Welcome everyone. It's good to be here.
This morning I started losing my voice just a little bit, so
forgive me for that. I hope I can push through that
and it'll loosen up and be better here in just a few
minutes. We appreciate so very much
everyone that's made the effort to be here.
We have visitors that are among us, and we want you to know that
you are our honored guest and we welcome you back every time that
you have an opportunity to meet with us.
As I mentioned last time, I'm going to talk about the benefits
of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, last time I said my goal
was I'm going to try to do this in one lesson, and you know me
and it's not going to happen, but if the Lord wills, it will
happen in two lessons. So what we want to do is this
morning, the title of our lesson is The Gift of the Holy Spirit,
Part 1. And in this lesson, we're going
to notice three things briefly. What the gift is not #2 what the
gift is. And this is what people want to
know #3 three things that the gift does for us today.
And I know this is an exhaustive subject, and I'm not going to do
that. I'm not going to deal with every
single aspect of the Holy Spirit, but I've chosen some
things that I think are very practical and a practical
benefit for us, and I'm going to do my very best.
I realize it's a very big subject.
It's a very deep subject. And I also know this too, that
there's a lot of differing opinions and differing positions
regarding the Holy Spirit. And I'm going to do my very best
to present my position on this and my conclusion after a very
exhaustive study. And I hope and pray that I can
present it in a way that is simple to understand for
everyone. As an introductory text, we are
going to go to Acts chapter 2. And you remember very briefly, I
just did a Kingdom series on the day the Kingdom came and the
gospel was preached and Jesus was preached.
And then finally in verse 36 of Acts 2, Peter said, let all the
House of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same
Jesus, that you crucified both Lord and Christ.
Then verse 37 when they heard this, they were cut to the heart
and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and
brethren, what shall we do? In other words, they needed an
answer to their souls inquiry, What must I do to be saved?
In fact, Peter dealt with the idea of being saved back in
verse 21 of Acts chapter 2, and now he's going to get to the
nitty gritty, if you will, on exactly how a person is saved.
Here was the answer. This is where we left off last
time. Then Peter said to them, repent
and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. In other words, the answer was
for all of them. First you got to repent.
You got to change your mind. You got to change your heart.
You got to change your life and then you got to do something
else. You must be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ, which by the way, just simply means by the
authority of Jesus Christ. To be baptized by the authority
of Jesus Christ is to do so scripturally, like Jesus said to
do, going all the way back to Matthew 2819 and 20, to be
baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. And it is for the remission of
sins. And that is the purpose of doing
that, contacting the blood of Jesus.
OK, remember what we said last time, and I think I at least
tried to make a really big point driving this home.
There are two great blessings that we get, not just one, and
they're not the same. There are two great blessings
that you get when you're baptized by the authority of
Jesus Christ #1 and that's huge. And it's remission of sins.
Every sin you've ever committed up until that time is washed
away and gone. Forgiveness.
Never underestimate the power of forgiveness and the impact and
import of forgiveness. In other words, the sins that we
all have committed in our past when we are baptized for the
remission of sins are gone. That's blessing number one.
And remember I said two blessings, They're not the same.
And remember I blew up. And last time you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. You get 2 things.
You get remission of sins and you get the gift of the Holy
Spirit. And I know that there's a lot of
different interpreting ideas about what it is and what the
gift is. Just stay with me on this two
separate blessings. Before we get into the gift and
what it is and what it does, let me first notice with you just a
few things about what the gift is not.
And I'm going to be brief about this one because I've already
spent a lot of time on this one. The gift is not something that
the Holy Spirit gives us. And I got to say, as I've
admitted to you, I used to hold this position that the gift was
something that you got from the Holy Spirit and that was like,
for example, salvation or eternal life.
But here's the problem with that position.
That's why I changed that position, my position on that
repentance and remission of sins.
Excuse me, repentance and baptism for the remission of
sins does not by itself ensure that a person is going to have a
home in heaven. You know why?
