When I think of two things that go together, peas and carrots come to mind. Not because I like them, but because Forrest Gump thought he and Jenny went together really well – like peas and carrots.
To follow the love story of Forrest and Jenny, we recognize quickly they’re very different – male/female, well loved at home/abused, grounded/flighty, loyal/lost, slow of mind/quick-witted. They both knew loss and hard times. They grew up as neighbors and best friends. But alike they were not.
Yet, they went together. They complemented each other. On the chance, like me, peas-and-carrots don’t quite make you all soft and gooey on the inside, maybe Forrest could’ve said something like, you’re the…
- Flip to my flop
- Butter to my jam
- Milk to my cookie
Two unlike things that go together – and make each other better!
Here’s one for us to ponder: Word and Spirit. Different but interdependent. Two components of Christ that are separate yet work together.
And nothing goes together like them.
The mystery of our three-in-one God continues because God the Son “is the Word made flesh and on him the Spirit dwells without measure.”1 The duality of Jesus’ nature can be confusing, but John’s poetry helps us understand one side:
“In the beginning the Word already existed.
John 1:1 NLT
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.”
And Paul helps us make the connection that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ:
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
Romans 8:9 NIV
“The Scriptures tell us, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living person.’ But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 15:45 NLT
Peter also speaks of the Holy Spirit as that of Christ:
The prophets of old had “wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.” 1
Peter 1:11 NLT
Jesus is Word and Spirit. Two components of His character. Complementary in function. And totally necessary to our walk of faith.
A Working Together
To sit without ever walking is to lose muscle function – atrophy.
To walk without ever sitting is to cause muscle fatigue – and damage.
In other words, it’s possible to go too far in one direction and actually cause more harm than good. We need to move our bodies and rest. So, perhaps it’s not so hard to grasp that we need both Word and Spirit.
To read the Word without the Spirit is simply to gather information. Rather than gaining clarity, such reading often leads to confusion. And almost always, such one-sided focus leads to legalism.
To seek the Spirit without the Word is to get carried-away by emotions and ideas. There’s no truth acting as an anchor. Often there’s misguided interpretations of experiences. And almost always, it leads away from Christ.
The two are meant to be a partnership. The Word of truth helps us interpret moves of the Spirit and to discern good from evil (Hebrews 5:12-14) – while the Spirit keeps us tender and wise to the Father’s heart, helping us interpret and understand God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).
Jesus, the Word, tells us to obey His teaching so that the Father will love us, so that the Trinity will come and make their home with us (John 14:23). Jesus, the Spirit, will always speak over us, teaching and reminding us everything the Word ever said (v.26).
The Spirit of Truth speaks nothing except what the Father speaks; everything He makes known to us He has received from the Word (John 16:13-15).
The Word and Spirit are never meant to be separated any more than the Holy Trinity is meant to be picked apart or its members pitted against one another. They go together.
Embracing Faith by Word and Spirit
So as we set out to live a life in which we embrace faith in Jesus, we must also embrace both Word and Spirit. Which is why Paul teaches:
“In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”
Ephesians 1:13 ESV
When we step across the threshold from unbeliever to believer, we’re responding to the truth of the Word by putting our belief in Jesus as our only means of salvation. And in that moment God seals us with the Spirit. If our salvation is based on the tandem work of Word and Spirit, so shall our journey of sanctification.
Like the clay on a potter’s wheel, we are constantly being shaped (Jeremiah 18:1-6). The Living Water, aka: the Holy Spirit, softens us, helping us to become more moldable in the Father’s hands. The Spirit does this work of pliability in us with every whispered word of encouragement, comfort, and counsel. But what keeps us from becoming a puddle of mushy mud is the Word – the stocky stuff of truth, those meaty morsels of wisdom that keep us standing.
Without the Spirit we get stiff and unworkable – stuck in our ways.
Without the Word we get too soft to take shape – too easily led by whims and whimsies.
To be shaped by the Father’s hands into holy vessels that are able to “hold, display, and convey the presence of God,” we need to be “formed by the Word in order that we might be filled by the Spirit.”2 Both – Word and Spirit.
The Discomfort of It All
A lived-out faith that includes both Word and Spirit flourishes in the balance of all that the Son has to offer us. The Word instructs, reveals, and stands as our foundation of truth. The Spirit reminds, advocates, and becomes our means for supernatural insight and power.
But too often we’re comfortable with One more than the other.
I’m a word girl. And too often that carries over into my faith life. I grew up in churches who never outwardly spoke of their Holy Spirit misgivings, but their actions questioned the mysterious moves of the Spirit. As a result I never experienced or even witnessed the fullness of the power of the Spirit. No one spoke tongues or healed diseases or encouraged others with prophetic words. No one demonstrated spiritual gifts so much as natural talent, and as a result, it was always about them.
So, I followed my passion – which is not a bad thing, until it is – and dove into Bible study after Bible study. But what began to happen was not good. I got more and more immovable in ideologies and theologies. I easily judged others. I for sure judged myself, resulting in heaps of shame and guilt. I felt as though I never measured up.
