The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit lesson44 end and conclusion

Well, I think, I think we're on the last question, as far as I know. We didn't quite take six weeks for six questions, but close. So this is lesson 44, the final lesson of the Holy Spirit class. You know, in the last one, just kind of touch on, just so we fit into the final question.

In question 5, how did Christ make us qualified to be His bride? First of all, he gave himself up for his bride and us. So he went to the cross for us. So ultimately, we as a bride would be his bride. And that was quite an amazing thought, thinking that the Holy Spirit is wanting the marriage ceremony. He wants to see the bridegroom come. for his bride, which is us. The last part of the question five was right at, you notice the order here, Christ's love is the source, his sacrifice of himself, the ground upon which he could save her, which is the bride, us.

As a result, he can sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the word, new birth and all else. All is to culminate in the glorious presentation to himself of a bride who will be meet companion then for Jesus. Such is grace, beloved brethren, grace shown to me and you.

What shall we say to these things? Well, that's the last question. Question six. Let us pause a moment and ask ourselves, how is it practically with us? Question mark. Is all relinquished to go meet Christ? Or do our glad hearts reply, I will go to the thought of setting our faces towards heavenward? And I think that's the personal question for each one of us. Do we still have that desire, as we saw in Revelation, which is the last book, of come. Is that in our hearts? Is that the way we look at each day? Is to come? To have Him come?

And that, you know, it's a wonderful thought. We're looking for a bridegroom. He's looking for a bride. And the Holy Spirit has been developing the bride for 2,000 years. And hopefully someday soon that the marriage ceremony will transpire. And I was, again, very struck by that thought that the Spirit is longing for us to get with the bridegroom, but also for the bridegroom to get with the bride. It's a two-way thing in the Spirit.

And so, any thoughts on kind of the culmination of this study, I think? What has changed you? What are your thoughts on Our study of the Holy Spirit. Any thoughts? Closing thoughts? I have one section from Rite Out I'll read, but any other thoughts before we close out this study?

I really enjoyed what he said about Eliezer and Rebecca and Isaac to illustrate it. I thought that was so interesting. Yeah, in the last chapter, if you read the last chapter, he equates Rebecca and all the different aspects of the relationship. and how that applies, where it's a picture of the relationship. And Miles? Yeah, I was going to say, it's just an amazing way to end that book, you know, that whole study on the Holy Spirit and where do we wind up looking at our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's exactly the point of, you know, everything the Holy Spirit does is to focus our eyes on Him. I really enjoyed that last, that last section there, you know, just thinking of, of, uh, of us as his bride and that, and yeah, again, that, uh, story of Rebecca and the servants.

And it's just so, I never saw that connection before really. I mean, maybe I heard it mentioned a little bit, but he sure drew that out in a, in a pretty awesome way. And, and, uh, yeah, I can't help but be excited for, for that, you know, For me, like I said, just jumping on, it really was that culmination of things. Doesn't that make sense?

We went through what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives and all these different things, which is great. We looked specifically at so many different facets of that. To me, I kind of boil it down to convincing and convicting us. But all the process that went through was the culmination is, why is He doing that?

It's to get the bride, and He wants the bride to be united with the bridegroom. All of those facets that we looked at was to bring the bride to the bridegroom, and that makes total sense when they do it. He wants that to happen. He wants that to happen as soon as possible. I think, again, just a great culmination to the study, made sense of why he's doing all this, and he wants it. That was the thing that was weird, the thing that I'd never seen before. He wants it. Of course, we want it, but the spirit wants it, too.

Other thoughts? I think under the Jewish way that they, which may have just been the ancient way, that there was a betrothal between a man and a woman. And it's like, she went home to be with mom or whatever she was. But, you know, you have to say, well, how often did they just sort of get together? Well, maybe they didn't, maybe they did.

But he's preparing for her. And so there comes that day when his father says to him, okay, everything's ready. Go get her. And so I look at us as the bride. We're waiting. We're not waiting for him to prepare everything. What we're waiting for is everyone that's going to be a member of the bride.

Because I think when the last one's in, you blink your eyes and you're gone. It's done. I also think that with respect to when he takes us home, he's done. All those things he had for us is done. Well, it's also in the bride. Once the final person of the bride is done, we're home.

I was reading in the paper, or don't read the paper anymore, but in my phone this week, some pastor that has a big church in New York City, did you see the movie? Yeah, or that guy who passed away? Well, he hasn't gone yet. Oh, I thought he'd passed away. He's got terminal cancer.

And the only thought the guy has publicly and verbally is to get to go see Jesus. And I thought, well, yeah, I don't know what kind of doctrine the guy teaches or anything like that, but he's got that part right. Yeah, I read a few things out of him. He sounded like he was pretty good, you know, on some of the stuff I read. And he's excited about it. He's not faking it.

