From Genesis 1:2 to Revelation 22:17, the Bible records constant references to the Holy Spirit—His person and His work. Like the Father and the Son, He has all the attributes of the Godhead and is especially active in the world scene. Though He is the “Sent One” by both Christ and the Father, He nevertheless is equal with them in power and glory and has all the same attributes that belong properly to the Deity (Matthew 28:19).
All the forces of darkness will seek to confuse us and all the evil powers in this world will appear to make God look distant, small and ineffective. The goal of Satan is to make God look powerless and worthless to the believers and to the unbelieving world (2 Corinthians 4:4). The work of the Holy Spirit in this respect is to rest upon us with whatever measure of grace and truth we will need in order to be faithful in our calling as God's children (Romans 8:26-27).
God has shut us up to being totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. One of the great dangers of the Christian life is that we are so clever and claim to know the rules and doctrines so well that we often forget the fact that we still cannot do anything apart from the help of the Holy Spirit (John 6:63). The truth is this, we do not please the Son Jesus Christ, by focusing on Him alone because, His aim is to bring us to the Father ultimately. But it is very important to notice that we have access to Him only through the Holy Spirit. It’s not just a question of some special doctrines or adopting a certain form of prayer service or certain method of fellowship. You can have all the right services and all the right doctrines but if you don’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling in you, you have no access to the Son or the Father (Ephesians 6:18).
In this message, we are looking into the work of the Holy spirit from Regeneration to Resurrection.
A) Role in Regeneration
Without the Holy Spirit, one has no knowledge of sin. The Bible says in John 16:8, "And when He is come. He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment". When the Spirit comes, He will cause us to convict ourselves of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. This is the first step in the work of the Holy Spirit: that we might know our sin. Indeed, conviction of sin occurs when we see ourselves in the light of Holy God. We all know the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity (Matthew 28:19). But what is His role in the life of a believer?. Jesus shared with His disciples on His last night with them before He was crucified about the Holy Spirit and how He would strengthen them in adversity (John 14:16). He also had told them that the Holy Spirit would guide them in all the truth. Jesus knew the disciples would be confused and afraid when He would leave them, and He wanted to assure them that the Holy Spirit would come into their lives as a guide to direct them in all truth as He had guided them (John 16:13).
It is the Holy Spirit who reproves man of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He prepares man’s heart, causing him to willingly believe in the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. The work of Salvation on the cross is accomplished by the Lord Jesus (1 John 2:2). However, it is the Holy Spirit who reveals this mystery to the sinner's heart and enable him to receive the gift of salvation. We must understand the relationship between the cross of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. While Christ has already accomplished everything on the cross, the Holy Spirit empowers the person to receive in faith what has been accomplished by Christ on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who produces the life of Christ in us.
Regeneration is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of granting spiritual life to dead sinners. This is not a work in which man contributes but is a work of God alone. Much as an infant receives no credit for being born, man receives no glory from being regenerated by God. The grace of regeneration is the power of God that grants humans the ability to exercise faith and new inclinations towards God.
The Bible teaches us that two divine powers accomplish this tremendous miracle: “the Word of God” (Ephesians 5:26; 1Peter 1:23) and the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). Regeneration is something that God alone does by His Spirit and His Word, and it will never be undone! Thankfully, the Lord always takes the initiative in salvation, but as well, each person has the responsibility and capability to believe.
We read of the work of the Holy Spirit in preparing and forming the natural body of Jesus in the womb of mother Mary. It was the Holy Spirit who produced the baby inside the womb of His mother (Luke 1:35). This was supernatural. This was the beginning of the new covenant, the foundation of the Gospel and of the Church. But this was not the whole of the work of the Spirit that He had to do. As He had provided and prepared the natural body of Christ in His mother’ womb, so He (the Holy Spirit) was to prepare His spiritual body also, that is the Church (Body of Christ).
What He had done for the old creation, He had to do for the new creation as well. What was the condition of the earth before it was remade? It was covered and engulfed with darkness and emptiness; for "the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep," (Genesis 1:2). Neither was there anything that had either life in it, or sign of life, or any disposition thereunto. In this condition He (the Holy Spirit) moved on that hopeless and lifeless earth and life began to spring up on the Word of the Most High!
It was no otherwise in the new creation. There was a spiritual darkness and death came by sin on all mankind through the disobedience of Adam (Romans 5:12); neither was there in any man living the least principle of spiritual life, or the fear of God. The Bible asserts that all human beings are born into a state of sin due to the transgressions of Adam and Eve, the first humans. This condition of moral and spiritual imperfection leads to separation from God. Regeneration, or being born new in the Spirit, is needed to restore this broken relationship with God and attain eternal life. The Bible says of the condition of the humanity, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23). In Psalms 14:3 and Psalms 53:3 we read, “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one”. This is the condition of a fallen man. Holy Spirit opens the heart of the sinner and convicts him of his sins and lead him to repentance. Repentance means turning away from sinful ways, it's a 180 degree change (about turn) in the lifestyle of a person. When a person submits in obedience to the Word of God, a supernatural work happens in his spirit and he is born again. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
B) Role in Sanctification
In addition to enabling believers to receive life at the time of regeneration, the Holy Spirit has another vital step of work. From the point of regeneration, He dwells within the believers’ heart. Every regenerated believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him permanently. Regeneration leads to a completely new spiritual existence. The Bible calls this as a new creation, a fresh start. The old life, characterized by sinful desires and actions, passes away. In its place, a new life governed by God’s righteousness and holiness begins (2 Corinthians 5:17). This change brings with it a new identity, a new purpose, and a new direction in life. The regenerated person is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, who helps him or her in living a life pleasing to God.
