Know What You Beleive

The Holy Spirit

John 16.7-15

[We have studied: 

[The Trinity – That there are three persons that compose the one and only God]

[Our Father – One of the three persons in the Godhead.] 

[Today we will study the Holy Spirit another of the persons composing the Godhead.  But before we go on we should look again, and carefully at:] 

[1 John 5:6-9 ⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. ⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. ]

[This is one of the many passages in the Bible that express the trinity to us.  This one happens to express the truth of the trinity more clearly than any other passage.  But be careful because many modern translations would strike the powerful verse seven right ought of the text.  To remove this verse out of the context of the passage and the Bible is unjustifiable.] 

[What about the Holy Spirit of God?  What you believe about the Holy Spirit is critical to your Spiritual Growth.  It is the Holy Spirit of God that reveals the deep things of God to us.  It is the Holy Spirit of God who teaches, reminds, and comforts us.  It is the Holy Spirit of God who empowers us and supernaturally uses us for our Lord’s kingdom work.  Hence it is critical that you understand what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit and your responsibilities toward Him.] 

[Only through a proper and biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit will you find it possible to be filled and used by Him.  In order to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and turned on to God and His kingdoms work you must Know what the Bible teaches and bring your understanding and life into alignment with God’s Holy Word.] 

In The Bible We Discover: 

A.     The Person Of The Holy Spirit (vs 7-8) [– The Holy Spirit is a person, not an essence.  In our text we find our Lord Jesus Christ referring to the Holy Spirit as he would an individual.  Jesus consistently uses the pronoun “He” in referring to the Holy Spirit.]  

[John 16:7-8 ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:]

[Hence, our Lord’s view was that the Holy Spirit is an intelligent being, and person.] Other Biblical evidence of the personhood of the Holy Spirit includes:

1.      The Holy Spirit’s Perception (vs 13-14; 1 Cor 2.10-11; Rom 8.27; John 16.13; 14.26) [– The Holy Spirit has an intelligence; an essence does not have a mind.] 

[John 16:13-14 ¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. ¹⁴ He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. ] 

[We discover that Holy Spirit’s intelligence and mind in that:] 

a.       [He searches the things of God (1 Cor 2.10-11).] 

[1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ]

b.      [He possesses a mind (Rom 8.27).] 

[Romans 8:27 ²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ]

c.       [He is able to teach (John 16.13; 14.26)] 

John 16:13 ¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

John 14:26 ²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

[We notice the Holy Spirit’s thinking and perceiving mind, which is a mark of individuality and personhood.] 

2.      The Holy Spirit’s Emotions (Eph 4.30) [- He can be grieved.] 

[Ephesians 4:30 ³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. ]

[That the Holy Spirit possesses emotional being is another evidence of His personhood.]

3.      The Holy Spirit’s Direction (1 Cor 12.4,11; Acts 16.6-10) [– The Holy Spirit is active in the daily affairs of mankind.  We notice this in that He:] 

a.      [Distributes Gifts (1 Cor 12.4,11)]

[1 Corinthians 12:4 ⁴ Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ]

[1 Corinthians 12:11 ¹¹ But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. ]

b.      [Directs Activities (Acts 16.6-10) – As seen in Paul and Timothy’s missionary journeys.] 

[Acts 16:6-11 ⁶ Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, ⁷ After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. ⁸ And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. ¹⁰ And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. ]

[Hence, we discover that the clear testimony of scripture is that the Holy Spirit is a person, a living being, that thinks, feels, and expresses himself in the lives of mankind.  He is involved in His creation.  He is alive and working all around us.]

B.     The Providence Of The Holy Spirit [– When we speak here of the providence of the Holy Spirit we are speaking of His sovereignty, his authority, his supernatural theocracy.  The Holy Spirit is Almighty God and that He reigns and rules on high are revealed in Scripture.]  The Biblical evidence reveals: 

1.      The Holy Spirit’s Divine Attributes (Psalm 139. 7-16; Job 33.4; Ps 104.30) [- Attributes are those things that are undeniable characteristics of one’s being.  These characteristics identify who and what we are beyond any reasonable doubt. We find some of the identifying attributes of the Holy Spirit listed in the Bible.  These include His:] 

a.       [Omnipresence (Ps 139.7-16) – That the Holy Spirit is everywhere present, all the time is an attribute that can only be ascribed to God.  Even Satan is not omnipresent, he can only be in a single place at a given time.  To be every where present all the time belongs only to Almighty God.] 

[Psalms 139:7-16 ⁷ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? ⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. ¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. ¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. ¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. ]

b.      [Omnipotence (Job 33.4; Ps 104.30) – The greatest evidence of supernatural power is that of creative ability.  The Bible clearly reveals the creative power of the Holy Spirit when it says:] 

[Job 33:4 ⁴ The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. ]

[Psalms 104:30 ³⁰ Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. ]

2.      The Holy Spirit’s Divine Actions (Gen 1.2; Luke 1.35; 2 Pet 1.21) [– We also discover the supernatural actions performed by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.  These undeniably distinguish who He is.  We find the Holy Spirit working:] 

a.       [In creation (Gen 1.2)] 

[Genesis 1:2 ² And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. ]

b.      [In the virgin birth (Luke 1.35)] 

[Luke 1:35 ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. ]

c.       [In the inspiration of Scripture (2 Pet 1.21)] 

[2 Peter 1:21 ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. ]

[By discovering the providence or sovereignty of the Holy Spirit we discover that He as an individual possesses all of the authority, power and activity of Almighty God.  Hence, He is a supernaturally intelligent and supernaturally powerful being at work in our creation and our lives.]

