International Theological Video Conference

Our Christian life is a life in the Spirit. St Paul writes: "since we are living by the Spirit, let our behaviour be guided by the Spirit" (Gal 6:25). This reminds us that the moral life is not merely human effort or exercising willpower to conform to a set of norms and values but that it is a true presence of the Spirit of God who as "Lord and giver of life" (Nicene Creed) renews our frail humanity, guides us in the truth, gently prompts us in the way of the Lord and fills us with the desires of the things of God.

God in Christ dwells within us spiritually (Eph 2,22). Each one is called to collaborate with the Holy Spirit in order to develop the inner person (Eph 3,16). In the power of the Spirit we are renewed, day by day, so that we might find our way in a world of evil and fear and so that we might bring faith, hope and love to those whose lives have been overpowered by dangers, sickness and death.

Jesus promises God’s Spirit as another counselor who will guide us into the truth (Jn 16:13). As counselor the Holy Spirit allows us to deepen our understanding of the presence of Christ and the mystery of salvation within our own lives and in our world. So by faith we are able to see and understand what is required of us in the various human situations which face us day by day (DmV 6).

As a consequence of this, part of the moral life is the ability to develop a sensitivity to the presence of the Spirit. This is what we mean by spiritual discernment. Now spiritual discernment is a kind of spiritual sense given in baptism when we receive the Holy Spirit. Like all senses it must be refined by use or it gets atrophied. The presence of God has to be discerned in all human situations so that good, evil and God’s will for us may be revealed.

This is what is meant by the Holy Spirit’s role of advocacy when it is expressed as convincing the world concerning sin, justice (righteousness) and judgement (Jn 16,7). Human events and experiences usually contain within them aspects of good and evil. Good moral living requires the ability to recognise these aspects lest we be deceived or tempted. Christians and others who stand for the truth are often called to exercise a prophetic role in human society, which often settles for the easy and the pleasurable.

The Holy Spirit also gives us the power and the courage to live by our convictions. Jesus is led into the desert to confront the power of Satan by the power of the Spirit (Lk 4: 1-13). The same Spirit comes upon the apostles at Pentecost giving them power to leave the house where they were sitting and tell of the mighty works of God on the streets of Jerusalem (Acts 2). It is the power of the spirit which moves Phillip to join the Ethiopian official and then sweep him off to Azotus to proclaim the good news there (Acts 8:29; 39-40). The indwelling of the Spirit of God allows us to "grow firm in power" with regard to our inner selves (Eph 3: 16). Then our life and behaviour is a life "guided by the spirit" manifesting the "fruits of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22-26). In this way we develop a Christian spirituality which governs our moral choices.

Stuart C Bate OMI

Professor of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry

St Augustine College of South Africa

Johannesburg