The Characteristics and Works of the Holy Spirit

The title of the sermon today is Characteristics and Works of the Holy Spirit. A lot of churches, not God's churches, but other churches celebrate the whole weekend, Pentecost weekend, and to some degree we do the same. So I would ask you today, what do you know and understand about the Holy Spirit? It seems that everything on Pentecost centers around the Holy Spirit. So let's note what the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit is the life essence of God and of Christ, and each one of us has the Holy Spirit in him or her. If they have repented of their sins, exercise faith in Christ, been baptized, and received the laying on of hands. The Holy Spirit enables us, if you look, to worship God in spirit and in truth. In John 4 and verse 24, I would ask you to write these scriptures down and to review them this evening and tonight. John 4, 24, God is spirit. That is his essence. We are flesh. That is our essence. And through the Holy Spirit, God does works of power. Now in verse 23, the verse that precedes this verse 24, it says that the Holy Spirit allows us to worship God in spirit and in truth. God seeks those to worship him. He seeks them who are versed in the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The Word of God and the Spirit of God work together. Now through the years, going back even decades ago, we have had sort of a robotic utterance concerning what the Holy Spirit is through the years by saying the Holy Spirit is the power of God. The Holy Spirit is the power of God. Well, the Holy Spirit is God's essence. That's what he is. The word power is associated with the Holy Spirit because it is through God's Spirit that he does works of power. Now we cannot list all of the works of the Holy Spirit, but among the works are the Holy Spirit leads, it guides, the Holy Spirit begets us with the Word of Truth, the Holy Spirit begets us to a new way of life. There are so many scriptures with regard to what the Holy Spirit actually does. Now let's go to John, the book of John chapter 14, and we'll see a little bit more here on John 16, and we'll begin in verse 7. John 16 and verse 7.

John 16 verse 7, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter, and we read, Mr. Nozzle read John 14, 26, in his sermonette, the Comforter is identified as the Holy Spirit, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I go and depart, I will send it unto you. You've got to realize that in the translations of the Bible, virtually every translation of the Bible, they were the Bibles basically translated into English by Protestant translators. They try to preserve the Trinity in their translations. Now, John 16, 23 says that we will both come and make our abode in him. That is, in the believer, one who repents, exercises faith in Christ.

He is baptized and receives, laying on of hands. We will both come and make our abode in him. The disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem until they received the power from on high. But let's continue here in John 16. So we read verse 7, now verse 8, and when he is come, and it should be it, the Holy Spirit is not a person. More about that as we go along. One of the most damnable doctrines that ever was is the Trinity, and it is the bastion. It is a measure of what they call orthodoxy. Orthodoxy simply means of the same opinion. If you're not of the opinion that God is a Trinity, then the world labels you as a heretic. So we continue here with regard to the Holy Spirit, and when it is come, it will reprove the world of sin. Now the word reprove is the Greek word, I call it elancho. It is not pronounced exactly that way. It is el...

it is e le el co, something like that. I call it elancho, it's easier to say. And when it is come, it will reprove the world of sin. And that word in the English means to reprove the world of sins means to convict. There are two convicting agents that convict you of sin. That is the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. How shall they preach unless they be sent?

That's from Romans chapter 10. So that is one of the reasons why Christ raised up the church, is that the Word of God might be preached. And along with, in concert with, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, one would be convicted of their sins. Now you can be convicted of other things as well. The Holy Spirit can can influence Gentile people to do different things. The Holy Spirit, God convinced Cyrus to let Israel, Judah in this case, return to what's called the Holy Land and build the Second Temple.

So the Holy Spirit can convict a person, can change their mind, even people who are not, quote, in the church. Now a lot of people can hear the gospel preached beautifully, though people sometimes don't really understand what the gospel is, that God is bringing sons and daughters to glory in his family, in his kingdom.

So when it is come, it will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Now we go to verse 13. How be it when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, tell Numa, it will guide you into all truth. So God, through the Holy Spirit, guides you into truth. You come to understand the will, the purpose, the providence of God. But whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak. It shall show you things to come. So it does not speak, earlier I skipped this, for it shall not speak of itself, but whatsoever it shall hear. What is the Holy Spirit here?

