THE GLORY OF GOD ( PART 44 )
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3342
THE GLORY OF GOD ( PART 44 )
From Glory to Glory ( Study 23 )
The Holy Spirit in our Glorification #4
There is no part of the Christian life that is not dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit.
We need repeatedly to point people to their dependence on Him for spiritual life:
1 Do they need a deeper conviction of their sin and their need of Christ? Then we urge them to pray that God would cut them to the heart by the power of his Spirit.
2. Do they want to see greater riches ( not worldly riches ) in God’s Word? Then we tell them that this comes by the illumination of the Spirit.
3. Are they feeling insecure and unsure of their standing with God? Then we remind them that they have been sealed by the Spirit, and by the Spirit they can call God their Father.
4. Are they wanting to deal with a particular sin? Then we tell them that they will never beat it by their own effort, but as the Spirit dwells in them and unites them more and more closely to Christ, He is able to subdue the power of sin and implant in them deeper and more powerful affections that will enable them to progressively say “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness.
5. Are they unsure if their prayers are being answered? Then we assure them of the Spirit’s intercession as well as Christ’s.
6. Are they longing for revival and renewal in the church? Then we remind them of the sovereign power of the Holy Spirit who brings life to dead bones.
Abba Father, We may distort the gospel, implying (if not actually stating) that while we are saved by grace we are sanctified by works.
We may lose heart in our own attempts to grow in holiness because we are depending on our effort, not on his inward enabling.
We may mishandle Scripture, or at least miss many of its riches, expecting to see its true meaning by means of exegetical study without reliance on the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
We may become impatient with other people, expecting them to try harder and do better, whereas we should be pointing them to what the Spirit of Christ in them can do by His grace.
Humble us Lord to know that it is through close partnership with the Holy Spirit that we maintain our salvation with fear and trembling and not through our so-called good works which we can be proud of.
