October 1 Sermon: Transformed by the Spirit

You don't have to have your television on too terribly long or scroll too long through social media to see an advertisement that is trying to convince you that something that you don't have is irresistible to you. The image of a particular food attempts to convince you that the next time you go out to eat, the next time you're at the grocery store, you need to have this. And it isn't just images of a refreshing beverage or a juicy steak that is used to appeal to your desires, to make you think that something is irresistible. The words that are often used in these types of appeals to us are often giving us the idea that we can't refuse what they're selling. Instead of wanting it, it becomes something that they are trying to convince us that we need. If you are of a certain age, you know very well that there are also slogans that tell you this, because I think specifically of a particular potato chip advertisement that tried to convince us that we needed to eat the whole bag, because you can't eat just one. Now, whether it's a food, a new technological marvel or something that you maybe collect as a hobby, a huge part of modern marketing is trying to convince us that we just can't do without what they are setting before us, that we have to have it. It is irresistible. But we know deep down we understand this despite this marketing attempt at us. We know that there is actually very little that is truly irresistible. I don't want to brag or nothing, but I've only eaten one potato chip many times. It's not that I have extraordinary willpower, I just don't necessarily like them. But we know that this isn't just true about food or something else. We know that with willpower we can resist the urge to eat or buy something. No one is going to put a gun to our heads and force us to eat or drink anything. There's very little in the world that is truly irresistible.

But here we are today in our fourth week of our series on understanding grace, as we are looking at the doctrines of grace and we are looking at the five points of Calvinism that are expressed in the acronym TULIP, and we are considering irresistible grace. Today so far we've looked at total depravity, which expresses our inability to move toward God on our own. We understand that this is the foundation of all of what we are seeing here as we are understanding grace that we can't move toward God on our own because we are dead in sin and dead people don't move. Now, in our second week we considered the ramifications of this as we looked at the doctrine of unconditional election, and that showed us that because we can't move toward God on our own, we need the electing work of God to bring us from spiritual death to spiritual life. And then last week we considered the scope of the atonement as we looked at the doctrine of limited atonement and, as I said, it's probably better called definite atonement. Jesus went to the cross to do what he intended to do. He was there to win victory over sin, death and hell for his people, and he accomplished that. Then next week we'll take a look at the final point here of the doctrines of grace, as we look at the perseverance of the saints. 

But this week we're looking at this doctrine of irresistible grace and, like I said, there's very little in the world that is truly irresistible. But God's grace, when we truly understand it, when we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, it is irresistible for us because it is so good. It is what we need, and so that is what we're going to be considering today as we look at this doctrine, this idea about the Spirit transforming us that we come to God's grace because the Holy Spirit has done a good work in us. The grace of God is irresistible because we have been transformed by the Spirit. We were dead in sin, we were in rebellion against the Holy God, but by His grace he resurrected us to life and now we can't help but receive this grace, because it is the best news our ears can possibly hear, because we understand that we're depraved wretches who do not deserve the grace of God. But God, in His mercy, has graciously poured out His love on us in Christ. 

So let's go to our Old Testament passage from today as it talks about this pouring out of God's mercy on His people, and let's reflect on this idea of this great gift that God has given us in Christ. Now, there is so much that we can look at in this passage that alludes to the grace of God, but I want to draw out some specific things, some important language about God's grace that has a priority in shaping our thinking about the mercy that God has shown to us, because notice here that God is the one who is speaking. In this part of the passage he calls His people to incline their ear because he is the God who speaks. He is the God who gives the word of life to His people. If their souls are going to live, they need to hear. They need to hear this good news. Their mouths need to be silent. As we've been reflecting on the grace of Almighty God these last few weeks, this fact comes through regularly Dead in sin, we don't move towards God on our own. 

Dead people don't bring themselves life, and so we need God to bring us to Him, and so we do not speak here. Instead, we listen and the word that we hear is that God makes an everlasting covenant with His people. Now we've seen in our time journey through Scripture together that this language is used many times for the relationship that God has with His people. Again, it is not used infrequently in Scripture, this language of covenant. It's found all throughout the Bible. It's everywhere in God's Word, and we're going to actually hear this language of covenant as we partake in the Lord's Supper together later. 

The idea of a covenant is this binding relationship, and the idea is that God is not only the one who establishes the covenant with His people, but he's also the one who keeps it, because you and I, in our sin, we are covenant breakers. So we need God to be the one who makes the covenant and keeps the covenant, because he is a covenant keeper. And this is expressed in the last part of what we see here. Notice what it says my steadfast, sure love for David. That is the foundation of this everlasting covenant. Notice who it says that he has steadfast love for, for David. 

