Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - The Only Way to Change Your Race
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Although no outward appearance or physical trait changes, at salvation you become a wholly new creature; you are now a child of God. This is what the Bible teaches the Holy Spirit does for us at salvation in the act of regeneration. We are generated into something new, even while we retain a mortal tent of dwelling.
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Salvation As A Diamond
SPEAKER_00Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, the full lesson from Jeremy Thomas. Here's a hint of what's to come.
SPEAKER_03You might think of salvation like a diamond, but in a diamond, you can look at the different facets, right? And from every angle, it's wow, it's beautiful. You know, you see maybe a little something different. Uh as long as there's not an inclusion or something. Or occlusion, whatever they call it. Uh inside. But but the the work of salvation is like a diamond because there's so many different facets that you can look at it. You can look at it from the standpoint of regeneration. You can look at it the standpoint from ceiling. You can look at it from the standpoint of uh relationship. You can look at it from the standpoint of of being justified or legally credited with Christ's perfect righteousness. There's just all these different facets. And some theologians have called these, you know, the the riches of divine grace.
SPEAKER_02I never thought about it this way.
SPEAKER_00And I doubt that you have either. That at salvation, regeneration is more than just a spiritual thing. It is a whole change in us. We leave the kingdom of Satan. We leave the fallen, mortal, sinful realm and enter into the kingdom of God. We enter in as a child of God, a direct creation, something new. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. And it is unique and majestic and not yet complete because our mortal body still exists. And that creates the war within us that Paul so aptly and eloquently describes. We have our old nature, the old man, and yet we are a wholly new creation. We have been fully regenerated by the Holy Spirit, so that in the future we will dwell perfectly with God, and yet that reality is not yet known or seen. And so here we are left with a regenerated, new creation living in a mortal world, and that is the cause of our stress and our anxiety. And yet there is hope.
Who The Holy Spirit Is
SPEAKER_03Okay, so anytime you deal with any of the persons of the Trinity, one of the things that you would should do is look at two aspects his person, who he is, and his works, what he does. And uh God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, right? He's immutable. Uh, but his works do vary throughout various uh stages in his plan for history. So we want to start this week having looked at the person of the Spirit last week, having shown that he is uh not just a personification, uh a force, an influence, or something like that, but an actual person with the qualities of a person, like will, conscience, thought. And he's not only a person, but he's also God. Very God of very God. And we showed Christ or sorry, Spirit for Yahweh's substitutions and things like that, some direct statements, uh works that he does that indicate he's a person, like he guides us and so forth. And his attributes. He has the attributes of God. He's holy, he's omniscient, he's omnipresent, things like this. So all these are just avenues to show that this person of the Holy Spirit is God Himself. And so what we want to do now is start to look at his work.
RIBS And Why Regeneration Matters
SPEAKER_03And the first work we're gonna look at is called Regeneration, and there's a classic acronym in Christianity that's usually used for four of the current works of the Holy Spirit. And what is that acronym? Ribs, right?
SPEAKER_02Ribs, regeneration, indwelling, baptism, and sealing.
SPEAKER_03I know there could be multiple ones that are like, well, what about spiritual gifts or something? Um, but those are the first four in ribs, and then after we finish each of these in coming weeks, then we'll take a look at two additional ones in addition to ribs, spiritual gifts and um intercessory prayer. But this week is regeneration. It's actually one of the most interesting. And this has always been one that's oh, got some interesting and difficult questions around it. One of the interesting and difficult questions is what about believers during the Old Testament? Were believers in the Old Testament, were they regenerated? And every time I approach this, I I must do the same research because I go back and I see I've already underlined things in books. So I'm like, oh, okay, okay, goodness. And um, that just means my memory is very faulty, but um there's not a lot about whether saints in the Old Testament were regenerated in in books and articles. There are things, but there's just not a lot. And I ran across some things in uh W. H. Griffiths Thomas' work on work on the Holy Spirit, but I really didn't see anything much in Walvard's book on the Holy Spirit or Ryrie's, which is just really a shortened form of Walbert's, it seems like. But um so I studied this out. There's a little bit from Eugene Merrill, and I'll I'll talk about some of these things.
Circumcision Of The Heart Explained
SPEAKER_03Let's start by taking a peek in our Bible in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 10. Deuteronomy chapter 10. We want to ask ourselves what this this regeneration is. Of course, we have an idea maybe in our minds of what regeneration is. Usually, if you look up a definition, what you will typically find is it ref they will define it as the impartation of eternal life. The impartation of eternal life. That's pretty standard in theological books. And I think that that in the main that definition is derived primarily from John chapter 3. The incident with Jesus and Nicodemus, where he asks, you know, about seeing the kingdom of God, and he says, You have to be born again. Uh andor born from above. Okay? And then the passage goes on, and that's where the famous John 3.16 is, right? It's uh it's the same dialogue with Nicodemus. And that's where he's talking about being born again, and then he tells us, you know, that God sent his son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. So this concept of being born again, they say, in this passage, is tied directly to uh receiving eternal life. So that's kind of how they're getting the definition. It's a very common definition. So that's kind of what we're talking about. And the question then becomes well, did Old Testament saints, did they have eternal life? Were they regenerated? Um, what we find in Deuteronomy chapter 10, verse 16 is a description that is not nearly as common as our language term uh regeneration. Um, I'm in Genesis 10. That's not going to help. Deuteronomy 10, 16. Is this terminology circumcision of heart? Circumcised heart. And you probably remember that. There was this thing in the Old Testament called circumcision, and usually it's it's talking about physical circumcision, right? Um, but this this is obviously related to that. So let's look at what he says in um 1015. Yet on your fathers did the Lord set his his affection to love them, and he chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day, talking about the Jewish people. So circumcise your heart and stiffen your neck no longer. For why? For the Lord your God is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. So he they it sounds like they are being told to circumcise their own hearts.
