THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORD

     SONG: Tell Them Of Jesus

     A very pleasant good morning to each listener in our radio
audience this morning. How pleased I am to have you study with me the
unsearchable riches of God's powerful Word. The apostle Paul states
that he was not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power (dynamite)
of God unto salvation. You are encouraged to get you pen or pencil
and paper and jot down the references as they are used, that you may
be able to study them more in detail in the privacy of your home.
Jesus, our Lord and Savior, states that we shall be judged by the
word which he spake (John 12:48). And so shall we.
     A very much misunderstood subject in the religious world is the
operation of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men. There are many
false concepts embraced. Thus many false hopes are offered by the
religious teachers about us. The vast majority of the religious world
does not understand why the Holy Spirit was given, they do not
understand what the Holy Spirit accomplished. Many claim that the
Holy Spirit works separate and apart from the Word of God. In our
study this morning I wish to notice some things which the Holy Spirit
does not do. If indeed, the Holy Spirit operates separate and apart
from the Word of God, just exactly what does it do?
     FIRST,  THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT ENLIGHTEN: Reading Psalms 19:8,
we find, "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the
eyes." Mankind says that the Holy Spirit enlightens man, but the
Psalmist, by the inspiration of Jehovah, states that it is the
commandments of the Lord that enlightens us.
     SECOND, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT CONVERT THE SOUL: Again from
Psalms 19, this time verse 7, "The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul."  You will notice that the inspired writer tells
us that is the law of the Lord that converts the soul, not the Holy
Spirit.
     THIRD, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT MAKE ONE WISE UNTO SALVATION: In
2 Timothy 3:14,15, we read, "But abide thou in the things which thou
hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast
learned them; and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred
writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus." Did you hear that? It is the sacred
writings which makes one wise unto salvation. Did Paul know what he
was talking about? I am persuaded that he did, because he was being
guided by the Spirit in that which he wrote.
     FOURTH, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT GIVE LIGHT: Reading this time
from Psalm 119:130, "The entrance of thy word giveth light. It giveth
understanding unto the simple." How does man gain the light from
Heaven? By allowing the word of God to enter into their hearts. Thus,
it is the word of God that gives light.
     FIFTH, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT GIVE UNDERSTANDING:  Once again
from the book of Psalms, chapter 119, verse 104, "Through thy
precepts I get understand, therefore I hate every false way." How do
we gain understanding?  Through the precepts or the Word of God. It
is through the revealed truths of God's Word that we know what is
right and what is wrong. The word of God is the measuring standard of
false teachings. How might we know if something is right or wrong?
By laying it beside the truth of God's Word; not by our feelings or
by our emotions.
     SIXTH, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT QUICKEN: Psalms 119:50, "This is
my comfort in my affliction; for thy word hath quickened me." What
quickens, or makes alive? This passage says it is the Word of God.
Would you argue with God's Word? I hope not.
     SEVENTH, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT CLEANSE: Jesus states in John
15:3, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you." How were the apostles cleansed? Christ said it was through the
word which he had spoken. And my friends, if you would be cleansed,
it will be by the revealed word of God; that word which is called the
gospel, God's power to save. It is by the hearing of that word that
faith is produced in the hearts of men. So states Paul in Romans
10:17, when he said, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God."
     Point number EIGHT, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT SANCTIFY: Jesus
states in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth." How is man sanctified, set apart for God's service? Jesus
said it is through the truth, the word of God. Will you believe what
Christ says, or would you seek for something else? Christ Jesus made
it rather plain. If you would be set aside for God's service, or
sanctified, it will be by the understanding and application of the
truth of God's Word.
     Point number NINE, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT SAVE: Reading James
1:21, "Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of
wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able
to save your souls." What did James say was able to save the soul?
Did he not say "the implanted (or engrafted) word"? How is man saved?
By the direct operation of the Holy Spirit? Oh, no, my friends. James
says it is through the word of God that we find salvation. It is by
obedience to the revealed truth of God's Message or Word.
     NUMBER TEN, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT PURIFY THE SOUL: In 1 Peter
1:22, we read, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience
to the truth unto unfeighed love of the brethren, love one another
from the heart fervently: having been begotten again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God,
which liveth and abideth." Isn't that simple?? Man's soul is purified
by obedience to the truth. If you would be free from sin, you must
obey the teachings of God's word. There is no other way. I realize
that man wants to make salvation something mysterious, better felt
than told; but God says that salvation comes about when one obeys the
truth of His Word.
     Point number ELEVEN, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT MAKE ONE FREE FROM
SIN: Romans 6:17,18, reads, "But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye
were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form
of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from
sin, ye became servants of righteousness." Once again, that does not
seem to be very difficult to understand. Paul says that one is made
free from sin by being obedient to the teachings of God's Word.  If
you would be free from sin, you too, must obey from the heart the
teachings of God's truth. In no place were men told to wait for the
spirit of God to come upon them in order that they might be saved.
Rather, they were told to "arise and be baptized and wash away their
sins" (Acts 22:16).
     Number TWELVE, THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT GIVE FAITH: Reading
Romans 10:17 again, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by
the word of God." Faith is essential to salvation, for Paul states
that "without faith one cannot please God" (Hebrews 11:6). But, my
friends, how does faith come?  Paul said that it comes by hearing the
word of God, not by some direct operation of the Holy Spirit. God
does not force faith upon mankind. Faith is gained by listening to
and accepting what God has said through His word.
     "But," someone says, "Preacher you have removed the Holy Spirit
from having any part in the salvation of mankind."  No, I have not
nullified the work of the Spirit. I have pointed out what God's Word
does for man. Allow me just here to use an illustration: A man uses
an axe to cut down a tree. We might ask, "Did the man cut down the
tree?" The answer might come back, No, the axe cut down the tree.
But, you and I know that the axe could not cut down the tree without
the efforts of the man also.  The truth of the matter is that the
tree was cut down by the man who was using the axe. The man could not
cut the tree down without the use of the axe, neither could the axe
accomplish the feat without the man. Both the man and axe work
together to get the job done, they cannot act separately. So it is
with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The Holy Spirit gave the
word and is the power or force behind the word. Paul states in
Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God." Didn't the apostle state is
plainly?  The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We are removing
the action of the Spirit from the conversion of the unbeliever, but
simply putting it where the Father put it. The Holy Spirit is the
force or power behind the Word, but it is the Word of God that brings
man to God. The Holy Spirit does not operate separate from the Word
of God in the conversion of the sinner. The Holy Spirit was not
given to save man. The Holy Spirit was promised and given unto the
apostles to guide them into all the truth. Hear Jesus on this as He
speaks in John 16:13, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he shall guide you into all the truth; for he shall not speak from
himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak;
and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come."
     Truly, the Holy Spirit plays a part in the conversion of the
sinner, but what part? The Holy Spirit has given us the Word and
works through the word of God in the conversion of those who accept
the teaching and admonitions of that Word. If you would become the
child of God, you must listen to and obey the truth of the gospel.
You need not wait for some mysterious spirit to move you. God has
provided you with the seed, the word of God, and you must obey that
message if you become His child.
     We most likely will have more to say on this important lesson in
lessons to come. Stay tuned each Sunday morning at 8:30 when we shall
ask, "What saith the Scriptures?"
     Your comments and suggestions are invited. The address is: White
Park church of Christ, Route 1, Box 502, Anahuac, TX 77514.

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