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7/4/16

Works the Holy Spirit does in the believers life

Jesus talks about the details of the himself being "the way, the truth and the life" in John 14:1-16:33, he promised to send the Holy Spirit to everyone who believes in him. He told us these things so that we won't abandon our faith John 16:1, when we see the world not just rejecting Jesus but even hating Jesus and the Creator, Lord, Father God (John 15:18-25). The Holy Spirit helps us by guiding us into truth, reminding us of Jesus and giving us gifts to continue Jesus' ministry. This is all possible because of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit
Jesus promises to send the Helper, Advocate to his disciples (John 16:7). When he comes he convicts the world of its sin and of God's righteousness and the coming judgment (John 16:8). Sin is refusing to believe in Jesus, righteousness is available because Jesus goes to the Father and Judgment because the ruler of this world has already been judged (John 16:9-11).

  • What is the sin that the Helper, Advocate is convicting the world of today? What does refusing to believe in Jesus look like? What is the righteousness that is available because of Jesus? What is this judgment that is to come? 

Jesus wants his disciples to know many things but they can't bear it. It's like telling a 3 year to get into an airplane and fly across the ocean. Jesus knows that 3 year old will be a great pilot but he can't bear that now. Jesus explains further, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard (from Jesus for his glory, John 16:14-15). He will tell you about the future. (more on sin, righteousness, judgment John 16:7-11)"


  • Truth in our modern world has become a relative term, describing an individuals psychological response to their experience (body, mind, thoughts and consciousness). This definition is the "fact or belief that is accepted as true." So two people can be in the same situation and hold a different "truth". They may have wealth and say, "the truth is, I'm not happy" or have a disobedient child and say, "the truth is, I love this child no matter what"
  • Traditionally truth is "that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality". This deals with the reality of what has actually happened. Actuality; actual existence, typically as contrasted with what was intended, expected, or believed. This is seen in the Bible, in the life of Joseph where man intended harm but God made it good (Genesis 50:20), as well as the for the Christian, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28)"
  • The Spirit of truth comes and will guide you into all truth. What different techniques does a guide use in comparison to a teacher? I've walked in town without a guide and then took the same walk with a guide and I found that I didn't see, understand or comprehend what was around me without the guide. A guide brings the learner into a place of discovery.

Jesus ministry continues through the Holy Spirit
We don't see Jesus, since he is risen - alive in heaven (Acts 1:9-12), but we rejoice having received the Holy Spirit, we can ask the Father directly in Jesus Name and receive abundant joy, or joy made full (John 16:23-24). This is why Christians pray "in Jesus name". Jesus explains how the Holy Spirit enables us to come directly to the Father, in his name " for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. (John 16:27)"

  • What evidence is there that this is true? What claims are being made by Jesus? Have I experienced abundant joy from sorrow? This is a born again experience for many (including me). Some Christians I've met haven't had this definite "conversion" experience, others have but it didn't really impact there lives later on. In Luke 8:4-15 Jesus explains that God's word grows in the hearts of "honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest." 1 Corinthians 12:3 affirms all who say, "Jesus is Lord" and does not curse Jesus is doing this by the Holy Spirit.
  • John 3:16-21 Jesus himself teaches that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that who ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus didn't come to condemn the world but to save the world through himself (the world was already condemned at Genesis 3). But this is the verdict; God's light came into the world but people loved darkness more than light because there deeds were evil. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.
  • In John 3:33-36, John the Baptist said about Jesus, "Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Jesus Christ crucified (power of God, salvation)
1 Corinthians 2:2-5 - explains why the symbol of Christ is the cross, not the empty cross but the cross with a man hanging from it. Jesus life (fully God, fully man), death, resurrection, ascension and soon return is the core belief of Christianity (1 Corinthians 15:1-58). Without this the rest of the promises and wisdom from God will be unacceptable to anyone (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).
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  • The Holy Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:17), we are in Christ, blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3), we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, when we heard and believed in the gospel (Eph 1:13-14, Romans 10:9-15). 
  • There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)
  • Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. (Romans 8:5-8)
Resurrection power, Spiritual Gifts

  • 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.) 
    • 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. 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 Spirit living within you. (Romans 8:9-11)
  • Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (Romans 8:12-14)
  • So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. (Romans 8:15-17)
    • The world is suffering and so are we awaiting the day we have full rights as his adopted children including resurrected bodies. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) (Romans 8:18-25)
    • The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, when we don't know what to pray - the Holy Spirit prays for us, the Father knows what the Spirit is saying, pleading for us believers in harmony with God's own will - and God cause all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:26-30)
    • All of this is to say, nothing can ever separate us from God. Not death nor life, angels or demons, or the powers of hell. Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)
  • We are given gifts of the Spirit to help each other grow and serve faithfully according to the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Like the body has many parts performing vital functions so does the spiritual body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)



John 16;1 Corinthians 12:3;1 Corinthians 2,3:17; Ephesians1; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 12,6:19-20,Ephesians 5:18,Galatians 5, Acts 1:8;2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:23
http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/42-158/Gods-Generous-Response-to-Boldness-in-Prayer
The ascended Lord Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to his people.
What are the names and titles of the Holy Spirit?
What happened when our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven?