Words of Faith

...But you'll have to stop me (praying) if I start saying things I shouldn't.’

‘If you're honest with God, that will never happen,’ she said, closing her eyes.

‘Aren't there ways to get in touch with the dead?’
‘Some people say they can. That's spiritualism, and it's not Christian. God expressly forbids trying to contact those people that have died.’
‘Even if you want to tell them you're sorry about something?’
‘You should never pray to anyone that has died—all your prayers should be to Jesus. He is the one that grants forgiveness, not the person who is no longer with you.’

With you, it's like emptying my pockets of junk. Stuff I don't want to face. And together, we seem to sort out what's screwing me up...

Janet smiled. ‘You know what you said about clearing out junk—well, of course, there's someone who does that much better than me. God. He'll help any time we ask. And just like it is with you and me, he needs us to work with him. He won't clear our junk on his own.’

Somewhere in Hebrews—that marvellous New Testament book which nobody is sure who the author was—it refers to people in heaven watching us on earth in our struggles. It says they now see our lives with God's vision and wisdom. Which means they don't get upset when things seem to be going wrong—like we do. Because they know God's plan for our lives and that everything will come right in the end. So, apologising to God for any mistakes you made with your Mum and Dad will be something they will hear. You won't, of course, be telling God anything he doesn't already know. But he does want to hear it from you so he can forgive, and then you can put aside any guilt forever and move on.’

... Self-control lets us respond to our emotions in the way God wants, rather than trying to suppress them. And—remember Dad's notes—that's one of the Holy Spirit's gifts. Stopping us giving in to what our naturally sinful nature desires.

‘OK but help me with this first. We're doing the Holy Spirit tomorrow... In your dad’s notes, it says Christianity is a supernatural religion. How come? That sounds a bit scary, like Dracula and haunted castles. It can't mean that, surely?’

Janet got up and lent over Peter's shoulder, looking at the sheet he was holding. ‘The Holy Spirit was once called the Holy Ghost. I don't know why it got changed, but it might be because today, like you were thinking, the word ghost suggests sinister things. The Holy Spirit is certainly nothing to fear—quite the reverse. It makes Christian belief much more than a list of dos and don'ts God put together and then walked off.’

‘Yes, that's what your dad says. God didn't just create the world and then sit back. This spirit thing is alive. Is that right?’

‘Exactly so. God is fully involved in the world he made. He has a supernatural power that is active today in the form of the Holy Spirit. This is what changes people.’

‘How?’

‘I don't know. But it works. And in a way, that just wouldn't be possible by any other means. So, you can persuade or threaten a person if you want them to stop doing something. But often, they can't because willpower isn't enough. And that's where the Holy Spirit comes in.’

‘When I was looking at those sexy pics, was that why you said it wouldn't work if I just told myself not to? I had to pray.’

‘Yes, you needed the power of God to help. And that comes through his Spirit.’

‘But... it doesn't always work. Is that my fault?’

Janet smiled kindly. ‘Then that's something to go back on our nightly prayer list. Peter... the Holy Spirit isn't like a magic spell. You can pray to God, asking for help, and then still do your own thing. That's the free will God gives us. The purpose of the Spirit is to work with someone who means it when they tell God they want to change. Then it provides the extra oomph to make it happen. It's not like an aeroplane autopilot, where you just switch it on and go back to sleep.’

‘How do you get the Holy Spirit?’

‘Once you make Jesus Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit immediately becomes part of you. Always. And you'll know because it will make you feel differently about many things. Like being convicted harder when you sin. And then not being able to forget what you've done wrong so easily. This Spirit provided the power for Jesus and his disciples to heal... I've never seen anything like the deaf hearing or cripples walking, but I have witnessed the Spirit's power to heal the mind.’

‘You have?’

Janet nodded. ‘When I was about ten, I went with Dad to visit a woman in hospital who was dying. Seeing the agony in her face had me close to tears. I sat on the other side of the bed with my eyes shut tight while Dad took the woman's hand and prayed. But Peter... when he had finished, her face was completely different. Radiant. The look of pain had gone. Something powerful had happened, which Dad believed was the Holy Spirit. Not making her well but healing her mind and giving calmness to accept what lay ahead.’

‘Is the Holy Spirit a different part of God? This Trinity thing.’

‘Yes, it's the Trinity that distinguishes the Christian God from all other gods. The three main religions have a single god at the centre of their faith. But only Christianity believes in three persons that are one. God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. It's almost impossible to explain, but it is a fundamental point of Christianity. I think Dad's notes use the ice-water-steam analogy. And while they're the same chemical, and they can all exist together, they’re all different. Janet smiled. ‘Being a science guy, I guess you'd know about that.’

