Sin-Reproving Fire

John 16:7-8; Hebrews 12:29

Subject: Power through Purity

                                                                                    

Theme: Walking in the Spirit results in power for living, a life of spiritual freedom, and righteousness as He dynamically purifies us. The path to cleansing begins with realizing we are not clean…that we are gravely soiled and stained by sin. Remember this truth: “The price of spiritual power is purity of heart.”

Relevance:

Spiritual cleansing of the mind, emotions, and attitude is necessary in every believer to mature in grace. Jesus prayed that we might be sanctified by the Word of truth in John 17. Before we can get rid of sinful practices, we need to recognize them as sinful. The Holy Spirit in his reproving and teaching roles enable believers to become aware of and confront our sin God’s way. Accordingly, spiritual freedom is deliverance from the dominance and control of sin. It does not in any way lead to a license to sin freely! Rather, the Spirit promotes maturity, and responsible holy living through His purifying influence.  He is the secret to living by grace, through faith, resulting in a victorious and fulfilling Christian experience.  His fire will identify sin and confront the believer’s heart and habits; He will lead us into series of triumphant sin-destroying experiences. 

Introduction:

1. The Holy Spirit's Power in Christians Is like Dynamite. He causes great things to happen! His is an infinite power that blasts sin out of our lives.  What are the characteristics of the Holy Spirit's power in us?

2. There Are Some That View the Holy Spirit’s Power as a ‘Sensational’ or ‘Emotional’ Experience. Supposed special ‘experiences’ or a ‘moving of God’ complete with miracles and healing like the first century apostles have replaced old-fashion holiness. While God can perform a miracle anytime he wants and he can heal any sickness or disease, the current movements fail to produce the holiness, righteousness, and purity as early Christianity did. Certainly these are not valid experiences of the Spirit’s Power today!

3. The Spirit of God is sometimes Portrayed as Fire Representing Judgment, Exposure, and Illumination. Hebrews 12:29 says, “For our God is a consuming fire.”^[1] This is a warning of severe retribution for failing to continue our walk with Christ by faith in grace and godly fear. God is represented by fire. Then the Prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 4:4, “When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof By the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.”^[2] This is the work of the Spirit of God! Like fire he will burn away the nation’s pollution and godless ways. God’s new order will prevail as a result of the Spirit’s searching, cleansing and purging the city of its wickedness, carnality, worldliness, and idolatry. God is executing a role of judgment and retribution because of sin. Fire reveals him as searching and illuminating—the Spirit of Burning—exposing sin as offensive and dangerous then dealing with sinful unrepentant individuals in acts of judgment.

With these observations in mind, let us consider a ministry of the Holy Spirit in His purifying role—The Spirit of God illuminating, confronting and reproving sin.    

Lesson:

The Spirit’s Reproving Fire—Convicting (Jn. 16:7-8).

The Blessed Holy Spirit Actually Purifies through His Faithful Ministry of Conviction and Reproof in the Christian’s Soul.   

John 16:7-8, 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. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

One incredibly important role of the Holy Spirit is that of reproving or convicting of sin.  He exercises himself in this capacity in the lives of the saved and the unsaved. As human beings we are quite adept at explaining away, dismissing, belittling, or justifying our sins. Though sin is extremely dangerous to us, we still have our pet sins, and if let alone we would never confront such issues with any intent to purge them out of our experience. Some have literally become slaves to their sinful thoughts, actions, and habits.  They are very much aware of the fact they are trapped in something dark and evil, but they have not the ability to change it themselves. Thus, the need for the Spirit of God to help us gain God’s perspective on sin and its threats to us.

1. The Spirit of God Will Convict the Believer!

1.     Before we seek to be cleansed of sin, we must first be convicted that we have sinned. “Reproof” is to confute, and admonish: convict, convince, tell a fault, or even rebuke.  The idea is to overwhelm with arguments for the purpose of persuading: to refute conclusively by proving wrong with evidence and argument. The Holy Spirit in a sense takes the sinner to “court” and causes us to recognize our sinful nature/condition and the eternal consequences of our fallen state. This is illumination; we are brought to the awareness of our condition before a perfect God and we realize the weight of our sinfulness.

2.     That is part of the Holy Spirit’s purification process in us. It began when we were lost sinners, but it continues in our Christian experience whenever we are out of the will of God.  He becomes a siren in our soul sounding the alarm because our fellowship with God has been broken through our moral failure in some area.

3.     I remember the great conviction I experienced the night I was saved! Before that night I knew what sin was, and I had a basic idea of what right and wrong are. However, on that night of my conversion I saw my sinfulness as a major offense to a holy God, and I was convinced I could not fix my wrongness myself. The Spirit of God enabled me to see that reality.

