Epistles of Paul 77

Romans chapter 8 is often called a Holy Spirit chapter and it's a very good reason. And today we're going to talk quite a bit about what, how does the Holy Spirit work with us and some of the, let's call it, what working is of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There's a couple of important points and then I'm going to focus on one major one. So, so as a summary, we, we seen in Romans three verse 10 that there is an unrighteous, no, not one. And then Paul admitted his own personal struggles, talking about the law in his members in Romans seven verse 23. And then in the last study we got into Romans eight. And there in Romans eight verse five, we see that we must not set our minds on the things of the flesh, but on the things of the Spirit, so that we can live according to the Spirit. Let me just read Romans eight verse five, it says, for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things on the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set the minds on the things of the Spirit. And so, and then he goes on and says that when the minds are set on the thinking of the flesh, which basically says it's commonly minded or fleshly minded, that is death. The way of it, the end thereof is death. But for us to be focused on the spiritual, to be spiritually minded, the outcome is life and peace. And the real outcome of life is actually eternal life. That is the end of it. And then moving a little bit forward, we see in verse nine, which says, but you are not in the flesh, but you are in the Spirit. He says, but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God is in you, dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his. And we went through that. And we highlighted that this is one of the two definitions of what is a true Christian in this chapter. The other one is also in verse 13. So it's another definition of if we are true Christians, that we are going to be putting to death the deeds of the body. So, so, yeah, we we see this definition and of a true Christian as already is that if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. So a true Christian is one that, as we read, for instance, in verse 10, says that if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. In other words, the deeds of the body are put to death because we don't want to sin. We commit it to live God's way. And it says, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. So God's Spirit gives us eternal life because it guides us in living God's way. Now, yeah, are some practical works of of God's Holy Spirit. I won't call it necessarily fruits, but ways how God's Holy Spirit works with us as Christians, as true Christians. Now, these are important for us to understand. And the first one is what it says right here in verse 10 is that God's Holy Spirit helps you and I to set our minds away from the things of the flesh. In other words, God's Holy Spirit is that preaching of our conscience, helping us, guiding us to have our minds thinking on the right things, in other words, away from the things of the flesh, and thereby live according to God's will. So that is one of the practical ways how God's Spirit really works with us. So you could call it fruits of the Spirit. It's true. But I would say how God's Spirit works with us, what it accomplishes in us as true Christians.

Now, the second, let's call it practical way, how God's Spirit works with us is outside easing verse 11. Let me just read verse 11. And it says, But if the Spirit of him raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. So ultimately, through God's power, God's Spirit living in us and dwelling in us, we ultimately we're going to have eternal life. We as it says, we're going to be resurrected and will give us life. Obviously, life meaning eternal life.

Look at verse 13. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. So so if by the Spirit, obviously by the Spirit of God, that means if we are true Christians, we put to death the deeds of the body, the sinful, passionate works of our flesh, we got to put them to death.

We got to put them away. That's like a baptism. The body is buried in water, symbolizing that old man is dead. Then it says to death, you will live. In other words, we will have eternal life. So that is the the second, let's call practical works of outcomes of God's Spirit working with us in our lives. The first one is it helps helps you and I to put our minds, let's call it on the right track and live God's way.

So it gives us that help. Secondly, is that through God's power, ultimately, that's power, that's God's only Spirit, God's power. We will ultimately have eternal life. And and that's what we read there in verse 13. And then on verse 14 is where we stopped the last study. And, and yeah, is in a sense, the third study, again, a practical works or outcomes of God's only Spirit.

And but it's also a definition, what is again, what is a true Christian, because a true Christian is led by God's Holy Spirit. So, yeah, at this stage, I've highlighted three, what I believe to be important working so practical works of God's only Spirit in our lives. One being helping us to get our minds on the right track, and so we may do what's right and godly.

Secondly, ultimately, through that power, we'll have eternal life and peace. But today, and this is the third point, is that God's God's Holy Spirit leads a true Christian, as it says here, leads a true Christian to in our day to day things continuously leading us the right way, how by God's Holy Spirit. And so this is outside is like a third point about how would I put it in my mind, how does God's Spirit practically is working with us? How do you and I know that we have God's Holy Spirit, because it's helping continuously with our minds.

