I Believe – Week 7
John Stott - “There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from His fruit, and no effective witness without His power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead.”
“I Believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of the Saints”
The Work of the Holy Spirit in You / The Work of the Holy Spirit in Us
The Work of the Holy Spirit in You
John 16:7–11 - Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
3-Fold Purpose of the Holy Spirit:
“Convicts – Confirms – Conquers”
1. The Holy Spirit “Convicts” You of Sin
· Conviction – “I did something wrong”
· Condemnation – “I am something wrong”
2. The Holy Spirit “Confirms” the Righteousness of Jesus in You
“Righteousness” - The quality or state of being morally correct and justifiable
· 2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
· 1 Corinthians 12:3 - And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit “Conquers” Evil for You
“I want to Present an Important Contrast”
Romans 7:14–15 - For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave under sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.
Question – Who is Paul talking about in this text?
“Autobiographical I” -> Personal struggle?
“Rhetorical I” -> Those who are in Adam / Under Law?
Romans 8:5–11 - For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
*Romans 8 begins with “There is no condemnation” and ends with “You are more than conquerors”.
“Spirit” - pneuma – Used at least 21 times in Romans 8 to speak of the believer’s new position that with it come new defining markers…
· No Longer Condemned
· Freedom
· New Mind Set
· Peace
· Righteousness
· Resurrection Hope
· Sons & Daughters of God
· Heirs of God -> Co-Heirs with Christ
· Called according to God’s Purpose
· More than Conquerors
· Loved by God
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Us
1. The Holy Spirit makes us One
Ephesians 4:4-6 - There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all
2. The Holy Spirit makes us Holy
Holy – To be set apart
Ephesians 5:25-26 - Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.
3. The Holy Spirit makes us Global
Catholic – Means Universal
Acts 1:6-8 – So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
4. The Holy Spirit makes us Missional
Apostolic – Means to represent something for the purpose of a specific mission. One who carries the message and culture of the one who sent them.
Tim Keller - "The church does not simply have a missions department; it should wholly exist to be a mission”.