Transformed by the Spirit: Taking on the Nature of God

A title for the Pentecost message today is transformed by the Spirit, taking on the nature of God. Transformed by the Spirit, taking on the nature of God. I appreciated Mr. Klein's first message. It actually ties in very well to what it is I'd like to talk about today and what it is that actually God brings to remembrance, hopefully by first nature. Almost that second nature, right? But first nature as His Spirit dwells in us. On the day of Pentecost, 1994 years ago, a miraculous event occurred.

God's Holy Spirit was poured out on 120 believers who had gathered together in one place and in one accord. They were there in unity, anxiously waiting. And that event marked the beginning of the New Testament church as we know it. And a transformation among the people of God took place that was dramatic, both internally and externally.

Of course, this was not a complete surprise. Following Jesus Christ's resurrection, He had spent 40 days with His disciples, comforting them, instructing them, teaching them. And when the 40 days had concluded, He gave them a very specific instruction. He said to wait. Wait. Wait for the promise. Wait for the event which God would bring to pass on this day. Let's note that instruction in Acts chapter 1 and verse 4 as we begin today.

Acts chapter 1 and verse 4 will be covering some of the territory that's been covered already over the last couple days. But this is our focus, right? This is the emphasis of this Holy Day. Acts chapter 1 and verse 4 says, Jesus Christ says, okay, time and season is not what you're to be focused on here. He says, but, here's your focus, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Witnesses, He said, on the day of Pentecost, they would receive the ability to go out boldly, to proclaim the Word of God, to be witnesses as to what they had seen and known, and to actually give testimony of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said, you will receive this power, this promise on that day, but just wait. Wait for it to come. As we go forward then to Acts chapter 2, we find that they are doing just that on the day of Pentecost, Acts chapter 2 and verse 1.

And it says, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, right now they're waiting, they're anticipating, they're looking forward to it, they had Christ's Word of the promise, and they were counting. Just as you and I count, Pentecost has hopefully been on our mind the last 50 days, and when it had fully come, they were all with one accord and in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. It says, then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This was an incredible miracle taking place. God's Spirit was being poured out, and signs and wonders were being done. This wasn't happening off quietly in a corner somewhere, as you read on with the context of the story, it basically spills out into the street, into the open, and they're speaking with, as it says, tongues, its languages. You know, this is an unknown gibberish. They were speaking in languages by which people could hear what they said and understand the Word of God.

And there was a miracle in the speaking, there was also a miracle in the hearing, because each said, how is it that we hear in the language and the dialect of the place of where we were born? We hear them proclaiming the mighty works of God. And so this was an incredible thing which took place on that day, signs and wonders, and it was, frankly, dramatic.

As the story goes on, some of them were amazed. Again, how could this be? But others thought they were drunk, you know, they're out of their mind. But we understand Peter as he came forth and he preached that powerful Pentecost sermon, in which he shows that this was actually the power of God at work in their lives. These are not drunk as you suppose, it's nine in the morning.

But this is what God is doing, what he has poured out and has been rehearsed already. The message then that went forward that was supposed to prick them to the heart, bring them to repentance, and the receiving of God's Spirit. Peter said, this is the evidence of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of the Father upon all those who believe.

This is what you see, this is what you hear, it's the evidence of these things. Now as a result of the example of the 120 that had gathered there initially, as well as the preaching of the Apostles' doctrine, the word tells us that 3,000 individuals were baptized on this day and they received the Holy Spirit. And if you read through the entirety of the book of Acts, it shows that God's Spirit eventually descended on thousands.

You know, from 3,000 very quickly it says, then another 5,000, and it just multiplied as it went out from there, both Jews and Gentiles alike, changing their lives dramatically, and turning the whole world as they knew it upside down. Remember, the Apostles went places and sometimes there was opposition to who they were and what they were teaching, and it's like the people that have turned the world upside down have come here.

It was by the power of God's Spirit, and the brilliant evidence of what it is He was doing. Exciting times! I mean, can you imagine living there, seeing these things, experiencing them, being a part of this? You know, of course it wasn't all, you know, fanfare and glorious things. There was persecution that came, right? And as Mr. Neff showed yesterday, it was actually the persecution that drove the word out into the other regions. The gospel was spread. As the people were persecuted and put on the run, they took that message with them. Because you leave your house behind, you leave your belongings behind, what else are you going to flee with, your family and your faith?

