"Did you know that spending time outside for 20 minutes a day reduces household sickness by 47 percent?" My wife, who is quite dedicated to her daily walk, had just read this statistic in a magazine and happily shared it with the rest of our family.
It really is an impressive stat. Breathing in a cleaner atmosphere does wonders for your health. If this is true physically, how much more so spiritually? Many homes and churches suffer from spiritually unhealthy atmospheres. They are filled with the bacteria of bitterness, anger and resentment. They are permeated with the germs of gossip, complaining, backbiting, and other unwholesome talk.
Some of these very sins were addressed at our church in last Sunday's sermon on Ephesians 4:25-32. Sin grieves the Spirit of God, for he is, after all, the Holy Spirit. Anything that is not holy is distasteful to him and diminishes his work among us.
What exactly is the Holy Spirit's work? That's a loaded question, for the work of God's Spirit is multi-faceted. He guides and directs God's people, gives us assurance, teaches us, illumines us, and unifies us, among other things. But one of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit in this present age, as noted by theological Wayne Grudem, is to "make the presence of God known." He does this in ways that show "he is working to fulfill his purposes in the church and to bring blessing to his people." (Systematic Theology, p. 641)
When we grieve the Holy Spirit, we're only hurting ourselves. We make ourselves miss out on the manifest presence of God and all the blessings that accompany it. We poison the atmosphere of our home and church. So if we want to cultivate the Spirit's presence rather than kill it, then:
- We must not tell lies, for he is the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13).
- We must not give in to sinful anger, for he is the "Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:29).
- We must not steal, for he is the Spirit who distributes gifts from God (1 Cor. 12:11).
- We must not speak corruptly, for the Holy Spirit fills our mouths God's word (Acts 4:31; Eph. 18-19).
This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me.
Frankly, I never cared much for the song because it lacked doctrinal substance. But when sung in the context of the biblical truths discussed above, this musical prayer is quite appropriate. A Christian living in sin should feel like a fish out of water. To be a Christian is to live "in the Spirit" (Rom. 8:9), and the Spirit always produces a Godlike atmosphere when he manifests his presence.
How can you cooperate with the Holy Spirit to promote spiritual health in your home and church?
