"The Spirit of Him"

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11 ESV)

Is it possible to forget the power of the Holy Spirit? I think many of us do. The Trinity, a unique concept in Christian theology, refers to the belief that God is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. While the term 'Trinity' is not explicitly named in Scripture, the explanation of our God as three in one is present everywhere you look.

The power of God supersedes all things. God’s power is His alone. While God may share power with His creation, it remains His power alone. The Power of God affects every aspect of creation.

The power of the Spirit is displayed outwardly in various ways. The Spirit’s powers are seen through creation works; resurrection works, such as the raising of Lazarus; works of attestation, like the miracles performed by Jesus; and works of Grace, such as the transformation of Paul from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle. These examples demonstrate the diverse and powerful work of the Holy Spirit.[1]

In the works of creation, we witness the Spirit's awe-inspiring power at the commands of the Father and the creative power of the Son. We know that creation was formless and void. Scripture tells us, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) The Spirit spread its wings over the formless matter, giving it form and purpose. As Milton wrote in Paradise Lost,  purpose emerged from the chaos, a testament to the wondrous power of the Spirit.

The Spirit of God is said to have created the heavens. We can see this in Job 26:13, for which the King James version is specifically clear on this part of creation, “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.” In this, the Spirit placed the stars and celestial bodies in their places.

This creative power of the Spirit is also at play in the creation of man and animals. Look at Psalm 104:29-30, “When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.” It is clear that the Spirit is involved in the creation of the living.

In His creative power, the Spirit played a vital part in the plan of redemption for human creation. In Matthew 1:18, we read of the Spirit's involvement in the incarnation. “When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” This is also found in Luke 1:34 and 35, “And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. Both birth narratives reveal to us the Spirit's display of power within the incarnation. While Jesus was born of a woman, He was not created. Jesus was begotten through the Holy Spirit, remaining sinless in nature.

We also see the power of the Spirit in the resurrection of Christ. In scripture, we see that Christ had the power to raise himself up from the dead. In John 10:17-18, we read, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” In Acts 2:24, it is also subscribed that the Father had the power to resurrect Christ, “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” In today's verse, we see the Spirit's power detailed in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. And in this, today’s verse, we read how the Spirit still displays His resurrection power today. All of these beliefs are correct and truthful.

Every act of salvation by grace, through faith, is transferred to us through the Holy Spirit. He plays a part in our justification, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”(1 Corinthians 6:11) It is this Spirit who convicts us in our sin, sanctifies us in our walk, and forms us into the image of Christ. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”(Galatians 5:16)

It is He, the same Holy Spirit, that dwells within each child of God, who transforms the heart of stone to a heart of flesh, who opens the eyes and ears to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Calvin affirms that “the Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to himself.”[2]

It is the Spirit who allows us to understand the Holy Scriptures. To learn and grow as we read the Word of God. It is the Spirit who, through the church, creates holy fellowship with the growing children of God.

And lastly, it is in the Spirit we have assurances, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

Does the Holy Spirit reside in you? Are you a product of His redeeming work in Christ’s name? If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, seek Him now. There may be no “some other time.”

Grace and Peace.

[1] Charles H. Spurgeon, The Power of the Holy Spirit, 1855

[2] John Calvin, Institutes, 3.1.4.