And that is going to be what sustains you. And that was the blessing that came through the power of God's Spirit in their lives. So a dramatic transformation. So through all of this, it's important for us to understand that this day at Pentecost is not merely a commemoration of power or tongues or signs.

Those are real, evident things that occurred, and we do commemorate those things. But those were a result of something actually that took place internally, by the giving of God's Holy Spirit. This day is a commemoration of the divine transformation that takes place in each individual that is filled with the Spirit of God. We call it conversion. You know, I think for us sometimes, because it is sort of in the same package, somebody is baptized, and then they have the laying on of hands for the Holy Spirit immediately following.

It's in that package, and that's appropriate, but where you have Passover and the Days of the Eleven Bread, and then you come down the road 50 days to the Feast of Pentecost, there's actually a little bit of a separation in our focus on each of these elements. And the giving of the Holy Spirit is the process of conversion.

God in you, right? God who works in you, both to will and do for his good purpose. Christ in you, the hope of glory. I appreciate the verses that were read earlier. Christ said, I'm not going to leave you orphans. There's another helper that will come, because, you see, he had been their helper, walking with them, guiding and directing. He says, I will leave, and it's to your advantage, because the Father will send the Spirit, and that will be the guide that will sustain you.

It's no longer going to be an external helper that you listen to the words. It's going to be an internal helper that actually becomes a part of who and what you are. Part of your character, part of your nature, as you yield to God in you. This was a dramatic transformation that took place on this day. Just look at the apostles. Look at the Twelve. They went out with boldness, preaching the Word. You don't have to go very far back to find that after Jesus' death, it says they locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jews.

You know, shut the door, throw the bar in there, and maybe it's safe in here. They, in a sense, were cowering. Jesus Christ miraculously appeared. I don't know. Did he walk through the wall? But he appeared and said, peace to you. And he began to preach and teach to them. And over the course of those next number of days, as they came to understand what it is they were called to do, they came forward to Pentecost.

And God's Spirit, then, that now enables them to do these things. They went from fearful to bold. They were empowered for ministry. And the result of God's Spirit going out into thousands was that it brought them together in unity. Right?

The spirit of unity, that's God's Spirit, brought them together in love. From house to house, breaking bread, fellowshiping, encouraging each other, lifting one another up in this common calling, that was the spiritual blessing of this day. And what it is that God had poured out into the heart of each of them. Again, dramatic. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on this day, brethren, it made God's people more than simply followers. This 120 that were gathered on the day, they were followers. They'd heard Christ's instructions and they followed. Okay? But the indwelling of the Holy Spirit now makes you more than simply followers.

It gave them the very means to take on the mind and character of God, and to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. This feast reminds us that by God's Spirit of God, He gives us a new heart. One that's conformed to His nature, His character, that we begin to think as He thinks, if we allow Him to work in us.

We begin to do as He does. And, you know, earlier the thought popped in my mind, second nature, right? We do it like second nature. You know, no, this should be actually our first response, as we're being remade spiritually into the image of God. When this happens, when it happened for them, many things began to change. And when it happens in our lives, many things begin to change.

One transformation that came through the Spirit on Pentecost was the internalization of God's law. Okay, the internalization of God's law. I want to spend a little time on this because, again, it's important to show how the Spirit actually impacts your thinking, your actions, not just what you know, but who and what you are. In fact, the New Testament Feast of Pentecost is often referred to as the second giving of the law. Why would it be called that?

Because it was written on their hearts and on their minds. According to Jewish tradition, the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai on the day of Pentecost. Now, I can't turn to a scripture that shows that it is so. It is tradition, okay, as word that has been passed down the line. But I would just say there are so many parallels that we will see related to the Feast of Pentecost that I do indeed believe it is likely the case.

Given on that day, fifty days after Israel's exodus from Egypt, those commandments were written on two tablets of stone. Moses came down from the mountain carrying two tablets of stone. He smashed them because the people were rebelling right at the same time and they had to be rewritten. But again, two tablets of stone, but the people weren't equipped by nature to fully quit keep them. They didn't have the heart for it.

