The Holy Spirit: Part 2-The Work of the Holy Spirit

"Grant that Your Spirit's help To me be always given
Lest I should fall again And lose the way to heaven.
Grant that He give me strength In my infirmity;
May He renew my heart To serve You willingly."-LSB 703 "How Can I Thank You Lord"(st 4).

Sanctification- to make holy.  Or as one of my confirmands this year put it...."to HOLIFY."  I like that!
Would it be appropriate then to say that the Holy Spirit then is restoring us to God's original intention with creation of man?  Is the Holy Spirit restoring to us the "image of God"?
Col. 3:9-10     "....seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."   

"The Holy Spirit sanctifies me(makes me holy) by bringing me to faith in Christ, so that I might have the blessings of redemption and lead a godly life."-LSC (AC Art. 3).

The bad part, the part that we have great difficulty with is that, as Luther states: "By nature I am spiritually blind, dead, and an enemy of God, as the Scriptures teach; therefore, "I cannot by my own reason or strength beleive in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him."-LSC (AC Art. 3, Q.157)

But the good part is "The Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel (see yesterday's post on The Holy Spirit and the Word), enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.  In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the true faith."

Psalm 51:10-12
    Create in me a clean heart, O God,
        and renew a right spirit within me.
    [11] Cast me not away from your presence,
        and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
    [12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
        and uphold me with a willing spirit.
   
Thanks for reading, and may the Lord our God continue to strengthen you in His Word, by His Spirit!