Hebrews 10:14-16
"For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, said the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,' then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin."
The primary witness of the Spirit is to testify of Christ's new covenant with his church. Simply put, the Lord now dwells within us, a new law has replaced that of Moses, and our sins are no longer remembered any more. The fact is, we would not know the reality of God's love for us nor be transformed by his presence without the witness of the Spirit.
The word God uses for this transforming work of the Spirit is "remission." Under God's free gift of remission, the effects of sin are being removed, and where remission has begun in our lives, it is sure to be completed. Best of all, where remission is present, no additional sin offering is needed. God all done all that is needed to replace our unholy lives with his righteousness.
And all of this is witnessed by the Spirit who lives within us.
While the Bible often warns against a life governed by feelings, the idea of a witness by the Spirit seems to speak to just this concept. Literally, we often feel the Spirit within. He speaks of the reality of our faith and God's gracious gift.
But the witness of the Spirit is more than just a feeling. There is also the witness of a life that which once rejected God's love, now desires a daily relationship with Christ. There is the witness of the transformation that is occurring within us, as a life which once tolerated sin now looks to God for power over it. And whenever we fall into sin, we know the witness of the Spirit's conviction, and the assurance of the Spirit's touch, cleansing us from sin's guilt. We also sense the Lord speaking, revealing his will at many points in our life, and can often see the results of his work in the world.
All these things are witnesses of the Spirit. While God didn't have to prove his word to us, with the Spirit, there is proof enough.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for the gift of your Spirit, witnessing of the change you are working in my life and within your church. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment