The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit lesson 11 q. 7 to lesson 12
Courtney Hemenway · Aug 1, 2021
Holy Spirit (2021-23), No. 24
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49261923447521

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

All right, we are in lesson 11, and I believe we're in question seven. So hopefully these last two should go pretty fast, so JD, you should be able to get going on your lesson here. So question seven, what is the added testimony of truth that God provides here? And this question goes back to the verses we looked up in question five, which is 1 John 5, eight through 11. and i'll read of the spirit in the water in the blood and the three are in agreement if we receive the testimony of man the testimony of god is greater for the testimony of god is this that he has testified concerning his son the one who believes in the son of god has a testimony in himself one who does not believe god has made him it has made him a liar because he is not believe in the testimony that god has given concerning his son, and the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. So, what is the key to these verses with respect to the witness? Who is the one who gives witness?

The spirit. Well, it actually says differently in this. Oh. What is it from the verses? In essence. Oh, the spirit, the water, and the blood. No? No. Verse 9, if we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For the testimony of God is this, that he has testified concerning his son. So who is it? God. That's amazing.

If you believe in the Trinity, I mean, they're all one and the same, but it specifically says God is the one giving the testimony regarding His Son. Is that speaking of the Trinity or is it speaking of the Father? No, it's speaking of the Father. I'm just saying when you give the Holy Spirit, they're all, but specifically the Father is brought out here.

So, God is one of the witnesses of Jesus as his son, and that is where eternal life is found and centered, because it gets... uh... yeah and uh... inverse eleven and the testimony is this that god has given us a turn a life and this life is innocent so again and it's gone uh... now the question is that uh... and this morning jim king who how is this accomplished according to the verses it's how is this accomplished the uh... uh... about the testimony and the...

I guess at this point, who does that? Who accomplishes this? God gives the testimony, but who enacts that? Basically, the believer. The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who enacts it. He convinces and convicts you of the testimony of God. So God gives a testimony, but it's the spirit is the one that convicts and convinces you of that truth. So God says, this is my son. You have eternal life in my son.

But how is it accomplished in the believer? through the Holy Spirit convincing. And we've seen this, we saw this in the verses we've gone over about the Holy Spirit, the water and the blood giving testimony. We just went through that. So God gives the testimony, but the Spirit is the one who convinces us of that. to the believer. So, Wright-Up puts it this way.

He unites his witness to give us complete certainty. God has borne witness concerning his son that everyone who believes in him hath life. The believer has a witness in his own spirit, but there's the added testimony of the God of truth. He that has the son has life. So again, it's kind of interesting. God gives us testimony, but it's the spirit that convinces us of that truth. So question eight, what gives the believer assurance and what does not? So let's start with the does not. What does not give assurance? Non-biblical faith. Okay, non-biblical faith.

Feelings. Feelings, that is one. That's one I have, yeah. Feelings. Yeah, a lot of people go on feelings and then try and back it up with scripture. And that's kind of, backwards They're doing good works. Yeah, they're in good works Something besides the gospel anything besides the gospel. Yep.

What about the world does the world give us assurance? Absolutely, not only in the flash. Yeah Fox News does What was that, JD? Fox News does. Oh, yeah. They're going downhill fast. We're no assurance of them anymore. I know. No, Fox News does not give us assurance. So now the obvious question, what does give us assurance? No, you have no assurance. The truth is word. Anything in the word? What was that, Myles? I was saying the word.

I was a little worried going to camp because the application, the staff application said, you know, are you a believer and can you give some evidences of it? And I mean, an application is probably put together by a board, right? And you probably use a template or something. So I just said, well, the only evidence they have is that God's word says that if I trusted that I am, kind of a thing. And they accepted it just fine, no problem. And when I got to camp and I taught the gospel and I spent a whole evening on the fact that after I shared the gospel one evening and the next evening, I kind of just spent time on the assurance that there's nothing we can do to earn it and nothing we can do to prove it or pay it back, but that we just trust it. and got off without a hitch, so I guess they weren't too worried about that. Yeah, I think on ours, you know, Camp, I think ours is more, you know, these are our, you know, our foundational faith. Here's our, you know, our statements of faith.

Do you agree with them? That's more, not that we, you have to prove that, you know, have a little tattoo here that. That's right. We basically do agree with this, you know, but yeah, I, yeah. And there was that too. I just, I just used Ephesians one and not just, um, saying that, you know, having believed you were sealed kind of thing. So all we've been talking about in here about, yeah, it was good that we've been talking about that.

It was really fresh in my mind to just, yeah. So, it's amazing how God works, prepares you with some of this right before he goes. Just by happenstance. That's awesome, that's great. So, basically his word, right out has this. And all this is written in the word of God for our assurance.