So this is God's law. It was God's righteous standard. It stemmed from His righteousness. Who and what He is. This is the standard that my covenant people will live by. If indeed they will reflect Me, God said. If they're going to be the model nation to the world, this will be the standard of their calling. Because it reflects who and what God is and who and what it is He desires His people to become. In Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 29, we read God's thoughts concerning ancient Israel's keeping of the law. Actually, we read His thoughts considering their lackluster keeping of the law.

Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 29, God says, Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever. Oh, that they had such a heart in them, God says. This is a heart issue. This is a character issue. This is who are you really issue? Not just what you do that looks maybe okay on the surface. Who are you at the core?

Because who you are at the core is going to be actually the generator of what springs forth in your words and your actions. Oh, that they had such a heart in them, God said. Because, you see, ancient Israel, by and large, did not possess His Holy Spirit. Oh, there were a few. There was Moses, there was Samuel, there was David, there were others, but by and large, as a pouring out of His Spirit upon the mass of His covenant people, it was not there.

God was there, okay, His presence dwelled among them in the tamernacle and later the temple, okay. So He was with His people in that sense, but as a nation, they lacked the spiritual capacity to truly keep God's commandments as He desired.

And again, their example was one of repeated disobedience, of compromise, of drawing back. And again, it was a heart issue. What did Stephen say in Acts chapter 7? He's Stephen the Deacon, right? One of the original seven called before the council. He's giving a defense. He's giving the history of Israel, and He's talking about the law which God gave, and He said about that generation, He said, in their hearts, they turn back to Egypt.

What keeps you and I from turning back to Egypt? Is it the law? It's not the law. It is the Spirit of God that gives us the heart to obey, the nature, the character, the desire. Now, the law is what we obey, but if it's just an external force and not truly a part of who and what we are, we're going to falter. Again, this verse expresses God's deep longing for something more from them, an internal transformation. The Hebrew word here, heart, refers to the very center of one's will in emotions and understanding.

It's like if we said somebody threw their whole heart into something. It's like they were all in. You know, they put their being into that through and through, and they did it wholeheartedly. God's desire for His people was those whose inner life would reflect His will. But Israel fell short. Again, carnal in nature, by and large, and in their heart, they turned back to Egypt.

Even as they stood at the base of Sinai, even after they'd received the law, they had heard the thundering of the voice of God, and they were afraid. They said, Moses, you go speak to Him. And Moses came and delivered, and they said, okay, all the Lord has said we will do. And they made a covenant with blood. We would kind of traditionally call that the Old Covenant. It's the Sinai Covenant with blood, confirming their allegiance to what God had given them to do.

But they lacked the inner nature and the character to follow through. And in essence here, God is lamenting, because this is after the 40 years. After that generation of Israel has wandered and died, and now their children are getting ready to go in the Promised Land, He's lamenting if only they had the heart to truly live this out.

The blessing is, God didn't just leave things here. He provides an opening, a door, a way to fulfill what it is that He truly intends to fulfill. He revealed a solution to this spiritual disconnect through the prophets, and He pointed to a future time when the law would not just be written on tablets of stone, it would be written on the human heart. Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 31. Again, brethren, this is a heart issue. Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 31. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord. While I make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

He says, but this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law into their minds, I will write it on their hearts, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Verse 34. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, No, the Lord. For they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin, I will remember no more.

God has prophesied a new covenant, a time following the return of Jesus Christ for the nation of Israel when he would regather them, settle them into their own land, and place his law within them, a new covenant promise on a national scale to his covenant people Israel. This new covenant, brethren, began with the church on the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D., when God poured out his Holy Spirit en masse.

And today we are living examples. We're still the early stages of this. We're the forerunners. We are what the Bible calls the firstfruits. Right? Firstfruits. It's the firstfruits of the harvest. It's the early harvest. As those who are called out of the world, harvested out of the world by God's Spirit today. But we're still in the early stages of ultimately what God will do nationally for Israel, and eventually globally, for in the entirety of mankind, following the return of Jesus Christ.

