Word and Spirit series: Click | View Series

The Ability to Obey

Obedience is the continuing testimony of the power of God. The illumination that produces regeneration and sanctification also produces obedience. Erickson notes that new birth produces “a new sensitivity to spiritual things, a new direction of life, and an increasing ability to obey God” (Christian Theology).

Luther understood that saving faith comes by the Holy Spirit working through the preached Word and becomes efficacious after the Holy Spirit works on the heart of the hearer. “Where the Word is, the Spirit inevitably follows” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology). The Holy Spirit reveals with the Word and not apart from it and the subsequent result is empowered obedience. Hoekema observes the Holy Spirit’s work that “enables the hearer of the gospel call to respond to his summons with repentance faith, and obedience” (Saved by Grace).

An Expression of Redemption

The Holy Spirit illumines the understanding of Scripture. The obedience that follows is both in careful study of the Word, speech, and action. The obedience to Scripture, therefore, is an expression of redemption. Redemption is accomplished by Christ and applied to the believer by the Holy Spirit as testified in Scripture. John Frame has reportedly stated, “Scripture is only completely understood when obeyed.”

Illumination and empowered obedience are inseparable and are joined in the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration. New life and forgiveness are followed by fruit that gives evidence of the Word as God’s people are strengthened to obey.

Scripture Wallpapers

Download free Scripture wallpapers for your desktop and iPhone. Get them here.

Word and Spirit series: Click | View Series

Ongoing Illumination

While initial illumination is involved in regeneration, ongoing illumination is involved in sanctification. “Although regeneration is instantaneously complete, it is not an end in itself. As a change of spiritual impulses, regeneration is the beginning of a process of growth that continues throughout one’s lifetime. This process of spiritual maturation is sanctification” (Christian Theology). Bavinck writes, “By sanctification is meant the continued transformation of moral and spiritual character so that the believer’s life actually comes to mirror the standing he or she already has in God’s sight.”

Sanctification is characterized by ongoing understanding of and application of the Scriptures. Bavinck notes the Holy Spirit communicates “in, with, and through our own spirit in faith” by which he “makes known all the things believers have received from God.”

Faith Depends on Scripture

Scripture testifies to both initial and ongoing illumination, both of which are closely tied closely to the Word. J. Van Genderen writes, “The work of the Holy Spirit is characterized by continuity. It is ongoing. Faith will always depend on it. Since the Spirit works through and with the Word, our faith depends permanently on Holy Scripture, and it is crucial to continually listen to what God has to say to us in his Word.”

Illumination is both the means and result of transformation and obedience gives evidence to this transformation.

To be continued.

5 Hard Truths for Planters

Acts 29 Pastor Dustin Neeley shares 5 challenging truths church planters will have to learn. View the series.

Word and Spirit series: Click | View Series

Illumination

Illumination is the work of the Holy Spirit through Scripture. Millard Erickson states, “Illumination by the Holy Spirit helps the Scripture reader or hearer understand the Bible and creates the conviction that it is true and is the Word of God” (Christian Theology). John Frame writes, “The word written on our hearts is the same Word written in Scripture. Reformed theology has traditionally called this process illumination, a process in which we come to understand, believe, and apply the Bible” (Salvation Belongs to the Lord). Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit demonstrates “illuminating influence” (Ex. 28:3, 31:3, 35:30), “intellectual insight,” and revelation (2 Sam. 23:2, Neh. 9:30, Ez. 11:24, Zech. 7:12, 1 Kings 22:24, 1 Peter 1:11, 2 Peter 1:21).

While the inspiration of Scripture is the necessary starting point for understanding illumination and empowerment, the inspiration of Scripture is not enough to effect salvation and knowledge of God’s character. Illumination of the inspired Scripture is necessary. Therefore we must trust, obey, and apply Scripture. This affirms Calvin’s statement that “No man can hesitate to acknowledge that he is able to understand the mysteries of God, only insofar as illuminated by his grace” (Institutes of the Christian Religion).

Regeneration

Hoekema defines regeneration as “that work of the Holy Spirit whereby he initially brings us into a living union with Christ and changes our hearts so that we who were spiritually dead become spiritually alive.” This is the new birth Jesus speaks of in John’s Gospel as he teaches Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). Simply, regeneration is “new life” that produces new obedience.