Because you've got to live a faithful life.
You've got to live the life of a Christian.
And by the way, it's not about perfection.
Let me make that point. It is not about perfection.
It is not about your own personal works of merit.
And how good you are has nothing to do with that, but it has
everything to do with our obedience.
And we got to serve God faithfully, and that's just it.
OK, So it is not that. It is not something that the
Holy Spirit gives us like heaven or salvation #2 And I'm going to
spend a little more time on this one because you would be
surprised how many conservative commentators actually hold this
position. But I'm here to say that the
gift of the Holy Spirit is not miraculous ability.
Now those that do hold this position and believe me, there's
a lot of commentators that do consider that the gift of the
Holy Spirit was miraculous ability for them on that day,
which means this, that the promise of the gift of the Holy
Spirit was, here's a term, dispensational.
What in the world does that mean?
It just means it was for them at that time.
Let me just suffice it to say it was for a period of time in the
1st century. So those that believe it was a
dispensational gift, it would also mean this too by the way,
that when those were baptized in water, those 3000 souls that
were saved, the apostles would have had to go and lay hands on
3000 people that just got baptized.
Because what do we know? We know that the passing on of
the miraculous ability of the Holy Spirit had to be done
through and by the apostles hands.
So what else? And some commentators say
because it was dispensational, it doesn't apply today.
I like what my dad used to say Sometimes.
He said sometimes, son, he said, you just got to let the Bible be
its own best commentary. So let's do that and go to the
very next verse after verse 38. And that's verse 39.
Please get this for the promise. What promise?
Remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It is to you and to your children and to all who are far
off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
Notice, please, you are those that were there on the day of
Pentecost hearing that sermon. Over a million people were there
on Pentecost. I don't know how many, but
scholars say maybe even a million.
All these people that were there, the promise was to them
on Pentecost, your children, which would have been their
offspring. What about these, those that
were far off is the Gentiles? And by the way, the fulfillment
of that actually happened in Acts chapter 10, because that
was the first converted to Jesus.
Converts, by the way, we're converted.
We're converted to the Lord and those that came to Jesus as
Gentiles, that first happened in Acts chapter 10.
So the promise was to them on that day, their children, the
Gentiles. And I'm so glad because I'm a
Gentile and notice and as many as the Lord our God will call.
You know who that is, anyone and everyone.
How are we called, by the way? We're called by the gospel
anyone of all ages. So it can't be dispensational.
It can't be for those in the 1st century.
It can't be miraculous then. So the gift cannot be miraculous
#3 the gift of the Holy Spirit is not the Word.
Remember the following in Acts 2 and verse 37.
And when they heard this, heard what?
The Word, when they heard what was just said, they were cut to
the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles.
Men and brethren, what shall we do?
How about Acts 2 and verse 40? And with many other words he
testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this
perverse generation. Notice they got these words
before they were baptized, before they were saved.
One more passage in verse 41 of Acts 2.
Then those who gladly received His word were baptized, and that
day about 3000 souls were added to them.
So the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit is not the Word.
That being the case, the gift cannot be the Word, and
therefore the indwelling of the gift cannot be the Word only.
I have to make a point of clarification.
Please hear me. I am not denying the power, the
influence, and the significance of the Word of God.
The Word of God, and please get this, it is the sole source that
guides us today. If you want to know what God
wants for you to do to serve Him, you have to find it in the
Word. What I'm saying this is, well,
when you read the Word of God, you are reading the words of the
Holy Spirit. All I'm saying is that's not all
that He does. That's all I'm saying.
And I'm not saying there's another point I'm making.
I'm also not saying that when the Holy Spirit finished the
Word, He was done. You know what never made sense
to me? Everybody, it never made sense
to me that we all believe that God still works in our life.
By the way, there's three in the God hand, the Holy Spirit's 1/3
of it and never didn't make any sense to me how God still works
in our life. Jesus still works in my life and
everybody in the world believes that.