So there's that war in our minds, getting our minds right. We know that ultimately we'll have eternal life because of God's Holy Spirit and and it's leading us. Now, the point about leading is it's a word which is very significant from the point of view that is not forcing or dominating you and I. It doesn't dominate, it does not take over you, it does not possess you, but it gently leads you, points you in the right direction. It is important for us to understand that God's Holy Spirit, God has given us free moral agency and therefore God wrongly lead us, guide us, point us and give us the strength and help to help to get the mind in the right place.

But it leads us, does not possess a force. Now, the implication of that, think about it, is that we have to yield to God's Spirit. In other words, we have to have a voluntary submission to God's mind, to how God is preaching our minds, our conscience, and you and I have to have a voluntary submission. So that's quite important to understand because as it leads our attitude to it, must be one of humility and submission yielding to God's mind, not fighting back, rejecting, but willingly submit.

And that is so important as a Christian life for us to have willing submission. So important. And the other point that I did mention as well as far as this word led is that in the Greek, this word led by God's Holy Spirit is a progressive. In other words, a word that is continuing in action is continuously being led. It is an ongoing action.

Now, that is tied in to the fact that God's Holy Spirit is with us. Turn to John 14 verse 16. John 14 verse 16. And now we read, and I'll pray the Father and He will give you another help that He may be with you forever.

Now, there's an interesting point here is that God's Holy Spirit is with us. And it's with us as much as we don't reject it, as much as we don't quench it, is with us forever. God said, Christ says, I'll never leave or forsake you. And He will send us the helper and that mind that will lead us, but we have to yield. We must not quench it. And so it's going to be around us with us pointing in the right direction. It's like like a sign or somebody you ask for directions and somebody says, well, it's that way. So God's Holy Spirit is leading us pointing us in the right direction, in God's direction.

And it says, it's with you. That's is with you. So is is is with you, with your mind working with you forever. Now the word forever is into the errors, into Aion. In other words, into into the errors of errors. It's forever. So God's Holy Spirit is there therefore to lead us, to help us, to empower us, to strengthen us, to help us overcome, to bring all things to our mind.

In other words, it's a spiritual power from God to help us. And as we look at these points of God's Holy Spirit, it is very encouraging that God says His Spirit will be with us forever. That's what it says, with you forever. That's what we read it in verse 16 of John 14. Now, going back, and I want you to keep your finger on John 14, but let's just briefly look at Romans 8 verse 9.

It's Romans 8 verse 9 because we just finished reading Romans 8 14 that God's Spirit leads us. But look at Romans 8 verse 9. Romans 8 verse 9 says, but you are not in the flesh, but if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now it's talking about in us. You see, so in John 14 verse 16, Christ sent God's Holy Spirit to be with us. But also when we read John 14 verse 17, it says, The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it not sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

And so it is very encouraging that God's Spirit is with us, guiding us, leading us, empowering us, helping us to think the right things, to say the right things.

But it's not, it's also in us. God's Holy Spirit is in us. And this now is as a fourth point here about God's Holy Spirit or working of God's Holy Spirit, is that a true Christian is a Son of God.

Let's read again, John, Romans 8 verse 14. He says, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. We are the sons of God.

The Greek, Yah, is yos, which means son, is a direct child, son, Greek 5207. And so in a sense, Paul is Yah, starting to briefly and gently elaborating the begettle process, which leads to us later being born again.

Now, this is very important for us to understand. And I want to spend the rest of the time today as we're going to read a few more verses in Romans 8.

But I'm going to talk a little bit more about this process of salvation or the process of begettle and being born again.

As you are aware, we do have a doctrinal study paper, Born Again, which is on our website. You can look at our website and the resources and then under papers.

And it goes very deeply into this subject. It is a paper with, let me just look at Yah very briefly, 31 pages. So it goes into the subject, very detailed, very carefully.

And I really, I really recommend you to take it out and study it carefully because it is a very, very beneficial piece of study.

And you might think, well, I know it all, but it goes into a lot of details that sometimes people don't understand.

