God's Continuing Creation

So I want to start the sermon today, and I'll just give you a little heads-up up front. I'm going to actually be reading through some more lengths of passages than usual in my message today. But, you know, my commentary, I would say, isn't necessarily all that important. It's more to just sort of keep the framework here held together. But what is important is what God's word says. And so we'll read through a number of passages today. But I would like to start. Acts 2. Let's go back to 31 A.D. and that day of Pentecost, Acts 2. And I just kind of want to take a quick tour, an overview of the events that occurred on that day, and that'll lead me into my main topic today. Let's go to Acts 2, beginning in verse 1. And it says, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, you know, we count towards Pentecost, as Mr. Hearst mentioned, feast of weeks. So we're counting towards Pentecost and anticipating its arrival in our mindset, even as it's coming. But here now it says, on that day, as it had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came as a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. I think we know when it says other tongues, this isn't just some type of gibberish. These were languages that they spoke, and the miracle that God provided it so they could speak, people in other languages could hear the gospel message proclaimed. Verse 5, and it says, and they were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when the sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. And so there was not only a miracle of the speaking here, but there was a miracle of the hearing, which took place as well. In verse 7 it says, and they were all amazed, and they marveled, saying to one another, Look! Are these not all who speak Galleons? And how is it that we hear each one in our own language in which we were born? And it just goes on, these are the regions they came from. You know, Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia and Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya joining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and Proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. They say, We hear them speaking in our own tongues, the wonderful works of God. Verse 12, So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, What could this mean? Of course, some of them said, Well, clearly they're drunk. Peter says, You know, This is the morning, guys. There's no time to be drunk. You know, this is something of God's doing. I want you to pay attention here to what's going on. Verse 16, he says, But this, this is Peter now, This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass. Quote from the Old Testament now, shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And now my man-servant and my maid-servant, I will pour out my spirit in those days, And they shall prophesy. It says, I will show wonders in the heaven above, Signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapour smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass, it says, That whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Of course, we read this, and we recognize that this was fulfilled in part on the day of Pentecost. And we understand from our perspective, in the day and age in which we lived, There are things still yet to be fulfilled. Yet Peter was looking around, acknowledging what God was doing, acknowledging what Joel said in the Scripture. He said, this is what's taking place. And indeed it was. This is the beginning of the culmination of that age and what it is that God is doing today. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of those things, again, spoken by the prophet Joel.

God's Holy Spirit was being poured out with power, and it was being manifested openly among those on whom it had fallen. And as we know, the passage goes on. Peter now begins to preach boldly. He had been somewhat timid. At one point he was bold. He said, when Jesus Christ talked about being delivered up, Peter said, you know, he's going to whip out the sword. Cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest. He cuts off the man's ear with the sword. Peter's ready to go to battle to die, but Christ said, put your sword away. This isn't how this is going down. Just a few hours later, then, he denies Jesus Christ three times. I don't know him. What are you talking about? This battle is actually taking into place in a way that Peter didn't expect.

It was turned over into God's hands because what God would do would, in fact, be fulfilled. But now we come to Pentecost. He's infused with the Holy Spirit of God. He's speaking boldly, and he begins to preach. He preaches about the life of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and then his resurrection. To go to verse 32, we carry on with the account. Acts 2, 32. It says, This Jesus God has raised up, of which we were all witnesses. He says, Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear. So Jesus Christ was resurrected. He ascended to the right hand of the Father. The Father gave to him the promise of that Spirit that then he poured out on the church. Here, 31 A.D. It's consistent with the manner in which we see in Scripture God the Father working through and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Again, this was poured out upon the church in that day. Verse 34, it says, For David did not ascend into the heavens, but as he says himself, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, so that I will make your enemies your footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, Repent, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.

So, brethren, this is the prescription for conversion. Repent of your sins, acknowledge those before God, be baptized through the remission of sins in the name of Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, which comes from God. He said, this promise is not only to you, as those Jews gathered there that day, but it's to your children. And he says, it's to those who are far off, however many the Lord our God should call. Those who are far off are not just of the house of Israel, they were specifically the ones of far off were the Gentiles. The other nations who God's plan of salvation was now being opened up to, as they could receive the Holy Spirit as well. The sons and daughters and the spiritual Israel of God. Verse 40 says, And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. Then those who gladly received the word were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. He says, In fear came upon every soul, many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed and were together, and had all things in common, sold their possessions and goods, divided them among all, as anyone had need. Verse 46, So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

So there was this process now that had begun to take place. Whole numbers were being added, individuals coming to repentance, receiving God's Spirit, being saved, it's a very exciting time as you could imagine.

I mean, imagine had you been there in person, to hear Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, very convicted, very inspired. I mean, to me, we read it today, this is inspiring today. You know, 2000 years later, nearly. How inspiring it would have been there, be there in person. But again, we should, brethren, glean inspiration ourselves, reading the roots of the church as we know it today, and what it is that God is doing.

Again, a very exciting time. This day of Pentecost, 31 A.D., marked the beginning of the New Testament church. But there's also something else I want us to acknowledge today.

A couple of questions for you to consider as we start out. Two short questions. Number one, did God's creation end in Genesis? Did God's creation end in Genesis? And question number two, is God still creating today? You might say, well, what does this have to do with Pentecost? Well, I think it'll be evident shortly. But the answers to that are no and yes.

No, God's creation, as he, in terms of God creating, did not end in Genesis. And yes, God continues to create yet even today. This day of Pentecost does, in fact, reveal God's continual spiritual creation.

This day reflects God's continual spiritual creation. It's the work of creating that God is doing today in the lives of those he's called into relationship with him. So if you want a title, today's message is titled God's Continuing Creation.

I'd like to go back to the beginning of the biblical record back to the beginning of the creation account as we have it lined out for us anyway. Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis chapter 1, we're going to just walk through a few principles that we know these things, brethren, and we've taught them. We've heard them for years. And yet it's important as we come to this day, again, I think, to step back and walk through this process. Genesis chapter 1, beginning in verse 1, says, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And so the evening and morning were the first day. And as you walk through this passage, the verses go on to describe the physical creation. But I want to jump to verse 26 to the creation of mankind.

Genesis 1 verse 26. And it says, Then God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

So God said, Let us make man in our image.

Who's the us being referred here? Sometimes there's conversation that go round and round on this. The us is God, who we know as the Father, and the Word, the one who became Jesus Christ. Again, we see that there are more than one God-being, one eternally existent God-being present here, and they're active both in the physical creation. I'll just reference John chapter 1, verse 1 through 3, which says, In the beginning was the Word, 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 nothing was made that was made. And so when the passage says, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, it's not referring to God and an angel, or God and the angels. The angels are described nowhere in Scripture of being made after the likeness and kind of God. They're not fashioned after His image. That form of creation was reserved for mankind.

So when he says, Let us make man in our image is a reference to both God, who became the Father, and the Word, who became Jesus Christ, present together, working together, in unity. Now mankind, as James tells us in chapter 3 verse 9, James 3, 9, it says that mankind has been made in the similitude of God.

