dr. olson asks in chapter 6, “so how does the holy spirit begin [his] work in us? he lists four transformative gifts of grace, leading ultimately to sanctification.
justification, which “is god’s act of forgiving our sins - past, present, and future. . . . through justification, god declares us righteous. . . . [it] is the gateway to spiritual growth and eternal life in union with god. this incredible gift comes solely from the grace of god.”
regeneration, [which] “occurs the moment our once-dead [human] spirit is brought to life, a transformation that jesus described as being ‘born again.’ it is a spiritual awakening that draws us into a vibrant, life-giving relationship with god as his beloved children and ushers us into his kingdom. at the heart of this awakening is god’s boundless love [reflecting the title of my second book], breathing life into our [human] spirit and awakening us to his presence and purpose. . . . we are not merely renewed; we are welcomed into a deep and intimate relationship with god, where our [human] spirit begins to experience the fullness of his grace, joy, and peace.”
sealed with the holy spirit, [marking] “believers as god’s own, setting us apart. . . . the lord is our god and we believers are his people. . . . the holy spirit guarantees our salvation. . . . we are given the holy spirit as a seal which makes us a member of god’s family, gives us eternal life, and guarantees us a place in heaven to spend eternity with the lord. . . . all through god’s grace.”
indwelling of the holy spirit, [whereby] “the holy spirit takes residence within you. . . . the holy spirit is god just as jesus is god. . . . as jesus said in john 14:26:
but the counselor, the holy spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that i have said to you.”
the apostle “paul captures this transformation in galatians 2:20:
i have been crucified with christ; and it is no longer i who live, but christ lives in me. that life which i now live in the flesh, i live by faith in the son of god, who loved me and gave himself up for me.”
thus begins a dualist interactive relationship with god’s holy spirit that i have described extensivey in my books and blog posts.