So when we go to see the Lord Jesus before the rapture, we're still waiting for the wedding feast of the Lamb, but we're in his presence. That's the cool part. Right. Yeah. Well, just that, you know, the formulation of the bride, like I said, he's anxiously preparing us. And you said with the father, that's an interesting thing. When the father knows that the last person He'll tell the son to go get his bride. And that's when that day will happen. And then you said that too. I think that makes sense too. What did Jesus say? I go and prepare a place for you. It's perfectly with the bride and the bridegroom. He's prepared that place or preparing it.

But you said we're there, but I think the Holy Spirit is It's like in Ephesians, He's washing us, He's preparing us, He's perfecting us. We're already positionally there, but I think what the Spirit's job is, is to prepare us for that wedding. I think He's molding and conforming us and transforming us and all that.

That's what He's doing right now. Positionally, we're the bride. But what he's doing, it's like before a wedding, a bride gets all ready and prepared for the wedding. That's what I think the Spirit's job is right now. He's just preparing us for that wedding. We're the bride. We're designated as the bride, but what's he doing? He's preparing us.

I was thinking about that, Courtney. I was thinking about, in the meantime, what's going on? What have we learned? about, we've got this culmination and something that was new to me in the same way that I think it was new to you in terms of the Holy Spirit's yearning for us to be with the Bridegroom. But in the meantime, we wait, but what is He doing?

He's, you know, when you said preparing us and transforming us and conforming us and all of those adjectives that are a part of the Holy Spirit's work, He's taking us back to the cross of the Son and He's pointing us to the knowledge of the Father and the Son and He is bringing us out of that hiding place of I want to reveal to you the old man, and I want to make sure that you understand who you are in the new man.

And it's a very patient process. It's a long process. But what's really cool about that is it's not only a transforming and conforming, it's this preparation that you're talking about. And all of this is happening at the same time. And in every little instance of your life, the things that each of us will go through today and tomorrow, That's what he's up to. He is pointing us right back to the sun, drawing us back to the cross, pulling us out of that hiding place, and preparing us for the bridegroom. That's busy. That's a lot of work.

Well, and getting us off the distractions of this world that focus on him. And I think I go back to the John 17 where it's the intimacy. It's getting us to be intimately in that union between Christ and us, but also Christ and the Father. And where we can say, Abba, Father, Daddy. But it's also the intimacy with the Son.

And the intimacy is getting prepared for the wedding. After reading this final thing, it's really getting to know the bride and the bridegroom. You know, it'd be an odd wedding if you didn't know the bridegroom or the bridegroom didn't know the bride. And so the Holy Spirit is really preparing the bride and getting us, you know, to know each other and to be desirous of each other's company.

And to be like the intimate acquaintance that is where we are in the meantime. Right. And what a what a special thing to to be in that process, knowing that We're headed in that direction. We know what the end is. We have hope. It's secure. But in the meantime, we get to continue to know him. And I just think that this is this is a great way to end that that that whole study that we've been doing here. Yeah.

You know, the the odd part is where I think I pointed out in the Lord's table last week to, you know, Obviously, we want the Lord to come, and the Holy Spirit is to put that desire in our heart to have that. But the odd part was, we didn't get a crown for it. We get a crown for longing to be with the Lord. That's like the cherry on top of the incredible dessert you have. On top of that, He gives us a crown for longing for that wedding, that final meeting. And you know, of course, like I said, we'll throw that at his feet, but it's like, you know, above everything else he's given us, he says, well, I'll even give you a crown for wanting and longing for, for this reunion.

So I thought that was, you know, that's kind of the adder on top of everything. So I think there's a lot in this conversation about, you know, being, being, uh, prepared to be fit for him. I mean, um, there's, I'm just thinking about, you know, the Genesis language of, you know, this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. And, and like you were talking about JD with, you know, recognizing our, our union with him, recognizing our, that we are, um, We are of the same nature as him because we are one with him. We are this one flesh kind of a union with him. There's all this preparation work going on right now so that we recognize and realize who we are in him.

We're ready for that marriage feast. Another thing about what you were just saying too, the other is, do you realize we're the bride to the God of the universe? I'd like to see the wedding announcement on that one. We are the bride to one of the triune head of the Godhead. Yeah, and that's kind of like, you know, so where we go from, we're creatures, right? And yet we've been brought into this union, this betrothal at this point, with the God-man creator. And that's just unfathomable. And there's clearly going to be some preparatory, you know, work involved in preparing that bride for him. Absolutely.

But it's like I said, if you again encourage everybody to read that last chapter, it's it's very, very inspiring, I think, to really as a culmination of our study for this long period of time. And it makes sense now, all the things he's doing. So the thoughts are read this last comment. Yeah, I was thinking of what are we doing in the meantime? I think we have. I've been getting ready for the Titus class. And one of the things that, there's several things that are important. One is, is that grace has appeared.

And grace is an operating system that nobody in the world lives in except the bride. So we have to learn to live in grace. That's part of the atmosphere that we're going to. And that grace is a teacher and it teaches us how to live godly lives and representative of what the bribe really is and where they're going.

To all other men, to say to them, you can be a part of this if you want to. God has made the provision. And we do have an obligation to be living like who we are to the benefit of those that observe us. Because they're ungodly and we're not. What's the difference in those two things? It's staggering. How do they see Christ now?

Yeah, through us. Through us. It's the only way. The only way. So, you know, that's the Holy Spirit's job is to conform us to be a light to draw people to Christ. Ultimately, it's, you know, the wooing of the Spirit and Christ himself to it. But we are his ambassadors. We are his instruments to draw people. Sure. You know, the other thing when you said that, I think it's in John, and maybe there's two references. Grace and truth were realized in Christ, or came in Christ. So truth and grace, that's what Christ brought. Truth and grace. Yeah.

You know, now that we've brought in the topic of grace, you know, I think what's really—sorry to prolong this, but—is that, you know, you mentioned the fact that people see Christ through us, and I think we have to remember that there's not a single individual out there who can't become a part of that bride if they'll accept it by faith, because that's what grace is all about, right? And that's what's so unfathomable. Every single one of us, the filthy, rotten, ungodly wretches have been made fit to be his bride. And that can be true for anybody because it's purely grace. I look in the mirror and if he could say this schmuck, He can save anybody. You only have to look as far as yourself to figure out anybody can come to Christ.

You could be the worst person in the world or as the world sees the best person in the world, you're still a sinner. and you still need Christ. And, you know, the world, you know, if you're a great philanthropist, you know, or Bill Gates, and you're doing all sorts of, you know, philanthropic things, or Warren Buffett, or you have lots of money and you're donating, well, that's great. But what does that get you?

Nothing with the relationship with Christ. The world may think you're a great person, but deep down you're every bit as much as Hitler or anybody else. You can think of that's the worst person in the world. I made out of the same material without Christ.

We are to be the light on a hill. We are, you know, not to hide our light. There's some scripture references. You know, we're to be the ambassadors. We're the ones who are to be Christ in the world today. So... I just want to add a thank you to... Thank you to Miles and JD and Courtney and Mike for teaching us. Really appreciate it. It's a great topic. Yeah, Russ, I was just going to pass on a quote. This is actually Stanford as well.

But I just felt like it was really fitting as I was kind of wrapping up some thinking and looking into the Holy Spirit. And it says, it's not a question of our capacity or of our ability, but of the absolute faithfulness of the Spirit of God. I'll just send that through in chat there, but I think that that ties into exactly what Miles, Courtney, what you're talking about in terms of what is the Holy Spirit doing in the meantime? It's not about you, it's not about your capacity or your ability, but it's about His faithfulness to do what He said He's going to do in us. And that ties into the bride, that ties into transforming and conforming and the things that He's doing in the meantime. But how thankful can we be for the fact that it's not about our capacity or our ability, it's about His faithfulness and what He's doing.

And so, anyway, just a thought that I had as I wrap up some thinking around this. Yeah, great. How grace works. Yeah. Well, I'll read this last thing from Rite Out in the last chapter. Full provision for the way is made, not at her cost, and she can forget what is behind, in the prospect that is before. Greary wastes lie between the place she is left and her future home, a long journey. But she is carried by a power not her own, and doubtless the way is beguiled by her learning, from her guide, more and more of him to whom she goes. How simple it all is! the Spirit of God leading the willing heart on to meet the Lord. And where are the thoughts of the heavenly spouse? Has he forgotten her for whom he has sent?

How could he? Look amid the songs of heaven. Sweeter to his ear is the footfall through the desert, drawing ever near. He waits. He longs to see us. It is time now of his patience. But what a joy it is to him when our hearts are truly yearning to see him. I thought that was a great closing one for this study and again just the thought of longing for him. Any final thoughts? Otherwise we'll turn it over to Mike and he can start us on the Titus journey. Let's close.

Father, how we thank you for your grace and how we thank you that we are under your grace living in an environment of grace. It's air we breathe. It's everything we do. And yet we need to grow and understand what the environment is that we live in. And we're thankful that you're about that, about showing us that everything that is done to and in us and for us is by grace alone, including being the bride. So it's hard for us to express our appreciation. for everything that you have already done. But we thank you and we pray in your son's precious name. Amen.