But it starts here. It starts with the church. It starts with the assembly, the ecclesia, the called out ones, given the Spirit of God. And this is what Pentecost represents in part, the second giving of the law, not on tablets of stone, but on hearts of flesh. When we live guided by God's Spirit, brethren, we don't have to look at a plaque on the wall to know what we ought to do. I have a Ten Commandments plaque on our wall. Okay, so that's not the point. It's a wonderful thing to have. Right? But do I have to look at that plaque on the wall to remind me not to steal, not to worship idols?

Well, not if I'm full of God's Spirit, not if His nature is my nature, it is who and what I am, and it's not that I need to look at something to trigger that memory. It's not even a part of my character. That's what we're to become as we take in this Spirit of God. We don't need to walk around with a phylactery, you know, a box dangling between our eyes to remind us, you know, with a little scroll rolled up with writing on it, tucked inside, to remind us we have to keep the law.

Men, we don't have to walk around with tassels hanging from our belt loops to remind us, oh, when I see that, I have to keep the law. Again, not if you're guided and led by the Holy Spirit, which dwells in us. Because it's through the Spirit that the commandments are no longer just something that is an external instruction to us.

It is not something we just know academically. It is now who and what we are, written on our heart, on our nature, on our character. And so the point is, you know what? I'm not a thief because it's not my character to be a thief if, indeed, I'm guided by God's Spirit. I'm not a murderer. I'm not an idolater for the same reasons. The law isn't about external conformity only. It is about an internal transformation. That's always what the law was meant to be. The God, the living of God's people from the inside out. And the Spirit is what writes it on our lives, in our hearts, as we allow the living God into our life, and that change is made.

It becomes who and what we are. I've heard the question floated from time to time. You know, could Jesus Christ have sinned? You know, was God making...is he taking a gamble? Was it a risk to send Jesus Christ? Could he have sinned? And my answer would be, I suppose, well, you know, if he had chosen to, he could have sinned. But you know what?

It was not in his nature to sin, because that is not who he was. He was not a murderer. He was not an adulterer. It says he was attempted in all ways as we are, except without sin. The point was, there was always opportunity around him to sin. He could have looked at a woman if he desired to, and lusted in his heart. He didn't. That wasn't his nature. He was full of God's spirits. He was a manual.

He could have hated his brother in his heart. Murder! But he didn't. As those who strung him up and killed him, he said, God forgive them. They don't know what they do. So this, he's the example of the Spirit of God filling somebody and then living it perfectly in action. His nature, his character, fully aligned with actually the one who dwelled in him by the Spirit. The law's not done away. I've heard it said, the law's done away. Right? You've probably heard that too. It's written on your heart. You don't have to keep the Sabbath anymore.

You don't have to do these things anymore. It's written on your heart. Excuse me. That's not what we're talking about. Jesus raised it to the next level. He didn't do it away. He said, if you hate your brother in your heart, it is murder. Again, it is a matter of heart. God said, if only they had this heart. And that's the essence, brethren, of this Christian journey. The same God who gave the commandments to Moses now dwells within us. And that means day by day, he is at work, conforming us to his image, being transformed through the indwelling presence, again, of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

The Spirit is a spirit of power and love and a sound mind, and will often say things like, well, the Holy Spirit is the power of God. That is true to a point. God is spirit, and God is holy. The word he became Christ and now sits at the right hand of the Father is spirits, and he is holy. So the very essence of who and what they are is what has been implanted into each of us. And as the temple of God, they live in us through that spirit.

We live every day in the Holy of Holies, in the presence of God. No veil, no curtain, no separation, a direct and a personal relationship. And it happens in our mind, and it happens in our heart by that indwelling presence. 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 3. Again, the point I'm trying to, I guess, bring across with the strongest emphasis today, brethren, is that this is about who we are. Who are we becoming? 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 3, it says, the apostle Paul writing to the church, he says, clearly you are an epistle of Christ.

It says, ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on the tablets of flesh, and that is of the heart.

In other words, our converted life, Paul says, is an epistle. It's a letter. Your life is a letter of Jesus Christ, written with the spirit on your heart, so that you go out, you walk, you talk, you interact with this world. You are a letter to the world, written by Jesus Christ, written in the spirit, not written externally on tablets of stone, but internally on your heart.