John Murray writes that Scripture confirms “this great truth that regeneration is such a radical, pervasive, and efficacious transformation that it immediately registers itself in the conscious activity of the person concerned in the exercises of faith and repentance and new obedience” (Saved by Grace).

The work of the Holy Spirit comes to full culmination in the regeneration of the believer. The inspired Scriptures illuminated by the Holy Spirit effect saving faith and empower obedient living.

To be continued.

R.C. Sproul Interviews

Has R.C. Sproul ever been on the internet? What is the biggest upcoming theological battle? Dr. Sproul answers questions like these in this special interview series.

Word and Spirit series: Click | View Series

Breathed Out By God

The Holy Spirit works through the Word, therefore, understanding his work in the Word is the vital starting place for discussion. Since Scripture is the means of God’s revelation of his character and will, the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of Scripture is foundational to illumination and obedience.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” This is the one occurrence of theopneustos (translated “breathed out by God,” “given by inspiration of God,” or “inspired of God”) in the New Testament. Erickson defines inspiration as “that supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the Scripture writers which rendered their writings an accurate record of the revelation or which resulted in what they wrote actually being the Word of God” (Christian Theology).

Inspiration is a supernatural influence on a few selected persons, the result being the divine product of God’s creative breath: Scripture. Grudem notes the metaphoric use of “inspiration,” since the word is referring to the writings, and prefers the rendering “God-breathed” for the authoritative Scriptures (Systematic Theology). The Holy Spirit’s influence on the authors thus makes the writings both trustworthy and authoritative since God himself is attributive authorship (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology).

Inspiration vs. Illumination

Inspiration differs from illumination in that inspiration was to a select group of divinely appointed authors whereas illumination applies to all believers (Systematic Theology Index). Both are works of the Holy Spirit, thus inspiration is foundational to illumination in that the Holy Spirit does not illumine the minds of believers apart from the Word. As Luther states, “We must…recognize the ‘God-breathed’ character of Scripture, and the ‘Spirit that makes alive.’ Only so will the Scripture be profitable.” Likewise, Calvin states, “…only when God shines in us by the light of his Spirit is there any profit from the Word” (Saved by Grace).

Since the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, the illumined understanding and empowered obedience can only come from him as well. As J.I. Packer notes, “Without the Holy Spirit there would be no gospel and no New Testament… there would be no faith and no new birth… without the Spirit there would not be a Christian in the world” (Knowing God).

The Holy Spirit’s work in Scripture is the vital starting point for his work through Scripture to the believer, what we know as “illumination.”

To be continued.

Acts 29 Network

A network of churches planting churches for the glory of Jesus. Get more info.

Word and Spirit series: Click | View Series

Everything Is Illuminated

It has become commonplace in popular Christian culture for readers of Scripture to simultaneously neglect the doctrines of inspiration and illumination yet attempt to follow Scripture’s instruction for living. The result is often confused application of Scripture and quasi-religious living, devoid of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The issue at hand is the cultural minimizing of the role and power of Scripture in the life of a believer. The result is neglecting the doctrines of inspiration and illumination, yet striving for application of Scripture through obedient living.

While practical faith is of much importance, what is overlooked and neglected is the revelatory nature of Scripture: the inspired authority, illumined understanding, and empowered obedience that follows. The true purpose of Scripture is to see Christ. Neglecting inspiration and illumination results in a failure to see true mission and true good works: the missio Dei and the gospel work of Jesus Christ.

An Inseparable Connection

Although inseparable, it should be noted that good works follow the saving grace of the gospel. The evidence of this grace is the good works that result. The Holy Spirit applies the redeeming work of Christ to the believer. Scripture is the means by which this grace is understood as the gospel message is communicated through the Word.

The Holy Spirit works through Scripture both in inspiration and illumination. These two facets of his work are closely connected and inseparable. Each hinges on the other for efficacious application of Scripture, and the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work is the obedient living of believers. The Word and the Spirit are inseparable. The Scripture is authoritative because it is inspired. Scripture can only be understood by illumination. Illumination is effective in producing obedience.

Whether one is a preaching pastor or a new believer, the inseparable connection between the Word and the Spirit are vital. This series will explore some facets of this connection: the initial and ongoing work of the Spirit in and through the Word.

To be continued.

ESV Study Bible

The ESV Study Bible is our Bible of choice. To show how good the notes are, we’ve posted some free study notes on the Trinity. Read them here.