Today we are continuing our study on the atonement and exploring the various aspects of what Christ has done for us. Today, we will talk about expiation. As in the previous teaching, we will see through the account of Lazarus of Bethany, the marvelous work Christ has accomplished through His atoning sacrifice.   Let’s first recap. First, we started with God’s original intention when He created man positionally and morally good, intended for eternal fellowship and rulership with Him.   Then we saw how the fall corrupted this, perverting man’s will and inclining him to determine position and morality for himself. From this, we have learned that sin is a perversion of man’s will and an act against God’s divine order; it is the practice of turning away from our Creator and turning to the created.   Being unable to save ourselves from this condition, God, who deeply loves us, graced us with His divine assistance to help restore us into fellowship with Himself.   He initiates this by regenerating our ability to hear, respond, and align ourselves with His calling.   This regeneration allows us to realize our depraved state, prompting repentance.   Once realized, repentance occurs, which is the complete deconstruction of the old psyche and reconstruction of the new psyche, all initiated and governed by God. Once reconstructed into a new man, we are given faith. Faith is also a gift from God, enabling us to believe in Him, trust Him, and grow in Him. It is an anointed perspective given by God to see as He sees and will as He wills in obedience.   Now that the person is in this regenerated state, has turned toward Jesus, and has been granted faith, there is no longer fear or dread of God’s wrath being executed upon them. This is because of the propitiation in Christ, which satisfied God's wrath against sin through Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus’ death on the cross served as justice for sin and an object of God’s wrath, making it possible for humanity to be in fellowship with God again. But there is still more!   While propitiation turned away God’s wrath from us and our sin to Jesus and the sin He took on, expiation completely cleanses us of sin—it literally removes sin from us. Propitiation satisfies and turns God’s anger and attention away from us and our sin and places it on Jesus, while simultaneously cleansing us of those sins.   In John 1:29, John the Baptist refers to Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." This communicates the expiatory nature of the sacrificial system, where Jesus' blood serves to cleanse believers from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7). His death represents the ultimate act of expiation, removing the guilt and penalty of sin for all who believe in Him.   Expiation means to cleanse sin—not only the sin itself but also the guilt of the sin and all other consequences attached to it. This is why we are told in Romans 8:1-4:   "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."   You see, Jesus has done much more than just die on the cross. He has not only taken on God’s wrath for you, but He has also removed the guilt that sin tries to hold you to!   Now, let's turn again to the account of Lazarus of Bethany. When Jesus calls Lazarus from the tomb, this moment holds deep significance in many ways! One way is that this moment is pivotal in understanding both the immediate miracle and its broader implications. To recap: Lazarus had been dead for four days, and his sisters, Mary and Martha, expressed their grief and disbelief at the finality of death. Moved by their sorrow, Jesus wept.   When Jesus commanded, "Lazarus, come out!", He asserted, exercised, and demonstrated His authority over death, signifying His ability to restore life and reverse the consequences of sin. This act wasn’t just a simple command, but a divine command and a divine fiat.   As we mentioned in our first teaching in this series, a divine imperative refers to a command or decree issued by God that reflects His will. It is an authoritative directive that obliges obedience, rooted in God's moral authority. A divine fiat refers to God's creative and sovereign command that brings something into existence or causes an event to happen by His will alone.   So, when Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out," it was both a divine command and a divine fiat, declaring that the resurrection offered by Jesus is available to all believers, and that true life is found in Him. After Lazarus emerged from the tomb, Jesus instructed those present to "unbind him, and let him go." This removal of the burial clothes represents the cleansing of guilt and the consequences of sin. Just as Lazarus was freed from the physical bindings of death, believers are released from the spiritual bondage, guilt, and sting of sin and death through the expiatory work of Christ.         So, here is a question. And you might be able to answer based on what we have already covered: What is the need for expiation if God has already accepted the propitiatory work of Jesus? What’s the point? Why wasn’t it enough for Jesus to take on the wrath of God and pay the penalty of sin?   Well, here’s straight answer, and it’s a monumental one: First, expiation, or the cleansing of sin, cannot occur before the satisfaction of justice. This is because, without punishment, there is nothing to cancel the sin; the punishment justly helped to cancel or pay for the sin. In other words, getting rid of sin cannot happen until justice was satisfied because, without punishment, there’s no way to truly erase the sin. Justice must be served! This is similar to our human justice system, where a judge must impose a penalty for wrongdoing before the penalty can be removed.   Secondly, If God were to simply forgive sins without any consequences, it would undermine the seriousness of those sins and the truth of His justice. Christ’s death on the cross serves as the necessary punishment that fulfills God’s justice, making (1) forgiveness meaningful and (2) it brings understanding to the great gravity of sin. Your sin wasn’t simply bad things you do.   It is important to understand this because the enemy will try to cause you to discount the severity of what sin is. There are three subtle ways the minimization of sin is found in our thinking, and makes its way into our theology becoming distortions.   Distortion 1. Sin Can Be Overlooked  “God understands—we all make mistakes. It’s not that serious.”   This lie suggests that sin is a minor issue that can be casually dismissed. But if sin could simply be overlooked, there would be no need for Christ’s suffering and death. The cross reveals the weight of sin, that it required nothing less than the blood of the spotless Lamb to remove it. Expiation shows that sin demands cleansing, not just an apology. It’s not overlooked; it’s removed through blood Hebrews 9:22 reads, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Grace is not merely a passive pardon of sin, but an active demonstration of God’s love that intended to awaken a deep desire to be transformed.   Distortion 2: Forgiveness is automatic “Since Jesus died, I’m already forgiven—why dwell on my sin?” This mindset leads to spiritual complacency. It confuses the availability of forgiveness with the appropriation of it. Yes, Christ died once for all, but the benefits of expiation are received through repentance and faith. Expiation calls us to be fully aware of our sin, to the point of confession 1 John 1:5-9 reads, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”   Distortion 3: God’s Justice Is Still Questionable  “Maybe I’m not really forgiven. Maybe my sin is too great.”   This lie keeps us trapped in guilt, shame, and self-condemnation. It subtly questions whether Christ’s work is truly enough. But expiation teaches us that Christ’s blood was not symbolic, it was effectual. It fully removed the guilt of sin for all who believe. Because of expiation, you can boldly declare, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). God’s justice has been completely satisfied and any guilt removed.     Now remember, Leviticus 16:10, 20–22. Here it describes the second goat in the Day of Atonement, the scapegoat, which illustrates expiation. While one goat was sacrificed to satisfy God’s justice, the scapegoat was kept alive. The high priest would lay both hands on its head and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, symbolically transferring their guilt onto the animal. The goat was then sent into the wilderness, bearing their sins away into desolation. This symbolized the complete removal of sin and guilt from the people.   So together, these two goats portrayed the full work of atonement: one life given as a blood offering to satisfy God’s justice (propitiation), and the other sent away to represent the removal of guilt (expiation). This was a foreshadow of Christ. As Hebrews 9:12 and 10:10–14 reveal, Christ entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, securing eternal redemption. His atonement is complete; He both bore the wrath of God and removed our sin forever.   We see this twofold work reflected again in the raising of Lazarus. When Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, it was not only an act of resurrection but a demonstration of full deliverance. The command, “Lazarus, come out,” reflects the power to give life. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He then said, “Unbind him, and let him go.” This divine imperative and divine fiat reflect expiation. Lazarus had no choice but to respond with the removal of those things that clung to him from death, the symbolic grave clothes of guilt, shame, and bondage. Just as the scapegoat was sent away bearing the sin of the people, so Lazarus was released from all that bound him to death. In Christ, we are not only raised, but we are also unbound. Not only forgiven, but cleansed. Not only justified, but made free.     So remember this, Christ didn’t just die to calm God’s wrath—He died to cleanse you, completely. Every sin, every guilt, every chain that once held you has been shattered, by the power of His love. You are not only forgiven but made new.   The enemy will try to remind you of your past, whisper lies that you are still bound by sin, still unworthy of God’s love. But hear this truth: because of Jesus, there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. You are free. You are clean. You are loved.   Imagine standing before God, no longer weighed down by guilt, no longer burdened by shame. This is what Christ has done for you. He has not only taken your punishment but has washed you white as snow. And in this cleansing, you are empowered to walk in newness of life—boldly, confidently, and fully embraced by the grace of God.   So when the enemy tries to trap you in doubt, in complacency, or in guilt, stand firm in the truth of Christ’s work on the cross. Let the power of His expiation remind you that you are free. Free from sin, free from fear, and free to walk in the fullness of God’s love and purpose for your life.   You are no longer bound. You are His—forever and fully redeemed.

Today we are continuing our study on the atonement and exploring the various aspects of what Christ has done for us, and it truly is something that Christ alone has done, as we have masterfully seen by the account of Lazarus of Bethany. It is through the account of Lazarus of Bethany that we have examined multiple areas of the atonement.   We first started our studies with God’s original intention when He created man positionally and morally good, intended for eternal fellowship and rulership with Him.   The fall corrupted this, perverting man’s will and inclining him to determine position and morality for himself. Therefore, we have learned that sin is a perversion of man’s will and an act against God’s divine order; it is the practice of turning away from our Creator and turning to the created.   Being unable to save ourselves from this condition, God, who deeply loves us, graced us or provided His divine assistance to help restore us back into fellowship with Himself.   This He initiates by regenerating our ability to hear, respond, and align to His calling.   The regeneration then allows for the realization of our depraved state, prompting repentance.   Once realized, repentance occurs, which is the complete deconstruction of the old psyche and reconstruction of the new psyche, all initiated and governed by God. Once reconstructed into a new man, we are given faith. Faith is also a gift from God that enables us to believe in Him, trust in Him, and grow in Him. It is an anointed perspective given by God to see as He sees and will as He wills in obedience. And just as a reminder this “anointed” perspective is not something in addition to the Holy Spirit. Charismatic teachings have added to scripture, skewing the truth of what anointed is and means. Just as 1 John 2:27 tells us, the anointing in the Holy Spirit and remains with us. The Holy Spirit, who is God, is not partially given, cannot be enhanced, or taken away. So when I say anointed perspective, I literally mean the opposite of a human perspective or seeing things how God see them –and that requires faith.   So, now that we have faith, we arrive at propitiation. Propitiation is the act satisfying God's wrath against sin through a sacrifice; it is literally the act of appeasing. Now some of you may be thinking, doesn’t propitiation occur before faith? Since Christ had to die first in order for repentance to be granted. Well, technically yes. But, think of this this way, it’s like a gift that has already been purchased, but not opened yet. Or it’s similar to how a payment is made before someone claims the item. So, for example, Romans 3:25 (ESV) says that Christ was “put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” This shows that God initiated  the propitiation through Christ’s blood before any individual expresses faith. Or that God took our place, appeasing God’s wrath (which is the gift before its opened or the payment to secure the item) before faith is employed to believe.   So why do I place faith after propitiation? That is because while propitiation precedes faith in its accomplishment; it is received through faith in its application. So, in our lived experience, the benefits of propitiation (peace with God, forgiveness, justification) are applied or experienced to us individually after we believe. This is why I am ordering it here in this way. Well, I feel like we went down a technical road a bit here…Let’s return.   Here is a quote that really captures propitiation:J.I. Packer – Knowing God “The wrath of God is not capricious, arbitrary, or irrational. It is His resolute action in punishing sin, and His settled opposition to all that is evil. The wonder of the gospel is that it proclaims that God turned His own wrath away—not by ignoring sin, but by bearing it Himself in the person of His Son. In biblical terms, Christ is our ‘propitiation’—He bore the wrath, so that we might bear it no more. If we are to understand the cross rightly, we must understand that Jesus did not merely die for us; He died instead of us. He stood in our place, absorbing the just judgment that sin deserved, and by doing so, reconciled us to a holy God. This is the heart of the gospel, and it is drenched in both justice and grace.”“Jesus did not merely die for us; He died instead of us.”   This truth is at the heart of propitiation.   For today’s teaching we will not handle Lazarus as much, as in prior treatments. This is only because the account of Lazarus does not necessarily have direct parallels to propitiation. Although, just as Jesus states Lazarus’ death was for the glory of God. It was to highlight our state of depravity, the depth of our salvific inability, and ultimately foreshadow the only death adequate enough to save. You see, Lazarus death was not 1.     Not substitutionary (not for others). 2.     It did not appease God’s wrath. 3.     It did not defeat death; in fact, Lazarus would die again eventually. 4.     It had no eternal power to free others from sin.   Now let’s go deeper into what propitiation is.   Again, propitiation is a term that refers to Jesus taking on our sins and becoming the object of God’s wrath so that our sin will be removed; it is the appeasement of or satisfying of God’s justice on sin. So here is how it works in short. Now that we have been regenerated and have been given the faith to believe in Him, one of the requirements for God accepting us, is if our debt has been paid; that when God checks our life’s ledger, that it has been justly satisfied. Otherwise, God would still see an unpaid balance and judge our sin. Therefore, when Jesus takes our place, justice is satisfied, and this specific act that Jesus does is called propitiation.   It also reveals the truth that we, me, you –each of us personally, have crucified Christ. What gravity is this!   Again, propitiation refers to the act satisfying God's wrath against sin through a sacrifice; it is the act of appeasing.  Jesus’ death on the cross justly satisfied God’s wrath. This is substitutionary atonement   This is an important step that we often do not think about, and again, in the scheme of things, this has occurred all at once with one act of Jesus’ sacrifice. However, the reason it is so important is that it has to do with the object of God’s wrath. That object being sin…not necessarily you, but sin. We’ll get back to this truth a little later. First, let us handle some scripture.   Romans 3:23-25 (ESV): "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins."   Here, Paul explains that Jesus was put forward as a propitiation to satisfy God's wrath and demonstrate His righteousness. Sin demands justice, and through Christ's blood, that justice is met.   1 John 2:2 (ESV): "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."   This verse emphasizes that Jesus’ death was the offering that turned away God’s wrath, not just for believers but for the entire world. This highlights the universal scope of Christ’s atoning work.   1 John 4:10 (ESV): "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."   God’s love is demonstrated in that He sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins, showing that God initiated reconciliation even when humanity was undeserving.   Hebrews 2:17 (ESV): “Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”   This verse emphasizes Jesus’ role as a high priest who makes propitiation for the sins of humanity, indicating His mediating work.     But why did Jesus have to die? Couldn’t God have done something else? Wasn’t there another way to satisfy sin and justice? The answer to this is NO! And this part is important. So I want you to take notes here and pay close attention. Remember what sin is. Sin is a perversion of man’s will and an act against God’s divine order; it is the practice of turning away from our Creator and turning to the created. So, when sin occurred, it literally had a changing influence over the person. Sin has controlling power. Genesis 4:7 tells us that sin waits for us at the door and desires to control us! And the direction that it seeks to take us is down the road to death (James 1:14-16).   This should not surprise us, as we are told also in Genesis that the moment Adam ate of the tree was the moment sin entered, and as a result of sin and as a matter of judgment for sin –was death. The reason we die is that sin, being a perversion of man’s will and an act against God’s divine order, cuts us off from our source of life, who is God. Therefore, anything not submitted or tethered to God is cut off from life, thus, death.   So here is the problem, and it’s a big one: Through Adam, sin has impacted all of humanity. In that one moment! Now God is presented with figuring out how to redeem humanity while also upholding His judgment; one cannot contradict the other. It would be a violation of His righteousness to simply dismiss the penalty of death. It would also be a violation of His mercy to abandon humanity. This is the divine dilemma: how can a holy God remain just while also extending grace to the guilty? The answer is found in the cross of Christ, where God's justice and mercy meet. In Jesus, God does not ignore sin — He fully punishes it. But He does so by placing the penalty on a substitute, satisfying His wrath and opening the way for forgiveness.   But long before we get to that, the short-term solution was the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.   As part of this system, the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, also called the Mercy Seat (or Propitiatory), was sprinkled with the blood of a spotless sacrificial lamb to appease God’s anger towards sin. This then allowed the people to approach God. The Ark was located in the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). The Mercy Seat represented the dwelling place of God's presence. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal (often a goat) on the Mercy Seat. The blood on the Mercy Seat stood between the law inside the Ark (which condemned them) and the holy presence of God above it. Only after this propitiatory act could the people be considered ceremonially clean and approach God without judgment. It was a shadow pointing forward to Christ, whose blood would not just cover sin, but completely remove it.     Additionally, Leviticus 16:10, 20-22 describes a second goat, the scapegoat, which was kept alive and symbolically burdened with the sins of the people. As Leviticus 16:20–22 explains, the high priest would lay his hands on the scapegoat’s head, confessing over it the sins of the people, and then send it into the wilderness, symbolizing the removal of sin  (expiation). Together, these two goats portrayed the full work of atonement: one life given to satisfy God’s justice, the other sent away  to represent the removal of guilt. These shadows find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who both bore the wrath of God  and removed our sin forever  (Hebrews 9:12, 10:10–14). This act also represents expiation, which is the very next teaching. Propitiation deals with God’s wrath being satisfied; expiation deals with our guilt being removed. Christ’s atonement achieves both; he absorbed the wrath and carried our sins away.   Now, of course, this system was only a shadow of what God ultimately had planned. The Old Testament system was only to serve as a temporary means of appeasing God’s anger toward sin until He would deal with it once and for all. This is where Jesus comes in.   In the New Testament, Jesus’ blood, being perfect with no sin, is the ultimate and final propitiation. His sacrifice on the cross once and for all satisfied God's wrath. Hebrews 9:12 makes this clear: “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”   This is also why Jesus had to die. Sin and death are interconnected. When sin entered the world, death followed (Genesis 2:17). Jesus’ mission was not only to atone for sin but also to conquer death itself. To defeat death, Jesus had to experience it fully and then rise from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 says that through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered death and took away its sting. If Jesus had only shed blood without actually dying, the victory over death would be incomplete. His death and resurrection demonstrated that He had broken the power of sin and death.   This also brings us back to the object of God’s wrath being sin…not necessarily you, but sin. God’s goal is to redeem what was lost and make straight what was made crooked. God’s wrath is consistently demonstrated throughout the Bible as His holy and just response to sin and rebellion. In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God expelled them, introducing both physical and spiritual death as consequences of sin; this was His wrath or His anger toward sin. As humanity’s wickedness grew, God brought the flood in Noah’s time, cleansing the earth of widespread corruption. Later, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, known for immorality and injustice, were destroyed by fire from heaven, illustrating God’s intolerance of unrepentant sin; this was His wrath toward sin. The plagues on Egypt reflect God’s wrath against Pharaoh’s oppression and refusal to release the Israelites, culminating in the death of the Egyptian firstborn as a judgment on their idolatry and defiance.   When Israel persistently rebelled during their wilderness journey, God pronounced that they would not enter the Promised Land, revealing His wrath against disbelief and disobedience. Similarly, when Israel and Judah continued in idolatry and violated God’s covenant, He allowed them to be conquered and taken into exile, demonstrating that persistent sin would result in national judgment. In individual cases, such as Aaron’s two eldest sons, who offered unauthorized/strange fire, Korah’s rebellion against Moses, and Uzzah’s irreverent touch of the Ark, God’s wrath was immediate and served as a warning of the seriousness of disregarding His holiness.   Then we come to the New Testament, where the ultimate expression of God’s wrath is seen at the cross, where Jesus bore the full weight of punishment for humanity’s sin. This act of sacrifice demonstrates both God’s wrath against sin and His love for his people, as Jesus endured the consequences of sin on behalf of those who believe. Through His death, God’s justice was fully satisfied, making it possible for people to be forgiven and reconciled to Him. But His love was also on full display.   Now here’s the heaviest truth of all.The Bible also speaks of a future day of wrath, where God will bring final judgment upon all sin and evil, ultimately separating those who reject Him from His presence. This future judgment, often referred to as the Day of the Lord, reveals that God’s wrath is not just a past reality but an impending aspect of His final plan to restore righteousness and justice.   So, as we think about what propitiation means, let’s remember that it highlights both God’s justice in dealing with sin and His incredible love in giving us a way to be saved. While His patience and mercy provide opportunities for repentance and salvation, there will come a day when we all must give an account. And if you are left holding your sins instead of Jesus, will you be able to take on the full wrath of God? Assuredly not.

