Holy Scripture, theology, and life

In an evangelical culture where phrases like “personal relationship with Jesus” have become common lingo, it is refreshing and intensely edifying to realize that there is no such thing as a relationship with Jesus apart from the Holy Spirit. My seeing and knowing and loving Jesus Christ is the present and continual work of the Holy Spirit in my life. My relationship with Jesus and his residence “in my heart” are just different articulations of the glorious reality that the Spirit makes real! He engineers my present experience of Jesus that is solely rooted in the objective, historical work of Jesus on the cross. It is by the Spirit that the objective work of God outside of me, in election before the world began and in the crucifixion of Jesus, is brought to have its intimate effect inside of me. The Spirit is my feet, my eyes, my tongue—so that I would walk in Christ’s way, see Christ’s majesty, and taste Christ’s glory.