“When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.” — Psalm 104:30 (BSB)
“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” — Job 33:4 (BSB)
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’” — John 3:5, 8 (BSB)
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who lives in you.” — Romans 8:11 (BSB)
Psalm 104 portrays the Spirit as the continual sustainer of life: “When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.” This teaches that creation is not just a past act, but an ongoing work of divine power—and the Spirit is the agent of renewal and vitality in every moment.
Article I of the Thirty-Nine Articles affirms the Spirit’s role alongside the Father and the Son as Creator: “There is but one living and true God… and in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons… the Holy Ghost.”
Bishop J.C. Ryle emphasized: “The Spirit who regenerates the soul is the same Spirit who brooded over the deep in the beginning. The work of new creation mirrors the first creation—both are divine acts of power and grace.”
Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba of Uganda explains: “The Holy Spirit was not an afterthought in Pentecost—He was present at creation, breathing life into Adam, and remains the power of God in the world today.”
Canon Dr. Chris Sugden (UK) notes: “The Spirit is the bringer of order out of chaos, and of fullness where there was emptiness. In creation and new creation, He is the divine artist of God’s good design.”
Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett (ACNA Catechism contributor) writes: “Creation is not just formed by God—it is filled with God’s presence by the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit who made the world also makes us new.”
Thus, the Holy Spirit’s role in creation is both initial and ongoing: He gives life at the beginning, sustains what He has made, and will one day renew the world in the new creation. In both natural and spiritual life, it is the Spirit who breathes, animates, and renews.
Basil presents the Spirit as the divine perfecter and beautifier of creation.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD): “The Spirit, together with the Word, shaped the world. He is the hand of God, fashioning life and sustaining all that lives.” — Against Heresies, IV.20.1
Irenaeus described the Spirit as one of the “two hands of God” in creation alongside the Son.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD): “The Spirit is the bond of unity, the breath of life, the unseen mover in the seen world.” — On the Trinity, V.12
Augustine saw the Spirit as the invisible, dynamic presence of God in both nature and the Church.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD): “Think not of the Spirit as later than the world; He was active before time, fashioning the universe with the Father and the Son.” — Catechetical Lectures, 16.3
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