SPEAKER_02That's interesting because how do you do that?
SPEAKER_03Um, I mean, what are we going to get a scalpel out? You know, like cut your heart and somehow remove some portion of your heart to correct it or something? Do corrective heart surgery. We we can't really like do that. You know, we we could do natural circumcision, physical circumcision, but we couldn't do spiritual circumcision of the heart.
SPEAKER_02So this command is a little odd. It's just not something we can do.
SPEAKER_03Now, what the physical circumcision, therefore, was a sign of, and and the physical circumcision is a sign of the Abrahamic covenant, first and foremost, Genesis 16 and 17. God made the covenant with Abraham while he was still uncircumcised, the Abrahamic covenant. The covenant that he promised them a land, seed, and that through him there would be global blessing, right? And the sign of that covenant was the circumcision in the flesh. And they were to circumcise their babies on the eighth day as the sign, which would bring them into the bond of the Abrahamic covenant and recognition of that covenant, right? As a unique covenant God made with Israel. But but what this the physical circumcision signified was that there was a part of humanity that needed to be corrected surgically. And of course, it's the human heart. I mean, it wasn't just to just cut cut the flesh there, and that'd be the end of it. Um, it was a reminder that we all have something wrong with us that needs surgical correction, and that's our heart. So the command here to circumcise your heart is a little bit odd because we can't really do this type of surgery. God has to do this. So it seems to be what we call metony. Metonymy is a figure of speech where you substitute uh the effect for the cause or the cause for the effect. Um in this case, it would be substituting the effect, which is a circumcised heart, for the cause. Which God is the only one who can do this. So if a person believed, like Abraham in the Old Testament, then God would circumcise their hearts. Okay. And in one passage, Deuteronomy 30, so you can flip over a few chapters, Deuteronomy 30, you do see that God in the future will circumcise their hearts, and that this is associated with them obeying. So, you know, if you wonder what's going on with the state of Israel right now, for example, Deuteronomy 31 through 10 is what I would call one of the main passages. Deuteronomy 30, verse 1. So it shall be when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I've set before you, and obviously we're currently in a period of their curse, they're under the curse. And you call them to mine, and all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you, so fall out in the exile. And he says, And you return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then, then, when this happens, then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity. Have compassion on you, will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. So this is the universal regathering of Israel. We're not quite there yet. The returning, but not in this scale. If your outcast are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possess, the same real estate, and you shall possess it, and he will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants. So throughout the millennial kingdom, Israel's hearts will be circumcised. To what end? Verse 6 says, To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, so that you may live, live in the land in blessing under the Lord. So there's that passage. And the last one is Jeremiah 4, and it's another one where it says, circumcise your hearts, you know, using metonymy. But I think that any time that a Jewish person in the Old Testament believed, or anytime anybody believes, really, in the Old Testament, the terminology for regeneration is what we would read here, circumcision of the heart. It's a spiritual circumcision. Eugene Merrill said, just as circumcision of the flesh symbolized outward identification with the Lord and the covenant community, so circumcision of the heart, a phrase found only here, uh Deuteronomy 30, and in Deuteronomy 10.16 and Jeremiah 4.4 in the Old Testament, speaks of internal identification with him in what might be called regeneration in Christian theology.
Born Again In Old And New
SPEAKER_03So, you know, what did it do? This this term regeneration in the New Testament in the Greek, Palin Genesia, again to be born, okay, again to be born, or being born again. Also, Anaganao and uh Gana'o Anothan, okay, born from above. So these three terms, regeneration, born again, born from above. Born from above meaning the source of the birth is where? Above. Born again means, oh, there's some kind of rebirth that takes place, and regeneration has that same concept to be born again. So the human condition always set forth for this is belief. Uh again, John 3, 1 through 16, right? Um, John in his gospel sets forth the human condition repeatedly as believe, believe, believe. He who believes in me has eternal life. So it goes on and on throughout the Gospel of John. The one who accomplishes this work is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. And these types of passages in the Gospel are probably parallel to those Old Testament passages that talk about circumcised hearts, because both involve some kind of interior change. And both were actually occurring and are discussed under the same dispensation. They're both discussed before Pentecost. They're both discussed under the dispensation of the law of Moses. So, what would this internal change, this circumcision of heart, what would it affect? Well, it would bring about a change in that the person now has a love for God, internal love for God, uh, wants to do what is good, desires to please God, in this case, under the law, it'd be keep the law of Moses, right? And we read about that. We read whole all of Psalm 119, and that Psalm is all about uh, you know, Jew, a Jew who's describing how much they love the Word of God, how much they want to keep the Word of God. I've hidden my word in your heart, they may not sin against thee. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, so I know uh and a light into my path. You know, it's all about you're reading from an Old Testament saint's regenerate viewpoint about their love for God, their desire to please God, to keep his word, right? And so that's what happened in regeneration. Now, there is one other passage in the New Testament. Let's look at Matthew 19 real quick. Matthew 19, 28. There's actually the word regeneration is only used twice in the New Testament, okay, meaning the word palanganesia. Okay, that word is only used twice. Other words like Gana'o or Anagana'o are used multiple times. But this one's interesting because Jesus was in a discussion with his disciples about the kingdom. And he asked in verse 27, Peter said to the Lord, Behold, we've left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us, you know, in the kingdom? So he's talking about the sacrifices that they made to follow him. So a discipleship passage. And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me in the regeneration, there's the word, Palinganesia, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, it's the throne of David, he says, You all shall also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Um everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or children or farms, for my name's sake, this is all discipleship. This isn't how you go to heaven. This is uh believers who've made sacrifice, right? Will receive many times as much and inherit eternal life. Um, you say, well, we already have eternal life. Right, but um, there are three aspects of eternal life. There's still a future dimension to eternal life that talks about the quality of life that you will enjoy. And it's something you inherit. I mean, do you get your inheritance the moment you become a kid? You know, the moment you're born? Is that when you get your inheritance? Or do you step into it the moment your parents pass away?