The goal of this series is to establish a deeper understanding of God's original design for humanity, how sin disrupted this design, and how Christ's atonement works to restore that relationship. We are going to do this using aspects of the account of Lazarus.   Out of Nothing As any great account goes, to understand it completely you have to start in the beginning. Except, this is more than a story. It is a promise from our living God and recorded for us first by Moses then eye witnessed by the Apostle John. It is in from these two we are given Genesis and the Gospel according to John, respectively. This the account of creation, atonement, and later, the truths revealed to us by the account of Lazarus of Bethany.    Our primary text will come from John chapter 11 and the creation account in Gensis chapters 1 through 4.   I like to start off with a quote, a most important quote. Although not as important as scripture, which we will use to anchor our understanding in all things.   St. Augustine of Hippo: In his book, Confessions, Augustine states, that God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing) and that creation was originally good, reflecting God’s own goodness. Augustine writes, "For Thou didst create all things good, and there is nothing whatsoever that can be outside of Thy creation, nor anything which is not of Thy own substance" (Confessions, XI.9).   He famously developed the idea of “ex nihilo” which means “out of nothing.” Prior to this, it was debated that God or the universe came into existence from pre-existing material or eternally existing material. This of course was not so. In Genesis 1:1 we are introduced to this “ex nihilo”   Genesis 1:1 (ESV) “ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Then, we also have John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”   These passages communicate to us that there is an ability that God has, to create something, anything…from nothing! Now this is amazing all by itself, but it does not end here, because there are also two other components that exist with God’s creative power. Those two components being a divine imperative and a divine fiat.   A divine imperative refers to a command or decree issued by God that reflects His will. It is an authoritative directive that obliges obedience, rooted in God's moral authority. Divine Fiat Refers to God's creative and sovereign command that brings something into existence or causes an event to happen by His will alone. In other words, when God speaks, the words, His words, MUST obey his will. Not only obey, but obey in such a way that is consistent with the morality of God. Therefore, whatever comes from God it begins morally good!   This is why during the creation account, after God speaks different aspects of His creation into existence, he says “it is good.” This is also why there is an inherent value in all of God’s creations especially, in what was uniquely created in His image, and He identifies as Very Good! This is of course the creation of Man and Woman!   Inherently Good Now at this point in creation, all has been created, and God has determined that His creation is good, and the creation of man is very good. However, what exactly does “good”  mean, and how does it relate to our overall understanding of atonement? Remember, when God creates, there is a divine imperative and a divine fiat that proceed from His power. This means the creation has built-in coding to obey God’s will and align with His morality. This is why we read passages like: Job 12:7-10 (ESV) But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;and the fish of the sea will declare to you.Who among all these does not knowthat the hand of the Lord has done this?In His hand is the life of every living thingand the breath of all mankind. Romans 2:14-16a (NLT) Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts. Romans 8:22-23 (NLT) For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us. Therefore, this goodness is there; it is designed into the creation. The problem is the alien component called sin that has corrupted this goodness, but we will better understand this point soon. Goodness means that: 1.     Good Reflects God’s Character.  This reflects God’s moral goodness, and it aligns with His holy and perfect nature. Not meaning that what is created is without imperfections—because only God is perfect—but that it aligns with God’s perfect nature. The goodness we see in creation aligns with God's nature, even if the execution is not flawless. Like an artist’s painting or a composer’s music, the work is a reflection of the creator.   2.     Good Reflects God’s Purpose and Order.  This indicates that creation was the way God wanted it to be, that the designed roles and order of creation were according to how it pleased God. Good reflects the harmony of complementation throughout His creation. It also attests to His divine plan and sovereignty. This is like a well-designed blueprint that shows an architect’s vision, with creation fitting together harmoniously according to God's divine plan and sovereignty. Some of What was Lost Original Fellowship with God At this point in creation, we see that man is good. He is positionally good and morally good. Positionally  means that there was no separation or estrangement between humanity and God. Morally  means that man was endowed with integrity and the ability to live according to God's will. Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 7:29 (ESV), supports this by saying, “See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” At this point in creation, prior to the Fall, humanity is in a direct relationship with God. Genesis 3:8 (ESV) reads, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”  This illustrates the close, personal fellowship between God and humanity before the Fall. Similarly, we know that Jesus and Lazarus were close friends prior to his death. In John 11:5, we are told that Jesus loved Lazarus, and in John 11:11, He calls Lazarus His friend. Well, who else is called “friend?” You are! John 15:14-15 (ESV) says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.” This is what it looked like in the beginning. This is what God wanted in the beginning – to walk with us. There wasn’t a separation. The assignment of cultivating the garden was only the beginning. The greater mission was attached to having dominion over the earth and, later in His cosmic plan, to reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). At its core, the atonement is all about you. It is about restoring you to your original state, your created position before God, and guaranteeing your inheritance. The atonement reestablishes the intimate fellowship with God that was lost due to sin, returning you to the purity and integrity of your original design. It also secures the promise of eternal life and dominion, fulfilling the divine plan for you to reign with Him. Original Righteousness In the beginning, we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). While this sounds good, what exactly does this mean? John Calvin writes: "Although the divine image has been almost obliterated in us, it is not utterly effaced. In this corruption, we may still see traces of our former dignity. Yet it is clear that these traces are so defiled that whatever remains is ugly. Therefore, in order to recover the full splendor of that image, it is necessary for us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. And this renewal is nothing else than the restoration of righteousness, true holiness, and purity." — John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion , Book 3, Chapter 7. I would like to highlight three truths from this quote: Righteousness indicates that we were without sin, with the capacity to live according to God’s commandments naturally, without struggle—this struggle, of course, being the war that is waged between sin and the Spirit. True holiness  is a role distinction. Holiness means that something is designated for a very specific purpose. In the beginning, God’s intention was to use humanity for specific functions and roles. Just as the angels, who are messengers by function, are used in that specific way. Purity refers to being void of all inclinations toward sin or disobedience to God. Purity exists when the human heart, mind, and soul are completely undefiled. To be created in the image of God, one must possess a natural disposition to reflect who God is (Matthew 22:37). Dominion and Stewardship over Creation We were also created to steward over creation (Genesis 1:28). When I consider this, I think about how beautiful some places on this earth are—the waterfalls, rivers, gorges, gardens, beaches, and so many other features. Then I’m reminded that, no matter the beauty, because of the curse, the earth is less fruitful than the original creation; that no matter the scientific advancements, the ground is burdensome to yield its fruit. When we read about Christ calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41), Adam naming the animals (Genesis 2:19-20), Moses parting the sea (Exodus 14:21-22), Elijah praying for drought and rain (1 Kings 17:1, 18:41-45), Elisha purifying the water (2 Kings 2:19-22), Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-22), Joshua commanding the sun and moon to stand still (Joshua 10:12-14), and manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4-5, 19-20), these are some glimpses of having dominion over creation. Interpersonal Relationships Perhaps this goes without saying, but God intended for there to be unity and complementarity between Adam and Eve, reflecting God's design for human relationships to be loving, supportive, and mutually fulfilling. Relationships are an important part of the kingdom of God, and everyone plays a role. We know this to be true from the second greatest commandment, to love one’s neighbor as yourself. We also know this from Matthew 12:46-50 (ESV), which reads: “While He was still speaking to the people, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But He replied to the man who told Him, ‘Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?’ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’” In this passage, Jesus redefines the concept of family, emphasizing that spiritual relationships—those based on doing the will of God—are more important than biological ties. This teaching highlights the importance of obedience to God and the unity of believers as members of God’s family. God is looking to reclaim His family. Eternal Life The last point I will assert is that God intended for humanity to live in perpetual fellowship with Him, which included the gift of eternal life. The tree of life in the Garden of Eden symbolized this gift. Ecclesiastes 3:11 reinforces this truth, stating that God has placed eternity in the heart of man. Solomon knew this. Paul knew this, as he tells the Philippians that our citizenship is in heaven. Secular philosophers knew this, as Plato is quoted saying, "The soul is immortal and imperishable, and our souls will truly exist in another world." The entire ancient world was obsessed with immortality, as if a knowing or a draw toward eternal existence was created in them. Even today, despite our prideful and misguided self-assigned state of enlightenment, we spend millions of dollars to slow aging, promote longevity diets, and explore regenerative medicines, genetic engineering, and cryonics. There are even companies (Alcor Life Extension Foundation and Cryonics Institute) that offer cryopreservation services. The idea is that once technology advances enough to reverse death or cure aging-related diseases, these preserved individuals could be brought back to life. For man, eternal life can only be achieved through Jesus Christ; there are no alternatives. No one can enter through any other door than the door of Christ. Scripture tells us in John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him! John 10:1-2 tells us that anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other way is a thief and a robber. This means that anyone attempting to come to God through any other means other than Christ is deceitful and illegitimate! As we bring this to a close, we are setting out on a journey to uncover the truths revealed to us about Christ’s atonement, through the account of Lazarus of Bethany. The first truth we have learned today, a truth we will revisit again later, is the truth that God wants fellowship with us. Through the deep and genuine friendship that Jesus had for Lazarus, we learn about the fellowship God originally intended for us to have with Him. Let us grab hold of this truth and rejoice that one day we will be in perfect fellowship with our God.