The Bible states that regeneration leads to notable changes in a person’s behaviour and character, often described as fruits of the Spirit. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Regeneration results in a changed heart, which in turn transforms thoughts, attitudes, and actions. A regenerated life proves a stronger resistance to sin, an increased desire to obey God’s commandments, and a deeper commitment to serve others. Indeed, the Bible affirms that genuine regeneration must have visible effects on personal and social relations.
It doesn't mean that we become perfect all of a sudden. It might take sometime to come to the victory, if we persistently trust in God for His grace. We must cry out to the Lord for more grace, when we are tempted to sin. It's something like a child starts walking. It falls very often for a few days, but gradually the frequency of falling reduces and reach a time where it doesn't fall. The reason is, the child takes the falling seriously and resist it every time because deep inside his heart, he hates falling!. Do you hate sin? That's the evidence that you are born again and the Holy Spirit is working in you.
Even if you were filled with the Spirit at one time in the past, you need refilling with the Holy Spirit continuously. So likewise, our bodies continuously and repeatedly need nourishment to be refuelled, and our spiritual lives are no different. Sanctification is the continuous work of God in the life of a believer in making him or her holy. God expects us to be holy. We read in 1 Peter 1:15-17, “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”
It’s done through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are expected to grow every moment. It is something like a student in the school. He is expected to be promoted to the next class every year. No student would like to sit in the same class for ever. He is progressing. Some students progress fast someone slow. It depends how seriously you take the lessons. Your growth is not measured by the Bible knowledge. It can be measured by one thing- how far you are being saved from the power of sin. How do we know a child is growing- the frequency of falling reduces slowly and comes to a day he doesn’t fall. If you are falling in sin, even after being a believer for many years, don’t get discouraged. But take it seriously, seek the Lord's grace, your falling will be reduced and one day, you will never fall!
We are called to be holy. There are many verses, in fact, commandments in the Bible to examine ourselves every day before God. We are called to follow a different lifestyle from the rest of this world (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). We have been predestined to be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). The Scriptures nowhere teach that we can become sinless in this life. We have been called to purify ourselves from everything that contaminates our spirit, soul and body, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Bible says, those who are waiting for the return of the Lord must purify themselves, just as our Lord is pure (1 John 3:3).
Sanctification is the superstructure of the building. Sanctification (meaning `being set apart' from sin and the world) is a process that begins with the new birth (1 Corinthians 1:2) and that should continue throughout our earthly life (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24). This is a work that God initiates in us through the Holy Spirit, writing His laws upon our hearts and minds; but we have to do our part, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12,13). Those who do not pursue after sanctification will never see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
C) Baptism of the Holy Spirit
There is a source of Holy Ghost “power from high” that too many Christians have either overlooked or rejected to their own loss. We must not be ignorant about the mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit — a supernatural power that is for every believer and for today. It will change your life!
Though our Lord Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit, He was baptised with the Holy Spirit as He had come out of the water of river Jordan. We see the Holy Spirit descending up on Him and filled Him in with power to do the ministry He had come down for. (Matthew 3:16-17).
We read in Acts 1:4-8, On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (5) For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit ...(8) you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”.
We see in Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”. The Apostles were cowards and fearful before the day of Pentecost. But immediately after this experience, we see the boldness in them when they were serving the Lord. They had no fear, but power instead. Before the day of Pentecost, when Jesus had been taken a prisoner in the garden of Gethsemane, “...all the disciples deserted him and fled” (Matthew 26:56). After the day of Pentecost, the same disciples were bold witnesses for Jesus with power (Acts 4:29-31) and they were martyred bravely for the Lord.
This is the second experience in the life of a believer, as the first one happened when he or she was regenerated (born again). The second experience is the baptism of the Holy Spirit to make us bold and powerful witnesses for His Kingdom. We need to ask the Lord Jesus to baptise us with the Holy Spirit. He alone is the baptizer (Matthew 3:11)
D) Building the Body of Christ (The Church)
The Holy Spirit gives to each believer certain gifts from God to do the work of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) as He wishes. The Bible speaks in several passages about spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 1 Corinthians 14:1-33, Romans 12:1-8, Ephesians 4:1-13, Hebrews 2:3-4, and 1 Peter 4:10-11. No matter what the gift is, its purpose is to edify and mature the church and to glorify God in serving others.
