The Holy Spirit and Salvation
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Today we want to look at the Holy Spirit and Salvation.
How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives to bring about salvation, and to, if you will, continue Salvation.
The Holy Spirit brings us to Christ through conviction.
The Hebrews word yahah express the idea of conviction.
It means “to argue with,” “to prove,” “to correct.”
The Greek term meaning convict is elencho. It means “to convict,” “to refute.”
One Bible dictionary defines it as a sense of shame leading to repentance.
As we have studied before, the Holy Spirit brings conviction to lead us to repentance.
But what happens at Salvation, once the person does repent, what then?
Three main things happen, but they happen immediately, and simultaneously.
The first is:
Spiritual Rebirth
Spiritual Rebirth
Jesus speaks to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 about the new birth, or the need to be born again.
A. Man Cannot Change Himself
A. Man Cannot Change Himself
Throughout time Sciences have tried to change man, whether through medical means, surgical means, educational means, or even genetic means.
But no Science or technology can change man’s basic sin nature.
Economic plans will not change man’s basic nature.
No amount of self-improvement or wishful thinking can change man’s basic nature.
The Bible tells us what comes from man naturally:
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Even the righteousness of man is as filthy rags, will never be able to bring real change.
B. Only God Can Bring Change
B. Only God Can Bring Change
Only God—the one who created us—can re-create us.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Jesus now in chapter three of John speaks directly to the Holy Spirit’s role in Salvation, In creating this new man.
Nicodemus was wealthy, and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jewish nation.
He probably fasted several times a week, spent time each day in the Temple in prayer.
He tithed his income, and apparently was a noted religious teacher.
He would be a model Christian today!
But Jesus told him that his goodness was not enough.
He told Him “Ye must be born again.” v7
Look again at verse 8,
He tells us that this new birth is accomplished by the Holy Spirit.
We don’t completely understand how all of this works, but we know it is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Being born again means being born anew.
The word again in verse 7 comes from a Greek Word which means “from above”, or “from the beginning.”
Both are true, since we are born from above, as God is the Heavens above.
but also at that moment the “beginning” is born in you.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
When we are born again, the beginning is born in us.
What a great thought!
Being born again, is being given a new nature.
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
This new man, or new nature, is in us as Christ is born in us.
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
In other words, we have this divine nature born in us when we receive salvation.
and this miracle of this divine nature being born in us is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But then this begins a life of warfare between the old nature and our new nature.
As long as we are in this Sin filled world, inhabiting this sin soaked flesh, we have war between our two natures.
Which one wins? The one we feed!
Indian Chief - two dogs
But the Holy Spirit doesn’t stop at Spiritual Rebirth, but also has the job of...
Sealing
Sealing
When we talk about the Sealing of the Holy Spirit we are talking about the fact that the believer’s salvation is sealed.
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The word seal is translated from a Greek word that means to confirm or to impress.
This word bring about two main thoughts:
A. Security
A. Security
We see this illustrated in the account of Daniel in the lions den.
The king sealed Daniel into the lion’s den so he could not get out.
Letters were often sealed by the kings ring to mark his mark upon the letter or document showing that no one could reverse or argue what was written.
for example,
8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.
Pilate did the same thing when he ordered the soldiers to seal the tomb.
No one would dare break the seal, or go against the word, once they knew who had ordered it.
My children - “Tell them dad said...”
So yes it is representative of his authority, but also it is a reminder of His power!
No one can touch us!
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
However it speaks to more than just security, Sealing also speaks to...
B. Ownership
B. Ownership
That which is sealed is the property of the sealer.
Jeremiah bought a piece of property, paid for it in front of witnesses, and sealed the purchase according to their Law and custom.
10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.
Matthew Henry said, “By him [The Holy Spirit] believers are sealed; that is, separated and set apart for God, and distinguished and marked as belonging to him.”
We are God’s property forever!
I know that doesn’t sound appealing to our modern society, but when we are His, we are His responsibility to be cared for and all of our needs provided.
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But he not only gives us Spiritual Rebirth and Sealing, he also, at Salvation, begins the work of ...
Sanctification
Sanctification
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
These verses describe the sins of this world, and reminds the Christians such were some of you!
But we were washed, we are sanctified.
1 Peter 1:2 tells us that this is done through the work of the Holy Spirit...
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Notice a few things about the Christian and sanctification:
A. The Christian Has Been Sanctified
A. The Christian Has Been Sanctified
Sanctification means to be set apart for a special use.
Because we are sanctified does not mean we are sinless.
It is simply being set apart for the Lord’s Work.
This pulpit has been sanctified.
It is set apart for the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.
It’s not a perfect pulpit, but it speaks to it’s use.
This pulpit should not be used for worldly speech or behavior.
So in this sense we have already been set apart.
We have been set apart for Heaven, and we have been set apart from this world.
That part is past.
B. The Christian is Being Sanctified
B. The Christian is Being Sanctified
The is the process of the Holy Spirit from day to day conforming us to the image of Jesus.
Slowly the artist paints
slowly the sculptor cuts away the stone,
Mom cross stitching - black threads and colorful threads. I didn’t understand what it was, until it was finished.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Slowly by slowly, stitch by stitch, brush stoke by brush stroke, sometimes blow by blow we are made into the image that God wants, and that He has foreordained!
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
we call this process progressive sanctification.
We just need to yield ourselves to the Master’s hands!
C. The Christian Shall Be Sanctified
C. The Christian Shall Be Sanctified
One day every believer will awake in His likeness!
15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
We often call this future process “glorification”.
Because we will be like unto His glory, and a reflection of His glory.
One day when we will be free from sin, and this sinful body, we will be fully Sanctified.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
The life here on earth is training ground for Heaven.
God is working in us to make us and prepare us for what we will be in Heaven.
For some it will be quite a shock, for others less of a change.
the male child in Rome during the Bible days wore a particular type of toga only children wore.
This coat was worn until he became an adult.
On the day of he was declared an adult, a decision that is made by the father, he would in a ceremony lay aside his childhood toga, and would receive another coat that signified his adulthood.
Ont he day that he became an adult he would be taken to the Forum in a procession of all his supporters and family.
There the father would register his child as a citizen of Rome.
In some cities the spot in the Forum where they would go was called the Bema.
He would declare that this was his son, and that his son would inherit his name and his wealth.
One day we too shall come to the Bema Seat of Christ.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Our Father will declare, “Thou art my son, inherit my name and my wealth.”
We shall receive that glorified body (the new coat of adulthood).
What a day that will be!
The wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in Salvation!
He gives us a Spiritual Rebirth
He Seals us unto the day of Redemption
And He Sanctifies us!
Maybe you do not know if you were to die today that you would go to heaven.
Today could be the day of salvation!
Jesus died on the cross for our salvation.
He was buried in a borrowed tomb, and He rose again on the third day, so that we too will be able to rise again to join Him.
Confess that you are a sinner today, confess that Christ has paid the penalty for that sin, and that confess that you believe in Him to take you to Heaven.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Call on Him today and you will be saved.
Those of us who have already been saved, we have a new life, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus!
Are we living like a new creation, or are we following the Old man, the flesh.
Perhaps we need to confess to Him our sin, and dedicate ourselves to Him once again.
Yield to Him your life and your choices and allow Him to Sanctify you and prepare you for Heaven!