Fruitful Living
Holy Spirit
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me, in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what He hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you – John 16:7-15 NIV
INTRODUCTION
How can we think of the Holy Spirit as a Person rather than an impersonal force? What does it mean to be baptized by the Spirit, to be filled by the Spirit? Are the gifts of the Spirit for today?
On Sunday May 31, 2020 we celebrate Pentecost but for many of us the true meaning is lost on us. Let us therefore spend a little time meditating on the essence of Pentecost; the fulfillment of God’s prophesies in both the Old and New Testament.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles like “flames of fire that were separated and stood over each person there” – Acts 2:3. The church age began as the apostles were “filled with the Holy Spirit” and “began to speak different languages by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them” – Acts 2:4. Then, and now, people are dramatically changed as the Spirit enters their lives.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON
But who is the Holy Spirit, and is the same power that came upon the apostles at Pentecost available to us today? To begin with, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity: He is God-coequal, co-existent, co-eternal with the Father and the Son. He possesses all the attributes of deity.
He regenerates the believing sinner. He baptizes us into the universal body of Christ. He indwells all who have been converted. He seals us, keeping every believer securely in the family of God. He fills us, taking control of our lives as we remove any impediments and yield to Him.
OUR HELPER
For us as believers, the Holy Spirit is more than a theological construct. He is the One sent to us by the Father and the Son to be our Helper – John 14:15. The Greek root from which the English word “Helper” comes is a combination of two Greek terms, para (alongside) and kaleo (to call). He is the One whom our Lord “calls alongside” for the purpose of giving us assistance in our Christian lives. He is the flame whose presence within gives us eternal life.
HE BAPTIZES US INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST
In 1 Corinthians 12:13, we are told that we have been “baptized” by the Spirit into the universal body of Christ, the church – For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greek, slave or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Every child of God has been identified with and made a part of the body. Romans 8:9 says the same thing in different words. If you are a Christian, you have the Spirit living within you at all times; if you are not a Christian, you do not have the ]Spirit.
WE ARE TO BE FILLED
God wants the flame of the Holy Spirit to ignite our lives. But we must fly closer to the flame to have that experience. Ephesians 5:18 contains a command that we are to be filled, and keep being filled, with the Spirit. Interestingly, in the Scriptures we are never commanded to “be baptized” or “be indwelt by the Sprit! or “be gifted!” or “be sealed” But here in a context of various commands, we are clearly commanded to “be filled with the Spirit!” To obey this command certain conditions must be fulfilled:
- We cannot be filled with the Spirit while we have known and unconfessed sin present within us.
- We cannot be filled with the Spirit while we are walking against God’s will and depending upon ourselves. So the filling of the Spirit not only means our lives are totally available to God, but it also includes such things as keeping short accounts, being sensitive to whatever may have come between us and Him, and depending on him for our daily living.
WE ARE TO BE CONTROLLED
When we are “following the Spirit” when “the Spirit is leading” us – Gal. 5:16, 18, we are filled with the Spirit. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, vs 18 – But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
He is then able to work through us, speak through us, use us, direct us without restraint, and empower our gifts and our efforts in ways we could never accomplish on our own. It isn’t that we need more of the Spirit (an impossibility); it is that we need His power, His working, His cleansing, His freeing. And as He fills us, all that and so much more takes place:
HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRY
A Christian who is baptized and filled with the Spirit is also gifted and taught by the Spirit – But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me, in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what He hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you – John 16:7-15 NIV
Some of the results of the Holy Spirit’s ministry include:
- Biblical insights we would otherwise have missed.
- A sudden awareness of God’s will or the presence of a danger or a sense of peace in the midst of chaos.
- A surge of bold confidence in a setting where there would otherwise have been fear and hesitation.
- A quiet, calm awareness that we are not alone, even though no one else is actually with us.
- The undeniable, surrounding awareness of evil, even the dark sinister presence of demonic forces.
- An awareness of our own sinfulness and need of repentance.
