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You can turn in your Bibles to 
2nd Corinthians chapter 2. 2nd Corinthians chapter 2. Excuse me, I'm sorry, 1st Corinthians 
chapter 2. 1st Corinthians 2. We're going 
to read beginning at verse 6 to the end of the chapter. So be 
more of a topical sermon on the Holy Spirit using this particular 
passage as it speaks to the Holy Spirit as a launching pad to 
consider certain things that the Bible discloses concerning 
the third of the blessed triune God, God, the Holy Spirit. We'll 
pick up reading in verse six of First Corinthians two. However, 
we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom 
of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to 
nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden 
wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which 
none of the rulers of this age knew. For had they known, they 
would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it is written, 
eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart 
of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. 
But God has revealed them to us through his spirit, for the 
spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what 
man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man 
which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things 
of God except the spirit of God. Now we have received not the 
spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God, that 
we might know the things that have been freely given to us 
by God. These things we also speak, not 
in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, 
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man 
does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are 
foolishness to him. Nor can he know them because 
they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges 
all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For 
who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? 
But we have the mind of Christ. Amen. Let us again pray. Heavenly 
Father, we thank you again that we can gather for the preaching 
of your word. We do pray again. for the ministry of the Holy 
Spirit as we engage in this exercise. Might we not count it a small 
thing. Might we certainly count it as 
a heavy privilege to gather, to hear what the Spirit has to 
say to his church. We might be well edified and 
instructed by your word, the Spirit illuminating our minds. 
Might we, Lord God, be the present witnesses of that work of the 
Holy Spirit and saving sinners unto the praise of your glory. 
Might you, by your spirit and by your word, save this night 
that salvation might be found gloried in by the mouths of those 
whom you visit salvation upon. Might we, as your present saints, 
marvel in glory and rejoice in the work of the spirit and the 
conversion of sinners. We do pray that you be with us 
again, Lord God. We acknowledge the fact that 
we need you to listen, to be properly focused and attentive. 
And of course, for the preacher to proclaim rightly and truly 
your word, might you give him aid. And might again all that 
we do be done unto your glory. And might we sing the praises 
of Christ as we gather together for your worship. And it is in 
his name that we pray. Amen. Well, this passage follows 
on the heels of and is actually included within the context of 
the Apostle Paul pitting the wisdom of God, or what he would 
call in a sort of play on words, the foolishness of God, setting 
that in opposition to the so-called wisdom of man. Man, humanity, 
has its own wisdom, the world has its own wisdom so-called, 
but true wisdom is seen in the so-called foolishness of God, 
which is seen ultimately and primarily in a crucified Messiah. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ 
or the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are 
perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power 
of God. It is the wisdom of God. And we see here that this wisdom 
of God, this understanding and knowledge of God can only come 
to us by the intercession and the activity of the Holy Spirit. the third person of our blessed 
triune God. And it is to that person that 
we will turn our focus to this evening as we consider pneumatology, 
or if you don't think the P in Greek words should be removed 
or made silent, pneumatology. We have those blessed ologies 
of Christian faith and of Christian theology. Remember, we have theology 
or theology proper, the study or doctrine of God. We have Christology, 
the study or doctrine of Christ. We have soteriology, the study 
or doctrine of salvation. Well, here we have, and tonight 
we will engage in, pneumatology. Pneuma meaning spirit. So the 
study or doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Now, of course, when 
it comes to a study of the Holy Spirit, yes, we certainly must 
consider the person of the Holy Spirit. He is one of the members 
of the triune Godhead. There is one God, and this one 
God, or the Godhead, exists eternally in three co-eternal, co-glorious, 
and co-blessed persons. God the Father, God the Son, 
and God the Holy Spirit. It is not the case that the Holy 
Spirit is some effectual force, impersonal force dispensed by 
God to accomplish various ends. The Holy Spirit has personality 
and deity. It is not the case that the Holy 
Spirit is the present modern church manifestation of Jesus, 
who was the time and history manifestation of the Father, 
but rather the Holy Spirit is distinct. from the Son, distinct 
from the Father, yet all three are co-eternal, co-glorious. We are not going to consider, 
though, the person of the Holy Spirit. When it comes to a study 
of the Holy Spirit, that's not going to be the study of our 
focus tonight. To be sure, as Christians, we 
consider and we glory in the person of the Holy Spirit. But 
tonight we're going to be concerned with the works of the Holy Spirit. 
