What Does the Spirit Do?

Introduction

A. What does the Spirit do for the Christian? Since he is personal, since he is divine, since he is powerful, what specifically is the work of the Spirit in the life of a Christian? Some believe that the Spirit’s main function is to endorse speaking in tongues and performing miracles. But the Bible’s inclination is that miracles and tongue speaking while inspired by the Spirit were for the specific purpose of endorsing and proving the message of Jesus (Acts 14:3; John 20:30-31; John 2:23; John 3:2; Luke 7:22; Acts 8:17-18; Acts 15:12; Acts 19:1-6). Such proof is no longer needed because the testimony is verified in the writings of scripture. Miraculous power was always limited in scope and effect. Not everyone was able to speak in tongues or perform a miracle (1 Corinthians 12). These particular gifts were given for a short time to confirm God’s message.

B. But the work of the Spirit is much broader than that of the miraculous. As we look through scripture we should be impressed with the number of times that the Spirit and his work are mentioned. God has not left us in the dark about the work of the Spirit. We may not be able to know every nuance of the Spirit’s work, but God has informed us about the ultimate work of the Spirit in the life of the Christian. Tonight we are going to rediscover the Spirit’s work and come to a better appreciation for God’s desire to be near to us and to make sure that we are not left alone and isolated in this world.

The Work of Sanctification

A. There are several passages which speak about the work of the Spirit in sanctification, but none is more clear than 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. This is a broad category. One of the tasks the Spirit performs in the life of every Christian is to teach and train us to display holiness. This is what the word “sanctification” means. 1 Peter 1:2 says that we were chosen by God through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. This means that the Spirit is working to make us holy. Look at our salvation this way. God took the initiative to choose us to be his people. When he chose us, he did so because of the blood of Jesus. Through the lens of salvation, God saw us as his children. He then chose us to be with him. He did this through the Spirit. The Spirit’s work is to make us holy. God calls us then to holiness.

B. This is further stated in 1 Thessalonians 4. The context is that God has called us to be holy people. Sanctified people are those who lives imitate the one who has called us. “Be holy as God is holy.” Moral and ethical purity is what God wants. Paul writes specifically in terms of sexual purity. And in verse 8 the idea is that the Spirit is busily creating a life of holiness within each Christian. Let me say a brief word to our teens. God’s intent for you is to remain sexually pure. As a Christian he has given to you his Holy Spirit who is busily working to keep you sexually pure. But remember this, the Spirit does not work against your will. We have to work with the Spirit to make this possible.

Let me show you from verse 8 a little nuance of language which is worth noting. Paul says to reject this teaching is not to reject man but God who give us his Holy Spirit. In the language the word order makes a difference. In this case, the word order is actually “Spirit who is holy.”

ii. The point is that the word “holy” being placed after the word Spirit receives some emphasis. God gives to us his Spirit who is Holy. In other words, at the core of God’s character is holiness and to ensure that his people understand and practice holiness, he gives us his Spirit of Holiness.

iii. The presence of the Spirit in our lives is to bring about holiness—ethical and moral purity which will demonstrate the presence of God in our lives.

C. This is further clarified in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. There are a number of points Paul is making to this church about the importance of remaining sexually pure, but the point which coincides with our lesson is found in verse 19. Paul says we possess the Holy Spirit in our bodies. In fact, he says our bodies are the Spirit’s dwelling place. There are two words for temple. One word is general and includes the temple and surrounding courts. The other word means specifically the sanctuary or building called the temple. This is the word Paul uses. Our very bodies are the sanctuary of the Spirit. Paul’s point now comes into focus. We must not use our bodies in destructive ways because God’s Holy Spirit lives in us. The body is extremely important to God. This is not a shell that we discard. This is not a container for the soul.

This body will be resurrected (v.14). Just as Jesus was bodily raised from the dead, so our bodies will be raised from the dead. Changed—yes, but our body. Therefore, we do not damage our body by practicing sexual immorality with it.

ii. Inside of each Christian is God’s Holy Spirit. By his very name we are to understand his work in us. He concentrates on helping us to live holy lives. Lives which demonstrate that we belong to God. Lives which demonstrate ethical and moral purity.

iii. I cannot give my body over to sexual immorality because it is the dwelling place of God’s Spirit. I must not desecrate this holy place because this is the Spirit’s house.