The Holy Spirit hears the Word of God. So as I mentioned earlier, we go to Acts chapter 1, and we see here the commandment that was made for the disciples to wait in Jerusalem, and they would receive power from on high. So we go to Acts chapter 1 and verse 4, and being assembled together with them, about 120 together together, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which said, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from here.

So very soon after that, verse 7, and he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power, but you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. So the very essence of God, God's Holy Spirit pervades the universe. David talked about if I go to the very depths of the earth, wherever I go, your spirit is with me loosely paraphrasing what David wrote, but you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the world.

So the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost, as you can read about in Acts chapter 2. We see here that they are going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It will come upon you, and you'll receive. You'll be immersed in the Holy Spirit. You'll be be gotten to a new way of life. Now, the Bible speaks of three baptisms. Now, we sang a song in the song service that says, One Baptism, and I was part of the editing committee when we approved that hymn.

That means there is one Spirit, there's one baptism into the Church of God. There's one baptism into the truth. There's one baptism that will be yet you that serves to prepare you to be be gotten to the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Now, if you go back to Matthew chapter 3, you'll quickly see these baptisms that are laid out here in Matthew 3 and verse 11.

I indeed baptized you with water unto repentance. So John did the baptism of repentance. He water baptized. John did not lay on hands. The people that John baptized, you read about later in the book of Acts, that when Paul came upon believers in the book of Acts, that he said, have you received the Holy Spirit since you were baptized? They said, we've not even heard of the Holy Spirit. I don't know how that could be, but when John wrote this, he said, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I'm not worthy to bear, and he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. So you've got water baptism, you've got baptism, the Holy Spirit, and you got the baptism of fire. God is going to judge the world of fire, and the works of this world are going to be burned up, both metaphorically. Hopefully you're burning up the works of the flesh right now and have been ever since you have been converted. Verse 12, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn the chath with unquenchable fire. And so it burns until the combustible material is burned up. So once again, the Holy Spirit is the essence of God, and God does works of power through his Spirit. You look at Genesis 1 and verse 2. Genesis 1 and verse 2. In Genesis 1, verse 2, and the earth was without form, and void and darkness upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God. More about the Spirit of God a little later, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. So God sends forth his Spirit, and the earth is renewed, as it says in the Psalms. Psalm 104, verse 30, says God sends forth his Spirit, and the earth is renewed. We have oftentimes quoted that with the gap theory of there's a long gap between Satan's rebellion and the restoration of the earth, and the restoration is depicted and described in Genesis chapter 1. Now, one of the main scriptures we want to go to is Zechariah 4 and verse 6, showing that God does his work through his Spirit. Zechariah chapter 4 and verse 6.

Zechariah is among the last prophets. Zechariah 4 and verse 6, then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, this is the word of the Eternal unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Eternal Host. And so it was through God's Spirit, stirring up the Spirit of Zerubbabel and Joshua, and rebuilding that Second Temple.

Now, with regard to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes from the Father. The Father is the source of the Holy Spirit. A lot of people don't understand this. The Catholics teach that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. In fact, that was why you have a Eastern Greek Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church is a copy of the Eastern or Greek Orthodox Church. The Great Split around circa 1000 AD, over the possession of procession. How does it proceed? The Bible is very clear. John 15 and verse 26. The procession, the procession of the Holy Spirit. In John chapter 15, when the Comforter is come, John 14, 26, tells you that the Comforter is the Holy Spirit, the Peracletos or Peracletos, whom I will send unto you from the Father. It comes from where? From the Father. If you imagine a great power station with all kinds of lines going out from it. Well, the source is from that big power station and the lines go out. So the Father is the source of the Holy Spirit, according to this, which proceeds from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, Talmuma, which proceeds from the Father, it shall testify of me. So there is no question with regard to the procession of the Holy Spirit, according to the Bible. Now, Christ plays a role in sending the Holy Spirit. The Bible uses the word shed. Now, the word shed in the Greek literally means to pour out. Christ plays a role in pouring out the Holy Spirit. So let's go to Acts chapter 2 and verse 33. The Holy Spirit has come upon them and they clove in tongues of fire on them. They spoke indifferent. They all heard the apostles speak in their language. So in Acts 2 and verse 33.

Back to Acts 2 verse 33. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted that seeth Christ, and having received of the Father, received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed or poured forth this which you now see and hear. Then he continues with various aspects. And our memory scripture of the day is, repent, be baptized, you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So receiving the Holy Spirit is conditional and it is contingent upon repentance, exercise in faith in Christ, being baptized, received of the laying on of the hands of the ministry. The Holy Spirit is of God and of Christ. Let me say that again. Here is the key.

If you're out to win an argument with anyone who thinks there is a trinity with this, the Holy Spirit is of God. A substance or essence cannot be of and yet be separate and distinct. The Spirit of God. One cannot say the Spirit of God of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God. One cannot accurately say God of the Holy Spirit. If that were true, then the Holy Spirit would be greater than God. But it is of God. It proceeds from God, from the Father, the Holy Spirit. Let us now note scriptures that show the Holy Spirit is of God. It is not the same as is God. In Matthew 3.16, notice what it says after Christ was baptized. In Matthew 3.16, Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water. This is Matthew 3.16. And lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and lighting upon him. The Spirit of God. This is my beloved Son. Matthew 12.28. Now, when I turn to certain of these scriptures, these are not necessarily the only places where this is repeated. Now, in Matthew 12.28, we see once again, it is of God. The Holy Spirit proceeds from God.

I lost my place here. I'll get it back in just a moment.

In Matthew 15 and verse 26.

In Matthew 15 verse 26, and what we were talking about is the Holy Spirit is of God. In verse 26, but he answered and said, is it not fitting?

And that's not the verse. It's John 15.26. Sorry about that. John 15.26. In John 15 and verse 26. But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, it shall testify of me. And we've already read that once. And now in Matthew 12 and verse 28. Matthew 12 and verse 28. What are we saying? We're saying that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, it is of the Father. And now in Matthew 12 and verse 28. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God comes unto you, is come unto you. Remember Zechariah 4.6, which says, not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says, the eternal host. So it is of the Spirit of God. We cannot say that God, we can say very safely, we can say very safely that God cannot be separated from his Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not freelancing on its own. The Holy Spirit is always under the direction of the Father and the Son. There is one Spirit. A lot of people don't understand this. There is one Spirit. Now the Bible oftentimes will use the Spirit, the Spirit of God, or the Spirit of Christ, but there is one Spirit, and we will show that from the Scriptures. First of all, let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 12. In 1 Corinthians 12 verse 12. For as the body is one and hath many members, and all members of that one body being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free, have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. And there are many members, of course, that have been baptized into the body of Christ. In Ephesians 4 and verse 1. Ephesians 4 is one of the more important chapters in the whole Bible, because it has so much to say about the work of the Holy Spirit and other aspects of the gospel. In Ephesians 4 and verse 1. Verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, to the faithful in Jesus Christ, graced be unto you in peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Even that verse shows there are two separate individuals, but there is one Spirit. The same Spirit that is in God is in Christ is in each one of us. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According, he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now there's controversy over verse 4. Did God know you before the foundation of the world? Or is that saying that he planned the plan of salvation, the plan, the purpose, the providence of God before the foundation of the world, and you would be called according to his will at some time later, having heard the gospel preached, having predestinated us to the adoption? That word is a very important word. When you see adoption, generally speaking in the Old King James, the Greek is huio thesia, and it means sonship. It is sonship, it is not adoption. Adoption, you do not come out of the loins of your parents. In adoption, you have different birth parents, but with us who are begotten of God's Spirit, we come out of the loins of God, and we are children of God because we are of the same essence. We receive the same essence that he is. He is Spirit. We read it in John 14, 26, God is Spirit. Those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Having predestinated us unto the sonship of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through the blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, his divine favor. God has favored you with his Holy Spirit, and that essence is in you. And we are all of one, as we're about to read Hebrews 2 and verse 10. The church is united through the Holy Spirit. Now, people who have the Holy Spirit can be disunited in that they can pick out and do whatever they might do to upset, but God will only allow that for a certain period of time. Then he will intervene. Once you have tasted the good gift of the Holy Spirit, as it says in Hebrews 6, there is no way back. If God removes his Spirit from you, then you cannot be renewed according to the Bible. That's not according to me, that's according to Scripture. Then in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10, For I became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Jesus Christ was tested and tried in every point of the law as we are being tested and tried. For both he that sanctifies and he that are sanctified are all of one, are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, because we have that same spirit essence within each one of us. Now back to Ephesians 4 and verse 1. Ephesians 4 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. Before the split between the Cogwa and United, I gave the sermon in Houston, and I use this one of the verses we'll use here, because it shows very clearly what we're supposed to do. Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherein you are called, without lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. That's what we've been called to to keep the unity of the spirit of the bond of peace. I'm sure this water was left over from last time.

