Major Bible Themes

We're going to talk today about indwelling and sealing, and like Craig was saying, Roger and Hal, I think, did a great job in not going chapter to chapter. And what they did was that they divided this part of the Holy Spirit teaching into two sections.

One was the completed ministries of Christ. And then the other is the continuing ministries of Christ. So we talked a little bit last week about the continuing ministries of Christ, or I mean the completed ones. Which ones are they? Give me an idea. What's he already done? He's already indwelt us. Indwelt us? What else? Real easy. He called you, right? He saved you. He baptized you into Christ. What else did he do? Filled us with the Holy Spirit. What's that? Filled us with the Holy Spirit. No, that's an ongoing thing. He sealed us. He sealed us? Everybody understand what sealed means? No, I don't.

He's considered the guarantee, and maybe put it this way, Most of you have at least a cursory understanding of real estate. If you're going to purchase a property, you're going to write up a contract that says that you're going to do certain things and that the seller of the property is going to do certain things. And in order to make it a real contract, you're going to give something of value to the seller to hold as a guarantee that you're going to complete what you promised. It's called earnest money. The Holy Spirit is called the earnest of our salvation.

He personally is the earnest. He personally is the guarantee that everything that God says is going to happen and did happen is in fact true. And He seals that arrangement so that no one can change it. He personally is the seal. You know what a signet is? people would write a letter or a note and send it to somebody and they'd put hot wax and they'd stick that stamp on there and you knew that no one had sneaked and looked at it because that stamp wasn't broken. The Spirit of God is that stamp. He's the guarantee.

So those ministries are done. Here we talk about our position in Christ. The fact that you're in the body of Christ, the fact that you're in Christ, is all things that he's already done. Now I will say this, for a lot of believers, there's ignorance about what the Spirit has already done. And the problem with that is, that if you're ignorant about what the Holy Spirit has done, not only for you, but to you, then you're weak in the faith because you're ignorant. But if you do know that, it gives you a focus and an object for your faith. So, it's really, really important if you have not already done so.

To take a look at, to revisit the completed ministries of the Holy Spirit. Are you in Christ? And what does that mean? Are you accepted in the beloved? Do you have a standing before God that can't be changed? Are you, have you been placed into the body of Christ? Have you been crucified, buried and resurrected with the Lord Jesus Christ? Is all of that true? Can you do anything to change any of that? The answer, no. From a positional standpoint, there's a lot you can do by lack of faith not to abide in those truths.

The continuing ministries of the Holy Spirit have to do with our spiritual growth and walk. He shares Christ's glory with you and through you, and we'll talk about that some more. The completed ministries are not repeatable, they're not retractable, they're eternal. They're immutable, which means they can't be changed.

They don't depend on your merit or faithfulness. Really important point. Your position in Christ has nothing to do with how faithful or unfaithful you are. And if you go out and listen to rock and roll music, you're going to lose all this position, right? Only if you play it. If you listen to it, it's okay.

They depend totally on the efficacy or the value of the finished work of Christ. They are your permanent position in the risen Lord Jesus. So we have a whole class here that takes a month to go through. It's called Position and Condition. And we spend 80% of our time talking about what's your position.

Everything about you, let me put it this way, all that you are as a believer is dependent on the position that you have. So the weakest, newest, youngest believer has exactly the same standing as the oldest, most mature, most foxy believer who carries ladders around.

That could never be changed, right? Never. Right, no matter what happens, no matter what you do, if you fall down... That's right, that's exactly it. And see, the reason it can't be changed is because It can't be changed because it doesn't depend on your merit or your faithfulness. Because it doesn't depend on you, it can't be changed. Your salvation doesn't depend on you, so you can't lose it. I mean, what a travesty it is in the Catholic environment to be taught that your salvation depends solely on your ability to keep up.

Oh, boy. You know, yesterday, or whenever it was, when I was watching the the wedding, the minister was talking, and then they did say the Lord's Prayer, but then you can't apply the Lord's Prayer because you ask, forgive me for the sins because you've been forgiven. Wow, you're learning. Yeah. Isn't that something? Yeah, so I was thinking, what's he talking about? That's a guy, What do you call that? What's his title? The Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury has no idea what this is.

Yeah. Not a clue. Well, and then people that are in that thinking or don't understand this. Yeah. They get themselves, they worry themselves to death because they're constantly, well, I can't get a handle on this. If you don't know the ministry is complete and you're not, and not repeatable, you don't know that they're not retractable, you don't know that they're eternal, you don't know they're unchangeable, you don't know that your merit had nothing to do with it, that for your faithfulness, and you don't know that it all depends on Christ's finished work, and that you have a permanent, you don't know any of that, what do you get?