It is not left to changing feelings or dubious experiences or faltering footsteps in the Lord's path. These could never give assurance, but the living word of the living God brought home to the soul by the Holy Spirit that is a witness of the spirit and that gives assurance. So it's the spirit and the word that gives us the assurance. That's what develops our faith. You know, that we trust in the Word and the Holy Spirit is the one that convinces us. And so, you know, the assurance is brought through His Word and the Spirit. It's not by anything else. The world, your feelings, your experiences, that is not what gives us assurance. It's His Word and the Spirit. So, any other thoughts on? Want to move on to the last one? Well, I like what Raida said.

The living Word of the living brought home brought home to the soul by the Holy Spirit. It's an internal thing. You know, if it's not internal, it's not real. You know, and that's kind of one of those ones, you know, thinking about when you say that, we've talked about this, there are going to be a lot of people in heaven with their books and their scholarly degrees from Christian universities, and they'll walk right by the Lord. and it's they have all this head knowledge but the home is in the heart. It's like we talked about making the word internalized. You may have the head knowledge and be able to recite it and all that stuff, but unless it's internalized, it's not part of you. Well, it's the growth in the faith. Exactly. That's where your growth comes from, the Holy Spirit convincing you of these truths. and making it real to you. And that's the assurance. That's how you live the Word of God. You don't live it by trying.

I think even today's Hungry Heart was something on that, too. I don't know. Yeah, it was... I might have to look it up or something. But yeah, I think it was very on the same thing about... It was one from J.B. Stoney, who I like, and Darby, actually. Darby there, too. And kind of going over that. You know, I have to read Hungry Heart at least two times, maybe three or four times before I really get the message of the whole thing. I tell that to people, you know, when I've given out the Hungry Heart to people.

I say it's not like the normal daily bread or the whatever, the things, the daily readings that pop up on your Bible app or whatever. These aren't. These are something you have to think about. And I have to read them, you know, a lot of times, several times. Okay, so I'm not alone. Yeah, no, no. There's a lot of big words in there, too. There is. Big words in there. Do you have the mic on? I don't. Hit the green.

What I do with The Hungry Heart, too, is just get a notebook and write down my thoughts, and then you can expound on the scriptures, which is very helpful. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but two or three times. I have lots of notes and highlights of mine. It's amazing how many times even when I'm reading, I read the Hungry Heart and I read one chapter and I'm starting again. I've done one again right now. It's amazing how the things that I read there correspond to what the Hungry Heart does.

I've had to change some of the phrases. in there, because it's one or two centuries ago, and he makes it difficult to understand. So Unless you really look this over on page 30 is a review of all the Holy Spirit does in salvation list all of them And so from right out, he says, thus, beloved brethren, we have traced in a weak and partial way what I've called the spirit's work in salvation, or if you please, the effectual work of the spirit. So did anybody have those, what the spirit does in salvation? This is kind of a summary of the last two months of our study, two or three months of our study. So if you want, I'll go ahead and read through them.

We have seen it begin in the deep work of conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment, leading the trembling soul to turn with repentance and faith to that Savior whom he had so long despised and rejected. We saw that this faith marked the new birth of the soul. This new birth we saw to be characterized by the importation of a life from God with a sinless nature. We next saw that every believer received the seal of the spirit, the pledge, and the sample of our inheritance until the day of redemption, God's mark of ownership. of protection through all this life, and of the separation from the world. We have just concluded by dwelling upon the witness of the Spirit to us, that we are children of God. So a lot wrapped up in the chapter that he did, and this is a lecture, basically a lecture that Rideout gave, so it's a long lecture, and we've dissected it quite a bit, but Rideout concludes with this.

May we not take to our homes, and wherever we go, that sweet assurance. If there be one doubting believer, strange combination, will you not now take up the Spirit's word and cry, Abba, Father? Again, I think this is all drawing to John 17 and the intimacy or what we've seen in Romans and Galatians about crying out, Abba, Father, that I challenge everybody, do you get to that point of intimacy that you could go before the Father and say, Daddy? when you talk with the father. You have that much intimacy, you're that close. As I was saying when this song I heard coming in this morning, that running into his arms, that's the intimacy that he wants with us, that we run into his arms and cry, Abba, Father.

All right, well, I will turn the mic over to JD, and he will continue with the next lesson. Well, it's good to see everybody but Mike, I guess. He's always in the front. No, it's good to see Mike, too. I'm just kidding. Brian and Alan in the back there.

