SANCTIFICATION BY THE HOLY SPIRT
The sermon our pastor preached this morning was exceptionally rich, focusing on the Third Article of the Nicene Creed and the person and work of the Holy Spirit. In particular, he highlighted the indispensable role the Spirit plays in the life of every believer.
One of the Spirit’s essential works is the creation of saving faith itself. It is the Holy Spirit who grants the faith necessary to believe the gospel and who provides the illumination required to understand it. Salvation is a gift composed of many gifts—faith, belief, forgiveness, Christ’s imputed righteousness, reconciliation with God, eternal life, repentance, and more. Though each facet deserves careful reflection, a brief summary must suffice here.
Scripture makes clear that there can be no salvation apart from the Spirit’s sovereign initiative. He must
first grant both faith and understanding. It is the Spirit who transforms the heart of the one chosen by
God, producing in that person the desire to follow Christ. Without this divine work, the human heart
remains spiritually unresponsive.
This raises an important question: do we find within ourselves even a subtle sense of pride for having “made the right decision” to follow Christ?
Do we feel frustrated that others do not use their intelligence or moral reasoning to make the same “choice”?
Such thinking misunderstands the nature of salvation. Salvation does not rest upon human intellect or effort. It depends wholly upon the God who “has mercy on whom He has mercy” and upon the Holy Spirit who brings about regeneration.
If our final standing before God rested on our autonomous free will, then God would not receive the full glory for salvation. In fact, such a view would leave room for boasting—as though we should congratulate ourselves for choosing wisely. As John MacArthur has observed (paraphrased), while we may experience our coming to Christ as a decision, that “decision” would have been impossible had God not acted first. Those who reject the gospel do so because the regenerating work of the Spirit has not yet occurred in their lives.
The doctrine of salvation is deeply Trinitarian. Each person of the Godhead acts in perfect unity, yet with distinct roles: God the Father is the Architect of salvation; God the Son accomplishes salvation through His death, burial, and resurrection; and God the Holy Spirit applies salvation through regeneration, illumination, and sanctification. From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God alone.
This raises an important question: do we find within ourselves even a subtle sense of pride for having “made the right decision” to follow Christ?
Do we feel frustrated that others do not use their intelligence or moral reasoning to make the same “choice”?
Such thinking misunderstands the nature of salvation. Salvation does not rest upon human intellect or effort. It depends wholly upon the God who “has mercy on whom He has mercy” and upon the Holy Spirit who brings about regeneration.
If our final standing before God rested on our autonomous free will, then God would not receive the full glory for salvation. In fact, such a view would leave room for boasting—as though we should congratulate ourselves for choosing wisely. As John MacArthur has observed (paraphrased), while we may experience our coming to Christ as a decision, that “decision” would have been impossible had God not acted first. Those who reject the gospel do so because the regenerating work of the Spirit has not yet occurred in their lives.
The doctrine of salvation is deeply Trinitarian. Each person of the Godhead acts in perfect unity, yet with distinct roles: God the Father is the Architect of salvation; God the Son accomplishes salvation through His death, burial, and resurrection; and God the Holy Spirit applies salvation through regeneration, illumination, and sanctification. From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God alone.
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