SPEAKER_01See?
SPEAKER_03There's a difference. Uh you're a son and a rightful heir the day you're born. But you don't actually inherit until later. And there's a dimension of eternal life that is a future inheritance. When you step into the fullness of eternal life, and your quality of life is going to be greatly improved. Because this is a quality of life that we'll enjoy in the kingdom. So, but the point here is that if you think about this passage and the use of regeneration, Jesus says that believers who sacrifice, right, and follow for to follow him in the regeneration, meaning the world itself is reborn at the second coming of Jesus Christ. And you know, you read the Old Testament descriptions of what the earth will be like in the millennial kingdom, and the entire earth is renovated.
SPEAKER_02The highest place on earth in the millennial kingdom is not Mount Everett. It's Jerusalem. That is a radical, radical change in the world.
SPEAKER_03We do not have any clue the amount of geological power that will be involved in connection with the second coming of Jesus Christ to renovate the whole earth. Ezekiel describes it like the Garden of Eden. And the prophets describe it as a place where those who are reaping will catch up with the ones who are sowing. Can you imagine the amount of agricultural abundance that in the messianic kingdom? It says the hills will flow with wine. Again, talking of the agricultural abundance. It will be a remarkable world in life, so different from our current earth and world, that it's called in this verse the regeneration, that period of history, that whole world. And the thing is that makes this so wonderful in this passage is that everyone who's been regenerated in history individually, personally, has a circumcised heart, will be in that regenerate world. So it's a regenerate world made for regenerate people. So that's the usage of regeneration. John 1 or John 3 uses the terminology being born from above, and all these are referring essentially to the same idea. And I do think people before Pentecost were born again.
Regeneration Versus Indwelling
SPEAKER_03Now, while believers before Pentecost may have been regenerated, the average believer did not have the indwelling spirit to empower them to live new lives. Remember, the Holy Spirit also has another ministry called indwelling. Don't confuse all these. These aren't all the same thing. It's not like baptism, sealing, indwelling, regeneration. They're not all the same thing. They're all separate things, separate ministries of the Holy Spirit that look at different facets of our trans of our salvation. You might think of salvation like a diamond. In a diamond, you can look at the different facets. Right? And from every angle, it's wow, it's beautiful. You know, you see maybe a little something different, uh, as long as there's not an inclusion or something, or occlusion, whatever they call it, uh, inside. But but the the work of salvation is like a diamond because there's so many different facets that you can look at it. You can look at it from the standpoint of regeneration, you can look at it the standpoint from sealing, you can look at it from the standpoint of uh relationship, you can look at it from the standpoint of being justified or legally credited with Christ's perfect righteousness. There's just all these different facets. And some theologians have called these, you know, the the riches of divine grace. And they'll talk about the 33 or the 40 things that happen the moment you believe in Christ. And regeneration is one of these things. It's talking about the impartation of eternal life that brought about in you new desires to. Love the Lord and to please him. But in the Old Testament, the one thing that's really strikingly different is they did not have the indwelling spirit on a permanent basis to enable them to live new lives. What they had is over in John 14. So take a look at John 14. I think this is the key verse that really distinguishes this particular work of the Spirit in the Old Testament versus his work now.
SPEAKER_02John 14, 17.
SPEAKER_03Talking of the procession in the last few weeks, how there would be the Father and the Son who would send the Spirit. Jesus is talking about this in John 14, 15. He says, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. That shows you there, first of all, love is not really like, oh, I feel like I love God. It's obedience. That's how we show love is obedience. Verse 16, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper, that's the Spirit, that He may be with you forever. That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be future tense in you. Do you see that the Holy Spirit, it was different before Pentecost than it was after Pentecost? He was abiding with them prior to Pentecost, but in the future, beginning on Pentecost, he would be in them. So to abide means to remain or stay. And in the old testament Israel, the Holy Spirit abided with them as a national community, a commonwealth, in relation to the tabernacle, the temple, in the kings and the prophets and the priests. But he was not in them to enable them to live these new lives. But it does seem that he provided some help just by being among them or with them, right? To enable them to live somewhat pleasing lives. But it was really not what we have today in the permanent indwelling of the Spirit in each individual believer. So regeneration seems to be the same for people before Pentecost, but the Spirit's role in the Old Testament verses now seems to be what differs. Okay? So that means I think everybody in the history of the world who's ever believed was regenerate. I think you have to be regenerate in order to enter the regenerate world that Jesus talked about. But they did not have the same empowerment of the Spirit that we had. They had him among them, but we have him in us. And so now we're going to look at some of these differences. So let's be clear about some things and then try to get into some of the nitty-gritty interesting things about regeneration.
