Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church is to not just be filled with the Spirit, but to release the Spirit. We don’t just live in spiritual reality; we bring spiritual reality to bear in every situation that we find ourselves. We carry the Presence of God with us to change the atmosphere wherever we go. We are not just people looking for a spiritual encounter, we are the church released to take the reality of the Spirit to the world.
This week we see in the first two chapters that the church is released to comfort. Comfort is expressed through faith, hope and love. The Holy Spirit was introduced to Jesus disciples as the comforter. Just as Jesus gave his indwelling Presence to His disciples, the church now brings His Presence to the world.
