Restoring the Image (Part 11) – The Holy Spirit: The Breath of Life

I’ve been talking a lot about the role that Jesus Christ plays in restoring us to the original image of God. To summarize, first, He is the only perfect example of both morality and ministry. Second, there are many methods in both group sizes and tools that we use to help people follow His example. And last, we are responsible for using the techniques that are effective in helping others become like Him. The bottom line is that He is the only adequate model we have in order to rebuild the original image (Col 1.15, Heb 1.3). The restoration process requires us to continuously examine Christ’s life and conform ours lives to His. This is true discipleship.

We discussed two persons of the Trinity: the Father and the Son; now I’d like to talk about the Holy Spirit’s role in the restoration process. First, we need to recognize the parallel between God breathing into his nostrils of Adam (Gen 2.7) and the Holy Spirit being our spiritual breath of life. The powerful residence of the Holy Spirit is promised with Jesus’ arrival by John the Baptist (Mt 3.11, 1 Cor 3.16). Jesus alludes to the Holy Spirit’s coming in the future (Jn 7.37-39). Then in John chapter 20, He breathes on them and they receive the Holy Spirit (Jn 20.22). As the breath of God filled Adam’s lungs so the breath of Jesus filled the spiritual lungs of the apostles with the Holy Spirit. The regeneration of the Spirit is the only means for the beginnings of real spiritual transformation (Titus 3.5). The Holy Spirit is the power for every believer to live life in the original image of God (2 Cor 3.18).

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