THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN YOU
REGENERATION
The essence of regeneration is resurrection from spiritual death
A. Resurrection from spiritual death (Romans 6:4-11)
B. Being born again of the water and the spirit (John 3:3-6)
1) Water cannot mean physical birth. If it did than aborted children, dry birth babies, and still-born babies cannot go to heaven.
2) Water of baptism and spiritual birth
C. Washing of regeneration by the spirit (Titus 3:5)
D. Raised up in the working of God – regeneration – (Colossians 2:12)
RENEWAL/TRANSFORMATION
A. 2 Corinthians 3:12-3:18
v12 The new ministry brings life and has much more glory than the old ministry which is of death (vs 7-10) and it was ended by Jesus (Romans 10:4). The new ministry is better (Hebrews 8:6). Paul speaks of this covenant with great boldness or plainness of speech – frankly.
v13 Not like Moses – veiled.
The message must be clear. Paul was commissioned to “open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18).
Moses had to put a veil over his face because Israel was afraid of him (Exodus 34:29-35) but we must never veil the glorious light of the gospel even if the people turn away
v14-16 The veil is only removed in Christ when a person turns to the Lord. The Old Testament concealed God even in its glory but the new testament specifically Jesus reveals God (John 1:18). We will never see the glory of the Lord without the New Testament.
v18
Behold – we must behold the glory of the Lord. We must have steadfast focus of the glory of the Lord as seen in scripture. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of His nature (John 14:9). When we truly behold that glory we will be changed. We must always have our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The glory of the Lord – the “glory” is who Jesus is and what he is like (Roger Chambers). The “glory of the Lord” has to do with what he has revealed of Himself, for His glory is what emanates from Him – what makes His Person and purpose known (Given Blakeley). Glory is “the luminous manifestation of His person, His glorious revelation of Himself” (Colin Brown). The glory of the Lord is seen in the gospel (1 John 5:10, 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Transformed – metamorphoo. Were we get metamorphosis, in which a new creature is formed from the old. God is at work in us to make us into the same image from glory to glory. We are to be just like Him (Romans 8:16, 29)
!!! The work of God in us (sanctification) does not save us. The work of God for us (justification) saves us. We are saved by the blood of Jesus – what God did for us. We are saved because we are forgiven not because we are changed. The change is the effect.
B. 2 Corinthians 4:3-7
C. 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5
1) They were being persecuted and worn out but were being renewed in their “inner man” and the Spirit was given to them as a pledge of the inheritance they would one day enjoy.
2) “Inner Man” Romans 7:21-25
3) “Inner Man” Ephesians 3:16
D. Sanctification
1) 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 We were slaves to sin but have been set apart to God
2) 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15
3) 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
E. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
PLEDGE/DOWN PAYMENT/SEAL
The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge or down payment for our inheritance of eternity with God.
A. 2 Corinthians 5:5 “Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.”
B. 2 Corinthians 1:22 “who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”
C. Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
D. Galatians 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”