April 2020 — pg. 6
faces as people encountered the undeniable presence of God.
Repentance led to conversions, restorations, and crying out for
more of God. People who had known God on a surface level all
their lives $nally knew Him in the intimacy of overwhelming
love. I was privileged to be immersed in this reality. Almost our
whole youth group migrated from the balcony to the front rows
of the sanctuary. We didn’t want to miss a thing!
In that atmosphere, it was easy to make promises to God. Who
knows how many covenants were entered into during the years
of daily corporate worship that followed? I know that many of
the other teens and I o"ered ourselves to God for whatever God
wanted to do with our lives. We invited the Holy Spirit to “melt
me, mold me, $ll me, use me,” to quote one of the popular songs
of the day. I have no doubt that God’s Spirit did $ll me during
those days, and my experience was common.
Some of the evidences were that we grew to love and worship
Jesus with new passion; we prayed together every morning for
boldness in witnessing to our classmates; spiritual gi#s were
activated, as young and old were empowered to preach and
teach the Bible, exhort one another to live as faithful disciples,
and intercede for the sick, many of whom were healed. Teens
led worship in the power of the Spirit; we saw prodigal sons and
daughters come back home to the Father’s house. We yearned
to grow in grace, we devoured the Bible, we agonized in prayer
for the mission of God around the world. We were not the same
youth group!
How do I explain that unusual time in my life? What should
we understand, theologically, about the role of the Spirit in the
life of individual believers and the church?
I’m grateful that the Free Methodist Book of Discipline teaches
extensively on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It gives
wise guidance and o"ers language to ground our understanding
in the Scriptures as well as our Wesleyan theology and Free
Methodist history. A brief search in the Book of Discipline will
direct you to rich resources. Here is a sampling:
The Holy Spirit – His Person
¶105 The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Proceeding
from the Father and the Son, He is one with them, the eternal
Godhead, equal in deity, majesty and power. He is God
effective in Creation, in life and in the church. The Incarnation
and ministry of Jesus Christ were accomplished by the Holy
Spirit. He continues to reveal, interpret and glorify the Son.
The Holy Spirit – His Work in Salvation
¶106 !e Holy Spirit is the administrator of the salvation planned
by the Father and provided by the Son’s death, resurrection
and ascension. He is the e"ective agent in our conviction,
regeneration, sancti$cation and glori$cation. He is our
Lord’s ever-present self, indwelling, assuring and enabling
the believer.
The Holy Spirit – His Relation to the Church
¶107 !e Holy Spirit is poured out upon the church by the Father
and the Son. He is the church’s life and witnessing power.
He bestows the love of God and makes real the lordship of
Jesus Christ in the believer so that both His gi#s of words
and service may achieve the common good and build and
increase the church. In relation to the world He is the Spirit
of truth, and His instrument is the Word of God.
Sanctification
¶119 Sancti$cation is that saving work of God beginning with
new life in Christ whereby the Holy Spirit renews His people
a#er the likeness of God, changing them through crisis and
process, from one degree of glory to another, and conforming
them to the image of Christ.
As believers surrender to God in faith and die to self through
full consecration, the Holy Spirit $lls them with love and
puri$es them from sin. !is sanctifying relationship with
God remedies the divided mind, redirects the heart to God,
and empowers believers to please and serve God in their
daily lives.
!us, God sets His people free to love Him with all their heart,
soul, mind, and strength, and to love their neighbor as
themselves.
As is clear from these passages, God works in our lives through
moments of crisis, which could be “mountaintop experiences” or
times of crisis in the normal sense of that word — loss, hardships,
doubts — which are embedded in a lifelong process. By God’s
grace, we grow more and more into the likeness of Christ. As
we yield to God’s will and purpose over and over again, God
is able to use us to accomplish the good works He prepared in
advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). As we walk in the light,
confessing sin when it happens and receiving God’s forgiveness,
we continue to experience the light of a clear conscience and the
joy of fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7–9).
Sometimes I wonder why we can’t always live in the “hot
spot” of the revival I remember. I recently discussed that with
my mentor, Dr. Howard Snyder. His answer was that the body’s
normal temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. !e “fever pitch”
that happens during unusual visitations of the Holy Spirit isn’t
meant for normal life. We don’t have to live our whole lives at that
temperature. But covenants made during those times when
God is “nearer than hands and feet” can carry us
through. God remembers those vows and keeps His side of the
covenant, working through every circumstance to “sanctify
us wholly” for His honor and glory. Th e Holy Spirit’s daily
presence makes Jesus real to us, cultivates love for God and
people, and transforms us into fully devoted followers of
Jesus.
Do I want to see the church revived again? You bet I do! I
pray for that. I ask God for a fresh awakening in our church
and our land, so many more will know the true and living God.
Until that time, I invite the Holy Spirit every day to $ll my life
and use me for His glory. I hope you do, too.+
/tennyson
/tennyson