Again, this is a part of who and what you are. Dropping down to verse 12, it says, therefore, since we have such hope, he says, we use great boldness of speech, unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. You recall Moses, right? He went up to the mountain, he received the law from God, he brought it to the people, he went up on the mountain more than once, actually. He interacted with God, he heard the voice of God.

He saw a portion of the glory of God, and as a result, he came down, and his face glowed brilliantly, because he had been in the presence of God. And what happened? He put a veil over his face, because the people were afraid to approach him.

They feared the brilliance of God's reflected presence and glory. Again, it was an old covenant people without the Spirit of God, without the heart to truly, what can we say, look at the reflection and the result of God's glory face to face. Verse 14, it says, but their minds were blinded. For until this day, the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.

So there's this figurative veil that has been over the hearts and minds of much of Israel, preventing them from internalizing the true nature and meaning, frankly, of the Old Testament, of recognizing even the part that Jesus Christ has played and does play. Okay, you don't turn to Christ, there is a veil. That is what is being said here by Paul. But it's been removed in our lives through him, thus enabling us to grasp the spiritual glory of the new covenant relationship with God.

In Christ, that veil is removed. Verse 15, it says, but even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts. Okay, in our day to day as well. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit. God is Spirit. Those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.

Jesus Christ is Spirit. The Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. He says, but we all with unveiled face, as you and I, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image. Okay, this is about transformation. Transformation of heart and character into the same image, from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

And so again, we see the heart of our spiritual journey here, brethren. We're being transformed into the likeness of Him, by the Spirit which dwells in us. So that when we look into the spiritual mirror, we should be seeing more and more of God, more and more of Jesus Christ, and less and less of our carnal selves.

From glory to glory this happens. About a year ago, I mentioned, you know, faith to faith. What is faith to faith? It's stepping stones, right? We build faith by going from faith to faith. David had faith to slay Goliath because God had delivered him from the mouth of the lion and the paw of the bear, and, you know, stepping stones of faith leading to greater faith. From glory to glory, God works in our lives, and we see a glimmer of something that we say, wow! You know how the old me would have responded to that? Okay, that's a stepping stone.

And from glory to glory, as this increases in our life, we take on the nature of our Father and our elder brother, Jesus Christ, until ultimately our reflection in the mirror is like them. But the whole process starts with our baptism. It starts with receiving the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, and it continues all throughout our life for as long as we draw breath.

It's a continuous process. You know, in one sense, conversion is instantaneous. God gives you his Spirit, and you're converted, but I think we understand it's also a process of maturing, of deepening in that as we expand in this relationship with God. But can you remember your covenant commitment? A couple of people that were baptized this year, right before the Passover here locally, and here just recently at dinner, Frida Iems told me what, 70 years? Is that right, Frida?

70 years? Plus? Since her baptism. Right? So for some people, that was very recent. Some people, that was decades ago, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years. Do you remember that covenant? And do you also, can you look back and not see, from glory to glory, the work and the growth that God has brought you forward in? I hope we all can. I hope we never forget that. This year was an incredible blessing for me personally, because there's things in the ministry that are sometimes very hard, and there are things that are very gratifying. And for me, this year, I was able to conduct nine baptisms before and around the time of the Passover.

Again, so encouraging. Two of them were here. Two of them were out at the, I say, beautiful, clear, crisp, icy waters of Liberty Lake. The snow was still on the mountains around, you know, on the peaks as we went into that water. Very refreshing. I did six in the brown, murky, muddy rivers of Nigeria. Five in one day were down out in Owari, out in the village region.

We ventured out into that water. Very, very brown, very murky, kind of a slow-moving river. We walked out to waste-deep water. And I said to Emmanuel, the leader of the Owari congregation that was out there with me, I said, your job is to watch for crocodiles. It wasn't his only job, but that was an important one. He said, oh, no, no, he laughed. He says, there's no crocodiles in this water, only snake.

I said, okay, so like, water moccasins? He says, oh, no, no, just python. So he watched for python, and as we stood there, I couldn't even, you know, you look down, I couldn't see halfway between my knees and my ankles. This was not Liberty Lake, all right?

