The Works of the Holy Spirit

The title of our Bible study today, The Works of the Holy Spirit. This is Pentecost weekend. It's what I call it, Pentecost weekend. We might call this also the Holy Spirit weekend, since on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in men, not just among them.

So what do you really know and understand about the Holy Spirit? Let's note what the Holy Spirit is. Go to John 4.24, please. The Holy Spirit is... We have mentioned this several times over the past two and a half years. I've been on this topic now for over 20 years. I wrote the basic paper that we have on the website of the nature of God and Christ, and of course that deals a great deal with the Holy Spirit. In John 4 and verse 24, God is Spirit. There is no indefinite article in Greek, so it should read, God is Spirit. That is God's essence. Just like your flesh, your composition is flesh. Now Spirit probably, you wouldn't say, has a composition. There is an essence there. There is living, a living being, has life, and the essence of God is Spirit. He is invisible, but God can manifest Himself. Jesus Christ, after the resurrection, manifested Himself in bodily form. Angels are Spirit, and they have manifested themselves as well. So God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. The Holy Spirit is the life essence of God. It allows us to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Notice verse 23, the hour comes and now is when the true worshipper shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. We'll talk more about what that means to worship Him in Spirit and truth a little later. God is the source of the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the source of the Holy Spirit, and as we shall see, it is shed on us through Jesus Christ. Somehow Christ plays a role in it. Let's go down to John 15 and verse 26. In John 15 and verse 26, but when the comforter is come, and I would put in my margin beside John 15 and 26, I would put John 14 and 26. Because John 14 and 26 states that the comforter is the Holy Spirit. The comforter is the Holy Spirit, John 14 and 26. This verse could just as easily be translated, but when the Holy Spirit is come, but when the Holy Spirit is come, or the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father. Christ says, I will send him unto you. Now the reason that the referent pronoun him is stated here in the personal sense is because panocletos, the great word for comforter, is in the masculine, and thus the referent pronoun is in the masculine form. It does not make it a person.

But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you, or when the Holy Spirit is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father. Even the Spirit of truth, talnuma, which proceeds from the Father, the Spirit of truth, now it should be it shall testify of me. So the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father sent to us by Jesus Christ. So the Holy Spirit is the active power, presence, and essence of God. Let's say it again. Let's say it in a maybe a different order. The Holy Spirit is the essence of God. Thus, if the Holy Spirit is upon you or in you, you have God's presence. And through the Holy Spirit, you can do works of power.

The Holy Spirit leads in Matthew 4 and verse 1. Now we're going to quickly catalog here several works of the Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 1.

Here we see the Holy Spirit leading. Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested of the devil. The Holy Spirit can lead. Now the Holy Spirit does not speak of itself. That's John 16, 13. But the Holy Spirit and the Word of God work in concert together to convict you of what is right and what is wrong and helps you decide what course of action to take if you will hearken to, listen to, what the Holy Spirit says through the Word of God. It speaks not of itself, but it hears the truth and it speaks the truth in harmony with the Word of God. In Romans 8 verse 14, remember now we're talking about works of the Holy Spirit and this one right now we're talking about is that the Holy Spirit leads. In Romans 8 and verse 14, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God. How can you be led by the Spirit of God by reading and studying the Word of God? Now what scripture would you put in the margin right here? I would put John 6.63, where Christ says, the flesh profits nothing, it is the Spirit that makes a lie that quickens. The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. So you read the Word of God, you study the Word of God, the Word of God is spirit and it's life, and the Holy Spirit and the Word of God working in concert together can lead you, guide you in the way that you should go. And as you heard in the sermon Ed, of course, you can resist, you can quench God's Spirit, you can refuse to go along with how and where the Holy Spirit is leading. Now in Galatians 5 and verse 18, Galatians chapter 5 and verse 18, Galatians 5 verse 18, but if you be led by the Spirit, you're not under the law. If you are led by the Spirit of God, you are not under the penalty of the law because you will be obeying the very mind of God and Jesus Christ.

So the first work here that we've talked about, the Holy Spirit leads and it leads through you understanding the Word of God. The Holy Spirit fills us. If we go to John 3 and verse 34, John 3 and verse 34, we want to be filled with God's Spirit. Jesus Christ had the Spirit of God without measure. The Holy Spirit, there has been debate in the theological circles with regard to whether or not you can have more of God's Spirit. We pray in our prayers oftentimes, give me more of your Spirit. Some have debated, well, if you have the Holy Spirit, do you have the Holy Spirit or can you have more of the Holy Spirit?