So we have that image that God has placed on us in terms of our physical form and likeness. Verse 27 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. So again, man was created according to the image and likeness of God. Physically, we have that same, I would say, general shape and form. When you look at a human being, you're looking at a general form of God. I don't know how detailed that gets specifically, but we do know this is what the Scripture tells us. But mankind is also created with the potential to become part of God's spiritual family for all eternity. Mr. Hearst was talking about the fact that we are called sons in the Scripture, and God is creating a family, a family that will rule in the kingdom of God, that kingdom that will increase forever, and will be God's children for eternity. Fulfilling that potential, obviously, involves a state of being that goes beyond simply our physical creation. It involves the spiritual creation as well. Brethren, this has been a long time historical understanding and teaching of the Church of God that God created man physical, but their potential goes beyond that. And for those that embrace their potential by receiving God's calling, we'll have the opportunity to be sons and daughters for eternity. You don't stay physical in the flesh. God adds something beyond the mere flesh to us. And again, that's been our long time teaching. I'd like to quote for you briefly from our Bible study course, lesson one. You know, going back into the days of the World Wide Church of God, the Bible study course was sent out as sort of first contact material. People walked through and built a general foundation before they even walked in the door to church. And we don't do it in the same way today, but we do have a Bible study course similar to that online. And the Bible study course number one is under the heading, answering the great mystery, why did God create man? So right up front, we ask the question, in many ways, such as Dr. Ward puts it, you know, who is God? What is God? What is His purpose? Who is man? What is man? What is His purpose? Those are the great questions of life we need to understand and answer. So quoting from the Bible study course, just a short quote, just a short quote, it says, clearly the purpose of life is linked to creation. It did not end with the physical creation in Genesis chapter one. It says, the present emphasis is on the spiritual creation God is bringing to pass in the lives of converted human beings.

Brethren, to be sons and daughters of God and the spiritual family of God means that we must literally become as the likeness of God, in the image of God. And that requires a spiritual creation to take place in the life of every man or woman who responds to the calling of God.

God the Father and Jesus Christ are actively involved in the work of spiritual creation today. Just as they were involved in the physical creation, again, God the Father, our Creator, and He created through Jesus Christ, they were there working together, they work together today. The spiritual creation of God's family is the primary focus of their work in our lives, and that's the lesson I would like us to consider and to remember on this day of Pentecost.

Our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, are actively working together to fulfill God's plan to bring many sons to glory. This is God's plan. We are God's family. We will enter into the kingdom of God, but God and Christ are one. Their purpose is one, and the plan that they carry out is one. Again, God is bringing many sons to glory. When Jesus Christ walked the earth, He stated in John 5, 17, He said, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working. And so the work that the Father and the Son do, don't imagine that it's different. Don't imagine that it's a separate purpose by which each one works and that they're just sort of doing their own thing. It's the same work. Now, the roles of God the Father and Jesus Christ may be different, and the type of relationship that we have may be different, but they are of oneness of mind and purpose. Again, to bring sons and daughters into the kingdom of God. That purpose has always been, and that oneness of purpose will always be.

Bringing many sons to glory is a matter of active creation, and it's a creation that you and I, brethren, have been called to be recipients of today. What God is doing in terms of creation, He is doing spiritually. He's doing it today, and that in part is what this day of Pentecost portrays. Now, Peter's sermon, again, Acts 2, 38, I'll just quote it for you. He said, repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And that is where the spiritual creation begins. It begins with acknowledging our sins, coming under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, receiving the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. That's where this creation begins. I'd like to go now to the New Testament. I'm going to follow the spiritual creation thread. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

The Apostle Paul actually has a lot scattered throughout his writings in reference to the spiritual creation and the creating that God is doing. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 16. Here Paul writing once again, and he says, therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. The apostles that walked through Jesus Christ knew Him, you know, man to man, flesh to flesh, shall we say. But he says, now we know Him thus no longer, because now their relationship with Jesus Christ was according to the Spirit, as is ours as well. Verse 17, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. He says, through this relationship, through Jesus Christ and now being reconciled to God, you are a new creation. That's what's transpiring in our lives. By the power of God's Holy Spirit, God dwelling in us, we are being conformed to the image of God and His Son. Verse 18, Paul says, now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. And so this is describing a direct relationship with God the Father through sacrifice to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our high priest. He is our sacrifice through which we come. Again, that reconciliation takes place because of His life and His sacrifice that we've acknowledged and accepted. But through Him, brethren, we are reconciled to God. And Paul's saying, therefore, our very ministry needs to be a ministry of reconciliation.

I'm currently involved in an online pastoral training class. Actually, just started shortly after the GCE. We've just had one class right now. It's every other Tuesday night. And to kick off the class, Gary Petty has started teaching a multi-part series on the subject of reconciliation. And it's interesting because what really struck me about what Mr. Petty said in the first session that we had, he said, and I'm just going to, I'll call this a quote, but this is approximate of what he said. But he said, when there's conflict among God's people, the source of that conflict is going to be as a result of conflict with God.

