"When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." John 16:8-11 (NIV)
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Jesus promised that his departure from earth would inaugurate the ministry of God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would come and stir the conscience of the world. Men would understand how deeply their sin grieves the heart of God. They would hunger and thirst like starving men to make Christ’s perfect righteousness their own. They would fear God’s eternal judgment and be compelled to live for God’s glory.
But in order for God’s Holy Spirit to come to earth, Jesus first had to ascend to the Father in heaven. Therefore, he commanded his disciples in Acts 1:4 (NIV), "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." And he promised them in Acts 1:8 (NIV), "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." So the disciples waited expectantly in Jerusalem for the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.
The disciples understood that the Church’s proclamation and ministry would be useless and ineffectual apart from the complementary power of God’s Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, men would not understand the gravity of their sins. They would not desire Jesus Christ’s righteousness. They would not possess the fear of God in their hearts. The wisdom of God would be utter foolishness. The Church would be a dismal failure. A laughing-stock in a world ruined by evil.
But with God’s Spirit their proclamation and ministry would have undeniable power. The Church would prevail. Their witness for Christ would touch the ends of the earth. There would be widespread brokenness over sin. People would yearn to live godly and upright lives. People would live out of a sense of eternal destiny instead of living only for their present reality. Lives would be transformed for Christ’s glory. Things would not be anything likethe way they are today for so many Christians.
There is a passage of scripture in 2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV) that warns us about the last days. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..." But then Paul adds this description in 2 Timothy 3:5 (NIV), "having a form of godliness but denying its power."
Without the power of God’s Holy Spirit, our ministry, our worship, our service, our godly actions, indeed everything we do is just an empty, lifeless shell. Before we forge ahead, we must first wait in our Jerusalem to receive power. Otherwise, everything we do and attempt to become will be in vain. We will have form without substance. We will have the appearance of godliness but lack the power of the Holy Spirit.
Before I take my boat out on Lake Springfield I always take two precautions. The first precaution is that I make sure that my gas tank is filled up. The second precaution is that I make sure that my trolling motor batteries are completely charged. Without power I might very well "look" like an avid outdoorsman. But the truth is that I would be floating around at the mercy of the current and wind. On Lake Springfield this would hardly qualify as a crisis. But when we are talking about living life without the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we are talking about a catastrophe!
Developing a relationship with God's Holy Spirit
This morning I want to talk about the first step we must take in our relationship to God’s Holy Spirit. This first step unleashes the power of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives.
In verses like Romans 8:9 we understand that if we belong to Christ, we have God’s Spirit. Romans 8:9 (NIV) says, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." If you have become a Christian, are of Christ, have been saved or have been born again, (and all these things mean the same thing) then you have the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.
When it comes to the Holy Spirit, God does not play hide and seek. God wants us to be confident of the Spirit's presence and work. He wants us to trust, not doubt the Spirit's presence. I know that in many churches a cloud of confusion is cast over the Holy Spirit. In some settings it is taught that you must pray for a sign or speak in tongues in order to know for sure that God’s Spirit dwells within you. Here at Lakeside we teach that receiving God’s Holy Spirit is as simple as responding to Christ’s life. Through the Bible we respond to Christ’s life, and thus unleash the Holy Spirit in several ways.
The Holy Spirit Reveals
Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit is referred to as the, "Spirit of truth." In John 16:13 (NIV) Jesus explains it this way, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." In 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NIV) Paul explains that, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." The Holy Spirit is our teacher and our instructor. He guides us into knowledge of the Son. He teaches us the things of God. He reveals the truth.
The scriptures that we read every week are a gift of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Peter 1:21 (NIV) says, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
Our first obligation is to trust in the word of truth given by the Holy Spirit. We must believe in the identity of Jesus Christ as God’s Son, and trust Jesus Christ for salvation.
The Holy Spirit Convicts
As noted earlier, one of the works of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of guilt. In John 16:8 (NIV) Jesus said, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." Our conscience is the Holy Spirit’s domain. The Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience through preaching, teaching, Bible study, prayer, and scripture memorization. But the Holy Spirit also speaks to our conscience through circumstances and events. He speaks through our spouses, our children, the body of Christ, and other people.
I was at a Bible study several weeks back, and a member of the group made a simple positive comment about another person in the group. That comment stuck with me for days as God’s Holy Spirit seemed to be saying, "You need more of that…" The very same thing happened again yesterday at a gathering of ministers. And it happened every night this week as I did my daily devotions.
