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SCRIPTURE READING

ACT 17:22-31

1 PETER 3:13-22

JOHN 14:15-21

SUNDAY REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is manifesting the Spirit of Truth. To manifest means to demonstrate or show a particular feature or quality. Truth is the Word of God as taught by Christ and found in Scripture. The Spirit of Truth is the Holy Spirit. A believer or Christian is seen to be manifesting the Spirit of Truth if he or she demonstrates the perfect examples of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, a person who follows and lives according to the teachings or perfect examples of Christ is manifesting the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit cannot be seen because He is Spirit but He can be felt and seen when He is at work in the life of a believer if the believer demonstrates Christlikeness. In our reflection, we shall deliberate on the following questions:

How do we receive and manifest the Spirit of Truth?

How does the Spirit of Truth manifest in our lives?

First, how do we receive and manifest the Spirit of Truth? Beloved in the Lord, we can only receive and manifest the Spirit of Truth if we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus explains in John 14:15-17 that the condition precedent in receiving and manifesting the Spirit of truth is “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. (John 14:15-17). In other words, our love and obedience to the teaching of Christ is the only way the Spirit of Truth will indwell and manifest in us. Dear friend, we have no business with the Spirit of Truth if we have no relationship with Christ. Again, if you are a Christian but do not love and obey the teaching of Christ then you do not have the Spirit of Truth in you. Do you consider the teaching of Christ or the Scripture as the truth by which we must live our lives? How often do you read the Scripture, and are you committed to obeying the teachings in the Scripture to please the Lord and to live a Christlike life? These questions need serious reflection if we really want to have relationships with Christ and thereby manifest the Spirit of Truth in our lives as true believers. Let us remember that God is not interested in churchgoers but true worshippers who “will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24), Without the Holy Spirit in our lives, it is impossible to manifest the perfect example of Christ which is the truth. What kind of life are you living, is it a life of truth(Christlike) or a hypocritical or deceitful life? Draw closer to Christ in genuine repentance, love Him and obey His teachings or commandment and you shall receive and manifest the Spirit of Truth.

Second, how does the Spirit of Truth manifest in our lives? The Spirit of the Truth manifests in our lives by using us to deliver or restore those who are spiritually blind. In other words, the Spirit of Truth uses us an instrument of transformation in the lives of the lost and perishing. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) In Acts 7:55-60 Paul discovered that the people of Athens were religious but lacked the Spirit of Truth because they had no relationship with Christ and His Father, who is the creator of the Universe. He said to them “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship —and this is what I am going to proclaim to you…In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:22-23,30-31). Paul manifested the Spirit of Truth when he proclaimed the message of repentance and salvation to the Athenians. Paul became the light in the darkness of ignorance and blindness through the manifestation of the Spirit of Truth in Athens. In other words, through the proclamation of the Gospel in Athens, the Spirit of Truth prevailed over the Spirit of darkness and deceit. Dear friends in the Lord, when the Spirit of Truth manifest in our lives we become the light in the darkness and God is able to use us to open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind. The key question is, are we availing ourselves to be used by the Spirit of Truth to open the eyes of those who are ignorant and blinded by sin?

Beloved in the Lord, apart from the manifesting the Spirit of Truth in opening the eyes of the blind, another way the Spirit of Truth manifests in our lives is that He sustains and gives us hope and life in times of suffering and persecution on account of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter in making reference to the example of Jesus’ suffering, greatly encourages us to ” keep a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:16-18). Again, Jesus had already promised us that the Spirit of Truth will be our “advocate to help you and be with you forever…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. I will not leave you as orphans…”(John 14:16-18). Dear friend, In our troubles, challenges or sufferings on account of the Gospel (Truth), let us remain hopeful because the Spirit of Truth is our advocate to help us. A believer is never alone on the journey of life because the Spirit of Truth is always with us and will continue to strengthen us through the storms of life and “he will guide us into all the truth.” (John 16:13)

In summary, the theme for our reflection is manifesting the Spirit of Truth. In our reflection, we have identified the following facts; first, the only way to receive and manifest the Spirit of Truth is through love and obedience to Jesus Christ, and second, the Spirit of Truth manifests in us to restore or give sight to those who are spiritually blind and ignorant, again the Spirit of Truth sustains and gives us hope and life during our suffering and challenging times on account of our faith or discipleship. May the Spirit of Truth continue to manifest in our lives even as we avail ourselves to be used to the glory of the Lord. Amen.