The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Making of the Unshaken Man
Jesus Christ is immovable (Heb 13:8). He is our Rock and Anchor for the soul of those in union with Him (2 Sam 22:3; Ps 18:2, 46; 1 Cor 10:4; Heb 6:19). The Christian is brought by God into union with Messiah by being transferred from the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:13). The kingdom of Christ is manifest wherever the Holy Spirit resides and produces spiritual fruit (Rom 14:17; Gal 5:22–23). God’s design is for His people to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor 15:58).
The work of God the Holy Spirit in God’s chosen people is called, “grace.” Grace saves the elect, redeemed, regenerated soul, granting that person the faith to believe in Jesus (Rom 12:3; Gal 3:22; 5:22; Eph 2:8–9; Phil 1:29; Heb 12:2). Faith, or faithfulness, is the gift of the Spirit of God who is Himself the gift of God (Lk 11:13; Acts 2:38; 10:45; Eph 2:8–9; Jude 1:3). Like an engagement ring, Christ gives His beloved people His Spirit as a pledge, a token of His eternal love (2 Cor 5:5).
The Spirit is sent by God the Father and God the Son to those predestined to adoption as sons (Jn 14:26; 15:26; Rom 8:30; Eph 1:4–5). This is why the Bible calls the third Person of the Trinity, “the Spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15, 23).” The Christian, who is indwelt by God’s Spirit (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; 2 Tim 1:14; Gal 4:6), His love token, eagerly waits for the adoption to be finalized. The adopted child of God hopes for the day when he or she will be at home with the Lord…glorified (Rom 8:30; 1 Cor 15:43; Phil 1:23; Col 1:27).
The disciple follows Christ on the way of suffering and affliction (Col 1:24). Jesus’ follower takes up his own cross, in a world of trouble, and does his part to illumine the way for others in the darkness (Mt 5:16; Lk 9:23). This man’s little light shines before men along with others whose lamps are filled with oil, that is, the anointing of the Spirit (Mt 25:1–13; 1 Jn 2:27). This man’s ordained suffering is not to be compared to the glory revealed to him on the day of Christ’s glorious appearing with all His saints and angels (Mt 16:27; 25:31; Mk 8:38; Rom 8:18; 1 Thess 3:13; Titus 2:13).
Until that day of ultimate wrath and deliverance by the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5), it is the Holy Spirit’s work to sanctify each saint (Rom 15:16; 1 Thess 3:13; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2). The goal is conformity to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), the God-man, who is the first fruits of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20). In other words, a glorified man, body and soul, is reigning on the throne of God, the throne of glory (Ps 24; Mt 28:18). His glorified people are destined to reign with Him in glory (2 Tim 2:12; Rev 20:6). We must be made ready for such a noble work.
The Agent of sanctification, in the process of setting apart the saint unto holiness, is the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Pet 1:2). The tool of sanctification in the Agent’s employ is the Word of God (Prv 1:23; Is 59:21; Jn 3:34; Acts 4:31; 10:44). Jesus prayed, to the Father, not for the world but for His own people, “Sanctify them with the truth, Thy Word is truth (Jn 17:17).” The Spirit of truth, in illumining the Word of truth, is the Teacher sent from God (Jn 14:17), who guides the church into all truth (Jn 16:13), making it the pillar of truth (1 Tim 3:15).
The chief means for the Spirit to teach the Word of truth is the Spirit-filled preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Is 61:1; Lk 4:18; Rom 15:19; 1 Cor 2:4; 1 Pet 1:12). The man of God is especially appointed, called, equipped, and sent to proclaim the excellencies of Him who calls His sheep out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9). Christ’s sheep hear His voice through the man of God preaching the Bible. They believe and follow (Jn 10:3–4).
The indwelling Teacher feeds the flock of God with daily bread (Word of God). The mind of Christ is transferred from the pages of Scripture to the soul (heart + mind) of the child of God being fitted for heaven (Eph 2:20–22; 1 Cor 2:16). As the student of the Word grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18), more spiritual fruit is produced by the Spirit from the branch (believer) grafted into the True Vine (Christ). Because this is exclusively the work of God, the fruit remains (Jn 15:16). It matures and multiplies. It becomes more useful.
Spiritual growth in the Christian is sure because He who has begun this good work promises to complete it, even perfect it (Phil 1:6). He who is the Potter is crafting the clay (Jer 18; Rom 9:17–21), preparing the vessel of mercy for glory (Rom 9:23). The Potter molds the clay into His preferred image, Jesus Christ, and then He places the object designed to bring Him glory into the fiery furnace of testing (Dan 3:19–23). The dross of the world is removed (Prv 25:4), as the things of the world grow strangely dim to him who has set his mind on the things above (Col 3:2). Pride, lust, envy, greed, etc. is being purged. The affections for the world are being transformed into affections for the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:15; Gal 5:24; 1 Jn 2:15–17).
The sanctified man walks evermore upright in his dealings with God and man. In doing truth, he is increasingly inclined to do right. This includes his speaking truth in love toward his neighbor, even his enemies (Mt 5:44; Eph 4:15). This man honors those who fear God but loathes the evildoer and his vile acts. He seeks no advantage, politically or financially, over others (Ps 15:2–5).
When the fires cool, the sanctified man stands as a bruised reed but not broken (like Christ — Is 42:3). Jacob limped the remainder of his days (Gen 32:25). Paul was stuck with a thorn in his side (2 Cor 12:7). The broken man being re-formed is a man of God’s own making — a man of integrity. The man made new is truly a new creature created in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), who shines as the sun of righteousness in a world of darkness (Mal 4:2; Mt 13:43). The object of God’s creative salvage and reform is not perfected until each one is glorified with Christ in the bodily resurrection to life eternal (Jn 5:28–29; 1 Cor 15; 1 Jn 5:11–13).
The Holy Spirit of sanctification preserves the holy ones of God throughout the fiery trials decreed for each saint (1 Pet 4:12). The Spirit has taken up permanent abode with the promise to never leave nor forsake the one being made holy (Rom 5:5; 2 Cor 1:22; 3:3; Gal 4:6; Heb 13:5). The result of the Spirit’s work is the unshaken man (Psalm 15), re-made into the image of the immovable God-man, Jesus Christ, the icon of God (Col 1:15). God is pouring purified gold into a Christ-mold (Mal 3:3).
After His own fiery trials and tribulation, Jesus Christ sat down on the throne in glory (Ps 110:1). King Jesus is in His rightful place at the right hand of the Father in majesty (Heb 1:3; 8:1; Acts 2:33). Christ’s bride, His church, the Israel of God is being made ready for the marriage supper (Gal 6:16; Rev 19:9). All the saints must be gathered and dressed in readiness (Lk 12:35), clothed in Christ’s righteousness (Gal 3:27) — radiant in holiness and blameless before God (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22; 1 Thess 3:13).
To God the Spirit be glory for His role in the making of the unshaken, fully tested, church militant. We will not be moved in this world of chaos (Ps 46:5), for we stand ever more firm in Christ and on His promises (2 Cor 1:20; Eph 6:11-14; Phil 4:1), from this day forth and forever.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
March 21, 2022