Well, let's start out with question number one. This is all about sanctification, but here's the first question. What is meant by our position? What's the source of the Christian life? Yeah, that's not a wrong answer, but what establishes us? Can someone grab 2 Corinthians 5.17 for us? Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away. Behold, new things have come. OK. What are those new things?

I find it interesting we use this word position a lot. When you ask the question, what does it mean, everybody sort of stumbles. And it's such a critical element of our faith. It is a strange word, not out of the Holly Hills context, but for most of Christendom, it's not something that is established very well. And I think that word established is the heart of it. Where is our position established?

That's the question there. It's in the death of Christ. Okay. His offering of himself once for all. Yeah, I hadn't printed out the new set of questions, so I'm not ready for it. That's okay. You're spot on. I would add to that that it's not only what Christ did, it's my inclusion in it. Yep. Were you at the cross? Yes. Yeah.

What a blessed place. We were all there. We all died with them, buried and resurrected. Based on what? Our Courtney? I was going to let other people. I'll let other people answer. You were at the cross based on your grandma. You were going to speak, Miles, go ahead. Sorry, it was glitching there a bit on my end. I said, faith in the facts. Is that where we're going? Yep. Faith in the facts. You were at the cross, and that's the foundation of your position.

And I'd like us to read Acts 17, 28. So if someone can grab that for me. I keep people busy. Someone else grab Ephesians 2, 6. Acts 17, 28. Yep. For in him we live and move and have our being, as also some of you own poets have said, for we are also his offspring. New American Standard, or is that the American Standard? Yeah. He's just two six. That's a new King James. Sorry. That's okay. Ephesians two six. We'll just pair him. Yeah II must say I've marveled a lot in uh my Christian life that there's so much language especially in Paul's epistles about uh who I am what I have and where I am that I just jump right over. because it's hard to think of myself as being seated in Christ in the heavenlies right now, because my frame of reference is all earthly, you know?

I know someone has Ephesians 2.6, but Mike, I wanted to just touch on, and to Courtney's point about the hungry heart this morning, It goes without saying that Christianity is a vertical relationship with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But, and I'm reading, but we are, your arrows pointing up or, but are you arrows pointing up or down? Where's your arrow? We have to go through that first step that we are, that's one of God's principles that reveals our position. You know, He used that. I think this is one of those ones where people are always, you know, looking up to God and, you know, and all these ways, you know, raise your hand, you know, to heaven or what, it's always up. but many of the hungry heart, as in this one, which way is your arrow pointing?

Where are we seated? And so, you know, we are from a position seated in the heavenlies. And, you know, a lot of that, I think the rest of that hungry heart was talking about, you know, the relationship. And if we know where we're centered, that that has a incredible effect on you realize that we are seated in the heavenlies positionally. Then our arrows point down. Our arrows point down. That was what I was looking for. Most believers probably would not understand that fully, but scripture would have us looking down from where we are in our position.

I love the word established, where we are foundationally established. And so let's read Ephesians 2 6 because I want to add another word that will help us in that perspective. I've got it. And this up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Mm hmm. And since you're there, can you read verse Ephesians 2 10 as well?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them." So does God, for the believer, does God change things for the positional understanding of who we are in Christ? Is it changeable?

Can you jump out of it? Rush? Shaking your head? No. You're permanently in it. Oh, okay. Permanently. And what characteristic of God does permanency come from? I would say it's the immutability. His characteristic. He does not change. He's immutable. And... It can't be reversed. It's who he is and it's how he relates to you as his child. And it can't be changed. What kind of hope does that give you? Blessed hope. That's the ultimate hope. You're seated in the heavenlies with God, and that's an immutable position that you have in Him, and it can't be changed, which is the definition. It's already done in Christ. It's done. It's a finished work. You're a finished work, Mike. Thank God. You know, J.D., I want to go back to one a bit about somewhat on the established. You know, I think you brought it up years ago or something.

It's like a tree. The roots are in heaven. That's where it's planted. That's where we're held. That's where it doesn't move. The branches and the leaves are all down here, being blown by the wind and, you know, moved around and the conditional part of it. But the roots are in heaven, firmly established, never to be moved. It's like an oak tree that's planted, and it's firmly rooted in heaven. We have the branches down here getting our daily conditions, trials, all that. But we're established in heaven. That's where our roots are. That's a really good point.

It's an upside down tree, and we get so fussy about those leaves at the top of the... bottom of the tree, really. I mean... Actually, it's the ripened fruit that falls from the tree. The principle of gravity towards the Earth. But the analogy starts to fall apart at some point. But I think you're right.

