CD - The Third Article - 1 Corinthians 6:11

The work of the Holy Spirit is called sanctification. Sanctification means to make holy. The Holy Spirit makes us holy in two ways. First, the Holy Spirit works through the means of grace, the Word and the Sacraments (Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) to bring us to faith, in this way, by grace through faith, we are holy in God’s eyes. Second, the Holy Spirit continues to work through the means of grace to strengthen and keep us in faith until Jesus comes again to take us to heaven.

There is a difference between Christians and non-Christians. There is a difference between who we are before we are Christians and who we are after we have become Christians. John tells us, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2,3). When the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts we become different. We are no longer what we were before, unsaved heathens. Yet, our sinful human nature does remain. At the same time, we are not yet what we will be in heaven, completely perfect and holy. Yet, at the same time we are completely sainted by God’s grace. Thus, while we live on this earth we are 100% sinner and 100% saint, at the same time.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring strengthening to us in our faith and keep us in our faith until Jesus comes again to take us to heaven. The Holy Spirit does His work through the same means He uses to bring us to faith, the Word and the Sacraments. The Holy Spirit works through these means to give us His gifts. Which means to say, if and when we absent ourselves from these means, Word and Sacraments, we take away the Holy Spirit’s usual way of giving us His gifts. When we are no longer being given the gifts, they begin to dry up and we eventually lose them.

The work of the Holy Spirit is always to point to Christ. It is in Christ that the gifts are earned for us, so in order to be given the gifts we look to Christ. We do not see or hear much about the Holy Spirit, because He is doing His job, not pointing to Himself, but pointing to Christ. Christ is seen in the Word and the Sacraments, thus the Holy Spirit points us to these means through which He gives us His good gifts and blessings.

The Holy Spirit works on us personally, but He also works on all people of all places of all times. He “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” The Holy Spirit works on us individually, but also corporately, as a Christian congregation. Worship or divine service, fellowship and Bible class attendance are important, not just for ourselves, but also for others, so that the whole body of Christ might be uplifted and encouraged. That is how the Holy Spirit does His work.

Dear Lord, fill me with Your Holy Spirit to strengthen my faith in You. Guide me to make diligent use of Your means of grace so that I may be empower to live in such a way that others may see Your working through me, to the praise and glory of Your Holy Name. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.