The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

by Dallas Willard

The importance of the work of the Holy Spirit cannot be overemphasized. But today our practice in Christian circles is, in general, to place almost total emphasis on the apex of this triangle, the work of the Spirit of God for or on the individual. This takes various forms, depending on the history and outlook of the individual or group. Very commonly church participation is recommended on the basis of how it will change our lives, because God will be there and we will be just overwhelmed. And certainly there is an important truth to this. Public manifestations of God, “revivals” if you wish, have made a great difference in many lives, mine included. Emphasis may also be laid upon the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the baptism or filling of the Spirit, or the anointing by the Spirit—all very important. But reliance upon what the Spirit does to us or in us, as indispensable as it truly is, will not by itself transform character in its depths. The action of the Spirit must be accompanied by our response, which, as we have seen, cannot be carried out by anyone other than ourselves. This active participation on our part has two aspects, represented by the bottom angles in the triangle.