And so I want to talk a little bit about this salvation process and using this section of Romans from verse 14 through till about 15 or verse 15 through verse 21 to discuss this a little bit more.

Now, the analogy we have used, and in fact, there are two analogies which I'll show you in a moment, but the analogy we have used. The analogy we have used is the human physical reproduction analogy, the human physical reproduction analogy. So let me talk a little bit about that because it's just an analogy. But as a baby, okay, first thing we need to understand, there is a time element from what we call impregnation.

In other words, begettal on the part of the father after the embryo or the egg or the ovum has been conceived on the part of the mother. So there is a moment of impregnation where on the part of the father is the begettal, is the fathering, and on the part of the mother is the conception having conceived. So from that moment till birth or porturition or being delivered, the baby being delivered, there's a time element you and I will all know. It's on average nine months and it's quite often called a gestation period. There was a period in which the fertilized ovum, which is then called an embryo and later on the fetus, it grows from conception.

And during that nine month period of gestation, the embryo or the fetus grows, but it's not yet born. So there is a process of growth in the womb.

And from that moment of conception or begettal, conception from the part of the mother or begettal from the part of the father or impregnation, from that moment, okay, till birth, that baby in the mother's womb is already a child of his parents.

Is already a son of that dad, albeit unborn. So the father has already begotten it, has already sired it, but the mother has not yet given birth to it. Now, we all know this very clearly, but we can see a parallel with the receiving of God's Holy Spirit till we become spirit beings. And we're going to go into that a little bit more detail.

And I am going to refer in fact to some of the material from our old, old Herbert Tabryon Strong booklet, What Do You Mean Born Again? which was initially published in 1962. It was this booklet I have here, I was revised in early 70, 71, 72, and probably was revised, I mean reprinted at the times after that. But what I'm saying, what I'm referring to is something we preach and that we have preached for many years. It's nothing new. It's nothing new.

So the first, the analogy that we have is the process that we go through of repentance, faith, and baptism. Then we receive God's Holy Spirit. And the moment we receive God's Holy Spirit is the moment of spiritual begettle or impregnation of that baby in the womb, the spiritual womb being conceived. So let's just put that into simple terms. Yeah, in 1 Corinthians 12 verse 11, 1 Corinthians 12 verse 11, 1 Corinthians 12 verse 11. It says, by one and the same spirit, but by your partner, but one and the same spirit works all these things, distributing as he wills, for verse 12, as the body is one and as many members, but all the members that are of that one body, being many, are one body.

For verse 13, and this is the point, the one that I wanted to emphasize, for by one spirit, we're all baptized into one body. And so by one spirit, we are baptized, we are put into one body, which is the body of Christ, which is the Church of God.

Right? So, so by this one baptism, we put into this body and we know it's baptism and followed by the laying on our hands when received God's Holy Spirit. Then, interesting point as well is, yeah, in Hebrews 12, in Hebrews 12, Hebrews 12 verse 22 and 23, Hebrews 12 verse 22 and 23 says, But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn.

And so the church, yeah, is called the Jerusalem above, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above. This you can read in this booklet that I made reference to you, an old booklet, which is on pages 19 through 21. And they learn just quote one or another section says, The analogy is this, when begotten by God, by God the Father, by receiving His Holy Spirit, we are put into the church, which during this gestation period is our mother.

And then, if you look at Galatians 4 verse 26, Galatians 4 verse 26. Galatians 4 verse 26, he says, But the Jerusalem above, that's the church, is free, which is the mother of us all. So this Jerusalem above is the mother of us all. That's as we see. And in the analogy, in the analogy, when you and I are baptized and put into the spiritual body of Christ, we are taken care by the mother inside that spiritual womb, which is the church of God.

And so the instruction is to the ministers, and our responsibility is First Peter 5 verse 2. First Peter 5 verse 2, it says, Shepherd of the flock of God, which is among you, serving as overseer. So our responsibility as the ministry is to feed the flock. As shepherds in loving care, you all, we all are Christ sheep, and we serve one another by caring for one another in the ministry by feeding the flock. And then Paul in Ephesians chapter 4, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 through 13, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 through 13, he says, And he gave himself some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.