Acts 5.32 says that God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. Luke 11 verse 13 talks about God gives His Spirit to those who ask for it. He will give you His Spirit. It seems that Spirit can be increased in your life through obedience and drawing closer to God. Here in John, where we have just turned, 3 and verse 34, for He whom God had sent, for whom God has sent speaks the words of life, for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him. See, once again, you see the words of God and the Spirit of God link together as if they're one and the same, like John 6.63. The words I speak, they are Spirit and they are life. Now, the Holy Spirit is an enabler and it endows us with certain gifts. Let's go to Acts 2 and verse 4. Acts chapter 2 is the account of when the day of Pentecost was fully come, the sound of the mighty rushing wind.

In Acts 2 and verse 4, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Once again, this to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues. Now, this was upon the apostles. The miracle of tongues, and some people don't understand this, they don't get it. The miracle, a quote of tongues at Pentecost, was the apostles speaking and the miracle of hearing was with the people in that all the people heard them in their own tongue or language. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak with other tongues or languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. So, the Holy Spirit can enable us and it can endow us or give us gifts. Now we go to John 16 and verse 7, which I've already referred to. John 16 and verse 7 of the Holy Spirit convicting us. What the word conviction has to do with is for you to come to the point that there is a knowing within your mind and heart that a certain thing is true. Man learns and becomes convicted of certain truths through, one way is through experiential knowledge. We learned about the stove being hot and the wind blowing and falling off the roof or all kinds of things and we become convicted of certain physical laws that there exist. And we call this experiential knowledge. There is sense knowledge, knowledge that is gained through the five senses. There is knowledge that is gained through human reasoning, as I say, putting two and two together. And you come to the point to where you believe this and it's part of your conscience. And what does conscience mean? It means the knowing within yourself. You come to believe that a certain thing is true. Now with spiritual things, it is the Spirit of God and the Word of God that convicts, that comes to the point that you know within yourself that this thing, this knowledge, is true. John 16 verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. If I go not away, the Comforter or the Holy Spirit will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send it or him unto you. And when it has come, it will reprove the world. And that word reprove, right in your margin, elencho. E-L-E-N-C-H-O. Very important word. It means convict. I will lay this Holy Spirit and the Word of God will lay a weight on your mind and knowing within yourself that a certain thing is true. When it has come, it will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. The Holy Spirit shows and reveals things to come. We pick it up again in verse 12. I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth, for it shall not speak of itself, but whatsoever it shall hear. What is it here? Here's the truth. Thy Word is true. Once again, the Word of God, the Spirit of God, working in concert. That shall it speak, and it will show you things to come.

So we have a more sure word of prophecy, as Peter calls it in 2 Peter 1, verse 19. It shall glorify me, for it shall receive of mine, and it will show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I, that it shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. So the Holy Spirit reveals, through the Word of God, the very character and being of God. Now we go to John 14.26, which we've already referenced back at the page or two. And we'll see another thing that the Holy Spirit does. Here's the verse that says that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and it also tells us something else. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. So the Holy Spirit can be personalized in the name of Jesus Christ. And so we may say, accurately, that Jesus Christ lives in us. How does He live in us? Through His Spirit. Whom the Father will send in my name. It shall teach you all things. It shall teach you all things. It is the great enabler that opens your minds and brings all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I've said unto you. Now in giving so many of the sermons that I give, I don't have it written down. But I have gone over it many times in the course of life. And it's written on the inward parts, and it just seems that when the time comes, there it is. But it's not a magical thing, per se. But the Holy Spirit will bring things to remembrance. But we have to put forth the effort to, first of all, put it in the, what I might call, you might call the memory bank to begin with. Now in Luke 21, something similar. In Luke 21, this is Luke's account of the Olivet Prophecy. And this adds a dimension that is not found in Matthew 24, in the Olivet Prophecy. In Matthew 24-25, this talks about you being brought before kings and governors, and giving a testimony. And notice what it says in Luke 21 and verse 12. But before all these, now several signs have been listed before this. And this expression before all these, you notice up there. And let's read verse 9 and make a comment here. To me, this is a, in a way, it's a technical point. It's an interesting point. I think it's worth noting here. But when you shall hear wars and commotions be not trouble. Of course, the world is filled with wars and commotions today. I listen to the news on the American television networks.

