I would like to return to the phrase “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
In order to follow through with our subject chronologically we must begin here.
The Spirit of God moved.
This is where hope begins to dawn for a ruined universe.
The first movement in the recovery of the earth was Divine.
This was of prime necessity—how could the earth resurrect itself?
How could darkness transform itself into life?
The ruined creation was helpless. If there was to be restoration Divine power must intervene, the Spirit of God must move.
What was true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual.
The first movement in the reclamation or salvation of a soul is the activity of the Holy Spirit.
Not walking to the front—joining a church—being baptized—taking communion—praying—working—weeping.
Man is lost, ruined and helpless. He has no power to regenerate himself—salvation must come from God.
Red Sea—“Salvation is the Lord.”
Before I apply this to present conditions let us go a step further in the creation process.
v.3—“And God said, ‘Let there be light and there was light.’” The phrase “And God said” is mentioned 10 times in our chapter.
First it was the activity of the Spirit, now it is the spoken Word. Mention them quickly.
God could have refashioned and refurnished the earth without speaking at all.
Light was produced by the Word of God.
In the work of the new creation the activity of the Spirit and the ministry of the Sword of God are inseparably joined. Now let us see how this actually works in the salvation of a soul.
How can a person be born again?
John 3—Nicodemus—religious—moral. “You must be born again.”
Jesus answers this in John 3:5: “Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot see/enter the kingdom of God.”
The “water” here is the well-known symbol for the “Word of God.”
This water has no reference to water baptism.
Quote John 3:5.
1 Peter 1:23-25 makes it clear that the new birth comes through the Word of God.
My own conversion (1) John 3:16, (2) Romans 10:9, (3) John 5:24.
“Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides for ever.”
“The entrance of your word gives light”—Psalm 119:130.
The entrance of the Word, into a person’s heart, gives light as to his lost condition—Romans 3:10-19.
The entrance of the Word gives light on God’s love and God’s provision for man—John 3:16.
The entrance of the Word reveals to us how we can be saved—Romans 10:9.
The conversion of the Philippian jailer—Acts 16.
Secondly, not only are we saved by the entrance of the Word, but we are saved by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
“Born of water and of the Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit was sent by Christ to use the Word to convict men of sin—John 16:7-11. To brood over men’s souls.
“Behold the Lamb of God”, etc. Spurgeon’s conversion.
He was also given power to communicate divine life to the believer—Ephesians 1:13.
He also indwells each believer until the day of redemption—Ephesians 4:30.
How can a person be born again?
When a person hears the Word of God, the Holy Spirit applies it to heart in convicting force.
Acts 24:25—And he reasoned, etc. Felix trembled—Go your way.
Daniel 5—Belshazzar.
Showing the sinner that he is lost, guilty and helpless.
He then reveals the way of salvation through faith in Christ.
The moment light enters that darkened soul and the sinner trusts Christ, the Holy Spirit seals him with His presence.
“The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep.”
“And God said ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
“And God divided the light from the darkness.”
In Hebrews 4:12 we read, “The Word of God is quick = lifegiving and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
This is not a figurative expression, but I believe, a statement of literal fact.
Man is a tripartite being made up of spirit, soul and body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
They can be distinguished between.
The spirit is capable of God-consciousness.
The soul is the seat of self-consciousness.
The body of sense-consciousness.
When Adam lived in innocence, prior to his sin, he was dominated by his spirit. His spirit was the highest part of his complex being.
When he sinned his spirit was degraded to the level of his soul and ceased to function separately.
He, and those today, who are unregenerate, are dominated by their souls, which is the seat of lust, passion and emotion.
This is the condition of mankind as described by Isaiah (9:2).
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shone.”
In the work of regeneration the Word of God applied by the Spirit of God, “pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.”
At conversion the spirit is recovered/rescued from the lower level to which it had fallen and brought back into communion with God.
That which was darkness became light again.
God separated the light from the darkness.