D. Not only does the Spirit help us to live holy lives, the Spirit helps us in our fight against evil. In Romans 6-8, Paul is answering the question “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (6:1). In other words, can we thank God for grace and do whatever we want. Paul’s first answer is that such conduct is contrary to the meaning of our baptism in which we die to sin and are raised again to live a new kind of life. So in 8:12-13 he continues that thought. We have an obligation to live not by the fleshly nature, but by the Spirit. In our struggle against evil, the Spirit is there to help us. The phrase “put to death” is in the present tense. This means that our desire to not sin is a continual struggle. It is a lifelong struggle to fight against evil and to live by the Spirit.

As we live by the Spirit; as we allow the Spirit to help us in that struggle we come to realize more and more that we are God’s children. The emphasis in this text in on our struggle and the Spirit’s presence. The Spirit will not force us to live for God. Our minds are involved. We must decide to live by the Spirit and such a choice brings help from the Spirit.

E. Paul goes on in this chapter to say that the Spirit helps us in our weakness (8:26-27). The Christian is weak. We are victorious because of the Spirit, but we are always weak. This last section of chapter 8 reminds of that weakness. There are three reasons why the Christian is sustained in our present weakness.

First, we know that there will be a future glory (24-25). At that time all of the perfections of redemption will be ours.

ii. Second, the Holy Spirit helps us especially since we don’t know what we need (26-27).

iii. Third, God is working things out for our good (28-30). God’s work is based on his knowledge of us before we are even born.

iv. The point of verse 26 is that the Spirit himself prays for us in our weakness. The word helps presents the image of one who picks up one end of a heavy load and helps us carry it. We don’t know what to do. God’s Spirit prays for us. The Spirit so identifies with our weakness that he groans with us.

F. The Holy Spirit works to assure us that we belong to God. Ephesians 1:13-14. The two key words in this text are “seal” and “deposit.” The seal of the Old Testament was circumcision. Circumcision was the way God demonstrated who belonged to him. It was the mark of identification and authentication. Cattle are sealed or branded to show who their owner is. Such is the case with the Holy Spirit. He is the mark of identification for those who belong to God. The Holy Spirit shows that we belong to God.

The other word is deposit. It is a term which was used in commerce and the courts. It meant a guarantee or pledge. A buyer gave the seller earnest money—a down payment or first installment which served to bind the agreement and pledged that the rest of the payments would follow. The Spirit then serves as God’s pledge to us that God will grant us the rest of our promised inheritance.

ii. The Spirit serves a two-fold purpose. His presence assures us that we are his sons and daughters and his presence guarantees our complete inheritance.

G. Lastly, the Holy Spirit works to bring about righteousness, peace and joy in our lives. Paul mentions in Galatians 5 that the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, etc. When we give ourselves to the Spirit allowing him to work in our lives he produces fruit within us. But the point here is found in Romans 14:17-18—For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

Paul will write one chapter later in Romans 15:13—May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to develop this peace and joy. Such happens as we learn to trust God more and more.

ii. I do not have time to get into this idea of developing the connection between joy and peace and trusting in God. Let me succinctly put it this way—when our heart is converted then we find joy. We cannot find real joy and peace unless our heart is converted. That doesn’t mean we never have emotions like grief, sadness, or frustration. I would argue that such emotions are not only a product of having joy but coincide with conversion. To be converted means to have a change of heart to the point that you want only what God wants; you treasure what God treasures; you desire what God desires. There are competing voices, but there is nothing that means more to you than what God wants. With this conversion in place, the Holy Spirit will bring joy and peace. Without such a conversion, joy and peace will elude you. This is the reason that grief, sadness, and frustration come—these emotions drive home the point that life isn’t the way God wants it. Death is not what God wants. Broken lives is not what God wants. Disease is not what God wants. With a converted heart we see these grief provoking events as verification that we want what God wants. We treasure what he treasures. We desire what he desires.

iii. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live for God. Ephesians 3:16ff—I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

So What?

A. God has not left us defenseless in this world. The Holy Spirit is busy in our lives. He helps us to become holy. He helps us to fight against evil. He strengthens us in our weakness. He shares our burdens. He assures us that we belong to God and that our complete inheritance is coming. He empowers us to live with joy and peace. We are not alone. As Christians we are very much empowered to be God’s child. Without the Spirit we would indeed be left to our own devices. Invitation.

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