by Dane Massey
(Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)
Been thinking on the work of the Spirit in our lives as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”
“Therefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)
This progressive or forward work of salvation is the Biblical work of sanctification. This is an awesome yet difficult work as the Spirit moves us from regeneration (new birth) through transformation and ultimately to glorification.
Awesome in that it is God at work in us (gives insight to the “fear and trembling”). Difficult in that we must be and are engaged in a process that the older generations would many times describe as being “pulled through a knot hole.” The flesh/sin dies hard!
As I thought on this great work in us and through us, two quotes, from saints of old came to mind:
“Give what you command O’ Lord, and then command whatever you will.” (Confessions – St. Augustine)
“ His commands are the gateway to His promises.” (Puritans)
What did Augustine and the Puritans have in mind? The Puritan quote brings to mind Peter’s description of salvation:
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (II Peter 1:3-4).
Where does the Spirit, (the divine nature we are partakers of), fit into this process? Paul would describe the Spirit’s work as “God at work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
Simply put, the Spirit is at work in us causing us to desire God’s will and then empowering us to accomplish it. Jesus would describe this work of the Spirit in John 16:13-15:
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Simply put, the Spirit will take all that Jesus is, to and for us, by what He accomplished at the Cross, and show it to us, that Christ might be glorified to us, in us and through us.”
This showing would fall under the Biblical heading of illumination or as Paul prayed, “that God would give unto us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Christ)…. That the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened…” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
Wesley would describe this illuminating work of the Spirit as “one’s heart being suddenly warmed within them as they behold (hear of) the glory of Christ.”
If one has not experienced such a warming when singing a hymn of the Cross, a spiritual song of His glory, or reading and thinking on amazing grace and mercy, one might be in the state described by the circuit riding preacher of old: “…. If that doesn’t light your fire your wood’s wet.”
Having said all of the above, we must not miss the practical living produced by this ongoing illumination and sanctification. A picture that helps me to enter into the practical side of sanctification is of the Hoover Dam:
For thousands of years, men and women, lived and died by the Colorado River as its millions of gallons of water flowed through what is now Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Then Hoover Dam was built in Black Canyon about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas where the Colorado River forms the border between Arizona and Nevada.
That dam produces about four billion kilowatt-hours per year, enough power to equip 1.3 million people with lights, heat and air, refrigeration, etc.
This power however must be administered in proper dosages or it could be deadly therefore there are transformers down the lines and breaker boxes at each business and home breaking down the power into useable measures that empower and enhances life.
The Spirit (in a simplistic picture and language that I can wrap my head around) does the same thing with the great power of God toward and for us through the work of Christ on the Cross. The Spirit illuminates our understanding to the great power available and breaks it down for us in useable amounts that motivate and empower everyday practical living.
This happens of course as we participate through study, understanding, and application under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. This is why Francis Shaffer’s quote is so true:
“The Christian doctrine is best demonstrated with calloused hands and a flannel shirt.”
The Spirit’s work is not merely to show us the magnificent “Hoover Dam” (The Cross) but to bring that awesome power into the practical everyday life of relationships, conflicts, adversity, etc., in such a way that Christ is manifested and glorified in and through our lives by our “love, joy, peace, long suffering, patience, goodness, kindness.”
Think about it. Without the dam the power of the mighty Colorado just flows on never impacting or transforming millions of lives. Without the Cross and the Spirit’s work the power of God flows on without regenerating and transforming millions of lives!
So what do Augustine’s prayer and the Puritans’ thought have to do with all of this?
The Puritans’ thoughts are correct. God’s commands are the gateways to His promises! Augustine saw it! It is impossible, because of His magnificent character, for God to command what He has not already supplied! If God always pre-supplies what He commands then His commands are the gateways to His promises.
Therefore when we fail to obey we’ve merely shut ourselves off from His abundant supply. Note that Peter points to His promises that are ours through His divine nature. You unwrap the promises through obedience to His commands. As we move to and in obedience, by faith, we find that He, by the work of the Cross, through the Spirit, has already supplied what He has commanded!
Ongoing sanctification is truly an awesome journey and a difficult work combined. Be sure to enjoy the journey as you participate in the difficult work!
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