The Holy Spirit THE RENEWING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. Titus 3: 3, 4.
You can keep your new translation on this passage! I like the way it reads in the Kings James Version. Aren't you glad that the kindness and love of God appeared? "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7). Here you have the beautiful picture of salvation from sin coming to every believing heart. It describes the regenerating work of the Spirit, the renewing of the Holy Ghost, and the work of the Holy Spirit to transform lives.
Is this accomplished by a single acceptance of Jesus? Is justification everything, or is sanctification also part of salvation? My Life Today, page 313, answers, "When souls are converted their salvation is not yet accomplished. They then have the race to run; the arduous struggle is before them to do, what? 'To fight the good fight of faith.'...There is no release in this warfare; the battle is lifelong." Even though the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration is a tremendous work, there is more. The work of the Holy Spirit in the ongoing Christian life has just as much to do with salvation as does the work of Jesus on the cross. It's all salvation. One is salvation from our past sins, one is salvation from our present sinning. And we have the promise that finally we will be saved from the world of sin. All is by Christ, and all comes by faith. There is no difference.
What happens at conversion? At the new birth we receive a supernatural change of attitude toward God, and a new capacity for knowing Him (The Desire of Ages, p. 189). We are given the equipment to get started with--it is not the end of the Christian life, but rather the beginning. As we begin to fight the faith of faith, to seek Jesus day by day, after the Holy Spirit has done His converting work in our life, we will be led daily in a continuing walk with Christ.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. Titus 3: 3, 4.
You can keep your new translation on this passage! I like the way it reads in the Kings James Version. Aren't you glad that the kindness and love of God appeared? "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7). Here you have the beautiful picture of salvation from sin coming to every believing heart. It describes the regenerating work of the Spirit, the renewing of the Holy Ghost, and the work of the Holy Spirit to transform lives.
Is this accomplished by a single acceptance of Jesus? Is justification everything, or is sanctification also part of salvation? My Life Today, page 313, answers, "When souls are converted their salvation is not yet accomplished. They then have the race to run; the arduous struggle is before them to do, what? 'To fight the good fight of faith.'...There is no release in this warfare; the battle is lifelong." Even though the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration is a tremendous work, there is more. The work of the Holy Spirit in the ongoing Christian life has just as much to do with salvation as does the work of Jesus on the cross. It's all salvation. One is salvation from our past sins, one is salvation from our present sinning. And we have the promise that finally we will be saved from the world of sin. All is by Christ, and all comes by faith. There is no difference.
What happens at conversion? At the new birth we receive a supernatural change of attitude toward God, and a new capacity for knowing Him (The Desire of Ages, p. 189). We are given the equipment to get started with--it is not the end of the Christian life, but rather the beginning. As we begin to fight the faith of faith, to seek Jesus day by day, after the Holy Spirit has done His converting work in our life, we will be led daily in a continuing walk with Christ.
RSS Feed
