The Holy Spirit, Our Personal Trainer; Ephesians

May the mumbling commence!

The Holy Spirit of God is our personal trainer – helping us to strengthen spiritual muscles that we didn’t even know we had.  Read from Ephesians chapter three (Eugene Peterson’s The Message paraphrase):

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit – not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength – that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!

Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!

Glory down all the generations!

Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! (Verses 14-21)

Prepare yourself for a trainer of your inner spirit.  The Holy Spirit will strengthen you.  That does not mean that you will be “ripped” with brute strength.  Your strength will be an inner strength – a strength that will allow you to open wide the doors of your lives, including all those hidden closets and basements – an inner strength that is Christ in you.

And the Holy Spirit does not train us alone.  The Holy Spirit has a spiritual gym that is packed full of people just like you… searching out the awesome dimensions of Christ’s love.  It is not a competitive sport, so help one another to realize this goal together.

Then our lives will be filled with all the fullness of God.  It will be much better than a physically fit body alone – better than “ripped” abs or chests or shoulder or legs…  All things find their ultimate glory in the Lord.

But, don’t expect to be pushed around by the Holy Spirit.  The work of the Holy Spirit is like a deep and soothing massage that works gently into the deepest places in our souls.  Then, in a rush of ecstasy, we will join the chorus of all Christians singing…

Glory to God in the church…

Glory to God in our Messiah, Jesus…

Glory that lasts to all generations…

Glory that last through all millennia…

Yes!  So be it.  Amen.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out