God the Spirit: Gift and Giver of Presence

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Key Passages: Ephesians 1:15-23; 2:11–22

Supplementary Passages: John 14:15–17;Romans 8:9–11

Fear happens. Sometimes it's tiny. Sometimes it's enormous. Sometimes we can remove the thing that scares us. Sometimes we cannot. Life amid fear requires courage.

For those who trust Jesus, courage is possible because of the Spirit.

The Spirit is the gift of presence. We who trust Jesus can act with courage because God is always right here. God has made each believer and each community of believers his home. The Spirit dwells in us, reminding us who we are in Christ and giving us life that has not even a seed of death in it. We are in God, and God is in us. In him, our lives are secure.

The Spirit is the giver of presence. Through Christ and by the Spirit, we have a person-to-person relationship with the Father. The Spirit lives in us, assuring us that we are safe in Jesus. He develops our capacities and empowers us to serve. He is right here, imparting wisdom and revelation.  His wisdom grows us toward the settled conviction that everything concerns Jesus. The Spirit shines his light on the Scripture, helping us see the truth and significance of God's Word.

By the Spirit, we are one people of God by faith. We all have access to the same source of truth. We are all the children of one Father. Our bonds with God and one another are unbreakable. Our brokenness is revealed and healed. As those who trust Jesus and walk in the Spirit, we have constant, direct knowledge of the One who is our life.

Since we can have courage, let us choose to act with courage. God is always right here. By the Spirit, the Father and his supply are ready at hand. Let us ask God directly for what we need. Let us bring concerns before the Father, freeing us to lay all on the line for Jesus. Let us choose to follow Jesus by the Spirit and step out into life with courage.

God the Spirit: Revealer of the Mystery

Key Passage: Ephesians 3:1-6

Supplementary Passages: Colossians 1:27; 1 Timothy 3:16

Have you ever worked on a project without a plan? If you have, you know it can lead to multiple do-overs and much frustration. Knowing and following a plan puts work in context and gives direction. Thankfully, God has always had a plan, and, through the Spirit, he has let us in on it.

Before the revelation of the Messiah, the details of God's plan were a mystery. In the Old Testament, God did give his people clues. For example, Psalm 117 calls all nations, not just Israel, to praise God for his steadfast love and faithfulness. Isaiah 60:1-3 reminds the people of Israel that, though the Gentiles were in darkness, God himself would shine upon them, and they would come to his light. Though these clues pointed the way, the plan remained a mystery until the Messiah came, bringing in himself the fact of God's Kingdom and the extravagance of God's grace toward all who trust him.

After Jesus ascended to the Father, the Spirit came and fully uncovered the mystery: the people of God now included all, Jews and Gentiles, who trust Messiah Jesus. The Spirit is the one in whom we come to know Jesus and understand his plan. Through this very moment, the Spirit's work of biblical illumination helps believers understand God’s amazing grace as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. By the Spirit, those who trust Jesus can look across the whole of Scripture and see God's plan: Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What does this mean for us? It means we have some choices to make. So, let us choose to trust the Spirit. Let us choose to work with him in Jesus' Kingdom project. Let us choose to love Jesus and one another by the Spirit. Let us choose to be one in heart and mind, proclaiming to ourselves and others the one story of God, proclaiming God's grace. Let us work together in the Spirit to make God’s message clear and compelling. Let us choose to carry out our Spirit-given ministry assignments, helping one another to become more and more like Jesus. Let us choose to weave our differences into one beautiful tapestry, reflecting the one Spirit, who reveals the one story to us and through us.

God the Spirit: Seal and Sealer

On any given morning, any one of us could wake up and find life utterly changed. Of course, most mornings are just about the same as most other mornings: wake, wash and dress, eat, and go to work or school. It's routine. Sometimes it's boring. Sometimes it's exciting--and not necessarily in a good way. There are no guarantees under the sun.

But there is a guarantee for those in Jesus. The Spirit seals those who have heard the truth and trust Christ. As the Seal and Sealer, the Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance. He is the guarantee of our forever-life in the presence of Father, Son, and Spirit. The Spirit is the mark of God's ownership, communicating God's authority over us and care for us. 

What does this mean for us? As those sealed by the Spirit, we are utterly safe, but we also have the responsibility to honor him through our actions and thoughts. 

How can we honor the Spirit? Choose to speak the truth with one another, ensuring that love is primary. Even when we are angry, let us use our words to build one another up. Choose to be generous with one another, always deciding to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. Choose to participate in God’s Kingdom project, proclaiming Jesus as the One who, in his great kindness toward us, gave us life with no seeds of death in it.

Let's be honest with ourselves. Life under the sun can be hard, and it is always uncertain. But we need not fear. We are secure in Jesus, having been sealed by the Spirit. Therefore, let us live bravely and kindly, choosing to carry out what God desires.

Read and Pray. As a first step, spend some time praying through the passages below, asking God how he would have you respond.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV).

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30–32 ESV).

Living Vertically: Getting Healthy

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

What does it take for a church to get healthy?