Now, we know His works of old. He was a co-agent at creation 
with the Son, and of course, by the direction and by the presence 
of the Father. He was there at creation, hovering 
over the waters. We see Him, or we know from our 
Bibles, that He was that agent and the inspiration of the Scriptures. 
In 2 Peter 1, we read that holy men of old spoke as they were 
moved or carried along by the Holy Spirit. We know that the 
Holy Spirit was effectual in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit 
overshadowed Mary and the Holy Spirit was effectual in the virgin 
conception. We know that the Holy Spirit 
anointed and empowered Christ in his earthly ministry. And 
we know that the Holy Spirit anointed and empowered the early 
ambassadors and heralds of Jesus Christ in, for example, the pages 
of the book of Acts. We're not going to consider his 
works of old, though. We're going to look at the Holy 
Spirit and what he does, what the Holy Spirit is doing in the 
current New Testament church, what the Holy Spirit is doing 
in the modern church. And we're going to consider this 
under four headings. Those four headings are publication, 
application, illumination and confirmation. That is, the Holy 
Spirit is involved in the present New Testament church in publication. The Holy Spirit is involved and 
active in application. The Holy Spirit is involved in 
illumination and finally in confirmation. What do these mean? First off, 
publication. And we're going to, of course, 
turn to our Bibles as we consider these various activities of the 
Holy Spirit. Publication. The Holy Spirit 
is active in publishing Christ, in making him known and in proclaiming 
his gospel. The Holy Spirit is active in 
the work of publication. That is, the Holy Spirit actively 
brings the message, the proclamation of Christ and His gospel to Christ's 
people and to the world generally. Where do we find that? In our 
Bibles, we'll find that the Old Testament prophesied this. The Old Testament prophesied 
this. You can turn to Acts chapter two. You may be saying, well, 
didn't you just say that the Old Testament prophesied this? 
Well, yes, I did. We read from that passage in 
our call to worship this morning, Joel chapter two. But in Acts 
chapter two, we see the fulfillment of that Old Testament promise. But just to note that the Old 
Testament prophesied the publication, the the publicating activity 
of the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 
Acts chapter 2, we see Peter on the day of Pentecost in verse 
14. But Peter, standing up with the 
eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and 
all who dwell in Jerusalem, Let this be known to you and heed 
my words for these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only 
the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by 
the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in 
the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on 
all flesh. Your sons and your daughters 
shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. 
Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My servants and on My 
maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and 
they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven 
above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor 
of smoke. The sun shall be turned into 
darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great 
and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that 
whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now, 
we need to note that this prophecy of Joel was fulfilled in its 
entirety prior to the destruction and at the destruction of Jerusalem 
in A.D. 70. But nevertheless, the Old 
Testament announces the publicating work of the Holy Spirit, that 
the Holy Spirit would be sent to bring the message of Christ 
to both Jew and Gentile. We'll look at more of that in 
a moment. But let's move to the book of 
John where we see, secondly, that Christ promised this. Christ promised that the Holy 
Spirit would be given to publish the glorious truth of Jesus Christ 
to the world. In John 14, we read at verse 
25, These things I have spoken to you while being present with 
you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, 
whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all 
things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." 
