The Authority of Spiritual Transformation

All right, guys, we're going to jump right on this morning. You know, last week we looked at the power of regeneration. And I thought back when I started Aldersgate, there was a lady that started coming to Aldersgate named Joyce Bartlett. and Joyce the mother and she's still alive Joyce is still alive she is Shorty's Billberry's wife mother or Glenna's wife's mother and Joyce grew up Church of Christ and started coming to Aldersgate and Joyce started coming with them and she'd walk out of church and she'd say well you sound like a Baptist today next Sunday she'd walk out and say well you sound like a Methodist today then she'd walk out and say you said I'm in the church of Christ today and for about 8 or 9 Sundays she identified me and finally one Sunday she walked out and said well I guess you're just a Christian you're just going to preach that Bible and she made a really good church member I'm telling you so we looked at regeneration last week. I told you, you know, that's kind of a Baptist sermon. They kind of have the corner on the market on being born again, regeneration. At least we think in those terms today they don't have it, but it seems like they do sometimes. Today, I want us to look at the authority of spiritual transformation. next week we're going to look at the authority of spiritual declaration and that really jumps us off into deep water right there when we talk about declaration but I want to hang my hat today on a scripture in 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 13 through 18 and try to use this as a jumping off point to talk to you about our authority, the believer's authority in spiritual transformation.

The Apostle Paul, Peter, said, but according to his promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth. So he's dealing with the second coming there, in which righteousness dwells. Now, you know, if you want to spend some time thinking about something, think about that, where righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found in him, in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation. Isn't that cool? To regard the patience of the Lord to be salvation Some of us needn understand patience that God has for us

Then it's really interesting how he makes this connection. He says, just as our beloved brother Paul. Here's Peter. Here's Paul. Just as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you as also in his letters. I guess Peter had read some of those. Speaking in them of these things, the second coming, the same thing, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and the unstable distort. You've probably seen some of that in the American church today, how people have distorted the Word of God. as they do the rest of scriptures to their own destruction. Which means those guys that are out there in error and teaching and preaching this stuff, they're in trouble. That's what that's saying. You therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand, be on guard lest be carried away by the error of unprincipled men. You fall from your own steadfastness. But, here's a big, big but right here. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of his return. Amen. Now, guys, when I read this, I thought, how cool is this?

The Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul, when teaching about the second coming of Christ, were on identical pages. Identical. They balanced their view of looking upward and looking inward. They preached a hopeful expectation that the king of righteousness would return. But they also preached a present reality. Listen to this. A present reality of the king of righteousness taking residence in our heart right now. Of the receptive taking residence right now. It's a present reality. It's not just a pie in the sky thing. It is a present reality. In this peaceful relationship with Christ. and his saving patience. Don't you like that? Saving patience. They preached the receptive word would not only be declared righteous, but listen to this, but would be made righteous, spotless and blameless guys they did not just stop with what the believers experience would be They mandated a plan of action here. Let me read it to you again. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me just define that for you, how I define it. Growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ empowers the believer to live in the Lord's patience. His patience is our salvation. To live in the Lord's patience and the unfolding into full salvation. Do you hear that?

One of the Wesleyan mandates that I heard when I jumped off in the seminary was that we, as the people of God, are to proclaim and live out the whole gospel for the whole world. That we're not to shortcut that gospel. We're to live the whole gospel for the whole world. In Ephesians chapter 3, the apostle Paul prays for the Gentile believers in the Ephesus church. In verse 3, it says that he bows his knee before the Father and prays some very specific things. Listen to what he prays. He prays that they would be strengthened with power through the Spirit in the inner man. Peter and Paul had an upward look, but they also had an inward look. They understood that there was an inner man in us.