Today we are going to move into the topic of sin. A not-so-popular topic, but a necessary one nonetheless. You see, our last teaching on creation let us know what we lost and what God’s original plans were. It helped us understand what was lost and what God wants to restore. This teaching will reveal why it was lost.   We’ll start our teaching by laying some groundwork. First, let’s answer a very basic question: What is sin? There are some scriptures that define sin for us.   These scriptures are as follows:  1 John 3:4 (ESV) – "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."  James 4:17 (ESV) – “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”  Romans 3:23 (ESV) – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”   From this, we learn that sin is lawlessness, not doing what you know to do, and not attaining to God’s glory. The Greek word for sin in the New Testament is hamartia , which means “to miss the mark” or “to err.” In its simplest form, it is missing the mark set by God. Perhaps even more simplistically, sin is all the bad things we do. But let us go a bit deeper into what sin is.   Thomas Aquinas provides good insight when he says, “Every sin consists in the fact that man seeks for himself what is proper to God. This is the essence of sin: that man does not subject himself to the rule and measure of the Divine Law but follows the inclination of his own will, thereby deviating from the true end appointed to him by God.” (Summa Theologica, I-II, Q. 72, Art. 4)   What Aquinas does here is provide us with the essence of what sin is, which consists of two parts. Firstly, it is a violation and deviation of God’s natural order, purpose, and intention, particularly in terms of morality. This first part is a turning away or an aversion from God. Secondly, it is a natural tendency or urge (and eventual action) to self-determine based on one’s own morality. This second part is a turning toward self.   So, if we apply these definitions to 1 John 3:4, James 4:17, and Romans 3:23, we gain a greater understanding of what sin is. We come to realize that sin is a perversion of the will and an act against God’s divine order. It is the practice of turning away from our Creator and turning to the created. This is why repentance is the reversal of this way of thinking—turning away from self and toward God.     Not Simply a Mistake I think that from this, we can answer the question of why God could not have simply forgiven Adam. In Genesis 3:5, the serpent tells Eve, "For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Knowing good and evil is the ability to self-determine morality, or in other words, the power to establish what is inherently right and what is inherently wrong. Satan introduces sin to Eve. He introduces a perversion to act against God’s divine order. This divine order was given in Genesis 2:17, where God says, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die."   God’s warning against death if this tree is eaten from has many layers to it. The meaning we are focusing on here is this: If man eats of this tree—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—he will develop the inclination to determine morality for himself, apart and separate from God. Morality apart from God is indeed death.   By comparing God’s command in Genesis 2:17 to Satan's lie in Genesis 3:5—where he tempts Eve with the promise of being "like God"—we arrive at the core of sin: the human desire to define good and evil independently of God's divine order. This leads to estrangement from the very source of life, as morality separated from God results in spiritual death.   In light of this, it makes sense why God could not simply "forgive Adam" without addressing the consequences. Adam's sin was not just a minor mistake but a fundamental breach of divine order, an act that opened humanity to the inclination of self-determined morality, separate from God's will. This separation from God is at the heart of spiritual death, and thus, the need for redemption through Christ and the atonement.   This approach deepens the understanding of the Fall, showing why humanity’s reconciliation with God required more than just forgiveness—it required a restoration of the relationship broken by sin and self-will.   Now we understand what sin is! We are also reintroduced to Lazarus of Bethany, who we learn is a good friend of Jesus—a friend whom Jesus loves! Now, as we have read and as you probably know, Lazarus falls ill and eventually dies; and as is the custom, he is wrapped in linen and buried in a tomb. The reason he dies this natural death is because of an unspecified illness—scripture does not say what it was that led to his death—but he did die. What we do know is that prior to his death, he was ill, and it was during this period of time that Jesus found out. John 11:4-7 reads, “But when Jesus heard it, He said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this, He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’”   The first is this:  Jesus’ statement, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” See, in the context of Lazarus’ death, Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, and that was to provide proof of His power to give and restore life.   The same can be said from the very beginning when humanity fell and died. The moment our fellowship was severed with God and death entered through Adam, God could just as well have said, “This fall does not lead to eternal death. It is for My glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Keep in mind that Jesus has always existed, so don’t let that throw you off. Jesus was always going to be glorified and has always been glorified.   So, Jesus sees the death and knows that it will be used for God’s glory; God sees the fall and knows that it will be used for His glory. So, God is not only saying, “I have a plan,” as if He was caught off guard. Rather, He says, “Look, this is all part of My plan from the beginning.” “I knew this would happen, and I have already planned for this.” Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) reads, “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.”   We also read in 1 Corinthians 2:7-9 (NLT), “The wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—His plan that was previously hidden, even though He made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,  ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.’”   Do we really think God did not see the fall coming? Or that Jesus did not know Lazarus would die, despite knowing His own death?   This brings me to the second observation. The first was that this very situation—Lazarus’ death and ultimately the fall—was being used for the glory of God.   The second observation is this: Jesus purposely stayed behind for two days. The passage says that when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. That is a very purposeful action!   I believe this was done by Jesus to illustrate not only His resurrection power and ministry confirmation but also to show humanity their need for a Savior. See, if we are left to our own strength, we are like Lazarus. We are in a tomb where there is darkness, and we are bound by bandages of our own making. We have sewn insufficient fig leaves to cover ourselves.   God has created us with free will and the capacity for growth. If God had simply overlooked what Adam did, we would have repeated our mistake, as we still do. We see proof of this every day! When God created man, He created us with free will, which can be a rogue and unbridled characteristic. So how is free will reconciled with God?   Well, God’s decision to delay redemption rather than fixing things immediately after the fall is tied to the importance of human free will and growth. The gradual unfolding of redemption allows us to fully exercise free will, come to a deeper understanding of sin and salvation, and develop a genuine, relational bond with God. We come to learn that we cannot “be like God,” as Satan proposed. This process also facilitates moral and spiritual growth, ensuring that redemption is not just a legal fix but a transformative experience that reflects the complexities of human choice and the development of a meaningful relationship with our Creator.   So that is the second observation, which ties us right back to what sin is. Sin is the perversion of the will—our free will being perverted, leading to acts against God’s divine order. We have practiced turning away from our Creator and turning to ourselves. Jesus changes all of this!

Today we continue our study on the atonement of Christ and how the account of Lazarus of Bethany demonstrates certain truths of this process. Today we are going to talk about grace, but not in the traditional “unmerited favor” way that we often hear taught. We are going to get at the essence of what grace truly is and how it is distinct from other theological constructs like mercy, for example. I think we often use mercy and grace together and interchangeably sometimes, but they are indeed different. And again, it has greater meaning than unmerited or undeserved favor.   Well, let’s jump right in! We are going to first define what grace is, then we’ll move into how it shows up in the account of Lazarus. So, to ground our understanding as always, we turn to God’s holy Word. The first scripture we will read comes from:   Ephesians 2:8-9:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”   This is perhaps one of the more seminal passages that grounds our understanding concerning what Christ has done, the role He plays, and the role we play. From this passage, we learn that salvation is a gift from God, not earned by human efforts. Paul tells us that salvation is entirely— and I want to express this… ENTIRELY—a work of God’s favor rather than human achievement. Meaning, we do nothing to contribute to salvation. We’ll talk more about this later; I just wanted to give a brief explanation of this passage.   Now, the second scripture is:   Philippians 2:13:  “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”   Again, here we see the same explanation given: that it is by God’s sovereignty (sovereignty meaning that God does whatever He chooses) that we experience anything at all. More specifically to this passage, we are taught that while believers are called to act in accordance with God’s will, it is God alone who empowers and sustains any efforts we think are our own. It is all God, both generating the desire and the ability for us to respond to Him and live a godly life.   John Calvin articulates it this way:   “The grace of God is the divine favor that He freely bestows upon us, not on account of any merit in ourselves, but solely out of His own benevolence. This grace is the means by which we are regenerated, or born again, and it enables us to live a life that is pleasing to God. It is by grace alone that we are justified, meaning that we are declared righteous before God, and by grace alone that we are sanctified, meaning that we are transformed into the image of Christ. Without this grace, we would be incapable of fulfilling the demands of the law or achieving spiritual renewal. Therefore, grace is not a reward for our efforts but a divine gift that empowers us to live according to God’s will.”  (Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 3, Chapter 11, Sections 1-2)   So in short, what shall we say grace is? It’s divine assistance—divine assistance specifically for regeneration, sanctification, living out the Christian life, and it is essential for our spiritual transformation and relationship with God. Nothing can happen without grace! Nothing can happen without Divine Assistance. You cannot be saved without God’s divine assistance. You cannot have faith without God’s divine assistance. So, when Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,” it is literally telling us that it is God’s divine assistance that wills us to Himself for Himself.   Now, let me show you this point by asking one question about Lazarus, maybe two questions.   Question 1: Did Lazarus need divine assistance to get out of his condition?   First, let me say, if you answered no, Lazarus did not need divine assistance, then Lazarus stays dead. So ultimately, the answer is an astounding yes! Yes, Lazarus did need divine assistance! There was no possible way that Lazarus was coming back from the dead. This was also the reason why Jesus waited the additional two days (four total) before He went to Lazarus. He wanted everyone to know that what man cannot do on his own, the only solution is Jesus.   This same question is posed to every one of us. Do we need divine assistance? Ask yourself, “Do I need divine assistance?” Can I save myself from death, both physically and spiritually? How many times have you tried to stop smoking? How many times have you tried to stop watching pornography, fornicating, or engaging in sexual sin? How many times have you tried to leave that adulterous relationship? How many times have you tried to beat depression? How many times have you tried to rid yourself of guilt? How many times have you tried to convince yourself that you are valuable? How many times have you tried to find peace in life? How many times! And if none of this applies to you, how will you escape death and the grave? You need divine assistance?   Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”   So that’s the first question. I know you’re probably thinking, “There’s another question?” Doesn’t this explain it all! Well, yes, but the second question helps to drive our understanding of grace home.   Question 2: At what point did Lazarus need divine assistance?   Well, let’s think. He died. Sure, he could have used divine assistance then. Now, before he died, he was sick. He could have used divine assistance then to avoid a premature death. But I’m sure he could have used divine assistance to avoid whatever may have caused the sickness. Maybe avoiding something he consumed or was exposed to. Perhaps he got infected with some bacteria. So, at what point would divine assistance have been useful? Let me answer that with a scripture—maybe two, or three, or four.   2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV):  “Who has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”   So, at what point did we need divine assistance? Even before time began, it was given to us, and it was given according to God's eternal purpose and plan. He knew all this would happen.   Then we have John 1:16 (ESV): “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” And Hebrews 4:16 (ESV): “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” So, at what point do we need divine assistance? Every day! God’s grace was predestined for us, and it is real-time for us! This way grace is used throughout the entire atonement process. At each point; regeneration, repentance, faith, justification, glorification, the entire process God assists us.   Jesus as Grace   Now here is another observation we gain from Lazarus’ account.   Let’s read John 11:21-27 for reference:  “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’”   It is no coincidence then that once Jesus comes, Lazarus is resurrected. In fact, we are told in Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” That appearance of grace is Jesus! Jesus embodied God’s divine assistance . So just as Jesus arrives to save Lazarus, Jesus arrives to save humanity. But it does not stop here.   We also have Hebrews 10:29, which calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of grace.” It reads, “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” This makes sense since the Holy Spirit is given to us as our helper. So here’s where we land: Grace is not just a concept. It is not just unmerited favor. It is divine assistance. It is a person. Grace is Jesus. And when He shows up, things that were dead come to life.When He speaks, the grave loses its grip. When He moves, divine assistance meets human impossibility. Lazarus needed grace before he got sick, while he was sick, and especially after he died. And the same is true for us. We need grace before we fall, while we’re falling, and even when it seems like it’s too late. And this grace doesn’t just save us once.It saves, it sustains, it sanctifies, and it will glorify.It meets us in weakness.It strengthens us for obedience.And it reminds us that God’s love is not dependent on our performance—but on His eternal purpose. So today, if you find yourself stuck, struggling, weary, or even spiritually lifeless…Remember Lazarus.Remember that divine assistance is still available, and Jesus is still calling people out of graves. Let us pray.

