The Process of Spiritual Transformation

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The Process of Spiritual Transformation

• Part Three
• Living in the Spirit Restoring our Souls

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Life in the Spirit

• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• Not an impersonal divine influence or force
• Not the relation of love between Father and Son
• Rather, a distinct person, like Jesus, but
  without a visible body

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• The Personhood of the Holy Spirit
• Called He (Jn. 14.26, 15.26, et al)
• Called the Counselor (Jn. 14.16, et al)
• He teaches (Jn. 14.26)
• He bears witness (Jn. 15.26, Ro. 8.16)
• He speaks (Acts 8.29, 13.2)
• He leads (Acts 11.12, 16.6, Ro. 8.14)
• He can be lied to (Acts 5.3)
• He can be grieved (Eph. 4.30)

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• The Holy Spirit is God
• Matthew 28.19
• 1 Cor. 12.4-6
• 2Cor. 13.15
• Eph. 4.4-6
• 1 Pet. 1.2

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• His main work among non-believers
• Convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment
• Glorifying Jesus
• His major work among believers
• Imparting new life (new birth)
• Transforming into the image of Christ (holiness)

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• The Holy Spirit brings those who are dead in
  trespasses and sins to new life in the kingdom of
  God
• What is born of the flesh is flesh. What is born
  of the Spirit is spirit (Jn. 3. 6)
• Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born
  again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (Jn.
  3.3)

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• The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption
• God the Father has adopted those who trust his
  Son into his own family (Ro. 8.15)
• The Spirit assures us that we are Gods children
  (Ro. 8.16, Gal. 4.4-6)
• Through the Spirit we experience fellowship with
  the Father and the Son

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• ...you have received the Spirit of adoption as
  sons, by whom we cry, Abba, Father! The Spirit
  himself bears witness with our spirit that we are
  children of God... (Ro. 8. 15-16)

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• But when the fullness of time had come, God sent
  forth his son, born of a woman, born under the
  law,, to redeem those who were under the law, so
  that we might receive adoption as sons. And
  because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of
  his Son into our hearts, crying Abba, Father!
  (Gal. 4.4-6)

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• Four keys to living in the fellowship and power
  of the Spirit
• Two are positive
• Be filled with the Spirit
• Walk by the Spirit
• Two are negative
• Do not grieve the Spirit
• Do not quench the Spirit

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• 1. We are instructed to be filled with the Holy
  Spirit
• And do not get drunk with wine but be filled
  with the Spirit... (Eph. 5.18f)
• Filled means come under the Spirits control
• Filling is to be continuous be ye being filled
• We must allow the Spirit to fill us to take
  control of our lives we must yield to him
• The Spirit then empowers us for godly living
  (Eph. 5.19f)

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• Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a
  one-time event
• We need to be filled repeatedly
• Why? Because we badly leak...by doing things that
  grieve or quench the Spirit causing him to
  withdraw his influence and power

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• Being filled with the Spirit is essential for a
  normal Christian life
• It is impossible to live a normal, spiritually
  healthy life unless we are filled with the Holy
  Spirit
• This is one of the main reasons so many believers
  live weak, powerless, defeated lives and feel far
  from God
• Lack of wholehearted surrender often lies behind
  this

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• 2. Walk by the Spirit
• ...walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify
  the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5.16)
• Walk is a metaphor for the way we live our lives
• If we consistently yield to the Spirits
  promptings and desires, we will not fulfill the
  desires of the flesh
• How do we walk/live in this manner?

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• We must first understand the battle within us
• We are daily, hourly, sometimes moment-by-moment,
  challenged by the desires of the flesh
• The flesh, is human nature apart from
  God....a complex web of thoughts, desires, values
  and actions that are in opposition to Gods will
  for us.

