What the difference between that changed caused by, presumably the HS, compared to the same changes "caused" by reading or going to a self-help seminar or things like that?
On first response I would say, one involves committing the will, and the other(HS) involves surrendering the will.
Present your bodies as living sacrifices. Do not be conformed any longer to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rom. 12:1,2)
Anyone can commit themselves to a philosophy, program or even religious system. This will change behavior. For example, someone committing to Islam will change their behavior. But this is wrought in the will. It is self-sourced.
On the other hand, surrendering the will is only where the fruit of the HS can manifest. The fruit is all about the root.
Sadly, I do not think many beleivers are being urged to do so. The indwelling of the HS is not a puppet show. If it were, Paul would have never had to write Romans.
The book of Ephesians is also a great illustration of this. In the first three chapters is Paul explaining the new man. He ends this section with a prayer.
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
The purpose of Paul's prayer is that each believer:
1 Be strengthened through His Spirit in the inner man.
--This is accessed through faith.
2 would be able to comprehend the love of Christ.
--Purpose of which is to be filled with the fullness of God.
Let me ask you, what will happen when a believer is filled up to all the fullness of God? They will spill over. Is this accomplised by will power? No. By following the right rules? No.
It is done by faith. And that is trusting who we are "In Christ." Essentially everything Paul has illustrated in chapters one and two. Next, and really most important, is to know the love of Christ. In fact it literally says to know, every which way, to know, beyond knowledge,...the love of Christ. Paul wants this to be the mind set and heart beat of the believer. Knowing Christ's love in every fiber of your being.
You want to love others. Get over it. You can try loving more, and you will fail miserably. Which of us here has not tried to be a 'better' Christian, only to fall short? Me. The Bible really does say that, "We (believers)
have this treasure in earthen vessels." (2 Cor. 4:7) Why? To show that this POWER is from God and not from us. Read it for yourself. Loving others is the natural result of loving God. But how can we love God? Loving God is not a matter of following rules. It is dwelling on the love He had for us. "This is love:
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:19)
Do how can I dwell on this? Easy, just as Paul said, think on things that are true, noble and right.
Here is a link to 215 things to can mediatate on regarding what Christ has already accomplised for you.
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/sa ... 5thing.htm
There are reasons we don't see these distinctions in life. We don't believe it. How many of you go to a church were you are urged to believe this? In fact I would say most Christian churches have turned the Bible in to little more than a topical self-help book. If you don't believe me, just go into the average Christian book store, or turn on the latest TV preacher.
I wasn't raised on this. I was raised on rule keeping and legalism. How many believers are crying out for God to change them, when the scripture says He already has? How many believers are begging God to forgive them, when He already has? How many are crying out for peace, when this says we ALREADY have it. All of it. You think God is witholding anything from you? That is a lie. A religious lie. Do you think you have to perform before God will bless you? Lie. He already has. With every blessing in heavenly places. (Eph. 1:3)
Do we really, I mean really believe that, 'our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.' (Rom. 6:6)
We should reckon it done. Not a doing. Not, "I'm going to do better today."
In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul begins to unpack Christian living. All of chapters 4 - 6 is worthless if the believer doesn't understand their identity "In Christ."
(Ephesians 4: 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24) So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their
mind, 18 being darkened in their
understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the
ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their
heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not
learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been
taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be
renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
I put everything in bold that has to do with mindset. The new self has been created (already) by God in righteousness and holiness of truth.
This sounds a lot like Romans 12:1,2
Present yourself as a living sacrifice. Lay down the old self, and put on the new.
Or, you can just keep on trying to live up to religious performance.
You can't tell me that the Bible doesn't communicate that there is no distinction between HS living and self-help living. Sure there are skeptics. In that sense Paul is right. Even on the day of Pentecost, while many saw the manifestation of the HS and beleiverd, others scoffed accusing the disciples of being drunk. But there are others who are open. We are to let our light shine before men.
-“The Bible treated allegorically becomes putty in the hands of the exegete.” John Walvoord
"I'm not saying scientists don't overstate their results. They do. And it's understandable, too...If you spend years working toward a certain goal and make no progress, of course you are going to spin your results in a positive light." Ivellious
