. "If anyone is in Christ there is a new creation" (cf 2 Cor 5:17). All those who have this experience will acknowledge Jesus as Lord, says the author of 1 Cor 12:3. "No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."

Who is the Lord? The one who rules is the Lord. The one who rules over me is my Master. It is only when the attitudes of Jesus become mine that I can say Jesus is Lord. Those who are led by the Spirit of Jesus are the ones filled with his Spirit.

A life that embodies the mentality of Jesus-that is what we should have. It is not enough to work miracles and signs and wonders. Promises are not enough. We must be filled with the Spirit of Jesus. That is life in the Spirit.