Say that again. He said, when there's conflict among God's people, the source of that conflict is going to be as a result of conflict with God. In other words, if there's two believers in conflict, and they can't seem to settle the conflict amongst them, at its core, the problem is going to be that someone is in conflict with God. Maybe one, maybe both. But you know, brethren, that makes perfect sense to me, because you see, if you're right with God, and I'm right with God, why in the world should we not be right with each other as well? But if you're right with God, and I'm not right with God, how can reconciliation even take place? So I think the principle is clear that in order to be reconciled to one another, we first have to be reconciled to God. So if you're struggling with a relationship issue between somebody else in the body of Jesus Christ, maybe a fellow member, fellow minister, maybe it's your spouse, where do you start? I say the first place you start is in fasting, in prayer, in your own relationship. Make sure you are reconciled to God, and then go to be reconciled to your brother, and hopefully they are doing the same. That's the way this process works. Paul just simply said here, if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation, and all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, given us the ministry of reconciliation. So if we're living God's truth, all of us, and if we have God's Spirit dwelling in us, ought we not be reconciled with one another, just as we're reconciled to God? I believe we should be. Again, this reconciliation is all part of a new spiritual creation that takes place in us by the power of God through His Spirit dwelling in our lives. Verse 18 says, now all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. We employ you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Interesting question to consider. How do we do that? How do we become the righteousness of God? You know, that's not something that we muster up on our own. That's within our own carnal nature. Isn't something that just happens by accident. We become the righteousness of God by becoming a new creation, by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, by being reconciled to God and allowing his Holy Spirit to dwell richly in us, led by the Spirit, reconciled to God. I would like to quote for you again from one of the church's booklets, the one on the Ten Commandments under Commandment number four, and it says, quote, God himself creates holy and righteous spiritual character in us. He reshapes our thinking and gives us the will and power to resist our nature. Paul confirms this, telling us that it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure, end quote. That's a reference to Philippians chapter two and verse 13. So it's God's Spirit in us that helps to reshape our thinking. You know, I think about in the millennium when it talks about the rivers of living water going out and everywhere the waters go, the land is healed, life returns, fish returned to the sea that was dead, and I think of that in terms of our life and God's Spirit in us. The fact that we were once dead to righteousness, and by the power of God's Holy Spirit, that living water flowing through us, life and vitality is springing forth, and it's the spiritual creation which God is doing. Again, brethren, we become the righteousness of God by yielding ourselves to his Spirit, and it's not enough to just have it. You have to be led by it, again responding, yielding to it, allowing that new creation to be formed in us, pushing out the carnal man, coming to the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ. It takes effort and participation on our part, but it's not something that we do of and by ourselves. It takes the Spirit of God. God's creation does indeed continue today. Don't think that the physical creation was done long ago, and now this, you know, sort of like an experiment, something that's just sort of been wound up and let go and see where it ends up. God has a plan to bring many sons to glory in his family. By his Holy Spirit, we're being transformed into his likeness, literally. This isn't just a physical form, it's a spiritual form of God, and that transformation affects how we think, how we live, our relationships with one another, and our understanding of the Word of God. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

1 Corinthians 2 verse 6.

Again, God's Spirit gives us understanding. 1 Corinthians 2, 6. Paul says, However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. He says, But as it is written, eye is not seen nor ear heard, nor is entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. But, you know, it's not entered into the heart of the carnal man, but I say we have a glimpse of it. We see through a glass darkly, but God through his Spirit has revealed this truth to us, given us a glimpse what it is that he's doing. Verse 10, But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of man, except the Spirit of man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God. You know, the Spirit of man that is within us gives us the ability to reason in a way beyond the animals. You know, walk out into the pasture and try to teach a cow simple math. How long will it take before the cow can acknowledge to you that two plus two equals four?

