The following quotations are taken from the chapter by Harold O. J. Brown in the book, Reclaiming the Great Tradition:

There can be no question that the Bible, the Word of God, is of the utmost importance for Christians and for the church. . . . The book itself, the actual printed text, can be the agent that brings people to faith in Christ, although more often a human witness or witnesses will be used by the Holy Spirit to bring the message home to the heart of the seeker. . . . . New Testament books were accepted as the Word of God and placed in the New Testament canon because the churches of the time recognized them to be the Word of God; the work of the Holy Spirit enabled the human writers to write God’s words, and it is this work of the Spirit that makes the Scriptures divinely authoritative and preserves them from error. In addition the Holy Spirit was active in the early congregations and councils, enabling them to recognize the right Scriptures as God’s Word. . . . When the Scripture is acknowledged to be the very Word of God, it necessarily becomes the . . . “norm that norms” the other standards, such as creeds, catechisms or manuals of discipline.

I include a quotation from the chapter by Richard John Neuhaus:

In acknowledging one another as Christians, we have already taken a very major ecumenical step. That is, we understand ourselves to be living in the same . . . world of faith. “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Eph. 2: 19=20)

Objection: But Christ came to bring peace. We should work for peace.

Reply: He also said he came to bring a sword. He did not come to bring us the peace that the world gives. He explicitly said that. He clearly distinguished his peace from the world’s peace, just as he clearly distinguished his love from the world’s love, saying that by this all people would know and recognize and distinguish his disciples, by the new kind of love they had for each other. The peace that the world gives is saying yes to the world, the flesh and the devil. The peace Christ brought, the peace the world cannot give, is a peace with neighbor, with self and with God. This peace means making war on greed and lust and pride, which are the enemies of peace with neighbor, self and God. The two forms of peace are exact opposites. They are at war with each other. (Peter Kreeft, Reclaiming the Great Tradition)

I will be posting some blogs based on readings from the book, Reclaiming the Great Tradition, ed. James S. Cutsinger. Contributing authors identify what constitutes the “Great Tradition” in Christianity, the Trinity and the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. They probe what it would mean for Christians from the different traditions to affirm together this “Great Tradition,” fundamental to Christianity.

It is becoming clear to [Christians of different traditions] that we are saved only by Christ, by grace; that faith is our acceptance of that grace, so we are saved by faith; and that good works, the works of love, necessarily follow that faith if it is real and saving faith, so we cannot be saved by a faith that is without good works. (Peter Kreeft, reclaiming the Great TRadition)

When we are saved in repentance by God’s grace through the sin sacrifice of Jesus Christ we are baptized by His Holy Spirit, who counsels us in the lifelong process of sanctification that results in good works and the manifesting of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4: 1-6)

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2: 19-22)

The Holy Spirit fulfills the role of the sanctifier. To be sanctified is to be made holy, or righteous. Sanctification is a process that begins the moment we become Christians. The process continues until death when the believer is made finally, fully, and forevermore righteous….Our sanctification is a cooperative venture. We must work with the Holy Spirit to grow in sanctification. (R. C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith)

…the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit performing tasks that only persons can perform. The Spirit comforts, guides, and teaches the elect (see John 16). These activities are done in a manner that involves intelligence, will, feeling, and power. He searches, selects, reveals, comforts, convicts, and admonishes. Only a person could do these things. The response of the Christian, then, is not mere affirmation that such a being exists, but rather to obey, love, and adore the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. (R. C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith)

I conclude this series of quotes from Billy Graham’s book, The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life, with these comments:

There should be no more distinctive mark of the Christian than love. . . . The Holy Spirit is the one who reproves, convicts, strives, instructs, invites, quickens, regenerates, renews, strengthens, and uses. He must not be grieved, resisted, tempted, quenched, insulted, or blasphemed. He gives liberty to the Christian, direction to the worker, discernment to the teacher, power to the Word, and fruit to faithful service. He reveals the things of Christ. He teaches us how to use the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. He guides us into all truth. He directs in the way of godliness. He teaches us how to answer the enemies of our Lord. He gives us [direct] access to the Father.

…as I abide in Christ - as I maintain a close, obedient, dependent relationship with Him - God the Holy Spirit works in my life, creating in me the fruit of the Spirit.