Up to this point we learned about God’s original intention for his creation, the fall, and sin. Last week we learned about grace as God’s divine assistance. Not just unmerited favor but, some type of action done by God to assist us with moving from one place to another or to accomplish something. We have learned about these things in the scope of Jesus’ redemptive work and the process of atonement. Lazarus of Bethany has been a great help in revealing these truths to us, and was we will continue to see, has more to offer.   So, today we are going to get into regeneration. A phrase that we don’t hear often, but is never-the-less, important for us to understand. If you want the short version here it is, regeneration is being born again. That’s the plain English version. It is being born of the Spirit, a renewal or a spiritual rebirth. Now this we have heard before. We have even asked it in question form. “Are you born-again?” But do we understand what we are saying here? When you say or hear “born-again” what comes to mind? You see, this part of language is important. The linguistic cognitive part. It is one thing to say something, but it is another thing to think something of what is being said.   Let’s look at some scriptures that talk about regeneration.   Titus 3:5 (ESV) says, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”   John 1: 12-13 (ESV) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.   Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.   And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.   John 3:5 (ESV) Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.   2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.   Charles Spurgeon puts it this way, “Regeneration is a work of the Spirit of God, and it is a great miracle. It is a divine act, whereby a new principle of life is imparted to the soul, making it a new creature in Christ Jesus. The soul, which was dead in trespasses and sins, is quickened to new life, and new affections, new principles, and new inclinations are given to it. The regenerate person is no longer the same as before; he is a new creation, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. It is a transformation as radical as it is divine, changing the entire nature and inclinations of the person.” ( The New Park Street Pulpit , Volume 1, Sermon 16)   Okay, so regeneration is God giving you new inwards parts. He performs surgery on you by removing the old inward and replaces it with a new inward. So let this expand our thinking of the term “born again” or regeneration. God is giving us new parts. Just as a child is born or water and forms vital parts in it mother’s womb, we are formed in the water of the Spirit forming our vital parts. One of those parts being our heart.   Now why? Why does he do this?   For the answer to that question let us turn to Lazarus once again.   John 11:38-44 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”  When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”   So here we see Jesus calling out to Lazarus and Lazarus responding. Lazarus, who is supposed to be a dead man for 4 days! How is this possible? The human body starts decomposing immediately after death.   Now before we dissect this passage, here is some of what happens to your body immediately after death:   Rigor mortis: Muscles stiffen within three hours of death.  Internal organ decomposition: Internal organs begin to decompose 24–72 hours after death.  Bloating: The body starts to bloat 3–5 days after death.  Blood-containing foam: Blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose 3–5 days after death.  Greenish color: The skin turns a greenish color 3–5 days after death.   This absolutely sounds like a situation where there needs to be regeneration! One of the very first proofs of regeneration was that Lazarus heard Jesus. Lazarus would have been incapable of hearing or responding to Jesus’ call if it were not for Jesus first regenerating Lazarus’ ability to hear and respond. Lazarus walked out of the tomb on legs that had cellular regeneration, muscle regeneration, and Lazarus had nothing to do with any of this.   But Jesus loved Lazarus and wanted to restore fellowship with him, so he divinely assisted (remember that was what we learned last teaching) and regenerated his body so he can respond to the call of “come out.” And he called him by name.   So regeneration is not solely being born-again. It’s more. Regeneration is the act of God renewing your mind, heart, will, and spirit which were all dead, allowing you to now hear, respond, and align to his calling. This is the regeneration of the entire person!   We even see parallels between Ezekiel 36:26-27 and John 11:38-44. In Ezekiel, God tells us that he will remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh causing us to walk in His statutes and being careful to obey His rules. Then in John we see the stone to Lazarus’ tomb being removed. This stone could represent the old heart that was dead and unresponsive to the Gospel.   In Lazarus’ account Martha warns Jesus before removing the stone, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” This represents the putrid smell of sin the erodes every dead thing, and in the case of Lazarus it has been 4 days! For those of us in sin, how long has it been? How much has sin eroded you and your life? However, I love Jesus’ response to this situation. He isn’t afraid of the smell. The stone isn’t an obstacle for him. Jesus calls Lazarus out! Just as we read in Ezekiel that after giving us a new heart, he will cause us to walk in His ways!     Renewal of the Heart: Ezekiel 36:26: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”   This verse signifies the transformation of the heart, moving from a state of resistance and unresponsiveness to one of responsiveness to God. The heart controls emotions, desires and affections, your moral compass, and your relational connections. All of these components become responsive to God.   Renewal of the Mind:   Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”   This is the renewal of one’s cognitions and aligning them with God’s will. This is an important one because the mind or cognition involves acquiring, processing, storing, and using information. The mind is also responsible for perception, attention, memory, learning, problem-solving, decision-making, language, reasoning and logic, executive function, metacognition. Just imagine all of this submitted to God!   Renewal of the Will: Philippians 2:13: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”   This verse shows how God influences our will, enabling us to desire and act according to His purposes. It is a call back to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that when Adam ate of it, it perverted his will, causes his inclinations to be self-focused instead of God-focused. The will involves decision-making, determination, self-control, agency. An unsubmitted will results in self-assignment of identity, self-directed purpose, and self-help approaches which sounds good on the surface. However, because the self is inherently sinful, deficient, but above all limited in sufficiency and scop, the self cannot adequately resolve distress. Its innate inclinations will always be flawed. This is why the regeneration of the will alleviates all of man’s distresses. He moves from self-focused to God-focused.   Renewal of the Spirit: John 3:5: “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”   This emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in giving new spiritual life, making the spirit alive to God. Your spirit involves your connection with God, spiritual discernment, inner transformation, conscience, worship and fellowship, empowerment for service, eternal life. These are all important aspects of your life here as a spirit-being in a physical body. Perhaps we’ll do a teaching on this very subject because there is so much to these areas.   I’ll briefly mention a few examples of why renewal of your spirit is important and how your spirit connects you to this physical world, and this is true even for those who claim not believe in the spirit. For them, they called it something else. Sort of like Athenians making a statue to the unknown God.   So, we all have a connection with God and the spirit world whether we acknowledge it or not. This typically shows up when we experience a sense of awe or reverence when witnessing something magnificent in nature, feeling drawn to something greater than oneself, often interpreted as a deep connection with life or with the universe. It also shows when we experience a deep inner sense, feeling of intuition, or gut instincts when decision making. That inner voice or moral compass that prompts feelings of guilt or feelings of responsibility when a wrong action is taken, that too is a spiritual pull. Having a sense of legacy or desire for life to have meaning beyond death, philanthropy, mentoring, purpose, finding meaning and community in common causes, meditation or mindfulness practices are all proofs for the spiritual essence of mankind. These areas that I mentioned, while they include mental and emotional aspects, these experiences go beyond psychological, and into a realm identified as spiritual.   So, regeneration! It’s the act of God renewing your mind, your heart, your will, and your spirit which were all dead, allowing you to now hear, to respond, and to align with His calling. Without this work we could not respond. In this way God receives all the glory, recognition, and all the credit, so that no one can boast. And quite frankly, not only for glory’s sake, but because we were literally unable to, as we have seen by Lazarus’ example.

Up to this point, we learned about God’s original intention for His creation, the fall, sin, grace as God’s divine assistance, and regeneration as God’s renewal process, allowing man to respond and align with His calling. This brings us to repentance. Now, there are some schools of thought where faith comes before repentance, which I do believe can occur. This is because God can do whatever He wants, and I do not have a monopoly on truth. If He wants to give faith first, He can; He knows what’s best for each situation for the billions of people that have existed throughout all of history. There is also the truth that repentance and faith are both necessary and, for the Christian, may very well occur at the same time.   However, today, as with all the elements of atonement, we’re slowing things down a bit. Here, I will suggest and show that generally, and scripturally, repentance comes before faith. Again, if you believe differently that is fine. In demonstrating this, we will also learn what repentance is and how the account of Lazarus helps us with this understanding. Now, I know that for most of us, this is a trivial thing: repentance, then faith; faith, then repentance—and that’s fine. However, reason why we are doing this is to understand atonement as something completely accomplished by God. And when we understand that repentance occurs first, we also gain the understanding and realize that atonement is completely and solely the work of Christ.   And yes, I know I’m being redundant here, I just really want us to understand this.   Alright, so let us visit some scriptures. But before we do, it’s important to note that when scripture mentions repentance and faith, repentance always comes before faith. This is also why I believe it happens this way. So today, we’re going to learn why.   Mark 1:14-15 (ESV):  “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’”   Acts 20:21 (ESV):  “Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”   Hebrews 6:1 (ESV):  “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.”   2 Timothy 2:25:  “Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth [faith].”   From these passages, we see that the idea is repentance precedes faith. But why?         Define Repentance   Okay, first let’s define repentance. We haven’t done that yet.   Repentance is changing how you act and think about sin due to remorse and godly sorrow, then turning to God—choosing to do it God’s way. In short, it’s turning away from self and turning to God. In our teaching on sin, we learned that sin was a perversion of the will and an act against God’s divine order. It is the practice of turning away from our Creator and turning to the created. Now we’re learning that repentance is the opposite of this.   The New Testament Greek word for repentance is “metanoia,” which means a changing of one’s mind. In psychology, we use this term to communicate a fundamental change in a person’s personality—typically, the breaking down of one personality and the reconstruction of another. I think this understanding really captures the essence of what repentance is.   John Stott, from his book Basic Christianity , puts it this way: "Repentance is a definite turning away from every thought, word, deed, and habit that we know to be wrong. It is a deliberate rejection of the old life in its entirety. It is ceasing to do wrong and learning to do right. It is a change of mind about sin—a reversal of direction. Repentance and faith belong together. The right response to Christ is neither repentance without faith nor faith without repentance, but both. Repentance is a change of mind, and faith is a change of trust. Repentance is the desire to be rid of sin, and faith is the desire to be right with God. Repentance is knowing that we have done wrong, and faith is knowing that Christ has made it right.”   I love that he explains repentance and faith together, again, because it can be like splitting hairs sometimes when trying to understand these constructs. However, his point on repentance echoes the deconstruction and reconstruction of changes that occur in an individual—the deconstruction of the old and the reconstruction of the new. In short, repentance is the complete deconstruction of the old psyche and reconstruction of the new psyche all initiated and governed by God.   Lazarus   Now on to Lazarus! Let’s see how Lazarus reveals these truths.   The point we will make is that Lazarus, being physically dead, could not believe because he was incapable of any action in his dead state. This mirrors the idea of spiritual death—those who are dead in sin are incapable of any action or any faith because they are separated from the life of God. Just as Lazarus could not physically walk out of the tomb or respond to Jesus' call until Jesus acted first, a person who is spiritually dead in sin cannot come to faith until Christ first acts.   Before Lazarus could walk out of the tomb, he needed to be brought to life by Jesus. Similarly, before a person can walk out of their sin, they need to be brought back to life. This is what we talked about in prior teaching—regeneration. But after being brought back to life, it is only then that Lazarus is aware that he has died, is bound, and is in a tomb. For us, after being regenerated, it is only then that one is aware of their depravity. It is during this state that one is brought to repentance, acknowledging one’s sin and turning from it. In a way, it’s the spiritual “awakening” that precedes faith, allowing the person to respond to and trust in God’s grace.   See, when Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” He is addressing the spiritual death of humanity, not just physical death. Faith in Jesus brings new life, but for faith to take root, a person must first be awakened to their need for that life—which is where repentance comes in, and repentance brings awareness of spiritual death.   For a person to believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life, they first need to recognize that they are spiritually dead without Him. Repentance, in this sense, is that recognition of death—realizing that without God, they are lost, much like Lazarus in the tomb. Only when a person sees the reality of their sin and spiritual death can they turn to Christ in faith.   Even Martha’s confession in John 11:27 reveals this. Martha is recorded as saying, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When Martha says this, she demonstrates that faith follows repentance. The fact that Martha is grieving reveals that she has already acknowledged the broken state of the world, where there is sin, disease, and death, and she expresses her faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Her recognition of Jesus’ authority and power is an example of how repentance (acknowledging the reality of death and sin) leads to a confession of faith. So, are you seeing how this is working?   In the same way that Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, repentance is about God calling all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). This call is an invitation to faith—faith in Jesus! A faith that is built on the acknowledgment of our depravity. So, in short, repentance occurs first because it is the act of awakening to the reality of sin, death, and our depravity, just as Lazarus had to be brought to life before he could respond to Jesus. Once that awakening occurs, faith can follow—just as Lazarus, once alive, could then hear and respond in faith, though he was still covered in his grave clothes, to the voice of Jesus.   As we reflect on Lazarus and the process of repentance, we must remember God is the prime actor in our repentance because it is He who, through the atonement, has made the way for us to turn back to Him. On our own, we are incapable of coming to God. Just as Lazarus had no power to bring himself back to life, we have no power to initiate repentance apart from God's action. The Apostle Paul speaks to this in Romans 5:8, where he writes, "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This verse highlights that the atonement was accomplished without any merit on our part; it was solely God's initiative.   God not only provides the grace necessary for repentance but also actively calls us to repentance, as He did Lazarus out of the tomb. In Acts 5:31, Peter testifies that God "exalted Him [Jesus] at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." Notice how repentance itself is a gift, something God grants as part of His saving work. Repentance, then, is not a human initiative but a divine gift made possible through the atonement.

