Question 34: How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

DAY 1: 1 John 5:1

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

We respond to the question posed to us this week by saying that the Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us. This is precisely what this verse is communicating. John’s epistle is a simple epistle that gives the marking of the true Christian. He is battling some of the Gnostic type heresies of his day that basically were saying that the “Christ consciousness” was floating around in all religions and injecting itself into whomever and whenever it wanted. However, John was clear about the fact that God was sovereign and that it was just as clear that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ have been born of God. Unlike that Armenianism that we see so prevalent today, the Scripture does not teach that when one believes he then receives the new birth. Rather, it is exactly the opposite. The Scripture says that the fruit, or result of being born of God is believing or faith.

Ephesians 2:8 tells us that saving faith is not of ourselves, but is indeed a gift of God. We cannot muster enough faith to save ourselves. We must receive it as a gift. It is a gift that is sovereignly given. The Holy Spirit applies the redemption purchased by Christ to those whom He purchased. Christ died, not to make sinners “savable”, but to actually save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). Therefore, it should not surprise us that the Holy Spirit would actually apply the redemption purchased by Christ to His people.

So, John gives us at least two verifiable evidences that someone has been redeemed by Christ. First, they believe that Jesus is the Christ. They believe that He is the One prophesied in the Old Testament. He is the One who would come and take the sin of the world upon Him. The Greek refers to Him as the Christos. This is the equivalent of the Old Testament term for Messiah. He is the anointed one, the Son of God. This belief effects the way that they begin to live, mainly, they love God and they love those who have also been born of God (other believers). Can we see this love? Verses 2-5 indicate that the believer begins to obey the commandments of God. Their life, though not perfect, is characterized by obedience to God and love for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

DAY 2: Acts 16:14

Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

The context of the passage is Paul’s second missionary journey. He and Silas have picked up Timothy and have journeyed to Philippi. It is here that they go out of the city on the Sabbath to a place beside the river where there are a number of ladies worshipping. The indication is that there were not enough Jewish men in the city to start a synagogue and this seems to be even more evidenced in the fact that (1) it was the Sabbath and Paul was not preaching in the synagogue as was his custom, and (2) there were only a group of ladies and not men gathered at the river.

Their worship would have included reading from the Old Testament and prayers. We Paul and his fellow travelers arrived, there is no doubt that these ladies were probably thrilled that someone like Paul would be among them. Since he was greatly trained in Judaism and had his training under Gamaliel, he would have been well received.

The verse tells us that there was a certain woman there named Lydia. This woman was a seller of purple. Purple was an industry that could make one very wealthy in this part of the world. It is possible that she was also a widow. In any case, it seems that Lydia was a proselyte. She was one who “worshipped God”. This would be the term used to speak of Gentiles who were converts to Judaism. However, the Scriptures are clear that she did not do this on her own initiative, just as Cornelius did not worship God on his own initiative. Romans 3:11 tells us that there is no one who understands or seeks after God. Therefore, the Spirit of God was already at work in her.

As Paul spoke, the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. The term opened, dianoigo, means “to open by dividing or drawing asunder, to open thoroughly (what had been closed); to open the mind of one, i.e. to cause to understand a thing; to open one's soul, i.e. to rouse in one the faculty of understanding or the desire of learning”. This is the same word used in Luke 24:45 to speak of Jesus opening the understanding of His disciples so that they might understand the Scriptures. This speaks to a supernatural event taking place in the life of Lydia. This work is performed by the Holy Spirit, who works in accordance with God’s Word to bring salvation to those whom Christ has redeemed.

Luke uses the word prosecho here, which is translated heed. The idea is that her mind gave strict attention to the words Paul was giving. The word gives us a picture of a boat being brought to shore. It is not that it merely is beach wrecked or drifts, but that it is guided and brought safely to shore. This is indeed the work of the Spirit of God. He causes us to dwell on the things of God and tune our minds to God and receive His gracious gift of salvation.

DAY 3: John 3:8; 6:64

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

"But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

As we go through these lessons, it is a good idea that we keep in mind, that while we learn of the workings of the Holy Spirit in those who will believe, it remains a mystery of how He accomplishes His work, except to say that it is in accordance with the predetermined will of God and in conjunction with the preaching of the Word. This seems to be clear in John 3:8. As we touched on in the previous catechism, Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus and teaching him about the new birth. In doing so, he uses a metaphor of the wind. The wind is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. His words seem to echo the story of Ezekiel and the valley of the dry bones (Ezek. 37). The point is that those born of the Spirit are not in control of their own birth, rather it is the Spirit who is in control of who is born into the kingdom of God. While we know that the wind is real and that it exists, we can’t see it. However, we can hear its sound blowing through the air and through the trees. There is clear evidence of someone who has been born again. They begin to bear the fruits of the Spirit.

However, there are also those who do not believe. This is in the divine decree as well. They are unwilling and incapable of believing. Jesus makes this statement towards the end of His teaching about the mighty power of God to draw and convert sinners. Though God has graciously counted many, which are the elect, to be drawn to Himself, He has likewise chosen to pass over many. Jesus spoke these things to both groups of people. There were the unbelievers and the believers. Even within those who were His disciples, there was one who was not a believer, Judas Iscariot. Jesus even called him a devil. John, in his first epistle, speaks about such distinctions. He says that the children of God are manifest, as well as, the children of the devil (1 Jn. 3:10).

We can see that it is a work of God’s grace to bring us to Christ. It is the redemption purchased by Christ, is applied to us by the Holy Spirit, which, as we can see from John 6, produces true saving faith.

Scripture: 1 John 5:1; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:14; 18:27; John 3:8; 6:64f.