Now, in the time of Isaiah, david is long dead and yet God is speaking of his faithfulness to him, his faithfulness to his covenant that he made to him, and this is important that we understand this. This is a prophetic reminder of the promise that God is going to keep his promise that one day David's greater son is going to come. The Messiah will come from the line of David. The one who was promised all the way back in Genesis to crush the head of the serpent, is going to come through the promise, through David, and God keeps that promise from beginning to end. God keeps his covenant and the idea is that God has been faithful to the people of God and he will continue to be faithful to his promise, because that's who God is Now. 

I draw this out because this is such a fundamental and essential part of understanding the grace of God, god's faithfulness in the past, god's faithfulness in the present and his continuing steadfast love into the future. And all of this is the work of God and it comes to His people through His Word. And we see here as we look at Isaiah 55-11, that His Word goes out of His mouth and it does not return to Him empty. It does exactly what he intends for it to accomplish, and in His people, in you and I, that means that it creates faith in the people of God. It causes us to realize our sinfulness and when we hear and when we understand our desperate state of affairs before a holy God, we realize that the grace of God is irresistible. It is what we need because we have this problem of being dead in sin. We understand this is what we have needed. It's the only hope we have. 

The grace that God gives to His people is irresistible. It's the only thing that can rescue us, and so we turn to it enjoy. No one who truly understands their desperate state of affairs, that they are dead in sin, is going to see the grace of God that rescues us from sin, death, hell and the devil, and say you know, that's not for me. If you can say that, then you don't understand the state of affairs. You don't understand that this is the only hope that you have to rescue from sin, death and hell. This is why the grace of God is irresistible, because it's such an amazing gift and such an ultimate rescue for our state of affairs and our sins. 

And so the Spirit does this work in us and we realize that this is what we need. God's Word accomplishes this in us through the Spirit, and we are transformed. And so we receive the grace of God in joy. And the prophet Isaiah tells us about this joy here. It tells us that this call upon God's people causes us to go out in joy and that they're led forth in peace. This call from God and the leading that he gives us causes us to have joy, causes us to celebrate. And the good news is that we can have joy for more than just the saving grace that we receive in salvation. We also have the gift of God's grace that the Spirit is continuing to transform us and to change us as we live as God's servants in the world. The Spirit does not just bring us to faith and abandon us. The Spirit indwells us and continues that work through the Word to make us holy, and it is this continued grace that I want to focus on as we consider our New Testament passage from Romans this morning. 

This is a very well-known passage and it is a means of great hope and assurance for us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And here we see the apostle Paul talking about this idea of election, of predestination, of being such a huge part of God's grace, and it's connected to the idea that God works all things together for the good of His people. And so here we see that those that he foreknew he predestined. Now it's important that I draw out how this verse has been misunderstood so many times, because often when we talk about the idea of election and God's grace, many people will say, yeah, sure, the Bible talks about this idea of election, but look what it says here that God foreknew those that he predestined. So the assumption that is made here by many people is like see, god looked through the Hall of History and he saw me. He saw that I would have faith, he saw that I was the type of person that he wanted and then he appointed me to salvation. 

But that's not the idea that Paul is saying here. That's not what foreknowledge of God is. It's about God coming to us and knowing us, of revealing Himself to us. That's what foreknowledge means in Scripture. And so why is this a problem for us to look at this in that incorrect way? Because that's not what Paul is saying here. The idea instead is that God chooses to know His people, he chooses to reveal Himself to them. He makes Himself known, and the ultimate problem with the idea that God looks and sees us as good people down the halls of history is that we aren't good people. If we think that that's what he does, then we don't understand human inability. That we saw in total depravity, because if we are dead in sin, then what God would have seen when he looked through the halls of history to look for people who would be good or people who would have faith is he would have seen nothing, because we are incapable of going to God on our own. We need God to know us, to foreknow us, because we would never know Him without His work of the Holy Spirit in us. And the truth expressed to us here by Paul is important because it says that there is a purpose to this, and that is so that His people will be conformed to the image of the Son. 

God is doing a work in His people, and it's a work of transformation. Our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh, our deaf ears are made to hear, our blind eyes are made to see and our mute mouths are made to speak. In Isaiah we were to be silent, but once we have God's grace, we speak His praises. The God who speaks speaks to us so that we can speak the praise of His glorious name, and there's a chain here to this that Paul helps us to understand what is happening in his people. We are predestined, we are called, we are justified or made righteous before God, and then we see that he also glorifies His people In this list predestined, called, justified, glorified. There's not one thing on that list that I can do. I'm not capable of any of it. It's all the grace of God and it comes to us by His mighty hand, and so this irresistible grace that comes to you and I through our being transformed by the Holy Spirit is something that we can understand to be at the center of why you and I can live in confidence as we make our way in God's world. 

