Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries |
The New Testament analogy of the Old Testament Fish Gate. Efficacious grace, Filling of the Spirit.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
1. Regeneration = the Holy Spirit creates a human spirit for the imputation of eternal life,
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,
2.The baptism of the Spirit which enters us into union with Christ, Acts 1:5; 1CO 12:13. This is also called retroactive and current positional truth.
ACT 1:5, for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
3. The indwelling of God the Holy Spirit who indwells our body in order to create a temple for the indwelling of Jesus Christ as the Shekinah Glory, 1CO 6:19-20.
4. The sealing of the Spirit which is our security as royal family in time as well as eternity, and a guarantee of the existence of our escrow blessing, 2CO 1:22; EPH 1:13; EPH 4:30.
5. The distribution of at least one spiritual gift, 1CO 12:11.
Efficacious grace; = to be capable of producing the desired effect. This is when God the Holy Spirit takes the faith alone in Christ alone of the spiritually dead unbeliever and makes it effective for salvation.
EPH 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
“that” – demonstrative pronoun houtos which is in a neuter gender referring to grace, faith and salvation as all being a gift from God.
The efficacious grace of the ministry of God the HS to anyone who responds to Gospel information at the moment the Holy Spirit makes it understandable to them.
The call of God to believe in Christ comes from God the Holy Spirit making the gospel clear to the unbeliever–common grace.
The origin of our faith is from a spiritually dead person, and therefore it has no ability in itself.
First, He makes the Gospel clear to us. This is common grace.
TIT 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
EPH 1:13 “In whom also, when you heard the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, in whom also, when you believed, you were sealed by the HS with reference to the promise.”
The ministry of the Holy Spirit in common grace may be regarded as the inhale of the Gospel. While the ministry of the Holy Spirit in efficacious grace may be regarded as the exhale of faith in Jesus Christ.
MAT 22:14 “For many are called [the entire human race], but few are chosen [i.e., elected, become believers].”
This means that both hearing the gospel and believing in Jesus Christ are totally non-meritorious and therefore totally compatible with the grace of God.
Efficacious grace then is the work of the Holy Spirit in making faith in Jesus Christ effective for eternal salvation.
ROM 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
2CO 6:1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain–
Common grace – HS makes the gospel understandable.
Divine call = the invitation of God the Father to believe in TLJC.
Efficacious grace – the HS making faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ effective for salvation.
2CO 6:2, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you”; behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is” the day of salvation”-
It is true there is an acceptance that takes place before salvation but that is accepting the information that God the HS has presented = the doctrine of common grace.
JOH 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name,
2CO 6:2 “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you”; behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is” the day of salvation “-
The spiritual death of mankind makes it necessary for the grace of God to function on our behalf.
1. Spiritual death at birth which is total depravity, total separation from God and total helplessness.
2. Because mankind is born dichotomous which means that he has a physical body and a soul but no human spirit.
In fact, the dichotomous status of mankind is described in JUD 1:19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the spirit.
Worldly-minded is the word psuchikoi means soulish-persons. The TCNT says that they are animal and unspiritual.
The adjective “psuchikos” is used then to describe the dichotomous state of each one of us when we were unbelievers. Psuchikos – man, the soulish man,
1CO 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised or because things are only understood in a spiritual manner.
As Elihu said in JOB 32:8 “But it is a spirit in man [that is a human spirit], And the Spirit of the Almighty [God the Holy Spirit] gives them understanding [perception].”
ROM 8:16, The Spirit Himself bears witness with our [human] spirit that we are children of God,
Only the believer in TLJC as Royal family is a trichotomous being.
We are said to be “body, soul and spirit”, as believers.
1TH 5:23, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, before salvation we have a body and a soul, we are “dichotomous.” And at the moment we personally believe in TLJC, God the Holy Spirit actually creates a human spirit or a “pneuma”. Soul life is human life. Eternal life is God’s life.
1JO 5:12, He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
So we have the principle then that the unbeliever in spiritual death has no human spirit therefore spiritual death demands an act of grace on the part of God the Holy Spirit. And in that act of grace, the Holy Spirit functions as a human spirit when we hear the gospel message. This is “common grace”.
a. Common grace
b. The divine call
c. Efficacious grace
7. The seventh and final ministry of the salvation ministry of the Holy Spirit is The filling of the Holy Spirit, EPH 5:18.
The substance of the New is greater that the shadow of the Old because the New Testament believer is given the filling of the Spirit which is the first “power” option in the Christian life.
The filling of the Spirit is the second problem solving device for the execution of the PPOG.
EPH 5:18 “Stop being intoxicated with wine by which is dissipation [a lifestyle of self-absorption to try and solve the problems of life], but keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.”
So, the filling of the Holy Spirit is recovery through rebound adjustment to the justice of God, PRO 1:23; 1JO 1:9.
Sin has been dealt with once and for all as the shadow of the cross became a reality when TLJC became the substance fulfilled by the phrase in JOH 19:30, it is finished. For example in PRO 1:23 “Turn at My reproof [rebound], behold, I will pour out my Spirit on you; I will make My words known to you.”
JER 3:13 ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God.
HOS 14:2, Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity, And receive {us} graciously, That we may present the fruit of our lips.
You may learn some principles of truth while you are out of fellowship but it will simply be gnosis and not epignosis or knowledge which puffs up instead of epignosis which edifies. The filling of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation by God the Holy Spirit entering us into our very own pre-designed plan from God. The enabling power of the Spirit inside the PPOG is called the filling of the Spirit in EPH 5:18, and walking by means of the Spirit in GAL 5:16.
ISA 11:2 “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and occupation with Jehovah.
Or ISA 42:1 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one {in whom} My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.
JOH 3:34, “For He [God the Holy Spirit] whom God [the Father] has sent speaks the doctrines from God; for He does not give the Spirit by measure.”
LUK 4:14 “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.”
Our Lord also prophesied in JOH 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-14 that the disciples would have the Holy Spirit to teach them when the church age began.