- An understanding of the gifts the Holy Spirit has imparted to us, and of the power He provides to exercise those gifts as we read in Romans 12:6-8.
Stay Blessed!
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Website: saltandlightgh.org
Fruitful Living
Islam and the environment (Part 1)
We praise and glorify Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. We send salutations upon the best of creation, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the final Messenger of Allah, who taught us to live in balance, justice, and compassion with all creatures of the earth.
Introduction
The preservation of the environment is not merely a contemporary global concern; it is deeply
rooted in divine revelation.
In Islam, the environment is a manifestation of Allah’s signs (Ayatullah) and a trust (Amaanah) given to humanity. Unfortunately, modern civilisation, driven by profit, exploitation, and ignorance, has led to climate change, deforestation, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and global warming.
Islam’s holistic worldview offers timeless ethical principles that advocate environmental protection, making it highly compatible with international frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As Muslims, safeguarding the earth is both a spiritual duty and a social responsibility.
Definition of Environment and the Islamic Perspective
The environment is broadly defined as the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live.”
In academic terms, it includes all external physical, biological, and chemical factors influencing living organisms (Miller & Spoolman, 2011).
From an Islamic standpoint, the environment is the creation of Allah entrusted to humanity to use with responsibility and moderation.
Allah says: “And do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order, and invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Surely, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.”
(Surah Al-A’raf, 7:56)
This verse explicitly commands humans not to destroy the balance (mīzān) that Allah has
established.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) further reinforced environmental
ethics through his actions and sayings, encouraging tree planting, animal welfare, cleanliness,
and the preservation of water sources.
Components of the Environment in Islam
The environment encompasses various ecosystems and natural elements, including:
• Dry and fertile lands – used for agriculture and housing.
• Forests – sources of oxygen, biodiversity, and medicine.
• Water bodies – such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, seas, and oceans, essential for life.
• Ramsar Sites and World Heritage Areas – designated for ecological protection due to
their unique natural value.
Islam values every element of nature. For instance, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as charity.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2320)
By Imam Saeed Abdulai
Fruitful Living
Why Should I forgive others? (Part 1)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”- Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
CONFLICT is never easy—especially when it happens within the church. Many believers can relate to the heartache of strained relationships, misunderstandings, or even church splits.
Though these moments don’t make us lose our salvation, they often test our faith deeply. At times, the discouragement can feel so intense that quitting the Christian walk seems like a tempting option.
Yet, in Christ, we are called into a new kind of family—a family transformed by grace. We are to be peacemakers, reconcilers, and forgivers because we ourselves have been forgiven so completely.
Scripture doesn’t just call us to live in peace; it calls us to reflect the heart of Christ, the One who gave Himself for His enemies. The brief but powerful letter to Philemon offers timeless wisdom on this topic.
Living in grace
The Apostle Paul’s letter to Philemon is only 335 words in the original Greek, yet it carries profound lessons about grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Paul writes not as an authoritarian apostle but as a loving brother in Christ, appealing to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus—a runaway slave who had since become a believer.
Paul gently urges, “Though I could be bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is proper, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you…” (Philemon 1:8–9). He pleads with love, not law. He even offers to pay any debt Onesimus owes: “If he has wronged you or owes you anything, charge that to my account” (v. 18).
This is not “forgive and forget.” This is a real reckoning of wrong, met with real grace. Paul illustrates what Christ has done for all of us—He takes our debt and pays it with His own life.
Our identity in Christ
Paul emphasises that Onesimus has undergone a radical transformation. Once “useless,” he is now “useful” (v. 11)—a beautiful play on the meaning of his name. The point? In Christ, our identity is changed. We’re not defined by our failures or past offenses. We are made new.
Philemon, a slave master, is being asked to receive Onesimus not as property, but as a brother in Christ. This is a powerful call to the Church: we must see each other through the lens of our shared redemption. Grace transforms social structures, erases labels, and redefines our relationships.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