Today we are going to discuss faith, but not in the Hebrews 11:1 way, which is, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I think that’s a bit monolithic, and we need to understand faith in a multidimensional way. Now, before we get into our topic, let’s recap, because I think up to this point, we have covered a lot of ground. And I want to make sure if you are hearing this for the first time, you understand what’s going on here. This is a teaching series on numerous theological points on the atonement and how some of the core truths are demonstrated through the account of Lazarus of Bethany. Now, why is knowing the atonement and its parts important for us today? Why am I doing this? Well this isn’t just some Understanding the atonement and its parts is vital for everyday life because it soundly, scripturally, biblically and accurately anchors our identity, reminds us of our worth in Christ, and empowers us to live transformed lives. Through aspects like justification, regeneration, sanctification, and reconciliation, we see how God not only forgives us but also restores, renews, and walks with us daily. The atonement frees us from guilt and striving, giving us confidence in God's love and grace, even in suffering. It shapes how we love others, resolve conflict, and extend forgiveness, modeling Christ’s sacrificial love. Ultimately, knowing the atonement gives everyday life eternal purpose, guiding how we live, work, serve, and witness to others—not out of obligation, but out of gratitude for the finished work of Jesus. This approach is drastically different from sensationalism, emotionalism, or unchecked and subjective spiritual experiences. It resists the pull of spectacle and avoids the instability of feelings-based faith, focusing instead on a sober-minded pursuit of truth, and reverence for God’s Word.So what have we covered? So far, we have learned that God originally created man positionally and morally good, intended for eternal fellowship and rulership with Him. Positionally  means that there was no separation or estrangement between humanity and God. Morally  means that man was endowed with integrity and the ability to live according to God's will. The fall corrupted this, perverting man’s will and inclining him to determine position and morality for himself. Therefore, we have learned that sin was and is a perversion of this. Sin is a perversion man’s will and an act against God’s divine order; it is the practice of turning away from our Creator and turning to the created. Being unable to save ourselves from this condition, God, who deeply loves us, graced us or provided His divine assistance to help restore us back into fellowship with Himself. This He initiates by regenerating our ability to hear, respond, and align to His calling. The regeneration then allows for the realization of our depraved state, prompting repentance. Once realized, repentance occurs, which is the complete deconstruction of the old psyche and reconstruction of the new psyche, all initiated and governed by God. Now we arrive at faith! You see, what God is doing here is that He is creating a new man. Just as in the beginning when He created Adam and Eve, He is making you anew! So let get into today’s teaching. First, what I’ll do is make an assertion, then I will support the assertion with Scripture. I think this might be the best way to go about explaining faith. Here is the assertion: Faith is a gift that has nothing to do with your ability to generate belief. I’ll say it another way: Faith isn’t you trying hard to believe  or mustering up mental or emotional certainty. It’s not a product of your own attempts at believing. You’re probably thinking, what about places where scripture says "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed" or "if you have faith to move mountains" or when we are commanded to have faith or believe. Doesn't that indicate that faith is produced by human effort or originate with us? My answer to this would be you are partially correct. What my assertion means to accomplish is to establish the object and origin of faith. Scripture clearly teaches that faith originates from God, and we will see this in a moment. You see, the capacity  to believe is not native to us. In our fallen state, we are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), unable to come to God unless He draws us (John 6:44). Faith, then, is awakened in us by God’s initiative . Yet—and here’s where the mystery lies—we are still commanded to believe . Scripture doesn’t treat us like robots; it calls us to respond. This is where we see the biblical tension, or what I’ll call the mystery of grace and responsibility . Philippians 2:12–13 holds both together beautifully: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” In other words, we are responsible to believe , but we are unable to believe apart from God’s grace . Faith is both a divine gift  and a human response . Now, this doesn’t weaken the truth—it deepens it. God empowers what He commands, and our ability to respond in faith is itself a result of His grace working in us. So, if you ask yourself, “Is God’s grace present in my life,” and you have faith. Then the answer to your question is yes, God’s grace is present in your life; because he is working in you for His good pleasure. Let me show you this in Scripture and in some of this you will see the tension between grace and responsibility. Let’s start with Ephesians 2:8–9 : “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Notice the phrase: “this is not your own doing” . That includes the faith—it’s part of the gift. Salvation is not earned, and neither is the faith that receives it. It originates in God, not in us. Also, consider Philippians 1:29 : “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” Belief is something granted —not merely chosen. John 6:44 + John 6:29 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44) “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”  (John 6:29) God must draw  a person to faith. Yet  the call to believe is a work of God  that humans are commanded to respond to.   Acts 13:48 “And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Those who believed did so because they had been appointed  by God—highlighting divine election. Yet the act of believing  is still a human response.   Luke 22:22 “For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” God’s sovereign plan  (“as it has been determined”). Human responsibility and guilt  (“woe to that man…” – Judas). This reveals that divine sovereignty does not remove human accountability.   Romans 9–11 (especially 9:18–20) “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” This section reveals the mystery  of divine election, mercy, and justice—and acknowledges human responsibility , even when it’s hard to comprehend. So, what this all means is that faith comes from God and is not something we can muster up on our own. It is a gift that has nothing to do with your ability to generate belief. Here is the official definition that I will give you: Faith itself is a divine substance. It is something created by God that He gives you, to (1) believe in Him and (2) to believe that He can sustain you. Here are few more passages to ground this home a little further: John 6:44 (ESV) : “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”  Coming to Jesus, involves faith, which is initiated by God. Acts 16:14 (ESV) : “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Faith results from God opening one’s heart to respond to the message of salvation. 2 Peter 1:1 (ESV) : “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Faith is obtained through the righteousness of Christ, a gift from God. Romans 12:3 (ESV) : “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Faith is assigned by God. Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) : “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Describes Jesus as the initiator and completer of faith, highlighting His role in both starting and sustaining faith. Galatians 5:22 (ESV) : “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” Lists faith as a fruit of the Spirit, indicating that it is produced by the Holy Spirit’s work. Acts 3:16 (ESV) : “And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know. And the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.” Speaking of the lame man at the gate called Beautiful, that faith comes through Jesus, highlighting that faith is a gift from Him.     We can continue listing Scriptures, but I think you get the point. Faith is a gift that has nothing to do with your ability to generate belief. You cannot procure it. Rather, faith is a gift from God that enables us to believe in Him, trust in Him, and grow in Him. It is an anointed perspective given by God to see as He sees and will as He wills in obedience. By "anointed," I do not mean in a charismatic way, but in the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit way (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).   Ephesians 1:18 tell us "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.   2 Kings 6:17 reads, “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”   Now, let’s turn to Lazarus.   We will focus on John 11:25-44, which is where the demonstration of faith occurs.   In verses 25-27 (ESV), we read, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’”   What Jesus is doing here is giving her the opportunity to align her perspective with His perspective, to see as He sees. In this very moment, Martha is growing in faith. Prior to this, in verses 21 to 24, Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Then Jesus says to her, “Your brother will rise again,” to which Martha replies, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”   See, her initial starting point was that she believed Lazarus would rise on the last day, the day of resurrection for all believers. But what Jesus wanted her to do is grow in her faith. Remember, faith is a gift from God that enables us to believe in Him, trust in Him, and grow in Him. It is an anointed perspective given by God to see as He sees and will as He wills in obedience. Again, Jesus was growing Martha’s faith.   As we read further down, Jesus’ instruction to remove the stone and His declaration about seeing God’s glory challenged Martha to see beyond the immediate human limitations. Faith enabled her to see the situation from God’s perspective, recognizing that Jesus’ power can overcome death. Martha demonstrates obedience in removing the stone, reflecting her alignment with Jesus’ will.   Then we have Lazarus himself, who was assuredly dead and unable to do anything at all! In John 11:43, Jesus says, “Lazarus, come out,” and Lazarus responds by emerging from the tomb. The power that raised Lazarus from physical death came entirely from Jesus, not from Lazarus himself. This mirrors the spiritual condition of a person dead in their sins: they cannot come to faith or repentance on their own because they are spiritually dead.   When a person is spiritually dead, God must first give them new life. Ephesians 2:5 explains this: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” God acts first to regenerate the heart, bringing spiritual life where there was none. Once Lazarus was alive, he listened to the sound of Christ’s voice, making his way out of the tomb. In other words, Lazarus was granted faith as a gift from God that enabled him to hear the voice of Christ, believe in Him, trust in Him, and grow in Him.   This is faith! A gift from God that enables you to believe in Him, trust in Him, and grow in Him. It is an anointed perspective given by God to see as He sees and will as He wills, in obedience. This is why God gives you faith: to (1) believe in Him and (2) to believe that He can sustain you. [Analogy of a new born, Lazarus, and the new believer]