You'd be out there for more time than you have, right? So we have a Spirit that God has given us, the Spirit of man, that allows us to reason and have understanding. The animal cannot reason and understand the things of man that come by the Spirit of man. Likewise, mankind, carnal man, cannot understand the things of God apart from the Spirit of God that God gives, either by the indwelling of the Spirit or by the leading of God's Spirit as he's calling and drawing someone and opening their mind. Again, this is a miraculous intervention. Carrying on, for what man knows the things of man except the Spirit of man which is in him, even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. He says, these things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, nor for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one, for who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ. And so again, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God and the new creation which takes place in our mind, there's a change. And the Bible describes this as the Spirit of God and Christ. And you know what? I can't tell you exactly how that works. All right?

I couldn't explain it to you quite fully, yet even myself. It is worthy indeed of more study and understanding, but God is holy and God is Spirit. God is Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is holy. Jesus Christ is Spirit. Jesus Christ is Holy Spirit. What we have in dwelling in us, we sometimes call the power of God, and that's maybe not as accurate as saying we have the essence of God, who and what he is dwelling within us. But again, God and Christ are one, not in being, but in purpose, character, intent, and the type of being that they are, they relate with us through the Spirit. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, over a page, verse 16.

1 Corinthians 3 verse 16 says, Do you not know that you are the temple of God, that the holiest spirit of God dwells in you? I'm not going to go too deep in that. I thought Greg checked the sermon yesterday, covered it in a very excellent manner. But, you know, Peter as well talks about the fact that we're living stones, and as Greg mentioned, you know, we're fit together. It's kind of like you built a wall, or it's the house of God that's being built. And we're each living stones, and I kind of, as I imagine it, these stones are being laid into this wall, and we're being bound together. The mortar is God's Spirit. You know, we're each individually a vessel for the Spirit of God, but collectively as His Church. We are the house of God, mortared side by side, stone by stone, building the structure in which God comes and lives among us, just as He did with His presence behind the veil of the tabernacle in the temple among His people. Again, God is among us. His Spirit dwells in us. And notice, Colossians 3, the transformation, then that takes place. Colossians chapter 3 verse 1.

This Spirit brings a transformation. We go from the carnal, which is simply fleshly apart from God to the spiritual. Colossians 3 verse 1. Paul says, And so the point is, the old man or woman, symbolically, was put to death at your baptism when you went under the water, symbolic of the watery grave, but you didn't stay there.

You come back up, resurrected in that sense to newness of life. Verse 4, Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. He says, Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now, he says, you yourselves are to put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge, according to the image of him who created him. Let us make man in our image. This is chapter 1, verse 26. Whose image are we being made into, brethren spiritually? Again, it's the image of God.

There's a new way of life that you and I now live because you have put off the old man, you've put on the spirit of God, your nature has changed, your intent and purpose has changed, and you're submitting your life to God, that new nature working in you. That's what this is saying.

Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2, verse 8, says, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship, we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. And so, brethren, God's spiritual creation clearly continues today in our lives. It helps us move from the physical, carnal, fleshly perspective, again, to the spiritual mind of God. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 17.

Just page over. Ephesians 4, 17. Paul says, this I say, therefore, and I testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in this utility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. He says, but you have not so learned Christ. If indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. It's that righteousness and holiness that God is creating in us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and it's not our holiness, it's the holiness of God in us, and it's not our righteousness, against the righteousness of God in us. But as our nature and our characters change, indeed we embrace that, and we become then holy as God is holy, and righteous as he is righteous, but again it does not happen apart from God in us. Brethren, it's not like we just sit back and allow the process to take place.