God’s Word Creates New Life
SPEAKER_03Regeneration, first of all, is a work of God. You're in John, so why don't you take a look at John 1, 12, and 13? What we mean here is this is not a cooperative effort. We do not get involved in this. Just as the natural birth results in a natural person, so a supernatural birth results in a new spirit, spiritual person. And John 1, 12 and 13 discuss that this work of regeneration, so we can become children of God, is a work exclusively of God. John 1 12. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born Genao, not of blood, born nor of the will of the flesh, born nor of the will of man, but born of who? God. Okay, so regeneration is solely and exclusively a work of God. We have no part in this, and it is through this that we become children of God. And 2 Corinthians 5.17 says we're new creatures, new creation. We'll talk about that in a minute. Now regeneration occurs through the word of God. That's interesting. How about James 1.18?
SPEAKER_02James 1.18. Or the first Peter. Tempted to use the 1 Peter, but I don't. Let's just do James 1.18. We need to teach James.
SPEAKER_03I love this book. I've taught it before, but we haven't taught it in a long time. It probably needs to be taught. James 1.18. Do not be deceived. Well, verse 16, do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given, every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there's no variation or shifting shadows. In other words, he's immutable. Verse 18, in the exercise of his will he brought us forth by what?
SPEAKER_02By what means? By the word of truth.
SPEAKER_03By the word of truth. So it's his word that he uses to regenerate us. This was the same word that was used to create the universe, right? In the beginning, God said, Let there be light. So God used the word to bring about the universe. John 1.1. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. And the word became flesh, John 1.14, and dwelt among us. So that word that he used to speak is the second person of the Trinity, but it's he's associated with language, with speaking. And just as he created the entire universe by his word, so when we believe his word is that which regenerates us and makes us children of God. Now, what is going on? What is going on with this regeneration thing? We keep saying we're children of God now, we're new creatures.
SPEAKER_02What is going on is that ontologically you are different. You are different than you were before you believed.
SPEAKER_03What do we mean ontologically? I'm stealing a philosophical term, but it's important. What we mean is your nature, your being, your essence is different now. You are literally different people. You are not the same person that you were as an unbeliever, as a believer. You're two different people. There are two species of humans. Jesus says there are those who are children of the devil, and there are his children, children of God. When he looks at the human race, he doesn't just see one species or kind, but the humankind. He sees his children, and those who are children of Satan. And you are ontologically different, meaning your real being is different. A change took place the moment you believed in Christ. So you're not the same person you were before. So this is not the same as something like justification. You know, you know, whenever you believe, you're also justified, right? Counted righteous. That's a legal crediting or accounting term. There's no internal change that happens to you when you're counted or justified, you know, counted righteous. But in regeneration, something actually took place that changed you, so you are a new creature, a new creation. And this occurred by means, as James 1.18 says, by the word of truth.
SPEAKER_02So now you are children of God. Oh, well, you I just covered all of points C, didn't I?
SPEAKER_03John 8.44 speaks of the children of the devil. You know, 1 John 3.10, children of God versus the children of the devil. So two ontologically different people. Fourth in letter D, regeneration makes the believer a new creature. So let's look at Jane, uh, 2 Corinthians 5.17. You're probably familiar with this passage. 2 Corinthians 5.17. When Paul is talking about the results of the ministry, one of the things that he discusses is the second major result in this section is described in verse 17. The first one is verse 16, he uses the therefore. So that's the first result of the ministry. The second result is verse 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, now how do you get in Christ? You believe. That's how you get in Christ. So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away. Behold, new things have come. So the old things, what's that? It's the old lifestyle that we live. That's that's gone away. Now the new creatures come, the new things, we're to live a new life, right? So substantively and ontologically, you are new people. I mean, this verse says it. You are a what? You are a new creature. And that's it, that's that's begging us to think of creation and to realize that every one of us is a new creation of God. And it's it's it's lovely. Now, letter E. Regeneration is also what is described as a new birth, and it's a cleansing
Mercy And The Washing Of Regeneration
SPEAKER_03of the spirit. We should look at Titus 3. Flip over to Titus. We got 1 2 Thessalonians, 1 2 Timothy, and Titus. All five T books are stuck there together. That kind of helps. If you find one, you can probably find the other one because they're kind of little. Titus 3, he's got several little theological summaries, and this is one of the most lovely and wonderful passages to summarize our salvation.
SPEAKER_02Starting in Titus 3, 4.
SPEAKER_03But when the kindness of God, our Savior, and his love for mankind appeared, speaking of the incarnation, he saved us. Now that's an air, it's just a point action. It's like a type of action, like what he did for us. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds. See, not on works, no deeds which we have done in righteousness. Those are not taken into consideration in salvation. But what is highlighted by contrast according to his mercy. See, we're not saved on the basis of any deeds that we have done, but on the basis of his mercy. Don't you find it interesting? It doesn't say grace. It sort of says grace in a few more verses, like verse 8, 7, or 8. But what many think he's doing here in Titus 3 is highlighting his mercy. Usually what we think of is, oh, we're saved by grace. We're saved by grace. We're saved by grace. This passage says that we're saved by according to his mercy. What's the difference? Grace is receiving something you did not earn or merit. Mercy is not receiving something that you did earn or merit. What did we earn or merit? Well, eternal separation from God, eternal condemnation. That's what we earned. I mean, if that's what if you're going to get paid for the job you did, guess what your payment is? Eternal separation in the lake of fire. That's what you that's what you deserve. But we didn't get that.
