In continuing this morning on the Fruit of the Spirit we will bring out more thoughts on the Holy Spirit and His purpose in the believer.
The Book of Acts has three great personalities that stand out: the Holy Spirit, the Living Word, and the Name of Jesus. The Word and Jesus are usually identical…you cannot separate the Name from the Man. It is a part of Him.
- John 1:1, In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God (NIV).
- John 6:44, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (KJV).
- John 7:37-39 The Holy Spirit…living water…Eternal Life. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (NIV). (When he said “living water”, he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
- In John 7:37 The invitation is to those desiring the Holy Spirit… If you are thirsty …, Do you thirst to know that the guilt is gone?
Do you thirst to know that the record is clean?
Do you thirst for fellowship with God? To receive the Holy Spirit…”Let him come unto me and drink“
Come to Jesus and drink…To come to Him: is to believe on Him, is to trust Him, is to receive Him, Jesus said out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water not cisterns but rivers.
What will flow in these rivers?
- The fruit of the Spirit will flow in these rivers.
- The compassion of Christ will flow in these rivers.
- Peace that surpasses all understanding.
- Power to witness will flow in these rivers.
- Faith will flow in these rivers.
- The Gifts of the Spirit will flow in these rivers.
John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly (KJV). Not only was Jesus’ purpose to give Eternal Life but also redeem all sinners from their sins. Here Jesus was saying…believe that He had died, shed His blood for their sins according to the scriptures, and that on the third day He had been raised settling the sin problem. Redemption was a fact. Eternity with God forever. Let’s look at God’s GUIDELINES for Life…to our everyday living and we will see results of the Father’s Plan in our Life. As a believer we APPLY God’s Word…and receive all He has for us.
- John 14:16-17, And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [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 (KJV).
- John 16:13, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come (ESV).
He…The Holy Spirit possesses the characteristics of personality:
The Holy Spirit has intellect (Rom.8:27)
The Holy Spirit has emotion (Eph.4:30)
The Holy Spirit has a will (1 Cor. 12:11)
The Holy Spirit Comforts, (John 14:16, 26, 16:7):
We need comfort when separation is near.
We need comfort when tears are near.
We need comfort when we feel alone.
We need comfort when others turn against us.
We need comfort when death has touched those near us.
We need a counselor when we are perplexed (John 14:26)
The Holy Spirit is a Tutor:
He teaches us about the Bible both individually and continually (2 Pet.1:20-21)
He teaches us about life (John 14:26)
He teaches us all about Jesus (John 14:26; 16:13-15)
The Holy Spirit Convicts:
“He will reprove” (John 16:8-11)
He convicts of sin…people have consciences
He nudges the conscience about sin…do you feel guilty?
…conviction comes before conversion…correction before comfort.
He convicts of the lack of righteousness
He convicts of judgment…after death judgment…prepare to meet God.
The purpose of conviction is to bring us to Christ and to keep our fellowship with God our Father.
How was the Holy Spirit with the disciples before He could come into them? He was with them in the Person of Jesus. Jesus and the Holy Spirit were working together; so, Jesus could say, He is with you in My Presence. John 14:26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you (NKJV).
The disciples didn’t understand the Master any more than the natural man today can understand deeply spiritual things. Spiritual things are revealed to those who have been born again. Those that have received the Gospel of Jesus Christ…believing that Jesus Christ came in the flesh was crucified on the cross and resurrected who redeemed man forever to be with Him…yes, for Eternity.
In the next chapter He takes this a step further…John 15:26, But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (KJV). Yes, the Holy Spirit’s primary business in the Church is the office of Teacher about Jesus, the Revealed. It’s what Jesus actually did in His substitution (that of taking our place on the cross) and what Jesus’ nature and life do to the believer in the New Creation.
The Holy Spirit can take the things of Christ and bring them into the believer’s life until the believer will live and walk as Jesus did in His earthly walk. We must come to the understanding of the difference between the born-again experience and the infilling of the Holy Spirit experience. You could say, the born-again experience is God’s way of getting Christ in you and this second experience is God’s way of getting Christ through you and out of you by the work of the Holy Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit brings boldness to be a witness of Christ in you.
God uses various Methods – As you seek after God’s wisdom, He will reveal thru the Holy Spirit various ways to minister or evangelize your community. We all have different personalities and need not be afraid to minister according to the circumstances and traditions locally.
How do we build a relationship with God? It is thru a daily pray time and Bible reading (study-time) …this relationship will become a fellowship with God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Reaching the People…is a Priority. In order to reach the multitudes, there must be a demonstration, of what to believe…a mentor who will stand, among them and say, “follow me, I know the way.”
All plans must focus here. In Jesus’ life, we can see the importance of finding people and training them to reach people. Jesus was our prime example, and success followed Him becoming that living testimony, a living witness. Yes, it will require deliberate planning and concentrated effort. It’s time we begin to train the people and work with them…seek them out. Win them over. In order to see the Master’s Plan fulfilled, we must reach and train the people to become effective witnesses of our Lord.
In John 16:7-15, 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. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you (KJV).
Your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 6:19-20) This reminds us of the temple in the Old Testament…great care was given to its design and immense wealth placed into its construction. Your body, God’s temple: be careful where it goes…what it does…what it ponders…how it reacts. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are (KJV).
The results: The Holy Spirit is with you wherever you go…His power is available when you need it …ever word and deed is in His view…He is grieved at our inconsistencies.
We find that the Holy Spirit was there with Jesus, but He was not functioning. He was not their teacher yet. He was not their creator. He had not given birth to them, for they had to be born of the Spirit. This is the exciting news for today…the Holy Spirit is inside of every believer who will believe and receive Him, working out and directing their life if they follow His leading.
The Holy Spirit is going to convict men of sin…the sin of rejection of Eternal Life and the sin of rejection of His finished work on their behalf. For this is the sin that shuts him out of Heaven. He has rejected Jesus Christ as his own Lord and Savior. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to glorify God in the believers’ vessels. SURRENDER YOUR BODY TO THE LORD and GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR DAILY WALK!
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