Paul prays that the Spirit would work in the inner man. he prays that Christ would dwell in the hearts through faith that it wouldn't just be a head knowledge but it would be a faith experience he prays that they would be rooted and grounded in love somehow we want to push that love issue to the side sometimes but that they would be rooted and grounded in love He prays that they would comprehend the vast nature of God. He prays that they would know the love of Christ which surpasses all understanding. And number six, here's the clincher.

Then he prays that they be filled with the fullness of God. Do you hear that? the whole gospel for the whole world. The fullness of God. You see, he was praying that they would experience more than just regeneration. That's what I talked about last week. He was praying that they'd be filled with more than just being born in the Spirit. The new birth experience, what we theologically call the doctrine of justification. no one talked more about that experience than the apostle Paul but his understanding of the depths of God grace would not leave him there he knew there was much much much more to the experience of God deepening grace in our lives. Now that ought to get you excited. It's not just regeneration. It's not just being born of the Spirit, but there's much, much more. There's a deepening experience of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Thessalonians 5.23, he gives a benediction. He says, Now may the grace of peace himself sanctify you entirely. Interesting word there. Completely. In fullness. And may your spirit, your soul, and body. That's all of us, isn't it? Spirit, soul, and body. Be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's a big statement. You hear that? That you would be preserved complete without blame at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, I got to think, if I was an elementary teacher, and I was trying to teach my kids these ideas right here, I'd probably draw hands like this, and put on paper, and jump up to college class now. Justifying grace, sanctifying grace. regenerated transformed you see that born of the spirit baptized in the spirit declared righteous hold on here made righteous declared righteous made righteous waiting in his presence going in his power.

These are the biblical defined moments of grace that are distinctive in nature and yet progressive in movement. Now let me say that again. Distinctive in nature and yet, thank God, progressive in movement. That's why he says in the following verse in 1 Thessalonians 5.24, faithful is he who called you. You. Now that's a distinctive moment of grace, isn't it? Faithful is he who called you and he also will bring it to pass. You see the progressive transformation movement of grace, the distinctive moment,

the progressive movement.

That's how God works in our lives. we'd all like to just compartmentalize him and just say well here's the compartment and this is only how he works but he works progressively throughout our lives through his activity of the spirit and grace and faith guys we cannot save ourselves

Bottom line, but the Bible says this, what is impossible with man is possible with God.

The knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is the library of our souls. it's where we get the information that unfolds our transformation the authority of our transformation in Christ that leads us to powerful and supernatural demonstrations of the Holy Spirit when I went to Asbury Seminary right in the middle of the seminary there is Asbury Theological Seminary Library and I can remember the first day I walked into that library and I stood there and I could see upward levels after levels after levels there were aisles and aisles and aisles of books and I thought I had died and gone to heaven it was amazing all these books on pneumatology and Christology and soteriology and ecclesiology and the ologies went on and on and they just have aisles and aisles of these descriptions of our faith. And I just stood there and I thought, how am I going to read all these books in three years?

Kim can tell you I'm a slow reader. That's not going to happen. That is not going to happen.

And then I thought of Wesley, when Wesley said, I am a man of one book. One book. this one right here.

I read as many of those books as I could in that library in three years on all kinds of topics and subjects. I didn't study at our apartment. Kim can tell you, I studied at the library. She went to work, I went to class, and then I went to sit in that library six and seven hours a day mulling over as much as I could the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is the library of our soul Romans 12 2 do not be conformed to this world but be you transformed that's what we're talking about isn't it transformation be you transformed by the renewing of your minds that you might prove what the will of God is.

Transformation, demonstration. You see that?

That which is good, acceptable, and perfect. You know what you fill your mind with? It's what you're going to live out. I'll tell you right now.

John 17 17 in the high priestly prayer Jesus prayed sanctify them in the truth

Thy word is truth.

Growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ are just a couple of steps, but very important steps that enable believers to walk in the process of spiritual transformation. The Apostle Paul described this transformation as a combination of three distinct movements in 1 Corinthians 15, 1 through 2. And I want to read that to you, and I'll point out these movements or moments.