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul helps us answer this question by describing God’s amazing design of the church and the Spirit in carrying out that design. For the next several months, we’ll be looking at what Paul has to say about the work of the Spirit in the church. This month, we look at a prayer located in the middle of the letter:

“that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16–19 ESV).

God wants his church to be filled with his fullness. In this prayer, Paul asks God to give the Ephesian believers a superabundant awareness of and trust in the Spirit. This superabundance is also true of us. Let us ask God to strengthen us toward a recognition of his control and care, and our brokenness and misalignment. Let us decide to walk in the Spirit for the Glory of God alone, being his alone.

The Spirit, who dwells in and among us, is the one who fills, strengthening us with power, and deepening our understanding of God’s power and love. As we submit to the Spirit's filling, he strengthens us, giving us the capacity to do God's work and making us fully able to comprehend God's power and love. Seeking ability and understanding outside of God is futile, for God is the true and only source of deep spiritual power. Let us remember and help each other remember that God is the one who loves and strengthens. He alone is our foundation. When we forget this and act on our own, let us repent and rest in his constant care.

As we travel together through this transition, let us pray for clear eyes and voices and commit to living as a community grounded in God's love and living by the Spirit.

Living Vertically in a Horizontal World

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Relevant Scripture: Galatians 5:25

           

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, we need to talk.

In October 2019, the Pew Research Center released statistics on Christian affiliation and church attendance in America. To the surprise of no one, both are going down. In changing times like this, churches may be tempted to focus on facilities and structures. While these are good things to do, they are not foundational, and they do not result in a healthy church that draws people to Jesus. Struggling churches nearly always have a heart problem that is deeper than design and structure can fix.

What's the proper focus? In the first century, a group of believers was struggling to be healthy in a complex culture.  They struggled in their relationships with one another.  They struggled to be spiritually mature.  In the midst of their struggle, they were being tempted by some to focus on the horizontal rather than on the vertical.  Certain legalistic persons had snuck in, attempting to convince these believers that one needed to follow behavioral rules to be spiritual. 

In response, their spiritual father wrote them a letter explaining what it means to live vertically.  He tells them that vertical living is not about following a set of horizontal rules.  It is not about doing good things to look better.

This group of Christian was the church at Galatia, and their spiritual father was Paul. In his letter to them, Paul gives them two truths that summarize what it means to live vertically (see Galatians 5:25).

"If we live by the Spirit…"  Becoming a healthy church requires that members know that life in Christ is made possible by the work of the Spirit.  All our struggling to be spiritual, all our horizontal rule-keeping, did nothing to give us new life, and it does nothing to give us a healthy church.  We are alive because we took God at his word, acknowledged our terminal weakness, and trusted that Jesus really did pay it all. Doing all the right things cannot make us a healthy church. But the Spirit can.

“…let us also keep in step with the Spirit” Following the Spirit is the only path to spiritual health and maturity.  Horizontal focus leads to slavery. Following the Spirit leads to life. Horizontal focus leads to struggle. Following the Spirit leads to peace. Horizontal focus leads to conceit. Following the Spirit leads to humble service.

Starting in January 2020, we’ll be exploring the Spirit and his work, considering together how we might deepen our relationship with him during this time of transition.

The Church is Salt and Light

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Relevant Scripture: Matthew 5:13–16

Does TFB want to make a difference? Do you?

The answer should be a resounding “YES! It's what we're made for!”

Jesus referred to this difference-making when he called the church “the salt of the earth...the light of the world" (Matt 5:13-16). We are those who salt and enlighten humanity. We are those who make a difference.

God has formed and called us to influence humanity toward his kingdom. As the community of God's people, we influence the world through words and actions that reflect and proclaim his glory and grace. We live and walk by the Spirit. We proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. This influence is not through special activities or planned programs, though these can be helpful. Rather, this influence takes place in the context of daily life.

Here's the bottom line: God's mission is our mission. If God did not have a mission, there would not be a church. God himself has determined that our participation, our work as salt and light, is mission-critical. Even more, he has decided upon the most extraordinary means for us to carry out this mission: the dailies of our lives and conversations. He has formed, called, and equipped the church to live and reign as his holy priesthood, declaring his goodness to others through our godly conduct and words of truth. 

By acting as salt and light, we influence our worlds with God's message. So, let us do the work of the dailies, reflecting God's glory and grace as we do so. Let us learn and keep learning the truth of God's word, especially the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Reflecting God in the dailies shows the world what Jesus is like.

Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ tells the world why that matters.

Let’s do this!

The Church at Work

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Consider: what does it mean to be church while you're shopping for groceries, hanging out at the beach, or in a meeting at work?

The priesthood of believers, described in 1 Peter 2, helps us answer that question. Take a moment to read verses 1 to 10.

The nature of our work. The church is called, equipped, and expected to function as a priesthood, carrying out this work by offering sacrifices of praise and service whether we are gathered or dispersed. Wherever we are and whatever we do, we have the responsibility to do the work of praising God and serving others.

The context of our work. We work, rest, and play in the midst of Jesus' Kingdom, for he is Creator and Lord of all, and he rules all. As the priesthood of believers, we are called to serve Jesus in the context of his redemptive reign, and to do so in ways that honor him and expand his Kingdom. Even now, Jesus is redeeming and delivering people from evil and invading the toppled realm of Satan, and we are called and equipped to partner with him.

The work of TFB. Our work as the priesthood of believers is our highest priority, and this priority has implications for our life together as TFB.

1.  Let us take our communal life seriously. Whether gathered as the church or dispersed into the dailies of life, we are his priesthood, offering the spiritual sacrifices of praise and service in the company of our siblings.

2. Let us take our unity seriously. We are one in Jesus by the Spirit, and our work as the priesthood of believers is not a matter of each alone but all as one. There is no place in the church for isolation or division Our love for one another is the most important piece of evidence that we belong to Jesus.

3. Let us decide and keep deciding to put Jesus and his Word first. We must be willing to follow Jesus into new paths, remaining ever willing to carry out TFB's priesthood in ways that may be very different than anything we've done before.

TFB has work to do in this world, and our corporate identity as the priesthood of believers summarizes that work. Let us decide together to put our shoulders to the work.

The Church Dispersed: Love as Proclamation

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Relevant Scripture: John 13:31-38; 15:12-17
Other references: Word Bible Commentary Vol. 36 on John 13:31–38 and John 15:12-17.

Not that long ago, I assumed loving one another didn’t require us to like one another. After studying the above passages, I’m not so sure.

In these two passages from the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17), Jesus calls the disciples his friends and, in that context, commands them to love one another as he loves them. Jesus loves them as friends and defines the greatest love to be giving one’s life for one’s friends. If loving like Jesus is giving ourselves for our friends, what does loving one another look like, especially as we disperse into daily life?

Recognize that love for one another is required. Jesus’ gracious act of redemption puts us under obligation to love one another, and this love must not and cannot be confined to our gatherings. Jesus states clearly that those outside the church will know we are his disciples because we love one another. Bottom line: those who trust Jesus love those who trust Jesus, whether they are around one another or not.

The measure of love is sacrifice. Given in the context of Jesus’ determination to go to the cross, this command to love goes well beyond “love your neighbor as yourself.” We are commanded to love as he loves, giving ourselves for the good of others, and drawing others to ourselves.

Life is the testing ground. Love is not an emotion that just happens but the decision to consider others as more important than ourselves. It is recognizing that all those who trust Christ are our sisters and brothers and choosing to behave accordingly. Loving is not only in how we act toward one another but also in how we think and feel about one another.

Let’s be honest: we assume our family tensions stay in the family, but that doesn’t actually happen. Our souls leak all over the place. But when love for one another leaks out alongside the struggles, that love becomes a key piece of evidence for God’s gracious redemption in Christ.


Through his sacrificial love, Jesus has made us his friends and friends of one another. Let us commit together to love one another. Jesus is worth it. Our brothers and sisters are worth it. Those without Jesus are worth it. God’s love and grace make it doable.

The Church Gathered

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Relevant Scripture: Hebrews 10:19–25 (see also 1 Corinthians 13:13; Colossians 1:3–5; 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3; 5:8)

TFB is at a threshold. This year, Academy has been exploring who, what, and how God intends his church to be. This month we begin summarizing what we have discovered, beginning with a look at the church gathered.

As the gathered church, we encourage one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:25). We worship boldly as one, each free to enter God's presence quietly or loudly, peacefully or wildly. We encourage one another to do God's works. Within the context of relationship, we share our lives and our love for Jesus, pointing one another to him and reminding each other who we are in him. We share responsibility, recognizing that life in Jesus is the work of each and all. We meet and encourage one another even when doing so is hard and measure the quality of our gatherings by the love we have expressed for God and one another. We design worship services, business meetings, and small group gatherings that center on Jesus and provide ample opportunity to express love for one another.

The gathered church can have confidence in the blood of Jesus and absolute security in him, our great priest (Hebrews 10:19-21). We know that Jesus' death, resurrection, and glorification have made it possible for us to come boldly before God. We are free to give ourselves to God and one another. We can be ourselves and, when we mess up, we can trust the grace of Jesus and the graciousness of our brothers and sisters.

The gathered church practices bold worship, regular proclamation of the Gospel, and consistent opportunities for mutual discipleship (Hebrews 10:22-24). Bold worship proclaims God's worth and declares love for him as our most important activity. Gospel proclamation focuses our life together on Jesus, without fear or compromise. We commit to theological fidelity and cultural clarity without compromising either. Every meet-up is an opportunity to influence the spiritual development of our brothers and sisters.


Being a Christian is never a solo affair: our gatherings are crucial (Hebrews 10:25)! Whether gathered for worship, service, or learning, the church should always be about helping one another become more and more like Jesus. As siblings in Christ, let us focus on Jesus in personal and corporate worship. Let us commit ourselves to trust God and believe what he says. Let us participate in frequent mutual discipleship. Figuring out what this looks like for us is crucial during this time of transition.