the saving work of the holy spirit

8. The Saving Work of the Holy Spirit

What We Believe Series

8.1 We believe that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in the world, sharing in the work of creation, performing signs and wonders, giving triumphs in battle, empowering the preaching of prophets and inspiring the writing of Scripture. Yet, after Christ had made atonement for sin and ascended to the

right hand of the Father, He inaugurated a new era of the Spirit by pouring out the promise of the Father

on His Church.



on His Church.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The

earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1-2



on His Church.

O.T.Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon

him, and although he had nothing in his

hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears

a young goat.Judges 14:6

N.T.For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me

to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,

by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the

gospel of Christ;Romans 15:18-19



on His Church.

Judah vs the Moabites and Ammonites

2 Chronicles 20



on His Church.

And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with

you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to

me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled

against me.Ezekiel 2:1-3

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy

Spirit2 Peter 1:21



on His Church.

And behold, I am sending the promise of

my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power

from on high.Luke 24:49

8.2 We believe that the newness of this era is marked by the unprecedented mission of the Spirit to glorify

the crucified and risen Christ. This He does by giving the disciples of Jesus greater power to

preach the gospel of the glory of Christ, by confirming the authority of His Word, by opening the

hearts of hearers that they might see Christ and believe, by transforming His people from glory to

glory, by manifesting Himself in spiritual gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ, by calling all the

nations to repentance and faith in Christ, and, in all this, thus fulfilling the New Covenant promise to

create and preserve a purified people for the everlasting habitation of God.








When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into

all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority,

but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to

you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and

declare it to you.John 16:13-14








But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the

end of the earth.Acts 1:8








“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain

that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and

said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what

shall we do?”Acts 2:36-37








To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good….All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one

individually as he wills.1Corinthians 12:7-11

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the

same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

1Corinthians 3:18








For this is the covenant that I will make with the

house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I

will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall

be my people.Jeremiah 31:33

8.3 We believe that, apart from the effectual work of the Spirit, no one would come to faith, because all

men are dead in trespasses and sins, hostile to God, unable to understand spiritual things, and morally

unable to submit to God or please Him because the pleasures of sin appear greater than the pleasures of God. Thus, for God's elect, the Spirit triumphs over all resistance, wakens the dead, removes blindness,

and manifests Christ in such a compellingly beautiful way through the Gospel that He becomes irresistibly attractive to the regenerate heart. The Spirit indwells every believer and guarantees that

saints will persevere to the end.






And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

in which you once walked, following the course of this world…

Ephesians 2:1-2

The natural person does not accept the things of the

Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them

because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14






All that the Father gives me will come to

me, and whoever comes to me I will

never cast out.John 6:37

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might

preach him among the Gentiles…

Galatians 1:15-16






In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in

him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the

guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of

it, to the praise of his glory.Ephesians 1:13-14

8.4 We believe the Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the Gospel of

the glory of Christ. Thus neither the work of the Father in election, nor the work of the Son in

atonement, nor the work of the Spirit in regeneration is a hindrance or discouragement to the

proclamation of the gospel to all peoples and persons everywhere. On the contrary, this divine saving work of the Trinity is the warrant and the

ground of our hope that our evangelization is not in vain in the Lord. The Spirit binds His saving work to

the gospel of Christ, because His aim is to glorify the Christ of the Gospel.

8.4 We believe the Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the Gospel of

the glory of Christ. Thus neither the work of the Father in election, nor the work of the Son in

atonement, nor the work of the Spirit in regeneration is a hindrance or discouragement to the

proclamation of the gospel to all peoples and persons everywhere. On the contrary, this divine saving work of the Trinity is the warrant and the

ground of our hope that our evangelization is not in vain in the Lord. The Spirit binds His saving work to

the gospel of Christ, because His aim is to glorify the Christ of the Gospel.

… And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are

sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:14-15

the saving work of the holy spirit

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