Sunday School

What does the Holy Spirit do for people’s lives?

Have you ever thought, what does the Holy Spirit do in people’s lives?

Notice I didn’t say believers.

The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit works in cooperation with the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit does this to do important work in our lives.

Do you know the Holy Spirit’s ministry?

Most people find it a mystery because they can not see it.

I wonder if that is why Jesus likened His work to the wind.

John 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Although the ministry of the Holy Spirit is often out of your sight, the Bible clearly shows the nature, purpose, and operation of what the Holy Spirit does.

This is our focus today.

We want to take a closer look at what the Holy Spirit does.

How does the Holy Spirit regenerate people?

What does the Greek word for “sealing” mean?

Does the Holy Spirit give every Christian a spiritual gift?

Does the Holy Spirit sanctify us?

Does the work of the Holy Spirit convict us of sin?

How does the Holy Spirit promote Christlikeness?

Does the Holy Spirit intercede for us in prayer?

We will dive into this ministry to discover the answers from God’s word.

Let us pray.

Welcome to Sunday School today at Calvary Baptist Church.

Before we get started on a new interactive series, I decided to just have an old fashion class.

Let us take a look at the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives.

The Bible clearly teaches that one God exists in three persons.

The Trinity consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Though each member has distinct roles and functions, they are one essence.

That one essence unites their nature, will, and purposes.

Therefore , what the Holy Spirit does is in cooperation with the Father and the Son, though it is uniquely the work of the Holy Spirit.

Today we are going to cover twelve works to give us description of the ministry of the Holy Spirit according to the New Testament.

I encourage you to take notes and study these passages on your own time.

This will give you more understanding and insight.

Let us get started.

The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of sin.

The Holy Spirit works in the lives of unbelievers to persuade them that they are sinners in need of a Savior.

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

The Bible teaches that everyone sins and falls short of meeting God’s moral standards.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

To become a Christian, a person must confess their sin, repent, and trust Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.

Mark 1:15 “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Jesus said that one of His purposes for sending the Holy Spirit after His ascension was to convict people of sin.

John 16:7–8 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”

2. The Holy Spirit regenerates unbelievers

According to the Bible, everyone is born sinful.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

One consequence of people’s sin nature is they can not enter the kingdom of God.

Therefore, to attain eternal life, a person must be regenerated or born a second time.

This occurs through repentance and belief in Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:15 “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Regenerate means to start anew or “originate again”.

In their conversation about sin and salvation, Jesus told Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit must regenerate him.

John 3:5–7 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

3. The Holy Spirit seals believers

The Apostle Paul taught the Holy Spirit seals believers

2 Corinthians 1:22 “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated “seal” is “sphragizo” sometimes refers to a literal wax seal.

here is an example of this.

Revelation 10:4 “And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”

Wax seals often contain the initials or emblem of the scroll owner.

It also secured the written content.

In relation to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, “seal” figuratively refers to ownership and protection.

2 Corinthians 1:22 contains the noun form of the term when it says that Jesus had sealed us and given the Holy Spirit to believers as a guarantee.

It signifies that God is serious about fulfilling His promises to us, including our future heavenly inheritance, right.

In Ephesians 1:13, this contains the verb form of the word.

Believing in Christ leads to the sealing by the Holy Spirit. This sealing is a spiritual mark, a guarantee of God’s ownership and a pledge of the future inheritance.

So this verse describes the believer’s experience of salvation, emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit in sealing and guaranteeing their inheritance, right.

4. The Holy Spirit assures believers of salvation.

An essential work of the Holy Spirit is promising believers that they belong to God.

Assurance is defined as a positive declaration intended to give confidence, a promise.

For various reasons, sometimes Christians doubt God has forgiven their sins and granted them salvation.

Though God calls His believers His children,

John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

people wonder if they are genuinely His sons and daughters.

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

The assurance of the believer is not that God will save him/her even if he/she stops believing, but that God will keep him/her believing.

God will sustain you in faith.

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

He will make your hope firm and stable to the end.

God will cause you to preserve.

5. The Holy Spirit sanctifies believers.

The term “sanctification” describes the process by which God , through the Holy Spirit, helps a person grow in holiness and Christlikeness.

