The Work of the Holy Spirit
I came across something the other day that got me thinking, so here are the results of that. Question; what is the function of the Holy Spirit? Well scripture gives us this point as found in John 16:7-11 “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: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
Here we have three Holy Spirit functions clearly noted, or three activities, namely that of; Sin, Righteousness and Judgement. So the function of the Holy Spirit is to “Reprove” which is Strong’s 1651, which give the concept of; admonish, convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove. So we in our life get the promptings of enlightenment from the Holy Spirit when we are in sin or about to sin, or when sin is knocking or beckoning at the door. Of Righteousness, we get the same promptings when our Spiritual Walk is lagging or trailing behind and we need to speed things up, and Judgement as everything we do, say, think, or omit to do is to face us in the final judgement. The final point is that our life here on earth is totally undefined so we know not at what minute or hour or day our life shall cease, and then it is way too late to repent or to change anything.
We have this verse in Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” so it is way too late to make any adjustments to our “Character” or to our “Eternal Reward.” Peter gives us this admonition in 2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” that it is critical that in our daily walk we walk in the spirit. We have this in Romans 8:1 “[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Are you “A Holy Spirit Walker?”
Here is a Quote on this subject; “It is a solemn thing to die, but a far more solemn thing to live. Every thought and word and deed of our lives will meet us again. What we make of ourselves in probationary time, that we must remain to all eternity. Death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no change in the character. The coming of Christ does not change our characters; it only fixes them forever beyond all change. I appeal to the members of the church to be Christians, to be Christlike. Jesus was a worker, not for Himself, but for others. . . If you are Christians you will imitate His example. . . {FLB 169}
Add to this a wonderful text from John the Revelator as found in Revelation 22:12 “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” When Jesus Christ returns shortly to shut down Planet Earth he brings with him a “Pay Packet” and everybody gets one, one group have life and the other group gets death. This is found in the previous verse of Revelation 22:11 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” There are only four categories and everybody will be found to fit into one of these categories; and their eternal reward and station is measured by which group you are in.
The “Wages of Sin,” is for the Lost, and they are turned into ashes just like Sodom and Gomorrah. The Redeemed fit two categories which are “Righteous” and these have fulfilled the requirements for a “Heavenly Life.” The advanced group are classified as “Holy” and these have stepped up even higher, listened and heeded the Holy Spirit and have formed Characters and Lives that are more fully reflecting Jesus Christ, and have actively worked in spreading the Gospel and in redeeming the Lost.
Quote; “The work of the Holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this source that power and efficiency come to the worker for God; and the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, as the personal presence of Christ to the soul. Any person who looks to Christ in simple, childlike faith is made a partaker of the divine nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit. When led by the Spirit of God, Christians may know that they are made complete in Him who is the head of all things. As Christ was glorified on the day of Pentecost, so will He again be glorified in the closing work of the gospel, when He shall prepare a people to stand the final test in the closing conflict of the great controversy?” {CTr 365}
Quote; “Many who call themselves Christians are mere human moralists. They have refused the gift which alone could enable them to honour Christ by representing Him to the world. The work of the Holy Spirit is to them a strange work. They are not doers of the word. The heavenly principles that distinguish those who are one with Christ from those who are one with the world have become almost indistinguishable. The professed followers of Christ are no longer a separate and peculiar people. The line of demarcation is indistinct. The people are subordinating themselves to the world, to its practices, its customs, its selfishness. The church has gone over to the world in transgression of the law, when the world should have come over to the church in obedience to the law. Daily the church is being converted to the world.” {COL 315}
Quote: “Those who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God, purifying their thoughts by obedience to the law of God, will continually receive a new endowment of physical and mental power. There will be heart yearnings after God, and earnest prayer for clear perception to discern the office and work of the Holy Spirit. It is not for us to use it, but for the Holy Spirit to use us, moulding, fashioning every power.” {CSW 40}
Dear Reader; The Holy Spirit is to be prayed for, trusted in, believed in, It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convince the soul of its need of Christ, will you not with me rededicate and recommit to being in the “Advance Group” of being “Holy Still” because we have heeded and responded to the Holy Spirit and He has moulded and perfected our lives and made us doers of the word and not hearers only {James 1:22}
