When Jesus came to die for our sins, He was both fully God and fully man. He was God in flesh. John 1:1-2 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” Without Him being fully God in the form of man, man could not be spared from the penalties of sin (death and separation from God). God Himself must pay the price. No animal sacrifice could ever cover the penalty! All men, because of Adam’s sin, have inherited that sinful nature and face both death and eternal separation from God.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
Consequently, we are all in need of a savior! But at our moment of salvation, when we accept the fact that we are sinners in need of a savior and accept Christ as that savior, we also inherit the Holy Spirit. At salvation, the Holy Spirit, who is the very Spirit of God, comes to reside in us. Why does this take place at the moment of salvation, and what’s the importance of the Holy Spirit?
First, as men, we need to remember that we have all sinned. We were not only born into sin because of Adam, the first man, but we also inherited a sinful nature! Even good guys sin. Because we inherited the penalty of sin and live with Adam’s sinful nature, we were condemned to death and separated from our relationship with a holy God. Salvation corrects the failure of Adam! Jesus, the Son who sits at the right hand of God, had to become man and pay the debt of the first man, Adam, and all the sinners that followed. But there is still the third blessing of God’s goodness! God not only saves us from the penalty of sin through His Son, but at salvation we inherit the very Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.
This verse is often interpreted as a message of hope and freedom from fear. It is a reminder that we are not bound by fear, but rather we have been given the spirit of adoption, which allows us to call God our Father.
As soon as we ask Jesus Christ into our hearts as our Savior, we immediately inherit the very Spirit of God! The penalty of death and separation from God in now avoided and we inherit His Spirit as well. Why is this important? It is important because without the Spirit, the line of communication is not complete.
The Spirit of God guides us, directs us, corrects us, and even speaks to us! For instance, if an individual who has not experienced salvation reads the Bible, God’s Word may guide them toward salvation, but the message won’t resonate with them in the same profound way as it does for someone who has the indwelling Spirit of God. As we engage with the Word of God, the Spirit and the Word interact! Without the Spirit in us, His holy Word (the Bible) will not speak to the Spirit within us that guides and changes us. God desires not only to save us, but to guide us and have a relationship with us as His children. Someone lacking the Spirit rejects teachings from God’s Spirit, deeming them foolish and remaining unable to comprehend the lessons.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The Holy Spirit in us is the very heart and mind of Christ interacting with God’s written Word. Three are one – God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work as one together on behalf of God’s children. The Father created us! The Son saved us! The Spirit guides us! Without God, we would never have been born. Without Christ, the penalty of sin, which is death, would not be forgiven. Without the Holy Spirit we still have the character of God in us, but no way for Him to speak to us! The three in one working together complete His work! His work is perfect! Remember, God wants us to become more like Him in both relationship and character. Once we are saved, the very character of God comes to reside in us as a deposit of our salvation.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining Spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
As we abide in His Word (the Bible), we begin to grow as men of God in both faith and character! This unity of three in one is not only good, but it also illustrates how good our Father is. He not only created us and saved us, but also guides us. But on top of all of that, He provides for us. Why do we need to be humbly grateful? Because He did it all!
Have a blessed day!
S.L. Thomas, RTM