And it's almost like there are no wars and commotions except at certain little segments. Now, you pick up some of the international news, and you look at the internet, and you'll see quite a different picture. I mean, the war, the world is filled with wars and commotions. The war in Libya, Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan, the situation still bad in Iraq, the revolution going on in Yemen, the situation in Syria where Syrian troops have moved in and wiped out whole towns and people have fled north into Turkey and are living in tent cities. I mean, that's just the tip of the iceberg of so many of the commotions that are going on and the debauchery that's taking place.

When you hear wars and commotions, be not terrified, for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Then said unto him, Nation shall rise against nation, Kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be in different places, and we've surely seen that, and famines and pestilences, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven.

But before all these, now this word before is a very interesting one, it can mean in time order, or it can mean on top of this, or more importantly, but before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer. Here's another powerful role. It's pretty much what we read from Luke 14, 26 about it will teach you all things and bring all things to remembrance.

Settle it not in your hearts therefore what you're going to say, because notice what it says.

Verse 15, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain say, nor resist. And you shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kins folks and friends and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. It's amazing what people will do to save their own skin. He who seeks to save his life is going to lose it.

This is a time to be bold and courageous. The Holy Spirit is a gift and it gives life. Notice Acts 2.38. The great summary verse of Pentecost is Acts 2.38. Well, you might say after the sermon today there will be nothing to preach about tomorrow, but I bet there will be. In Acts 2.38, the great summary verse of Pentecost, after Peter preached the sermon, then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift. It comes from God shed on us through Christ, said to us in the name of Christ, it says in Luke 14.26. Also in verse John 4 verse 13, so the gift of the condition for receiving the Holy Spirit is repentance. It is not only believe, it is according to Peter, repent and be baptized. According to Jesus Christ, when he started preaching, and you can read about this in Mark 1 verse 14-15, after John was put in prison, Jesus Christ began to preach the kingdom of God and saying, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. In 1 John, now we go chapter 4 verse 13. 1 John 4.13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit. For we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God dwells in him and he in God. Now in chapter 5 and verse 10. 1 John 5.10. He that believes on the Son of God hath a witness in himself. He that believes not that God had made him a liar because he believes not the record that God gave his Son. And this is the record that God had given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son. Now these things that we have just listed here in the Scriptures we've turned to. represent just some of the enabling powers of the Holy Spirit within a person. We can never say all there is to say about the Holy Spirit. As we heard in the sermonette, we must exercise the Spirit. How do you exercise the Spirit? You exercise the Spirit by obedience. Doing the things that you know to do. Let's turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 19. We have a direct commandment here. 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 19. We must exercise the Spirit. How do you exercise the Spirit? You exercise the Spirit by reading and studying the Word of God and obeying it. That's exercising the Spirit. The opposite of that is to quench the Spirit, to not be led by the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5.19, quench not the Spirit. You still have to make a decision as to whether you will be submissive to the Holy Spirit or not. The active power and presence of God, the Holy Spirit of God, performs the work. In this work, references to the Holy Spirit are presented as personal. The Holy Spirit doing this, the Holy Spirit doing that, one could get the notion that the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit is the essence, the power of God. It is the enabler. These examples of the personal work of the Holy Spirit are similar to referring to various things in the personal sense, like the ship, she. But it doesn't make the ship a person, and neither is the Holy Spirit a person. It's the essence of God and Christ.

And we have it in us. The Holy Spirit is divine, not a person. It is the essence of God. Now, let's really clarify something. The Holy Spirit is of God. And if you can get this clear in your head, it is a great point, for anyone who tries to convince you or anybody else that the Holy Spirit is a person. I would ask you, you could go to your Concordance or some Bible study program on a computer, and you just look at Spirit of God. It is the Spirit of God. In parentheses, of God is not the same as is God. The Holy Spirit is not a person. The Holy Spirit is of God. Now, let's look at this in a little more detail. Matthew 3 and verse 16. When we say something is of something, a substance or essence cannot be of, and yet be separate and distinct. It's the Spirit of God. God is Spirit.