SPEAKER_02We received mercy. And then he says the means of our salvation.
SPEAKER_03He says, by the washing of regeneration, and this is the other use of Palanganesi in the New Testament, second use, regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit, the one whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. And then he talks about justified, justification. That being justified by his grace, which occurs simultaneously, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So again, a future aspect of our eternal life, talking about what we have in the millennial kingdom. But this little phrase here in verse 5, the means by which we were saved, the basis is mercy. The means is by the washing of regeneration and renewing. These two words. Regeneration and renewing. What's going on there? Well, there's a lot of discussion about this. Whenever you read something like this, and there's a lot of conflict between people like not sure what exactly is what, I don't like to push push too far and develop anything really interesting out of it. Because, you know, chances are I'm wrong. So I mean, this could be a hendiadist, which is a specific type of figure of speech where both words are kind of referring to the same thing. Like a renewal washing. You'd put the two words together. Hindiadus. A renewal washing, describing the type of washing that takes place when we believe, when we're born again. It's a renewal type of washing. I think that's probably pretty safe. I feel really safe with that. I'm not creating anything odd. But a Hindiadus, we often there's Hindiadus sometimes we don't see in the in the in the English. Jesus said, You will worship me in spirit and truth. That's a Hindiadus. It's not spirit and truth. It should be translated more like you will worship me in spiritual truth. It's talking about the kind of truth in which you will worship them in. It's a spiritual type of truth. So that's a Hindiadus. And this could be another one. Whenever you have two words that are both describing the same thing separated by Kai, it could be a Hindiadus. But again, you know, I don't want to push too far, but you get the idea that the Holy Spirit is the one who does this work. And by doing this, there's been some kind of cleansing, some kind of washing that has taken place as that is the means by which we are saved. And through this, of course, you become a new person. So it's really awesome. In regeneration now, and you're regenerated, I'm supposing. If you haven't believed, raise your hand. I'm just kidding. Um, right, but anyway. In regeneration, now that you are born again, you're a new person, and you're identified with your born of God self. It's like who you are, substantively. Um take a look at Galatians 2.20. No, let's go to first let's go Romans.
SPEAKER_02Let's
The Inner War And The Spirit’s Way
SPEAKER_02go to Romans 7. Romans 7. Romans 7. This is another passage.
SPEAKER_03A lot of dispute about this passage. I I take the understanding that Paul is describing uh his life as a believer before he understood how to live the Christian life. He knew, you know, the law and he knew what God demanded, righteousness, but he's he didn't know how to live that way. Um at first, he had to learn how to live the Christian life. So if you look in Romans 7, verse 8, what we're kind of looking for is to see that Paul thinks of himself as not the one who's the sinner. I'm not a sinner. Who am I? I'm the one who wants to do good. I'm the one who wants to please God, I'm the one who wants to obey. That's who I really am. I'm not the one sinning. It almost sounds like he's saying I'm not responsible for my sin. So check this out. 7-8. But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment produced in me. Now, you just said there's this thing called sin, and it's producing something inside of you, he says, coveting of every kind, he says, because apart from the law, sin is dead. In other words, sin highlighted, I mean, the law highlighted sin, right? That's what it did. He says, I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died. And this commandment, which was to result in life, I mean, it's a good law. There's nothing wrong with the law that God gave Moses through Moses. Nothing wrong with it, he says, but it proved to result in death for me. Why? Verse 11, because sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it, it killed me. You know, it's just, it's that thing where if you tell a kid they can't have a cookie and you leave the room, the only thing they want to do is have a cookie. Like the sin nature exerts itself against an authority. The authority says, Don't do this. The sin nature says, Oh, yeah, watch this. And it does it. And he's describing this, especially he had a trouble with coveting, right? This was Paul's big issue, was desiring what other people had. He looked, he'd see what other people had, and he said, I don't want that. And um I imagine that's quite prevalent among people. They look at others, they say, I deserve that. That should be mine, that shouldn't be theirs, and all this goes on, and all that is is just sin, right? The sin nature is taking advantage of their conscience, and the conscience says, No, you shouldn't covet other people's things. Well, you violate your conscience, and this is sin. Verse 12. So then he says, The law is holy, the commandment is holy and righteous and good. There's nothing wrong with the commandment. Therefore, did that which is good, the law, become a cause of death for me? He says, No way, that's not the cause of the death. It was the sin, and these are all articular, the sin in the Greek text. It was the sin, the sin what? Well, the sin nature. That's what he's talking about. The sin nature inside of him, in order that it might be shown to be sin by affecting my death through that which is good, the law. So that through the commandment, sin would become utterly sinful. And then he starts doing this separation. Okay. For what I am doing, I don't understand, for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I'm doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree the law. I'm confessing the law is good. So, conclusion, verse 17. No longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me is doing it. You see how he's almost saying, I'm not responsible for this. It sounds like he's saying that. It's no longer I who am the one doing it.
SPEAKER_02Well, how can he say that? I mean, you did it, Paul. You are doing the sin. Yeah, but it's not who I really am at this point. It's not who I really am as a regenerate person. That's not the essence of who we are anymore.