But as I'd be standing there, I'm out there probably 15-20 minutes, baptizing, laying on of hands, saying the prayer, and a couple of times as I'm talking to the individual, I look over their shoulder and you see 10-15 feet away, just kind of these bubbles, kind of up from the bottom, and you're thinking, well, I'm here doing the Lord's work. It'll be okay.

But what a blessing, you know? Baptism, laying on of hands, the giving of God's Spirit, just as real in the day and the life of each of those individuals as the day of Pentecost, the outpouring of God's Spirit, the blessing that it would be to their life. Emmanuel, by the way, he said, oh, you know, I know this river looks bad, but believe it or not, the locals drink out of it. I'm like, no kidding. And he said, actually, you could drink out of it, too. And I said, my friend, that is how a white man dies in Africa.

But the blessing, the blessing that God gives is incredible. Again, we can all remember that in our lives. How much are we yielding ourselves to the transitional work of God in us? How much are we allowing God to fashion and mold us into the image he desires? And are there areas of our lives that we're actually keeping God out? Do we have rooms or boxes in our mind or in our heart that we say, God, you can come in here? But do we shut them out of other parts of our lives?

How much do we hinder the work of God's Spirit in us? We recently had a baby shower at our house, and those are just, you know, incredibly wonderful parties to have. I'm over in the next room in my office, and I can hear the laughing coming through the wall, the excitement, the fun, as the ladies are together and enjoying these things. You know what happens in our home before we have such events? It is cleaning day, right? You're doing the dishes, you're putting away the laundry, you're cleaning the house, you've got to get it in ship shape. So when people walk in the door, you can say, pardon the mess, I'm sorry. But, you know, at least in our house, and I apologize to my wife for giving away this little secret, but in our house, there's usually that room. Or that closet, right? Where you look around and there's the clutter, and you gather up the clutter, and you put it in there, and you duct tape the crime scene shut. And in this case, Darla put a sign on our, this was our bedroom, put a sign on our bedroom door, keep out! Actually, it was a little nicer than that. It said, close to the public. So close to the public, arrow, the restroom is down that way. But I hope I'm not alone in this. Please don't let me be alone in this. Do you have rooms like that? You have closets, maybe? Okay, thank you for nodding your head. I'll pray for you.

But we have those, don't we? We're the clutter of our life, we're sealing it away from everybody else, and we say, no trespassing, keep out. Do we do that with God? Do we do that spiritually in our own lives? That we say, God, you can come in here, you can work your work there, but here's a door, keep out. That's my clutter. That's my carnality that's behind that door. That's that area that I just haven't gotten around to addressing yet. Can we tell God at times, no trespassing? You know, full surrender means full access. And God must be allowed to do His work in every part of us. We're being perfected for His kingdom, to be a part of His family for eternity. And there can be no off-limits parts of our character to God. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 2.

2 Peter chapter 1 verse 2, you know, as part of the spiritual temple of God, we've been called into something divine. And if something divine takes root in your life, the effect of it will be just as enduring. It will be eternal. That will be the effect. But only if we yield ourselves fully to what God is doing. 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 2, I'm going to jump into the middle of Peter's introduction. He says, By which we have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be, notice, partakers of the divine nature.

That's quite a concept. Partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And so the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not just a feeling, and it's not just an influence in our life. It is the very presence of the Almighty God living in us. And when we yield ourselves to Him, and when we allow Him in and allow Him to do His work, and we embrace His presence and we respond to His lead, you and I literally become partakers of the divine nature. Don't miss that point.

Think about it for a minute.

The God of the universe dwells His very presence in you.

His character in you. His nature in you. His holiness in you. His love and His righteousness actively at work in your heart, molding you, transforming you. He is the potter, right? You are the clay.

We are His continuing creation until we are brought into the likeness of Him. Genesis 1, 26, let us make man in our image according to our likeness. It began with this physical form. It did not stop there. The end result is of His character and of His nature truly in His likeness. A new creation in Jesus Christ.

