The Way of Christ: Spiritual Formation Series

SCRIPTURE

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and

straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is

Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. - 1 Corinthians 12:3

I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new

heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of

flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in

the land that I gave to your ancestors, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. - Ezekiel 36:25-28

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you

forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he

abides with you, and he will be in you…26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you

everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. - John 14:15-17, 26

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of

a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue

rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

- Acts 2:1-4

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit

desires is opposed to the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the

Spirit, you are not subject to the law…22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23

gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its

passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one

another, envying one another. - Galatians 5:16-18, 22-26

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you

have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and

is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the person of God may be proficient,

equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Additional Scriptures:

QUOTES

If [the Holy Spirit] did not exist from the beginning, he has the same rank as I have, though with a slight priority—we are both separated from

God by time. If he has the same rank as I have, how can he make me God, how can he link me with deity? - Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 31.4

Until our minds become intent upon the Spirit, Christ, so to speak, lies idle because we coldly contemplate him as outside ourselves—indeed,

far from us…But he unites himself to us by the Spirit alone. By the grace and power of the same Spirit we are made his members, to keep us

under himself and in turn to possess him. - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.1.3

Therefore the love which is of God and which is God is specifically the Holy Spirit; by him God’s love is diffused in our hearts, and by this love

the whole Trinity indwells us. - Augustine, De Trin 15.32

And in reading of God’s word he most profiteth not always that is most ready in turning of the book, or in saying of it without the book; but

he that is most turned into it, that is most inspired by the Holy Ghost, most in his heart and life altered and changed into that thing which he

readeth; he that is daily less and less proud, less wrathful, less covetous, and less desirous of worldly and vain pleasures; he that daily, forsaking his old vicious life, increaseth in virtue more and more. And, to be short, there is nothing that more maintaineth godliness of the mind, and driveth away ungodliness, than doth the continual reading or hearing of God’s word, if it be joined with a godly mind and a good affection to know and follow God’s will. - Thomas Cranmer, “A Fruitful Exhortation to the Reading of Holy Scripture”

Oh Book! infinite sweetness! let my heart

Suck ev'ry letter, and a honey gain,

Precious for any grief in any part;

To clear the breast, to mollify all pain.

Thou art all health, health thriving, till it make

A full eternity: thou art a mass

Of strange delights, where we may wish and take.

Ladies, look here; this is the thankfull glass,

That mends the looker's eyes: this is the well

That washes what it shows. Who can endear

Thy praise too much? thou art heav'n's Lidger here,

Working against the states of death and hell.

Thou art joy's handsel: heav'n lies flat in thee,

Subject to ev'ry mounter's bended knee.

     - George Herbert, “The Holy Scriptures I”