Lesson 33 August 29

James

Holy Spirit's Gospel Ministry

The Convicting ministry of God the Holy Spirit

1. DEFINITION: The convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit is the pre-salvation ministry of the Third person of the Trinity illuminating the message of the gospel to the unbeliever.

2. The need for the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit is documented in 1 Cor 2:11-14.

3. The first reference to the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit is in Gen 6:3.

4. The mechanic of the convicting ministry of G/HS is often referred to as Common Grace.

a. Common Grace is the work of the HS in revealing the gospel to the unbeliever.

b. Common Grace includes enablement to perceive, to understand the work of Christ related to salvation but also the means of attainment of salvation, by faith not works.

c. Apart from the Common Grace factor, the spiritually dead UB cannot understand the things of the spirit.

d. 1 Cor 2:14; 1:18; Rom 8:7; 2 Cor 4:3,4

5. The areas in which the convicting ministry deals is defined in Jn 16:8.

a. Sin - Jn 16:9 unbelief "because they do no believe in Me"

b. Righteousness - Jn 16:10 - failure to attain the +R STD [Rom 3:23]

c. Concerning judgment - Jn 16:11 - no one escapes. [God's evaluation is the one that counts for eternity]

6. Observations related to the convicting ministry of G/HS.

a. The individual can resist and reject it. Acts 7:51

b. Both pos and neg types are brought under His ministry. Acts 17:22-34

c. At the point of gospel hearing the individual comes under the principle of being the called. Mt 22:14 "many are called but few are chosen."

7. The Gospel and Faith

a. The Holy Spirit is the revealer of the Gospel. 1 Pet 1:12; Jn 16:13-15

b. This is because the unbeliever being under spiritual death can not comprehend spiritual info. 1 Cor 2:14

c. The Gospel is the message and power of God in salvation. 1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 1:16,17

d. Jesus Christ is the person of the Gospel and therefore the object of faith in salvation. All the merit resides in the object of faith. Rom 15:20; Jn 3:16

e. Faith is the mechanic of appropriating salvation. Eph 2:8,9

1. Reason: faith is the only system of perception that is compatible with grace. It is non-meritorious, that is no human merit is involved.

2. Faith exhaled in Jesus Christ results in instantaneous salvation.

3. Faith is man's response to the convicting ministry of G/HS with the result being regeneration, new life in Christ.

Back to 2:5

Over the centuries of the Church age we see clearly that the universal church is made up of those who respond to the call of the Gospel from all levels of society.

**** PRIN: **** The POG assures us that poverty (or wealth) never puts one at a spiritual disadvantage.

(to be) rich in faith

- The faith here is f-2 faith, the Word in you, with the emphasis here on one's personal trust and confidence in God and His word.

(clause #2) heirs of the kingdom - this shifts his focus to f-3 eternity

This speaks of the future reality that flows from our present position in Christ - being sons of God by faith. (Rom 8:17)

which he promised to them that love him.

*** PRIN: *** God's faithfulness to His promise, His word, makes this promise, as it does all of them, TOTALLY SECURE!