The internal working of the Holy Spirit:
l
There are a number of reasons why the
illumination of the Holy Spirit is needed if the human is to understand the meaning
of the Bible and be certain of its truth.[1]
n
First, there is the ontological difference
between God and humanity. Correlated with God’s transcendence is human
finiteness. Humans cannot formulate concepts that are commensurate with the
nature of God.
n
Furthermore, there are also limitations that
result from human sinfulness.
n
Finally, human beings require certainty with
respect to divine matters, eg. Of life and death. It is necessary to have more
than mere probability. Our need for certainty is in direct proportion to the
importance of what is at stake; in matters of eternal consequence.
l
In Matthew 13:13-15, Jesus speaks of those who
hear but never understand and see but never perceive. These references argue
for the need of some special work of the Spirit to enhance human perception and
understanding. 1Corinthians 2:14 Paul tells us that the natural person (the one
who neither perceives nor understands) has not received the gifts of the Spirit
of God.[2]
Natural humans do not accept the gifts of the Spirit because they find the
wisdom of God foolish. They are unable to understand it because it must be
spiritually discerned or investigated.
l
John 14-16 talks about the functions of the Holy
Spirit:[3]
n
The HS will teach
the believers all things and bring to their remembrance that Jesus has taught
them. John 14:26.
n
The HS will witness
to Jesus. John 15:26-27.
n
The HS will convict
the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. John 16:8.
n
The HS will guide
believers into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but will
speak whatever he hears. In the process, he will also glorify Jesus. John
16:13-14.
The logical order of salvation:
l
Effectual callingà
Conversionà
Regeneration
l
Effectual calling: Because all human are lost in
sin, spiritually blind, and unable to believe, some action by God must
intervene in such a way that their eyes are opened to see the glory of God in
Christ, and their hearts enabled to respond in repentance and faith.[4]
This activity of God is termed effectual calling.
l God regenerates those who repent and
believe.
l Conversion: The act of turning from
one’s sin in repentance and turning to Christ in faith. It is a single entity
that has two distinguishable but inseparable aspects: repentance and faith.
n Repentance: the unbeliever’s turning
away from sin.
n Faith: The unbeliever’s turning
toward Christ.
l In some cases, conversion appears to
have been a cataclysmic decision, taking place virtually in a moment’s time.
This was likely with the great majority of those who were converted at Pentecost.
For others, conversion was more of a process, very simple and calm in nature.[5]
Repentance[6]:
l It is in the preaching of John (Mark
1:4), Jesus (Mark 1:15), Peter (Acts 2:38) and Paul (Acts 17:30-31; 20:21)
l Mark 1:4; Acts 17:30-31: it is eschatological
in that it relates to the Kingdom
l 2Corinthians 7:10: godly sorrow for
one’s sin, together with a resolution to turn from it
l Acts 20:21: Not just turning from
sin” but also a turning “toward God”, Acts 17:30-31: commanded by God of all
people
l Acts 5:31: Granted by God to those
whom he saves
l The medieval church translated
Christ’s call to repentance in Mk 1:15 (“Do penance…”) and identified it with
the sacrament of penance.
l Luther argued against the idea that
“repentance” was to be identified with the church-administered sacrament of
penance: “The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament
of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy”
(95 Theses, no. 2).
l However he did not restrict the
concept of repentance to initial repentance, but retained a strong concept of
continuing penitence as fundamental to Christian existence: “When our Lord and
Master, Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent’, He called for the entire life of believers
to be one of repentance.” (95 Theses, no. 1)
Faith[7]:
l The chief word group is the pisteuō
(pisteuw= to believe) family. The noun, pistij (pistis) is used for the NT
quotations of Hab 2:4 (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38), and seems to carry
overtones of both trusting reliance and enduring faithfulness (cf. Heb 10:35 –
11:1).
l The idea of faith as trust (ie.
“faith in…”, not merely “faith that…”) is suggested by the prepositions
associated with pisteuw. evn (en = in) and evpi (epi = upon) suggest rest on a
reliable foundation (e.g., Mk 1:15; Rom 9:33 respectively); the use of eivj
(eis = “into”) indicates “a movement of trust going out to, and laying hold of,
the object of its confidence” (EDT., p. 933; Jn 2:11; 3:16 and often in John).
l Erickson summarises, “On the basis
of the foregoing considerations, we conclude that the type of faith necessary
for salvation involves both believing that and believing in, or assenting to
facts and trusting in a person. It is vital to keep these two together.
