The Holy Spirit and Salvation

Intro: This message concerns the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing lost men and women to Jesus Christ. Many think that the Holy Spirit does nothing in our lives until after we're saved. Yet, if it were not for the Holy spirit working in our lives before we accepted Christ, we would have never accepted Christ. What then is the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of an unbeliever?

A. HE BRINGS CONVICTION. [John 16:7-11] [2 Cor. 4:4]

 1. He tells us of our sin

John 16:8-11 (NKJV) ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The word "conviction" or "reprove" means to reveal, to bring to light, to expose.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says that the devil has blinded the spiritual eyes of an unbeliever. One of the primary things the dIevil does is to blind us about our sin. It's the Holy Spirit that opens our spiritual eyes, he brings to light our sin.

Notice vs8..." The Spirit will convict the world of sin." Do you see that the word"sin" singular, one? What one sin does the Holy Spirit expose in our life as he leads us to salvation?  Is it your worst sin? Is it adultery, drunkenness, which one? The one sin is the sin of unbelief. (vs 9) The Holy Spirit exposes our sin, the sin of unbelief.

But that’s not all the Holy Spirit does in the life of a lost person

 2. He tells us what we need to do.

When the Holy Spirit brings conviction, he brings to light our sin of unbelief and  summons us to repentance. He reveals to us our sin and then points us towards Jesus, towards repentance and faith in Him as our Savior. That desire in your heart to be saved was put there by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like a giant magnet that draws you to Christ. The desire to know God was put there by the Holy Spirit. Let me illustrate that by my own salvation. I was 37 years old. At that time in my life I knew I needed to get saved, I was under conviction. The Holy Spirit had exposed my sin of unbelief. One Monday night, I went to a friend's church where he was attending a revival. There I heard a message about God's three deadlines. At the end of the message I knew I needed to get saved and I responded to the invitation. That's how the Holy Spirit brings conviction. He exposes our sin and then points us towards the Savior. You can resist the Holy Spirit. That desire in your heart will not always be there. The more you say no the more your heart hardens. Your heart can become so hard and calloused that it no longer desires to be saved. That is why the Bible says that "today is the day of salvation."

But not only does the Holy Spirit bring conviction but also,

B. HE REGENERATES OUR SPIRIT. [Ephesians 2:1, John 3:3]

 1. Our Problem – We were spiritually dead in sin.

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

We all, before meeting Jesus were dead in our sins. Spiritually dead, possessing no spiritual life, no connection with God.

 2. Our Need. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3 that he “must be born again or we can't see the Kingdom of God.” 

All unsaved people are spiritually dead and need to be born again.

 3. Our Solution. [Titus 3:5]

Titus 3:5… “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.” The word "renewing" means regeneration and it is actually a compound word that literally means "birth again" or as Jesus would say, "born again." It is the Holy Spirit that cleanses and causes the new birth. It is the Holy Spirit that renews, regenerates that which is spiritually dead. A spiritually dead person does not need to walk an isle and shake the preacher's hand. A spiritually dead person needs to repent and allow the spirit of the living God to give them new birth! It is through the power of the Holy Spirit and only through the power of the Holy Spirit that makes the spiritually dead come alive.

What does the Holy Spirit do in bringing unbelievers to Christ? First, He convicts, then He regenerates, and next,

C. HE SEALS OUR SALVATION. [Ephesians 1:13]

Ephesians 1:13 “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

This one verse gives the entire process of salvation.  You heard the gospel, believed the gospel, and then were sealed by the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit?  Think of how a seal was used in the bible.  In Jeremiah 32, we find Jeremiah buying a piece of property.  The deed was signed and then sealed, making Jeremiah the new owner of that property. A seal was used in Bible times as proof of ownership and to provide security. The Holy Spirit operates in the same fashion.  The Holy Spirit living in your life is proof that you belong to God. With the blood of Christ he has bought you. He now owns you.  The Holy Spirit living in your life also provides protection and security.  It is impossible for you to ever lose your salvation because no one has the power to break God’s seal.

D. HE GUARANTEES OUR SALVATION. [Ephesians 1:14]

Ephesians 1:14… “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory”

The Holy Spirit in your life is God's down payment on your salvation.  The word  guarantee or deposit is an interesting word.  In Paul’s day it meant engagement ring.  A fitting illustration, don't you think?  Christ is the Bridegroom and His church is the Bride.  We know he will come and claim His bride because he has given us his Spirit as the engagement ring. It also means earnest, as in earnest money, like a down payment on a house. When you want to put an offer in on a house you are asked for some earnest money. It proves you are serious about your offer. If the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life is God’s earnest money, can you lose your salvation? If you were to lose your salvation then God would lose His down payment, He would lose the Holy Spirit that He has placed in you.

Wait a minute, the Holy Spirit is God, God can’t lose God. Exactly! The presence of the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee of salvation!

INVITATION: What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now? Does the Spirit confirm with your spirit that you are saved? If not, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save you. Invite Him into your life right now, don't wait, you may not get another chance. If you are sure of your salvation, are you filled with the Spirit of God and being led by Him daily? If not, ask for forgiveness of that sin and surrender your life completely to Him today!