In Matthew 3, verse 16, Jesus, when He was baptizing, went up straight way out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and lighting upon Him. In Matthew 12 and verse 28. Matthew 12 and verse 28. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Now, notice in Romans 8 and verse 9 that there is a reference to the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. And hopefully, all of you, having listened to sermons the past two and a half years, will be able to explain this. There are not two separate spirits. There's not the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ in a separate sense. It is the same essence. The same essence that is in God is in Christ is in us. We have the same essence that is in God is in Christ is in us. And I'll just quote here 1 Corinthians 12, 12 and 13. It is, for by one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body. We'll be a little more on that in just a moment. But in Romans 8 and verse 9, You're not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. The Spirit of God, the essence of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of his. Remember that the Holy Spirit can be personalized in the name of Christ.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Now notice verse 11 about this one Spirit. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. Who raised up Jesus from the dead? God the Father. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. Same Spirit that is in God is in Christ is in us. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. That raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken or make alive your mortal bodies. By his Spirit that dwells in you. So once again, the same Spirit that is in God is in Christ is in us.

So once again, the key here to a large degree is of. Now we go to Hebrews 2 verse 10. As we're turning there, I'll rehearse once again, 1 Corinthians 12, 12, and 13. By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be bond or free, Jew, Gentile, whatever. Now in Hebrews 2 verse 10. For it 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. For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified, are all of one. That one essence. For which cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren.

Once again, we all have that same Spirit in us. And because of that, let's go to Romans 12. Because of that, we are all joined together.

I remember on the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 2010.

Combined Services, Houston North, Houston South. I gave a sermon title. It is taking off from Ephesians 4 verses 1 and 2. Keeping the unity of faith in the bond of peace.

Actually it says keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Too bad we didn't listen.

In Romans 12, verse 5, So we being many are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another. And the way that you are members one of another is that we all have that common essence.

The essence of God. The Spirit of God.

You wouldn't say Jesus Christ of the Holy Spirit. You wouldn't say God of the Holy Spirit. But you would say the Holy Spirit of God.

You wouldn't say that God is of the Holy Spirit. If that were true, then the Holy Spirit would be greater than God. But it is the Spirit of God. This is very important. The Holy Spirit, once again, is His essence, His presence.

And can do works of power and is under His direction. The Holy Spirit is under the direction of God in Christ. Let's show that from the Scripture. In John 15.26 again, we'll have three or four Scriptures along this line to show that the Holy Spirit is under the direction of God and does not act out independently as a person by itself.

John 15.26 again, different emphasis. But when the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you? So it is under the direction it is being sent. When the comforter is come, whom I will send unto you? From the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceeds from the Father, it shall testify of Me. Now we go to Acts 2.33 on that day of Pentecost when Peter was preaching his sermon. Notice what he said about the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2.33. Acts 2.33. Here Jesus, before he was crucified and then resurrected and ascended, said, I'm going to send it to you. Then on the day of Pentecost, when that great manifestation took place, I'll read about the first several verses of Acts 2. Peter later makes this statement in that sermon in verse 33. Therefore, speaking of God, well, we need to read verse 32. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof you are all witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God, exalted, and having received of the Father, the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed forth this.

Now, this word shed can mean to pour out. He has shed forth this. He has poured out the Holy Spirit. And having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed forth this which you now see and hear. Now we go to Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 1. What are we talking about now? That the Holy Spirit is under the direction of God and Christ. And the Holy Spirit then that is in us wants to direct us, lead us, guide us, and be our conscience, knowing within ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God.

Remember Romans 8.14? Those that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. In Genesis chapter 1 verse 2, And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, And the Spirit of God moved the essence of God, His very presence and power. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And quickly to Psalm 104.30. While that memory echo is there, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, We go to Psalm 104 verse 30.

Now you should be improving the dexterity in your fingers by turning these scriptures. One thing that I hope to be able to do in my old age is just keep on doing this, you know. If you can keep on doing this, you'll be able to turn all these scriptures. In Psalm 104 and verse 30. Psalm 104 and verse 30. You send forth your Spirit. It's under the direction of God.

You send forth your Spirit. They are created. And you renew the face of the earth. The Holy Spirit can be personified by His Son, as we've already mentioned. On the other hand, the Son is not personified by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Son personifies the Holy Spirit. The following scriptures demonstrate this point. Let's go now to 2 Corinthians 3, 17.

