Lesson 6 The Work of the Holy Spirit

Lesson 6: The Work of the Holy Spirit in Conversion

Denominations Have Twisted the Work of the Spirit in Conversion • John Calvin taught “Irresistible Grace, ” in which the Holy Spirit’s operation to convict the sinner, create faith and convert him to Christ is an act that cannot be “resisted” • Ben M. Bogard, a prominent Baptist preacher and debater in the 20 th century, asserted, “The Bible teaches that in conviction and conversion the Holy Spirit exercises a power or influence in addition to the written or spoken word” • Some in denominations have followed suit in emphasizing that “the Spirit called me” or “the Spirit showed me” or “the Spirit whispered to me” to “bring me to Christ” • The question we must ask and answer is: What does the Bible say?

Jesus Taught That the Holy Spirit Would Work in the Conviction and Conversion of Sinners • Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would work in convicting a sinner of his sin − “And when [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16: 7 -8) − One cannot be saved without being convicted of his sin (Acts 2: 37) − The question is: How does the Holy Spirit convict a person of sin? • Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would work in converting a sinner to Christ − “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit’” (John 3: 5 -8) − One cannot be saved without being converted from his old life into a new life in Christ (Acts 3: 19) − The question is: How does the Holy Spirit convert a person to Christ?

The Work of the Spirit in the Conviction of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • In John 14 -16, Jesus told His apostles about the coming work of the Spirit − The Holy Spirit would “teach [them] all things” (14: 26) • He would “teach” them by using words • “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. …and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature…we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery… just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him. ’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2: 1 -14)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conviction of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • In John 14 -16, Jesus told His apostles about the coming work of the Spirit − The Holy Spirit would “bring to remembrance all things that” Jesus said (14: 26) • He would “remind” them by using words • “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 11: 16) − The Holy Spirit would “testify about” Christ (John 15: 26) • He would “testify” to them using words • “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? ” (Heb. 2: 1 -4)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conviction of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • In John 14 -16, Jesus told His apostles about the coming work of the Spirit − The Holy Spirit would “guide” them “into all truth” (John 16: 13) • He would “guide” them by using words • “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (John 16: 13 -15) • “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1: 16 -21)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conviction of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin through the Word of God − The very first instance in Acts 2 proves it to be true − As a result of the Holy Spirit working through them, the “word” was “spoken” − The end result of speaking the “word” is seen in 2: 37 and 2: 41 − The multitude was NOT convicted by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit outside of or in addition to the spoken word

The Work of the Spirit in the Conviction of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • The Spirit convicting through the Word is affirmed throughout the Bible − The Word of God is the product of the Holy Spirit and the means by which He operates • “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23: 2) • “You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them…Yet for many years You had patience with them, And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen” (Neh. 9: 20, 30) • “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas” (Acts 1: 16) • “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13: 11) • “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2: 7, 11, 17, 29; 3: 6, 13, 22)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conviction of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • The Spirit convicting through the Word is affirmed throughout the Bible − The Word of God is the product of the Holy Spirit and the means by which He operates − The Word of God (i. e. , the inspired product of the Spirit and not a direct operation of the Spirit today) is what generates faith in the heart of a sinner (Rom. 10: 17) − The Word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6: 17), representing the only instrument which it wields—He will not operate by another means − If the Spirit were to operate outside or in addition to God’s Word, it would prove that the Word is not all-sufficient (2 Tim. 3: 17), complete (2 Pet. 1: 3) and final (Jude 3)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conversion of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • Conversion takes place in the “new birth” process—when “born again” − The question is, When does that happen, and how is the Holy Spirit involved? • Jesus taught that the new birth requires two elements—“water and the Spirit” (John 3: 5) − The two elements involved are “water” (which is the water of New Testament baptism) and “the Spirit” (who operates through the Word as His instrument) − How do we know that? How do we know that Spirit is not operating directly on the heart of the sinner, in addition to or outside of the word of God?

John 3: 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ” 1 Cor. 12: 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. Eph. 5: 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, Titus 3: 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

The Work of the Spirit in the Conversion of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • The New Testament provides even more evidence that the work of the Spirit in conversion (i. e. , the new birth) is through the Word − One is born again (or begotten again) by the Spirit through the Word • “So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3: 8) • “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1: 22 -23) • “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth…” (Jas. 1: 18) • “…For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4: 15)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conversion of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • The New Testament provides even more evidence that the work of the Spirit in conversion (i. e. , the new birth) is through the Word − One is sanctified by the Spirit through the Word • “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6: 11) • “…God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thess. 2: 13) • “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17: 17)

The Work of the Spirit in the Conversion of the Sinner Is Done Through God’s Word • The emphasis of the New Testament could not be more obvious: the Holy Spirit is at work in the conversion of a sinner to Christ, but only through the Word of God, and not through a direction operation apart from the Word − “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life…” (John 5: 24) − “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6: 63) − “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12: 48) − “However, many of those who heard the word believed…” (Acts 4: 4) − “…Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11: 13 -14)

The Work of the Holy Spirit Is Not Through a Direct Operation Upon a Sinner’s Heart • If the Holy Spirit works directly upon the heart of a sinner to convict and convert him: − Then preaching the gospel has no purpose (Mark 16: 15 -16; Rom. 1: 15 -16; 1 Cor. 1: 21) − Then the gospel truly has no power to save (Rom. 1: 16; Jas. 1: 21; Acts 11: 14) − Then the giving of the Great Commission was absolutely senseless (Matt. 28: 18 -20) − Then the church has no true mission to the lost world (Eph. 3: 10 -11; 2 Tim. 2: 2) − Then God’s impartiality is proven false, since the Spirit operates directly upon the hearts of some sinners but not others (Acts 10: 34 -35; Rom. 2: 11; 2 Pet. 3: 9) − Then God’s Word really is not all-sufficient, as it claims (2 Tim. 3: 16 -17; 2 Pet. 1: 3)

The Work of the Holy Spirit Is Not Through a Direct Operation Upon a Sinner’s Heart • If the Spirit works directly on the heart of the sinner separate from the Word, then these questions must be answered: − Why is there not a single record of such taking place in the New Testament? − Why is there not a single conversion in Acts that can be accredited to the direct operation of the Holy Spirit and where the gospel had not been proclaimed? − How does that account for people who are not convicted? Is the Holy Spirit showing partiality? Or is that evidence of the Holy Spirit’s failure or weakness? − Why has no Christian, or even a primitive knowledge of Jesus, ever been found in remote locales where the gospel has never reached? − What purpose do we have in going and preaching the Word? • The work of the Spirit in the conviction and conversion of the sinner is tied directly to the effect that the Word of God has on the sinner’s heart as he learns it and responds to it