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• These things do not disappear when we are reborn
  spiritually, but they are sufficiently weakened
  that we can resist them, obey God, and also root
  them out with the Spirits help
• The flesh, or old nature, will regularly give us
  urges, promptings, temptations, desires to think,
  feel, act as we did before trusting Christ
• This is to be expected and resisted

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• Temptation
• Each person is tempted when he lured and enticed
  by his own desire. Then desire, when it has
  conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is
  fully grown brings forth death (Jas. 1.14-15)

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• "No temptation has overtaken you that is not
  common to man. God is faithful, and he will not
  let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with
  the temptation he will also provide the way of
  escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1
  Corinthians 1013, ESV)
• As we choose to take the way of escape, the Holy
  Spirit empowers us to do so.

19

• Walking in the Spirit involves
• First, being filled with the Spirit
• Then, obeying the Spirits leadings in those
  moments of choice that arise throughout the day
• Like forks in a road, we are faced with an
  either/or situation of choosing between the flesh
  and the Spirit
• The Spirit will lead us in ways agreeable to
  Scripture and never in conflict with it

20

• Because the Spirit inspired the Scriptures, it is
  especially important that we immerse ourselves in
  them
• Reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on
  Scripture are vital
• The better we know the Scriptures, the more
  easily the Spirit can guide and direct us in
  godly living

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• Prayer, another major means of grace, is a key
  part of living in the Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer and helps
  us pray aright
• In the Bible, prayer is primarily asking our
  Father in heaven for what we need for our own
  good and for his glory.

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• Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
  but the Spirit himself interceded for us with
  groaning too deep for words. (Ro. 8.26)
• ...pray at all times in the Spirit, with all
  prayer and supplication (Eph 6.18)

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• Scripture and prayer are two vital means of grace
  the Spirit uses for spiritual transformation
• They are aspects of a relationship and not mere
  disciplines, though a measure of discipline is
  involved
• There are various ways to utilize both and we
  should explore them all
• Neglect of either will impoverish our souls and
  hinder our transformation

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• Those are the two positive commands concerning
  the Holy Spirit
• Be filled with the Spirit
• Walk in the Spirit
• Following are the two negative commands

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• 1. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you
  were sealed for the day of redemption (Eph.
  4.30, ESV)
• And do not bring sorrow to Gods Holy Spirit by
  the way you live. Remember, he has identified you
  as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved
  on the day of redemption (NLT)

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• Dont grieve God. Dont break his heart. His Holy
  Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most
  intimate part of your life, making you fit for
  himself. Dont take such a gift for granted. (The
  Message)
• Grieving the Spirit (Greek) to cause sorrow,
  suffering, pain or offense to God deep
  poignant distress (MW)

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• Certain sins especially grieve the Holy Spirit
• Because he is holy, when we grieve him
• He withdraws from fellowship with us
• He withdraws his empowerment from us
• Grieving the Spirit is serious a issue
• Restoration comes only through repentance and
  confession, then asking to be filled afresh with
  the Spirit

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• 2. Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thess. 5.19)
• Greek, literally to extinguish a fire
• Metaphorically (as here) to stifle, suppress,
  restrain the work of the Spirit (ANLEX 347)

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• We must not quench (extinguish, pour water on)
  any efforts that the Holy Spirit may be making to
  communicate with and direct us
• Teaching truth
• Convicting of sin
• Guidance in life

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• What is the focus of the Holy Spirits work in
  transforming us
• Again, making us Christlike
• What does that look like concretely?
• For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision or
  uncircumcision counts for anything, but only
  faith working through love (Gal. 5.6)
• Jesus exemplified faith working through love

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• Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for
  the flesh but through love serve one another. For
  the whole law is fulfilled in one word, You
  shall love our neighbor as yourself. (Gal.
  5.13-15)

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• Christlike love is seen in the fruit of the Holy
  Spirit
• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
  patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and
  self-control (Gal. 5.22-23)
• This is a portrait/profile of Jesus life on
  earth and our goal

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• This grows out of Jesus own teaching about the
  greatest goal in life
• You shall love the Lord your God with all your
  heart and with all your soul and with all your
  mind. This is the great and first commandment.
  And a second is like it you shall love your
  neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments
  depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Mt.
  22.37-40)

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• Christlike love leads us into service and mission
• Mission is simply expressing our love and
  devotion to Christ by reaching out in love and
  service to others.
• The Holy Spirit gives us gifts for the good of
  others in the body of Christ and for ministry in
  the world.