So we have this announcement given to the apostles by Christ, 
this promise that Jesus gives to His apostles that the Holy 
Spirit will empower them to proclaim the message that of Jesus Christ, 
Him crucified and resurrected. We see a general statement in 
Acts 15 with regards to the testimony of the Holy Spirit and the apostles. Notice in John 15 at verse 26, 
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the 
Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He 
will testify of me. We see Christ giving the promise 
that the Holy Spirit will be given by God in order to testify 
of Jesus Christ. This is the Holy Spirit's primary 
role in redemptive history. To testify concerning the doing, 
the dying, the rising again of Jesus Christ. To proclaim all 
centered around Christ's redemptive and perfect work. Christ promises 
what the Old Testament prophesied. And then we come to the witness 
and testimony of the early church, and we find this to be true, 
don't we? Acts 4, which we read from this 
morning, what we see there and what we see in the rest of the 
book of Acts is the fulfillment of that Old Testament promise, 
the fulfillment of that promise that Christ gave to His apostles 
that the Spirit will be engaged in the activity of publication. of preaching, of testifying to 
the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work. Again, we see that 
in the testimony of Peter, the proclamation of Peter in Acts 
4 in verse 8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy 
Spirit, said to them. And he opens up a word concerning 
the healing of the man and how that testifies to the reality 
of Jesus Christ who was crucified by you and raised by God from 
the dead." He says, by Him. This man stands here before you 
whole. But you see here, we see the Holy Spirit in that work 
of publication. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, 
brings a message concerning Jesus. And then we noted this morning 
at the end of Acts 4, we see that God answers the prayer of 
the gathered church by filling them with the Holy Spirit. verse 
31. The result of that Holy Spirit 
filling is that they spoke the Word of God with boldness. So the Holy Spirit is involved 
in publication. We need to see here something 
of the intercession of the triune God and their respective roles 
in history. Brethren, we have a glorious 
Bible that is harmonious, that is characterized by the consent 
of all the parts, that is characterized by a chronological and perfect 
and progressive consistency. The Bible sets forth God, the 
Father, before the foundation of the world, predestinating 
and electing persons unto the praise of his glory. We see Jesus 
Christ in time and in history coming in fulfillment of that 
purpose and that predetermined plan, living perfectly, dying 
perfectly, rising again the third day victoriously for sinners. Then we have the Holy Spirit, 
God the Holy Spirit coming, sent by the Father and by Christ to 
publish that message of victory, that gospel message, and to apply 
the benefits of that perfect work to his people. When we worship 
a great and glorious triune God, it's a God of harmony, it's a 
God of consistency, it's a God of perfect unity. We don't have 
a Father purposing Christ and then Christ coming, being unable 
to fulfill that purpose. No, we have God the Father purposing. Christ's coming and perfectly 
fulfilling that purpose set before Him. We don't then have a Holy 
Spirit who is ineffectual to apply to all whom salvation is 
targeted. We don't have Him ineffectual 
to work that work of application. But the Holy Spirit comes and 
applies the perfect work of Christ to all for whom it was intended. The publicating work of the Holy 
Spirit wherein He actively discloses and proclaims Christ to the world 
is the work and the current work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy 
Spirit, again, publishes Jesus. Secondly, the Holy Spirit applies 
Jesus. And what I mean by that, the 
Holy Spirit, in His work of application, actively applies the benefits 
of Christ's redemptive work to the elect, to His people. You 
see, Christ comes in time and in history and does the perfect 
work of the Father. The Holy Spirit then, according 
to divine commission and according to His own sovereignty, comes 
and applies the saving work of Jesus to the people of Jesus. It is a perfect, perfect triune 
plan of salvation. And again, the Holy Spirit's 
role here is one of application. Question 29 of the Westminster 
Confession of Faith. Chapter 29 of the Westminster 
Confession of Faith reads this way with regards to the application 
of the work of Jesus Christ. How are we made partakers of 
the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer. We are made partakers 
of the redemption purchased by Christ by the effectual application 
of it to us by his Holy Spirit. You see, the men of old knew 
the role of the Holy Spirit in the church is to apply the benefits 
of Christ's cross work to his people. Where do we see this 
in our Bibles? Well, first off, we see this 
as we did with the first point announced or prophesied in the 
Old Testament. If you are able, you can turn 
with me to the book of Ezekiel. We see that the Holy Spirit's 
work of application is announced in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 
36, first off. Ezekiel chapter 36, beginning 
at verse 27. I will put my spirit within you 
and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments 
and do them. You see there in the announcement 
of the coming covenant, the new covenant, that glorious announcement 
of a new work that the Lord God will do, we see that He will 
put His Spirit within His people and He will cause us to walk 
in His statutes. This is a promise that the Old 
Testament gives to the remnants of the old covenant that the 
Spirit would be given. to apply those salvific benefits 
to God's covenant people. We see also, if you just turn 
the page to Ezekiel 37, we see this as well in Ezekiel 37. It's the language of regeneration, 
the language of resurrection in Ezekiel 37, beginning at verse 
12. Therefore, prophesy and say to 
them, Thus says the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open 
your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and 
bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am 
the Lord when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought 
you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you and 
you shall live and I will place you in your own land." As we 
get to the New Testament, to which we'll turn now, we will 
see that this covenant announcement These realities concerning the 
spirit have peculiar reference to the saving work of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. This was, again, this work of 
the application by the spirit is promised in the old covenant. 