Just, you know, all right God, here I am, lay it on me. We have to be active, willing participants in the process, responding to what it is that God is doing, again yielding ourselves to his Spirit for willing to be that spiritual creation. It takes effort on our part every day, studying the Word of God. What does it say? What is the truth of God's Word? How do we order our lives by it? It takes praying to God, again building that relationship with him, very personal and very direct. It takes meditating on these things and taking the love of God. All those things come together to help to build us into a new creation. It takes God's Spirit, our active participation working together in this process. And through the submitting to and receiving God's Spirit, we then, as the sermonette mentioned, are called sons of God. Romans chapter 8. I appreciated Mr. Hurst's comments on Romans 8 earlier. We'll kind of dance around what he was referring to. Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 5, says, For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh. You know, that's what's going to consume your focus. For those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. It says, For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. In our natural carnal self, apart from the Holy Spirit, which God gives us, left our own devices, brethren, we cannot please God. In fact, in that state, we are called enemies of God. You know, as enemies, we may have had that form in terms of the physical shape, but we were not according to the likeness of God, truly.

Not as he intended it. Verse 9 says, But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now the Spirit, I'm sorry, now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your immortal bodies through his Spirit, which dwells in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Brethren, we are literally called the sons of God if God's Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we are led by that Spirit. We walk as our elder brother Jesus Christ walked. We look like God not only in this physical form that we carry, but we look like God in terms of the essence of who we are if we are led by his Spirit.

Verse 15 says, For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry out, I'm a father, and I've addressed this before, but it's not literally, it should be translated more sonship than adoption, because adoption is you take somebody who's outside of your genetic structure, bring them into your family unit. You do love them, you do care for them as a member of your family, but you know what?

They will never look like you or ever be part of your genetic makeup in that way. Again, we do love them as family, those who would be adopted, but this is actually termed sonship, as in you have a child that is born into your family of your likeness. We are being born into the family of God by his Holy Spirit, created into his image and likeness by his Spirit. So you didn't receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear. You received the Spirit of sonship by which we cry out, I'm a father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

If indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. And here Paul's words reveal the purpose of our existence and why it is that God is actively working in our life today. God is building a family. You have God the Father, you have Jesus Christ his Son living in a family relationship, okay? God is continuing his work now to bring many sons to glory and to build his family, creating spiritual children that will be members of that family forever.

And that's our incredible human potential. This passage here, again Paul said, if indeed we suffer with him, we may be glorified together. It reveals the next step in God's creation process, and that is the glorification of the sons of God. Mankind will become completely spirit as God and Christ are.

And that is then the final step of that creation process, it's glorification. Verse 18, Paul says, 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. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to fertility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

You know, I've seen that very personally this week. That whole hillside slid down, very nearly wiped out our house. The creation groans in birth pangs, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. Verse 23, Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. So, again, God is conforming us, brethren. We have been given the firstfruits of the spirit today, and we could sort of think of it as a small down payment on what we will receive as our inheritance as sons and daughters in the kingdom of God, glorified alongside Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ went first in this process. He's the first of the firstfruits, as we would call him. He was not created in that physical sense, but he is indeed the first being. Whoever lived in the flesh, died, was resurrected in glory, again, now sitting at the right hand of God. He went first, first of the firstfruits. But, brethren, you and I are to follow. Verse 28, Paul says, and we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, those who are the called according to his purpose, for whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

So, God is conforming us today to the image of his son through his Holy Spirit. The stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ is our standard. That's where we're heading. Through that process, we follow in his footsteps.

Our spiritual transformation then makes Jesus Christ the firstborn among many brethren.

To be the firstborn among many brethren means there's more brethren to follow. And that is indeed what God is doing. That is you and I. Verse 30, Moreover, whom he predestined, that's us, not that we were individually, our life was now mapped out you know in advance by God. The point is God determined predestined from the foundation of the world he was going to call a people unto himself. And that is us. Whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he also justified. And whom he justified, these he also glorified. Verse 31, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? You know, indeed no one can stand against the will and the purpose of God.

You know, man may try. Man may resist God. But I think about when the apostles were called in and rebuked a second time for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ before the council. And they said, you know, we ought to obey God rather than man. And then you had Gamaliel which stood up and said, you know, if this thing is of God, how can you stand in the way of it? You know, if it's not of God, it'll come to nothing. Man's works come to nothing. But if it is of God, how can you indeed stand in front of it? It will succeed. So we do recognize our sins, brethren. We come under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We receive God's Holy Spirit. We live our lives led by the Spirit. We are called the sons of God. Now we're falling in the footsteps of our older brother, Jesus Christ, the first of the first roots. And now comes the final step of our new creation in Christ.

