Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: The Holy Spirit will not let you get away with anything in your life. He is not going to condemn you, but he is going to convict you. And the reason that he will convict you is only to draw you to the cross of Jesus Christ so that you can seek not only repentance but refuge in the arms of Christ.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. It is great to have you along today for our continued study of the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives.

Today, Raul will assure us that the third person of the Trinity always operates out of love as he convicts us of sin, points us to Christ, and guides us in a life of consecration to God. That is why it is urgent to respond to his leading with repentance and faith. In Ephesians chapter one, beginning in verse 13, here is Raul Ries with our study, Who is the Holy Spirit?

Raul Ries: Paul the Apostle is going to be teaching us about the Holy Spirit. Now, I believe that there are many people today that do not fully understand who the Holy Spirit is. Maybe among us even this evening we might have all kinds of new people. Maybe some of you are not believers. Some of you are believers. Some of you are in different categories in Christian life. Some of you are babies in Christ. Some of you are mature believers in Christ.

But it really does not matter. Even sometimes as mature believers, sometimes we do not understand the capacity and the fullness of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. And I want to speak to you about this tonight. I think it is incredible what God intends for us to not only learn but to possess within each one of our lives. There has been so much confusion among the church and churches concerning the Holy Spirit.

First of all, the Holy Spirit is not an essence, he is a person and possesses personality. And what is amazing about that is that as we not only study the Holy Spirit, we need to understand that each one of us that are sitting here tonight and those listening through the airwaves and those that are not only driving through the streets of Golden Springs or Grand or the freeway, wherever they may be, there is no possibility at all for anyone here or outside of this room around the world that can ever come to Jesus Christ unless it is the work of the Holy Spirit.

I can remember when I was in Vietnam and when I came back from Vietnam, before I was a believer, that I really did not have any conviction in my life. And even though when I was in Vietnam and when I came back from Vietnam and I had gone together with my wife and as we were not only boyfriend and girlfriend at that particular time, her mother and her grandma were not only praying for me but they had been praying for me for a long time. And it was not really until about maybe two years before I came to know the Lord that I began to feel the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. Now I realize it as I am a Christian.

At that particular time, I would have to say to you, I felt bad what I was doing, but I did not know why I felt bad. Now I know why. It is because of the work of the Holy Spirit before the Holy Spirit comes into your life to become a believer. First of all, we must understand that when Jesus was here presently with the disciples, if he would have never died on the cross and if he would have stayed here even until today, the problem with that would be that Jesus Christ never would have been able to be everywhere at one time.

Because he came and he took upon himself flesh. He became human, never lost his deity as God. And the reason that he came and he had to die in submission to the Father and to go to the cross is so that he could become not only omnipresent but that he could be everywhere at all times and he could hear every one of us when we pray and we call upon his name, no matter where we may be in this world.

And when Jesus was with the disciples and when he was speaking to them, teaching them, after spending about three and a half years around the Sea of Galilee and the Decapolis, those little cities, ten major cities around the Sea of Galilee that probably had a population of 25,000 people. And after the people coming to Christ and listening to him and praying with him and them actually being healed by the Lord, as he was going on his way to Jerusalem, he not only had called 12 men to follow him, but when he got to Jerusalem, by this time, the last week in Jerusalem, he sat down with them and not only was he already reminding them that he was going to die and that he was going to rise on the third day, but that Jesus Christ was now going to teach them and tell them that he was not going to leave them alone.

They thought that Jesus would never die. When they left the Galilee and they were on their way to Jerusalem, not only were they thinking who is going to be the greatest of all, but they were thinking that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he was going to fight against the Roman government and overtake them and then he would seize the city of Jerusalem and he would sit as king, and then they twelve would rule with Jesus Christ on this earth with an earthly kingdom.

But the purpose of his coming was to save those that were lost. His purpose was to go to Jerusalem and die on the cross for each person that would come to him to know his love and grace and mercies. They did not understand that. In the book of John's gospel, in chapters 13 through 17, those last five chapters of the Gospel of John, those five chapters were written within a one-week period. That is the last week of Jesus Christ on this earth.

And it is interesting when you read chapter 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, especially what Jesus is teaching the disciples. This is the last week of teaching for the disciples. As Jesus begins to teach them, the first thing that he lets them know, he says, "Let not your heart be troubled. If you believe in me, believe also that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you unto myself so that where I am, you also will be with me." Their hearts were broken when he told them that he was going to die. They could not understand that. They could not receive it.

And what is interesting is that he goes on and he begins to teach them that when he leaves, he is not going to leave them as little orphans, but he is going to send the work of the Holy Spirit into the life of the church and the believer. And that he is going to send the Holy Spirit or the Paracletos, the one that will come alongside to assist you in anything that you have need in this life. I like that.

