Latest / The Daily Word / July 1 – Transformed by the Holy Spirit
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, good afternoon, good day, Lakeshore family. Welcome to the Daily Word Podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and alongside my wife Yolanda, we have the honor of serving as campus pastors at our Gastonia location. This podcast is a simple space we share each day to slow down, open God's Word, and pay attention to what He's saying. As a church family, We're committed to meeting with God daily, not just out of routine, but out of relationship, through scripture, through prayer, and by capturing what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts and how it connects to our everyday lives. We're walking together through the life journal reading plan. And today we'll be focusing on the New Testament portion from that plan. When I invest time with the Lord, I try to keep things uncluttered. Just my Bible, my journal, something to write with, and a highlighter to mark what stands out. Many times I'll also lean on a couple of trusted study tools to help me get a little deeper in the context and to open my understanding. Not to replace God's word, but to help me understand and listen more closely. We also follow the soap method. Scripture Observation, application, and prayer. I realize it's not the only tool, but it's a great tool. It's a simple and a practical way not just to read the Bible, but to respond to God as we're reading. Now, before we jump into today's passage, let's take a moment together, let's prepare our hearts. Just agree with me as I say a quick word of prayer. Lord, as we open your word, we ask that you would open us by your spirit. Make your truth come alive in us. Give us ears to hear, hearts to receive, and courage to respond. Speak, Lord, we are listening. In Jesus' name, everybody said, Amen. Well, friends, today's passage for July 1st comes to us from Titus chapter 3. And I journaled from verse 5. Titus 3, 5. Let me read it to us. He says, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. The writer is reminding us that God saved us. And made us right with him, not by how we lived righteously or by what we've done, but it was through his mercy. He saved us. Notice this last part. And the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. The title of my journal entry: Transformed by the Holy Spirit. Come on, say it with me. Transformed by the By the Holy Spirit. Again, let's read the last part of the verse one more time. It says, He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Watchman Ni, a Christian evangelist, preacher, and teacher of the gospel, he's in heaven now. He said this the Christian life does not begin with what one can do, but With what has been done. This makes sense, doesn't it? For an individual to do anything to glorify and honor God with their life, they must first have a revelation of what Christ has already done for them, and as a result, know who they are. At first glance, it seems this verse says, the Holy Spirit is renewed. That is not what these words mean. They mean that Paul is reminding us that the Holy Spirit renews a person upon their receiving the life of Christ at salvation. Look at this word renewing with me. It comes from the Greek word anakinosis, A-N-A, K-A-I, and as in Nancy, O S ⁓ N. I S. It's a combination of anna, which means again, and Kenos, which means new. The word suggests a renovation, restoration, transformation, and a change of heart and life. Wow! Exclamation mark. I wrote, the word stresses the work of the Holy Spirit in transforming. Our lives. Revelation. Come on, say it with me. Revelation. You are not the same person you used to be. ⁓ but Pastor Robert, you don't know me. You don't understand. I still do things I shouldn't be doing. Okay, join the club. That does not change the fact that we just read in the Bible that the Holy Spirit has renewed you. Has renewed us, transformed us, and renovated us. You might be doing things you shouldn't be doing, okay, but you are not the same person you once were. The more revelation you have on that, the more the new you will live in alignment with who you are in Christ. This renewing work of the Spirit reminds me of Ephesians 2, 5, and 6. Paul writes, Even when we were dead in trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. And he raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Brothers, sisters, Christ is in you and you are in him. You've been made alive by God by the power of the Holy Spirit. You've been raised up from spiritual death to eternal life. And you've been raised up and you're seated together with Christ in heavenly places. That's good news. Taking all this together, what I see here is that everyone who is a follower of Christ has been renewed and renovated by the Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done. And the revelation that we have in that. We can live as we are. New creations in Christ Jesus. Come on, somebody say amen. So, how does this apply to my life? Well, this is what I wrote. This applies to our lives in every way. If I want to live a life that is well pleasing to the Lord and aligned with Him, I must see and believe that the Holy Spirit has completely renewed me. That means I am not the same person I used to be. I am the blood bought, purchased possession of the Most High God. I am a new creation in Christ, renewed and filled with the Holy Spirit, and supernaturally enabled to live in such a way that is fruitful, pleasing, and impactful as a follower of Jesus. Going forward, I will no longer measure my Christian life. First by what I do, but what Christ has done. He poured out the Spirit on me and over me and renewed me. Come on, let's pray as we close our time together. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today through your word. Help me to see myself as renewed and renovated by the Holy Spirit. As my revelation and awareness of this grows. I thank you for leading me and guiding me to live a life that is well pleasing to you, shining your light and your love and impacting others around me. I ask these things and I thank you for them. In Jesus' name, everybody said, Amen and amen. Lakeshore family, as you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and his word like you've never had before. As you do. God will open your eyes to the riches of his word, giving you revelation and life changing insight that will help you become everything God's called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you, and we'll catch you again tomorrow.