Gospel of John [Joh 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 19. Rom 1:7; 8:28, 30; Tit 3:5.

Title: Gospel of John [JOH 16:12-15]. The Doctrine of the HS, part 19. TIT 3:5; HEB 13:12-16; 1CO 12:13.

 

Announcements/opening prayer:  Conference and cancelled classes

 

 

Along with efficacious grace is the work of G/HS in regeneration.

 

In TIT 3:5 it is used of the regeneration of the believer.

 

TIT 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit

 

"regeneration" - paliggenesi,a[paiggenisia] = literally "again born"; new birth, re-creation.

 

God did not remodel you, but made you something brand new, newly born, a brand new creature in Christ to whom is imputed the very life of God, eternal life.

 

In the Bible we find the terms, new life, new birth, spiritual resurrection, new creation, new mind, made alive, sons of God, and translation into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

 

Regeneration consists of all that is represented by eternal life in a human being.

 

This is again a sovereign act of the omnipotence of God that is totally inscrutable.

 

The call of efficacious grace cannot be realized by the old creature. God must regenerate us into new creatures so that we can enjoy what we were called to or elected to. God enjoys giving more than we enjoy receiving and it pleases Him when we recognize what He has given and give thanks to Him for them.

 

The greatest way of being thankful for a gift is to use it to its potential.

 

HEB 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Suffering outside the gate is equivalent to the shame of:

 

HEB 12:2

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for [instead of] the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

This was the death of a malefactor. He was not crucified on the altar in the temple as the animals were.

 

Jerusalem was the center of apostate Judaism and religious arrogance. By going outside the gate, Christ Jesus was separated from this and paid for the crimes and sins of the human race unto which all may come.

 

HEB 13:13 Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

 

In the context of the book, the Jews are exhorted to leave the temple sacrifices and join Christ in faith, which is analogous to going outside the wall. The reproach for them would be the persecution of those who remained under the law and their exclusion from the commonwealth of Israel.

 

Is the reproach believer's bear from the world any comparison to what Christ bore?

 

HEB 13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

 

The old Jerusalem was a holy city of shadows and figures according to the Law, but it is not lasting or permanent and therefore temporary. God shook the things that could be shaken, even the very foundation of the old city. Those who fought over it and continue to do so are fighting over something that can never bring what Christ brought outside the gate. Christ brought entrance into the New Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies in heaven, a tabernacle made without hands, a lasting city that will have no end and will never be tainted with one speck of sin or legalism.

 

HEB 8:4-5

there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things

 

HEB 9:24

For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

 

HEB 12:27

And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

 

With the old sacrifices, which were shadows and types of the reality of Christ, shaken and removed, what sort of sacrifice is the offering of the new priesthood or royal priests?

 

HEB 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

 

Praise is admiration. Thankfulness is appreciation.

 

The fruit of the lips in thanksgiving is for all that God has done as opposed to complaining, murmuring, gossiping, maligning, etc.

 

Does anything that happens in your life or anyone in your life undo what God has done for you through efficacious grace, regeneration, the baptism of the Spirit, the indwelling of the Spirit, and the sealing of the Spirit?  

 

Yet it is not only praise and thanksgiving. A believer might get the idea that he just has to speak of thankfulness and speak of praise, but there is also the production of good and serving others. This is the true expression of praise and thankfulness.

 

Our point again:
The greatest way of being thankful for a gift is to use it to its potential.

 

HEB 13:16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing [koinoneo - a partner with someone in their need]; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

 

The new creature does these things because they are its nature. It is as divine nature. When we don't fulfill the plan of God in praise, thankfulness, good works, and service we are simply neglecting the new nature that God so graciously gave us at salvation.

 

In legalistic circles, people take these principles of the Bible and fool people into thinking that they have to accomplish them in order to be accepted by God. This makes the fooled attempt these things from the old nature which is simply impossible. We do these things because God has already given us a nature that can do these things. This nature thrives on the word of God and the ministry of God the Holy Spirit to the believer after salvation. We think and act righteously because we are already made righteous. Then the believer will see the success of God's gracious plan.

 

Again, God loves giving to us and also loves to see His children enjoying those gifts.

 

Regeneration by its nature is solely a work of God.

 

It is vital to sharply distinguish between common grace and the believer's faith and what follows thereafter. If not, false doctrines germinate and flower. Man has nothing to do with his salvation, that is totally wrought by God. Man has a choice to have faith in the common grace gospel message or reject it. If he accepts it then God sets to work, a work that the believer can have no part in.

 

Regeneration is not an experience. If it is instantaneous and an act of divine will, if follows that it in itself it is not experimental.

 

Experiences follow regeneration but regeneration itself is not an experience. This has to be plainly stated because much has been said of experience in Christian circles in which human factors are mixed with scripture to produce false doctrines. This has been an enormous area of error for the holiness movement denominations, which are themselves enormous in size and scope over the earth. These are detrimental to salvation and the Christian experience after salvation.

 

No sensation attends the act of new birth. It must be a reality of the believer before any experience occurs and all experiences take time and understanding. All real experiences in the spiritual life are based on truth from the word of God and as such are responses to what has already been done and already been learned and understood. I can appreciate beautiful scenery in nature but that doesn't mean I experienced its design and making. [Ex: chemistry demos]

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the holiness movement are those who believe in things like infant baptism. They come to understand the lack of experience at regeneration to mean a lack of cognizance or understanding and so infants are baptized with water for regeneration. This ignores the plain fact that men must believe and receive eternal life and faith is intelligent. Regeneration does not occur before intelligent faith from the common grace ministry of God the Holy Spirit using the instrument of the Church to spread the good news of the gospel.

 

The new nature of the CA believer should not be confused with the sinless nature of the unfallen, first Adam. Adam did not possess eternal life. He had a perfect life innocent of sin which was not eternal which is evidenced by his fall and his need for a Savior which was depicted by the blood sacrifice. Our divine nature is eternal and perfect. Our personal sins emanate from our submission to the old nature and our choice to succumb to its temptations.

 

Even the new nature, though never the origin of sin, does not have the ability sufficient to conquer the old nature. The power for victory lies in the indwelling presence of God.

 

The new nature provides a will to do the will of God, and the power of God provides the enablement to accomplish this end in spite of the innate sinfulness of the sin nature.

 

Eternal life and the new nature are inseparably united. The dynamic of the new nature is fully realized when the will succumbs to the will of God.

 

This is when the wonder of the Christian experience becomes a fountain of love, joy, and peace within the heart of the believer. We see and experience the effects of what God has done.