Read 1 John 5:12-13; Romans 8:15-17; and 2 Corinthians 5:5. Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, why can we have the assurance of eternal life? What is the basis for this assurance? The Holy Spirit is the One who leads sinners to Jesus. Jesus’ substitutionary death has reconciled us with God. Jesus’ forgiveness … Continue reading –>
Read John 16:8, John 16:11. What judgment is Jesus referring to? Why is this judgment good news? There remains one last great conviction that is part of the work of the Spirit: the conviction about judgment. Here is where much of our preaching on this passage seems to go in a wrong and harmful direction. … Continue reading –>
John 16:8 said that the Holy Spirit will convict the world, not just of sin but also of righteousness. In other words, the world, which does not know what sin really is, does not know what true righteousness is, either. Unconverted people imagine that external morality will suffice. They desire not the righteousness of God … Continue reading –>
Read John 16:8-9. What crucial work does the Holy Spirit do for us, and why is this so important? Jesus has called the Holy Spirit the paraclete, a word rich in meaning and that conveys the idea of helper, advocate, and comforter. The Holy Spirit does not enter into this important work of conviction as … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 16:8-11; Rom. 5:10; Heb. 4:15-16; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; 1 John 5:12-13; Ps. 31:24. Memory Text: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, NASB). As we come … Continue reading –>
The mere fact that people anxiously ask whether they have committed the unforgivable sin reveals that they most surely haven’t. If they had committed it, they certainly wouldn’t be worrying about it. Their worry is all the evidence they need that, indeed, they are still open to the Spirit’s leading. What the person should do … Continue reading –>
Read Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10; and Matthew 12:31-32. If all sins and blasphemies can be forgiven, what is it that cannot be forgiven? Perhaps no other sin has caused greater uncertainty and anguish among Christians and has been more misunderstood than has the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Some think that Jesus has in mind … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. How can the Holy Spirit be quenched? The word “quenching” suggests the idea of a fire. The same Greek root word is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and in Ephesians 6:16. This suggests that something about the Holy Spirit is like a fire that we can extinguish. We should remember that … Continue reading –>
That the Holy Spirit can be grieved tells us that God is not indifferent to us and what we do. God is affected by what we decide and how we live. Read Ephesians 4:25-5:2. What are we told to do here and how different would our lives be were we to follow these biblical commands? … Continue reading –>
Read Ephesians 4:30. Here Paul uses an imperative and admonishes us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is a personal being, not just a divine force. That is why He can be grieved. But how do we grieve the Holy Spirit? Perhaps we … Continue reading –>