We just saw that. And then it's announced by Jesus 
in the new. If you turn to John chapter three 
to see these various addresses of Holy Scripture that speak 
to the current work of the Holy Spirit. in the lives of Christ's 
people. In John 3, beginning at verse 
5, Jesus answered, this is in His discourse with Nicodemus, 
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and 
the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is 
born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is 
spirit. Now, perhaps you may have wondered 
in hearing this verse, or in reading this verse, or in reading 
about this verse, what it means to be born of water and spirit. Well, Jesus is exegeting and 
applying what we just read in Ezekiel 36 and Ezekiel 37. He indicts Nicodemus for not 
knowing what the Scriptures spoke concerning the New Covenant promises. You're a teacher of Israel and 
you don't even know these things. Ezekiel 36 and 37 uses the language 
of, I will sprinkle clean water on you and put my Spirit within 
you. Here Jesus comes and uses that 
language this way. Unless one is born of water and 
the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. He is pointing 
to Nicodemus and taking Nicodemus and pointing to the Old Testament 
and saying, you should know these things. God promised that he 
would send his spirit, that he would remove those stony hearts, 
replace them with fleshly hearts and implant his spirit within 
his people that they might walk in his statutes and glory in 
him. Jesus announces this reality 
in his life and in his ministry. And then we see this demonstrated 
in the early church. We see this demonstrated in the 
early church. First Corinthians chapter six. 
1 Corinthians chapter 6. I won't force you to turn to 
all of these places of Holy Scripture if you're getting tired of moving 
your fingers. But again, it's good to know where we can read 
of the Holy Spirit's activity in the lives of his people. 1 
Corinthians 6 and verse 11. This is after identifying certain 
sins. marking those who are outside 
of Christ, marking those before conversion. And we see in v. 11, Paul writes, and such were 
some of you. Note, but you were washed, but 
you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of 
the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. You see, the Spirit 
of God comes and based upon the victorious work of Jesus Christ, 
applies the benefits of that redemptive work by converting 
sinners, by washing them, by sanctifying them, by justifying 
them. Again, this language of washing 
has to do with regeneration, has to do with cleansing, has 
to do with being made anew by virtue of Christ's saving work 
and by amazing grace. We also see this, that the early 
church demonstrates this work of the Holy Spirit of application 
in the book of Titus. And this is glorious language, 
brethren, that we find here in the book of Titus, in Titus chapter 
3. With regards to salvation, as 
Protestant Christians, we are marked, of course, by that certain 
and biblical belief that salvation is by grace alone, through faith 
alone, in Christ Jesus alone. We are not saved by faith plus 
works. We are not saved by a little 
bit of faith and a lot of works. We are not saved by our good 
deeds. But from first to last, midst 
and throughout, we are saved by the perfect work of the triune 
God who saves without a helper. Notice with regards to the application 
of the benefits of Christ's crosswork, the Holy Spirit bringing those 
salvific benefits to his people. Verse one of Titus three, remind 
them to be subject to rulers and authorities to obey, to be 
ready for every good work. to speak evil of no one, to be 
peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves 
were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts 
and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating 
one another, but When the kindness and the love of God our Savior 
toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have 
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing 
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured 
out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that 
having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs 
according to the hope of eternal life. Isn't that a glorious chronological 
picture of God's work in the lives of his people? We have 
that before picture of the sinner who is foolish, disobedient, 
deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice, 
envy, hateful and hating one another. And then we have the 
intercession of the triune God, the kindness and the love of 
God, our Savior appears. And it comes by virtue of the 
Holy Spirit bringing the redemptive benefits of Christ in the washing 
of regeneration and renewing that He performs. And not only 
is the Holy Spirit just given in this small measure. God just 
doesn't bestow this small portion, if we can use that language of 
the Holy Spirit's effectual work. But rather, verse 6, whom He 
poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. We have 
the perfect abundance of the work of the Holy Spirit given 
to us by God, applying the benefits of salvation. And again, brethren, 
it's important to note that we confess a God who has a perfect 
plan and who executes that perfect plan. Never consider that lightly, 
because there are those out there within professing Christendom 
that would suppose a theology that has the members of the Trinity 
at discord, at some measure of disunity. But again, we have 
God the Father predestinating, God the Son performing the work, 
the Holy Spirit applying the benefits of that work, all to 
the praise of His glorious grace. That's what Ephesians 1 is all 
about. Ephesians 1, by virtue of giving 
a doxology only. I say only because Paul there 
in Ephesians 1 isn't delivering an apologetic for Calvinism. 
