The Holy Spirit Brings Harmony Within
The Holy Spirit brings harmony within by cleansing, coordinating, and consecrating our subconscious drives, giving us power to live by the higher law of life.
E. Stanley Jones preaches about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit cleanses, coordinates, and consecrates our subconscious drives, bringing harmony and helping us react in a Christian way to life's challenges. This power enables us to move beyond being controlled by circumstances and temptation, transitioning from a life of struggle in sin to a life of freedom in Christ, as described in Romans 8. By allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, we are remade from the inside out, not through commands but through a deep companionship and experiential relationship.
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The Holy Spirit then does three things. He cleanses and coordinates and consecrates the subconscious drives and brings harmony within. He helps us to react to the things that happen to us -- helps us to react in a Christian way.
The sum total of that means that there is now power in our lives. We are not now pushed around by circumstances -- a push-over for temptation and evil. We know where we want to go, and we have power to move on to that goal. We have moved out of the seventh chapter of Romans into the eighth. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the law of sin and death."
This higher law of "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" has cancelled the lower law of sin and death. Just as a bird flying takes advantage of the law of the elasticity of air and thereby rises about the law of gravitation, so we live by this higher law which overcomes the law of sin and death.
I quoted Freud as saying: "Dark, unfeeling, and unloving powers determine human destiny." He discovered the subconscioius and fell into its fatalisms. Christ made the subconscious ("All things were made by him") and provided for its remaking -- provided that nothing less than the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Creation, and the Spirit of Re-creation should dwell within us and remake us, not by commands and exhortations, but by companionship and experience.
It works, for He works it -- from within.
Sermon Outline
- The Holy Spirit's Work
- Brings Harmony Within
- The Higher Law of Life
- Overcomes the law of sin and death
- Lives by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
Key Quotes
“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the law of sin and death.” — E. Stanley Jones
“Dark, unfeeling, and unloving powers determine human destiny.” — E. Stanley Jones
“All things were made by him” — E. Stanley Jones
Application Points
- We have the power to move towards our goals and live a life that is not controlled by circumstances or temptation.
- The Holy Spirit works from within, by companionship and experience, to remake us and help us live a Christian life.
- We can live by the higher law of life, which overcomes the law of sin and death, by the power of the Holy Spirit.