‘This spirit wasn't around when Jesus lived?’

‘Yes, it was. The Holy Spirit has always existed since the beginning of time. So, in Genesis, when God created the world, God, Jesus, and the Spirit were all there. But it wasn't available to us until a few weeks after Jesus's death. At Pentecost. This fulfilled what Jesus said to the people who followed him. That he'd provide a helper when he was no longer with them. And that helper, something which has the same powers as he had, is the Holy Spirit.’

Peter looked at the notes. ‘The Holy Spirit is supposed to bring—well, it says here 'new life.' What does that mean?’

‘When someone becomes a Christian, gives their life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and lives within them. And transforms them... Do you remember that line in the carol Hark the Herald about a second birth—being born again? That's what happens when you receive the Spirit... And this Spirit comes with a lot of gifts. Dad's sheet will list them all, but they are things like wisdom, helping us see things more as God does, so we can understand him better. And inward strength to follow God's will when the world tempts us to do otherwise. Then there's knowledge—of the truth about God. And also fear. Which isn't like being terrified in a scary film. It's reverence, earnestness. Taking God seriously.’

‘Your Dad says here the Spirit can help someone understand the Bible. I like that idea.’

‘Me too. If you read the Bible with the Holy Spirit guiding you, it will be much more interesting and meaningful than it would be as a non-believer. You'll begin to understand it as God wants you to.’

‘Can you ever lose the Holy Spirit?’

‘No. Once you become a Christian, no matter what happens in your life, however much you might slip into your old ways, the Spirit will fight to get you back on course. But it sometimes needs a bit of topping up. The world can seem to dull its strength because temptations increase the other power inside you, called flesh. The Spirit and the flesh are in a continual struggle throughout our earthly life. Sometimes, the flesh sort of wins. That's when we do things we shouldn't.’

‘Like me with porn?’

‘Yes. There's a temptation in all of us to go for lustful things. That's the flesh. It's the way we're made and a consequence of the sin which came right at the beginning of the world with Adam and Eve. None of us will ever lose that, not even the holiest people. As St Paul says about himself, the temptation to sin, to do what we know we shouldn't, is always there. Our job is to listen to what the Spirit tells us. Instead of what the world might be saying.’

‘So, how do you top up the spirit?’

‘By reading the Bible and praying. Having Christian friends and going to church... I'm not saying you can't be a Christian without these last two, but it's much more difficult. That's why living out my faith has been easier than for many people. Not only did I have Dad and Mum when she was alive, but I know a lot of people in the parish I can talk to and share things with. That makes a real, real difference.’

‘Is that why you want me to get confirmed?’

‘One of the reasons. And so that you can share bread and wine that has been blessed in a communion service which sort of rejuvenates—tops up, if you like—the Holy Spirit inside you. It's a bit of a loose way of putting it, so don't quote that to Dad, but it's how I like to think about it. Also, getting to know other Christians will encourage you to learn more about God and share things that you probably wouldn't with someone who didn't believe in Jesus.’

‘Like I do with you.’

Janet smiled. ‘And me with you.’

‘He died that we might be forgiven... he died to save us all. They were the words Dad liked. There was a bit more, I think.’

‘That we might go at last to Heaven, saved by his precious blood',’ Janet said quietly.

‘Yes, that was it,’ Peter said excitedly. ‘I can almost hear Dad saying those words. And that was years ago.’

‘Peter, that hymn, and particularly the words you remember, contain the truth of the Gospel. The Good News about Jesus. If your Mum and Dad believed them, then heaven is where they'll be.’

There's a temptation in all of us to go for lustful things. That's the flesh. It's the way we're made and a consequence of the sin which came right at the beginning of the world with Adam and Eve. None of us will ever lose that, not even the holiest people. As St Paul says about himself, the temptation to sin, to do what we know we shouldn't, is always there. Our job is to listen to what the Spirit tells us. Instead of what the world might be saying.

‘Is the Holy Spirit a different part of God? This Trinity thing.’

‘Yes, it's the Trinity that distinguishes the Christian God from all other gods. The three main religions have a single god at the centre of their faith. But only Christianity believes in three persons that are one. God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. It's almost impossible to explain, but it is a fundamental point of Christianity. I think Dad's notes use the ice-water-steam analogy. And while they're the same chemical, and they can all exist together, they’re all different. Janet smiled. ‘Being a science guy, I guess you'd know about that.’

. But her words brought no comfort. What she'd done was wrong and entirely her fault. God wanted her to admit that before she'd get any peace.