The Holy Spirit being personified by the Son. Once again to say, Christ in you is an accurate statement. How is Christ in us? Christ is in us through the Holy Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 17. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3, 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. In Galatians 4 verse 6. Galatians 4 and verse 6. Forward a few pages to Galatians 4 and verse 6. Galatians 4 and verse 6. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So here we have the Holy Spirit personified in the name of the Son.

But God the Father and the Son dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is shed upon us through Christ. We've already mentioned that once. So let's go to one other Scripture in conjunction with this Holy Spirit being shed upon us through Christ.

It is personified by Christ. Go to Titus 3 and it is shed on us through Christ. In Titus 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 on us, God the Father shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. For you to be, for you or I to have God or Christ in us, of course we must be called, we must be convicted, we must be granted repentance, we must exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, be baptized, receive the laying on of hands, receive the Holy Spirit.

Once again, summarize the day of Pentecost, verse 238. They asked, men and brothers, what shall we do? Peter said, repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now worship God in spirit and in truth. God is spirit, those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Christ said, the words I speak, they are spirit and they are life.

So we go to Matthew 22, verse 37. It's not that complicated. In Matthew 22, in verse 37, you want to talk about worshiping God in spirit and in truth. It is as simple as this. You worship God by doing what He says. He becomes the Lord, the Master of your life. Summarized by the two great commandments, Matthew 22, verse 37. Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.

This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets. Everything is wrapped up right here. It's talking about the very spiritual essence of what it's all about.

Now we go to 1 John 3, verse 18. It gives us some additional insight into worshiping in spirit and in truth. 1 John 3 and verse 18.

1 John 3 and verse 18.

1 John 3, verse 18.

I'm turning to all these right along with you. I think we'll get in about 100 scriptures today. 1 John 3 and verse 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

2 John 3 and verse 18. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. So if your heart is condemning you, if you have these twinges of guilt and you're pulled down and you feel like you're just not right somehow, well that's not worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

There's something wrong because the Holy Spirit is convicting you and saying, hey, you need to turn this around. Like it says here, if our heart condemns us, if this conviction that has come upon us by the Holy Spirit is condemning or judging us, well God knows us. God is greater than a heart. He knows all things. He knows about it. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we boldness or confidence toward God.

And whatsoever we ask of Him, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments. Two great commandments. This is the nutshell of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. And do those things that are pleasing in His sight, and this is His commandment. That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another as He gave us commandment. And He that keeps His commandments dwells in Him and He in Him. And hereby we know that He abides in us by the Spirit which He has given us.

And by doing it, going through that, we come to understand what worshiping God in spirit and truth is all about. The Holy Spirit is our enabler. It allows us to know the things of God. As we've already noted, the Holy Spirit convicts us. As we've already noted, the Holy Spirit works in concert with the Word of God. As we have already noted, the principal purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give us life.

He who hath the Son hath life, and He who hath not the Son hath not life. The Holy Spirit is personified by Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives life and a new mind a spiritual mind. Now let's see if we can understand this. Go to Romans 7. You remember Romans 7 where Paul talks about the war that is going on in his being, that the things he wants to do he doesn't do, and there's this internal conflict.

Because the old man, the man of the flesh, the mind of the flesh, is warring against the mind of the Spirit. He summarizes this in Romans 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death. How can we be delivered from it? It is through this new mind which is imparted through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. So you cannot leave out the Word of God because the Word of God is the substance of the mind of God.

And the Spirit of God enables that to be written on our inward parts. Verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that with the mind I myself serve the law of God. So Paul says, I am ruling over, what he's saying here, I'm ruling over the mind of the flesh. But with the flesh, the law of sin. In other words, that mind is still warring, but he is ruling over that mind of the flesh as evidence in chapter 8, verse 1.

There is therefore now no condemnation. There should definitely not be a chapter break here because it throws things off the flow of the context. The whole thing could lead you to believe. And some people think that Paul is excusing sin because, well, we've got this law of the flesh that war is here and I can't do anything about it. The mind of the flesh is always going to be there in war. I battle it every day. Every day. And so do you. But it can be ruled over. There is therefore now no condemnation of those which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh.

See, if you don't give in to the flesh and obey it, there's no condemnation. There's no judgment. The desire, it may pop into your mind, X, Y, or Z. There's no condemnation of those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, and that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sinned, and for sinned, judged sin in the flesh. How did He judge sin in the flesh? By perfectly obeying the law and Word of God. He had the Holy Spirit.

Remember we read from John 3.34. He had the Holy Spirit without measure. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk. See, it's not just Christ doing it. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. How do you walk after the Spirit? By knowing the mind of the Spirit through the Word of God. The words I speak, they are Spirit and they are life. Brethren, I don't know how much in the Church of God we have really gotten down to the brass tacks of where it is.

We go around quoting certain clichés and sort of oral knowledge, but really digging into the Word of God and studying it for what it really says. And what it's all about is one of the most exciting things. One of the most enjoyable mornings this morning I've had in a long time is digging into the Word of God, which is the great spiritual gold mine.

For they that are after the flesh do mind 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.

You can have peace, you can have assurance, even though this old fleshly mind is warring against you. And as I say once again, I battle it every day. I hate it, but it's still there. And I would imagine you hate it as well, but it's still there. And the way you can rule over it if you do not renew the inward man daily. He gives his Spirit to those who obey him. He gives his Spirit to those who earnestly, diligently ask for it.

And man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and the words I speak, their Spirit and their life. And when you're tanked up on that, you can rule over it. If you're not, you're going down. That's why so many people have gone down. Because a carnal mind is enmity against God, for it's not subject to the law of God, neither deed can be. But it can be ruled over. Verse 13. For if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you, through the Spirit, do mortify, put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live.

The Holy Spirit creates within us an entirely new mind. It is a spiritual thing. The old mind is still there. The new mind is not the old mind or the old man made over. The old man is always going to be there until you are resurrected as a glorious radiant Spirit being in the kingdom of God.

Once again, we're there in Romans 8, verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear. So yeah, we have great boldness toward God when we do those things that are pleasing in His sight and our conscience does not condemn us. You have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you've received the Spirit of sonship, wheel-thesia, sonship, literal sons, because you are the same essence.

Adopted children do not have the same DNA in their being as the natural-born children of parents. We have the same spiritual essence as God in Christ. We are not adopted. We are sons of God with the same essence in us. Hereby we cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children then heirs of God. What is God? God is Spirit. Heirs of God join heirs with Christ.

Remember we read from Hebrews 2.11 that He's not ashamed to call us brethren because we're all one. We have that family relationship. We're all joined together. Join heirs with Christ. It so be that we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together. The Holy Spirit writes the law of God on our inward parts, and it requires our active participation. God is a master potter. He knows what He wants to create within each one of us. He wants to create His holy righteous character. And in us going through the trials and difficulties of this life, and being obedient to Him, He will create within us His holy righteous character.

The world does not know us now and doesn't really recognize us. When He appears, we shall appear as He is. Notice Romans 5, this little formula that tells you, summarizes in Scripture, what I've just sort of paraphrased. In Romans 5, verse 3, And not only so, but we glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation works patience. Patience is not just sitting there passively. It also has to do with doing your part.

And patience works experience. And that word experience in Greek, I don't know why they translated experience, is dokime. It means proof or testing. See, during the time you're waiting, you're being tested. Do you really trust God? Do you really believe He will deliver you? And this testing works hope. I have hope because that big picture is burning brightly in my mind.

I know and I know that I know that God is faithful, who is promised, and He will deliver. Hope makes us not ashamed because, notice this, love of God, the very essence, God is love. The love of God is poured abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. And God creates within us His holy, righteous character. So, brethren, we ask ourselves today on the eve of Pentecost, am I filled with the Spirit of God? Do I thirst? Do I hunger for the Spirit of God? Do I want to please God in every facet of my being and be like God in Christ?

God is performing within each one of us a great spiritual work. The greatest miracle of all miracles. Great spiritual work. How that one just made of the dust to the ground, flesh, can be, have this spiritual essence within them. The very mind, the very heart, the very essence of God in Jesus Christ. And that we through the Spirit and Word of God can mortify the flesh. We can go through every trial, every test that's before us with faith and confidence and know that He will deliver us.

So, brethren, we're in a 48-hour period of spiritual feasting. So let's really feast on the Word of God and be prepared tomorrow for an inspiring day of Pentecost.