4.     One of the most fascinating ministries of the Holy Ghost is His convicting work when we fail to comply with the Lord’s desires and have traveled beyond the borders of His prohibitions. Though this is a fearful matter it is an expression of God's purpose to confront sin wherever it retreats for safety.  

5. The Spirit will present or expose the facts, He will convince of the truth! He works on the mind to show the truth of God for what it is.  Sin is inexcusable violent rebellion against a perfectly holy God!

6.     Most people do not readily admit to being guilty of sin. Some will admit to failures or vices or even crimes. However, sin is against God, and people generally suppress the truth of God (Rom. 1:18, 21, 25, 28).

7.     Therefore the mighty working of the Holy Spirit is necessary to convince and convict people of their desperate situation.

2. The Spirit is Highly Motivated to Purge His Temple.

1. Paul wrote about this to the Corinthians.

                                                    i.     He asked them, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1Cor. 3:16–17).

                                                  ii.     God dwells inside believes like the tabernacle and temple in the O. T.

                                                iii.     Therefore, Paul taught the believers’ bodies were sacred places. They were to be holy places filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

2.     In other words, the Corinthians had no right to themselves any longer. They belonged to God. They were His possessions. And the Holy Spirit will not allow anything to coexist with Him in His temple that is not holy, pure, and righteous.

3.     So, the Spirit actively undertakes to reveal and expose sinful thoughts, desires, and actions.

3. The Spirit is Zealous to Reclaim the Wayward Believer.

1.     For that reason, the Holy Spirit convicts us continually and intensely when we sin. This is not a casual matter with the Lord. He never accepts nor understands unchallenged sin in a believer’s heart and life. The level of sobriety and seriousness associated with conviction and exposing sin cannot be over stated. As human beings there may be sins that we readily overlook or dismiss because they are socially acceptable, but this never happens with our Lord. Though he fully understands we need time and opportunity to mature in our Christian walk, there is absolutely no sanctioning or dismissive attitude regarding sin in the heart of the Almighty.

2.     The Fires of Conviction Can Be Physically and Mentally Agonizing.

                                               i.          Psalm 31:9-11, Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. [10] For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed. [11] I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

                                             ii.          Psalm 38:1-6, O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. [2] For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. [3] There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. [4] For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. [5] My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. [6] I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

                                           iii.          The conviction flames of God are scorching every aspect of the Psalmist’s life because of sin. Spiritually, emotionally, socially, physically, and psychologically he is burned.

3.     You Don’t See This Kind Of Broiling Over Sin Anymore. 

                                               i.          This type of painfully uncomfortable conviction ought to be familiar, but instead it is strange to us. Our consciences have become insensitive, hearts have been hardened, sin isn’t so bad to us, and we have so little view of the holiness of God.

                                             ii.          All of this proves the zeal of God to get us right and keep us right! The Spirit of Burning will not allow sin to stand unchallenged. (Ephes. 4:29-32)

          D.    Be Tender & Responsive to The Holy Spirit’s Conviction.

1. Be sensitive to the convicting reproving fire of the Spirit in your life.

                                                    i.     Recognize your capacity to respond to God in repentance!

                                                  ii.     Believe godly sorrow will effect and bring about a change in behavior! 2 Cor. 7:10, For godly sorrow [grief over sin] worketh [accomplish and carry out] repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2. Respond to Him with a broken-contrite and humble heart. Face your sin honestly.  

                                                    i.     Isaiah 57:15, For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

                                                  ii.     Isaiah 66:2, For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
  

3. God will forgive, restore, and use you as He desires.  Heed the Spirit’s Reproving Fire!

Conclusion:

Let us seize occasions to pray with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God.” To in effect say to the Lord, “Here is my heart, Spirit of God, I need You to examine me.”

Psalm 139:23, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Remember this truth: “The price of spiritual power is purity of heart.” Ask God to reveal anything that might hinder His flow of power in your life.

• Do I treasure deceptive and misleading goals, sinful-worldly pleasures, Christ-dishonoring habits, ugly pride, myself or my friends?
• Have I fully submitted to the authority of my Lord expressed in the Bible by refusing conformity to this world while choosing the transforming power of a spiritually renewed mind (Romans 12:1, 2)?

If you have not repented trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, then I urge you to do so immediately. Like me you are a sinner and like me you have offended God by the things you have said, thought, and done. There are matters you should have executed, but you failed to do so.... God calls all of this sin. In fact all human beings have sinned and come far short of God's requirements and expectations. You should also know we all are condemned before God because of our sin. The consequences of our moral failures is death in Hell for all eternity. Yes, sin is a serious offense against the Almighty, and we all have spent our lives sinning because it is our very nature to sin, rebel, and pursue our own ways.

