Series Boost Sermon #4 “The Life Giving Spirit”

Sermon: “The Life Giving Spirit”
May 15th, 2022
Impact Church London

Recap: He’s a person who is personally present in our lives, he coaches us in our personal identity, and he speaks to us. 

John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

John 16:13-14
 “…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; … and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”

Intro: “Holy Spirit Life Giving Spirit”

The BOOST: Holy Spirit imparts to us the very life and nature of God. 

2 Corinthians 3:6b
“… the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.” 

Not advocating for a process of progressive sanctification in which Holy Spirit makes us more and more holy, and we progressively become more and more like Jesus.  

I am saying this: “that because the Holy Spirit is present in us, not only are we already like Jesus, but by the Holy Spirit we  will ALSO manifest Jesus.

2 Peter 1:4
“…by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…

Ephesians 4:24
“…and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

The Old testament prophesied that this would happen:

Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV) }
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…”

Romans 6:6 (NKJV)
“…knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him…”

Not physically present, but by eternal Spirit it did happen to us. The Spirit made it happen! 

Ephesians 2:4-6
“…made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together…”

Jesus described the Holy Spirit’s engagement in the process: 

John 3:5-7
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Titus 3:5-6
“…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” 

Regeneration (παλιγγενεσία),  — the coming of new birth because “born again”; regeneration.

1 Cor. 6:17 (NKJV)
“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

He is joined to our spirit to such an extent that Paul couldn’t even describe how close we are wrapped up in the life of God. 

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

This means that the whole of God’s person, nature, and influence is constantly flowing through us, attached to us, connected to us – and not just part of us, but through all of us, spirit, soul, and body! 

Hearts and Minds – not just spirits. 

Hebrews 8:10
“…I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts…” ,

1 Corinthians 2:16
“…But we have the mind of Christ.”

Cup example: dirty water in clean cup, clean water in clean cup. We are the cup not the water!

2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are biblically the jars… not what they contain! 

Body, need to put it to death?

Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Your body is already a temple, it’s not becoming one. 

Romans 8:11
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

He is in every way a life giving Spirit, to our spirit, soul, and body! In every way and in every aspect of our being we can expect the influence of the Holy Spirit to affect our thoughts, our will, our passions, our desires, our physicality, our body, our mind, and our deepest sense of self with the very nature, virtue and life of God.

What does this look like? — Jesus! 

 Romans 8:29-30 (MSG)
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. 

Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG)
“…things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”

Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

This is why we don’t teach each other how to be better people. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” 

Word of Caution and Promise: 

Talks about the fruit of Spirit and Christ-likeness, in Holy Spirit context,  often devolve into a version of character or Christlikeness being the prerequisite for the gifts, or gifts being the reward for becoming Christlike and manifesting fruit.

Gifts take simple faith nothing else. Can manifest less than Christlike traits and still do gifts because they are not the carrots at the end of the stick.  

But, gifts manifested in and married to an expression of God’s nature, that is the only way to fully reveal God… not one or other but both! And both happen by faith in the power of God! Both is what we are about to see!

1 Corinthians 14:1
“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”

Summary 

THE BOOST: God the Holy Spirit has powerfully applied the death and resurrection power of Christ to us and our persons. He has  made us new, whole, perfect, and holy in every way, in spirit, soul, and in body. 

He is now present within us, giving life to our body, alive in our hearts, revealing stuff to our minds, in real time, moment by moment by his influence working in us, making us reveal God in all of our walk and talk.

Be confident (con = with + fide = faith : with faith) of this very thing:

Philippians 1:6
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”