Romans 8:3-4 (Amplified) says, "For God has done what the Law could not do, (it's power) being weakened by the flesh (the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit); Sending His Own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, (God) condemned sin in the flesh (subdued, overcame, deprived it of it's power over all who accept that sacrifice." Verse 4 says, "So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit, (our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit)."
The nature of man without the Holy Spirit, was the sin nature that came with the fall of Adam. When Jesus died on the cross, He died twice. He died once in His flesh and blood body and secondly, He died spiritually and was separated from the Father. God told Adam that the day he ate from the forbidden tree, he would surely die. The death that Adam died that day was spiritual death or separation from God Who is life. When Jesus was raised from the dead (in His body and His Spirit), His sacrifice restored life by the Holy Spirit, to all who will believe.
When Adam sinned, man died spiritually first and then the body began dying. With Jesus, the body died first and then the Spirit. His body was placed in the tomb and the Spirit descended into the lower depths of the earth according to Ephesians 4:8-9 (Amplified) which says, "Therefore it is said, When He ascended on High, He led captivity captive (He led a train of vanquished foes) and He bestowed gifts on men." Verse 9 says, "(But He ascended), Now what can this He ascended mean, but that He had previously descended from (the heights of) heaven into (the depths) the lower parts of the earth."
This spiritual death or separation from God has fulfilled the Law because, "The wages of sin is death." The death or separation from God, was the death Adam brought to all mankind. This death or separation from God (Who is life) brought about the death in the flesh. When Jesus rose from death to life, it was the restoration back to God into one Spirit. Then the life in the Spirit raised natural man back to restoration of the glorified Man Who is Christ Jesus Himself.
1Corinthians 15:44-47 (Amplified) tells us that, "It is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. (As surely as) there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus, it is written, the first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the Last Adam (Christ) became a life giving spirit (restoring the dead to life)." Verses 46-7 go on, "But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. The first man (was) from out of earth; made of dust (earthly minded) the second Man (is) the Lord from out of heaven."
When we were born again by the Holy Spirit, we were restored back to what God intended man to be when He made Adam in the beginning. Being weak in his flesh, Adam fell to temptation and by so doing, ushered in spiritual death or separation from God. Jesus was raised in the Spirit by the Holy Spirit, Who gave life to His flesh and Who raised Him whole and complete like we will be at the final restoration.
The Word tells us in Ephesians 2:12 (Amplified) that this separation from God kept us outside of His covenant and even His Own life. Thus, it says, "(Remember) that you were at that time separated (living apart) from Christ (excluded from all part in Him) utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the (Messianic) promise (with no knowledge of or right in God's agreements, His covenants). And you had no hope (no promise) you were in the world without God."
The Holy Spirit has come to bring revelation of Jesus and our new birth, so that we can have the knowledge of our relationship with our Father through Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the One Who Jesus said would show us all things that are to come. At the time Jesus said this, the whole plan of redemption and the new covenant was still to come. The Holy Spirit can and will show us, through revelation of God's Word, who we are now by Jesus Christ. He is not the one showing us who we were, but who we are now by Jesus Christ. He doesn't reveal to us the sinner we used to be, but the new sons of God whom Jesus has made us to be.
Without the Holy Spirit showing us by His wisdom who we are, carnally minded men make their own doctrines of shame and guilt that prevent our ever enjoying the liberty of the new man. The Holy Spirit is the One Who will lead us into all truth. The Church has been repeatedly reminded how we are still unclean and sinful in God's eyes. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to the Church that we're being changed from one glory to another glory into the Name of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit will comfort us and strengthen us in our weaknesses until we learn to be strong in Him and the power of His might. He is the One Who will give us counsel from the Word and bring us into maturity in the Spirit. He is also the One Who will lead us to become manifest sons of God.
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