The good news is that God is loving and merciful. He provided a way for us to be saved from the eternal punishment of our sin. Jesus, the Son of God, became a man to die for our sins in our stead. That is correct; he took the punishment that our sins deserved. He suffered and died at Calvary to pay for our sins. God fully accepted Christ's payment on our behalf. God also calls upon us to recognize our sinfulness and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. That is Christ death, burial, and resurrection will count for us if we receive him by faith. God promises to forgive the sins of anyone and everyone who will believe on and receive Jesus Christ. Have you placed your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? I did a long time ago, and I can gladly recommend him to you. Trust Jesus to save you today.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Heb 12:29). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Is 4:4). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Convicting Comforter!

The Spirit of God, also known as the Comforter and the Holy Spirit, is indispensable to the conversion of the unsaved and the ministry of evangelism. His work in the human heart, upon hearing the Gospel, is so crucial there can be no imparting of new life without it. This is not merely my opinion; the Lord Jesus was roundly convinced of this spiritual reality. In John 16:7-11, our Savior gave this richly informative declaration,

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. ⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me; ¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; ¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged (KJV).

Our Lord Jesus was highlighting the basic convicting/persuading ministry of the Comforter which is vital to the Christian conversion experience. The Spirit’s work in the soul of the unbelievers must precede a genuine new birth. Jesus knew His departure was “expedient” for his disciples and every subsequent Christian witness. The Comforter would replace Him and represent Him in the world after the Lord Jesus returned to Heaven. As His disciples proclaim the gospel throughout the world, Jesus wanted His followers to know the convicting ministry of the Spirit would be at work in concert with them. This was great assurance that the evangelism efforts would be effective and fruitful to the glory of God and the salvation of man. Regarding this crucial endeavor, Christ specified a three-prong conviction strategy of the Holy Spirit during this age of God’s divine economy. It involves sin, righteousness, judgment and their central connection to Jesus Christ the Savior.

SIN

First, the Lord Jesus taught the Spirit would “reprove the world of sin.” From the outset it is important to recognize the fundamental nature of this reproof.  This is conviction as the Holy Spirit persuades the sinner of sin and condemnation before a righteous God. Then he convincingly points the unbeliever to Christ as the only viable solution to man’s sin problem. The active Agent of conviction is obviously the Holy Spirit Himself who is referred to as the “Comforter” by the Lord Jesus (Jn. 16:7). Thus, the Spirit helps the sinner perceive their existing guilt before God and the only remedy to this damning predicament.

What exactly is this convicting work?  Well, to “reprove the world” means to confute, and admonish: convict, convince, tell a fault, or even rebuke.  The idea is to overwhelm with arguments for the purpose of persuading: to refute conclusively by proving wrong with evidence and argument. The Holy Spirit in a sense takes the sinner to “court” and causes him to recognize his sinful nature/condition and the eternal consequences of his fallen state. The convicting work of the Spirit places the truth of the gospel in a clear light before the unsaved person’s conscience so that he acknowledges it as truth whether or not he receives Christ as personal Savior. Conviction then is making the message transparently clear, not the saving of the soul—that’s regeneration.  The Spirit uses the gospel to reveal the “world’s” fault, and overwhelms the conscience with personal responsibility for unbelief and rejection of Christ—like a highly skilled prosecuting attorney the Spirit seeks a “conviction.” In other words, the witnessing Christian who testifies about the saving grace of God must utterly depend on the Spirit to even make that testimony understood clearly. A. T. Robertson (1960, p. 267) astutely observed in Word Pictures in the New Testament, “Without this conviction by the Paraclete such men actually have a pride of intellectual superiority in refusing to believe on Jesus.” Simply put, if there is not conviction in the soul of the sinner by the Holy Spirit, there cannot be a spiritual conversion! None whatsoever, not even a hint.

What truth is it that the Holy Spirit makes clear during conviction? According to the Lord Jesus, it is the truth about “sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8).  First the proof that men are in a state of sin is “they believe not on me” (John 16:9), said the Lord Jesus. Pfeiffer and Harrison (1962, p. 1109) accurately said in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, “The sin of the world came to sharp focus in the rejection of Jesus when there should have been acceptance of Him, the Spirit makes this the important issue.” Jamieson, Fausset and Brown (1983, p. 641) in The Bethany Parallel Commentary on the New Testaments echoed this very same idea stating,

As all sin has its root in unbelief, so the most aggravated form of unbelief is the rejection of Christ. The Spirit, however, in fastening this truth upon the conscience, does not extinguish, but, on the contrary, does consummate and intensify, the sense of all other sins.

The rejection of Jesus Christ—unbelief—is the chief sin of condemnation for “the world” of sinners without Christ. Does this not signal how serious unbelief is from God’s perspective?

