“Fellowship With the Holy Spirit” – Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Matthew Zehr
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7 ESV
- Do you live like your relationship with the Holy Spirit is a visiting presence or like an abiding presence?
- The question is not, “Do you cognitively know that as a believer the Holy Spirit dwells in you?”
- That’s part of it, we do need to cognitively know that truth, but the question is, “Does your everyday life reflect or bear fruit that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?”
“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” John 16:8 ESV
- Convict – to bring to the light, expose, or convince. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the world and in individual hearts; to convince and convict of these truths.
- Concerning sin (verse 9) – the Holy Spirit demonstrates or proves that we are sinful. Conviction of sin is not the same as condemnation. This conviction brings to light the sin in us but also gives hope that we can be saved from that sin.
- Righteousness (verse 10) – The Holy Spirit shows the world the righteousness of Jesus and its own unrighteousness. The life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to heaven demonstrated that He had perfectly fulfilled the Father’s will and had proven Himself righteous – and exposed the lack of righteousness in the world that rejected Him.
- Judgment (verse 11) – The judgment of Satan himself means that there will be a day when he will receive his punishment in full. With this is the truth that every human will stand before God one day to be judged. (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10-12, Matthew 25:31-46)
- Normally conviction is followed by judgment. When the Holy Spirit works, there is an in-between step: the revelation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, THE GOSPEL, which can satisfy the judgment for the convicted person.
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 ESV
- Repent, obey, and receive.
- This passage is specifically talking about nonbelievers who have heard the gospel and have asked, “What must we do to be saved?”
- But I also believe that this process of repent, obey, and receive is how believers continue to grow and close that gap between who we are and who He called us to be.
- Am I willing trust and submit?
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:23-24 ESV
- Search me, try me, see me.
- This prayer of David, and hopefully us, is not said for the sake of God. God does know our heart and our thoughts.
- David said this, and hopefully we do, for his own sake, that God would search and make known to him what was in his heart, and try him by His Word, as gold is tried in the fire.
- This part of the prayer will likely bring us to a point for repentance.
- Lead me.
- After repentance, turning from any grievous way in us, we now are in a position to follow the leading of God into everlasting life.
- This part of the prayer calls for ongoing obedience (following) and receiving (salvation, life, the Holy Spirit in us).
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