Even though you and I never in the flesh touched or handled the Lord Jesus Christ, for the last 1900 years, when he died on the cross and he left and when the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and ever since then he has been here, that we have not been left alone, but the Holy Spirit has been there to assist us in every need. You and I are here because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Otherwise, we would not be here. It is so important to understand what Jesus was trying to teach the disciples.

He was trying to share with them that when Jesus would leave, his physical body would leave this earth when he would rise and ascend to heaven, that they would have to continue on their mission. And that as he would go to be with the Father, the Holy Spirit would descend and he would come and he would not take the place of Jesus and he would become the helper. The Paracletos, the one that would come alongside to assist each one of us in the work of preaching and teaching and witnessing and sharing our faith with other people, but most important to assist in convicting people from their sins.

You see, when the Holy Spirit came and when the Holy Spirit began to deal with my life personally, I was never the same. I could not be the same. I still cannot be the same because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. You see, the Holy Spirit will not let you get away with anything in your life. He is not going to condemn you, but he is going to convict you. And the reason that he will convict you is only to draw you to the cross of Jesus Christ so that you can seek not only repentance but refuge in the arms of Christ. That is the only reason. Because he loves you and because he loves me.

In describing the question who is the Holy Spirit, Pastor Chuck Smith in his book Living Water, this is what he says about the Holy Spirit. He says, "The Holy Spirit is God himself, a person with whom you can enjoy a personal relationship. He is not merely an impersonal force or power or essence within the universe, but he is rather a person who can speak to you and to whom you can speak back. He is a person who can guide you, who can help you, and who can strengthen you and who can teach you the truth of God."

The Holy Spirit is the agent through whom God works today in the world within the church and individual believers. That is why we need to become well acquainted with the Holy Spirit, for he is the one whom the Lord has placed over the church to guide and direct and empower its activities. Good solid definition on who the Holy Spirit is. It is so important that you understand that you're not alone. Because even if you had not one friend in this world, you have the greatest friend. Not only Jesus, but the Holy Spirit is there to comfort you and to assist you in your loneliness. That is what the Bible teaches.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. We're always here to equip you with biblical truth that will instruct you in God's ways. Visit somebodylovesyou.com to browse through our many resources, including Raul's study of the Holy Spirit titled Filled, Empowered, and Equipped. Now back to more with Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: When Jesus was talking to the disciples right before he went to heaven in John 14:16, he said, "And I will pray the Father and he will send you a helper, the Paracletos, that he may abide with you forever." I like that. You mean to tell me that when the Holy Spirit comes into my life, he is there forever? Forever. He will never leave you nor forsake you. That is what the Bible teaches.

Now, it is important that you and I understand one thing. When he uses the word "another," the Greek word here "another" is the phrase speaking of another comforter. It is *allos* in Greek, which means of the kind or equal quality or another of the same order. You see, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, it was equal with God, equal with Jesus. All three are one, of the same kind. They all speak of divine deity because the Holy Spirit is God, too, even as Jesus is God.

And they all work in harmony together to accomplish their work in the life of men and women in this life. So when we say that the Holy Spirit is of the same quality as Jesus, he means the Spirit possesses the same essential qualities that he himself does, especially of divinity and personality. Because there are three prepositions in the Greek for the Holy Spirit. And I want you to listen very carefully so that you can understand, especially if you're not a Christian tonight. Listen carefully to what Jesus is saying.

Number one, you have the first preposition, which the Holy Spirit is with you. That is before conversion. In John 14:17, we have that. Let me turn to and show you what he says there. In John 14:17, listen to Jesus speaking about the Holy Spirit. In John 14:17 in the first part of the verse he says this, "Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells," notice the preposition there, "with you." I want you to circle that. "And will be in you." That is the second preposition. With you and then in you.

And let me explain what they mean so you can have a full understanding of this. When we speak of the Holy Spirit being with you, we're talking about those that are non-believers. That is those that have never come to full regeneration, have never accepted Christ into their lives. That is those people that the Holy Spirit is working on to bring them to conversion. As the Holy Spirit is with you convicting you of what you are doing against God.

That is why when you do something wrong and you say my mind has made me feel guilty or my conscience, no, that is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life bringing you to conviction. Notice that the Holy Spirit does not condemn you, but he convicts you. There is a difference. Satan condemns, Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit convicts you. Condemnation draws you away from the cross, conviction draws you to the cross. You see, so important to understand that.

So if you're here tonight and you're really not a Christian, you've never really repented, you've never really have asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, then the Holy Spirit tonight and before has been with you. And he is waiting for you to repent and to submit your life to Jesus Christ so that he can take the second step and that is when you invite him into your life, he'll now come in you. He'll come within your life now. He'll live in you forever and ever and ever. But the only way that can happen is by you inviting him into your life.

