Pneumatology: Like Flames and Doves |
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The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit |
I stacked them high on the little secretary desk: books. On the desk, the floor, in baskets. I wanted to know all I could. I had to move the stacks off the desk to have room for writing or my elbow hung off and the cursive drooped. Slips of paper, old letters, ribbons, pens — jammed in every small pocket of the desk — spilled onto the books as I took the notes. At sixteen, I was new to Jesus and eager to learn everything.
I’d hung beads in my bedroom doorway. I liked how they looked. They reminded me of hippies, though I wasn’t supposed to be one. I was at my desk staring at the beads, chewing an eraser, when Dad came in. He leaned a callused hand against the doorway and parted the beads with a tolerant smile. “Like the seventies, eh?” He chuckled. I smiled, turned my journal over. He glanced down. “What’s this?” He turned over the top book. The Perfect Christian. “I found it on the shelf, probably from Grandma’s stuff,” I said hastily. Dad was kind, but I felt foolish. I wanted to know it all, to do it right. “You know,” Dad said, setting the book back down, “you don’t have to try that hard.” I rolled my eyes. “We can’t all be perfect like you, Dad.” “I’m not perfect, you know that. I’m saying: these books aren’t what helps you be a Christian. They aren’t what makes you a follower of God.”
I crossed my arms. “Then what does?”
A simple version of the answer to that question is just three words: the Holy Spirit. When we go deeper into the expanded version of that answer, it’s called pneumatology, or the theology of the Holy Spirit. (Pneumatology comes from the Greek pneuma, which means “spirit” or “wind.”) This “ology” sums up everything the Bible says about the Spirit’s helping, advocating, empowering, purifying nature. |
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After Jesus rose from the dead, the Gospels and the book of Acts tell us He spent forty days with His disciples before ascending to the Father. In those days He proved His bodily resurrection, but He also continued teaching the disciples and told them what to do when He was gone:
After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” — Acts 1:3–5
This was not the first time Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit. He prophesied the Spirit’s coming earlier in the Gospels:
If you love Me, keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. — John 14:15–18
Other translations say “helper” instead of “advocate.” This Helper, the very Spirit of Christ remaining with the disciples, would equip them for the task ahead: building the church. The disciples were understandably concerned about Jesus’ departure. Acts 1 describes them looking up to the sky in bewilderment when Jesus ascended. I can imagine them wondering, What now? And then they remembered Jesus’ command:
The Holy Spirit was not new to the disciples. They were familiar with Him from the Old Testament accounts. But in Torah, He takes a slightly different role. Under the old covenant God gave to Israel through the law, the Holy Spirit “came upon” prophets, priests, judges, and kings to equip them for specific tasks. The Holy Spirit equipped for leadership (Numbers 27:18), wisdom (1 Samuel 16:12–13), and artistry (Exodus 31:2–5). In addition, the presence of the Spirit could be lost by repeated sin (such as in the case of Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14).
The Spirit Jesus promised was no different from the Spirit of the old covenant. He provided the same equipping and presence.
The difference after Jesus is His permanence. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, not just for one task or temporary calling, but for all of life in Christ. Jesus knew we could not live the new life on personal power. He wanted His disciples to make full use of His presence — and He wants us to do the same. |
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You have a Helper. Let Him help. | You have a Helper. Let Him help. |
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The Holy Spirit in Scripture
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Dad picked up the book on my desk and flipped idly through the pages, ignoring my crossed arms. “Your desire to do the right things is good, Phy,” he said. “But being a Christian is not about white-knuckling good deeds, or being ‘the perfect Christian,’ as this book promises.” -
“Well what else am I supposed to do? How else am I supposed to do what’s godly? It certainly doesn’t feel easy, if you say it isn’t so ‘hard.’” I didn’t even try to hide my irritation. Honestly, the Christian life didn’t feel easy or light to me — it felt like one long haul of trying to obey.
“It is hard,” Dad replied. “I’m not denying that. But the difficulty isn’t in doing good things. That’s not where your energy is to be directed. You’re to focus on letting the Spirit guide you. Follow His voice. Rely on His leading, which will never contradict the Bible. It’s not about memorizing lists of what to do or not do. He will tell you what to do.” He turned and parted my hippie-bead doorway, the pink cascade of beads a wild irony against his builder’s plaid shirt.
“You have a Helper,” he said. “Let Him help.”
You might relate to my teenage struggle. Perhaps faith does feel heavy to you. Perhaps you are memorizing the fruit of the Spirit and trying to do them on your own strength. Maybe you’re like sixteen-year-old Phylicia, sitting in the parking lot of my summer job at the greenhouse, pink Bible in one hand and sandwich in the other. I had memorized the passages about Christian behavior: love, joy, peace, purity, honor, respect. I would rehearse them, hop out of my cheap red convertible, and muscle my way through the workday on willpower-morality.