SPEAKER_03Before we believed, yes, the essence of who we were was just defined by sin. But now that we believe we're regenerate, and who we really are is not our sinner. So when we sin, it's not it's not who we are substantively, ontologically in our nature. We're acting contrary to our nature whenever we sin. It's not who we were reborn to be. That's what he means. Verse 18, for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. See, as a regenerate person, we still still carry the sin nature in our flesh, he says. He says, because the willing is present in me, the willing to do good, but the doing of the good is not. He's saying, I cannot affect the good just by myself. I want to do what's good, but I can't do it, he says. He says, for the good that I want, I don't do, but the pr I practice the very evil that I don't want to do. And we talk about this, this frustration in ourselves. He says, but if I am doing the very thing I do not want, look, he says it again, I am no longer the one doing it. You say, what do you mean? Yeah, of course you're doing it. No, he says, substantively, ontologically, that's not who I am anymore. I'm a regenerated person, but I still carry this sin nature within me, he says, it dwells in me, and it is warring against the law of my mind, which says, do good, do righteousness, I want to please God. And then there's this other principle or sin nature within me that's saying, no, you're gonna do this sin. And so he says, verse 21, I find then this principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good, right? Tension. For I joyfully concur with the law of God, it's good, inside my inner man. And this is there because he's regenerate, right? But I see a different law in the members of my body, it's waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. You'll see here you've got the law of his mind, you've got the law of the sin, and then what you've got in chapter 8 is is verse in chapter 8, verse 2 is the law of the spirit of life. You've got these three laws. Going on inside of you. Okay? So Paul wanted to do good, right? But then he kept sinning. But he would say, It's not I who do the sin, but it's the sin dwelling in me that does that, meaning I'm not, that's not really who I am anymore. And we're not supposed to sin, right? We're not supposed to. We're supposed to live in conformity with who we really are, and who we really are as regenerate people. So verse 23, he says, I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, which is in my members. Wretched man that I am. You can see he's come to the end of his rope here, this frustration. He can't live the Christian life successfully. He says, So who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so he's going to then describe exactly that in chapter 8. Why is it that we give thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord? Because in chapter 8, verse 1, there's now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. In other words, you are not condemned to this endless battle inside of you. Because there's another law at work within us, verse 2, and it's the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that has set you free from the law of sin and death. In other words, Paul's saying, oh my goodness, the way to live the Christian life is to live by the Spirit. And this becomes the solution. This is exactly what the Old Testament believer didn't really have in the same way that we have. He dwelt among them, he abided with them, but he was not in them. Now we have someone, another person, inside of our regenerate person, who, when we learn to yield to the Spirit of God, learn to depend on Him or walk by the Spirit, He produces the new life that we could never produce. Paul's just saying, I can't produce this life, I'm going to go crazy here. Right? So this is who we truly are now. Okay, we are identified with this new person, the born of God self, so much so that when we sin, it's not really us who's doing it. It's this sin principle or nature in our flesh that is still there hanging around and warring against us and warring against the Spirit of God. So let's look at how this works. Okay, this is where it gets interesting. The
Abiding In Christ And Not Sinning
SPEAKER_03born of God self does not sin because Christ's seed abides in the born of God self. In Christ there's no sin. Let's look at 1 John 3 9. One of the most complicated verses in the entire Bible, I think, is in 1 John 3. And really, this whole book is complicated. Simple language. Anybody who's taken Greek for a year can probably translate this book. But the theology is complicated. He's talking about, again, this regenerate self that we are. We can see it here in chapter 3, verse 1. See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us that we would be called children of God. I mean, really, you have this status as a child of God, and such we are, for this reason the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. But we know that when he appears, we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. And he's going on and talking about in verse 3 how important it is that we fix our hope on him in order to purify ourselves just as he is pured. In other words, to live a pure life. Now, he's going to tell us that it's possible to live a pure life, a sinless life. But when I say that, don't think that I mean that you can, you know, have sinless perfectionism. Isn't wasn't it the Wesleyan movement that taught sinless perfectionism where you you never sin anymore? I'm sure you've met people. I've met I've actually met several people like this. And they'll say, Oh no, I don't sin anymore. And I'm like, Well, you just did, you're lying. But uh you know, you still got to convince them, so it doesn't help that you say that. But you have to convince them with the text.
SPEAKER_02First John 1, just hold your place there, but look at chapter 1 and verse uh 7. Is it sick? Oh, verse 8. 1 8.
SPEAKER_03See, you you can't have perfect sinless perfection all the time. Because 1 8 says, if we say that we have no sin, we're deceiving ourselves. The truth is not in it. I mean, you can't say I never sin. You can't say that. Uh chapter 5 says the same thing.
SPEAKER_02516, I believe it is.
SPEAKER_03If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, so there is such a thing as sin and a death. But here's your brother who commits a sin, so you can't claim to be without sin. He shall ask God uh will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don't say you should make requests of this. Um you can't say I'm absolutely sinless all the time, sinless perfection. But what what we can do is we can say that when we are abiding, when we are abiding in Christ, then we get to enjoy a sinless moment. However long that that may last. Um chapter 3, verse 9. Notice what he says. This is the born of God's self. This is who you really are. He says, No one who is born of God. That's the born of God's self, right? Your regenerate person practices sin. Well, it's just literally the Greek just says sins. It doesn't say practices, they added that. Um, it's just sin. No one who's born of God sins because why? Why? Why? Why? Why does he not sin?