He's praising the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who 
has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places 
in Christ. Then he speaks of God the predestinator, 
Christ the fulfiller, and the Holy Spirit, the one who applies. glorious truth regarding the 
applying work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christ's people. Thirdly, the work of the Holy 
Spirit is seen in illumination. Illumination, by this we mean 
the Holy Spirit is active in instructing the people of God 
in and through the ministry of the word. The Holy Spirit is 
active in instructing the people of God in and through the ministry 
of the word. Our London Baptist confession 
of faith puts this very well as it speaks in chapter one of 
the Holy Scriptures. You see, as reformed Christians 
who the doctrine of cessationism, that is, that the revelatory 
gifts of the Holy Spirit seen in tongues, prophecy and knowledge 
have ceased. We most certainly do uphold, 
though, the ongoing and great and marvelous work of the Holy 
Spirit in illumination, one of many activities that he engages 
in. We read this in paragraph five 
of our confession. And I would make a note of this 
chapter, if you don't know it well already, to read it, because 
it speaks of two things that are very important for us in 
our Christian lives. The perfection, the inerrancy, 
the infallibility of the Word of God, its power in disclosing 
God's truth, and then the necessity of the Holy Spirit, specifically 
at the point of illumination. Notice, we may be moved and induced 
by the testimony of the Church of God, to an high and reverent 
esteem of the Holy Scriptures, and the heavenliness of the matter, 
the efficacy of the doctrine, and the majesty of the style, 
the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which 
is to give all glory to God, the full discovery it makes of 
the only way of man's salvation, and many other incomparable excellencies 
and entire perfections thereof, note, are arguments whereby it 
doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God. Our confession 
upholds the self-attesting and self-authentication aspect, character 
of the Holy Scriptures. All of those things do abundantly 
evidence the Scriptures to be the Word of God. Yet, notwithstanding, 
our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine 
authority thereof is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit 
bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. So you see 
that the Holy Spirit is involved in the work of illumination, 
in actively instructing the people of God in and through the ministry 
of the Word. Where do we see this in the Scriptures? We see this, first of all, by 
the announcement of Christ in John 16. In John 16, we see the 
Lord Jesus declaring this reality, the Holy Spirit, will be sent 
and will be involved in this activity of illumination. John 16, beginning at verse 5, 
But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks 
Me, where are you going? But because I have said these 
things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell 
you the truth. It is to your advantage that 
I go away. For if I do not go away, the 
Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send 
him to you. And when he has come, he will 
convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment." 
So you see the Holy Spirit active today as He was yesterday in 
this function of instructing the people of God in and through 
the ministry of the Word. Again, we see this in three ways. 
We saw these other things under three subheadings. First, by 
convicting the individual of sin by means of the law. The Holy Spirit comes to His 
people with the holiness and the righteousness of God's revealed 
Word. And He, by His power and His 
effectual working, convicts them of their sin. Not only of the 
reality of sin, not only of what sin means and what it means before 
God, so that they are a sinner. He convicts them of the holiness 
of God, of the law, and of the sinfulness of man in breaking 
it daily. And he brings to bear the reality 
of their condemnation, the sting of the law coming the sting of 
the law and the sting of sin coming by condemnation for it. So he convicts the individual 
of sin by means of the law. Second, by communicating to him 
and helping him understand a knowledge of salvation by means of the 
gospel. You see, the graciousness of 
our God is seen that he doesn't stop at the declaration of the 
holiness of God and of the sinfulness of man. You see, if God just stopped 
at that point in Romans 3, that every mouth may be stopped by 
the disclosure of the law, and everyone would be found guilty 
before God. If He just stopped there, He 
would have convicted us. The Holy Spirit would have disclosed. 
The Holy Spirit would have illuminated. But there would be no good news. 
There would be no disclosure, no communication of salvation. But our gracious God continues 
by communicating again and helping us understand a knowledge of 
salvation by means of the gospel of grace. And we read that in 
1 Corinthians 2 at the outset of our preaching. We noted that 
the Holy Spirit is necessary for and is glorious, gloriously 
engaged in. the understanding of the people 
of God. Verse 10 of 1 Corinthians 2, 
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the 
Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what 
man knows, the things of a man, except the spirit of the man 
which is in him. Even so, no one knows the things 
of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the 
Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that 
we might know the things which have been freely given to us 
by God." You see, part of our glorying in the triune God is 
to be at this particular point. The Holy Spirit's illumination. Because in our native depravity, 
in our native sinfulness, our minds could not grasp, nor did 
they want to grasp, the things of the Lord Jesus Christ. The 
message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. You 
see, our minds were at a bent against the living and true God. 
We could cast our eyes upon the glory of his creation. We could 
look at the firmament. We could look at his starry heavens 
and declare there is no glorious God. but knowing all the while 
that there truly is one. But we were set opposed to him. 
We can, in a state of unbelief, come to the Holy Scriptures and 
not see the gloriousness of its inspiration, its inerrancy, and 
its infallibility. Because as our confession says, 
the Holy Spirit is necessary for making that effectual, for 
causing us to know with a right mind and understand the glorious 
things of God. Verse 14 in this text is striking. The natural man does not receive 
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, 
nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. See, this is the stuff of Christ's 
preaching in John 6. All those people are gathered 
before Him and those so-called believers who depart Him because 
they cannot hear or listen to this saying. Jesus Christ proclaims 
this very thing. You are not able to believe in 
my name. Something must happen. God must 
grant. God must draw. God must do the 
effectual work. of spirit-wrought resurrection, 
before you can know the things of God, before you can understand 
spiritual things, the Holy Spirit must make you alive. He must 
raise you from that state of deadness and sin to life in Jesus 
Christ. Thirdly, under illumination, 
we see the Holy Spirit active by sanctifying His people through 
the truth. So, the Holy Spirit convicts 
of sin. The Holy Spirit makes one alive 
in Christ Jesus by regenerating an effectual power. He then, 
throughout the life of that believer, throughout the life of that one 
upon whom He has bestowed the benefits of Christ's work, the 
Holy Spirit continues to work by sanctifying His people through 
the truth. We see that prayer of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, don't we, in His high priestly prayer to His Father. 
He says, sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth. When Paul writes to the Ephesians, 
we see something of this continuing illumination, this continuing 
growth in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ by the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit. He says that the God of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of 
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Paul is writing 
that to people who have already been saved, who have already 
been the blessed recipients of amazing and victorious grace. 
He prays that God would give to them the spirit of wisdom 
and revelation in the knowledge of Him. The Spirit is necessary 
to illuminate the minds of those already brought out of darkness 
and into light. The Spirit is necessary to sanctify 
His people, to bring to bear the truths of Holy Scripture, 
and to raise them from babes in Christ to mature members of 
the Church of the living and true God. He was upset with or disappointed 
in the fact that the Hebrew Christians were still babes in Christ, were 
still young, were still drinking the milk of first things, if 
you will. They were to be eating the meat. They were to have developed 
teeth. sharpened on the implement of 
the Word and the sharpening power of the Word of the living and 
true God. They weren't supposed to stay in things elementary. 
They were supposed to grow in the grace and in the knowledge 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit is necessary for that 
glorious activity. And then lastly, we see the Spirit 
actively involved in confirmation Confirmation. What do we mean 
by that? We mean, by confirmation, the 
Holy Spirit is active in confirming the certainty of our redemption. The Holy Spirit is active in 
confirming the certainty of our redemption. We see that He does 
this in three ways, at least. First, by being the indwelling 
seal. by being the indwelling seal. In Ephesians chapter one, Paul 
closes his doxology filled with triune salvation by recognizing 
the perfect work of the Holy Spirit. Still speaking of Christ 
in verse 13, he continues this way, "...in Him you also trusted 
after you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation, 
in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit of promise." You see, these who were predestined unto 
glory by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, 
were then effectually saved by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary 
and by virtue of his victorious resurrection. Then in time and 
in history, the Holy Spirit applies that salvation and seals them. The Holy Spirit is our indwelling 
seal. And we need to appreciate the 
language here of sealing. It means that God has made known 
and made effectual his ownership over us. This language is the 
language that's been used, that theologians have noted, that 
ancients who had these signet rings would mark legal documents 
with an imprint upon them. That is the type of sealing we 
have going on here. God, in His authoritative kingship, 
seals us with His mark, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 
This seal was one of legality. It carried with it legal weight. 