You can play on those words right there. Sometimes it's a movement, sometimes it's a moment. He says, now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preach to you, which you receive. Stop right there.

That is the past moment of salvation. that's the moment of regeneration new birth in Christ it's past do you see that which you have received and then it says in which you also stand that is the present moment of salvation I am standing right here in front of you in this very present moment and I declare to you I am saved. You hear what I'm saying there?

I was saved. In fact, that all took place on the cross at Calvary. there's no shadow of doubt in my mind right now when I declare to you that I'm saved. Right now.

I've sat with lots of people dying,

and I've asked them,

are you saved?

And many responded, well, I hope so.

Well, I hope so.

And I went, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no, no, no.

You are saved.

Past. And you stand saved right now. You know, our theology would be tied up in this song right here. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heard of salvation Purchased of God Born of His Spirit Washed in His blood This is my story This is my song praising my Savior all the day long This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. I'm saved. There's not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that I'm saved because I was saved. I was saved at Calvary. And the night I got down on my knees and accepted that fact, my whole world changed. But I'm telling you right now, I'm saved right now. I have blessed assurance that Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchased. You hear that? Purchased of God, born of his spirit, washed in his blood. I am standing here today saved. but he goes on Paul goes on and says by which you are being saved you can go read all the books on soteriology and there's more debate over that statement right there it's crazy everything that's been written about it you are being saved. That is the ongoing future moment, movements of salvation in your life. You hear that? I'm not just declaring I'm saved now. Guys, I am being saved for glory.

Now, Paul says, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, what was it? I was saved. I stand saved. And I am being saved. He says, unless you believe in pain. He said, the whole gospel for the whole world.

Don't cut it short. do not cut this book short the word working in you I was saved I am saved I am being saved that is my authority as a believer for spiritual transformation does that all connect with you? hear what I'm saying?

in 2 Thessalonians 2.13 Paul writes, But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because he has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. Notice this. Through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and faith and truth. sanctification by the Holy Spirit think about that it simply is growth in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and it painful sometimes it is a fiery ordeal the Bible says sometimes

Sanctification is a glorious experience. But get ready, because God's going to take you through it. I'm going to stop right there but just let me tell you it is a work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life if you're growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ you're growing in sanctifying grace and then he says and faith in the truth.

Growth in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what that's all about. Faith in the truth.

It's interesting how he ties those together here, isn't it? Grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

His word, if you'll read it, will set you on fire.

His purification will come through the Word.

Read it.

And then say, God, make it more than information. Make it transformation.

And next week when we talk about declaration. It's all about demonstration.

You know, I thought, how do you conclude this sermon? How do you conclude this?

You remember the parable it's told in Matthew 12 and Luke 11 what I call the parable of the cleansed but unoccupied, unattended house.

Jesus tells a story about a man whose house, and really the house is his heart, was demon possessed.

And the demon is cast out of the house. and it's interesting how this demon is just thrown out and lives in waterless wastelands and he's desirous to go back to his house where he came from and he cannot, the Bible says, he can't find rest for himself and so he decides to revisit his house that he'd been cast out of And when he goes back, this is what he finds. He finds that it has been swept. The house has been cleaned.

Ladies, how many of you have swept and cleaned your house? You know, Kim tells a story about my mother. My mother raised six boys and was an immaculate house cleaner. She would literally, weakly sweep the windows out in the house and move beds and sweep under beds. If she found a speck of dirt anywhere, I told her she had an addiction to house construction.

cleaning.

And she ironed things. Back then they used irons. You know, my mother had a full-time job cleaning and taking care of six boys and nothing was ever dirty or out of order.

Kim can tell you I got some of that. You know, I've got I've got brown hangers and white hangers and hangers with the pants hangers. Then I've got black hangers, and they're all just like that in my closet.

God deliver me.