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Secondly, the “righteousness” (Jn. 16:10) of Christ is proven because of His resurrection from the dead and ascension to the Father (John 16:10). This is important because the Jewish nation rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. The religious leaders thought Christ an impostor and fraud as they sought the means to kill Him. In spite of the overwhelming evidence the Lord Jesus presented through His words and works, His nation refused Him believing Him to be an offender of their Law. They questioned His authenticity, nativity, and rejected His honest claims. They did not view Christ Jesus as righteous!

In contrast, the Father in Heaven obviously sees Jesus differently! He raised Him from the dead after His crucifixion, and upon Christ ascension, the Father gladly received Him into Heaven. Not only did the Father receive Him, but He honored and exalted Jesus Christ at His very right hand of power and authority. Jesus is not only righteous, He is God! These actions of God the Father fully venerated all the teachings, claims, actions, miracles, and lifestyle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is no fault in Him that He should be rejected as Savior and Lord.  No, Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God!  Charles Ryrie (1995) in A Survey of Bible Doctrine said, “All of His righteous claims were fully vindicated when He returned to heaven.” Pfeiffer and Harrison (1962, p. 1109) in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary concurs saying, “The Father is the true judge of righteousness. His readiness to receive the Son back into glory is the proof that he found in him no deficiency (Rom 1:4; 4:25; I Tim 3:16).”  The verdict of God concerning the Lord Jesus’ righteousness is transparently clear—He is consummately righteous! The Spirit will seek to bring the unbeliever to this same conclusion.

JUDGMENT

Thirdly, the proof of “judgment to come” is based on the past judgment of the prince of this world—Satan (John 16:11). God judged and condemned Satan through Christ’s cross and resurrection (Col. 2:15; 1Jn. 3:8).Once again The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Pfeiffer and Harrison 1962, p. 1109, 1110) states precisely the intent of this passage.

When those who crucified Jesus saw that God did not interfere, they imagined that the judgment of God was being pronounced on him. Actually, another was being judged there, even Satan, the prince of this world. Satan rules by means of sin and death. Christ’s triumph over sin at the cross and over death at the Resurrection heralded the fact that Satan had been judged. The execution of final judgment is only a matter of time.

In his book, A Survey of Bible Doctrine, Ryrie (1995) explained, “In other words, if Satan, Christ’s archenemy, has been judged (John 12:31), what chance can any man hope to have of escaping judgment if he refuses the grace of God?” The blessed Spirit of the Living God takes “the world” to court and presents convincing evidence proving that it is guilty before God on three counts: (a) their unwillingness to believe on Christ as Savior, which reveals their unsaved condition and the magnitude of their sin; (b) their failure to accept the Lord Jesus as the absolute perfect standard of righteousness in spite of His resurrection and glorious ascension to the Father.  Undoubtedly, the Father’s obvious acceptance of Christ fully vindicated His inherent righteousness; (c) their refusal to accept liability for their impending judgment, which is as surely attested as the North Pole is cold! It is certain because Satan, the god of this world, stands judged before God already. So, the Spirit of God convicts the sinner of the awfulness of unbelief and rejection of Jesus Christ, He shows that Christ is obviously righteous and no sinner measures up, and He persuades the sinner of the certainty of pending judgment for sin.  These are the basic truths the Spirit seeks to make expressly clear in the mind and conscience of the sinner under conviction.

The believer’s responsibility is to be a “witness!”  Our aim is to testify to what we have experienced and know of Christ the Savior.  While it is our responsibility to convince, encourage, and even plead with the sinner, it still remains the ministry of the Spirit to convict and then convert.

RESULTS

Why is the Spirit’s ministry of conviction necessity?  Conviction could lead to conversion—genuine repentance from sin and faith in Christ (Acts 20:21).  There can be absolutely no conversion to Christ without the Spirit’s conviction. The awareness of wrong in the heart develops an eagerness to make things right with God. The Spirit creates a yearning for something different then continuous domination by sin. The Corinthian Christians thoroughly repented after Paul rebuked them for their sin and they evidenced these same motives and desires (2 Corinthians 7:10–13).  Their contrition serves as a brilliant example of this.  Also conviction can result in a willingness and readiness to accept God’s salvation and answers as illustrated on the Day of Pentecost by the Jews who repented and believed the Word (Acts 2:37–38).  They eagerly submitted themselves to God’s plan and came to Him on His terms; they did not propose or craft their own means or terms of reconciliation.  Clearly the mighty Spirit of God must work in the sinner’s heart to bring about this condition in the soul and to enable sinners to arrive at this same place today. Yes, it is true. The Comforter actually makes it quite uncomfortable in the conscience until the sinner trusts the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord. He remains indispensable to conversion and the work of evangelism.