Amazing.

Now continue in verse 4. There is one body, one spirit, one spirit, and even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. There's one baptism into the body of Christ.

And we've read that verse from 1 Corinthians 12, for by one spirit we all baptize into one body. Even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. So the source of the Holy Spirit is God the Father, and shed on us through Christ. And we read Acts 2.33. We haven't read it yet, but Titus also says, similar to that the Holy Spirit is shed on us through Christ. We might as well read that now. Titus, we don't often turn to Titus. Titus chapter 3 and verse 5. Titus 3 verse 5.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he shed or poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. That being justified by his grace, his divine favor, of course we have to be active participants, we can quench the Spirit. We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

So I wonder how much we ever just sit and think how sobering and awesome it is that we have the very essence of God abiding in us. I wonder if we ever just think about that. It is sobering. It is awesome. But how did you quench? Well, listen, let's say, how do you quench the Holy Spirit? You quench the Holy Spirit and we're commanded by the Apostle Paul not to quench the Spirit by disobedience. And secondly, by not renewing the inward man daily, and we quench the Holy Spirit when we ignore what God has laid on our hearts, and we don't follow through with it. So let's turn now to James 4 and verse 17. James 4 and verse 17. James 4 and verse 17.

James 4 and verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights with whom is no veribiless nor shadow attorney, for of his own will he beguett us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creation. So God is calling, as you heard in the song service, God is calling children. But God is also calling you. If you're sitting here today, I believe he is calling you, and only you can make a decision as to whether or not you're going to obey. If you do not heed the calling that God gives you, then you quench the Spirit. Willful rejection of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit will result in a seared conscience. And once you have a seared conscience, there is no way back from that either. So we read that in 1 Timothy chapter 4, and we'll turn there to 1 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1.

1 Timothy 4 verse 1, Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter days, the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron. If you ever ironed a pair of trousers, and there was a wrinkle in it, if you got it too hot, and you scorched it, there was no way to get it back again. So one of the works of the Holy Spirit is convicting you of the right way. If you reject that conviction, then you are quenching the Holy Spirit, and we are commanded not to quench the Spirit.

And secondly, we have to renew the inward man daily. Otherwise, we're going to quench the Spirit, and we have to study the Word of God to meditate on it. We all can quote, I think, Matthew 4, 4 and John 6, 63. But I would like to rehearse both of those scriptures right now. Now, Matthew 4, 4 says, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And John 6, 63 says, the words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. So when you do not study the Word of God, when you do not give heed to the Word of God, when you do not renew the inward man daily, then eventually God's Spirit will leave you. Another way that you can quench the Holy Spirit is refusing to have communication with God. You can increase, I guess you can increase. I know we had a big argument in, well, maybe we shouldn't say argument. We had a big discussion. We had a big discussion one time with regard to the Holy Spirit. Do all of you have the same measure of the Holy Spirit?

It seems from this verse, let's go to Luke 11. In Luke 11, verse 9, Luke 11 verse 9, For I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given unto you, knock, and you shall find, shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he not give it, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a fish or a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion? Well, we are not more righteous than God. So, according to this, you can pray and ask God for more of his Spirit. Now, it says in the scripture, and I believe it's John chapter 3, that Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit without measure. So, you have to make a decision whether you'll be submissive to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. As we have noted, the Holy Spirit is the essence of God. It is what God is. What is uttered by him is spiritual. I quoted John 6, 63. The words I speak, they are spirit, and they are life. Yet, the works of the Holy Spirit are sometimes presented as being performed by a being that is separate from God. You might say the Holy Spirit did such and such, but it's under the direction of God the Father and Jesus Christ. We might say the ship she, or we might say personalize other inanimate objects, or we might personalize the Holy Spirit, but that does not make it a person. It does not make it part of a trinity, because the scripture clearly says it is the essence of God.