Being established is a downward arrow in terms of who we are in Christ. So let's move on to question number two. What are the elements of your position? So let's talk a little bit more about what's the if we're gonna use that i guess the analogy to but what what are those roots what what is the ultimate foundation of our position i know we want to say christ but what what is the the offering that christ made burial resurrection ascension so forth but what's the ultimate foundation of our Christian life.

This is a tough question. This is one of Mike's questions. It's kind of tricky. What did you say, Cheryl? Is it sanctification? No, although that's a process related to it. Let me ask it this way, J.D. What's your position based on? How was that position made available? Do you deserve it? No. Okay, Cheryl, you got it.

It's based on grace. That's right. We're in the glory. Everything that is true of us is based on God's grace alone and nothing else. Yes. Is grace a promise? Russ, I want to hear from you at some point. Is grace a promise or a fact? It's a fact. Yeah, there you go, bud. Yeah, it's a fact. Absolutely. You're established in a fact. It's not a promise or anything that could be ultimately adjusted over time. It's a fact. You live in a fact of grace. You're established in a fact of grace. Can I say it that way? Yes. In the presence of the Father's presence at the cross and how God sees me. That's where you are. I think Verdon said it quite a lot. The cross was very... It was full. It was full. Crowded. Crowded, yep. Crowded, that's the word.

So we're talking about what are the elements of your position. We've talked about grace and the source of our Christian life. The foundation is there. It's a fact. It's not just a promise. It's true forever. We also talked about being immutable. The fact that God is immutable and placing us in that position What is that? We talked about the hope that that gives us, but the object, what is the object of our faith? We don't just have faith. If I'm talking to one of the kids on the neighborhood block, and I say, hey bud, you just need to have faith.

What would be wrong with that? Sounds Catholic to me. You're missing the object, is what you're missing. That's right. Go ahead, Cheryl. Yeah, you said it. I was just going to say faith has to have an object, and you said object, so you already took care of it. You know, the objects are the facts, but the real object is the person behind the facts. That's what I was just going to say.

I hate it when you do that, Mike. You stole the exact comment I was going to say. Courtney did it last time. That's using my job, isn't it? No, I'm just kidding. I appreciate that. Go ahead, Courtney. Yeah, so the object is not an object itself, it's a person. And that really matters a lot.

So when we're talking about the elements of our position, and I'm wrapping up here, it's 945. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's the same object as far as where we place our faith. It's a person for every single believer. There's nothing that differs in that understanding of our position. And we could go into this, like you said, there's what is true for every believer and all that, but the source is grace. It's based on grace. It's a fact, it's not a promise. And the faith and the facts is like the train on the tracks and feelings follow. Courtney. I see the picture. Well, any other final thoughts? I got through two questions.

I was thinking as you were talking there that Any of us that are in a position to talk to a non-believer or a believer who's maybe struggling in their faith, we really say the same thing. The answers to people's problems are the facts, and the facts don't ever change, and they're not modified to fit your particular needs. That's so interesting to me because there are a lot of problems around all of our lives right now and we need to, as believers, we need to be able to hear those but we also need to find the right timing to focus them on the actual facts of the truth of God's Word because you can't just rush over you know whether it's i'm going to chemo or i'm going to divorce or it's always based on the facts of god's word and it's gracious and it's personable it's not here's my solution therapeutically to your problem it's being a light leading or always thinking about leading back to those facts and so it's if you want one quick thing is the idea that i have a hard-to-get gathers rather than this the great question is not whether i see is a certain thing and how it stands in relation to me but i see it as my father sees it and as it stands in relation to him uh... mhm that's really good yet that that's the We put it all in perspective to us, but what is it with respect to the Father? How many times I'm thinking about me, not what the Father is doing for me, or in me, or through me, or whatever.

The other thing was too, when you talk about a person, what's one of the things of this class, the Holy Spirit is a person too. It's not just a force. That's right. We talk about the person of Christ, but also this whole class is the person and work of the Holy Spirit. We've got to put that in perspective, too. For sure, the worldly Christian is miserable. All right. Well, I'm at the end of time. Thanks, Courtney, for those thoughts. Let's pray. Father, how we thank You for the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. We thank You for the presence that He has in our lives.

He establishes us. He convicts us of your immutability in terms of our foundation and grace. in terms of just the question of how we see the arrow and how we understand our relationship to the Father. The Holy Spirit convinces us that we're looking down on who we are in our position, and that affects our condition. And the sanctification that we have is based on that foundation, and it's unchangeable. We know that you don't change who we are in you, and it creates the perspective of how the Father sees it versus how we see it, and that's so important. And so, Lord, we just thank you for the day. We pray for the next lesson, and we thank you again for your love and your grace. Amen.