Next comes resurrection unto glory. 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15. Verse 12. Again, I acknowledge I'm reading longer passages than what we would generally come and go out of, but I think these words are important, and frankly, I can't improve on the Word of God myself, nor would I try. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 12.

If Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there's no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ is not risen, our preaching is empty, and your faith is empty also. You know what he's saying? You know what? If Christ died and is in the grave, and there's no resurrection of the dead, then all this is sort of a pointless exercise, and your faith is empty.

Verse 15, he says, yes, and we have found false witnesses of God, because we have tested God, because we have testified of God that he has raised up Christ, who he did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen, if he's not risen, your faith is futile, you are still in your sins. Verse 18, then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ, those of the saints, have perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable. Verse 20, he says, now Christ is risen from the dead, and he has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Again, he's the first of many brethren who will be raised from the dead. For since man came death, and by man came the resurrection of the dead, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.

But each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ at his coming. Verse 35, he says, but some will say, how are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies, and what you sow you do not sow that body that shall be but mere grain, perhaps wheat or some other grain.

You throw a seed in the ground, it essentially dies in the ground, but what springs up is quite different than that seed you threw into the ground. But God gives it a body as he pleases, and each seed its own body. And all flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of man, and it goes on to say, nether animals, and there's the celestial bodies in the heavens, and glory which comes from them.

Verse 42, so also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, flesh is corruptible, it is raised in incorruption. It would be according to God's spirit. Verse 43, it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body, there is a natural body, there is a spiritual body.

He says, and so it is written, the first man Adam became a life, a living being, he was living being certainly in the flesh, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of the dust, the second man is the Lord from heaven.

As was the man of dust, so also are those who have made of dust, and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have been born in the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In the moment, in the twinkling of the eye at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.

Brethren, to go from the corruptible physical flesh to the incorruptible spiritual children of God is the ultimate spiritual creation that God is working out in our lives. Go from the carnal to the completely spiritual of God. This is His creation. It begins in the flesh, but it continues in the spirit, till one day we are glorified sons of God in His image, in His likeness, fully.

First John chapter 3 for a concluding passage.

First John chapter 3 verse 1.

John says, Behold what manner of love the Father is bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. And we're still in the flesh. Not fully spiritual yet. It's not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. So on the day that God is revealed, we shall see Him as He is, because we will be as He is.

Of the same form, of the same likeness, of the same type of being on the God plane. Not God as God is God in terms of authority, but after His likeness as His children. Verse 3, John says, and everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself, just as He is pure.

And that is to be our response, brethren, to this great and awesome calling of God. We purify ourself, we submit ourselves to His calling and the lead of His Spirit in our life. Brethren, God is a physical and a spiritual creator. His creation of the spiritual creation began long before even the physical creation. He created the angels, okay, but what God is doing in us is different than that, but is a continual spiritual creation God is doing now.

As carnal people in the flesh, we are merely a physical creation. What makes us a spiritual creation is God and Christ in us and are yielding to them through the Holy Spirit. The physical creation began long ago. The spiritual creation, apart from the angels, began in large part on this day of Pentecost, 31 A.D. On this day of Pentecost, 2017, brethren, we recognize the importance of being firstfruits of God, part of His creation now, and through that process we've been called to become the righteousness of God. Again, that doesn't happen on our own apart from God. No human effort could ever achieve the righteousness of God, and yet God still allows us and expects us to submit ourselves and respond to what it is He is doing in our life. But let's submit ourselves fully through the creation God is continuing to perform yet even today. Let's be led by His Holy Spirit always. In doing so, we'll be part of God's spiritual creation for all eternity as beings after His likeness, His children forever and ever in the kingdom of God as part of the spiritual family of God, a new creation indeed.