The work of the Holy Spirit

The work of the Holy Spirit

Scripture Lessons

Isaiah 12:1-6

Psalm 66:1-8

James 1:16-21

John 16:5-15

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Today is the fifth Sunday of Easter. We are in between the day of our Lord’s resurrection (Easter Sunday) and two big events that are to come…Ascension (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost (50 days after Easter). During this time, our lessons are focused on the teaching of Jesus as He prepared His disciples for what was to come. He would not remain in this world, but would return to the Father. He would not assert His dominion over creation, but rather would submit to the powers of created beings, that is Satan and sinful humanity. He would submit to death, crucifixion.

Why? That’s what His teaching to the disciples was all about…that is to say, helping them to understand the things that were to come, and to patiently await the Spirit who would, “guide you into all the truth…declare to you the things that are to come.” When Jesus said, “the things that are to come,” He was referring to His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. All of these things were yet to come and the disciples would certainly struggle to understand. Their faith would wain, but Jesus prayed for them ahead of time and He gave them these words so that they would know that they are not left alone.

You will notice that the work of the Spirit is to bear witness to the Father and to the Son. The work of the Spirit is to shine a light on Jesus and His death and resurrection for you.

There is a great irony in many churches today. People look for the Spriit to work in big displays of power and might. There are charismatics, and I use that term broadly. Traditionally it was the Pentecostals that were charismatic, but lately Roman Catholic and Evangelicals also are exceedingly charismatic. The Pentecostals expect to see tongues and faith-healing, and the like. They make themselves the judge of the Spirit’s activity. If the display of the Spirit’s power is not ample, they feel it is not the work of the Spirit at all. The non-Pentecostal charismatics reveal their disposition with expressions like, “God spoke to my heart” or “I felt lead in this direction.” When they look for a church, they are not primarily concerned with right doctrine, right practice, or theological certainty (actually they are very comfortable with theological vagaries). They look for a place that gives them a particular feeling. You will hear them say, “I felt the Spriit at this church.” These well-meaning Christians always seem to be searching for a “feeling.” They judge the work of the Spirit on whether or not they “feel” His presence. Let me tell you that in Seminary, they don’t teach us how to “feel” the presence of the Spirit. Feelings are great, but they need to be properly understood and rightly ordered. Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery.” Mark 7:21. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. Feelings are subjective and must be checked by the objective reality, in the case of the spiritual life, the objective reality revealed in Scripture.

Listen to Jesus’ words from the gospel lesson today: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” He didn’t say that the Spirit would enable you to shoot lightning from your fingertips. He didn’t say that the Spirit will prosper your bank account or grant you miraculous physical healing. Of course God can heal, but we appeal to Him with such a petition, not because He promised it, but because we know that He is gracious and good and we always seek to receive from His hands. This is faith in action, open hands of a beggar, reaching out to God to receive what He will give…and then receiving it with thanks, whether it’s what we asked for or not. After all, He knows better than we do.

The Spirit guides you in all truth. (“in” is better than “into”) “When he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Again, if we are listening to the words of Jesus, our expectation of the Spirit is that He guides us, He shows us our sin, He shows us the righteousness won by Christ, He reveals the judgment that has been made concerning Satan. Jesus was pointing to the work of the Spirit that would come and saying that this work centers in the revelation of Christ Himself. The chief work of the Spirit is SOS. Shows our sin, shows our savior. He convicts you of your sin and guides you to the savior.

Some may think that this work of the Holy Spirit is not very exciting. They want an ecstatic outpouring, like an old-timey revival. They are missing the point and missing the astounding work that occurs in the heart of a sinful human. “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor. 2:14. The natural man does not understand the work of the Spirit. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. In our natural state, we are enemies of God, being transgressors of His law and deserving of eternal condemnation. So, to take a cold, dead, sinful heart and bring it to life, life in Christ, is a most marvelous and miraculous work…and that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit does not work as a puff of wind, blowing randomly from person to person. The Holy Spirit does not come to you through a beautiful sunset, though revelation of God the creator is evident in creation. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come to you through feelings, though you should feel great when you consider the depths of your sin and the depths of Christ’s love for you! You cannot judge, or discern, the work of the Spirit by your feelings. You can only discern the work of the Spirit by the revealed Word of God.

Although God can certainly work when and where it pleases Him, Christians should look for the Holy Spirit in those places that God has instituted and promised. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17. The Spirit works through ordinary means of grace, such as the preaching of the word. Repentance is often the product of such preaching, like on the day of Pentecost when the Jews heard Simon Peter preaching Jesus and, “when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” Acts 2:37. This cry for help, born of true repentance, is the work of the Spirit.

Peter’s response to their question leads us to another means of grace, that is Holy Baptism. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:38-39. In Holy Baptism you have received the Holy Spirit, who dwells within each of you and does the work of convicting and guiding.

And so that your faith would not wane as you sojourn in this life, God has given you His word and sealed His word to the Lord’s Supper. In this sacrament, Christ comes to you bodily to eat of His flesh and drink of His blood. The Holy Spirit guides you into this truth through the very words of Jesus, “‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” Luke 22:19-20.

May God the Holy Spirit do this work in you today, and always!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen.