Thursday, May 19, 2016
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST
There are many kinds of spirits mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, such as the spirit of man, heavenly spirits, and evil spirits. But the Spirit of God alone is called holy, for it is He who has sanctified and still sanctifies us.
And how is such sanctifying done? Answer: Just as the Son makes us His own through His birth, death, resurrection, etc., so also the Holy Spirit effects our sanctification by those things noted in the creed -- namely, by the communion of saints or the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting; that is, He first leads us into His holy congregation, and places us in the bosom of the Church, whereby He preaches to us and brings us to Christ.
Neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work of our salvation has been accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained that treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if His work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, and through this the Holy Spirit brings this treasure home to us. So, the Spirit's work of sanctification is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive this good, which we could not gain for ourselves.
So, if you are asked: What do you mean by the words: I believe in the Holy Spirit? You can answer: I believe that the Holy Ghost makes me holy, as His name implies. And what method and means does He use to do this? Answer: The Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
-- Martin Luther