You get religion! Yeah, and what we got is a gift, if we believe, right? That's right, salvation is a gift. Let's talk about the ministries to the church. This is what he does going on every day in the believer's life. With the idea that he shares Christ's glory with you and through you.

I want to look at Romans 5.1. We all know 2 Corinthians 3.

Look at Romans 5.1. Everybody there?

Read the first three verses. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we exalt in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exalt in our tribulations, knowing that tribulations bring perseverance. Okay, notice anything about the tense of the verbs there? Past completed. Yeah, any future tense there? Any present tense there? No. All done.

So, you have access to the God of the universe perfectly because you're in Christ. Access is a really important thing. If you happen to be on the guest list at the wedding last week, you had access. If you were in the A-list, you even got inside the church. And you even got invited to the party afterwards. That's access.

I would be happy in a kingdom of God to be the chauffeur because I'm in the car with the king or the queen I have access. Because you're a son you have access to the God of the universe. So these are the ministries that the Spirit of God does with believers. He fills you.

Now let's talk about filling. When you were saved Were you not filled with the Holy Spirit? I think you were. You were? Well then why is there this issue of filling you now? Because your faith is now strong and you believe and before that maybe you were filled but you had no clue. Alright, let's talk now. Again, that's too subjective. When you're saved, do you get filled with the Holy Spirit? Yes. Sure. He baptizes you into Christ. So what's this filling business all about? Let's look at Acts 2-1 quickly.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Keep going. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit again gave them utterance." They're all filled with the Holy Spirit and then things begin to happen.

God has called each one of us and suited us out specifically for a ministry in the body of Christ. Every single one of us. Because the next one is that He gifts us, he empowers us and he gifts us. Everybody in this room has at least one gift. That's a spiritual gift that takes the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Spirit to carry it out.

Now it may be really visible, high profile, I mean you may be on a televangelist, but more than likely it's not, it's kind of quiet. Because you notice the Spirit's personality. He's in the background all the time. He's never in the front. He's always manifesting Christ. He's always glorifying Christ and He's going to use the same principle when He gifts you for whatever ministry. Now your ministry could be just the way you live and people are watching you from across the street or on the job or whatever it might be. So, filling has to do with being enabled to do what God has called you to do. When you're involved in child evangelism, if God has called you and gifted you for that, the Spirit of God will fill you to do it.

And yeah, will you learn how it works? Will you go through it? Yes, you will. But the performance, spiritual performance, depends on the Spirit filling you. I have to do the sermon next Sunday. I'm really praying the Holy Spirit shows up. What I'm going to talk about is truth and how do you get your hands on and know what truth is other than just going at it with your mind.

Now, because the Spirit of God is here to manifest in and through you the fruit of the Spirit and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, The fruit of the Spirit is what? Without looking it up, anybody know? Love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, kindness, meekness, against which there is no law. Have you ever noticed that the fruit of the Spirit is singular?

So what does that mean in terms of manifestation? You get the whole package. You get the whole package. Now let's say, so could we sit here and say, well, Bruce is filled with the Spirit, so he's the guy that's loving, and Monique is joyful, Ruthie is patient. No. The manifestation of the life of the Lord Jesus through you has all of those things in play at one time. All of them. Now, you think you're a super-bummy Christian? Try pulling that off yourself. Try it. You can't do it.

But the Spirit's ministry is to do that. He is there to specifically manifest the fruit of the Spirit. How would you describe the fruit of the Spirit? What would you say it is? It's Him. It's the personality characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's who He is. He is all of those things. He doesn't possess them. He is them. So you're in Christ. You possess them because they are Him.

Does that make sense? Do you possess all of it? Because I sure don't see all of it in people. Yeah, no, you only get 20%. No, yes, you get it all. Go back to your position. Do you have all of Christ? So what's the hang-up here then? That's a great question.

Monique says, well, I don't see it. I don't see it in some people. Some people have a hardened heart even though they're Christians. They say they're Christians, but there's anger there, there's contempt. That's right, there is. Okay, so then what do you do?

Go to Romans 8.2. I didn't even give her any notes either.