C.     The Presence Of The Holy Spirit (vs 7-8,13,15) [– The Holy Spirit is presently at work around us.  Consider what our Lord said in our text, we read:] 

[John 16:7-8 ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ⁸ And when he is come . . .  ]

[John 16:13 ¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: . . .  ]

[John 16:15 ¹⁵ All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. ]

[Through the words of our Lord we discover that the Holy Spirit is intimately present and working in our lives and our world.]  We discover in Scripture that the Holy Spirit:

1.      Convicts the Rebellious (vs 8-12; Acts 9.3-5) [- Our Text Reads:] 

[John 16:8-12 ⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me; ¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; ¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. ¹² I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. ]

[What is it in the hearts of lost and rebellious men, women, and children that warns them of their impending dome?  What is it in the hearts and minds of lost people that bring the darkness of an eternal terror to their consciousness?  What  brings this sense of horror, that rests merely an immortal step away, into the awareness of condemned humanity?  How do the lost and sinful know that there is this horrible condemnation on their horizon?  How do they know!? Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit of God!]

[The New Testament reveals how a man named Saul was kicking against the pricks.  The text reads:]

[Acts 9:3-5 ³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: ⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.]

[It is not the hatred of God that causes the Holy Spirit to prick your lost heart and warn you in undeniable and intimately personal ways of your lostness and impending condemnation.  No, instead it is the love of God reaching out toward you, warning you, yearning that you might repent and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  Almighty God loves you and so He continuously reaches out toward you, lovingly longing that you might repent and be saved.]   

[But the more you resist the pricks of the Holy Spirit the more callused you become, and the more insensitive you become to the move of God toward you.  Be careful my scornful lost friend your eternal soul lies in the balance.  Hear the heart of God through the Holy Spirit of God and respond today. Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.]  

2.      Comforts the Redeemed (vs 13; John 14.16-17, 26-27; Rom 8.14-16) [– For the born again Christian the Holy Spirit has an equally intimate and present work.  The Bible reveals:] 

[John 16:13 ¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. ]

[John 14:16-17 ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ]

[John 14:26-27 ²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ]

[For the born again Christian the Holy Spirit becomes their comforter, teacher, reminder, and assurer.  He will teach them the deep things of God through a depth of instruction that only a supernatural presence can provide.  The Holy Spirit and His instruction and presence will bring a peace, tranquility, and satisfaction into the life of a Christian that will confound all rational explanation.] 

[The presence of the Holy Spirit within a Christian will assure them of their salvation and its resulting new relationship with their Heavenly Father.  They will know that they know that they know that they are saved and secure in their Lord Jesus Christ.  How?  Because: 

[Romans 8:14-16 ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:]

D.    The Passion For The Holy Spirit [– So what should our human response be to all that God has revealed about the Holy Spirit through His written Word?  There are two responses that apply to every human being.]  There is: 

1.      The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1.13-14; John 14.16-17)  [– Having understood that the Holy Spirit of God is a real, living, and working being who convicts every human being of their standing in the sight of God, then you should respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in your life and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  When you do you will receive the seal of the Holy Spirit or the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible states:] 

[Ephesians 1:13-14 ¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.]

[The sealing of the Holy Spirit means that when you ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life and be your personal Lord and Savior, He sends the Holy Spirit into you who then becomes the presence of God within you.  John records it this way:]

[John 14:16-17 ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ]

[The Holy Spirit within the born again Christian becomes a reality that extends beyond every mortal barrier.  No philosophy can adequately explain it, no oratory can adequately describe it, and no lecture or sermon can adequately expound it.  It is the union of the supernatural with the natural.  It is the supernatural birth certificate that assures the new born child of God that they are eternally God’s.] 

2.      The Filling Of The Holy Spirit (Eph 5.18; Luke 11.13; Acts 1.8) [- Once a person is born into the family of God they without any doubt receive the indwelling presence of God.  This is God’s undeniable gift to them.  Now, they are commanded to seek to be filled fully with the Holy Spirit. The Bible states:] 

[Ephesians 5:18 ¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; ]

[Every child of God is commanded to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit.  The filling of the Holy Spirit is something that follows the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  Throughout the book of Acts we find that different people were filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit.]

[This reveals that while every Christian has the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit not every Christian is always fully influenced by the Holy Spirit.  Through the filling of the Holy Spirit an individual Christian becomes empowered to do whatever God may desire to do through them.  In order for the Holy Spirit to fill a child of God the individual Christian must seek and submit to the Holy Spirit and His influence in their life and life’s work.  The Bible reveals:]

[Luke 11:13 ¹³ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?]

[There are many things that the Holy Spirit might use a submissive Christian to do.  The Bible reveals God doing supernatural miracles through submissive Holy Spirit filled men and women of God.  The most obvious thing that scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit will empower Christians to do is found in:] 

[Acts 1:8 ⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. ]

[The point is simple.  It is not enough that you as a child of God will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God; you must be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit as well.  When the children of God are empowered by the presence of God, then they will turn the world upside down.  They will turn the world away from evil, selfishness, and sinfulness and toward good, selflessness, and righteousness in the sight of God.] 

[Are you indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God?  If not then you need to accept the Lord Jesus Christ!] 

[Are you filled with the Holy Spirit of God?  If not then you need to seek and submit to the filling of the Holy Spirit of God in your life.] 

CrossRoads Baptist Church, June 22, 2008