THE EXPERIENCE OF CONVERSION Before we can proceed to the second aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer, it is necessary that we understand the mechanics of the conversion experience. When an individual responds positively to the threefold convictions of the Holy Spirit, repents, believes, or surrenders to the truth as it is in Christ, and is baptized (Mark 1:14, 15; 16:15, 16), a radical change takes place in his life in that the Holy Spirit actually comes and indwells the new believer (Acts 2:37-41). The Bible refers to this experience as the new birth or regeneration (John 3:3-5; Tit. 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23). This indwelling of the Holy Spirit is, of course, the same as receiving the life of Christ (Romans 8:2, 10); and it is this that really changes man’s position and status from being “in Adam” to being “in Christ,” and which, in turn, qualifies the believer for heaven (Romans 8:9). Thus, it may be said that the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the unbeliever is from without, while the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is from within. By this I mean that while the convictions of the Holy Spirit with reference to truth in the unbeliever as well as the believer are both felt and experienced in the conscience, nevertheless the unbeliever is not “indwelt” by the Holy Spirit, while the believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). This is a most important distinction, for Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus that “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). We will discuss in the next section how the Holy Spirit works within the believer, but at this point it is important that we understand the difference between the unbeliever and the believer with reference to the Holy Spirit. As long as a person is not “indwelt” by the Holy Spirit, he is in a lost state, even though he may receive the convictions of the Holy Spirit or may even be a church member (Romans 8:9). But to be born again of the Holy Spirit is, on the other hand, to be quickened or made alive from sin’s death (Ephesians 2:1, 5). This is true or genuine conversion, the beginning of the Christian life. To be converted, therefore, is one and the same thing as being born of the Holy Spirit (new birth), and it is this experience that changes our status from an unbeliever to a believer. Also, it is this experience which justifies a believer (James 5:20) and places him in a position where sanctification is possible, because now he possesses the very life of Christ through the indwelling Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:2). THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE BELIEVER When we study the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, we will discover that it is to reproduce in the believer the character of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose character was that of God (John 14:9). Man was originally created with the Holy Spirit dwelling in him so that through Him he might reflect God in his character. But, as a result of the fall, man is born into this world without God, and is, therefore, spiritually bankrupt. The purpose of the gospel, besides saving man, is to undo the damage brought by Adam’s original sin so that the divine image might be restored in man. And the starting point of the gospel as a subjective experience is the new birth. In other words, the prerequisite for holiness of living is being born of the Holy Spirit, not only for salvation, but also for the purpose of fulfilling God’s original plan for man, which was to reflect His glory of self-sacrificing love. Every believer must be fully aware of the above facts, and this applies in a special way to this last generation of Christians, for it is through God’s remnant people that this earth is to be lightened with His glory (Rev. 18:1; Rev. 14:12). Full provision for the restoration of God’s image in man has already been made in the humanity of Christ and through His redeeming work. But it is the responsibility and work of the Holy Spirit to make this real in the life of every believer who has become one with Christ and who is living by faith or walking by the Spirit. As we saw previously, to deliver us from our position in Adam and this doomed world and to establish us into Christ and His church is the first task of the Holy Spirit. Having done this in the case of the true believer, the Holy Spirit now dwells in him or her in order to put into effect the deeper work of the cross of Christ, by which the old life is in reality put to death daily more and more so, that the life of Christ in turn may be increasingly manifested (2 Corinthians 4:10-11; 3:17, 18; Ephesians 3:16-19; 4:4-13). The work of holiness of living is not left for the believer to produce, but it is the sole work of the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason that Christ has sent Him to indwell every believer. If every Christian would realize this, self-effort would come to an end and we would make room for the third person of the Godhead to manifest in us the life of our Lord. This was the situation of the apostles at Pentecost and this is how it must be with us today. This second aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work, which is in the life of every converted believer, is referred to in Scripture as the process of sanctification and which, according to