Sometimes in the history of Christian thought one of the aspects of faith has
been so strongly emphasized as to make the other seem rather insignificant.”
Repentance and Faith[8]
l Each on its own can be used to
describe the response required by the gospel (eg. repentance in Acts 17:30;
faith in John 20:31), or the two terms can be bracketed together in a pair (eg.
Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21).
l New Hampshire Confession, Art. 8:
“We believe that Repentance and Faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable
graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being
deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of
salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and
supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus
Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and relying on him alone as the only
and all-sufficient Saviour.”
l This view of the inseparability of
repentance and faith can be contrasted with the view held in some
dispensationalist circles that saving faith can exist in the absence of
repentance from sin.
“The New Testament does not impose repentance upon the unsaved as a condition
of salvation…. [The preacher’s task is that of] preaching the Lordship of
Christ to Christians exclusively and the Saviourhood of Christ to those who are
unsaved.” L.S.Chafer, Systematic Theology vol. 3 pp.376, 387.
l Calvin argued that the relationship
between repentance and faith (which are to be distinguished but not separated)
is ordered from faith to repentance. True repentance is “evangelical
repentance”, which has its foundation in the gospel, embraced by faith: “When
this topic is rightly understood, it will better appear how man is
justified by faith alone, and simple
pardon; nevertheless actual holiness of life, so to speak, is not to be
separated from free imputation of righteousness. Repentance not only constantly
follows faith, but is also born of faith…” (Institutes III.3.1-2) This is the
case, not only at the beginning of the Christian life but also throughout its
entirety.
Regeneration
l Definitions
n Calvin, Institutes III.3.9: “we are restored by this regeneration through
the benefit of Christ into the righteousness of God, from which we had fallen
through Adam… And indeed this restoration does not take place in one moment or
one day or one year, but through continual and sometimes even slow advances…”
n Wesley (Sermons no.45): “It is that great change which God works in
the soul when he brings it into life; when he raises it from the death of sin
to the life of righteousness. It is the change wrought in the whole soul by the
almighty Spirit of God when it is ‘created anew in Christ Jesus’… As the new birth
is not the same thing with baptism, so it does not always accompany baptism:
they do not constantly go together… I do not now speak with regard to infants.”
n Finney, Systematic Theology, Lecture
27: “Regeneration is… a change in the attitude of the will, or a change in its
ultimate choice, intention of preference; a change from selfishness to
benevolence… Neither God, nor any other being, can regenerate him, if he will
not turn.”
n Regeneration/new birth is the
restoration of human nature to what it originally was intended to be and what
in fact was before sin entered the human race at the time of the fall.[9]
n It is instantaneously complete, but
not an end in itself. Regeneration is the beginning of a process of growth that
continues throughout one’s lifetime. This process of spiritual maturation is
sanctification.[10]
n Regeneration is especially the work
of the Holy Spirit, thus bringing to fulfillment the divine intention for
humans.[11]
n The doctrine of regeneration places
the Christian faith in an unusual position. On one hand, Christians reject the
current secular belief in the goodness of the human. The very insistence on
regeneration is a declaration that without external help and complete
transformation there is no possibility that genuine good on a large scale will
emerge from humankind. On the other hand, despite the pessimistic assessment of
human’s natural powers, Christianity is very optimistic: with supernatural aid
humans can be transformed and restored to their original goodness.[12]
l Scriptures
n Rebirth and renewal
n John 3:5-8: Jesus answered, “Very
truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of
water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to
spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The
wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where
it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Rebirth, supernatural occurrence.
n 1Peter 1:23: For you have been born
again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and
enduring word of God.
n Matthew 19:28: Jesus said to them,
“Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on
his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
References:
Clifford, Ross. “Work
of the Spirit.” Lecture Notes, Morling College, May 26, 2015.
Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2013.
[1]
Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology
(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013), 216.
[2]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 218.
[3]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 219.
[4]
Ross Clifford, “Work of the Spirit,” (Lecture Notes, Morling College, May 26,
2015), 3.
[5]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 865.
[6]
Clifford, “Work of the Spirit,” 4.
[7]
Clifford, “Work of the Spirit,” 2.
[8]
Clifford, “Work of the Spirit,” 5.
[9]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 874.
[10]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 874.
[11]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 875.
[12]
Erickson, Christian Theology, 875.
