#3 in a series on the Holy Spirit: From Rags to Riches: Guaranteed!
Pastor Michael Wise
#3 in a series on the Holy Spirit
From Rags to Riches: Guaranteed!
This world has many marketers guaranteeing you riches or success if you just buy/use their product. I wonder if Satan uses those resulting failures to get people to doubt when they hear the success God guarantees/promises them?
Revelation 7:9-14 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
While in vision, John sees a group of people, larger than he can count, standing before God’s throne. They have come from different races, ethnicities, and cultures of mankind. But they have accepted one culture – that of heaven! How? Through grace. Through the sacrifice of Christ they have passed through the fiery trials of the great tribulation, they have overcome sin and been made new.
Don’t you want to be in that group? I know I do! So how can we do that? Especially when we realize our present condition? Scripture says this about our fallen natures:
Isaiah 64:6-8 “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. 7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. 8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.”
God had given this promise to Israel, but the promise and the land was typological of the promise for all God’s people of the true Promised Land – heaven! And a result of obedience
Deutonomy 11:10-13,14 “For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; 11 “but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, 12 “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. 13 `And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 `then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.”
Did you notice this promise is conditional – on obedience? So how can sick fallen people obey?
God’s people have to desire, seek, and receive God’s grace to overcome – though the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This step or work of the Holy Spirit on our hearts can be considered the early rain. So too can the outpouring at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. When that happens, then God will pour out His Holy Spirit in the fullest measure ever seen. God’s people will finish the work on Earth as God’s true witnesses and take the everlasting gospel to everyone (Matthew 24:14).
While it is vitally important to understand the work of the Holy Spirit, it is essential to experience it!
Scripture teaches us that Jesus is our Sacrifice, our High Priest, our Advocate, and our Judge.
1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Knowing He would soon be returning to heaven, He gave this assurance:
John 14:16-18 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — 17 “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
There are 2 Greek words for “Another/Other”
Heteros – another of different kind
And the one used above: Allos – another of the same kind
Jesus was teaching us that that the Holy Spirit is the same kind of helper as Him. The Holy Spirit is Divine – the 3rd Person of the trinity or triune Godhead.
While Jesus would be ministering in our behalf in the heavenly court, the Holy Spirit would be our Comforter/Advocate on earth.
Because of their similarity and the Spirit’s ministry, when you have the Holy Spirit’s presence you have Jesus’ presence.
Have you ever stopped to consider the Holy Spirit’s Work?:
First He works “on” me/us. He brings us to conviction of our sins, of righteousness in Christ, and of the coming judgment which includes the end of sin, Satan and his host, and unrepentant sinners: John 16:8-11 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
Next He works “in” of me/us. The Holy Spirit (also referred to as the Holy Ghost, or Spirit of God, or Spirit) works change in my/our life implanting the character of God in my heart and mind. We also refer to this as the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus had said that when we remain in a saving relationship with Him, we would bear much fruit – through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
John 15:5 He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Scripture also tells us what that fruit is:
Galatians 5:22 fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
It is the character of the triune God: Father, Son, and Spirit.
Next He works “out” of me/us. Enabled with the developing character of God in me/us (the fruit of the Spirit). I/we began to minister to the needs others: spiritually with the gospel truth, as well as in other practical ways.
We are also given spiritual gifts through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. These gifts enable God’s church to be effective and have the abilities for appropriate forms of ministry, and for aiding the salvation of others.
Spiritual Gifts generally come after spiritual fruit, and are to benefit and build up the church. They are not for selfish use or gain.
1 Corinthians 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all”
1 Corinthians 14:12 “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.”
Every true Christian is given at least 1 gift, while different/varied, all the gifts are important. It is important to discover what your gift(s) is and use it as Guide wills.
It is because of the workings of the Holy Spirit that we can move from Laodicea to the victorious church = We will someday experience a new Pentecost, the latter/final rain.
Deuteronomy 28 contains the blessings God promised as well as the curses that will naturally result on those who reject God’s grace. We need and should earnestly desire and seek those blessings.
God’s church should be a storehouse of these blessings, yet, perhaps you have visited God’s church – or your own heart – only to be disappointed in what you found. Scripture portrays God’s church as asleep, lukewarm, self-righteous, Laodicean. We are in great need of revival!
One inspired author put it this way (emphasis mine):
“A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer. While the people are so destitute of God’s Holy spirit, they cannot appreciate the preaching of the Word; but when the Spirit’s power touches their hearts, then the discourses given will not be without effect.” 1SM 121.1
As I mentioned earlier, the Holy Spirit is sent to bring conviction, and wake us from our spiritual lethargy (John 16:8-11)
And if we do, we will find the Spirit working justification nd sanctification in us, as well as spiritual gifts for ministry.
Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Friend, we cannot “earn” the Spirit. He is a gift, sent by Jesus. The Spirit can only be received by faith into our hearts/minds. And when we do receive Him, we are adopted into the family of God!
Galatians 3:2-7,26 “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? — 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
I pray that this message is helping you see both the urgent need for the Spirit and His work/role. When you receive the Holy Spirit and as long as you allow Him to do His work in your heart, you have the assurance, the guarantee of salvation, because the Spirit does not fail in His ministry. He accomplishes the securing of the new covenant in you – a new heart, writing God’s laws on your heart and mind, enabling you to obey God through Christ’s power, making you a new creature!
Failure can/will only happen if we do not receive Him – the Holy Spirit – in faith, or continue to faithfully abide in Him – Jesus Christ – through the Spirit’s work.
Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
2 Corinthians 1:20-22 “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Romans 8:14-16 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”
Hebrews 10:15-17 “But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
(Jer. 31:31-34)
Galatians 5:18 “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
You are not under its condemnation, because the Spirit has written it in your heart and mind and connected you to Christ and His power for victory.
Friend, my appeal to you is simple: do you see your need of the Holy Spirit, a need for revival in your life? Would you like to receive the Holy Spirit? Remember, He is a gift, from Jesus and the Father, that they long to give you… it really is as simple as asking and receiving in faith, and claiming God’s promised Gift.
John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (Rom. 13:8-10)
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.