In Romans 2, verse 12, Paul instructs us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. They may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Again, this is not surface-level change. It is a heart transformation. The word transformed from the Greek in Romans 2 is the word metamorphu. Metamorphu is where we get the word metamorphosis. It's a total transformation. It's like the caterpillar that transforms into the butterfly. God likewise is completely remaking us from the inside out through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit, reshaping our minds, our thoughts, our values, everything, to go from the carnal nature to conformity to His likeness.

That takes time. It takes a lot of work on God's part, but brethren, it takes a lot of work on our part as well. We have our part to do. Again, Romans 12, verse 2 says, Be transformed. That's not a suggestion, that's a command. And it requires action. It requires work. It requires a willingness on our part to cooperate with what God is doing in us. The Holy Spirit is the power behind the change. We are the ones who have to remove the barriers and invite God into our lives, and rip down the no trespassing sign and yield fully to Him. Wherever the living waters go, there is healing. That's an Ezekiel prophecy for you. You can check it out later.

The transformation of the human heart began on a much larger scale, on Pentecost 31 A.D. And it begs the ultimate question for talking about transformation. Who are we called to become? That's the ultimate answer and the ultimate goal to this. Who are we called to become? As we observe this feast, brethren, a day that marks the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit and the birth of the church, we're reminded of a foundational truth that we're not called to be just followers of God only. We are called to be His children.

I want to wrap up with this thought in Romans chapter 8. This is the ultimate transformation. We're in the pipeline on this journey. And we are His children. We're called to be His children. And we will be His children for eternity if indeed we endure to the end. Romans chapter 8 and verse 13. This is what God's Spirit does in us. 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. By the Spirit, you have to have the heart to do the hard work. And God in you will give you that. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. This is who we are. For you do not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the Spirit of adoption or sonship, by whom we cry out, Abba, 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. This is more than theology, brethren. This is our identity. This is who we are called to be, and this is who we become by the indwelling of God's Spirit. And I believe this verse actually takes it to a higher bar by being led by the Spirit. These are the sons of God, the ones who yield to its work in us.

But here's the challenge. When we look into the spiritual mirror, who do we see?

Is it a reflection of ourselves, or is it more and more a reflection of them? It takes work. It's going to be more and more a reflection of them. When we speak, when we take action, whose words are they? Whose works are they? Do they flow from the love and the joy and the peace and the patience and the kindness and the goodness and the faithfulness and the gentleness and the self-control of God? That is the fruit of His Spirit in us. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit. An apple tree cannot bear an orange. Apart from the Spirit of God, we cannot bear these fruits as the love of God is agape. We may do what we can do carnally, but truly to be made in His image and to take on His nature, this is the fruit that must come forth. The Apostle Paul called us living epistles. You know, visible testaments, visible testimonies of God's Spirit written on the tablets of our hearts. And the question is, are we reflecting that nature each and every day? We can. It's what God has called us to do. It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2, verse 13, God gives us what we need when we need it. As Mr. Klein said, He brings the mind what we need. He calls forth and brings forth from our heart what we need when we need it. He will not leave us orphans. It is His promise. But we have to do our part. Fully committed. Fully desirous for the change that His Spirit can provide. The Feast of Pentecost should be a time of deep reflection as we consider these things. And to the degree that we fall short in this divine calling, brethren, let us rededicate ourselves to the work that must be done. This isn't just window dressing. This is heart work. Because that, indeed, is where the Spirit of God works. In the heart of each and every one of us. Pentecost reminds us of an incredible truth that through the laying on of hands at our baptism, we received a priceless gift. It's the Spirit and nature of the Almighty God dwelling within us. And the Spirit doesn't merely make us religious people, it makes us the children of God. Sons and daughters who are being transformed into His divine character, purpose, and destined for the future of our Father in Heaven. Brethren, may the Feast of Pentecost be a time of rejoicing in the gift of God's Holy Spirit. It is power from on high at work in our lives today. And may we always yield ourselves up to our Father in Heaven and our elder brother Jesus Christ, allowing their Spirit to transform us all, each and every day. It is a work that's taking place. It's a work that will be completed to God's glory. And it is a work that you and I must rededicate our efforts to as a transformation into the likeness of God. Let us put our whole effort into it from glory to glory.