The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit

Part 3 - His Work

Intro

√ We’ve established in our first two sessions…

The Holy Spirit is a Person

He is God

√ Tonight we’ll look at the distinction of the Holy Spirit and His unique work.

For thou He is God, the Holy Spirit is NOT the Father, or the Son..

√ He is distinct from the Father and the Son

Mat. 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

Luke 3:21 & 22

Luk 3:21-22 "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

Notice that we observe all three members of the Godhead in one place at one time. Separate, distinct, yet as we'll see equal.

Ap. So important to embrace the mystery of the Trinity.

I Tim.3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

To deny the Trinity is to put yourself in an irreconcilable position.

Ex. J.W.’s

John 1:1 – How many God’s are there?

John 6:46 – Gen. 18 – John 8:24

The doctrine of the Trinity is the only way to reconcile the Scripture.

His work

√ He RESTRAINS evil

The Holy Spirit has a different job than Jesus and the Father. His job is to work behind enemy lines to destroy the work of the devil and rescue men, women and children who have been taken hostage by Satan.

In fact if He were not here on earth Satan would take over, which is exactly what happens during the Tribulation - see II Thess. 2:6-8

II Th. 26 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

II Th. 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

Ex. The SAS (Secret Air Service); like the Holy Spirit, those in the World don't know who they are, only those who belong to their group know them.

Queen Mary – just the knowledge that the SAS was coming retrained the madness of the hijackers.

√ He regenerates us (fancy way of saying He makes dead people alive)

Joh.3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Joh.3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

Joh.3:5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Joh.3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Joh.3:7 "Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born again.'

And…

Ti. 3:4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

Ti. 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Ti. 3:6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Ti. 3:7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

He doesn't make good people better, He makes dead people alive!

We’re each born with a Body & Soul – when we’re regenerated by the Holy Spirit we become alive in the Spirit.

Spirit, Soul and Body.

Ap. Therefore, we must see a transformation in an individual’s life as evidence of salvation.

√ He indwells us

I Cor. 3:16 "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

Also…

I Cor. 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"

What do you notice about these two versus?

STUDENTS RESPOND

1) Paul equates God and the Holy Spirit - temple of the Holy Spirit/temple of God.

2) Also, omnipresence - He's in all believers at all times.

Ap. God the H.S. has made His home in your body! He has a plan to regenerate you – let Him do the work!

Romans 12:1&2 – present your body to Him

Zech. 4:6 - “not by might…”

Ps. 127:1 – Unless the Lord builds the house…”

√ He SATISFIES our need for purpose in life - John 7:37-39

Joh.7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

Joh. 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Joh. 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Ap. A purely religious experience will leave a person thirsty for god.

It is only the presence of the Holy Spirit in one’s life that brings..

Wholeness

Life

Contentment

…the Holy Spirit gives us the capacity to enjoy life!

Can’t be duplicated by religious tradition or experience.

Ex. Many folks from the “Jesus People” got pulled away by the Charasmanic experience, only to find that they didn’t have the power to live Monday to Saturday.

In response many have turned to Orthodoxy and Hebrew tradition. Neither of which should ever be a substitute for a relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Listen – John 7:38 is the Lord’s description of a life indwelt by the Holy Spirit – does that describe what you see in religious tradition?

Is that your life?

√ He is the SEAL of our salvation - Eph. 1:13-14

Eph. 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph. 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

A seal is a promise – a guarantee to make good on something.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is a good faith deposit that you have been given eternal life!

Ap. People ask…

“How can I know that I’m really saved?”

…the answer – by the seal of the Holy Spirit in your life! If you can see His work in your life then you know that He’s sealed you and guaranteed that He will redeem what’s been paid for.

Ex. Putting money down on a car and coming back later after it’s been detailed to pick it up.

You were paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ

You were sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is coming to pick up what belongs to Him!

√ He empowers us to live as Jesus did

Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judeo and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Ex. Peter before and after the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

Application

√ Are you born again?

√ Do you know that He lives inside of you?

Do you experience the abundant joy-filled life that you're supposed to knowing that God lives inside of you?

√ Are you like Peter before, or after the empowering of the Holy Spirit?