And he gave himself some of the work of the ministry, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, in other words, serving. The word there in Greek is the akonea, where we get the words deacon, for the edifying of the body of Christ, for the edification of the church of God. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

And so what are we talking about here? What are we talking about here is, once you and I are baptized, it is like that spiritually speaking in this analogy, and again analogy, not every point of the analogy is true, but it's just an analogy to explain a little bit better, something spiritual in a physical way so that our minds understand a little bit better. So in this analogy, when we receive God's Holy Spirit, which is that moment of impregnation or begettle on the part of the Father, which is the begettle of God's Holy Spirit that proceeds from the Father, so at that moment, symbolically, there is a conception of a new baby in a mother's womb, and a mother is the church, and this new baby is a member of the body of Christ, and this baby has to grow, being fed.

And there's going to be a growth process, which in the physical analogy is a gestation period, but in this case is we are growing to full maturity. Now, NEI is where the analogy breaks down, and we'll see a little later that the analogy is also made of a new babes in Christ.

So it's because our growth process, spiritual growth process, is not to just be resurrected as a tiny baby, which is incapable of doing anything, but our growth process as we read here in Ephesians chapter four verse 13 is for us to grow into a perfect man. So our growth is not just the equivalent of this gestation period, but our growth is the growth of a baby so that we are not just drinking the milk, but we grow that we can eat meat, immature, into a perfect man. And so the responsibility of the church is to help this little embryonic baby grow in maturity till we reach a perfect man, which is more than just the birth of after nine months, but it's a overall growth process.

So this is very clearly described in pages 19 through 21 of this booklet that are making reference to you. What do you mean born again? And then it says that not only the mother is, which is the church, is to feed the members on the Word of God, as basically we read in Ephesians chapter four verse 13 for us to grow into, we come to the unity of faith and to a perfect man. But in verse 14 says the responsibility of the mother is also to protect, it's to protect the church.

So it's not just, how should I say, it's not just to feed, but to protect those, let's call it conceived, yet unborn children of God, unborn as spirit beings, from spiritual harm. And that's where we read in verse 14 says that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of man in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. And so our responsibility is to help the brethren to grow as we speak God's truth in loving care, and they use that growth so that the whole body, as it says in verse 16, is joined and knit together and everyone plays its part and helps one another and we serve one another and causes growth to the church, to the body.

And it says to the edifying of the body, to the growth of the church. And so the point that I am emphasizing that is important and I want you to consider is that God's Holy Spirit is working in you and in us through this growth process, this maturing process, so that we can reach the unity of the faith unto a perfect man, and to the full stature of Jesus Christ, as we read in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13. And that is the working of God's Holy Spirit after baptism.

It is important to understand that baptism is not the end of the road. Baptism is the beginning of the spiritual growth process. And so it is important that we understand that. Now look at verse 14 again in Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 14. Now we read, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. And now he's talking about sonship, that analogy that we are begotten by God's Spirit and we now become a new man. And that's why it says in verse 15, for you did not receive the spirit of bondage, you're going to fear, but you receive the spirit of adoption, which a better translation would be a spirit of sonship, although I'm not saying that adoption is an incorrect translation, but a better translation is sonship, because we are really sons of the same quote unquote genetic code as God, because we receive the spirit of God, in a sense it's like God's genetic code, when it begets us in the spiritual womb.

And so we now become truly sons of God. That's why it says the spirit of adoption, or I believe to be a better translation, sonship by the spirit of adoption by whom we cry, Abba Father. In other words, daddy, dear, dear dad, dear.

So there is a very intimate relationship as a child of God, that we are now, but understand we're not yet born again. We have not yet reached that full maturity, perfect maturity, in the image of the Son of God, of Christ. We have not reached that. And then continues here, verse 16, the spirit itself, God's only spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that's the spirit of man in man, that we are the children of God.