Lecture Notes: I. Importance of the Trinity A.   Trinity in prayer B.    Trinity in marital and family relationships C.    Trinity in theology II. Scriptural Reference of the Trinity (Triadic Statements) A-D. Triadic Statements E.   Deity of Jesus F.   Deity of the Holy Spirit III. God’s Plurality in Scripture IV. Theophany / Christophany V.  Trinitarian Table   Augustine of Hippo (354-430). Perhaps antiquity's greatest theologian within Christianity. Augustine coined the use of the term “person” when referring to the manifestations of the Trinity. To communicate that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all distinctive, while sharing the same divine essence. 1-    God is the same in essence as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is undivided 2-    The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God, yet distinct existing simultaneously.   I.      Importance of the Trinity A.   Trinity in Prayer a.   To the Father i.  John 15:16 (ESV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” ii.  Matthew 6:9 (ESV) “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” b.  In the name of the Son i.   Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV) “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. ii. 1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV) “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” c. Through the power of the Holy Spirit i. Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”   ii.  Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”   iii.  Jude 1:20 (ESV) “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.” B.    Hierarchy of marital and family relationships (Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism) The Son subordinate to the Father: Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14. The Holy Spirit subordinate to the Son: John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14. a.     Complementarianism is the position that God has made men and women equal in personhood and value, but different in their practiced gender roles; these differences in gender roles are designed to complement each other. Further reading can be found at The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood ( CBMW.org ), specifically in the Danvers Statement. https://cbmw.org/about/danvers-statement/ b.     Egalitarianism is the opposing position that there are no gender distinctions. Gender roles are seen as interchangeable are equally satisfied by either male or female. Further information can be found at Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE / cbeinternational.org ), specifically in the Statement on Men, Women, and Biblical Equality. https://www.cbeinternational.org/sites/default/files/english_3.pdf   C.    Theological Understanding – Our understanding of God’s relationship to humanity revolves around a trinitarian understanding. a.     Creation  i.     Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17 b.     Consummation i.     The Holy Spirit speaks Revelation 2 – 3. The Holy Spirit works “seven spirits of God" are mentioned in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. The Holy Spirit’s invitation Revelation 22:17. c.     Atonement. The trinity is required for atonement. i.     Fully God. The sacrifice on the cross needed to be (1) perfect and (2) eternal. As fully God, undiminished deity, Jesus served as a type of eternal sacrifice, dying once and for all time. A perfect human could not have paid the price of sin and satisfied God’s wrath and the eternality of Hell, this is because man is a finite being and Jesus is an infinite being. ii.     Jesus, The Son of God. The other nature of Christ was fully human, qualifying him as an eligible sacrifice. His eligibility is also substantiated by the fact that he was tempted in every way we are and yet did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). It is important to note that James 1:13 tells us that God cannot be tempted by evil; however, Jesus was tempted by evil in Luke 4 and Matthew 4. The explanation is Jesus existence of two natures, undiminished deity and perfect humanity. iii.     The Power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was active throughout the entire atonement process; from his earthly conception (Luke 1:35), to his empowerment to work miracles (Matthew 12:28; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38), to his crucifixion (Hebrews 9:14).     II.    Scriptural references of Trinity (Triadic Statements) A.   Great Commission – Matthew 28:18 (ESV) - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name [singular]  of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. B.    Benediction to the Corinthians – 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” C.    Ephesians 1 – Entire chapter D.   Ephesians 4:4-6 “ESV) “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” E.    Deity of Jesus i.  John 8:58 – “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” ii.  John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.” F.    Deity of the Holy Spirit i.  Acts 5:3-4 (ESV) “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”” ii. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17(ESV) “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” iii. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV) “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord[d] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”   III.   God’s Plurality in Scripture God is not himself a plurality, he is not one among many, "The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rather God’s plurality is expressed in the trinitarian expressions of scripture. A.   Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'" B.    Gen. 3:22, "Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever -'"   C.    Gen. 11:7, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech." D.   Gen. 19:24, "Then the Lord [YHWH] rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord [YHWH] out of heaven." YHWH indicates a plural from of “Elohim” meaning God. E.    *Psalm 45:6-7, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee." *Also referenced the NT in Heb. 1:8, "But of the Son He [God] says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom." Both the Hebrew translations (Psalms 45:6-7) and Greek (Hebrews 1:8) have been properly translated as seen from the many Bible versions that support this grammatical read. F.    Amos 4:10-11 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.   IV.  Theophany / Christophany. Manifestations of God in tangible form.   A.   Gen. 17:1, "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless." B.    Gen. 18:1, "Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day." C.    Ex. 6:2-3, "God spoke further to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I did not make myself known to them.'" D.   Exodus 24:9-11, "Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank." E.    Exodus 33:11, "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend..." F.    Num. 12:6-8, "He [God] said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD..." G.   Acts 7:2, "And he [Stephen] said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers!  The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran...."     V.    Trinitarian Table      FATHER SON HOLY SPIRIT Called God Phil. 1:2 John 1:1.14: Col. 2:9 Acts 5:3-4 Job 33:4 Creator Isaiah 64:8 John 1:3, Col. 1:15-17 Job 33:4, 26:13 Resurrects 1 Thess. 1:10 John 2:19, 10:17 Rom. 8:11 Indwells 2 Cor. 6:16 Col. 1:27 John 14:17 Everywhere 1 Kings 8:27 Matt 28:20 Psalm 139:7-10 All knowing 1 John 3:20 John 16:30, 21:17 1 Cor. 2:10,11 Sanctifies 1 Thess. 5:23 Heb. 2:11 1 Peter. 1:2 Life giver Gen. 2:7 John 5:21 John 1:3, 5:21 2 Cor. 3:6,8 Fellowship 1 John 1:3 1 Cor. 1:19 2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:1 Eternal Psalm 90:2 Micah 5:1,2 Rom. 8:11, Heb 9:14 A Will Luke 22:42 Luke 22:42 1 Cor. 12:11 Speaks Matt. 3:17; Luke 9:25 Luke 5:20, 7:48 Acts 8:29, 11:12, 13:2 Love John 3:16 Eph. 5:25 Rom. 15:30 Searches the Heart Jer. 17:10 Rev. 2:20 1 Cor. 2:10 Gives Joy Ecclesiastes 2:26 John 15:11 John 14:7

Lecture Notes: I. Importance of the Trinity A.   Trinity in prayer B.    Trinity in marital and family relationships C.    Trinity in theology II. Scriptural Reference of the Trinity (Triadic Statements) A-D. Triadic Statements E.   Deity of Jesus F.   Deity of the Holy Spirit III. God’s Plurality in Scripture IV. Theophany / Christophany V.  Trinitarian Table   Augustine of Hippo (354-430). Perhaps antiquity's greatest theologian within Christianity. Augustine coined the use of the term “person” when referring to the manifestations of the Trinity. To communicate that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all distinctive, while sharing the same divine essence. 1-    God is the same in essence as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is undivided 2-    The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God, yet distinct existing simultaneously.   I.      Importance of the Trinity A.   Trinity in Prayer a.   To the Father i.  John 15:16 (ESV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” ii.  Matthew 6:9 (ESV) “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” b.  In the name of the Son i.   Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV) “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. ii. 1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV) “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” c. Through the power of the Holy Spirit i. Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”   ii.  Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”   iii.  Jude 1:20 (ESV) “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.” B.    Hierarchy of marital and family relationships (Complementarianism vs. Egalitarianism) The Son subordinate to the Father: Luke 22:42, John 5:36, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14. The Holy Spirit subordinate to the Son: John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and especially John 16:13-14. a.     Complementarianism is the position that God has made men and women equal in personhood and value, but different in their practiced gender roles; these differences in gender roles are designed to complement each other. Further reading can be found at The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood ( CBMW.org ), specifically in the Danvers Statement. https://cbmw.org/about/danvers-statement/ b.     Egalitarianism is the opposing position that there are no gender distinctions. Gender roles are seen as interchangeable are equally satisfied by either male or female. Further information can be found at Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE / cbeinternational.org ), specifically in the Statement on Men, Women, and Biblical Equality. https://www.cbeinternational.org/sites/default/files/english_3.pdf   C.    Theological Understanding – Our understanding of God’s relationship to humanity revolves around a trinitarian understanding. a.     Creation  i.     Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17 b.     Consummation i.     The Holy Spirit speaks Revelation 2 – 3. The Holy Spirit works “seven spirits of God" are mentioned in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. The Holy Spirit’s invitation Revelation 22:17. c.     Atonement. The trinity is required for atonement. i.     Fully God. The sacrifice on the cross needed to be (1) perfect and (2) eternal. As fully God, undiminished deity, Jesus served as a type of eternal sacrifice, dying once and for all time. A perfect human could not have paid the price of sin and satisfied God’s wrath and the eternality of Hell, this is because man is a finite being and Jesus is an infinite being. ii.     Jesus, The Son of God. The other nature of Christ was fully human, qualifying him as an eligible sacrifice. His eligibility is also substantiated by the fact that he was tempted in every way we are and yet did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). It is important to note that James 1:13 tells us that God cannot be tempted by evil; however, Jesus was tempted by evil in Luke 4 and Matthew 4. The explanation is Jesus existence of two natures, undiminished deity and perfect humanity. iii.     The Power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was active throughout the entire atonement process; from his earthly conception (Luke 1:35), to his empowerment to work miracles (Matthew 12:28; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38), to his crucifixion (Hebrews 9:14).     II.    Scriptural references of Trinity (Triadic Statements) A.   Great Commission – Matthew 28:18 (ESV) - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name [singular]  of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. B.    Benediction to the Corinthians – 2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” C.    Ephesians 1 – Entire chapter D.   Ephesians 4:4-6 “ESV) “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” E.    Deity of Jesus i.  John 8:58 – “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” ii.  John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.” F.    Deity of the Holy Spirit i.  Acts 5:3-4 (ESV) “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”” ii. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17(ESV) “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” iii. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV) “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord[d] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”   III.   