In other words, many of these rulers and prominent people would 
seal their possessions, signifying their ownership and guarding 
them from theft. See, this is what God does with 
His people. No one can snatch us out of His hand. No one can 
snatch us out of the divine grip because Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost are involved in salvation. And at the point of the Holy 
Spirit, He is the indwelling seal, the divine stamp of ownership 
given to Christ's people. Secondly, the Holy Spirit is 
active in confirming the certainty of our redemption by being the 
guarantee, notice verse 14, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 
until the redemption of the purchased possession. The guarantee of 
our inheritance. You see, the Holy Spirit isn't 
like that guarantee that we might get from stores that we shop 
at, where you really can't return it. You buy something, oh, we'll 
guarantee that, but then you bring it back. Oh, sorry, we 
can't really do anything for you. Some places are a little 
bit nicer than that and will actually return stuff. But you 
see, the Holy Spirit isn't a guarantee that there's some sort of loophole 
or wiggle room where the people can get themselves out of this 
securing grace. No, the Holy Spirit brings as 
a guarantee, the language is used in other translations as 
earnest or down payment. He is a legal financial down 
payment given to God's people, declaring the certainty of eschatological 
redemption. In other words, the Holy Spirit 
is given as an authenticating down payment that most certainly 
our future redemption is secure and sure. There is an inheritance 
laid up for us in heaven and the Holy Spirit is an authenticating 
down payment of that blessed reality. Thirdly and lastly, 
The Holy Spirit is active in confirming the certainty of our 
redemption by testifying to the filial relationship between God 
and us. Filial relationship means the 
relationship between a father and a son. Isn't it always heartwarming 
for the Christian to know that is our relationship with God? 
God's not this tyrannical leader who sits in the heavens and just 
throws down lightning bolts upon the heads of His people. God's 
our Father. We're His sons and daughters, 
His children. By His graciousness, we've been 
brought into the household of faith, the household of God. 
We can, as John does, glory in the fact that what has been bestowed 
upon us is the reality that we can call God Father. The Holy 
Spirit testifies to this reality in Romans 8. We read of this. Romans 8, verse 12. The Holy Spirit is active in 
confirming the certainty of our redemption by testifying to the 
filial relationship, the Father-to-Son relationship that we have with 
God. It's wonderful language in Romans 
chapter 8 beginning in verse 9, but you are not in the flesh. 
but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. 
Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not 
his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. 
The Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit 
of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who 
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal 
bodies through His Spirit which dwells in you. Now notice verse 
12, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors. not to the flesh to 
live according to the flesh. But if you live according to 
the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put 
to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as 
are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you 
did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you 
received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father." 
Verse 16, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit 
that we are children of God. You see, the Spirit of God is 
that indwelling seal. The Spirit of God is that legal 
financial down payment, securing and testifying to the certainty 
of our glorious future, eschatological redemption. And the Holy Spirit 
is that one who testifies with our spirit that we are the children 
of God. What a blessed truth. And brethren, 
in closing, this brings us to consider three things based on 
the work of the Holy Spirit. First off, this should direct 
us in prayer as it concerns the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 
What do we want the Holy Spirit to do? We want the Holy Spirit 
to publish Christ Jesus. We want the Holy Spirit to testify 
and witness to the glorious and perfect work of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Our prayers should be unto that 
end, that the Holy Spirit would move swiftly, empowering His 
people to proclaim purely and with propriety the true gospel 
of Jesus Christ to lost souls. We should pray for the application. Isn't this comforting to know? 