But the Holy Spirit's done. He's just sitting this one out
ever since the word was completed, didn't make any
sense. Now stay with me.
Listen, we got a lot to do. Please stay tight with me.
So I believe the scripture is clear.
The Holy Spirit is the gift. Now to sum it up like this, the
gift is the Holy Spirit Himself who comes to dwell in the heart
of everyone who will repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins.
Why that conclusion? Let's go to the Scriptures in
Romans chapter 8 and verse 9. But you are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
How about Acts chapter 5 and verse 32?
And we are his witnesses to these things.
And so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who
obey him. Listen to what Kaufman said,
please. In the history of holy truth,
there has never been any such thing as God's giving the Holy
Spirit to men in order to make them obedient, or to make them
sons, or to save them, or to procure the remission of sins,
or any such thing. On the day of Pentecost, Peter
had commanded believers to repent and be baptized, with the
promise that those who did so receiving the permission of
their sins subsequently to their obeying these commands, would
also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The word obey also, as used here, indicates A lifelong
obedience to God. Did you see your part in that
was a continuing condition to be fulfilled by those desiring to
enjoy the continuing gift of the Holy Spirit?
See Galatians 4 and 6 where it is declared that the Holy Spirit
is given to men not to make them sons, but as a consequence of
them already being sons. The popular notion to the effect
that God sends the Holy Spirit with the purpose of making men
desire to serve God is totally wrong.
Burton Kaufman. Now I'm going to give you some
Bible here in First Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you? I wouldn't notice with you,
please, this phrase, the temple of God.
Now the word temple comes from that Greek word right there, and
it means sanctuary. And it's used metaphorically of
a company of Christians, a Christian Church, as dwelleth in
by the Spirit of God. OK, that's the definition.
And because that's the definition, many commentators
draw conclusions like this. Well, the illusion goes back to
the temple of the Old Testament. And as God dwelt, for example,
in the Tabernacle in the most holy Place, so God's Spirit
today, the Holy Spirit, dwells in the Kingdom or the church as
a whole. OK, I agree with that.
But because of that definition, many commentators have taken the
position that it has nothing to do with us individually, only
that God dwells with us in collectively in the Kingdom or
the church. And even some have said
specifically in the assembly, OK, Do I doubt that the Spirit
of God is in the assembly? No.
Do I doubt that the Spirit of God is in the church or the
Kingdom of Jesus Christ as a whole?
No, but what about this concept about individually?
Let me ask you a question. I don't doubt that the Spirit of
God dwells in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
I don't doubt that. But let me ask you, this Kingdom
is the church. So let me ask you, who's the
church, this building, by the way?
Are we only the church when we assemble?
Are we only in the Kingdom when we assemble?
Who is the church? The same author that wrote First
Corinthian 316 also wrote this. Now you are the body of Christ.
He's writing to the church in Corinth and then he says and
members individually. Oh, here goes Frank again.
I'm going to name drop the king. Here we go.
What'd Jesus say? Nor will they say see here or
see there, for the Kingdom of God is within you.
You know what that sounds like to me?
If it's in you, it's in you individually.
OK, so there's no that being the case.
That being the case, First Corinthians 619 Or do you not
know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who
is in you? So it's not just as a whole in
general. If we are the Kingdom, if we are
the church, if we are members individually, then the Holy
Spirit is in you, in your body, in the temple of the Holy
Spirit. Guess who that is?
That is you and me and every obedient Christian.
I'm not done on that. I'm coming back.
No contradiction. The Kingdom is made-up of
individuals whose bodies must be kept pure.
And therefore remember this, we defile the the temple of the
Holy Spirit when we defile our bodies.
OK, what have we learned so far? We've learned the following
three things. One, the Spirit of God dwells in
the Christian. That is undoubtedly no doubt
whatsoever #2 that Spirit just happens to be the Holy Spirit
whom God has given to those who obey Him.
We look at those passages, and in particular our bodies are the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in US.