My mother, I'm going to tell you, six boys, you couldn't find a speck of dirt. Kim tells this story about when we lived in the parsonage down at Eula, the first little student pastor that I had when I was in college. My mom and dad came and the kitchen was off kind of to the side. Kim had stepped around the corner to look in the kitchen and there was my mother dragging her finger across the refrigerator on the top. and jim said my best would never be what my mom's best was my wife this that's what i see here when i read it this house was swept everything was in order perfect but then it says it was unoccupied it was unattended it all been cleaned up but there were no family pictures on the wall there were no pots and pans in the shelves. It wasn't filled back up for use. You see what I'm saying? It was just empty.

Eastern meditation.

It teaches you to cleanse yourself.

But there's nothing that gets put back inside. Do you see what I'm saying there? we're not just to be cleansed we're to be filled back with the Holy Spirit and so when this demon comes back he sees this unoccupied unattended house And what do you think his natural conclusion was? Well, I'm just going to go back in there.

And I'm going to take seven others with me. and the Bible says that this man's house his heart was worse than it was in the beginning now here's what I want you to understand Jesus did not just come to cleanse the temple remember how we talked about how he cleansed the temple he came to restore the temple to its original intent.

When Jesus cleansed you and forgave you,

then he wanted to fill you to the fullness of God.

Sanctification entirely so that you could bring glory to him and be a little Christ image walking on this earth.

Now that's cool stuff, guys.

There's a lot of folks that come to the cross.

In fact, I heard a report, 87% of people polled in the church say they have not grown in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 87% have not grown. They got saved and satisfied. And they laid sanctification over to the side. Growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. They laid it to the side.

There's still babies in Christ. Paul says, grow up! Mature.

He didn't just come to cleanse your temple. He came to restore it to its original intent, which means to the image of Christ, the image of God. You were created in the image of God, and it got messed up in the garden, and Jesus came to fix it.

In 2 Corinthians 3.18, but we all with unveiled face beholding as a mirror the glory of the lord beholding him are being transformed listen to this into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3.16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Just read all of Paul and Peter. They talk about the fullness of God all the time. they were not interesting in leading people to Christ and getting their glass halfway full they wanted their glass to be full and spilling over that's the purpose of salvation it's not just regeneration it's moving on to transformation that comes in distinct moments and also through movements.

You know, if I were to say today, if I sit down with you in a classroom and I said, okay, I'm going to help you right out your journey with Christ.

And if you got to the cross and you just stopped right there, we'd have some serious praying to do, wouldn't we?

Because His will is that you grow in grace and in knowledge,

in experiences with Him and in His Word. And I'll tell you, that word will always judge that experience.

It will always judge that experience. And what will happen is, Jesus said, you'll know them by their fruits.

You'll begin to manifest fruits of the Spirit, and you'll begin to manifest gifts of the Holy Spirit. When Kim and I got married we decided we write our own vows We said the traditional vows but we decided we write our own vows

So I pledged to Kim the fruits of the Spirit.

I will be patient.

I'll always be loved. You know, all the fruits of the Spirit.

Boy, did I need some sanctification. still do she can tell you that I've had moments of grace were distinct moments in our marriage but I'm still in process I'm still in movement also especially when you're 74 in moving houses and I can testify she is too grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ don't get stuck at Calvary don't get stuck at Calvary move on to Pentecost don't just get born again move on and get baptized in the Holy Ghost and Paul says not just baptized in the Holy Ghost but be ye filled every day with the Spirit of God before your feet hit the floor every morning you ought to say before you hit the floor God filled me with the Holy Spirit today fill me with the Holy Spirit today that's not a Pentecostal prayer y'all that's a biblical prayer fill me with the Holy Spirit and what he started he will finish amen amen let's pray Lord thank you for this day and thank you for the power of the word and the power of the spirit Lord I'm not interested in being a Christian that's just been to Calvary I want to go to Pentecost every day and Lord I pray that blessing over every person sitting in this room today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.