Praise the Lord, there came a day in my late twenties when a group of ladies began introducing me to the Holy Spirit. As they prayed in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit, something in me awakened. As they taught about this Person who lived in me, I found a new way to live – not in my strength but His, not by my will but His. And, I began to have a level of discernment between good and evil, between truth and lies, that I had ever had before.
What began as a hunt for what the Bible has to say – information gathering – has become a love affair that is, more often than not, guided and highlighted by the Holy Spirit. And now in my fifties, I can say with more confidence than ever before: Word and Spirit are meant to go together. Yeah, like peas and carrots.
Depending on our backgrounds, experiences, and preferences, we tend to lean toward One or the other – Word or Spirit. But Jesus is both. And we need both. So, it’s healthy and good and right for us to recognize which One is more comfortable for us so that we can begin to lean into the One that might make us a bit uncomfortable.
If you’re Word-leaning – scour the Word for all the teachings on the Spirit and start asking the Spirit to guide you in your searches and for a willingness to respond as He leads.
If you’re Spirit-leaning – open your Bible to a particular book like John or Acts, and ask the Spirit to open your eyes to the truths you’re lacking and for a willingness to receive them.
The discomfort is good for us. It stretches us and gives us new ways to see and experience God. And, ultimately, it brings together the Word and Spirit in us – and the power and beauty of the two working within us are parallel to nothing. Not even milk and cookies. Or biscuits with butter and jam.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the mystery that is Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jesus, who is God and Son, divine and human, Word and Spirit. Thank You for sending our Savior to us in such a way that He can both anchor us with your truths and lead us with your power. Jesus the Word, speak to us. Shape us with Truth in ways only You can. Jesus, the Spirit, counsel us. We want to know the Father’s will and way, as well as the power that raised You from the dead. Word and Spirit – we confess we have not always embraced both in equal measures. We see that faith cannot be lived out in fullness without the two together. Help us lean into discomfort as we submit to the work of the softening, empowering Spirit and the strengthening, solidifying Word. So, Jesus, we ask that as Spirit You will help us understand the Word more clearly; we ask that as the Word, You will help us hear the Spirit more assuredly.3 May we always fully seek You – with all our hearts and minds and souls, and may we embrace You as You fully are. Word and Spirit. In your holy name we pray, amen.
(inspired by Colossians 2:9; John 1:1,14; John 14:6,26; Acts 1:8; Romans 8;11; Ephesians 1:13; Matthew 22:37)
Resources: I love sharing with you the books, podcasts, articles, and anything else that has inspired, encouraged, or taught me. These are humble offerings with no expectations.
- This post is a great lead-in for our next series! It’s Lent next week, and we’re going to lean into both Word and Spirit as we embrace prayer. I’m taking a page out of JD Walt’s book, and we’re going to look to Jesus and the prayers He lifted up while on earth as a model for us. May we all commit to a Lenten season full of Word and Spirit so that we might embrace a life of prayer. See you next week!!
- 1 – JD Walt on the 11/8/23 Wake Up Call
- 2 – JD Walt on the 1/25/22 Wake Up Call
- 3 – My friend Em Tyler said this in January in Devoted Collective team meeting. I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget! XOXO
- One more resource for ya — this year’s New Room Conference is themed “Word and Spirit!” How cool is that? It seems very timely! I’ve got my ticket for Montgomery, Alabama in September. If you go, let me know!!
- Next week we’ll have a NEW playlist for Lent. But that doesn’t mean we can’t keep tuning into our current Embrace Faith playlist beyond the series — because it is a special collection of songs that have carried us (me) for months. We’re gonna always “Watch What God Can Do” and trust that His “Good Plans” will always reign in our lives. We’re gonna always “Trust in God” even as we soak in His unbelievable “Love Like This.” Here’s to embracing faith in Jesus — our Word and Spirit!
- The Abiding Life Newsletter is one way we continue the conversations about embracing faith and abiding in Christ. You can see past editions on my page on Substack. There’s always so much to learn and release, witness and receive as we journey with the Lord. XOXO
Rhythms: As my newsletter’s title infers, we seek to develop an abiding life in this space — a place where we can get informed but even more so be transformed as we learn to abide in God’s presence throughout our days. I like to think that developing rhythms is what aids us in our desire and ability to become more Christlike.
Word and Spirit. We need both, so it’s good for us to lean into spiritual practices that help us dig deep into Scripture and get still so we can hear the Spirit. As we move into Lent this week, let’s be intentional to find unique rhythms for these next seven weeks that will help us be led by Word and Spirit.
- Finally, as a community, let us not neglect sharing God’s amazing grace with others! Share your God-stories with people around you. Share this site. Share God’s Word. Shine His light into the world!
Featured Photo by Steve Sharp on Unsplash. “All the Bits and Pieces” photo by Sahand Babali on Unsplash.
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With God, all things are possible…
Amen!!