Tonkawa,
Last week we looked at the Holy Spirit in eternity as found that He is God, Life Giver, and Life Sustainer. For the next two weeks we’ll look at the Spirit’s person and work in the present.
Where to begin?
Our CLC statement of Faith attempts to convey the Spirit’s work in one paragraph, but it’s hardly sufficient!
“...the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.”
Who and what is the Spirit in the present? First and foremost, in this present age, the Spirit is the “Jesus Glorifier”
In John 16:14 Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes…He will glorify me…”
This means every moment in your life, any good work you’ve ever done unto the Lord, anytime you’ve opened up God’s word for yourself, or felt your heart strangely warmed from a teacher unpacking it, or any time you’ve resisted your sinful flesh and chosen the joys of holiness, you can bet that’s the Spirit of God working in you, glorifying Jesus.
Next, the Spirit in love shows us our sin and need for a savior.
“When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8)”
As the Gospel is preached under Spirit’s power, as you, not just “the professionals”, but every member of the body, open your mouth and declare the gospel, not only do the guilty “see” their guilt before God, they “feel” it. That’s the Spirit taking your stammering lisping tongue and putting it to work to save the lost! If you’ve ever been horrified by your sin, or terrified by God’s right wrath towards sin, that’s the Spirit bringing those realites to bear on your soul. It’s not an eloquent speaker or Christian halloween spook house that bids us to flee from the wrath to come, it’s the Spirit, who wants no one to face that day unprepared. The Spirit prefers to offend us with the tough truth about our sin now, rather than allow us to take our self-righteous delusions into the not yet. God convicts the world of sin because God is love. And as this is happening, as the Spirit is convicting us of guilt, He ...