And Courtney, would you do 2 Corinthians 3.17? Alright, somebody read Romans 8 to us. Okay, I'll do it. For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did. Sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh offering... whoops. Where am I? Oh, he condemned sin in the flesh. Alright,

2. Verse 2. Not three, two. Quick, breathe. Sorry.

Okay, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Okay, now that word law, if you change it, you can change it in your Bible and put the word principle in there, not law. Yeah. Because it's a principle, it's not a statute.

There's a new principle of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus That verse says it freed you from all that old crap you've been talking about. That old man that doesn't manifest the fruit of the Spirit. What does the Word of God say? It says that you have been freed from all of that. Okay? Now, that's a position.

But because it is a position, 2 Corinthians 3.17. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Liberty from what? The law of sin, the principle of sin. The spirit of God is in you and every believer conditionally freeing you from the law of sin and death.

Why? Because he's already done it positionally by including you in the death, burial and resurrection with Christ. Okay, maybe the person doesn't know it. Then they're not going to get free. They're not going to get free because you've got to have an object for your faith. You've got to know. Why do you think God gave us his word?

So we could carry around these heavy books? No. Who was it? What was I saying? Oh, I'm reading this morning. You know what Encompass Magazine is? It's for AAA members. They were talking about this hotel that's up in Empire. And I forget the guy's name. but he bought this big house and his wife wanted to turn it into a hotel back in 1880 and so she packed up all of her goods including her 17 pound Bible. 17 pounds that sucker weighed. You think they ever opened it up the Romans 8 too?

The point is Monique that the believer is enabled by the Holy Spirit to read He enlightens you, He shows you the truth, you exercise faith and what happens? You're free from the law of sin and death, positionally and conditionally. It is the job and the power of the Spirit to free you. He did it positionally by including you in the death of Christ, okay? You alright with that? That make sense? Yes. He frees you. He desires for you. What does he desire?

Romans 8.13 I think is the verse that talks about that we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit of God intercedes for us. Now let me ask you a question. Picture this in your mind. Courtney is humbly in his bedroom praying and the prayers are going up.

They filter through the Holy Spirit so that God can understand what he's talking about. Is that the way it works? No. I don't think it needs to be filtered. It's actually a 180 from that. The Spirit of God searches the mind of Christ about you. You're the one that's ignorant. The Spirit of God informs you about what God's will is for you. Say that again.

The direction of that praying in Romans 8.13 is from God through the Spirit to you. So that you can find out what God's will is. And you can be enabled by Him to carry out His will. You're the one that doesn't know what God's up to. God knows exactly what He's up to and like He didn't know what's going on in your mind, give me a break. Sure He does. You're the one that's ignorant. So He gives you the Spirit What God's desires are for you? What is his main desire for you? To conform us to Christ. Because Christ is the one that he is totally happy about. He is the man, is the better way to say it. Okay? Okay.

Ephesians 2.18, he gives you access to the Father. Wow. Now, this afternoon go home and turn on those TV channels that are recapping this wedding in England, right? And think as you're watching that, well who got access and who didn't? You don't know, you can't tell. You know, who's the inner circle and who isn't?

I've said this a lot about if you lived in England and you were an English citizen, okay, who is the queen? She's your queen. What if your last name was Windsor? Who's the queen to you? She's mom or grandma. So when William goes in, does he have to sort of tiptoe up to grandma or have somebody intercede for him?

No way. What's that? Probably. Probably. Actually, I think Queen Elizabeth is an awesome woman. For her to pull off what she's pulled off for 60 years is unbelievable. She did something wrong with her kids because she was so removed. There was so much protocol. They had to make an appointment to see her. It's pathetic.

Hey, access! If you have the Holy Spirit, what do you got? You don't need to make an appointment. You are correcto-undo. That's right. So he leads you. You don't know how to live the Christian life, do you? No. I was a Christian about four days and some guy gave me a book that said, now that you're a believer, here's what you do. The Holy Spirit leads you in the realms of grace, not in the realms of legalism. He will not give you a list, a refrigerator list of stuff to do. And he fellowships with you. Now let's talk about that a little bit. Are you going to, in fellowshipping with the Spirit of God, actually have this dialogue with the Holy Spirit himself? How many think yes? Some people think you do. How many think no? And so if it's no, then what is he doing? He allows trials and tribulations to come your way so that you might be conformed and transformed. But who are you going to have fellowship with?

Him? The Father. You're going to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If you see Him, you see the Father. The Spirit's job, according to John 16, is to reveal Christ to the believer, right? Isn't that His job? Because Christ is the Logos of God. You can't know the Father without the Son. And you can't know the Son without the enabling of the Holy Spirit. So the focus is on Christ. Because he's a human being. He transforms you and he conforms you.

What's the difference between being transformed like 2 Corinthians 3.18 and Romans 8.26-29 Those of you who knew, to be conformed and transformed, what's the difference? Ever thought about that there might be a difference? I knew once, but I don't remember. You get transformed. I knew once, but I don't remember.

One's an outside job and one's an inside job. Exactly right. Thank you. Which one's outside? Conformed. Conformed. Transformed is interior. So, you behold the glory of the Lord in the Word and the process of conformity to Christ is something that the Spirit of God does. What are you doing? You're beholding Him. The conforming process is something that the Spirit does internally in you.

Why would he do it? Why wouldn't he just say, well, I'm going to make Courtney a super Christian. And somebody said, well, what is a super Christian? And that guy said this one time, how many Christians are there? How many are there? One. There's one. Christ. And we're all in him. Okay? Alright. And he anoints you.

1 John 2.20. Somebody quickly, because I want you to understand what anointing is. One time you were burned and said that the world informs you and transforms you. Where do you want to be in first, John? 220. One John, 220. But you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things. All right, go down to 27.

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you, but it is the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. Alright, what is anointing? According to that verse?

Receiving of the Holy Spirit. It's what? The reception of the Holy Spirit. I think it's more than that. What's that? Knowledge of Him. Yeah, it's knowledge of Him. Him being who? Christ. Yeah. You have an anointing to do what? Verse 27 says what? you about Christ. That's right, you have an anointing, I wish I had a synonym, an anointing so that you can understand who Christ is. Maybe, let me go through this, maybe that will help.

To be filled with the Spirit, right here it says, what is it not saying? It's not a command to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. a command. Pay attention. It's not referring to a degree of being filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the content of the filling.

Where in Ephesians 5.18 it says be filled with the Spirit. It is a controlling by the Holy Spirit but as you look down here it says the Holy Spirit is the agent of the filling.

The controlling aspect is what? Let's look at that for a minute. If I'm beholding the Lord Jesus, the glory of the Lord Jesus, the word bleppo, if I'm beholding him, there's a controlling factor there. The controlling factor is my beholding and it has a resultant effect on my behavior.

There's a conformity process that's going on by the Holy Spirit that does what to me internally? What happens to me? Galatians 5 says if you walk in the Spirit it's impossible to fulfill the desires of the flesh, you can't do it. So you're walking in the Spirit, what are you doing?

What's going on behind your eyes? What are you doing? You get a new perspective. Perspective? You dwell on other things, you dwell on Him instead of all the garbage in the world. Okay. And who enables you to do that? The Holy Spirit. And what's the intermediate agency He uses? His Word. Yeah, He uses the Word. Now, let's say you're in your car on I-25, no Bible, and you think, oh gee, I've got to drive from here to here and I won't be controlled by the Spirit between my house and where I have to go to work.

What do you think about that? That's silly. Why? Because once it's in you, it's in you. What's an it? The Holy Spirit. The Word of God. Can you park it? The thing is that the Spirit of God shows you and brings to memory the Word of God, all the things And he can conform you even though you're listening to country and western music driving down I-25. That's true. He can do it. And he does do it. You know it's funny with the tornadoes and all.

All of a sudden everybody was praying and I'm thinking there were a lot of people that had no clue and yet when it came down to horrible things happening all of a sudden they remembered there is such a thing as God. Even Barack Obama mentioned God in that deal.

So, we are filled by the Holy Spirit, you're filled by the Spirit, the Spirit does the filling. What's He fill you with? Super unleaded? What's He fill you with? The knowledge of Christ. How about just Christ Himself? Just Him. And by filling you with Christ means that One last thought.

You're a sentient being. You know what I mean by that? You're a sentient? A sentient being. Courtney's a sentient being. I'm a sentient being. I can look at him and he can look at me and over time, we know each other. Yeah. Alright? God, the Son, is a sentient being. And over time, the Holy Spirit will create this intimacy between the two of us so that I know him. Personally. How cool is that? That's the ministry, that's an ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit, using the word to do it. Alright, well we didn't get through it, but let's see what Craig says next week. Let's close.

Dear Father, how we thank you for your Spirit, who really is the enabler, I guess is the best way to put it, manifestation of your glory via the Lord Jesus Christ, Father, like Paul said in Philippians 3.10, that I may know him, is in the hearts of all of us, Father. We thank you, we pray in his name. Amen.