OK, these are not the only passages, by the way, that prove
that the Holy Spirit indwells the Christian.
There are many more. I'm going to throw 3 up on the
screen and we're moving on three more.
Second Timothy 1 and 14. That good thing which was
committed to you keep by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in US
number 2 Ephesians 316 that He would grant you according to the
riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through
His Spirit in the inner man. And now we're going to get
really specific on how He dwells in the inner man and where that
is. Where is it?
Romans 5 and five. Now hope does not disappoint
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by this
Holy Spirit who was given to us. So where does He dwell?
He dwells in the heart of every individual obedient Christian.
OK, all that being said is what we all want to know.
What does the Holy Spirit do for us?
Now I got to say this too. Here's one of them disclaimers.
I freely admit there are things about the particulars and the
specifics about how God uses the Holy Spirit specifically and in
different circumstances and all that, that I don't know and I
can't explain. And I'm going to say this to,
and I mean to be disrespectful. I don't even care.
I don't care how God does it. That's number one.
Just like I feel about angels. That's why it took me 20 years,
by the way, to write a sermon on angels because there were so
many things that I couldn't definitively say.
So I finally said, well, let me just write a sermon about things
I can definitively say. For example, I know angels work
in our life because the Bible says they're ministering spirits
for those that are Christians and God uses them.
How does he do it? Don't know, don't care.
Here's the whole point, folks. In things that we can't totally
determine from the Word regarding how God does
something, just give the glory to God.
Just give Him the praise, give Him the glory, and we don't have
to worry about nothing. All right?
All that being said, there are some specific things we know,
though, about what the Holy Spirit is doing for us today and
blessings that come from the indwelling of that Spirit.
Here's number one. Here's a good one.
Our hope hangs on this one. He's given to us as a guarantee
by the word. By the way, the same Greek word
means down payment. He's given to us as a guarantee
that old King James says, earnest of our inheritance.
We got the promise of eternal life, don't we?
We have the promise of everlasting life.
God wants everybody to be saved. The long-suffering of God is
salvation. He wants us all to go to heaven,
but we've got some things to do in order to get there.
But if we do those things, we know like first John says, by
this we know that we know him if we keep His commandments.
OK. He also says, I'm writing these
things to you that you may know you have eternal life.
That's a great promise, isn't it?
OK, guess what? The Holy Spirit, the gift of the
Holy Spirit is given to us as a down payment or in earnest of
that promise of eternal life. Amazing.
I got to tell you something. God doesn't need the guarantee.
I do and you do. He doesn't need to do that.
And by the way, if you enter into a binding contract with
another guy, it's a good thing to get it in writing.
Even if somebody forgets they're the most honest person in the
world. Well, guess what?
God doesn't forget. Don't you understand?
The Holy Spirit given as a guarantee or as a down payment
of our inheritance is for our benefit, not because God needs
it to remember what he contractually obligated himself
to or decided He would do by grace.
Give us some Bible Ephesians chapter 1, beginning in verse
13, in whom you also trusted after you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of our salvation, in whom also having
believed, what did they get? They were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise. Isn't that amazing?
They believed, and it is necessarily inferred that they
were baptized. In other words, they were
Christians. And what did they have?
They got the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What could it do? It sealed them.
They were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
By the way, did you know that the Holy Spirit was even
promised in the Old Testament? It was promised by the in the
Old Testament, by Old Testament prophets.
How about Ezekiel chapter 36 and 27?
Notice I will put my spirit within you.
OK, you know me. It's about context.
So I I got to tell you the context.
The context beginning in verse 25 of Ezekiel 36 going through
27 is with reference to Israel's spiritual cleansing.
We know that if you just read the chapters right there, we get
it. And that spiritual cleansing.
As Pearson analyzed the cleansing of Israel, it
consisted of three steps, forgiveness of sins,
regeneration, and the reception of the Holy Spirit.
OK? Kaufman said this though.
