THE SOVEREIGN, IRRESISTIBLE GRACE OF GOD (PART 1 OF 2)

17^th JANUARY 2020

“The wind blows where it wishes [that is the free will of the wind], and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:8

When we talk about the irresistible grace of God, we mean that God is capable of doing as He wishes in order to perfect His will in our lives. This also means that the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, and therefore he is omnipotent and sovereign and does as He wishes in our lives. This further means that the Spirit is irresistible and infallibly effective in his regenerating work of giving us the new birth and identity in Christ. Jesus says we must be born of water and the Spirit for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. This means that we have to take a new spiritual form where we flow with God’s Spirit only. At that point of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, we become a slave to the conscience of the Holy Spirit, and we flow in accordance with His nature and will, not our own will anymore. This is why Jesus says in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,” Therefore, the new birth changes you completely and makes you spiritually alive! But how does this new life relate to Jesus Christ? The scripture in 1 John 5:11, says, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” So, the life we get in the new birth from the Spirit, we received because the Spirit unites us to the Son of God – the Christ who is life. When the Holy Spirit creates a new spiritual life in us, the simultaneous effect is that we begin to see Jesus as beautiful, receiving Him for who He is, and believing in him, not just for his promises, but ready to obey His commands and teachings. The Scripture is telling us today that:

·        “The wind blows where it wishes” — where it wills. So the wind — the Spirit — is free. He (the Spirit) is not constrained by us. The emphasis falls on the will of the Spirit, not ours.

·        The Spirit has sound; “and you will hear its sound. . ..” This means that there are perceptible effects of the invisible Holy Spirit. So, you can’t see the Holy Spirit, but you can see his effects.

·        “But you do not know where it comes from . . .” This means that you are not the one who has originated the Spirit.

·        “You do not know where it goes.” This means you can’t determine its origin, and you can’t determine his destination. The Spirit is free. He goes where he wills, and He does the perfect will of God the best way He deems fit.

Where does today’s teaching leaves us in the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit? Today’s word is teaching us that we don’t cause or force the Spirit to bring about the new birth to us any more than we make the wind blow. Or to be more specific, the new birth by the Holy Spirit is beyond our control! The Spirit takes the final decision on our worthiness! It is for the Spirit to decide whether we are matured or ready for the new birth. If the Spirit finds us worthy of the new birth, He comes into us and transforms us according to His will. Therefore, even though you have prepared at the human level through church ceremonies, fasting and prayers to receive the Holy Spirit and the new birth, the new birth is finally caused by the will of the Spirit, NOT your will.  But how do we know that we have experienced the new birth? At the new birth, our will begins to move in the moment of the new birth, along the path of the Holy Spirit – We flow and become one with the Spirit.  Change happens in us: we become alive – we become like the Holy Spirit, (He who is born of the spirit is spirit). Also, there are perceptible effects of the Spirit — “you hear its sound always” Beloved, you have to re-examine yourself today. “Are you born of the Spirit”? It is time to open to the Spirit. The new birth brings power and grace. Simply present yourself at the portal and pray for the Spirit to come take control and commence the new birth.

PRAYER

Father in the name of Jesus Christ, I open myself today to the power of the Holy Spirit. I desire the new birth by the Spirit. Holy Spirit come take total control of my life. Make me yours now. AMEN

FURTHER READING: John 6:44 and verse 65