Introducing the Holy Spirit #2: Creating New Life, New Hope and New Possibilities
by Donnell Wyche

The focus this week is on the creative work of the Holy Spirit – the work of the Spirit creating new life, new hope, and new possibilities.

New Life (Gen 2:4-7; Ezekiel 37:1-9)
Taking the earth into his hands, he formed, he shaped, and he fashioned, the Adam (one from the ground), but his creative work wasn’t complete until the Creator breathed the ‘breath of life’ into his nostrils and the Adam becomes a living soul.

… The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:4-7)

In the story of the nation of Israel during a period of exile, exiled from God and from their homeland, the Spirit of God was at work in the life of Ezekiel, a prophet to the nation. The Spirit of God calls on Ezekiel to announce new life, new hope, and new possibility to the nation.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!  This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’” (Ezekiel 37:4-5)

“‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” (Ezekiel 37:9b)

This is the work of the spirit, taking our dry and broken bones, our lives, our dashed hopes, our failed dreams, our unachieved aspirations, the core of who we are and he changes our story.

New Hope (Ezekiel 37:11-14; Luke 4:18-19)
Coupled with new life, is new hope. When we are broken or in exile, despair can take up permanent residence in our lives, but the Holy Spirit is at work creating new hope for us.

“‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.  …   I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 37:12b; 14)

Hope is the antidote to our despair. Though the night may seem dark, and way unclear, though we may live in a cloud of uncertainty, timid, afraid to make a move take courage because the Holy Spirit is at work in our midst creating new life, new hope, and new possibilities.  He’s creating a path for us that leads us back to peace, to freedom and to life.

And even though God fulfills his promise to return the nation back to their land, the promise for restoration isn’t complete. Foreigners overran their ancestral land, they were under occupation, heavily taxed and overwhelmed. And into this despair God created new hope through the work of the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,  to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Again we see the Holy Spirit at work, creating new hope for a nation in exile, a nation longing to have God himself come to them to restore their land and to fulfill his promises.

New Possibilities (Mark 1:17a; Titus 3:3-8; John 14:15-17)

Full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus extended the fullness of the kingdom for those seeking new life, new hope, and new possibilities. An example of this is in his kingdom-welcome of all the wrong people.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.  The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
(Mark 1:32-34)

Jesus demonstrates what a life that’s infused with the power of the Holy Spirit looks like. It’s a life full of expectation. It’s a life connected to the Father, and dependent on him. It’s a life full of compassion.  It’s a life full of hope and promise. It’s a life where healing is a possibility. It’s a life where restoration is a possibility. It’s life where inclusion and welcome are a possibility. And into this life he calls us to follow him.

“Come, follow me,” Mark 1:17a

It starts with our surrender, abandoning what we were, and becoming who we are supposed to be. It’s the surrender of our way of life; our control what’s going to happen and it put us into a position of dependence on God for what is coming next.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)

And what is required of us to receive the Holy Spirit – to see the Holy Spirit at work in our lives creating new life, new hope, and new possibility? Jesus offers us this insight:

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to 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.”(John 14:15-17)

And there’s the rub. Will we surrender? Will we say yes, and take a risk and join Jesus in the demonstration of this life with this new possibility?