The Work of the Holy Spirit
Sunday Evening Bible Study
November 28, 1999
Introduction
We’ve talked about the Holy Spirit as a person. He’s not some impersonal force, He’s a real person. We have a relationship with real people. And we’ve talked about the deity of the Holy Spirit. He isn’t just any old person, He’s God. Sometimes we have a problem identifying just who a person actually is.
The Bible says that as Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Do we recognize who it is that lives in us? If we really had a clue who the Holy Spirit is, would it change how we relate to Him?
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
We’ve seen so far:
1. He dwells in us
2. He assures us of our salvation
3. He seals us
4. He is the Comforter
5. He works truth in us
6. He teaches us
7. He guides us
8. He testifies about Jesus
9. He helps us pray
10. He makes us "holy"
One of the chief works that the Holy Spirit will do in our lives is to work on us to make us "holy". The process of growing in "holiness" is called sanctification.
1 Peter 1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.To be "holy" means to be separated for a special use. For us, being holy means to be pure, separate from sin, and separated for God’s use only.
God wants us to be holy because He is holy.
1 Pet 1:15-16
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; {16} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.God is serious about us being holy.
After the Israelites had been delivered out of Egypt, they landed at Mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Moses also received instructions about how God was to be worshipped, including directions for building the Tabernacle and instructions about things like sacrifices. When they first set up the Tabernacle, we read:
Lev 9:23-24
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. {24} And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.It was an awesome time. Fire from heaven. Two of Aaron’s sons were hanging around in the back, and when God poured out fire from the heaven, they thought that since they too were priests, they ought to be doing something priestly –
Lev 10:1-3
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. {2} And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. {3} Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.What was "strange fire"? It was simply something that God hadn’t asked for. They didn’t follow directions. They died. God desires "holiness" from those who serve Him. We find out later that there may have been more involved than we were first aware of:
Lev 10:8-10
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, {9} Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: {10} And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;It seems that Nadab and Abihu had been drinking a little. And because of that, they were unable to make the kinds of decisions and choices that would keep them in a place of holiness.
Holiness is not an optional thing for a Christian. It comes with the territory.
1 Th 4:1-8
Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. {2} For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. {3} For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: {4} That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; {5} Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: {6} That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. {7} For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. {8} He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.God’s will is for us to be holy. It’s not an option. Here, in writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gives the example of not living in immorality. Immorality is defined as any kind of sex outside the boundaries of marriage. But holiness goes far beyond the issues of immorality.
If you have a problem with wanting to be holy, your problem isn’t with me, it’s with God. Your problem is with the "Holy" Spirit, whose purpose it is to produce holiness in your life.
We’ve talked about learning more about who the Holy Spirit is. We want to be able to recognize His presence by the things He does. One of the products that the Holy Spirit is going to produce in a person’s life is holiness.
There are people out there who are claiming to be Christians, but their lives are totally wrapped up in impure, worldly things. It’s not that these people aren’t true Christians. They may truly be believers in Jesus. But don’t confuse their worldliness with the Lord. They may claim to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and they may have been, but realize that the Holy Spirit is greatly grieved and greatly quenched by their actions. I’ve known people who have claimed a great relationship with the Holy Spirit, but whose lives are characterized by gross immorality. All I can say is that if the Holy Spirit is working in them, it’s only on the surface.
The holiness I’m talking about is not a proud "I’m-holier-than-thou" kind of holiness. It is a holiness that isn’t based on whether people are watching. I’ve seen statistics from hotels that host Christian conventions. They say that at most Christian conventions, the pornographic movies are watched just as often as during other conventions.
The holiness I’m talking about is a purity that comes from a desire deep in the heart to be pleasing to God.
Illustration
Once there was this very wealthy young man. He lived in a great, elaborate house with dozens of rooms. Each room was more comfortable and more beautiful than the one before it. There were paintings and sculptures. Crystal chandeliers, golden, ornate railings on the stairs. More beauty than most have ever seen. One day he decided to invite the Lord to come home and stay with him. When the Lord arrived, this young man offered him the very best room in the house. The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall. "This room is yours, Jesus! Stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to in this room, remember Jesus, its all yours." "Thank you" the Lord replied, and with that the man shut the door and went about his daily business. That evening after he had retired for the night there came a loud knocking at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made his way downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the devil had sent three of his demons to attack the man. He quickly tried to close the door but one of the demons kept sticking his foot in. Sometime later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and returned to his room totally exhausted. Can you believe that! The man thought. Jesus is upstairs in my very best room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh, well, maybe he just didn’t hear. He slept fitfully that night. The next day things went along as normal and, being tired as he was, the young man retired early that evening. Along about midnight, there came such a terrible ruckus at the front door that the young man was sure that whatever it was would tear the door down. He stumbled down the stairs once again and opened the door to find that there were dozens of demons now trying to get into his beautiful home. For more than three hours he fought and struggled against the demons from hell and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their attack. All energy seemed to fail him. He really didn’t understand this at all. Why won’t the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to fight all by myself? I feel so alone. Troubled, he found his way to the sofa and fell into a restless sleep. The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the happenings of the last two evenings. Quietly he made his way to the elegant bedroom where he had left Jesus. "Jesus," he called as he tapped at the door. "Lord, I don’t understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here sleeping. Don’t you care about me? Did I not give you the very best room in the house? He could see the tears building in Jesus’ eyes but continued on, "I just don’t understand. I really thought that once I invited you in to live with me that you would take care of me and I gave you the best room in my house and everything. What more can I do?" "My precious child," Jesus spoke so softly. "I do love and care for you. I protect all that you have released into my care. But when you invited me to come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you shut the door to the rest of your house. I am Lord of this room but I am not Master of this house. I have protected this room and no demon may enter here." "Oh, Lord, please forgive me. Take all of my house - it is yours. I am so sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I want you to have control of everything." With this he flung open the bedroom door and knelt at Jesus’ feet. "Please forgive me Lord for being so selfish." Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven him and that He would take care of things from now on. That night as the young man prepared for bed he thought to himself, "I wonder if those demons will return. I am so tired of fighting them each and every night." But he knew that Jesus said that he would take care of things from now on. Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The young man slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the stairs. He watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door, no need to be afraid. Satan stood at the door this time demanding to be let in. "What do you want, Satan?" the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the presence of the Lord, "So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong address." And with that, he and the demons all ran away.
There is a moral to this tale. Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He will take all that you give Him but nothing more. How much of your heart have you given to the Lord? Are you keeping a portion of it away from Him? Perhaps the attacks are coming more and more each day. Why not let the Lord fight the battles for you? He is always victorious. I have found that God made man simple, all of man's complexities are of his own devising.
Author Unknown