As Christians, the Holy Spirit is the one who saves. The Holy 
Spirit is the one who applies the work of Jesus Christ. If 
you're like me, sometimes in the history of our evangelical 
endeavors with friends, with family members, with people who 
oppose the gospel, You sometimes, sinfully, want to shake them 
to believe the gospel, because it's so glorious. We need to 
repent of that. We shouldn't want to physically 
harm anybody. But what I mean is, it becomes 
just this frustration sometimes that they don't believe in our 
glorious Savior. Now, it probably manifests itself 
better in things that the Bible says regarding the Apostle Paul, 
that he weeped for sin. He weeped that his countrymen, 
according to the flesh, would believe the Gospel. But what 
I'm trying to get at is that we ought not to become frustrated, 
because the Holy Spirit is the One who applies salvation. The 
Holy Spirit is the One who illuminates, who makes and brings life to 
the heart of dead sinners, and who causes them to glory in the 
Savior. So be assured and be prayerful 
to that point, that the Holy Spirit is the One who applies. 
who illuminates. And we ought to pray for our 
own souls and for the souls of others for this confirmation. We need to appreciate, brethren, 
and to glory in the assurance of salvation. You see, we can 
get down We can be downcast. We can lament sometimes when 
we stumble and fall into sin. We can have doubts and all these 
sorts of things. We need to pray for that activity 
of the Holy Spirit. You see, because He will illuminate 
and He will testify to the fact that our perseverance does not 
depend upon our own free will, but upon the perfect Word of 
the Triune God. We find our all in all in the 
efficacy and the power of the saving work of our great triune 
God, centered and focused around that work of Jesus Christ at 
Calvary. This should secondly help us 
in our own Christian walk, understanding the Holy Spirit's activity in 
our own Christian walk. As we go about our Christian 
walk, we should understand the Holy Spirit illuminates. The 
Holy Spirit has applied. The Holy Spirit is at work in 
our hearts and the Holy Spirit will confirm us unto the end. And lastly, hopefully a balanced 
view. Of course, a study of the Holy 
Spirit would require more time and and more effort and more 
preaching to have a fully borne out exposition of the work of 
the Holy Spirit that the Bible presents. But thirdly and lastly, 
a study of the Holy Spirit will help us in how we deal with our 
brothers and sisters. You see, we're not the Holy Spirit, 
brothers and sisters. We are not the Holy Spirit. We 
are not the ones who come with efficacy and sanctify people 
in our midst and around us. We are not the people who are 
to come and to illuminate, to apply, and all of these things. 
We need to treat our brothers and sisters at various levels 
of their Christian walk and know that the Holy Spirit really does 
exist, that the Holy Spirit really does actively work in the lives 
of His people. We don't need to chase every 
rabbit trail until we're satisfied with people's repentance, with 
people's forgiveness, with people's sanctified walk. We need to be 
prayerful that the Holy Spirit will in time and in history do 
that which he does a lot better than us, infinitely better than 
us, applying, illuminating and confirming in the hearts and 
in the lives of his people. Well, let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you so much for the work of the Holy Spirit. We thank 
you for what your work discloses concerning the perfection of 
his work, the multifaceted reality of the Holy Spirit in doing so 
many things in the lives of his people. that our Holy Spirit 
is active in publishing the Gospel to Jew and to Gentile throughout 
the ages. We thank You so much for the 
fact that the Holy Spirit applies that finished work of Jesus Christ 
to His people and that He does so perfectly. We pray for that 
continuing illumination in our own lives and in our own hearts. 
We pray that You would conform us unto the image of Christ by 
that sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit who works by Your 
Word. We thank you so much for that confirming activity of the 
Holy Spirit. That He is our guarantee. And 
we rejoice in the fact, Lord God, that by your Holy Spirit, 
testifying to our spirit that we are children of God, we can 
find such joy in that reality. We pray that we would be your 
children, your grateful children, rejoicing in God our Father. 
We would sing your praises, that we would receive chastisement, 
and that we would seek to honor you in this lower world. We need, 
of course, the ministry of the Holy Spirit in this, and we pray 
for Him now. We pray, Holy Spirit, come. Help 
us in our daily lives as Christians that we might glory in our Savior, 
who has done all the work, and that you would help us to work 
in this lower world, to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy 
of the Gospel of Christ. And it's in His most precious 
name that we pray. Amen.