The Holy Spirit constantly exposes our sins. He reminds us of God’s holiness and Christ’s righteousness. He warns us about the coming judgment. He calls us to obedience. His desire is to transform our sinful attitudes, to penetrate the strongholds in our lives and to make us sensitive to the heart of God. Our obligation is to repent and renounce the sins that God’s Holy Spirit shows us.
There is no better example in scripture than is found in Acts 2. It was the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit had just swept over the believers gathered in Jerusalem. Peter stood up among the Jews and addressed the crowd. He proved to them that the man they had just crucified, Jesus Christ, was God’s one and only Son. And he told them that Jesus had been raised from the dead and was at the right hand of God in heaven.
When the people were confronted Acts 2:37-38 (NIV) says, "...they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Peter commanded them to repent with the promise that they would receive the Holy Spirit.
Until the day we die, the Holy Spirit will continually show us the sins in our lives. When he does, our responsibility is to listen to the Spirit and turn away from the sinful thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that so deeply grieve the heart of God. As we repent, the Holy Spirit will usher in a fresh wave of change.
Confession and the Holy Spirit
Another way that we respond to the Holy Spirit is that we confess Jesus Christ as Lord. There are a couple of passages of interest on this point. In 1 Corinthians 12:3 (NIV) Paul writes, "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed,' and no one can say 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit."
In Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) Paul says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." In Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV) Jesus says, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." The verbal confession of Jesus Christ has always been a part of responding to Christ. When we confess Jesus Christ, we are bearing verbal testimony with the Spirit of truth.
Baptism and the Holy Spirit
Another way that we respond to Jesus Christ is through baptism. Most people don’t realize that water baptism is deeply connected with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38-41 (NIV) Peter declares, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off— for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."
The forgiveness of sins is promised to those who repent and are baptized. The gift of the Holy Spirit is promised to those who repent and are baptized. It is also interesting to note that those who accepted the message were first baptized and were then added to the Church. But I want you to notice that converts were to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus Christ was an acknowledgement of ownership. Those being baptized were dedicating themselves to Jesus Christ. They were formally accepting the truth of Christ. They were embracing Christ’s purposes. They were switching their allegiances. They were pledging their lives. They were seeking God’s forgiveness and were asking for his Holy Spirit— all in the name of Christ.
Later in Acts 4:12 (NIV) Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, would acknowledge, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Our identification with Christ’s name in baptism saves us.
There are many other interesting passages related to water baptism and the Holy Spirit. In John 3:5-6 (NIV) Jesus speaks to the necessity of a spiritual rebirth in baptism by saying, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." In 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV) Paul associates baptism with the work of the Spirit. "…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." In Titus 3:5-6 (NIV) Paul wrote, "he (Jesus) 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, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our savior..."
Obedience and the Holy Spirit
Let me conclude with one last way that we respond to Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus instructed us to go and make disciples by baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and by teaching them to obey everything Christ commanded. Acts 5:32 mentions that God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey him. This is further evidence that God isn’t interested in us pretending to be godly. He doesn’t want us to have a form of godliness, while denying its power. He wants us to be filled with his Holy Spirit and in submission to his lordship.
When we respond to Jesus Christ, we unleash the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we step back and consider the manner in which we are to respond to Jesus Christ’s life, it makes sense why that would also unleash the power of the Holy Spirit. Through faith we trust in the Spirit of truth. We trust in the identity and work of Jesus Christ. We take God’s inspired word to heart and believe what it says.
Through repentance we yield to the leadership of the Spirit. We acknowledge our sin and guilt. We embrace Christ’s righteousness as a standard for our lives. We fear God and live as men and women with an eternal destiny. Through confession we bear verbal testimony to the presence of God’s Spirit in our life. We acknowledge Christ before others and give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work in the lives of those around us.
Through baptism we become Christ’s possession. We are washed and are forgiven for our sins. We receive the promised Holy Spirit. We accept God’s salvation through Christ. Through obedience we signal that our commitment to Christ is real. We demonstrate that God’s Holy Spirit is alive and active in our lives. We demonstrate that we are people of character and substance uninterested in just going through the motions of godliness.
The first step we take in relationship to God’s Spirit is to respond to Christ’s Life. From this point forward, God’s Holy Spirit reshapes us and forms us into the image of Christ.