the Apostle Paul, involves the spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The significance of this important work can only be understood and appreciated in the light of the spiritual makeup of man. Just as a doctor has to know man’s physical makeup (anatomy) in order to help his physical ailments, so also the believer must be familiar with his spiritual makeup in order that he might cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification. When we consider man’s physical structure as a doctor does, we discover that he is made up of various components or organs, each having a specific function within the body but which at the same time are closely related to each other. So likewise, when we look at man through the spectacles of Scripture, or as a spiritual being, we will discover that he is made up of three components or organs (spirit, soul and body), each having a specific work in the spiritual realm, but which, at the same time, are closely interrelated to each other. The great error of the Christian church after the apostolic period was to separate the body from the soul and give the soul a separate existance independent of the body. This concept was borrowed from the Orphic religion of the Greeks and is not a Biblical teaching. According to Scripture, the function of each of these three elements or components is distinct, contributing to the spiritual existence of the whole man, but none of these is able to exist independent of the others, so that at death the whole man, spirit, soul and body dies, or in Bible terminology, sleeps unconsciously (Ezek. 18:4, 20; Eccl. 9:5, 6; 8:8). In examining the spiritual structure of man as revealed in Scripture, we will find that there exists a definite connection between the tabernacle or sanctuary as outlined in the Old Testament, and the temple of God in the New Testament, which is the Christian himself or herself (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19), because the Sanctuary was a type or symbol of Christ incarnate (Ps. 29:9; John 2:19-21; Rev. 21:3; also compare Ps. 77:13 with John 14:4-6). In turn, He is the prototype of the regenerate believer (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 3:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:16). You will notice in reading your Bible that the promises of God as given under the new covenant are but the reality of the type as seen in the sanctuary of the old covenant (Jer. 31:33, 34; Ezk. 36:26, 27; Hebrews 8:6-13; 2 Corinthians 2-6, RSV). In the old covenant the law was written on tables of stone and placed in the ark. In the new covenant, the same law is written in our hearts and placed in the “inward man” (Romans 7:22). In the old, God dwelt in the innermost part of the tabernacle, while in the new, God in the person of His Spirit dwells in the innermost part of man (Ezek. 36:27; John 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11). In the old, the sanctuary structure represented the temple of God but, in the new, the Christian himself becomes a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19). Thus, as God formerly dwelt in the tabernacle (Ex. 25:8), so the Holy Spirit indwells the believer today. We know that the sanctuary of the old covenant was divided into three parts (Ex. 25:8-27; 18; Hebrews 9:2-4): the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. This was a “pattern” of the “true tabernacle” in heaven (Hebrews 8:1-2). Likewise, the believer who in reality represents God’s temple on earth (Isa. 57:15) is divided into three parts. The body with its various members may be compared with the courtyard, occupying an external position with its life visible to all; this is the place of sacrifice (Romans 12:1; Colossians 3:5). Inside is man’s soul, which constitutes the faculties of his mind (i.e., the emotions, the will, and the intellect) through which God operates. This corresponds with the Holy Place, where the daily ministry of the priest was carried out. Innermost and behind the second veil and within man’s self-consciousness lies the human spirit, which may be compared to the Most Holy Place, the dwelling place of God. In the converted man, the Holy Spirit dwells in man’s spirit; it represents for him “the secret place of the Most High.” The following is a simple diagram of the sanctuary, God’s temple in the old covenant, which was a shadow or type of the Christian who in Christ is the reality, the temple of God in the new covenant. The sanctuary, in other words, typified Christ, in the first place, with the believer in Him (“you in Christ” — the objective gospel), and secondly it also typified the Christian himself (“Christ in you” — the subjective gospel). Thus we may say that the sanctuary of the Old Testament was God’s model plan of the everlasting gospel which was first fulfilled in Christ and must now be realized in the church, of which each believer is a part. The cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary is a work accomplished by the High Priest, but it is contingent on the cleansing of the hearts of His people on earth. Having discovered that spiritually man is constituted of spirit, soul, and body, we can now proceed to consider the place and function of each of these elements and their relationship to the work of the Holy Spirit. God Bless You All.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 18:57:23 +0000
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