The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit lesson 12 quest 7 on
JD McCulley · Aug 15, 2021
Holy Spirit (2021-23), No. 26
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49261923574113

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

everybody had a good week uh... we're on lost my lesson twelve question number seven alright somebody grab me first peter one five and then let that sink in for a second and then somebody else grab first corinthians six six through eleven that's a longer one might lean on jim for that one jim here what was that first scripture, the fifteenth? oh yeah i see you back there jim first peter one five that's who are protected by the power of god through faith for the salvation for of salvation ready to be revealed in the last time first peter one five yeah no okay i'm gonna read my notes i'm i'm might have not have the first correct so it says elect according to the foreknowledge of god the father through sanctification of the spirit and to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of jesus christ so what's it want to first peter won't do but it's just a matter of time to try to find out what's the status of the jesus christ and to be strengthened with his blood may grace and peace be yours in the first measure thanks sorry i had the the reference from there uh... it's it's my fault uh... so Let's not go into everything here, but let's focus on through sanctification of the Spirit.

How do we understand what that means? Because we know we're electing Christ. Christ, once we believe, we are in Christ. What is this through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ? What does the sprinkling have to do? How are we sanctified through the Spirit?

That's what yours is. It's a heavy, heavy question. Well, in the Old Testament, young men and women, they were basically cleansed in some way. I'm not sure I understand how, but they were cleansed of their sins somehow. But, you know, basically they were sanctified. It was a sanctifying process, wasn't it, in the Old Testament? let's define what sanctification means. That's a good idea. What's it mean? Separated. Separated. Set apart. Set apart.

So are we, by obedience, are we sanctified? Through sanctification of the Spirit. So we're talking about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. So, what is the Spirit's involvement in our sanctification? Based on this verse alone. And then we'll look at the next one. Actually, the Spirit does all the work, doesn't He? There you go. We don't. Our responsibility is only to believe. You got it. I think that's right. I do, too. Yeah.

It's the spirit who does the separating. And we get to enjoy our justification through the Lord Jesus and his blood, the justification that we have. And we enter into a relationship with the entire triunity of God, but the Holy Spirit then starts to do the work through us, in order to do what? Conform us to the image of Christ.

You got it! Nice, Russ. That's exactly right. That's the whole point of sanctification, and that's the desire of the person of the Holy Spirit, is to conform us. Alright, let's look at 1 Corinthians 6, 6-11. Actually, verse 9 is the one that... Oh my goodness. Mike. I'm just kidding. Verse 9.

Well, you read it. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? And such were some of you, but you are washed You are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. So you are sanctified. Yeah. That's definitely the new birth side of things, right? As justification is on the ground of Christ's work.

Would you agree with that? kind of envision that as like if we're all lined up, like in the military, everybody's lined up in formation. And the commander says, well, I want you three guys to leave the formation and come over here. And so you're set apart from the rest of the gang, so to speak, or the group. And when you're set over there, from a human standpoint, you're just like the rest of them. You're just not with them.

From a spiritual standpoint, and what the Holy Spirit does, the setting apart has so many details to it that you're not of the old group anymore. Your set-apartness is a totally new creation, so to speak. And so, that sanctification process that happens to us probably takes the rest of our life to understand all the nuances to it. So in your analogy, faith separates these three guys, or whatever, from the rest of the group, and they're justified, and then the spirit works to convict and convince them towards the obedience of what their life is in Christ for the rest of their life.

So they slowly start to step away further and further in terms of just having been what they were to what they are now. Is that a fair kind of funny analogy? That's good. I think that Probably because I came out of Catholicism. I see that word obedience, and I get chills up my back. Yeah, I don't like it as much either. I like the word listen under better. Let's say it that way.

When you're set apart, there are new principles of life over there that are totally different than where you came from. And the basic principle is the principle of grace. And so the motivation for you to listen under isn't because you're told to or forced to or your arm is twisted in order for compliance. The new life in Christ which sets you apart spontaneously listens to the Lord and desires to be compliant. But there's a dependency on the spirit there, too, not only for the positional sanctification, but for the working out of what he would have you do. Yeah. Right out uses obedience, but I think you're right. It's not a softening, it's just a better perspective of how it works.

Yeah, I think so. listening in uh... i have something to say just like the priest in the old testament did the sprinkling, he did all the work so the holy spirit does all the work in our sanctification we obey by coming to him, by believing him you know the people in the old testament obeyed by coming to the temple to be sprinkled i think we obey by believing in him And that's the only work we do, is just believing. Now that Macaulay-Grace circle, we love God because He first loved us. We obey Him because, we love Him because He first loved us. So it works back to, we respond to the grace that's given to us rather than being the authors of it. to be in compliance so God would look favorably upon us.

