LESSON 2 - EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT

INTRODUCTION: LAST WEEK WE LEARNED THAT THE HS IS A PERSON, PART OF THE GODHEAD, WHO HAS REAL EMOTIONS. AND THAT HE HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING EVERYWHERE AT ONCE. ONE TEXT THAT WE STUDIED WAS IN JOHN 16 WHERE WE LEARNED THAT THE HS WANTED US TO FEEL GUILTY -- OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO LETS TURN THERE:

I. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. REMEMBER THIS IS JESUS SPEAKING TO HIS DISCIPLES AND TELLING THEM THE GOOD PART ABOUT HIM LEAVING. READ JOHN 16:7. NOW LETS READ WHAT THE GOOD THING HS WILL DO. READ v. 8-11. 1. DO YOU LIKE TO BE CONVICTED?

B. THE NIV SAYS THE HS WILL "CONVICT" THE WORLD. THE KJV SAYS "REPROVE" THE WORLD, THE NKJ ALSO SAYS "CONVICT," THE RSV SAYS, "CONVINCE." SEVERAL COMMENTATORS SAY THIS IS A LEGAL TERM. BARCLAY SAYS THIS GREEK WORD IS ONE THAT CAN BE USED FOR CROSS-EXAMINING A WITNESS.

1. PEOPLE I CROSS-EXAMINE DO NOT SEEM TO PARTICULARLY LIKE IT!

2. TELL ME IF YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED THIS? HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT EVER CROSS-EXAMINED YOU?

3. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE HS TO CROSS-EXAMINE US?

4. DID YOU LIKE IT? BUT WERE YOU GLAD IT HAPPENED?

5. WHAT MEAN TO CONVICT US?

6. WHAT MEAN TO CONVINCE US?

C. JESUS OUTLINES THE THREE TOPICS ON WHICH WE ARE "CROSS- EXAMINED BY THE HS. THEY ARE: "CONVICT OF GUILT IN REGARD TO:"

1. SIN

2. RIGHTEOUSNESS

3. JUDGMENT

D. LETS LOOK AT SIN FIRST. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE GREATEST SIN?

1. OF ALL SINS, WHICH ONE IS UNPARDONABLE?

2. ARE YOU THE GREATEST SINNER? (IF WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN JESUS, WE ARE SUNK. OUR SINS CANNOT BE FORGIVEN. SO VERSE 9 SAYS, "SIN -- BECAUSE MEN DO NOT BELIEVE IN ME.")

3. SO THE FIRST JOB OF THE HS IS TO CONVINCE US TO BELIEVE IN, AND TRUST IN JESUS!

E. SECOND IT SAYS THAT THE HS WILL CROSS-EXAMINE US ON RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. DO YOU HAVE ANY RIGHTEOUSNESS?

2. CAN YOU HAVE ANY? (ALL AS DIRTY RAGS: IS 64:6)

3. HOW CAN YOU BE CROSS-EXAMINED ON IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY?

4. WHAT DOES JESUS GOING TO HEAVEN (v. 10) WHERE THE DISCIPLES CANNOT SEE HIM HAVE TO DO WITH THIS? (HEBREWS 5 TELLS US THAT JESUS IS IN HEAVEN RIGHT NOW AS THE HIGH PRIEST WORKING AS THE SOURCE OF OUR SALVATION. SO THE HS CONVICTS US THAT OUR ONLY RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THROUGH THE COMPLETED WORK OF JESUS.)

F. THIRD IS SAYS THE HS WILL CROSS-EXAMINE US ON JUDGMENT.

1. IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT A JUDGMENT TO COME?

2. WHY DOES HE SAY "BECAUSE THE PRINCE OF THE WORLD NOW STANDS CONDEMNED?" (THE JUDGMENT IS ALL OVER. JESUS HAS WON. EVERYONE OF US HAS BEEN JUDGED GUILTY. BUT BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, WE CAN HAVE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS IS THE EASY CROSS-EXAMINATION PART!)

G. SO IT IS THE WORK OF THE HS TO CROSS-EXAMINE US ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS, THE FACT THAT HE HAD DEFEATED SATAN AND OUR ACCEPTANCE OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. PRAISE GOD!

II. THE NEW LIFE AND THE HS

A. TURN TO ROMANS 7. READ 7:1 THEY SAY THAT THE ONLY CERTAIN THING IS DEATH AND TAXES.

1. DOES PAUL AGREE? (PAUL SAYS IF YOU ARE DEAD YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE TAXES.)

B. READ 7:2-4. DO YOU HAVE THE PICTURE CLEAR ABOUT THE HUSBANDS AND THE WIFE?

1. PAUL SAYS THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION.

a. WHO IS THE WIFE? (WE ARE. WE ARE RELEASED FROM THE LAW)

b. WHO IS THE HUSBAND? (OUR OLD SELF. WE DIED TO THE LAW BY ACCEPTING CHRIST'S DEATH.)

c. WHAT IS THE LAW? (IT PLAYS ITSELF)

2. PAUL'S POINT IS THAT WHEN WE ACCEPT CHRIST'S SACRIFICE, WE ARE RELEASED FROM THE CONDEMNATION AND DOMINION OF SIN AND THE LAW)

C. LETS READ ON. 7:5-6. HERE IS WHERE THE HS ENTERS. PAUL TELLS US THAT WE ARE RELEASED FROM THE OLD, SINFUL NATURE AND "SERVE IN THE NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE OLD WAY OF THE WRITTEN CODE."

1. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANS: TO SERVE IN THE WAY OF THE SPIRIT AND NOT THE CODE?

2. DOES IT MEAN WE ONLY LET OUR CONSCIENCE BE OUR GUIDE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE LAW SAYS?

3. IF IT FEELS RIGHT TO US, IT IS RIGHT? (NO! v. 7. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE LAW, I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT WAS SIN!)

D. LET ME READ 8:5-9.

1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SINFUL NATURE?

2. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT? (WE CALL THE SPIRIT TO STAND BESIDE US (PARACLETE-JN 16:7) TO KEEP OUR ATTITUDES IN LINE. OUR LESSON SAYS (TUES) "AS LONG AS WE PERMIT THE HS TO REIGN IN OUR HEARTS AND CONTROL OUR MINDS, WE ARE KEPT FROM SINNING.")

3. AND THE RESULT IS LIFE AND PEACE! (v. 6)

III. BEING BORN OF THE SPIRIT

A. READ JOHN 3:5. WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BORN OF WATER. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN OF THE SPIRIT?

1. THIS TEXT SAYS THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL TO BE BORN OF THE SPIRIT TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION SO FAR, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS TRUE?

IV. NEXT WEEK: THE HOLY SPIRIT'S CALL TO FELLOWSHIP AND SERVICE.