And so God's only spirit bears witness with our spirit. Why? Because the spirit of man in man, in this analogy, is like the ovum that becomes fertilized with the spirit of God, which is that spirit that comes from the Father, that incorruptible seed. So then therefore then, the two, our spirit with God's spirit, that is a witness that we are indeed children of God. That is a witness. That's what it says here. And if children then heirs, in verse 17, heirs of God, so we're going to inherit, we're going to be like God, and we're going to be joined heirs with Christ, so whatever Christ is going to inherit, we're going to be co-inearred with Him.

If indeed we suffer with Him, then we may also be glorified together. And so, yeah, we have a point that it's the ultimate, the end result of this process. So yeah, we're talking a process. Okay, we are now sons of God. Just like the baby in the womb of the mother is a child of his parents, but is still unborn, we are a child of God, but still unborn as a spirit being.

But yeah, in verse 17 says that we may be glorified together. That means that we may be at a resurrection into glory. And so, in other words, that we may be a spirit being at the resurrection. And so this process of spiritual growth, which starts at receiving God's early spirit, which is the first step, then there's a whole step of growth, which ends at the resurrection when we are glorified at the resurrection.

And we now have a spirit body. And therefore, it says in verse 18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The sufferings are not to be compared with the glory. Now, we read over this, but I think we should take time and meditate at your own time, because there's going to be such glory that you and I cannot even begin to comprehend. You know, being a spirit being and having no pain and having powers like we just cannot understand. It's just an amazing glory. Now, that's why we have to be, let's put it this way, tried and tested and proven before we are changed into spirit beings at the resurrection. We got to go through a, let's call it, a long period of time, a lifetime long, for some, maybe it's a short lifetime period, because maybe they called at the old age, for others might be a longer lifetime period because they called when they're young. But there is a lifetime process of developing and growing in God's character. And then continue to read in verse 19, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

You know, the whole creation waits for this. You and I wait. The whole creation waits for this. Now, creation itself, other people don't even understand this, but this is going to be an amazing time when the first ex human beings, you and I, God willing, are changed into spirit beings at the resurrection.

Wow, that will be a revelation, a revealing of the sons of God. And it says for the creation was subject to futility. You see this whole process of us being subject to an aging process, to going through trials and difficulties, going through pain.

You know, it was this futility of the flesh. It's not because God willingly wanted us to go through it, but because of him, that's God, who's subject in hope, because he's got a hope that this will make us better people. This will make us a lot better people to be qualified, people that he can trust. He doesn't want any more Satan's and demons. He wants people with power that he can trust because they have been proven and proven and been proven that they will remain faithful forever. And that's why we're going to be faithful till the end, not just called and chosen, but faithful till the end.

And that is a road of developing godly character from baptism till when we die. And so ultimately, all of mankind will benefit from that. This is for the creation of subject to this futility, not willingly, but because of him was subject in hope, because the creation itself will be delivered from the bondage. Every human being, provided they don't reject this plan, they all will be given this spirit life, but delivered from this bondage of corruption, which is the human flesh into the glorious liberty of being God's children. Wow, that's what God's got planned for us.

And for everybody. Now, if they reject it, that's their problem, but God is going to make it everything, give people an opportunity to repent and change and to live his way. Ultimately, his desire is that all mankind would repent and change and overcome. So that is the ultimate goal. Verse 22, for we know, we know that the whole creation grounds and labors with birth bangs together until now.

Now look at a couple of things. Look at a couple of things. In verse 21 talks about will be delivered. Because the creation itself will be delivered. Isn't that what happens when a baby is born, is delivered? Interesting analogy there. And then it says, at the end of verse 22, the whole creation grounds and labors with birth bangs until now.

We are going through a birthing process of this, and all creation is going through pain. You know, it's like going through the womb, there's pain. So ultimately, all of mankind will be delivered. But, you know, we can see how this analogy brings a lot of interesting points. Now, in this booklet that I mentioned to you on pages 22 and 23, it says that there is a time when begotten, but not yet born.

And then it says, yeah, that's scripture after scripture, analogy after analogy, comparison after comparison. Now, the reason I'm referring to this is because this was written, this booklet was written by Muslim strong. And there are some people that say, oh well, this was not so from the days of Muslim strong. So I just want to make sure you understand it's nothing new. It's what we've always believed. You see, scripture after scripture, analogy after analogy, comparison after comparison shows that being born of God is a process in which there is a time element. Just as being born of the human flesh is a process. At the time when the father begets and the mother conceives of the union of sperm cell and ovum, the fertilized ovum becomes an embryo.