The word “sanctify” in the English translations of the Bible comes from the same Greek word “hagiasmos”.

Hagiasmos refers to the sanctification, holiness, or consecration.

It describes the process of being set apart for a special purpose implying purification, moral purity, and dedication to God.

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in the lives of believers, helping them grow and mature in their faith.

1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

In this passage, we are chosen by God because God knew us personally and He chose us.

More, we are chosen through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

That means God’s Holy Spirit is involved in making us set apart just for God, in making us people God can call holy,

Finally, we are chosen for something else: obedience to Jesus and “the sprinkling of His blood.

Under the Old Testament law, the blood of an animal sacrifice was required for the forgiveness of sin, and for showing what belonged to God.

Jesus’ blood was literally spilled when He died on the cross to pay for our sin.

His shedding of blood made it possible for us to be made clean from our sin and for God to claim ownership of us and declare us holy.

So we fulfill our purpose in the universe when we obey Christ.

It is what we were chosen for.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

6. The Holy Spirit promotes Christlikeness in believers

Paul wrote that God’s plan for believers is that they would resemble His Son, Jesus.

Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Maturity in the Christian life has a goal.

That goal is to be more like Jesus in word, deed, motive, desires, values, priorities, love, and much more.

Christians can read the Gospels to learn more about Jesus’ character.

Other New Testament descriptions of Christian faith and conduct imply Christlike virtues.

for example

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

7. The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers

The Holy Spirit prays for believers.

Sometimes when life is difficult, or confusion is present, Christians do not know what to say to God.

They may be weak, desperate, exhausted, or lacking direction.

God does not abandon His sons and daughters.

Instead, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.

Romans 8:26–27 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

8. The Holy Spirit clarifies the Bible for believers to understand

God inspired the writing of the Bible, and people need the Holy Spirit to understand it.

While any reader can understand the plot line of a story or the meaning of a proverb, it takes clarification from the Spirit to grasp the ultimate meaning, which leads to faith in Jesus.

Clarification or guidance will give birth to understanding, insight, conviction, belief, application, and more.

Look at this

1 Corinthians 2:12–13 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

9. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to believers

God gives every Christian a spiritual gift.

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

Paul writes that the Holy Spirit gives to each one individually as He wills.

When people respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells them.

One result of the Spirit’s indwelling a person is endowing them with a spiritual gift, though it is common for people to have more than one.

Paul emphasizes the Holy Spirit is the source of every spiritual gift.

He adds it is the same God which works it all in everyone.

Later, he says all these gifts are worked by the same Spirit

This fact promotes unity because every gift has the same source and purpose, which is to serve the Church.

10. The Holy Spirit guides believers

The Holy Spirit gives Christians direction, advice, and counsel to help them make decisions.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit’s guidance helps believers choose righteousness over sinfulness.

Other times, Christians must choose between two righteous options, and the Holy Spirit, through things like prayer, studying Scripture, and seeking wisdom, help them make a decision.

Galatians 5:16–18 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”

11. The Holy Spirit unites believers

Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it.

Unity among Christians glorifies God because it demonstrates that He is more worthy than people’s preferences and biases on other matters.

Ephesians 4:1–3 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

12. The Holy Spirit gives believers their resurrected bodies

Like the Holy Spirit enabled dry bones to come to life in Ezekiel’s vision

Ezekiel 37:1–14 KJV 1900

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

The Holy Spirit will resurrect people’s mortal bodies in the end times.

look at this

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Paul wrote in his previous verse that Christians are spiritually alive, because of God’s Spirit with us, but our physical bodies are dying and will die because of sin.

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Now, Paul assures us that our physical bodies will be resurrected, as Christ’s was.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

More specifically, he says that since God’s Spirit is in you, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies.

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Paul is clear.

Resurrection is the work of the Holy Spirit of God.

That is one of the things He does.

He raised Jesus from the dead, and He will do the same for all of who are in Christ when the time comes.

Conclusion

The work of the Holy Spirit involves convicting unbelievers of people of sin and then sealing , assuring, and sanctifying God’s children. Other ministries include promoting Christlikeness, interceding in prayer for believers, and endowing them with spiritual gifts.

Let us pray.