58. The Holy Spirit - Truth Bringer Series

• More of that in a later section. For now we are concerned with the process whereby one is “called” in this age.

• The key to moving one from living a life “according to the flesh” to one of living a life “according to the Spirit” is the Holy Spirit.

• John 16:8 (NJKV) And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

• The Spirit is going to do something that humanity in its fallen state has a difficult, if not impossible task, of doing and that is, to “fess up” to their deceptive and sinful ways.

• Peter echoed this role of the Spirit in his speech on the day of Pentecost – “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;” (Acts 2:17).

• We talk about the “God-shaped hole” in everyone’s heart that mankind is desperately trying to fill.

• Unfortunately, he tries to fill it with all the wrong things (Jeremiah 2:13), power, fame, wealth, drugs, sex, etc.

• But we have been carefully designed and created so only one thing can fill this God-shaped hole, and that is a relationship with God Himself.

• However, this all changed when the veil opening the way to the Father was rent asunder by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

• This opened the way for God to pour out His healing Spirit on mankind and for man through the same Spirit to draw near to God.

• The Holy Spirit is sent forth to reveal the risen Christ to those the Father has determined to be part of the church age (John 6:44).

• 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Here is the word, “firstfruits” again, which implies additional fruits sometime in the future.

• And notice who is the one doing the choosing? God the Father (John 6:44).

• What we are concerned with here is the role the Spirit plays in the conversion process. Salvation is made possible through three steps: 1) the sanctifying works of the Spirit; 2) through belief in the truth; and 3) through our gospel.

• We will look at these in reverse order as that is the process the Spirit leads us through

Through our gospel.

• Our new life in the Spirit begins with the hearing of the gospel.

• Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

• The process begins with someone sharing the gospel message with them.

• We have to recognise there are two powers at work here.

• First of all, the gospel of Jesus Christ has a power all its own as it is the very word of God.

• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, (the hearing) you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.