As redemption is ministered to the heart of a believer, Divine revelation from the Holy Spirit provides man with a glimpse of Calvary. Although Calvary is revealed to the human soul through the word of truth and prophetic utterances, Divine Revelation comes to man through the Holy Spirit’s witness.
1 John 5:10…He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
In a glimpse of Calvary God’s goodness moves the human soul enough to help man to escape the bondage of sin. Through a single glimpse of Calvary man can even be swayed enough by God to change the way he desires, acts, and behaves in sight of God. Godly repentance (which comes from the Holy Spirits conviction) becomes the unbeliever’s path to an acceptance of the redemptive work of Christ on a cross. Through the power of Calvary the Holy Spirit’s witness gives the believer a new desire… to stop sinning. This God given righteousness is a result of mans faith alone in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Right living which follows belief, allows the Holy Spirit’s witness to teach, testify, and continue to make Christ known to the heart of a believer. This Divine revelation is also the basis of the forgiveness of sins and removal of guilt from the human conscience.
Heb 10:14-15…For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us:
From man’s first Glimpse of Calvary redemption becomes an actual experience in the life of a believer. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit enlightens a believer to more than forgiveness of sins received at the new birth. The old nature of man is now subject to the presence of the Holy Spirit's regenerating power, and no longer has liberty to go its own way. A newly received divine nature produced by the new birth now rules the life of a believer. This witness from the Holy Spirit (the new nature) takes possession of the inherited fallen nature (or the negative part of man) that often tries to rule in the life of a believer. Holiness of character rules the heart of a child of God. The new nature that comes through the power of Calvary severs the believer away from an existing ego that still tries to rule or rise up. Many believers in Christ struggle with this conflict from the old life and a Christ centered nature of a new life in the Spirit. Through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, God reveals to a believer the Old nature must be destroyed in the believer’s new life in Christ. By Divine revelation another glimpse of Calvary becomes a path to a believer’s crucifixion of self which is… death to the Old Man.
• Death pertains to many personal things such as…ambitions, desires, affections, appetites, interests, habits, etc. These are certain things man pays attention to most in life.
Two crucifixions are recorded in the Bible. Of course the crucifixion of Christ is one crucifixion but the other is the unusual crucifixion of the still existing Old Man. The crucifixion of the Old man is when the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit gets the believer totally away from himself and places him into perfect harmony with God. This work of the Holy Spirit takes man away from…Self. How? The sacrifice of self is recognized through the sanctifying work that comes from God. Sanctification comes through power that comes from the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary.
Enlightenment to Calvary is testified to the heart of man by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Enlightenment to Calvary reveals more than forgiveness of sins. It shows man how to get rid of an inner struggle from self. This work of the Spirit’s witness reveals that man must die to all that he is. (Dying daily is not to be implied here as many believe). Man thus knows the crucifixion of self when he knows the crucifixion of Christ at Calvary.
The Spirit’s work is not limited only to placing a desire in the new convert’s heart to stop practicing sin. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit exposes and uproots the negative part of man’s nature which produces nothing good in the sight of God. Through this work of the Holy Spirit a believer also comes to a realization of his helplessness and inability that stems from the fallen nature. When man realizes that his trust should be totally placed in Christ for everything in life the Spirit gets him away from a self centered negative side. The Old life thus becomes dead and buried as the life of a child of God transforms into a living sacrifice acceptable to God. Enlightenment to the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary becomes the Spirit’s path… to the sacrifice of the Old Man.
Rom 12:1… I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Putting off the Old Man (like taking off a coat) allows the Fullness of the Holy Spirit to take over mans entire being, body, soul, and spirit. After man puts off all that he is, the inherited body of sin is destroyed through the Fullness of Sanctification which in another term is… the baptism with Holy Ghost and fire. No longer is an indwelling fallen nature of man a hindrance to the fullness of the indwelling Spirit. Man thus empties all of self and separates from conformity to the world; Christ’s baptism from heaven thus becomes a final transformation into the fullness of an entirely sanctified man. When the Old man is put off completely the heart of a believer is not only cleansed and purified but that life is renewed through the Spirits work of Entire Sanctification. Renewal which comes after sanctification is a totally committed life of faith and obedience in Christ without an inner struggle. This renewal only comes through a second glimpse of Calvary. Man’s second glimpse of Calvary has more meaning than the first. Unlike the first glimpse of Calvary which comes in the life of a sinner… the second glimpse of Calvary comes in the life of a believer through a transformation from worldly ties and renewal in the inner man.
Rom 12:2…And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Believing in Christ and a first glimpse of Calvary forgives the penitent from all past sins. A second Glimpse of Calvary gets the believer away from an inherited fallen nature that compels him to struggle against the work of God. Sanctification through the Spirit is God’s means of offering the power of redemption to every human soul. The power of the Holy Spirit’s witness helps any man regardless of his condition of heart, to recognize Calvary above all things.
The new birth at salvation of the soul (through the forgiveness of sins) is not a progressive work of the Holy Spirit…its instantaneous. The Baptism with the Holy Ghost (that destroys the Adamic nature) is not a progressive work of the Holy Spirit…its instantaneous. Dying totally to the old life “is” a progressive work. This progressive death to the old life is only revealed to the heart of a believer …through a believer’s glimpse of Christ at Calvary.
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