EASTER LIVING: Part 7 of 7

Well, we made it. Today marks the end of the Easter season. It all comes together with the feast of Pentecost, when we celebrate the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise at the last supper, to provide us with a “helper” to remain with us and empower the Church to fulfill the great commission to make disciples of all nations. There is so much that we could unpack in looking at Pentecost, but as the conclusion of our series on “Easter living” I wanted to take a closer look at the effects of the Holy Spirit in the life of a disciple.

In looking at the New Testament, we see a number of reasons why God gave us a share in his own Spirit, and a variety of effects that were to follow from this great gift. The Spirit, Jesus said, would guide us into all truth, teach us everything, remind us of Jesus’ words, and empower us to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. The Spirit of God, sent by the Father in the name of the Son, is a Spirit of power and truth. It is a creative and productive Spirit. A Spirit that is alive and active, achieving the purposes for which it was sent. All of this is part of what is meant by the “fruitfulness” of life in the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples, it does so in order to bear fruit. Just as a seed is planted in the earth in the expectation that it will produce life, so also God’s Spirit is given to us in order to fill us with divine life and equip us to be instruments of new life in the world.

The Holy Spirit comes with gifts – wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord – in order to strengthen us to live according to the way of the Gospel. And as we cooperate with the Spirit, something happens in us and through us. When we continually seek to live according to the Spirit, our lives begin to bear fruit. What does this fruit look like? It looks like this: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

The more we let our lives be led by the Spirit of God, the more our lives should look like this. If we want to know if we’re “doing it right” in terms of our walk with the Lord, these fruits of the Spirit provide us with a pretty good measuring stick. Our walk as disciples of Jesus Christ should ultimately make us more loving, more generous, more faithful, etc. If it’s not… we might need to examine our lives and see what might be blocking the Spirit from bearing fruit in our lives.

In John 15, Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples to “remain” in him, staying connected to the vine so that the life of the plant can flow in them and through them. This image of a vine and its branches is both simple and profound. It clearly illustrates the importance of making sure our lives remain connected to Jesus, but it also highlights the necessarily communal nature of the faith. None of us are Christians in isolation, we all exist as branches on a vine, as individual parts of a body. Which means that our “remaining” in Christ has significance not just for our own lives, but for the overall health of the vine. Because we are all one body in Christ, when one part is weak or infected, it negatively effects the rest of the body. Which means that my fruitfulness (or lack there of) has relevance not just for my own salvation but for the overall good of the Church.

But, here’s the good news, God provides us with everything we need to “remain” in him and live fruitfully… we just have to cooperate with the Spirit that he’s given to us. How do we do this?

By doing all the things we’ve looked at over the course of this series: placing our faith and trust in God, listening to the voice of the Lord in scripture, growing in discipleship and holiness, loving others with the humble, self-giving love of Jesus, and seeking to live as witnesses to the good news of the Gospel in everything we say and do. If we make this our aim, our lives will continually bear fruit for the kingdom. It doesn’t mean we won’t face challenges or that it will always be easy, but we will continue to make progress. Never forget that the Holy Spirit is closer to you than your next breath. Call upon that Spirit, in good times and in bad, and rest confidently in the power of God that dwells within you.

And remember, the season of Easter may be coming to an end, but our duty to live as an “Easter people” continues, so let us go forth to love and serve the Lord and live as instruments of restoration and salvation in the world.