Maintaining a Healthy Fear of God
Trust and Obey – Part 6b
Holy Spirit & Salvation of Man Part 2a
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Salvation – God, According To His Will By The Holy Spirit: Removes Man’s Sins and Their Consequences
While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)
In this first segment of part 2, we have a look at the work of the Holy Spirit in bring life to a deadened conscience through quickening of the human spirit. It looks at:
Recap of Part 1
The purpose conviction of sin is CHANGE OF HEART
CHANGE OF HEART! in unregenerate man as a result of conviction?
Product of conviction in an un-regenerated man
The purpose of conviction of sin is to change the heart
Grace From Cross At Calvary
Regeneration of the spirit (Quickening)
A Quickened Heart (At Salvation)
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)
In this first segment of part 2, we have a look at the work of the Holy Spirit in bring life to a deadened conscience through quickening of the human spirit.
God, According To His Will By The Holy Spirit: Removes His Sins and Their Consequences
THE LAW (AT SALVATION)
The Law Law means instruction – dos and donts; the norms of society as enforced by the state. In the context of our topic here; “The Law” refers specifically to the compilation of decrees found in the first five books of the Bible.
This whole body of law was given the name Torah.
While the purpose of treating this topic of the law here is NOT about relying on keeping the law to be saved:
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16)
But it is sensible for any man to know the reason why God gave these laws to the natural children of Israel:
The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. (Psalm 94:11-13)
Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments. (Psalm 119:164-166)
The Law
The Law is the great instrument which the Holy Spirit uses in His special work of conviction. It is the only yardstick through which we are to judge the moral evil or good in any action. These are holy and righteous demands that God places upon man.
The distinct duty of the law is to reveal what sin is. („dangerous and „unwanted piece of knowledge at that):
Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)
So if the law causes our desire to sin to increase, is it then safe to say that the law is bad? The answer here by Apostle Paul is No!!, Capital No!!! For if not for the law, we would not have known sin in its deadly nature; its resistance against God; in it‟s habitual enmity against God; and the hidden lustings it produces within us.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ―You shall not covet. (Romans 7:7)
With regards to salvation; the law enters; deeply and widely opens it’s own commission of enquiry in the conscience of unregenerate man; but here the conscience is only working closely with the soul (devoid of intuition and communion). A kind of “fear of God” (unrighteous because it is devoid of intuition and communion with God) is felt.
“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20)
This ‘commission of enquiry’ headed by The ‘Lord Chief Justice’ Himself (of heaven, earth and all that exists); God Almighty, before whom nothing, absolutely nothing is hidden: Because He is:
Before all knowing God
Heart of Man
In God’s eternal purpose, the intended main function of man’s heart is to give man the ability to:
Love Him – “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)
Also, In God’s eternal purpose, the intended main function of man’s spirit is to give man the ability to:
Be in constant contact with Him – “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) b)
Receive Him – “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)
Hold or Contain Him – “ The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”
Finally, In God’s eternal purpose, the intended main function of man’s soul is to give man the ability to:
Reflect or Express Him – “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Because our heart LOVES Him; our spirit is able to BE IN CONSTANT CONTACT with Him; RECEIVE Him; and HOLD or CONTAIN Him; so that our soul is able to REFLECT or EXPRESS Him in all that we think, like, and decide – in all that we are and all that we do.
That’s why we pray:
CONVICTION
The Purpose Conviction
The purpose conviction of sin is CHANGE OF HEART
God’s purpose of taking man through this act of conviction, is to change man’s heart to one that LOVES Him; his (man’s) spirit to one that is able to BE IN CONSTANT CONTACT with Him; RECEIVE Him; and HOLD or CONTAIN Him; so that man’s soul is able to REFLECT or EXPRESS Him in all that he thinks, likes, and decides- in all that he is and in all that he does.
It is the process by by which The Holy Spirit releases the function of the conscience from the control of the soul by activating the functions of intuition and communion thereby bringing the spirit of man alive:
THE TWO RESULTS OF CONVICTION
Conviction In The Unregenerate Man & Conviction In The Regenerate Man
Conviction In The Unregenerate Man
Product of conviction in an un-regenerated man
Immediate joy that does not last:
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
No Roots:
“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:18-23)
Pre-occupation with the world:
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Pre-occupation with worries of life:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew 6:24-27)
No fruit of:
Repentance – Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8); (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth). (Ephesians 5:9)
Good Works – That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)
Praise and Thanksgiving To God – Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:21-23)
Fruits of the Spirit – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Fruits of Righteousness – Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11); For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)
Unwillingness to face persecution – For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:6-10)
Conviction In The Regenerate Man
The purpose of conviction of sin is to change the heart
Why?
Death in Adam, Life in Christ
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
For which Grace Is Provided From Cross At Calvary
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17).
“come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28) says,
“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20)
“For as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God”. (John 1:12)
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13-14)
How did He do it???????
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
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Regeneration Of The Spirit
How is Intuition & Communion Made Available?