SPEAKER_02Because there's something abiding in our born of God self. Who is it? Christ's seed abides in him.
SPEAKER_03And he cannot sin because he's born of God. So, okay, now we get into something uh very, very interesting. In your born of God self, in your person, there is the seed of the Messiah in you. Oh, Colossians talks about this. The mystery of Christ in you. It says that directly. His seed abides in your regenerate self.
SPEAKER_02So when you are abiding, guess what happens? You don't sin. Why not? Because he is living through you.
SPEAKER_03And in him there is no sin. Is there any sin in Jesus Christ? Does anybody want to credit Jesus Christ with sin? Um, we we all know if he was a sinner, then his his payment on the cross was not enough. He could only pay for himself. He was a he would have been a sinner.
SPEAKER_02He has no sin.
SPEAKER_03So when we are abiding, verse 9, his seed abides in us and his life is lived through us. Now, Christ's life. Talk a little bit about two doctrines we already learned about Christ's kenosis and Christ's impeccability. Because really what's happening is he laid out for us how the Christian life was to be lived in the Gospels, and now we are able to live that Christian life by the same means that he did. In other words, Jesus Christ was the test pilot for the Christian life. Now, this comes by two complicated doctrines, right? Kenosis, which we already talked about in Philippians 2, back in the life of Christ. What's this doctrine say? It says that Jesus Christ in the incarnation set um set aside or gave up the independent use of his divine attributes. Now notice I did not say, like I've heard pastors say, Jesus Christ gave up his attribute. No, no, no, no, no. Well, if you did that, now you only have two people in the Trinity, right? I mean, because Jesus isn't God anymore. Okay, there's no essential change in God. Um, he always maintained his divine attributes, but he gave up the independent use of them. Meaning the only time he used them is when the Father gave him permission to use them. The rest of the time, he was sitting there just like you and me, having depend on who? The Holy Spirit to live his life in conformity to God's demands. So, whenever he was tempted, guess what? He did not use his divine attributes to overcome the temptations. People say, well, Jesus had it easier than me, and he's God, you know? Yeah, but he was God, but he was not using his divine attributes to deal with the temptations and the struggles of life. Well, if he wasn't using his divinity, what was he using? He was living by the Spirit. And through this, he shows us, as the test pilot of the Christian life, that in fact, this life can be lived. He did it 100% perfectly. All the time, he depended upon the Holy Spirit all the way to the cross. So that's one thing we think about when we think about what's behind us having this sinless perfection life, is that he went ahead of us and he lived a sinless life living by the Spirit. The second thing we talk about is his impeccability. This is another issue we dealt with way back in the period of the Gospels with Christ. The doctrine of impeccability is basically saying two things. Well, the question is always, was he peckable, meaning able not to sin, or was he impeccable, not able to sin? You say, well, it sounds the same. No, able not to sin and not able to sin. So in one side, peccable, the emphasis is on able ability. So able not. The other one, impeccability, is saying not able. The emphasis is on not. So one, the emphasis is able, the other one's emphasis is not able. Okay? Now, usually what's discussed or is described is says, well, people will say, well, in his human nature, in his humanity, he was able not to sin, just like Adam when Adam was created. Okay? Able not to sin. But in his deity, not able. And this is accurate because James 1, again, says God is not able to sin. Not able. I mean, he's not going to sin, right? Not able. But as a human, able not, meaning it could be resisted. This is the area where temptability is brought into the picture. Able not to sin. So could Jesus genuinely be tempted? Yes, because he was a genuine human being. He could be genuinely tempted like you and I in his human nature. God can't be tempted, not in his deity, right? But the thing is that he's not just a human nature or a divine nature. He's one person, right? He's one person. So as a person, is he peccable? Able not, or is he impeccable? Not able. As a person, he is not able to sin. He could be tempted, but ultimately he is not going to sin. He's not able to sin. Now, people, this is obviously difficult, but I think of it like this. Let's say the United States of America, the military, invents and manufactures an impenetrable destroyer ship for our Navy.
SPEAKER_02It's impenetrable. You can shoot it with a nuclear warhead and it will bounce off. That's just like you send it into battle. Why do you send it into battle? It's a test. It's a test. Is it a true test? Well, yeah, it's a true test. It's a true test. But guess what? It's gonna pass the test. When the Holy Spirit took Jesus, led him out into the wilderness in Luke 4, he would be tempted.
SPEAKER_03It says the Holy Spirit led him into this situation where he'd be tempted by Satan. He didn't lead him to He didn't tempt him, he led him into the place where he would be tempted by Satan, right?
SPEAKER_02Why did he do that? To show that Jesus Christ was impeccable. And he could not be defeated. To show impeccability. It was Satan who was like, I mean, I'm sorry, it was the Holy Spirit who said, let's take the fight to Satan. That's what's awesome about it. He says, let's quit, you know, messing around here and let's get the show on the road. And he takes Jesus Christ right into the fire to show what? He's impenetrable.
SPEAKER_03And when we live by the Spirit, when we abide, as 1 John 3 is describing, his seed abides in us and we don't sin. Because in him is no sin. You're impenetrable when you're abiding. You know, it's the moment you decide you're not going to abide that what you've done is you've taken down your force field, so to speak. And he said, okay, I give up. I don't want to resist anymore, and we fall and we sin. So that's what's going on in 1 John 3 9. It's very interesting who we are now and the capacity we have. So when we live by faith, then this becomes the modus operandi.