But it is not yet delivered from the womb, not yet born, and will not be for nine months. A pregnancy is in progress. Yet, during the spirit of physical development and growth, it is the unborn child of its parents. In like manner. At a time when the spirit, when the spirit father, the spirit of God begets a human with the spirit, you know, the moment when our heavenly father begets a human being with God's Holy Spirit.

And then it says, yeah, in brackets, the spiritual counterpart of the physical sperm, close brackets, the Holy Spirit, he becomes a son of God, that human being, when he receives God's Holy Spirit, at that moment that human being is a child of God. But he's still human. You see in that analogy, he's still material flesh and blood. He must now undergo a period until death, the resurrection of spiritual development.

He's going to go through a period of spiritual development and growth. He is in the gestation state in the process towards being born. He is in the Church of God, but the Church is not the kingdom of God. The Church is composed of human flesh and blood, children of God.

And flesh and blood cannot see, cannot enter into, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And so, you know, a little later says he is in the gestation state towards spirit birth, but not yet born of the spirit. And so we have to grow during this gestation period. We have to grow. So the human life, the human life starts because of a corruptible seed that is a physical male sperm. The divine life starts because of incorruptible seed, which is God's Holy Spirit. Look at 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 23.

1 Peter chapter 1 verse 23. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 23. It says, having been born again, which is Greek anagon now, in the words born again, been born again, anagon now, not of corruptible seed, like in the human life. But now in the divine life, the beginning of the divine life, but of incorruptible seed through the Word of God, which lives and abides forever. So through God's Word, God's promise, the promise that this is his plan and this is what we receive.

And look at also in 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 1 and 2. And then he says, therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, all evil speaking, as newborn babies. And the A is what I mentioned earlier on, a different analogy because this is not analogy of gestation in the womb. But it is an analogy of spiritual gestation.

But now it's not comparing to a fetus, but it's comparing to a newborn baby still growing in milk and it must be nourished physically till he grows into maturity. So let's continue reading in verse 2 of 1 Peter chapter 2. As newborn babies desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. And so that it is so. The analogy now is that the spiritual gestation period, we ought to grow not into a tiny little baby that is born as a spirit being that doesn't know anything that's completely immature, but we are to grow into what? And we are to grow into a perfect man as we read in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13 to the full stature of Jesus Christ.

A perfect man, ultimately then will be unable to sin because when we born again as spirit beings, we will not be helpless spirit babes, but will be spirit beings grown into spiritual perfection, unable to sin. And when will that happen? At the resurrection. At the resurrection, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15. Let's just quickly glance at 1 Corinthians 15.

In 1 Corinthians 15, let me first glance at verse 22 and 23, which 1 Corinthians 15, 22 and 23. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each one in those order. First Christ, then those that will are Christ's, and he's coming at the resurrection. And then will be resurrected with what type of body? Well, that question is asked in verse 35, but someone will say, how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come? And then he explains it will be a spiritual body. You see that in verse 37 that it says you sow one body, but you reap a different body.

You sow a seed, but you come out not just a mere grain. You come out as different as wheat, not just the grain. You come out as wheat as an example. And therefore then he goes on further, verse 42 through 44, it says, sow it is at the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption and it is raised in in corruption.

It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It's raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. Because there is a natural body, a physical body, and there's a spiritual body.

You see, so that's and that's why it says in verse 49, we shall bear the image of the heavenly man, which is Christ. So we'll be born again as a perfect adult, mature being. That's why in 1 Peter chapter 2, as I made reference in verse 1 and verse 2, was giving the analogy of as newborn babies.

So it was taking the analogy to a different analogy. And so what is it that we must do now? Look at Hebrews chapter 2, the latter part of verse 8. Hebrews chapter 2, the latter part of verse 8. Look at 2, and it says, but now we do not yet see all things put under him.