All gifts are given by grace from God through the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:4; Hebrews 2:4). Different people are given different gifts. Not everyone receives the same gift (1 Corinthians 12:4). Those gifted with various spiritual gifts are meant to work together as the parts of a body work together (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). The gifts God gives to His people are divinely placed for the good of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). In no way are the spiritual gifts to be used to draw attention to oneself or put on a showy display. This was part of the problem in the church in Corinth. Members there were exercising their spiritual gifts to edify themselves without regard to what anyone else was doing (1 Corinthians 14:4), and their methods resulted in chaos in the church service (1 Corinthians 14:23-28).
They needed to be reminded that the greatest gift of all is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Without love, none of the other gifts are profitable at all (1 Corinthians 13:1–3). You see this great chapter (13) is placed between the chapters teaching about the operation of gifts (chapters 12 and 14). There is great joy and purpose in serving God by using our gifts, and ultimately, He is glorified. So, find your gift, and use it! And if you don’t yet know what your gift is, don’t worry about it. Be on your knees and ask the Lord to reveal it to you. You do have a calling to serve. God will show you in time what that gift is, and everybody will benefit with it, including you. And God will get the glory.
Another thing to remember is fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) is more important than the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Gifts of the Holy Spirit without the fruit of the Holy Spirit is a counterfeit. We must remember that fruit of the Spirit is evident in a godly person. But gifts can be counterfeited by the devil (Matthew 24:24 and 2 Corinthians 11:14). When we see the gifts are operated in a person, we must look for the fruit of the Spirit as well in that person otherwise we may be deceived.
There are many great things about God. One of the great things, is that He has made everyone unique. Each of us have different skills, different abilities, and different passions. We are so very different from one another. In the same way, we all have a different role to play in the church. We read in 1 Peter 4:10-11: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ”. The church belongs to the Lord. The church does not belong to the pastor, or the deacons, or the members, or those who have the most money, or even the people who have been at the church the longest. No, the church belongs to the Lord. It is His church.
Only the Lord Jesus can build His church because He only can bring us together. He only can unite us in His name to be a body of believers who bring glory to God by their love for God and for each other. The Lord only can open blind eyes to the truth of the gospel so that new people will believe in Christ and become a part of His church. We read in Ephesians 2:14 “For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”. Christ’s Church is a united body. We live for each other. People of different backgrounds, ethnicity, colour, family background, temperament, upbringing, are united together by the power of the Holy Spirit, where one values the other more than himself (Philippians 2:3-4).
All the forces of Satan stand opposed to the Lord Jesus and His church, but what He builds will not be overcome. The more the world and Satan fight against the church, the more the Lord defends it. The church is the company of believers in Jesus Christ who are redeemed by His blood, forgiven of their sins, adopted into God’s family, united by the Holy Spirit and growing in their faith. Eternal life, by definition, is everlasting. That means you and I cannot lose what the Father has given us in redemption. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit as God’s children (Ephesians 1:13-14).
E) Rapture and Resurrection
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25). Although believers die physically like other people, we have the promise of eternal life, spiritually (John 3:16). At the moment of death, our spirits leave our bodies and are immediately in the presence of the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8). For us, death is the end of all suffering, pain, death, rejection, temptation, and disappointment, and it is the beginning of a new existence in the presence of God.
When Jesus walked in this earth, He looked just like any other human. After the resurrection, His body was human, but glorified. Christ's physical body was completely healed, which was one reason why His followers didn’t recognize Him. Our Saviour’s new body wasn’t ghostly—the disciples touched Him and He could eat food (John 20:27; Luke 24:41-43). Yet it differed from ours in that He could pass through walls and disappear in the blink of an eye (John 20:19; Luke 24:30-31).
At the Rapture, which is the next great event in God’s program, the Church will be complete, and will be removed from this world. Those who have died in faith in Christ will be raised, and they, together with those still alive, will be changed and caught up, to “ever be with the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Finally, the Rapture is the most important work of the Holy Spirit in the last days. Paul wrote ‘But if the Spirit of (God) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, (God) that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you’ (Romans 8:11). In 1Corinthians 6:11, it states ‘God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own Power’. At the appointed time, the Spirit of God will raise us up in the Rapture like He raised Jesus up from the dead. 2 Corinthians 4:14 states ‘Knowing that (God) which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you’.
Here again, it is emphasized that the Holy Spirit is the Power of God that indwells and works in us to change us ‘to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), and to raise us up in the coming Rapture! Paul wanted us to know ‘what is the hope of (God’s) calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of (God’s) Inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of (God’s) Power to us–ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty Power’ Ephesians 1:18-19.
The Gospel of Luke tells us how we can receive the Holy Spirit if we haven’t yet or are not sure. Luke 11:13 states ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’. Pray earnestly and ask God for His Spirit and He will gladly fill you with His Spirit and His Power!
Pastor Renji George
Mount Church, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
www.mountchurchcardiff.com
YouTube- @preachingthetruth3414