That was a good discussion. Yeah. I appreciate the adjustment to terminology so that it just seems a little bit more accurate. And I'm learning too, and so I like the fact that we can have this discussion. That's what's cool about this class. Let's look at question number eight.

Are you a saint? and you are by what three means of the father are you a saint this could be Discussed in a lot of different ways So what I'm gonna do is go ahead and mitt just go ahead and tell you what is is part of the my notes, but then we can discuss them individually and define them if we need to so Saints or sanctified ones are called by blood and by new birth. That's what saints are. So let's start with the first, called. Are you a saint? If so, you've been called. By what? By blood. And you've received new birth. So what's the blood have to do with it? This is a good question. What does it have to do with it?

Well, first was called. Okay. First was called. Who called us? The Lord did. I think God called us. And why did he call us instead of other people, you know? Is he a little bit choosy? You know, I'm studying the Gospels right now, and I know the Gospels is kingdom teaching, but Jesus said that God called some and didn't call others. You know, I'm thinking that's really not unfair, because God chooses whom he will, you know? So, you know, it's just, these are eternal infinite principles that our finite minds cannot really understand.

But being called, I'm glad he called me, but... You see, Jim, you think the call goes out to everybody? In a sense, I think it does. Whosoever will may come. Yeah, yeah. Unless you're a Calvinist. So I think the call goes out to everybody, but it is also up to us to come.

You know, there's God's part in this. But there's also our part, and I don't think, you know, theologians, very educated theologians have been arguing this point for centuries, and I don't think we in our fine art mind can really reconcile this, but we just have to believe it. you know there is a sovereign call by god and there's a willful obedience by ourselves and how those two really coincide I nobody can really understand but they're true so the call the call is to for us to do what? right? that's a non-meritorious act Yeah.

What did you say, Russ? I was saying the call was for us to, by the Holy Spirit working in us, to believe in Jesus and His cross work. He's convicting you of sin. So the call is to believe. That's what the call is. The call is not spiritual push-ups or anything like that, or join this group, or do these activities. It's simply to believe in the person and work of Christ.

Is that call always been that way? I mean, Jim, you're studying the Gospels. Is that a call? Is that what the Jews were called to do? As far as I can tell, it is. I haven't really looked at it in that way, but yeah, God has done a blanket call to everyone. Like Jesus said, whoever will may come. Come to me, all you who labor and yearn. But the call has always been a blanket call, and very few have come. And it's always been a call to believe. Yes. Always been a call to believe.

So we'll go back to Abraham. Jesus was not even on the earth in terms of uh... able to be you know believed in in that way but there was a calling for those that would believe in what they understood that god had told him so far and that there was a coming messiah there was a deliverer who will be you know the savior but they didn't know who he was in terms of his name and, you know, having touched his garment or anything like that. It was, it was all a faith in what the Lord had revealed at that time. What do we call that? Yeah. Abraham wasn't a Jew. Nope. He wasn't a Jew. Neither was Noah, neither was Adam. God communicated information to them about him, about himself. And the deal was, do you believe what he said, whatever it was?

Yeah, the term progressive revelation is what I was looking for. and that's how God worked. I mean he didn't reveal everything at the same time but he progressed it and he taught and he grew up the nation of Israel up into the point where Lord Jesus came and then we transitioned to the church and here we sit with the ability to look back on all of it and We have the opportunity through the Spirit to learn it. But yeah, the calling, definitely God does it. And the calling is to believe.

How about the blood? And by virtue of the blood, the new birth. We're talking about being a saint and what the Holy Spirit does in relationship to this. Who are we sanctified in? We're sanctified in Christ based on the blood and the new birth that he provides us through faith. so that's how i kind of wrapped that those three after you know what's the value of the blood? What does it do? You tell me. There you go.

Yeah, the sin issue has to be dealt with because we set apart and God can't have anybody set apart to him that's still in the middle of being guilty of sin. Where there is no blood, there is no forgiveness. The blood was for God. So to set apart one has to be forgiven the sins. Put to death and given a new life. I think that's the real value of the blood is the fact that God and took it upon Himself that if He's going to set somebody apart, that He had to make them acceptable to Himself. And sins was the barrier, and so He had to take care of that issue. I think of Romans 5-9, since we've now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved much more from God's wrath through Him. through Jesus Christ. It was because of his blood that we are sanctified. That's really good, Jim. Yeah. Cool. I think that was a good round of conversation. Let's look at number nine.