As I said, romans 8 is a very well-known passage because it tells us of God's unfailing love for us, and as part of our considering this doctrine's application for today, I want to work through a section of this passage and use it to remind us of just how great God's amazing grace is. So Paul has told us about this grace that God secures for His people through the work of Christ, and then he asked the question what is our response to this grace? And what does he say? What, then, shall we say to these things? And the response is one that we know very well right, if God is for us, who can be against us? Now? This verse has been used out of context innumerable times for all kinds of things. If God is for us, then we'll win our sporting event. Or if God is for us, we'll have success in our business. But that's not what Paul is talking about here, is it? 

Think about what we've read in Romans 8. He's talking about the assurance of salvation that we have because it was won by Christ, and that we can have the full assurance of faith as we live in God's world. And the story of God's irresistible grace is what is on display here. Notice what it says he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. How will he not also, with him, graciously give us all things? This is the story of God's grace. Who can do this for us? God? 

Basically, paul is saying if you're concerned about whether or not God's salvation is pure, well, god gave up his son for you. Of course, your salvation is secure. Why would he do all of that just to pull it out from under you after you've been given this gift of faith? And then he continues who shall bring a charge against God's elect? In other words, paul is saying you feel as though you messed up what God has given you, that he can bring a charge against you. While you're right, it is God that can bring a charge against you. No one else can. Your friends can't bring a charge against you, not a civil authority. Only God can bring a charge against you. 

But he is the one who justified you. He is the one who declared you righteous in His sight. Well, he then asked who can condemn you? Well, it isn't an earthly authority. Once again, who judges us? Who is the judge of the living and the dead? It is Christ who judges. 

Well, what does Paul say? He is the one who died for you. He is the one who was raised for you and right now he is at the Father's right hand as your advocate, interceding for you. He's your advocate before the Father. He is the one who can judge you, but he is at the Father's right hand for you right now. That is the assurance of salvation that we have. I hope you see here the scope of God's grace. Paul is saying only God can do these things. You can't judge yourself, the outside authorities can't judge you. Only God can. But because you are in Christ, because you have been transformed by the Spirit, he is your advocate, he is the one who has saved you. This salvation that you have in Christ is sure. It is so good it is irresistible. 

I hope you can understand the scope of God's grace and the importance of understanding why he is the one who did it all, and we're going to get into this idea more next week when we look at the perseverance of the saints. But the point of the grace of God is that he raised you to life and he not only gives you life but by the continuing transforming work of the Holy Spirit, he sustains you in that faith, he keeps you in that faith that he has blessed you with. So as we come to the table this morning, we see a visible representation of this truth for you and I. Today, we taste and see that the Lord is good, that he is gracious to His people, and in this meal we know that it's not anything that we've done. It's a covenant meal of God's grace shown to His people. 

It's the broken body and shed blood that were the means by which we have received the forgiveness of sins In Christ's body was broken, his blood was shed so that he might win victory over sin, death and hell for us. So as we take these elements, I want to challenge you to meditate on what we have seen in this series so far. As we've considered the grace of God, the body of Christ was broken and His blood was shed because we were dead in our sins and incapable of coming to God on our own. He took on our flesh to reach down to us. And so, as we take that body, remember the broken flesh, our flesh, that Christ came to us to take on to pay for our sins. He did this for His people. 

And then consider the doctrine we looked at of unconditional election. 

We see that we're not the ones who bring this grace to ourselves, but it is the sacrificial love that he gives to us by His will that causes us to have this grace. 

And last week, when we considered death and atonement, we saw that Jesus was not on the cross wondering if it would work, but he was there, dying for you. 

He was dying for the sins of His people. The body was broken and His blood was shed for a purpose, and he accomplished it. And today we see that this grace is irresistible because we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, and we now hear the Word and we eat this meal, trusting that God is still at work in us through His Word and Spirit. And so, as you sojourn in God's world this week, may the Word that you have heard about God's grace build you up in the midst of the challenges that you face. May the memory of the elements you're about to taste be on your mind as you trust that you were transformed to receive this irresistible grace and that the same Holy Spirit who brought you to faith is continuing to work in you, transforming you, that you might be transformed to the image of the Son and bring glory to His name for His saving work that he has given you a voice to speak to bring Him praise Amen. 

This message was delivered on October 1, 2023 by Pastor Mark Groen at First Reformed Church in Edgerton, MN. First Reformed is a congregation in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.