Rising To The Occasion Series

A medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on The Love of God. As the shadows fell and the light ceased, the congregation took their place. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lit a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First he illuminated the crown of thorns. Next, he shone his candle on the two wounded hands. Then he illuminated the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the room. There was nothing else to say.

Notice how the drama unfolds. God the Father is kind and loving. Even though we were unlovable and deserving death, he moves to saves us. He sent his Son into the world who chose the way of the cross. On the cross, Jesus made payment for sin. The price is paid—the Father’s righteous anger is satisfied—forgiveness is possible.

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes. And on that great day, Peter said to the crowd, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Act 2:38).

The power of Pentecost is revealed in Peter’s speech to the crowd. Death could not keep Jesus down. God raised him from the dead, he freed him from the agony of death; the Son was raised to God’s right hand and now his name is higher than every other name! The great message of Pentecost is that the risen Jesus is Lord and Christ. And the Spirit has been poured out upon the church—the Spirit who will convict people of their sin, who will bring them to repentance and trust in lordship of Christ.

After Peter’s speech, many heard and they were baptised as a sign of repentance and sins forgiven. Then were are told that these new believers devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and they enjoyed fellowship with one another. As a renewed people, ‘they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people’ (Acts 2:46 47).

This is the work of the Holy Spirit: washing and renewal. There’s a lot said about the Holy Spirit these days, but the greatest and most profound work of the Spirit is what we see in Acts 2 which is summarised in Tit 3:5. Flowing from the death of Jesus, the Father saves us ‘through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit’ (Tit 3:5).

This is the language of a new beginning. So radical is this fresh start that it can be likened to a birth—the birth of a bouncing baby saint who needs love and training. With spiritual rebirth comes a whole new life because there is a whole new person. The old has gone, the new has come. God’s elect are a new humanity who delight in living in accord with sound doctrine. We are a people who thirst for the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.

The language of salvation is love, kindness, mercy, washing and renewal. In an earlier verse in his hymn, Watts says, ‘Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast save in the cross of Christ my God; all the vain things that charm me most—I sacrifice them to his blood’. Our contribution was unrighteousness, we had nothing to boast about, for in the words of verse 7, we have been ‘justified by his grace’.