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Holy Spirit: We Hardly Know You—But We know We Should
The Secret Agent Of Salvation
John 16:7-11; Titus 3:5-6

Introduction: When Church Wasn’t Fun

I remember days when church was an incredibly uncomfortable place for me to be. It started as I began to understand the Bible’s teaching about sin and realized that I was a sinner. As the preacher talked about sin I became increasingly uncomfortable. I was squirming in my seat. This continued for several weeks, culminating with a week long battle during a revival held at our church. My discomfort ended when I finally accepted the invitation to trust in Christ as my Savior—the one and only Son of God who died and was resurrected so that my sins could be forgiven.

What was going on? I was uncomfortable because I was experiencing conviction. Jesus said,

But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

John 16:7-8 NIV

We know the Father is involved in our salvation as the One who planned for the redemption of humanity. We know the Son is involved in our salvation as the One who provided for redemption by His death on the cross.

The role of the Holy Spirit in our salvation isn’t so clearly understood. In fact, the Holy Spirit is integrally involved in accomplishing our salvation.  This morning we will explore the Spirit’s role in salvation. Our first step will be to look at the convicting work of the Holy Spirit followed by His regenerating work as we see that the Holy Spirit is the secret agent of salvation.

The Convicting Work Of The Holy Spirit

Before turning to Christ for forgiveness and salvation comes the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Without the work of conviction, we aren’t aware of the reality that sin separates us from God.

Look again at what Jesus told His disciples. He told them that even though He was going to leave them that He would send a Counselor—the Holy Spirit—to them. He would send the Holy Spirit and the result would be to convict the world of its guilt concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. Is this the role of the comforter—to convict the world? That’s the order! Jesus sends the comforter to the disciples and the comforter convicts the world. How do those two ideas go together?

The point is: the Holy Spirit must come into the life of the believer before He can do His work in the lives of other people. Those who aren’t Christians aren’t going to understand except for what they can see in people who do follow Christ.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

  John 14:16-17 NIV

The convicting work of the Holy Spirit begins with believers. If the Spirit of God is going to convict the world of sin, He must first of all convict us of sin. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us and with that comes a deeper sense of our own sinfulness. We can do very little to impress others with the sinfulness of sin if we aren’t impressed with the fact of our own sinfulness.

Could this possibly be one of the reasons why the world isn’t convicted of sin? We play a key role in God’s work of reaching people and changing their lives. This is why we need to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We need to be surrendered to the Spirit not only for our personal benefit, but so the Father’s work can be carried out through us.

The Conviction of Sin

The first level of conviction by the Holy Spirit is the conviction of sin.

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;

                                                            John 16:8-9 NIV

We have a conscience that brings conviction, but conscience unaided by the Spirit of God leaves us in despair. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, He provides the assurance that there is a way out of sin.

The greatest sin is disbelief in Christ. Jesus had already pointed this out.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.                       John 15:22 NIV

When Jesus came to earth to put away sin, He also brought into the open the greatest sin of not believing in Him.

When Jesus was rejected, betrayed and crucified, the sinful nature of humanity was exposed. People had done horrible things before the Cross, but the crucifixion was the ultimate. In the very first recorded sermon Peter proclaimed,

Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross… Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:22-23;36 NIV

What happened?

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."                                                                     Acts 2:37-39 NIV

Peter, whose life has been changed by Christ, preaches. The people are cut to the heart—convicted. 3000 people are saved that day. This is the end result when the Holy Spirit lives in a believer. Sinners are convicted of their sinfulness and turn to Jesus.

The Conviction Of Righteousness

The second level of conviction is the conviction of righteousness.

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;         John 16:8,10 NIV

I find this point fascinating. I think you will, too. Perfect righteousness wasn’t provided until Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father. By His death on the Cross we are reconciled to God. By His resurrection Jesus provides the life we need. By His ascension and exaltation—being seated at the right hand—Jesus provides His righteousness. When Jesus was seated in heaven He was accepted by the Father as the perfect sacrifice.

Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit would convict people of righteousness because He was going to the Father and they would no longer see Him. What does Jesus want them to know when He tells them they will no longer see Him? The Old Testament answers the question.

On the Day of Atonement the High Priest took the blood of an animal and entered the Holy of Holies. While the priest was hidden unseen behind the curtain, the people waited outside for him to reappear. Until he reappeared they had no assurance that the sin offering had been accepted by God.

There is nothing in the Bible to tell us what would have happened if the High Priest hadn’t been accepted. Jewish tradition says that at least seven priests died in the Holy of Holies because they entered the presence of God even though they knew they weren’t right with God. When that happened, another priest had to be sent in to make atonement. You can be sure that priest was right with God before entering the Holy of Holies! Because it was so important to the people to know when the priest had completed the offering and would reappear, small bells were attached to the fringe of the robe so the people would hear them ringing and rejoice.

The writer of Hebrews describes what happened when Jesus returned to heaven.

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.                                                Hebrews 1:3 NIV

Jesus is the offering for sin and He is our high priest who entered the Holy of Holies with that offering. He entered and never returned. He sat down at the right hand of God and will remain in heaven until His second coming to serve as our mediator with God. That means when we pray, each and every believer has direct access to God the Father.

