Bible Text: Ezekiel 37:1-6; Romans 8:1-11 | Pastor: Dr. Tom LaBonte | Earlier this year I attended a worship service where a Presbyterian Pastor preached on Satan, the Great Tempter, his kingdom in Hell, and the forces of evil arrayed against us. Throughout the history of Christendom there has been a tradition of upholding Biblical teachings in the Old and New Testaments on the reality of Satan, Hell and evil forces that tempt and work against us. My focus this morning is not on Satan, but on the person and work of the Holy Spirit as our champion and defender in the war waged on us by our Adversary.

Every Sunday in the Presbyterian Church we testify to our belief in the Triune God reciting one of the Creeds or Confessions of the Reformed Church. In the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds we declare our faith in the three persons of the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all sharing the same substance as one God. In the Nicene Creed we testify that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. We dedicate a lot of time preaching and teaching about the Father and Son. But the Holy Spirit, as the 3rd Person of the Trinity, may not get the same attention in Church and be something of a mystery.  

The Holy Spirit is an active force impacting our lives sometimes in mysterious, and yet, transformational ways. One case in point is the recent revelation by Kanye West on Fox News that he is finishing an album, “Jesus is King.” My ears perk up – this gets my attention. He is a rapper and I am not familiar with his music. So, I am wondering about this. I hear Mr. West tell the reporter, “My job is to spread the Gospel.” He is publicly committing himself to following the way of Christ. Mr. West is witnessing to Christ through his music. I’m thinking, how did this happen?

I believe the answer is provided by Adam Hamilton, in his Biblical education series, The Apostles’ Creed, who speaks of the powerful effect of the Spirit acting upon us. “The Spirit,” he teaches, “is the voice of God whispering to us.” The Holy Spirit is the voice of God whispering to you and me. The Holy Spirit whispered to Kanye West, and he responded, bringing people to Christ.