Discover the transformative power of faith through the Holy Spirit's guidance

Where the Holy Spirit Leads

I was reading this week from Coffee with Calvin: Daily Devotions by Rev. Dr. Donald K. McKim (WJK Press, 2013). I came across a reflection that emphasized how the great theologian, pastor, protestant reformer, and influencer of the Presbyterian faith, John Calvin, expounded on the power of the Spirit. This week’s Gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary, Luke 4:14-21, emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit to call us to ministry. Calvin wrote extensively about the Spirit in his classic work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Latin, 1559):

“As we cannot come to Christ unless we be drawn by the Spirit of God, so when we are drawn we are lifted up in mind and heart above our understanding.” (Institutes 3.2.34)

McKim writes, “Our journey in the Christian life starts with faith. At some point, we say yes to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We recognize our lives as engrafted to Christ and part of the body of Christ, the church. This happens through faith.

Calvin emphasizes that it is the Holy Spirit who gives the gift of faith. Through the Spirit we grasp ‘the mind of Christ’ (1 Cor 2:10). God gives the Spirit to bring people to Christ (John 6:44-45). Faith in Christ is not a matter of our human rationality, emotion, or experience. It is the gift of the Spirit of God, given by God in grace. This is why faith is such a source of gratitude for us. We know we do not deserve it and cannot attain it by ourselves. To believe in Christ is the result of God’s total graciousness, giving to us the great gift of grace.

When we are drawn by the Spirit to believe in Christ, we are ‘lifted up in mind and heart above our understanding.’ We do not know why God has chosen us to have faith. We cannot use our own powers to unlock the mysteries of God’s will. At the same time, faith lifts us beyond our human understanding, giving us knowledge of God in Jesus Christ that we can attain in no other way. Faith takes us beyond human powers. The Spirit is our inner teacher who illuminates us with the greatest gift we can receive.”

Come and discover the depths of this gift offered to you and where it might lead.

See you on the Sabbath! Worship at 10:30 a.m., First Presbyterian Church, 222 N. Main Street, Kennett, MO 63857.

Grace and Peace, Pastor KK