30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 1-8 JESUS HAS RISEN 07 01Mar2022 Luke 24 5-6 The outworking of the Holy Spirit
📖 Luke 24:1-8
07 – 01Mar2022 – The outworking of the Holy Spirit - Luke 24:01-08 - JESUS HAS RISEN - Bible reading: Romans 8:5-11
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are calling us to live in the realm of resurrection. This is the life that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and it is the life that pleases You. This is the life of grace and not of our own works. We give You all the glory and praise and in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
Luke 24:4-8 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. (5) Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, (7) saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' " (8) And they remembered His words.
In the message that I had shared on the 27th of February, I had concluded with this statement. If you are still carrying your spices and ointments that represent death, you are confirming that you have not come into resurrection.
What do we mean by the spices and ointments? Weren’t these prepared to honour the body of Jesus?
These are items related to the dead but these items have spiritual significance as well. The spices and ointments represent the works of the flesh. Our flesh has been infected by the law of sin and death.
Romans 7:23-24 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
The flesh is in the grip of the law of sin and death. Therefore, by the effort of the flesh, we cannot please God.
The works of God done through us in the enablement of the Holy Spirit is what pleases God.
This is discussed in detail in the following passage.
Romans 8:5-11 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a person, just as we are persons. The Holy Spirit, being a person, has His mind, just as we have our minds by which we understand and take decisions.
When we receive Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit comes into us. He will not compel us to His ways. He waits for us to yield our minds to Him. Our mind, instead of being independent, must now become subject to the mind of the Holy Spirit.
(6) For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
The mind of the Holy Spirit must control our mind so that all that we do is now under the direction and also the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This is the work that pleases God.
(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
The Law of God is spiritual and good but our mind and our flesh are naturally under sin and death. This is why no one is righteous before God and all fall short of His glorious standards.
(8) So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
When we come into resurrection, we are no more in the flesh but in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of resurrection.
(9) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
It is only those who are led by the Holy Spirit, who can please God and who belong to God. The Christian life is a life under the mind of the Holy Spirit.
(10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
The Holy Spirit give life to our bodies. The Spirit is life and it is the works that are produced by the Holy Spirit, through us, that pleases God.
(11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
This is the exciting and thrilling experience of resurrection that must be ours.
Whatever we do by the flesh represents the spices and ointments.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of grace. We live always in the realm of the grace of God, not by our effort at all.
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
God has prepared us for good works, which are the works of the Holy Spirit. Grace is divine enablement, which is the life of the Holy Spirit.
Now we can appreciate how the spices and ointments, represent death, but our life is an outworking of the Holy Spirit.
Thought to ponder
The devil is hard at work to ensure that we remain in the realm of the flesh, trying to please God.