Significantly, though, none of this was available under the old
Law of Moses. Only under the gracious terms of
the New Covenant has there ever been available to mortal man
such blessings as these. There was no forgiveness of sins
under Moses. There was no Holy Spirit within
all the people. There was no regeneration.
So the cleansing of Israel would take place in the Kingdom of the
Messiah established by the Son of God.
And just as the terms of Israel's peace, prosperity, and
security in regard to their possession of Canaan back then
were conditional, so also are the promises here with regard to
forgiveness, their regeneration, and their receiving of the
Spirit of God. So Christians in Ephesus
baptized to their mission of sins, sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, which did what was a guarantee of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
Wow, did you know that even in ancient times this phraseology
of guarantee was used in ancient?
This Greek term was used in ancient business documents as
the idea to designate a down payment for a first or a first
installment. Strong said it this way.
The word guaranteed or earnest in the King James is a
commercial term designated a partial payment, deposit or
pledge that obligates both the seller and purchaser to complete
an agreement. For example, earnest money is
given to show that a commitment has been made to give the full
purchase amount for a property at a later date.
An example of this phraseology from the Old Testament.
This is nothing new. Bible's brilliant man, this is
good stuff. Not because I'm saying it
Genesis 3817 and he said, I will send you a goat from the flock.
She said, will you give me a pledge till you send it?
Same thing what you want guarantee earnest down payment
something right? Look at the next verse 18.
Then he said, well, what pledge shall I give you?
She said your signet and cord and your staff that is in your
hand. Same phraseology, same idea.
What does that have to do with me and what does that have to do
with you and what does that have to do with this point in the
Christian life? It's the Holy Spirit that's
given as the pledge that God will complete His promise to
provide our inheritance. But there's more Bible passages
that support that. Second Corinthians 5 and five.
Now He who has prepared for us for this very thing is God who
has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
What about the Spirit? Where is he 2nd Corinthians 122,
who also have sealed us and given us the Spirit as a
guarantee? Where does he give it to us?
Where is it in our hearts? Zur said this, The down payment
binds parties to the contract until the time when full payment
is to be made and the contract is completed.
God has promised eternal life to those who enter into this
covenant with him, which is to be stowed, in fact, at the Day
of judgment. This, of course, is on the
condition that both parties fulfill all the terms of the
agreement until the final time comes.
And as I said before, God always fulfills His side, doesn't He?
Never makes a mistake. By the way, I couldn't find a
passage, so I'm going to be bold here.
So I think I'm right here. There's times when God has said
he was going to do something negatively and change his mind.
There are a number of times when God's changed his mind and
because people changed and he softened up on it on a certain
instance or what have you say, he was going to destroy Nineveh.
They repented, didn't do it. Other many other examples too,
but I couldn't find one time when God gave a promise and said
if you do this, I will do that and back out.
I couldn't find one thing. So I'm going to tell you God is
not the problem. It is a binding contract.
When you enter into it, when you're baptized as a mission of
your sins, God's going to take care of his side.
The point is this. And He gave us the Holy Spirit
as a down payment of a guarantee for it.
If we'd want it, we got to remain faithful and do our part.
The burden rests on us. So number one, what does the
Holy Spirit do for us today? Number one, the first thing,
here's our guarantee, here's our down payment of our inheritance
#2 He bears witness. Now what does all that mean?
In Romans 8 and 16, the Spirit himself bears witness with our
spirit. Now this is extremely important.
Let me ask you, does it say the Holy Spirit bears witness to our
spirit? No, It says the Holy Spirit
bears witness with our spirit spirit.
In other words, there's two spirits involved.
There is the Holy Spirit and there is our human spirit.
We are both involved here from this passage.
I like what Whiteside said, though.
He said if the Holy Spirit bear witness to our Spirit, it would
make us individually a judge of those facts instead of a
witness, and that's not what we are.
According to this passage. We are both witnesses of what?
That we are the children of God. OK, first says the phrase bear
witness with comes from one Greek word and it's that one
which means to bear witness with bear joint witness.
So please get this. This phrase does not indicate a
direct communication between either spirit.
I'm going to let that soak in. It's not saying that there's
communication directly from the Holy Spirit to my human spirit.
What did I already say? That the Holy Spirit guides us
through what? The Word?
But what about this passage?
Zor says each gives the same testimony on the subject,
namely, that the persons are the children of God.
Notice both are involved. How does it all work?
Stay with me. The Spirit, according to Zer,
stays through the gospel. What it takes to make one a
child of God and the Spirit, The mind of man knows whether he has
done that. If he has, the conclusion is
that he is a child of God. Kaufman said it this way, the
Holy Spirit is the author of the commandments in the Bible and of
the promise of salvation connected with and relating to
those commandments, As for example, when the Holy Spirit
said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved.
Mark 1616. Now when the Spirit of man has
accepted heaven's offer by believing and obeying such a
command, then the spirit of such a person is also a witness that
he has believed and obeyed God and therefore is saved.
One more and it's a lengthy, lengthy quote.
I apologize for that, but it's very important.
I think it sums it up. Here we go.
Gospel Advocate commentary. The Holy Spirit gives directions
as to the kind of life we are to live, and our own spirit bears
testimony as to whether we conform our life to these
instructions. That makes sense.
The Holy Spirit, through this testimony or witness, molds the
human spirit in his own likeness, dwells in our spirit,
directs our spirit, so that the same Spirit that was in Christ
Jesus dwells in US. We are therefore led by the
Spirit, and through us the Spirit of God acts and works.
So then, if we faithfully bear the fruit of the Spirit,
Galatians 522 and 23, there's a happy and harmonious union of
the Spirit with our Spirit. That's the Holy Spirit with our
Spirit that brings confidence and assurance to our heart that
enables us to cry. Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children
of God. First John 3 and verse #1 OK, I
hope that's not confusing. The only way the Holy Spirit
speaks to us though is through the Word.
When my human spirit complies to what the Holy Spirit says, we
are both witnesses bearing the same testimony.
I'm a child of God, OK? Doesn't do any injustice to
where the end dwells or nothing like that.
Just saying bears witness with not to our spirit.
Kaufman said this It is a misuse of this passage though, for one
to declare that since I feel all this is big, you ever heard
this? Since I feel like I'm led by
God's Spirit, I know I'm a Christian.
Before the blessed Spirit will enter and dwell in any heart,
it's possessor must already be a Christian.
That happens in Acts 2 when you're baptized.
No man who is not in Jesus Christ can possibly be host to
God's Spirit. It is because you are sons that
God set His Spirit in the men's hearts.
Galatians 4 and verse six. OK and at what point does that
spirit indwell? When we repent and are baptized
for the remission of sins, so the Holy Spirit is given number
one to us as a guarantee or a down payment of our salvation of
eternal life if we're faithful to him.
Two, that Spirit bears witness with our Spirit, with our human
spirit, that we are the children of God.
And #3 and finally, in this lesson, Part 1, the Spirit makes
us alive spiritually. I'm not talking about miraculous
stuff. And by the way, I'm not talking
about anything, any feeling at all.
When I'm talking about feeling, talk about fact.
The Holy Spirit that's given to us when we repent and are
baptized and receive the remission of sins is given as a
gift that makes us alive spiritually.
In Romans chapter 8, we noticed this first verse and then we and
then we moved on. But please notice that you are
not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.
He's talking to Christians, right?
If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
So if the Spirit of God dwells in you, you're not in the flesh,
but you are in the Spirit. Now if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he is not his. And if Christ is in you, the
body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness. In other words, if we are in
Christ Jesus, the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit dwells in US.
And if the Holy Spirit dwells within us, it makes us free from
the law of sin that dwells in the flesh.
It's really quite simple. The flesh governs the one, the
Spirit governs the other. Let me ask you this too.
How do I know Chris Osmond's alive?
Because he has a human spirit. How do I know he's alive
physically? Because he has a spirit making
him alive physically. One day we all, unless the Lord
comes back. When we pass away, the spirit
leaves the human spirit leaves the body, and guess what?
We're not alive anymore. We're like Rover, we're dead all
over. Is it the body part?
Another subject about the soul, but the body gone.
So if that's the case, how do I know if I'm alive spiritually?
Yeah, you know, or at least you know what I'm going to say.
It's because you have the Holy Spirit.
According to that passage, we are alive in Christ by the
Spirit who dwells in US. That's in our life.
That's why we're living. That's how we know that we're
not living according to the dictates of the flesh, but we
are following the dictates of the Spirit, being led by the
Spirit. But what about at the end of
time? What is that going to do for us?
Also, let's go back to the very same verse.
But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, that's the Holy Spirit, He, that's God who
raised Christ from the dead, will also give life to your
mortal bodies through what his Holy Spirit who dwells in you.
Now I got to say, listen, listen.
Very important, very important, very important.
Everybody that's been dead and is dead at the time of the
resurrection is going to be raised.
Everybody, Jesus says the resurrection of life and the
resurrection of condemnation, those that have done good to the
resurrection of life, those that have done evil to the
resurrection of condemnation. The Lord said that what's
different is those that are in Christ and have the Spirit will
be raised by that same Spirit to eternal glory when the Lord
comes back fulfilling. What did he say?
What did we say? It was a guarantee, a down
payment that's fulfilled when the Lord comes back.
If the Spirit is within you. So the Holy Spirit dwells in the
heart of every obedient believer.
Acts 238. Acts 532.
God will by that Spirit give life to our dead bodies and
raise us to immortal glory. Kaufman said this one final
quote. The great connective between the
resurrection of Christ and the ultimate resurrection of his
disciples is the blessed ministry of the Holy Spirit in
Christian hearts, and thus appears the absolute necessity
of the Spirit's residence in the Christian hearts.
The conclusion then, if one does not have the Spirit of God in
his soul, he's not a Christian, he's not in Christ, he's not
saved and is not in any sense Christ.
In conclusion this morning, remember that when we repent and
are baptized, for the are baptized, we have two great
blessings, one, remission of sins. 2 The gift of the Holy
Spirit. The gift is the Holy Spirit who
dwells in our hearts, and the threefold benefits so far are
these. He is our guarantee of our
inheritance, that God will fulfill that promise if we're
faithful #2 He bears witness with not to our spirit, that we
are the children of God and we can know and #3 He makes us
alive spiritually. So I kind of think the Holy
Spirit's an invaluable assistant, don't you?
I kind of think he's an invaluable assistant to
Christians and he works in the inner man.
And I'm going to close with this.
So you don't think I'm saying something I'm not.
He works in our inner man, within the bounds of God's Word,
to help make help us make heaven our home.
In other words, the Holy Spirit does not do anything for us that
violates or contradicts what the Word allows.
That would mean the Holy Spirit would go against himself, and we
know that's not the case. OK.
In other words, when the Word says one thing, the Holy
Spirit's not going to guide somebody to do something else.
That's my .0. I know what the Bible says.
I know this. I believe that I'm all about.
I think the Holy Spirit's guiding me to do that over there
Instead. I feel called to go do that
instead. You may be called.
I'm not trying to listen. I'm not making fun.
You may be called by something, but you're not being called by
God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. OK?
If you're called by the Holy Spirit, it's always whatever the
Holy Spirit does. And again, I don't know all that
the Holy Spirit does, but I'm going to tell you right now, He
never does anything. I know it's for sure that would
contradict, violate, and go against the Word of God.
Amen, Next, next. It's point #4 and we're doing
the whole lesson on #4 and that is He's given to us as a gift.
He bears our infirmities. King James, new King James
weaknesses. How does he help us in our
weaknesses? We're going deep in Romans 8,
and that's the last. And that's the whole sermon will
be on that last point.