Pentecost Series - The Holy Spirit

 The Holy Spirit Part One

This month is Pentecost. We are spending the next three weeks looking at the work and person of the Holy Spirit (me today and next week, Billy at the end of the month). 

Who is the Holy Spirit?

It is sad today that many Christians do not know about the Holy Spirit. Yet, this is the third person in the Trinity, the Godhead. Even in Acts 19: 1-7 Paul comes across 12 believers in Ephesus who had never heard of the Holy Spirit.

Let me say something from the outset. You are missing out a vital part of your Christian life if you do not have the Holy Spirit’s power!

It seems to me there is some confusion, mysticism and questions about Him.

So, let’s unpack a little bit.

What is the Role of the Holy Spirit?

The Spirit Plays a Major Role in Salvation:

He Convicts us of Our Sin: 

John 16:7-1: 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Jesus told us that the one who is coming, the Advocate, the Counsellor, who is in nature the same as Jesus, will come.

He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16:8-10).

Many Christians believe that if they won an argument that they will win a soul. Now, apologetics and Christian debate has its place, but condemning people does not (Matthew 7:1-6).

It is not your job to convict of sin, it is the Holy Spirit’s job. 

Without the Spirit’s activity there will be no desire to turn to Jesus. People will describe their journeys to Jesus in many different ways. For some it appears an intellectual pursuit. For others it is a moment of revelation. For some, they will pinpoint talks with their friends. I often say I came to Jesus by asking questions. 

No matter how you describe it, the person behind that journey was the Holy Spirit.

He Regenerates the Soul:

John 3:3-7: 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

Being born again is not an Americanism or an invention of the western church. Jesus said it first.

Jesus described that re-birth as the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Titus 3:5-6: he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

The new birth and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are central to the gospel message (Luke 3:16; Romans 8:1–2).

1 Peter 1:23: For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

“…this new birth comes about through the direct action of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Titus 3:5), but the gospel (“the word of the Lord;” see v. 25) also plays an important role (James 1:18), for it calls sinners to repent and believe in Christ. … In this context the seed probably is the word of God, which is imperishable, living and enduring. (NIV Study Bible Notes)

The word of God, the Good News message of Jesus, is the seed and the Spirit is the water for the seed.

He Seals our Salvation:

At salvation something unseen to us, but seen to every principality and power and seen, most importantly by God happens. You are sealed, marked, with the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:21: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

This idea of adoption is the crux of the gospel. The term used here in Scripture is that the adoption was sealed, giving full rights of the Father to the child. It was a legal term in the Roman Empire, that the child wore the ring of the father bearing the father’s seal. 

The Spirit is our seal. When all of heaven looks at you they see you are sealed. 

He Sanctifies us:

What is sanctification? John Wesley understood it to be the continual process of being made perfect in our love of God and removing our desire to sin.

1 Corinthians 6: 9-11: Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Note the change from the old life to the new life. It is a transforming work of the Holy Spirit that we begin to see the change. The old life is replaced by the new fruit of the Spirit.

1 Peter 1: 2: … who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Notice that Peter says: “through the sanctifying work of the Spirit”. So sanctification comes from God working in us, not from our strength. 

Galatians 5:16-17: So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

(see Galatians 5: 19-23)

The fruit of the Spirit is in direct proportion to our willingness to cultivate our relationship with Him.

Wrapping this up:

Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. We will look at how the Spirit presents Himself to us. We will look at the ways we can expect Him to come. We will be praying to be filled once more!