I suppose this is what Dad foresaw that day by my desk: the force of white-knuckle Christianity — driving hard, giving it all, right before the crash and burn. Let Him help. Don’t do it alone.
That’s always been the Spirit’s role: to help. To advocate. To empower. From creation, when He hovered over the waters in union with Father and Son, three Persons in one holy God, the Spirit’s presence poured out goodness. He empowered beauty, order, and peace, and He still does in the world and in us. He helps us become like Christ. Without Him sanctification isn’t possible. But when forming a theology of the Spirit, we must look to Scripture as our guide.
It gives us some clear patterns by which we can understand the Spirit. Here are a few: - He is one with God at creation (Genesis 1:1–2)
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He is the giver of life (Job 33:4)
- He gives wisdom and understanding (Isaiah 11:2)
- He is grieved by sin (Isaiah 63:10)
- He instructs in righteousness (Nehemiah 9:20)
- He gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26–27)
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He is the Spirit of truth and conviction (John 14:15–17)
- He dwells with believers after repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38)
- He gives power (Romans 15:13)
- He dwells in believers (1 Corinthians 3:16–17)
- He reveals God’s love to us (Romans 5:5)
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He bears the fruit of good works (Galatians 5:22–23)
If it seems like the whole Christian life is dependent upon the Spirit’s work... that’s because it is! In the Old Testament, God dwelt among His people in temples made by hands. Today, He dwells in human bodies. The “idols of God” on earth are little sanctuaries of His grace. And as the Holy Spirit lives in us, He is at work — empowering us in live in the light, guiding us into good works, and bringing fruit into the world through us. |
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Are you white-knuckling it spiritually? Are you trying with all your might and finding Christianity hard? Have you let the Holy Spirit help you? That’s His job! Come share your thoughts with us about living in the Spirit. We want to hear from you. ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full |
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Share this devotion with someone who needs it today. |
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| Every Woman a Theologian: Know What You Believe. Live It Confidently. Communicate It Graciously. |
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Phylicia Masonheimer believes that every woman should be a theologian and a student of the heart of God. Learn the basics of theology and why it's so important to continue your biblical education one step at a time. Discover how deeper scriptural knowledge can help you navigate the world, answer your toughest questions, and engage culture in loving ways. All of us have guiding principles at work behind our choices, even if we don't realize it. We hold beliefs about the world, ourselves, and God—beliefs perhaps we may have adopted unknowingly based on experience or culture's messages.
But God has revealed Himself through Scripture so it can transform how we view and navigate the world—how we think, act, love, work, marry, and parent. When we do that, we become theologians. No, we're not wearing tweed suits or giving lectures; we're driving to our corporate job every morning, or juggling babies on our own, or connecting with our communities. We are women who want to know who God is and how He answers our toughest questions.
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Through engaging stories and compelling truths, Every Woman a Theologian will help you: -
Identify your existing beliefs about God, salvation, and the Christian life
- Learn how to lovingly communicate Christian truths to those who disagree
- Understand theological concepts without feeling overwhelmed
- Grow closer to the heart of God
Step in that direction with Phylicia Masonheimer as your guide, and you will grow as a woman able to discern truth, who knows what she believes, and who lives her faith boldly in a post-Christian world. |
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Plus, save 30% on the workbook! |
Every Woman a Theologian Workbook |
Grow into a woman able to discern truth and bring God’s wisdom and love to difficult moments. It’s time to become comfortable with the word "theology."
This companion workbook to Phylicia Masonheimer's book Every Woman a Theologian brings the fundamentals of Christian theology down to earth in a straightforward, relatable way so that you can: - Identify your existing beliefs about God, salvation, and the Christian life.
- Understand the vocabulary of theology without feeling overwhelmed.
- Develop a stronger faith and a better sense of what it means and why it matters.
- Feel more confident about sharing your faith with others.
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A look inside the workbook |
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In the Footsteps of the Savior Online Bible Study |
In the Footsteps of the Savior Online Bible Study |
“This is the wonder of the land where Jesus walked. Each square mile seems to have a message. I pray that the pages of this book bring those messages to life in your life." - Max Lucado
You're invited to walk where Jesus walked! Come join the free In the Footsteps of the Savior Online Bible Study with Max Lucado in the weeks leading up to Easter - his first study filmed on location in the Holy Land. |
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Faith.Full ~ the women's newsletter at FaithGateway Our mission is to help you grow and share your faith |
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FaithGateway ~ our mision is to help you grow and share your faith. |
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