The Holy Spirit creates within us an entirely new mind and new consciousness that enables us to discern between right and wrong. This is so very important to understand. You can have your own volition, and there was a Greek philosopher named Diogenes. I think it's Di instead of D. Diogenes lived his life in a barrel. He did it all in a barrel. He ate, he drank, he slept, and so on. He was the example of asceticism. You can, through self-will, do all kinds of marvelous things or disgusting things.

But when you really have the Holy Spirit, you have a different knowing within. You have a different consciousness that requires you and lays upon your mind the desire to obey God. In Romans 7—go to Romans 7, please—in Romans 7 and verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ, so with the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. The flesh is going to always war against this new mind. The new mind that is within us is of the Spirit. The Spirit of God begets us to a new life. Now, we want to go to Romans 8 now. Cross the page, Romans chapter 8.

Romans chapter 8 will begin in verse 1.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. And Paul said—we just read Romans 7, 25—which says, with the mind I serve the law of God. Now, with the flesh you might serve something else, but we are instructed to be led by the Spirit of God. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. How did Christ condemn sin in the flesh? By perfectly keeping the law. He condemned sin in the flesh. With the new mind, with the new knowing within, through the aid of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we are admonished to go on to perfection. And said very clearly, Matthew 5, 48, says, become you therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh, who mine the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, or is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So the Holy Spirit then, once you are in the Spirit, then you have a new knowing within, a new consciousness of what is right and what is wrong. We go now to Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9.

Hebrews chapter 9 will begin in verse 9.

Hebrews 9.9. For which it only meats and drinks and different washings and carnal ordinances impose on them until the time of reformation. But Christ be come a high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of bulls and goats or calves, but by his own blood he entered into once to the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? So the conscience is seared, and now the law of God is written on our inward parts, as it says in Hebrews, that we are now led by the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God writes on our hearts the very law of God.

Now in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 10, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all, and every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footsew. For by one offering he had perfected forever them that are sanctified, whereof the Holy Spirit is witness to us, where after that he is said, this is a 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 will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. The writing of the law of God on our inward parts requires our active participation of all that we have said and much more.

So we have echoed some of the principal works of the Holy Spirit so far. Before we can say all needs to be said about the Holy Spirit, we can't nearly say all that can be said about the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow you will hear much more about the Holy Spirit. Before the day of Pentecost, the masses, including other beings that might surprise you, did not understand what they shall become through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is quite amazing what we're about to see right now in 1 Peter 1 and verse 8. What did I just say? I said that there are so many people who don't understand the work of the Holy Spirit and what it can do. Even those who prophesied and angels did not fully understand according to what we read from 1 Peter. So, if you would turn to 1 Peter 1 verse 8. Whom have not seen you love? Whom, though, now you see him not yet believing you rejoice without joy unspeakable and full of glory? Receiving the end or the outcome result of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace divine favor that should come unto you. See, I ask you, have you ever just considered that you have the essence of God abiding in you?

To contemplate that, to meditate on it, is really quite sobering. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify. I didn't get into that, but I'll briefly talk about it. The Holy Spirit can come upon a person and them not be begotten. The Holy Spirit even came upon Balaam's donkey, and the donkey prophesied. The Holy Spirit came upon Saul, and Saul became a different man. Now, Saul disobeyed, he rebelled, and he saved the best of the flock because the people wanted him to, and the Spirit left him. And David was called to pray upon the heart for him. And when David played the heart, the evil spirit left, came right back. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify. When it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow, unto whom it was revealed, and not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you. By them that you have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the divine favor that is to be brought unto you at the revelation, the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus commands us, as I've already mentioned, to become perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

It's in the Bible. I didn't make it up. We're quick to say we're not perfect, but through Christ, we can go on to perfection. In fact, we're commanded to go on to perfection, and the Holy Spirit is a great helper that will allow us to go back a few pages. I'll show you that command in Hebrews chapter 6. We'll read into it in verse 1. Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying in the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. We've heard that over and over. Of the doctrine of baptism, of the laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this will we do. What will we do? We'll go on to perfection. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good work of God and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucified in themselves the Son of God afresh, and put there and put him to an open shame. So, brethren, that is the commandment. So remember the words of the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. Your memory scripture of the day put there by your pastor, Dr. Erwiller. Then Peter said, repent, be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for your mission of sin. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So let us renew the Holy Spirit daily. Go on to perfection. Let us rejoice and not lose our identity. And may we always be led by the Spirit of God. He who is led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.