You see, this glory that you and I will receive, it's now only on Christ. But we got to go through this training process of developing godly character. And that's why in Romans 8 verse 14, we read that we need to be led by God's Holy Spirit. It's an ongoing, continued, progressive, growing, overcoming. And so therefore, once you and I receive God's Holy Spirit, we must grow spiritually. And that takes time. So the summary of the point that I want to emphasize very clearly is that the moment you receive God's Holy Spirit upon the laying of hands, that is only the first step.

Now, our study paper, which I made reference to earlier on, our study paper in pages 3 and 4 talks about this process of salvation. And let me just read the section here of it says, it is proper to say that salvation includes much more than just repentance and baptism. The process is not finished at baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit. A little later it says, it's talking about the process and the concept of overcoming and growing race and knowledge. 2 Peter 3 verse 18 says, which is a lifelong process.

When we receive God's Holy Spirit, we begin a new life of spiritual growth, of replacing our selfish human nature with God's divine nature. So after baptism, God begins to transform our lives through the power of His Spirit. And that's the emphasis that I'm trying to leave with you, which is that when we actually are converted and receive God's Holy Spirit, that is only the beginning.

Now look at the eye. I find this scripture in Titus chapter 3 verse 4 and 5, a very beautiful scripture. So I want to draw your attention to it. And that is Titus chapter 3 verse 4 and 5. And it says, but when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, the kindness and the love of God our Savior, the love of God our Savior, that's God the Father.

So the kindness and the love of God the Father our Savior towards man appeared. What is that kindness that appeared? That's Christ. He sent, that was the kindness of the Father that He sent to us His Son Jesus Christ.

And when He appeared, verse 5, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy. Christ came because the Father sent Him and He saved us. You know, we started this all saving process, justification and all this process through, through what? This whole process is, yes, it is baptism, it is repentance, it's faith, but it is the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Now the word regeneration is the Greek word, polygenesia, which is a regeneration. It's, it's, it's us, when we receive God's Holy Spirit, we are begotten again. We are generated again. We are begotten a second time. And also it's the washing because it is through the baptism and the washing that goes with it and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit that all washing of regeneration of polygenesia. In other words, a new beginning which is being begotten again. And, and then it says, and renewing, so washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit, because there's all ongoing renewing of God's Holy Spirit working in our lives and renewing our thinking process and our minds to be more and more like God.

That is the ongoing renewing transformation of our minds. That's why Paul in Romans 12 verse 2 talks about a living sacrifice. And there he talks about which is our reasonable service. And then in verse 2 of Romans 12 he says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How is your mind and my mind renewed by the power of God's Holy Spirit?

By leading us, by cleansing our minds of wrong things and guiding, leading our minds in the right direction. And that takes time. That takes time. The moment you're baptized, you're not tested and proven. You're not, you have not yet developed Holy righteous character because you and I know by our experience.

You know, by our own experience, there were many people that were baptized. And when they were told, oh, you don't have to keep the Sabbath. Oh, you can eat unclean foods and you don't have to keep all your days. Oh, they, they went the wrong way because in their hearts and in their minds, they're not being proven faithful. And so that test, albeit painful, was a test to determine amongst those future potentials. Potential members of the bride, hopefully all of us, whether we've remained faithful. And so that requires time. That requires time. And you also know the case of the demons and Satan. It requires time to prove them what sort of beings they were.

It takes time. Now, ultimately is when we receive God's Holy Spirit, we receive in a sense, God's DNA. And therefore at that moment, we become a new baby born, spirit baby begotten, but not born yet, but a new baby born, as we read in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17. Second Corinthians 5 verse 17. It says, therefore if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. We are a new creation. We are a new child of God.

We are begotten again. So in conclusion, and this is a point I wanted to every emphasize today using this section of Romans chapter 8, conversion, which yes, represents faith and repentance and baptism and laying on of hands and receiving God's Holy Spirit. That, those steps are only the beginning of the new life. It's only the beginning as children of God, which have been begotten by God. We now are his sons and daughters, but we still in the growth process in the proving and testing stage.

And then after a life of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior, we look forward to the final event, which will be the resurrection into the next day. We will be going into a spirit being, being truly born as a son of God, with hair of God, with that glory of glorification that God has promised for us.