4) Power for the Church to grow in numbers: Acts 9:31 "Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. The work of the Holy Spirit in a Christianâs life is an on-going process of becoming holy through sanctification. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Word of God and is also the interpreter to man so that we can understand the written or preached Word. The important subject of spiritual gifts as bestowed by the Holy Spirit must be considered first, as the preliminary to all the operations of the Spirit. The most important characteristic of the Holy Spirit is not who he is but what he does. According to these verses, it is impossible for anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit, to do anything of the Spirit, on the contrary, everything that he does, he does in the flesh. Paul states that at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment, Jesus actually will bow humbly before the Father in acknowledgement of God's Sovereignty. Why do we need general revelation to interpret special revelation? Sadly, the Spirit of truth does not dwell in unbelievers; however, Jesus said that the disciples did know Him (as they were followers of Christ), and the Spirit dwelled within them. I. The Scripture speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit among the unsaved. This is the way it has to be. Also: 1 Cor 2:14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. According to Paul, natural man left to himself does not even seek God: âNone is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks for Godâ (Rom 3:10â11 esv). That much is clear. Most of our study on the Holy Spirit has been on His relationship to Christians, but in this passage we are informed of His relationship to the world of unbelievers. Galatians 3:14. 1. BSac 150:598 (Apr 93) p. 206 The Ministry of Reproof In John 16:8â11 Jesus described one aspect of the Spiritâs evangelistic work. Resisting the Spirit. It is our job to work with the Holy Spirit to perfect these gifts so that we may be holy examples to others. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth for a reason, since the Spirit is the one who â will guide you into all truth â (John 16:13). He strives to make us holy, but He also works in the world by restraining evil. Later Paul confirmed that only believers can benefit from the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit for the unsaved world constitutes another proof that God is a God of infinite grace and condescension, working in those who are the objects of His righteous judgment, striving to bring them to the knowledge of Christ as Savior. Denying self so that the Holy Spirit may manifest Jesusâ life in us requires a constant, unrelenting battle. 2:14). It is an assumption in the New Testament that unbelievers will be in the midst of Godâs people in public worship. Holy living is not left up to us to produce; it is solely the work of the Holy Spirit living in us. Galatians 3:5 . In the same way, we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes constantly to our sins as we read and hear the Word. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer. He guides believers as we fill our minds with Scripture and meditate upon God's Word. 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 0. Romans 9:1. The Holy Spirit gives us new life in Jesus Christ. Tweet on Twitter. He also works in unbelievers who are not able to resist His power to bring about God's plans and purposes. John 16:7-11. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. Through the work we are called to do (Zechariah 4:6). Is modern prophecy special or general revelation? (2 Tim. This is also true for unbelievers. 3:16) Do we need the Holy Spirit to help us understand even simple truths? Sin â showing that they have fallen short of Godâs standard. The Holy Spiritâthe personal presence of Godâis at work in this world. The key word is in verse 8. So ⦠Does God reveal things in dreams and intuitions? Before I dive into the work of the Holy Spirit, can I say that this is nothing you have to be scared of or worried about. Listen Now! What does He do for the unbeliever? The Holy Spirit brings joy. This is what is in view in Luke 4:18 when Jesus spoke of being empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish the awesome task of saving His people from their sins. Certainly all three are one (if you have seen me you have seen the Father) but there are absolutely distinct responsibilities. As your fathers did, so do youâ (Acts 7:51), and all you need to do is read about ancient Israelâs history to see that itâs true. Why is truth analog rather than binary? THE HOLY SPIRIT AND UNBELIEVERS. He has characteristics and attributes like a person; He does work. It is important that we understand what the Spirit seeks to accomplish in the lives of unbelievers so that we can cooperate with His agenda and thus be used by Him in the lives of non-Christians. As Pope John Paul II has written, "Having accomplished the work that the Father had entrusted to the Son on earth (John 17:4), on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent to sanctify the Church for ever, so that believers might have access to the Father through Christ in one Spirit" (Eph 2: 18). How the Holy Spirit Goads Unbelievers to Faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit confirms things as true. By J.D. The Word of God is Christ, but The Word is not the Holy Spirit. So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? The Holy Spirit can be invited. How do we come into personal contact with the Holy Spirit? HE CONVICTS AND CONVINCES CONCERNING SIN (v. 9). The text informs us that the chief thing the Holy Spirit was to do for people who were not Christians was reprove or convict them. Does the Holy Spirit really work in unbelievers? "All Scripture is God-breathed." 