Who is involved with the work of our sanctification as saints? So now we're saints, but who is involved? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I wrote down, the Father called us, the Son paid the price, and the Spirit works in us to sanctify us. That's good. Yeah, that's really good, Jim. Thank you. I think you guys are right, Mike, Jim.

It's the work of the triunity of God, and I use that just to simplify it a little bit, but the Father, Son, and Spirit, yeah. Can you say that one more time, Jim? I want to write that down. The Father calls. The Father called us, the Son paid the price, and the Spirit works in us to sanctify us. Yeah. I'm so glad the Spirit works in us, but man, I couldn't do it. I like that a lot. That helps.

Just give a little bit more clarity to the fact that Sanctification is not only the work of the Holy Spirit, but that He's he's God he's God he's part of the triunity and so being called the son having paid the price and Him him working in us to conform us to the son's image is absolutely what sanctification is all about. You know, I think it's a little complicated that sanctification is the one-time act of God that makes a person acceptable to God, and it's also a process whereby the Spirit conforms us gradually into the image of Jesus Christ.

What's that? Did you set him up so he'd lead you into question 10? Yeah, so question 10, the other use of the word sanctification is that of involvement in our practical daily life. What, who is the standard for that life? I like the trick aspect of the what. Jesus. That's right, Ross. Yeah.

Someone read 1st Corinthians 1.30. But by his doing you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That's right. So the standard is Christ himself. That's what's going on here. It all comes back to a person.

The Holy Spirit isn't some aura of floating effort. It's God himself investing in you permanently in order to do the work of conforming you to Christ himself, right? It's also interesting that verse 31 says, that just as it is written, let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. That's the end of that Corinthians verse.

It really is our God who pulls it all together. Yeah. Yeah, totally. How many times can we try to take credit for the things that we do or whatnot? But boasting in the Lord is the only thing that the Holy Spirit would lead us to do. That's a good point, Russ. I was also going to say, it's also true positionally that we are fully sanctified in Christ as we're growing. day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by day by conform to the image of God in our daily lives.

Absolutely. Yep. I agree with that. Well, let's look at John 17, 17. It says, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Who's the word? Jesus. Yeah, the Lord Jesus. So the standard of all of sanctification is Christ himself. Excuse me. So how is the believer a temple, as a temple sanctified? Let's look at Exodus 29, 42, and 43. What was that first? Exodus. 2942 and 43. I can read it, but.

It says, it shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you to speak to you there. I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by my glory. So here we're talking about the tabernacle, right? Yeah. And it's sanctified. It's set with the glory that was put out for the whole house ordered according to the requirements of the holiness of God. What is this telling us about the believer being a temple? And what's the basis of that sanctification?

The burnt offering, right? What was the deal with the burnt offering? What was it? Why did they burn it up? Well, they not only burnt it, they slit the the neck lifeblood was lost and then yes it was burnt it was a sweet savour I think you have to go back to the idea that In order to be in the presence of God, you've got to be like Him. You know, you have to have... All these things have to be true vis-a-vis the work of Christ and the implementation by the Holy Spirit.

If not, I don't have a right to be there, because I'm not worthy of being there. Yeah, there's a presence thing going on there. And so God, that's why I think the fact that the Holy Spirit places us in Christ and the standing that we have is in Him. His acceptance before the Father is told. And so that being set apart into Him, maybe is the way to say it, We're identified with him, and from a perfection standpoint, there's nothing lacking. But that's a positional truth. Yeah, I'm going to read this from right out and I totally agree with what you said there, Mike.

Thus the believer as temple of the Holy Ghost is sanctified by that presence. He is marked out as belonging to God and everything inconsistent with his holy will should find no place in the heart or life. We see then how the truth of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit must occupy, there's another word, presence and occupy, a prominent place in any consideration of the subject of his sanctifying work.

So, I think that last question, is the idea of occupation, right? It's presence. And that burnt offering allowed the presence of God to remain. And the fact that we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit gives us the presence of a saint, being a saint, being in Christ, being conformed into his image. But most of all, we are set apart. And so, All right, I'm out of time, a little over time.

Let's pray real quick. Father, how we thank you for this morning's teaching and just the various truths of your word that clarify our sanctification. We thank you that you're at work in us, but that you've sanctified us already in our position. And we thank you for all that you'll be doing in terms of teaching us in the coming lesson this morning, and most of all for your very person. And it's in your name we pray. Amen.