The Spirit at Work in Believers, Part 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Putting on Christ

Romans 13:14 says “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Colossians 3:5 instructs “Put to death therefore, whatever in you is earthly…these are the ways [the lifestyles] you once followed.” And John 3:5 is clear: ”Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”

There was a gentleman whose life was spent 110% with the business that made him wealthy, powerful, and arrogant. He engaged in ruthless practices just enough within the law to achieve success. And by the standards of many he really was a very successful man, even though on the inside his heart was not right. He was living what some of us might call “the dream.” He was kind of like the immoral businessmen in shows like “Mad Men.”

But–God had purposed from before time to make him one of His children. It was not because the man was smart, looked good in a suit, or because of his impressive resumé. No, it was God’s grace being worked out through the Holy Spirit that would cause the man to become aware of his sinful life and pride, and the need for God’s forgiveness. The Spirit created in him the desire to repent and bow down before God’s throne of grace. In that moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit sealed him for God. The change he sensed in himself was powerful and compelling.

When he came to church on the day of his baptism (his church immerses believers in a baptismal pool), he chose not to wear a baptism robe for the ceremony. Instead, he chose to be baptized in one of his ‘power suits’ because for him it no longer held the power and significance of his former life. He wanted to die to that former self and put off ungodly practices such as greed, idolatry, and immorality – all those things he associated with his past life, taking them down into the baptismal waters to show the change the Spirit had created in him. And then to be raised up from the water to show he was being raised to new life, reborn spiritually and clothed instead with Christ. Only the Spirit of God can raise us from spiritual death to new life in Christ, and testify to our hearts that we are God’s.

This man was not a priest or special clergy – he was like any person in our family, in our jobs or schools who is in need of the Savior. A businessman who would come to know true wealth in Christ. Romans 8:11: “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you; He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you.”