Holy Spirit and the Christian Life
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JOURNAL ARTICLE CRITIQUE
Winn, Albert C. “Holy Spirit and the Christian Life.” Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 33 no 1 (January 1979): 47-57.
THEO 510 LUO (Fall 2013)
Survey of Theology
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Jermaine L. Andrews (ID# 26089173)
September 22, 2013
Table of Contents
Introduction
Brief Summary
Critical Interaction
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
Albert C. Winn is affiliated with the Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Virginia. In this article, his target audience is the Christian community and his goal is to show how the primary work of the Holy Spirit is to bestow a shared and united life on believers. Winn shares with readers that the Holy Spirit came to give life and that life was to be experienced together, not individually. Winn goes on to show how the life of a Christian benefits from fellowship. More specifically, the Holy Spirit does not bring life for individual gain or enrichment. Winn states, “The individuals calling, justification, sanctification, faith, repentance, good works, perseverance, and assurance are all acquired through the grace of the Holy Spirit.” They cannot be held on to or kept to oneself. Therefore, it is essential that we understand that we are one body, fitly and uniquely joined together – for the benefit of one another.
Brief Summary
Winn begins this article by talking about the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit is the means by which we can experience Christian living. In the Holy Spirit, we are able to enjoy the riches of joy, peace, and happiness. It is through the Holy Spirit that we can experience the ruach (wind/breath/spirit) of God. Winn mentions how the Holy Spirit is instrumental in the life of every believer because “He is the life-initiator, life-sustainer, life-renewer, and life-shaper.” The Holy Spirit was the key to the success and longevity of judges, kings, and priests. They needed the ruach of God in order to lead the people of God into spiritual, financial, and social prosperity.
Winn points out that Ezekiel was in the midst of a valley of dry bones and the bones were without life. This valley represented the entire “Body of Christ,” past and present. God asked Ezekiel a question that seemed impossible and unimaginable: Can these bones live? The answer was yes, but Ezekiel needed the ruach of God in order to see this happen. After prophesying to what was dead, Ezekiel saw life as the bones were joined together just as if nothing had ever happened. The Spirit gives life! The