This is done through the regeneration of the spirit (direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon the human spirit at salvation). The aspects of the regeneration of the spirit are:
(Quickening)
The activation of Intuition and Communion in the human spirit
(The Circumcision of the heart)
Release of the conscience from the control of the soul (as it is the only function of the spirit in the unregenerate heart)
Quickening is the direct and supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit to effect a newness of life in the heart of man, so that he is able to receive the things of God (e.g. Word, directions etc.). Newness of life being the ‘activation’ of the intuition and communion in the spirit of man.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. (Ezekiel 37:5)
Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them,[a] and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 11:19)
Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)
Quickening is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit; it is characteristic of the attributes of God as shown through His Spirit. This sovereignty backed up by the omnipotence of God:
God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God. (Psalm 62:11)
Quickening is entirely an act of consistent, instantaneous, unperceived work of the Grace (unmerited favour) of God. MAN HAS NO PART TO PLAY IN IT
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
Quickening is made possible through the work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at Calvary:
Then And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” (John 5:21)
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)
That’s why we pray:
Eye of The Heart
Which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (Ephesians 1:8)
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:22-23)
Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. (Acts 16:14)
The light of the body is the eye, our spirit is like the power source, the energy source, or the light source of our life. There is a need for our spirit to be able to operate outwardly through our soul and communicate with the world – The sensory powers of the soul being crucified and the soul made to keep it’s ‘powers’ ‘dead’
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
There is a need for the spirit to be able to operate inwardly towards God and commune with Him.
“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11)
There is also a need to make sure that the eye of the heart is ALWAYS BY FAITH, SURRENDERED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT so that we are by grace able to make optimum use of it. THIS BEING CHECKED against the state of our own conscience – A pure conscience leads to keen intuition; with a defiled conscience, the eye of the heart is handed back to the whims of a deceptive soul.
“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” (Timothy 1:5)
“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” (Titus 1:15)
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)
Spiritual ‘Jump-start’ from the Holy Spirit
Spiritual ‘Jump-start’ from the Holy Spirit Quickening can be likened to a jump start you give to the battery of an automobile when it is ‘flat’
A jump start, also called a boost, is a method of starting a vehicle that is unable to be self-started due to insufficient power to the starter motor from a discharged starter battery (also known as an SLI battery). (A starter is an electric motor, pneumatic motor, hydraulic motor, or other device for rotating an internal-combustion engine so as to initiate the engine’s operation under its own power.)
A temporary connection is made between the discharged battery’s terminals and those of another running vehicle, or to some other external power source. When the connection is made, the external supply of current effectively bypasses the battery cells, passing directly into the vehicle’s electrical system through the terminal connections and providing the current needed to operate the starter motor. Once the vehicle has been started (and barring any other malfunction in the electrical system), the vehicle’s alternator will naturally recharge the battery over a running period ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Encyclopedia
Just as insufficient power from a dead battery to the starter motor of a vehicle renders it unable to start itself; as no food can in any way provide energy for a dead man; although it is the function food to give energy; Spiritual truth cannot provide Spiritual liveliness to a mind that is dead to righteousness; as such mind is unable to capture the essence of the truth and similarly, Spiritual truth cannot make an unregenerate will to believe.
“So that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.’ And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:12-19)
Regeneration is not due to believe: but believe is an offshoot of regeneration
God’s Wrath Against Unrighteousness
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evilmindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:18-32)
“For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:11-16)
Next
We have so far looked at the work of The holy Spirit as God Removes Man’s Sins and Their Consequences (on the regeneration side of salvation); but we will have a break to look at two other aspects of the salvation of man: Believe/Faith (Mark 16:16) Then Repentance (Isaiah 55:7) which are the building blocks of genuine conversion. We will then go on to look at the purification of our soulish methods of trying to make contact with God which is activated (Already taken place at Calvary). . This we will look at in Part 2B of The Holy Spirit & Salvation God, According To His Will; By The Holy Spirit; Gives Him Grace For Righteousness.
You might say – “Why do I have to know and experience this Holy Spirit you are going on about” Here is why, when and how you can get to know Him.
Admit your spiritual need as The Holy Spirit would have been pointing out to you while you read the post.
We all are sinners: nobody likes that title “SINNER”, but the bible says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.
What is the result of sin?
In Romans 6:23 we read “The wages of sin is death…” in other words, every sin is another step towards death. One thing that we need to remember is that God never sends anyone to hell; one can send himself there by rejecting the truth.
Since we can never measure up to God’s standards by our own strength; God has reached out to mankind.
The Bible tells us in John 3:16-17. ”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” In Romans 5:8 we read, “God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.
What must a person do to accept this gift?
Simply receive it! Matthew 11:28 states –“come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.
Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me” Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks, seeking entrance into your life to give you peace, change you for the best. John 1:12 says: “For as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God”.
If you haven’t already received Christ as your Saviour, don’t put it off another day! Take time right now to reflect on the state of your life, how does Romans 3:23 apply to you? Ask God to empower you to see the true state of your heart – “The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) then when enabled, invite Jesus into your life. Confess your sins. Receive His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. You might pray something like this REPENTANTLY (Having taken time to bring your sins before God with a determination to completely turn away from them):
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Saviour. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank You for giving me eternal life. Help me to live my life in a way that pleases You, for whatever time You give me here on earth. I look forward to living forever in Heaven with You. Amen.