Faith That Leads To Abundant Life
SPEAKER_03This is how you always want to be living. Well, how are you going to be living by faith all the time? Well, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So you've got to be in the word of God. And the more you're in the word of God, the more you're able to live by faith. What did the Lord Jesus Christ do in his humanity? It talks about in Luke 2.52. It says he grew. Isaiah 48 talks about every morning he would wake up and the Father would teach him his word. You say, I thought the guy knew everything he's got. Yeah, he does in his divinity, but his humanity had to learn. He had to learn the word of God. He had to memorize Scripture. He had to hide God's word in his heart because he didn't want to sin against him. He had to do all that same stuff that you have to do and I have to do. But when we do, guess what? We're able to live by faith. And when that happens, Galatians 2.20 becomes true. It's no longer we who are doing the living, but Christ is living in us. See, that's the seed abiding in us, right? Who is producing the new life through you? Is it you? No. You don't want to see me. I don't want to see you. You want to see Christ in me. I want to see Christ in you. How do we do that? Just like Paul said, it's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh, I live by what? Faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. There it is. So when we live by faith, we really live. This is what we're going to call really living. Okay, the real, real life world of enjoying life. When we do not live by faith, guess what? It's no longer truly us anymore that's living. It's sin dwelling in us, like Paul said. And the truth is, at that point, when we're not walking by faith, we are dead. Romans 6. Romans 6. Most people use this in the Romans road for unbelievers, but Romans 6 is for believers. This is a this is one of those areas where, you know, I wish we could just start with blank slates and just come in and actually study the Bible for the first time and see it the right way. Romans 6, 20, 21, 22, 23. Verse 23 is always used for unbelievers, isn't it? Look at verse 23. How many of you have not heard that verse used in a gospel presentation? This verse is not in the context of a gospel presentation for unbelievers. It says, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And we say, Yeah, that's what you tell an unbeliever. Yeah, it is what you tell an unbeliever, but in this context, this is not what it's talking about. Look at verse 22. But now having been freed from sin, is that an unbeliever?
SPEAKER_02Huh?
SPEAKER_03Is verse 22 are unbelievers free from sin? No. Not on any planet, in any galaxy, far, far away or here. This is talking about believers. So it says, but now, believers, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God now, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, that's spiritual growth. And the outcome of that is what? Eternal life. Meaning you get to enjoy your life, really live. That's what he's talking about. He's not talking about going to heaven. He's talking about enjoying the eternal life that you've been given. And then he gives an explanation. It says word for, which means I'm just giving an explanation here. I'm just explaining what I just said again, in different words. He says, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now that's for believers. And what's he saying? He's saying, look, okay, if you want to sin as a believer, there are wages for that. And the wages are what? Death. Very clearly stated. What does that mean? You lose your salvation? How? It means you lose that close fellowship with God and you lose the enjoyment of life. Well, what then does it mean on the other side of the coin that if we live by faith? Well, the free gift, see, faith always results in a free gift. And that free gift is the enjoyment of the eternal life that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. Did Jesus say, I came that you may have life and leave it at that? Or did he say, I came that you may have life and that you might have it abundantly? This is talking about the abundant life, really living. Whenever you, as a regenerate person, decide, I'm going to take in the word of God, I'm going to learn to trust the word of God and not live by sight, but live by faith, then what happens is your regenerate person is excited.
SPEAKER_02And the Holy Spirit produces Christ's life through you. His canonic, impeccable life. That is why there is no physical temple in the world anymore. Where you go to find God in Jerusalem. You are the temple.
SPEAKER_03Do you see the picture of the New Testament coming together? You are it. Where does the world go to meet God today?
SPEAKER_02You mean we're it! And guess what? We're failing just like Israel. We are. The church is failing.
SPEAKER_03The church is failing to be a temple, a place that highlights the nature of God being lived through us so that our lives are entirely different. And the world says, well, these are the people that are really living. Why are we trying to do this stupid stuff and find life over here? They're doing Solomon over and over and over. It's the whole book of Ecclesiastes. That's all the world ever does. We need money, we need fame, we need riches, we need women, we need wine, we need. That's what they're thinking. This will make us happy. This will make us happy. That's nothing. That's nothing. That's not makarios. Makarios is the Greek word for happiness and blessing. It's finding fulfillment in life, it's finding significance in life. And how do we ever get that? Well, we're talking about it right now. When you live as you're born of God's self, abiding by the Spirit, he produces this thing called the life of Christ through you. And this is what it truly means to have life. Then you'll find what it truly is. You know, people think that, you know, it's it's caught in one cute little statement in the New Testament, and the whole thing is captured in one sentence in Acts 20. And it's where Paul says, it's more blessed to give than receive. The whole thing is caught in this one little tiny phrase. What the world thinks, and what many Christians think is that I want to get. I want to get stuff. That is what's going to make me happy. That one phrase turns everything around and says it's more blessed to give than it is to get. And that is what once once you realize it, once you catch it, there's always a temptation to go back. I want, I want, I want.
SPEAKER_02But once you once you taste the other side, that old way, it looks stupid. And it feels stupid. And it feels wrong. And is there everything wrong with it?
SPEAKER_03But you you have to you have to believe. You have to trust to get over here and try this side. That's what we're all hung up on. It's like I can't let go. I don't want to give. I want. And that's just your sin nature. And it's holding you back from the abundant life. It's holding you back entirely.
Where To Watch And How To Help
SPEAKER_00Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.