Regarding the Trinity, the study of the Holy Spirit can often be a polarizing issue. Often, Christians find themselves on opposite ends of a bizarre dichotomy. Either one finds them self on the Pentecostal/Charismatic end of the dichotomy, where most (and perhaps too much) emphasis is put on the current work of the Holy Spirit above the work of the Father and the Son. This can often result in churches and Christians who know very little about Christian tradition and dogma, for by their logic those things do not matter--all that matters is the current work of the Spirit. On the other end of the dichotomy, one finds those who seemingly know so little about the Holy Spirit that they do not know what to with the work of the Spirit. As a result they put little (and perhaps too little) emphasis on the work of the Spirit, emphasizing the work of the Father and the Son as the tangible work that one can see.
In his book Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith, Michael Reeves does not recognize this dichotomy, or at very least does not allude to it in any sense of the matter. In a much more balanced (dare one say Trinitarian) understanding of the Holy Spirit, Reeves does not suggest an over or under emphasis on the work of the Spirit. Rather, the Spirit is one with the Father and the Son, and the Father and the Son are one with the Spirit. The Spirit is not to be regarded as the one who does overly abounding acts which the Father and Son cannot do, nor is the Spirit one who is to be ignored. Rather, "the Spirit gives us his very self, that we might know and enjoy him and so enjoy his fellowship with the Father and the Son" (87). Therefore, according to Reeves, the Holy Spirit is not one whom must come in the most supernatural of ways in order to obtain relevance, nor is the Spirit one whom Christians can ignore in their dogma. Rather, it is through the Spirit that Christians today are able to commune with the Father and the Son. Without the Spirit, there is no fellowship with the Godhead.
If Reeves' argument is in fact true, it has great implications for Christian salvation theology. Paraphrasing William Tyndale, Reeves argues that "if the Spirit's first work in salvation is to loose our hearts that we might have a lust or desire for the Lord, then the Christian life is about so much more than "getting heaven." The Spirit is about drawing us into the divine life" (87). Upon this understanding, Christianity become so much more than simply 'inviting Jesus into one's heart' (for surely this is modalism in its most common present form), but rather the Christian life becomes that indeed--life to the fullest (cf. Jn. 10:10).
The implication of such a statement is staggering. First, humankind no longer can see any life in and of themselves. Rather, all life comes from the Godhead and the fellowship humanity is granted through the work of the Spirit (86). Second, in this life given through communion with the Father and the Son, humanity is given both the ability and capacity to love as God first loved humanity (95). There is no longer an excuse for one to not have the capacity to love God with all one has or to love one's neighbour as one's self, for the Spirit allows each person the ability and capacity to complete such an astounding task (cf. Mk. 12:30-31). Thirdly, humanity is able to enjoy God through the Spirit, for in this triune, life-giving fellowship there is enjoyment (101). One certainly must recognize that this enjoyment is not as if one would enjoy a sporting match or a slice of apple pie, but rather is the apex of all one's enjoyment, for it is the fellowship with the one who brings life to the fullest.
The Spirit has been, is, and likely will continue to be misunderstood by the church catholic. To this point, Reeves makes no claim that he knows all there is to know about the Spirit. However, what he does provide his reader with is a basic understanding of the fundamental task of the Spirit, which is to draw humanity into fellowship with the Father and the Son, thus bringing life to all who engage with the bringer of life.
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