Faith In The Holy Spirit

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: John 16; Lord's Day 20
Psalters: 49, 27, 256, 298
Preparatory to the Lord's Supper
  1. Who He is.
    1. The Holy Spirit is a Person (not just a power), the third Person of the Trinity: God the Spirit.
      1. He is a distinct Person in the Godhead (John 14:16; 14:26; 16:8,13,14).
      2. He is equal with God the Father and God the Son.
    2. He is given to the church as the Spirit of Christ.
      1. He was first given to Jesus at His exaltation as Head of the church (Acts 2:33), and then Jesus gave this Spirit to the church.
      2. The Spirit indwells each elect, uniting each church member to Christ and to each other (I Cor. 12:12,13; Eph. 4:3).
  2. The Spirit is the means Christ uses to distribute the benefits He earned. We partake of Christ's benefits through the Spirit.
    1. First, the Spirit regenerates, giving the new life in Christ to those previously dead in sin (John 3:8; Rom. 8:10,11; Ezek. 37).
    2. The "Spirit of truth" leads the church and each believer into all truth (John 16:13; I Tim. 4:1).
    3. The Spirit convicts of sin (John 16:9).
    4. The Spirit convinces the regenerated that Jesus is the Son of God and that He earned forgiveness in His suffering and death.
      1. He convinces us through faith that we have the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed and freely given us as our own.
      2. The Spirit convinces us that we have peace with God through Jesus (Rom. 5:1), so we are filled with thankfulness.
    5. The Spirit sanctifies, conforming us more and more to the image of God's Son (Titus 3:5; II Thess. 2:13; I Peter 1:2).
    6. The Spirit seals us "to the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).
  3. The Spirit makes us partakers of final salvation by promise, for He is the earnest of it (II Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14).
    1. Let us be aware of His presence in us, though He never speaks of Himself (only of Jesus).
      1. It is He Who unites us to Jesus, our Husband (I Cor. 3:16).
      2. Let us live as though our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we must take care of them for Him!
    2. Let us be careful not to "grieve" or "quench" the Spirit (Eph. 4:30; I Thess. 5:19).
    3. See evidence of the Spirit at work in us.