9. All have sinned. November 9, 2019 Acts 26:12-18 (NIV) âOn one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. The Holy Spirit confirms that what we are saying and doing is truthful. God will not place you into a position or ask you to accomplish a task for which He will not fully equip and enable you. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." So without further ado, here are some of the Scripture verses that show what the Holy Spirit does for you. Jesus said, âNo one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born againâ (John 3:3). How the Holy Spirit Goads Unbelievers to Faith in Jesus. It is His power through us that emboldens us and carries out the work. Think about the time when the Holy Spirit is taken out of the world! Scripture always refers to the power of the Holy Spirit in relationship to witnessing and glorifying God. Diving deeper into the Greek, we see that the Greek word for âconvictâ is elegcho which is also translated as reprove, rebuke, refute, show fault with, and expose in other verses of the New Testament. If we truly realized this, self-effort would cease, and we would make room for the Holy Spirit to produce in us the life of Jesus. The Holy Spirit may be called holy because of His work in our lives. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord." Our whole part is simply to surrender ourselves utterly to Him to lead and mold us. His power leads us, convicts us, teaches us, and equips us to do His work and spread the gospel. You think itâs an evil world now? Walt - November 8, 2019. The Holy Spirit still works in the world today, accomplishing God's will through believers. rejection that follows from this improper assessment of Godâs Word causes further hardness of heart and further ignorance in a cycle of futility (Eph 4:18â19) that can be interrupted only by the Holy Spirit. âThe man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discernedâ (1 Cor. The clearest answer is found in our text. Only after studying the Bible within context does the personal qualities of the Holy Spirit emerge. On the contrary, Paul tells us in Romans 1:18-20 that the unsaved are responsible for their actions, since âwhat may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. Mankind needs life. 1 Thessalonians 1:6. He carries out a ministry parallel to that of Jesus and permanently abides in the life of a believer. You must be born again. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. The Holy Spirit gives us power. During our lives, we suppress the voice of the Holy Spirit and live on our own understanding. Acts 1:8 âBut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.â Hereâs the car analogy. 1. Our spirit within us, made in the image of God, is dead toward God. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Stop doing this! Notice that "the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message" So He's doing it. Adoption as children of God. The Holy Spirit draws us to God and is a revealer of sins. In the New Testament, these qualities are revealed when the Holy Spirit exercises the redemptive power of God the Father and Jesus the Son. Through the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit, believers will not indulge the sinful acts of the flesh ( Galatians 5:16-21 ) but will bear the good fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22-25 ). Acts 10:44-45. Letâs look at how the Holy Spirit convicts. INTRO: The Holy Spirit has an exciting, unique, essential ministry to carry out in our world today. He also allows us to understand the truth of the Word of God. Though he has a sin nature and is not yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit, this does not mean that he is completely devoid of the knowledge of God, of good and evil, and of right and wrong. So if you want to know the truth, you will need the Holy Spirit to teach it to you. Second, the work of the Holy Spirit in filling the believer, with consideration of its Biblical conditions and results, must be presented. Yet the Holy Spirit is more than just a force or formless entity. The Holy Spirit convinces unbelievers of sin, righteousness and judgment. But what about believers? Don't forget that the Holy Spirit is the Person who inspired the Bible to be written. With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. Share on Facebook. Without this ministry, the world would be an impossible situation for the Christian, and Gospel preaching would be fruitless. While it is true that the Bible was written by people, and they had their own style of writing, using their own known experience, the Holy Spirit moved them to write and thus there are no errors in the Bible as recorded originally. When Stephen was on trial for his faith in Christ, he bluntly told the Jewish religious leaders, âYou stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. Jesus does appear to be talking about the Holy Spiritâs role of convicting unbelievers of sin in the above passage. The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer falls into two well-defined categories. The Holy Spirit is not in our⦠Not only does the Holy Spirit help us when we are weak, but He prays for us as well. Therefore, all are dead toward God. The Greek word ⦠This does not mean that we have nothing to do. He affirms the truths. The Spirit and the Word at Work in Salvation - The Holy Spirit works through the words of Scripture. This is the means whereby a person receives the gift of salvation , or eternal life. For if it werenât for the work of the Holy Spirit, no one would ever become a Christian. 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