THE HOLY SPIRIT AND JESUS CMBC November 17, 2013 John 16:5 15 The story of the Children of Israel all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land is the story of our journey with God. It is at times an encouragement and at other times an embarrassment. The primary lesson that Israel and we have to learn is to trust God, for he has won the victory for us, and we need to claim it by trusting Him. How is all this possible? It is possible because of the Holy Spirit present in our lives. Let s remind ourselves again of who the Holy Spirit is and what he does. Here is what Jesus said as we read in John 16: Vs. 7 it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. Vs. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. Often when we think of the Holy Spirit, it includes thinking of these three things: His power, His enabling and His convicting. 1. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT a. His power i. He has the power to help us do what we ought to do, to do what we don t have the power to do 1. In our cravings 2. In our attitude 3. In our witnessing 4. And more b. His enabling i. 1 Corinthians 12:3 no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. ii. 1 Corinthians 12 4-11 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the 1
message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. c. His convicting i. John 16:[8] When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 2. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE TRINITY a. The Holy Spirit is as important to the Trinity,as is the Father and the Son. i. Understanding the Trinity is difficult, and visualizing the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity may be even more difficult. ii. We get the Father part of the Trinity. We know about fathers. iii. We get the Son part of the Trinity. We know about sons and in particular the person of Jesus. iv. But the Spirit is difficult. We have little bases to visualize spirit. b. The fullness of God i. He is God God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit having all the attributes of God. ii. And when we speak of God, all three persons of the Trinity are One God is one made up of three persons. iii. Notice this verse in Romans 8 which interchanges the 3 persons of the Trinity in making reference to the Holy Spirit. - Watch for the references to these titles: Spirit, Spirit of God and Sprit of Christ. iv. Romans 8:9-11 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) [10] And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. [11] The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same 2
Spirit living within you. 1. Which Spirit is living in you? GOD, the fullness of God. (More of this next week.) 2. The Bible gives the Holy Spirit as important a place as the Father and the Son, because when you encounter any of them, you have encountered God. c. The person of the Holy Spirit i. The Holy Spirit is a person, not just a beingless influence. ii. He is a person of the Trinity in every way that the Father and Son are persons of the Trinity, the Oneness of God. d. He is the Sent One i. And it is God who sent the Holy Spirit into our lives. 1. We know about the Son who was sent into the world, whom we celebrate at Christmas. 2. But look at these Scriptures that tell of the Spirit that was sent, whom we celebrate at Pentecost. 3. And notice the Spirit s connection to the Trinity Galatians 4:4-7 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, [5] to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. [6] Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, [ Father. [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son; ii. Jesus said: John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 15:26 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. iii. As Jesus was sent, so was the Holy Spirit We come now to what I believe is one of the key purposes of the Holy Spirit, which is bringing to us the presence of Christ Jesus; brining into our lives the work of Jesus on the cross and the new eternal life in Jesus resurrection. 3
3. THE PRESENCE OF JESUS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT a. Understanding this presence i. We know that God is omnipresent and eternal. ii. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are everywhere at the same time and everywhere at all times iii. But the presence of Jesus in our lives, is particular to you. Not only is he omnipresent, but he is specifically present in your life as you have opened the door to him and submitted to him. b. Oneness with Jesus i. The Bible tells us that Jesus is in our lives. He is present in our lives by the Holy Spirit. 1 John 3:24 Those who obey his commands live in him (Jesus), and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 1 John 4:13-15 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts ii. Even in the Old Testament there is the connection with Jesus 1 Peter 1:10 12 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. [11] They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ s suffering and his great glory afterward. [12] They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. c. His purpose is to glorify the Son i. All of God s purpose in this world is to glorify the Son because to make our relationship with God possible at all we need what the Son did: came to earth as a human, died for our sins and rose from the dead giving us eternal life, or an eternal relationship with God. 4
ii. Jesus said in John 17:5 Father glorify me Why? Because that is God s specific purpose in His relationship with us iii. Jesus said in John 17:24 For you (the Father) loved me before the foundation of the world Is this about God loving himself? This is a love the Father had of the person Jesus, the Son of Man, that God the Son would take on, so that God, the Trinity, could rescue us from eternal separation. iv. This is then also the purpose of the Holy Spirit, which is why Jesus would say: John 16:13 [13] 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. [14] He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. v. The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to bring to your heart all that Jesus did to bring you into a relationship with God. vi. The Holy Spirit s focus is not on himself, but on what Jesus did so that the Holy Spirit, together with all of the Trinity could live forever with you. And while here on earth and in your life, the Holy Spirit is d. Transforming you into the likeness of Jesus i. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Thank God for the Holy Spirit Honour his presence in your life Submit to him and let him transform you into the likeness of Jesus Jesus said to the disciples, [12] I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. We will take more time next week to try better to underpands this important friend of ours. 5
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