So, how do we know the offering has been accepted? That’s why another comforter of the same kind as Jesus had to be sent. The Holy Spirit was sent to assure us that righteousness has been provided because the offering for sin has been accepted. That’s why the Comforter couldn’t come until Jesus had departed and returned to heaven. The Spirit of God had to wait in heaven—in the presence of the Father—to witness Christ being accepted before God as the perfect offering for sin.

Jesus had told the disciples about the process.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:18-20 NIV

On what day would this happen? Some people interpret this as the resurrection. I think it is the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is sent. On that day, the disciples knew that Jesus was in the Father, that the disciples were in Jesus and accepted before the Father, and that Jesus was in them as the Holy Spirit.

The Conviction Of Judgment

The third level of conviction is judgment.

When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.              John 16:8, 11 NIV

The Holy Spirit convicts of judgment because the condemnation of the prince of this world—a title for Satan—has been accomplished. The death and resurrection completes the judgment of Satan. Speaking of this time, Jesus said,

The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.                                   John 12:31 NLT

The writer of Hebrews expands our understanding.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV

What does this mean for you and me? It means that when we believe in and accept Jesus and all He did for us, that our judgment is past and we can no longer be condemned. Jesus said,

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

                                                                                                John 5:24 NIV

Paul says it this way…

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…

                                                                                                Romans 8:1 NIV

This means judgment has been taken care of, Satan is defeated and condemnation is gone.

The Holy Spirit convinces men of sins committed, of righteousness granted and of judgment accomplished. The conscience can convict of sin, but it does nothing about righteousness. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. He brings the conviction—in the sense of being convinced—that Christ has completed His eternal work. The Holy Spirit

·                     Assures those who trust in Christ that they have eternal life

·                     Convicts those who reject Christ that judgment is pending

My hope is that, first of all, seeing how all of this fits together across the many pages of Scripture will convince us that this is not some random concept. Instead, it is the great theme of Scripture which makes the Bible the unified declaration of God’s love for us and commitment to us. The Holy Spirit is intimately involved in your salvation and He is the one who guarantees you that everything that had to be done has been done. Secondly, it is my hope, that if you have never believed in and accepted what God did for you through Jesus that the Spirit of God will cause that truth to come alive in you so you will believe and have eternal life. If there is a stirring in you, that is the Holy Spirit convicting you to convince you that Jesus is Lord.

The Regenerating Work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is involved in our salvation. The beginning work of the Holy Spirit in salvation is known as regeneration. Let me first define the term so we know what we’re talking about.

Regeneration is the radical spiritual change in which God brings an individual from a condition of spiritual defeat and death to a renewed condition of holiness and life.

Based on this definition, let’s talk first about

The Need For Regeneration

Humanity separated from God is spiritually dead. Paul explains it best.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.                                 Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT

Even the best of people sin. No one ever has to be taught to sin. Why? It is our very nature. We sin because we are sinners.

The Price of Regeneration

In the Old Testament the price of redemption was the blood of a lamb. In the New Testament the price of redemption resulting in regeneration is the blood of the Lamb of God.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.                                     1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

The cost is the highest that could be demanded, but the result is life changing for any and all who are set free.

The Agent of Regeneration

I think that if asked the question, “Which person of the Trinity regenerates people?” most people would answer Jesus. Scripture clearly teaches it is the Holy Spirit who regenerates us. Jesus made the point clearly to Nicodemus in their nighttime conversation. In talking about the need to be born again—or regenerated—He said,

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. John 3:6 NLT

Only the Spirit can give birth to the spirit.

In his great treatise on God’s plan of salvation and righteousness, Paul affirmed the life giving role of the indwelling Spirit.

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.                Romans 8:10-11 NLT

Finally, Paul makes it clear that it is the Spirit who renews and regenerates.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”                               Titus 3:3-8 NLT

It is the Holy Spirit who gives us new birth and new life. He truly is the secret agent of salvation.

The Point Of Regeneration

Regeneration is not a process taking place over an extended period of time. While there are factors (part of the convicting work) leading up to regeneration that may take some time, when we exercise faith, the Holy Spirit immediately applies the work of Christ to our hearts. This is clearly stated in the introduction to the gospel of John.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.               John 1:12-13 NIV

Regeneration occurs when a person receives Christ. At that point spiritual rebirth takes place.

There is no place in Scripture that calls us to keep on receiving Christ. It is always presented as a decisive, single action that results in a new spiritual life. Certainly, there is still work that needs to be done as we become like Christ, but that is part of following Him rather than receiving Him.

Conclusion: Why Look Anywhere Else?

People reveal their awareness of the need for something spiritual that goes beyond them. They do this in so many ways. Some believe you can know your destiny by a reading of the palm or tea leaves. Some seek to connect with the something greater through the power of crystals. Others will consult tarot cards or a medium who claims the ability to connect with spirits. Still others are convinced that other religions that require you to do something to achieve your own salvation are the answer. This only confirms that we, as human beings, have a keen awareness that there is something that exists beyond the physical, natural realm.

People are drawn to things considered outside of the ordinary or normal. The word paranormal is often used to describe the realms that are searched for answers. Others would say the paranormal is abnormal. My question is, Why do people need to look beyond the amazing work God does in us through His Holy Spirit?

It certainly isn’t normal. In fact I have decided to call it supernormal. That’s the world of the Holy Spirit. What He does is designed to be normal in the life of a Christian, but normal requires the supernatural.

The Holy Spirit is the secret agent of our salvation and the work He does is supernormal. The important question is, “Have you invited the Holy Spirit to do His supernormal work in your life?”