Parakletos

Recap: 6/5": {Pente. Spirit Bap & gifts}; 6/12: {Matt, heart of evang}; 6/19: {Spirit in Pers. Evang.}

TODAY: Sin! kind of kidding... Parakletos/-ou

John uses this word to describe both Jesus AND Spirit only one.

Many times translated "helper" or "advocate"

Adv. good word! Someone who props you up and makes sure you have what you need to succeed.

Not just cheerleader but provider of aid. So you have what it takes!

Passages using PARAKLETOS, making sure Xians have what need to overcome the world & spirit'l atks!

Good News & Bad News

The Bad News: We are selfish, fleshly creatures... champion those we agree with and condemn that which we do not; protect self at all costs, step on others to get ahead!

Bible calls this "sin" [against God's ideal]; started at the beginning!

The Serpent lead the first couple astray; twisted God's words, appealed to their autonomy! Lead to a separation from God (not His orig. plan)

God's commitment to human proj.... even after gen.'s of sin (both human and divine), He sought out faithful to pursue His best for world - Noah & Abraham.

Genesis 8:21 “The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”

After being freed in a dramatic display of YHWH's superiority, Israel (now a numerous ppl) still complained about their sit.

Moses called uncircumcised hearts; also "Stiff-necked"

Josh 24:19 “Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.”

Deut 30:6; The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Moses & Joshua anticipated failure; covenant breaking...

Seen in Israel's very rocky history which, in mind of proph., lead to rejection & punishmen in captivity...

What was the problem?

Wicked uncircumcised hearts!

Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Same deception in the garden! Deceiving us in the same way today!

We have tendency to set the things WE want up as gods and worship them instead of Creator YHWH...

Rom 10:3 “Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

We want to define what is good and what it evil; not to serve that oppressive, limiting God.

Paul calls this tendency "the flesh"

It's a battle we fight on a regular basis:

Take advtage for my benefit? Hold back my stuff instead of give? Get involved, or keep my Sunday AM free? ______________________

The Good News: We have the Holy Spirit who we can rely on to help us fight that selfish urge! See what the Bible says...

1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

God WILL provide a way out...

2 Thess. 2:13 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”

The work of the Spirit is to make us holier... more like X... set apart for His good will!

Rom 1:4; "the Spirit of holiness"... .

1 Thess. 4:7–8 “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

[In a neg. light] When ignore the call to be holy, we ignore HS...

Therefore, the one who aids us in this IS the Spirit...

1 Pet. 1:2 “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

1) Before time began, HE called us.

2) His Spirit in every believer is the one helping us to live rightly

1 Thess. 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It's God doing a work in us.

We have to work at it... he wants us to make that choice, but...

IT'S HE WHO DIRECTS US && HELPS US!

We're Called to Holiness!

Shock Treatment & Maintenance (Initiation & Sanctification )

"Hello Dove" pg. 49-50

At Salvation, HS does the initial SHOCK of clearing out the sin.

From that point, begins a process of clearing away cobwebs, guiding you into truth, & finding Jesus.

Choose today!

We all face this battle... we're lying to ourself if we don't admit it!

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

SPIRITUAL BATTLE…

God gives us a choice - follow Him or the other false gods of this world (out of which 'self' is the most potent in 2022)

Jos 24:15 “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.””

Line drawn. In sand.

Can serve the God who created all and walk with His plan in mind...

or the powers of this world who have been defeated by Christ's victory on the cross! [flailing helplessly]