That is why it is so amazing, so incredible that not one of us, including myself, I have never in 24 years of my life as a teacher but also as an evangelist, I have never ever ever ever converted anyone to Jesus Christ. None of us can do that. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, God uses us as instruments to share his love and grace and mercy, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit as he brings conviction to that person's life where that person will not only feel convicted, but it'll bring him to repentance and asking Christ to forgive him and then to ask him to come and live in his life forever and ever and ever and at that particular moment he or she becomes regenerated or becomes a believer or a Christian. This is so important.

And when the Holy Spirit not only convicts you but when you repent of your sins and you become a Christian, put it this way, you cannot become a Christian 15 times or 50 times or a hundred times or a thousand times, only one time. So many times as young believers when young believers fall into sin, how many times they've gone up to the altar to receive Christ once again? Maybe they've been up there 15 times.

And you're really not being regenerated every time. What's happening is you're rededicating your life to the Lord because there's only one time that you are born by the power of the Holy Spirit and at that particular time you become a son or a daughter of God, period. You can't continue to be born again over and over and over and over. It does not work like that. Only once.

Nobody can ever go to heaven, nobody can ever be born again of the Holy Spirit unless it is the work of the Holy Spirit and upon the Holy Spirit coming and convicting you of your sin. It takes your submission and obedience to Jesus Christ to submit your life unto repentance and asking to repent of your sins and asking him to come into your life and then you can become a son and a daughter of God. And he will seal you with the Holy Spirit of promise.

So he is with you and he will come into your heart in conversion. The third preposition. And that is the Holy Spirit is with you, in you, and then you find the third preposition in Acts 1:8 where the Holy Spirit will come upon you, *epi* in the Greek language, upon you. Turn with me for a second to the 19th chapter of the book of Acts. Paul the Apostle had come over to Ephesus. And when he got there he found 12 disciples that had been discipled by Apollos, one of the men of God at that particular time in the first century church that only had heard the preaching of John the Baptist but never had had the full teaching of Christ Jesus like Paul and Peter, James and John.

Look what it says beginning with verse one of 19. And it came to pass while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul having passed through the upper region he came to Ephesus and finding some disciples he said unto them, "Did you guys receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Now notice that they were already Christians. Why? Because the Holy Spirit already had been with them and had come into their lives. But he is going to be talking about the upon experience. These people already were believers. Watch what he says.

And they said to him, "We have not even so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit," and tonight we're teaching it. Look what he says. And then Paul said to them, "Into then what were you baptized into?" and they said, "We were baptized into John's baptism." And then Paul said to them, "John indeed baptized you with a baptism of repentance saying to the people that they should believe on Jesus who would come after him, that is on Christ Jesus." And when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit, here it is, circle it, "came upon them." That is different from within and notice into. That is totally different what he's talking about. He's talking about the upon experience. That is the power of the Holy Spirit that gives you the power to witness and to have a life of victory over sin. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, that is the third preposition.

Now in Acts chapter two, Acts chapter four, Acts chapter eight, Acts chapter 10, and Acts chapter 19. In those chapters you will find that every time the upon experience was practiced as they were laid hands upon the disciples, they began to speak with other tongues. In a couple of the other instances as they laid hands on them, they spoke the word of God with boldness, which means that they did not receive the gift of tongues but they received the power to witness and to speak the word of God in truthfulness and in power of the Holy Spirit.

The reason I say this is because the true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, not the within but the upon experience, is the experience which they had on the day of Pentecost, which we call the upon experience when the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And not only did they speak in tongues, but the true evidence that Paul talks about in First Corinthians chapter 14 is not really speaking in tongues, but is what? It is the fullness of God's love in my life. The evidence is the love of God in my life that makes me a child of the light. That is what the church needs today more than anything else.

Guest (Male): It is so good to be reminded of the many ways God's spirit can shape and direct our lives as he conforms us to his likeness. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you'd like to review his teaching titled Who is the Holy Spirit?, just give us a call at 800-634-9165 and we'll send you an unedited copy for a donation of five dollars or more.

And as you commit to confidently following wherever he leads, we'd like to tell you about a resource to help you carry out his will with an attitude of selflessness. Featuring today's lesson as well as six others, Raul's seven-part series is titled Filled, Empowered, and Equipped, and it's available on CD and thumb drive. You'll find that when you fully submit to the Holy Spirit's leading, he'll enable you to accomplish mighty things for God's kingdom.

Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to purchase Raul's seven-message study Filled, Empowered, and Equipped. We'll send you the CD collection for twenty dollars or the flash drive for eleven dollars. That is 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

We are continually blessed by your partnership as we share the good news of Jesus through Somebody Loves You Radio. Thank you for every tax-deductible contribution. And join us next time for our continued focus on the Holy Spirit. He may feel like an unknowable mysterious spiritual force, but we'll see that in reality, he's a divine being with a heart that grieves when we sin and rejoices when we walk in obedience to God's word. That is next time on Somebody Loves You Radio.

This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.