We received our "how to" video on Sunday concerning the New Birth. God brings New Life - salvation - via the Holy Spirit (we saw this from Eze. 37) through the proclamation of the word of God. When the Word of God, the message of Jesus Christ, is proclaimed, the Spirit is unleashed with life-saving power. 1 Peter 1 told us that the imperishable seed that causes us to be born again is the word of God.
Remember, we're not in control of this. This isn't a magical formula. It's the act of worship that God honors with his life-saving power.
I mentioned towards the end of the message that the Holy Spirit has a very specific mission, to bring honor and praise to the name of Jesus Christ. That's why he doesn't breathe new life apart from the message of Jesus Christ; messages that don't focus on Jesus Christ bring Jesus no honor or praise. Where do I get that the Holy Spirit is looking to honor Jesus?
In John 15, Jesus said the Holy Spirit is coming to "bear witness about me." That's what the Holy Spirit is about. He's coming to lift my name, my message high. He doesn't have his own mission; he's about Jesus' mission. And also, in John 16:14 Jesus says, "he will glorify me, fo rhe will take what is mine and declare it to you."
Here are just a couple of verses that show us that the Holy Spirit is about lifting high the name of Jesus Christ.
What do you think of 1) this, 2) the sermon and 3) the homework? Love to hear your thoughts.
Blessings.
Pastor Brian
1 comment:
While I do not have any comments on this sermon or topic yet, I do appreciate all the responses and your blogs and messages.
Please keep up this valuable resource going. I hope we all use it to glorify God and deepen our faith and understanding of God’s Word.
One thing I have found is that we must always drink from the Word when analyzing someone’s writings. It is easy to take a word that has been defined one way by our past and use that same definition for that same word when reading someone else writing. Ask questions as to the meaning or intention on particular thoughts and phrases so you may truly understand the writer’s intent.
Because of this discussion series, I have researched irresistible grace, TULIP, Calvinism, and Arminianism.
No comments on these topics either just yet, but very interesting information and food for much thought and meditation.
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