It is all too easy to assume that we can live out Christianity naturally. We can acquire good values, conduct ourselves moderately, help others, and attend church regularly. That’s what God wants. And he’s very nice to forgive all the mistakes we make.
In fact, we are liable to drop the standards of Christianity down to exactly the level we can meet.
This summer, we will study the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. On June 8th, we will confront the reality that the Christian life is a supernatural act of God from beginning to end. All the riches that Jesus Christ gained for us on the cross and through his resurrection are applied directly to each one of us by the Holy Spirit.
And we cannot gain those riches any other way.
In Romans 8.8, Paul makes a statement that destroys any illusion that we can live out Christianity naturally. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Humanity’s fall into sin means that we are locked in hostility against God—not just against his standards, teaching, or justice, but against God himself.
In the next sentence, Paul opens the door to a glorious new reality (8.9). “You however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” There is another kind of human life now. We can walk with the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit not only gives us open fellowship with God, but also creates a bond between us and all the other people who have the Spirit. The Spirit is the one who creates this community we call the church. This new reality is rich with potential for a joyful life together.
I am convinced that American Christianity is waning for only one reason. We seem to think we can change our own hearts by learning enough truth, doing enough good, or receiving enough healing. We fail because we do not set our minds on the Spirit.
I hope you will join this study both in Sunday worship at 9:30 and in adult education at 11:15. The future of our fellowship is going to be bright because of the new life we have in the Spirit.