God’s Plurality in Scripture God is not himself a plurality, he is not one among many, "The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rather God’s plurality is expressed in the trinitarian expressions of scripture. A.   Gen. 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'" B.    Gen. 3:22, "Then the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever -'"   C.    Gen. 11:7, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech." D.   Gen. 19:24, "Then the Lord [YHWH] rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord [YHWH] out of heaven." YHWH indicates a plural from of “Elohim” meaning God. E.    *Psalm 45:6-7, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee." *Also referenced the NT in Heb. 1:8, "But of the Son He [God] says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom." Both the Hebrew translations (Psalms 45:6-7) and Greek (Hebrews 1:8) have been properly translated as seen from the many Bible versions that support this grammatical read. F.    Amos 4:10-11 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.   IV.  Theophany / Christophany. Manifestations of God in tangible form.   A.   Gen. 17:1, "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless." B.    Gen. 18:1, "Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day." C.    Ex. 6:2-3, "God spoke further to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I did not make myself known to them.'" D.   Exodus 24:9-11, "Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.  Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank." E.    Exodus 33:11, "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend..." F.    Num. 12:6-8, "He [God] said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD..." G.   Acts 7:2, "And he [Stephen] said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers!  The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran...."     V.    Trinitarian Table      FATHER SON HOLY SPIRIT Called God Phil. 1:2 John 1:1.14: Col. 2:9 Acts 5:3-4 Job 33:4 Creator Isaiah 64:8 John 1:3, Col. 1:15-17 Job 33:4, 26:13 Resurrects 1 Thess. 1:10 John 2:19, 10:17 Rom. 8:11 Indwells 2 Cor. 6:16 Col. 1:27 John 14:17 Everywhere 1 Kings 8:27 Matt 28:20 Psalm 139:7-10 All knowing 1 John 3:20 John 16:30, 21:17 1 Cor. 2:10,11 Sanctifies 1 Thess. 5:23 Heb. 2:11 1 Peter. 1:2 Life giver Gen. 2:7 John 5:21 John 1:3, 5:21 2 Cor. 3:6,8 Fellowship 1 John 1:3 1 Cor. 1:19 2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:1 Eternal Psalm 90:2 Micah 5:1,2 Rom. 8:11, Heb 9:14 A Will Luke 22:42 Luke 22:42 1 Cor. 12:11 Speaks Matt. 3:17; Luke 9:25 Luke 5:20, 7:48 Acts 8:29, 11:12, 13:2 Love John 3:16 Eph. 5:25 Rom. 15:30 Searches the Heart Jer. 17:10 Rev. 2:20 1 Cor. 2:10 Gives Joy Ecclesiastes 2:26 John 15:11 John 14:7

Lecture Notes:   I.  Who is the Holy Spirit A.   The Holy Spirit is a person (Third person of the Trinity) II. Attributes of the Holy Spirit A. Fruit of the Spirit B. Other attributes III. The Work of the Holy Spirit A. Appointment B. Empowerment C. Special Ability D. Regeneration E. Sanctification IV.  Indwelling A. Old Testament B. New Testament     I.  Who is The Holy Spirit Hebrew word for breath is ruach. The Greek word is pneuma. Why focus on the “breath” of God and not any other part of God? Personal pronouns are used when referring to the Holy Spirit. It has also been established in the Trinity lecture that the Holy Spirit is God.   A. The Holy Spirit is a person with a mind, emotion, and will: Mind: 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 (ESV) These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. Emotions: Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Hebrews 10:29 (NLT) Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. Will: 1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV) All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. John 16:12-15 (ESV) I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit has a will but chooses to promote Christ. The Holy Spirit will always speak of God and Jesus. John 13-15; John 16. You cannot isolate the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son.                   II. Attributes of the Holy Spirit A. Galatians 5:22-23 ·  Love. Characterized by being caring, affectionate, and thoughtful. ·  Joy. Characterized by being happy, cheerful, and enthusiastic. ·  Peace. Characterized by being pleasant, calm, diplomatic, and agreeable. ·  Patience. Characterized by being tolerant, empathetic, flexible, and able to endure difficulties. ·  Kind. Characterized by being friendly, giving, generous, and service-oriented. ·  Goodness. Characterized by honorable, ethical, and principled. ·  Faithfulness. Characterized by loyal, dedication, and dependable. ·  Gentleness. Characterized by mild-mannered, humble, and teachable. ·  Self-Control. Characterized by disciplined, measured, and emotionally & behaviorally temperate. B.    Other Attributes · Convicts of Sin John 16:8 (ESV) And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. ·  Comforts John 16:7 (ESV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ·  Teach & Helps John 14:26 (ESV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ·  Sanctifies (NASB) 1 Peter 1:2 According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. · Regenerates (ESV) Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit   III. The Work of the Holy Spirit A. Appointment ·  Moses appointment of elders Numbers 11:24-26 (ESV) Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. ·  Barnabas & Saul chosen Acts 13:2 (ESV) While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ·  Leadership (Elders) Acts 20:28 (ESV) Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. B.    Empowerment ·  Judges [Othniel – Judges 3:10; Gideon – Judges 6:34; Japhthah – Judges 11:29; Samson– Judges 14] ·  Prophets [Azariah – 2 Chronicles 15:1; Ezekiel – Ezekiel 11: 5; Micah – Micah 3:8; Zechariah 7: 12] · Jesus Began Ministry – Luke 4:14-18 C.    Special Ability ·      Bezalel given all skills in building the Tabernacle – Exodus 31:1-11 ·      Carried Phillip away – Acts 8:39 ·      Incarnation of Jesus – Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 1:35 D.   Regeneration ·  Romans 8:11 (NLT) The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. ·  Made alive with Christ through the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 2 · Must be born of water and Spirit – John 3:3-5 ·  New birth and life through the Holy Spirit Titus 3:5 E.    Sanctification ·  1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 (ESV) For this is the will of God, your sanctification:  that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. ·  John 17 – Jesus prays that believers are not taken out of the world, but sanctified while in it. ·  Hebrews 10:14 (ESV) For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. How did Jesus live a sinless life and resists temptation, as a human? ·      Not because he was God ·      God cannot be tempted – James 1:13 ·      It was by the power of the Holy Spirit – Matthew 4; Luke 4; John 17 ·      Follow after his example – 1 Peter 2:21-22   IV.  Indwelling A. Old Testament. Out-dwelling and prophecy of Indwelling ·  Ezekiel 36:25-28 (ESV) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. ·  Jeremiah 31:31-34 (ESV) Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” ·  Joel 2:28-2 9 (ESV) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. B. New Testament fulfillment of Indwelling ·  Believers (includes carnal) 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 16-17 (ESV) But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way…Do you not know that you[c] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. ·  All believers receive the Holy Spirit John 7:38-39 (ESV) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Lecture Notes:   I.  Who is the Holy Spirit A.   The Holy Spirit is a person (Third person of the Trinity) II. Attributes of the Holy Spirit A. Fruit of the Spirit B. Other attributes III. The Work of the Holy Spirit A. Appointment B. Empowerment C. Special Ability D. Regeneration E. Sanctification IV.  Indwelling A. Old Testament B. New Testament     I.  Who is The Holy Spirit Hebrew word for breath is ruach. The Greek word is pneuma. Why focus on the “breath” of God and not any other part of God? Personal pronouns are used when referring to the Holy Spirit. It has also been established in the Trinity lecture that the Holy Spirit is God.   A. The Holy Spirit is a person with a mind, emotion, and will: Mind: 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 (ESV) These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. Emotions: Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Hebrews 10:29 (NLT) Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. Will: 1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV) All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. John 16:12-15 (ESV) I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit has a will but chooses to promote Christ. The Holy Spirit will always speak of God and Jesus. John 13-15; John 16. You cannot isolate the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son.                   II. Attributes of the Holy Spirit A. Galatians 5:22-23 ·  Love. Characterized by being caring, affectionate, and thoughtful. ·  Joy. Characterized by being happy, cheerful, and enthusiastic. ·  Peace. Characterized by being pleasant, calm, diplomatic, and agreeable. ·  Patience. Characterized by being tolerant, empathetic, flexible, and able to endure difficulties. ·  Kind. Characterized by being friendly, giving, generous, and service-oriented. ·  Goodness. Characterized by honorable, ethical, and principled. ·  Faithfulness. Characterized by loyal, dedication, and dependable. ·  Gentleness. Characterized by mild-mannered, humble, and teachable. ·  Self-Control. Characterized by disciplined, measured, and emotionally & behaviorally temperate. B.    Other Attributes · Convicts of Sin John 16:8 (ESV) And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. ·  Comforts John 16:7 (ESV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ·  Teach & Helps John 14:26 (ESV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ·  Sanctifies (NASB) 1 Peter 1:2 According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. · Regenerates (ESV) Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit   III. The Work of the Holy Spirit A. Appointment ·  Moses appointment of elders Numbers 11:24-26 (ESV) Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. ·  Barnabas & Saul chosen Acts 13:2 (ESV) While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ·  Leadership (Elders) Acts 20:28 (ESV) Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. B.    Empowerment ·  Judges [Othniel – Judges 3:10; Gideon – Judges 6:34; Japhthah – Judges 11:29; Samson– Judges 14] ·  Prophets [Azariah – 2 Chronicles 15:1; Ezekiel – Ezekiel 11: 5; Micah – Micah 3:8; Zechariah 7: 12] · Jesus Began Ministry – Luke 4:14-18 C.    Special Ability ·      Bezalel given all skills in building the Tabernacle – Exodus 31:1-11 ·      Carried Phillip away – Acts 8:39 ·      Incarnation of Jesus – Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 1:35 D.   Regeneration ·  Romans 8:11 (NLT) The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. ·  Made alive with Christ through the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 2 · Must be born of water and Spirit – John 3:3-5 ·  New birth and life through the Holy Spirit Titus 3:5 E.    Sanctification ·  1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 (ESV) For this is the will of God, your sanctification:  that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. ·  John 17 – Jesus prays that believers are not taken out of the world, but sanctified while in it. ·  Hebrews 10:14 (ESV) For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. How did Jesus live a sinless life and resists temptation, as a human? ·      Not because he was God ·      God cannot be tempted – James 1:13 ·      It was by the power of the Holy Spirit – Matthew 4; Luke 4; John 17 ·      Follow after his example – 1 Peter 2:21-22   IV.  Indwelling A. Old Testament. Out-dwelling and prophecy of Indwelling ·  Ezekiel 36:25-28 (ESV) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. ·  Jeremiah 31:31-34 (ESV) Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” ·  Joel 2:28-2 9 (ESV) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. B. New Testament fulfillment of Indwelling ·  Believers (includes carnal) 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 16-17 (ESV) But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way…Do you not know that you[c] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. ·  All believers receive the Holy Spirit John 7:38-39 (ESV) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.