Holy Spirit and assurance

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Holy Spirit, Filling Of

A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of being out walking and looking across a field at a house. There beside the house was what looked like a man pumping furiously at one of those hand pumps. As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a tremendous rate; he seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less stopping.

Truly it was a remarkable sight, so Gordon started to walk toward it. As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man!

When you see a man who is at work for God and producing results, recognize that it is the Holy Spirit working through him, not the man’s efforts that are giving results. All he has to do—and all you have to do—is keep your hand on the handle.663

“To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with one who is already there, in our hearts. Take up a sponge and while it is in your hand squeeze it. In that condition, plunge it in water and submerge it, keeping it in there. It is now in the water and the water is in it. As you hold it in the water, you open your hand, and as you do so the water fills all the pores which you release in this way. It is now filled with the water. When we receive Christ we are born anew and put into that sphere where the Holy Spirit is operating and the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us!! (Romans 8:9)” (Roy Hession, Be Filled Now [Fort Washington, Penn.: Christian Lit., 1968], p. 12).664

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Holy Spirit, Filling Of

A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of being out walking and looking across a field at a house. There beside the house was what looked like a man pumping furiously at one of those hand pumps. As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a tremendous rate; he seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less stopping.

Truly it was a remarkable sight, so Gordon started to walk toward it. As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man!

When you see a man who is at work for God and producing results, recognize that it is the Holy Spirit working through him, not the man’s efforts that are giving results. All he has to do—and all you have to do—is keep your hand on the handle.663

“To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with one who is already there, in our hearts. Take up a sponge and while it is in your hand squeeze it. In that condition, plunge it in water and submerge it, keeping it in there. It is now in the water and the water is in it. As you hold it in the water, you open your hand, and as you do so the water fills all the pores which you release in this way. It is now filled with the water. When we receive Christ we are born anew and put into that sphere where the Holy Spirit is operating and the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us!! (Romans 8:9)” (Roy Hession, Be Filled Now [Fort Washington, Penn.: Christian Lit., 1968], p. 12).664

A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of being out walking and looking across a field at a house. There beside the house was what looked like a man pumping furiously at one of those hand pumps. As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a tremendous rate; he seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less stopping.

A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of being out walking and looking across a field at a house. There beside the house was what looked like a man pumping furiously at one of those hand pumps. As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a tremendous rate; he seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less stopping.

Truly it was a remarkable sight, so Gordon started to walk toward it. As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man!

When you see a man who is at work for God and producing results, recognize that it is the Holy Spirit working through him, not the man’s efforts that are giving results. All he has to do—and all you have to do—is keep your hand on the handle.663

Truly it was a remarkable sight, so Gordon started to walk toward it. As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man. The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow and the hand was wired to the pump handle. The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was pumping it. You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping the man!

When you see a man who is at work for God and producing results, recognize that it is the Holy Spirit working through him, not the man’s efforts that are giving results. All he has to do—and all you have to do—is keep your hand on the handle.663

“To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with one who is already there, in our hearts. Take up a sponge and while it is in your hand squeeze it. In that condition, plunge it in water and submerge it, keeping it in there. It is now in the water and the water is in it. As you hold it in the water, you open your hand, and as you do so the water fills all the pores which you release in this way. It is now filled with the water. When we receive Christ we are born anew and put into that sphere where the Holy Spirit is operating and the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us!! ()” (Roy Hession, Be Filled Now [Fort Washington, Penn.: Christian Lit., 1968], p. 12).664

“To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with one who is already there, in our hearts. Take up a sponge and while it is in your hand squeeze it. In that condition, plunge it in water and submerge it, keeping it in there. It is now in the water and the water is in it. As you hold it in the water, you open your hand, and as you do so the water fills all the pores which you release in this way. It is now filled with the water. When we receive Christ we are born anew and put into that sphere where the Holy Spirit is operating and the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us!! ()” (Roy Hession, Be Filled Now [Fort Washington, Penn.: Christian Lit., 1968], p. 12).664

Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 190.

I) The Holy Spirit assures believers of God’s Wisdom

Galatians 3:5 NKJV

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

See also

What is the wisdom of God?

The gospel

The leaders of the world do not understand the wisdom of God

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) E. Answer Four: God’s Revealed Wisdom, 2:6–13

⇒ Their eyes could not see the spiritual world.

⇒ Their ears could not hear the spiritual truth.

⇒ Their hearts could not conceive the spiritual truth, the glory of the things God has prepared for them that love Him.

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) E. Answer Four: God’s Revealed Wisdom, 2:6–13

⇒ Their eyes could not see the spiritual world.

⇒ Their ears could not hear the spiritual truth.

⇒ Their hearts could not conceive the spiritual truth, the glory of the things God has prepared for them that love Him.

Mystery of God

of the gospel

of the kingdom of Heaven

Believers resurrection

(NKJV)

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

of God’s Will

of the church and His universal love

II) The Holy Spirit assures makes God’s Wisdom known

of the gospel

of the kingdom of Heaven

Believers resurrection

1 Corinthians 2:10–12 NKJV

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

Only the Holy Spirit knows God’s Wisdom

God’’s wisdom is revealed to the believer

(NKJV)

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

(NKJV)

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

III) The Holy Spirit makes an individual a member of Christ

The Holy Spirit makes an individual a member of Christ

Romans 8:9 NKJV

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

See also ; ; ;

The First & Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (King James Version) F. Answer Five: Understanding the Spiritual Stages of Man, 2:14–3:4

The natural man is …

• the fallen and depraved man

• the sinful and corrupt man

• the aging and deteriorating man

• the dying and doomed man

The Spiritual man

is spiritual because:

He born again by the Spirit of God!

The Spirit of God dwells in him

he partakes of the divine nature

The true sign of belonging to God is not any outward mark on the body, but the regenerating power of the Spirit within.

he is not understood by the natural man!

See also ; ; ; ;

The Holy Spirit assures believers that they are God’s children

Romans 8:14–16 NKJV

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

See also

The Holy Spirit assures believers that God loves them

Romans 5:5 NKJV

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The Holy Spirit assures believers that Jesus Christ lives in them and they in him

1 John 4:13 NKJV

By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

See also ;

Galatians 3:5 NKJV

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

See also

The Holy Spirit assures believers of the significance of Jesus Christ

Spiritual gifts alone are not a sufficient basis for assurance.

See also ; ; ; ; ;

The Holy Spirit assures believers of the significance of Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 2:10–12 NKJV

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

See also ;

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 NKJV

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

See also ;

The Holy Spirit assures believers of their final victory in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:5 NKJV

Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

See also ; ; ;