The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts through His Word and adopts us into God’s family. We are all united and kept in God’s family by grace. He nourishes us spiritually and we live a new, free life no longer captive to sin – and its consequence – death.
On the first Sunday of the non-festive half of the church year, we are enriched by the knowledge that we do our work in the world backed-up and empowered by the Triune God! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit meet with us here Sunday after Sunday. We are blessed way beyond understanding. Let us cherish divine services.
Our Lord consoled his Disciples in the upper room on the night he was betrayed by telling them the Father would send the teacher, the Holy Spirit. He would teach them all things, so he did, and they began to speak in other languages. That is the Holy Spirit factor. The Church also experiences it.
In Biblical imagery the right hand always conveys favor, honor, blessing. It is entirely logical and appropriate that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The Church represents God’s right hand in the world. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Church blesses the world.
The Lord made good use of his special instrument, the Apostle Paul. Now he sent him into Macedonia, a Roman colony. There God leads him to Lydia, whom the Holy Spirit called to listen to Paul’s sermon. She was baptized along with her family.
The desire to be in heaven is multiplied and intensified when one reads Saint John’s description of the New Jerusalem. There God will dwell with us. There will be no crying, or sadness or death.