The Spirit and Conviction

When we talk about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which we are doing now on Wednesday nights in our series on what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit, when we talk about his ministry, sometimes we don't even think about the ministries that we've already talked about and that is his ministry in creation and his ministry related to the scriptures. But when we think of the ministry of the Spirit, we often think more in terms of the really exciting ones to us as Christians, indwelling or the filling of the Spirit, or we might think I can't wait till we get to the controversial ones, the baptism of the Spirit or the gifts of the Spirit. And those are the things we're really interested in most of the time. But before we get to any of that and we will get to those things, but before we get to any of that, we need to talk about a ministry that the Holy Spirit had with you before you ever got saved. So we're going to talk tonight about the conviction of the Spirit. There are actually two ministries that the Holy Spirit has to unsaved people. One of them is kind of to unsaved and saved, but the conviction of the Spirit is something that he does with unbelievers and then the regeneration of the Spirit is something that he does to bring us into the family of God. So it kind of bridges that gap between unsaved and saved. Regeneration is new birth. One of the words for salvation and we'll look at that as well in a week or two. But we're going to look tonight at the Holy Spirit's work in conviction. Now there are actually in the Bible three different forms of conviction. So we're going to take them one by one. We're not going to try to group them together. And they really can be seen as three levels of conviction. So we're going to start with the most general kind of conviction, the most wide spread, general kind of conviction, and then narrow it down a little bit and finally come to the most narrow one tonight if we get that far. The first the first one is the restraint of the Spirit. This is the most general, the most widespread, the restraint of the Spirit. Now let me talk a few moments about what we mean about that. Then we're going to look at some of the scriptures and try to answer any questions you may have about this one. When we talk about the restraint of the Spirit, what we're talking about is his ministry in curbing the lawlessness of the human heart. In other words, his ministry of keeping the rebellion against God that is natural in our hearts from getting out of hand. That's restraining sin. And it is a very broad ministry of the Spirit that encompasses really the whole world and nations and groups of people and so forth. And you might think when we talk about that about the Holy Spirit restraining sin, you might think, well, it doesn't seem to be doing a very good job because sin doesn't seem to be restrained in our world today very much. Well, actually, as evil as man is and as corrupt and lawless as society is now, man is not as bad as he could be and society has not sunk to the depths that it could sink to. Believe it or not, we really aren't where we could get to. We will not see the actual depth of depravity until the tribulation time. And we won't see that at least on this side of heaven. We'll be in heaven by then. But we are not seeing now anything like what will happen in the tribulation time. So the Holy Spirit is still restraining sin, but the Bible talks about the fact that as time goes along and moves toward the coming of Christ, evil will get worse and worse. You know, the Bible talks about that in passage like 2 Timothy 3 and others. So it's not like the Holy Spirit is losing his ability to restrain or not doing as good a job as he used to. That's all a part of God's plan to allow things to get worse and worse, but it would be much worse if the Holy Spirit were not restraining sin in our world today. Okay? Before we jump into the three verses we're going to look at that talk about that. You have any question about what we're talking about? You question or comment? Yes, Tommy? Yeah, yeah, that's true. You have a good, we can say the evil. Yeah. Yeah, part of us seeing that we're sinners is the playing out of that in life and how it manifests itself. And this really is the first step in the spirit beginning to work with individuals. He's working across the world as a whole to restrain sin, but then it will narrow down to his working with individuals. And so there is a tie-in there for sure. All right, let's look at our first passage in Genesis chapter 6. Genesis chapter 6. You may know this chapter, probably recognize it as the beginning of the story of the flood in the Old Testament. And these were wicked days. They were evil days. Verse 5 says, for instance, the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Now that's pretty bad, but it's not as bad as it would have been if the Holy Spirit had not been restraining. Go back to verse 3 and notice what God says there. Verse 3, then the Lord said, my spirit will not contend with man forever or will not strive with man forever. For he is mortal or that word can also be translated corrupt. He's mortal, he's sinful, he's corrupt. His days will be 120 years. So what's happening here is that the Holy Spirit is striving with man, restraining, convicting in this very general sense worldwide. But God says that's not going to happen forever. Man is getting worse and worse and his wickedness has become great on earth and God has determined to judge mankind because of his sin. Now it would have happened earlier if it had not been for the spirit striving with or contending with man. And what that means is the Holy Spirit was setting some bounds on man's sin, the depth of man's sin, and man was pushing against those all the time, pushing them. And the Holy Spirit was holding, holding mankind back to some degree. He was convicting, he was convicting through conscience and others. And what God is basically saying here, I'm going to give man 120 more years and Noah's going to preach and give the opportunity for people to hear the message of judgment and respond. But after that it's all going to break loose. My judgment is going to break loose on mankind. So it's bad here, but it would have been worse if the Holy Spirit had not been striving with contending with mankind. And to some degree holding back sins, corruption spread as much as it could have been. Okay, questions, comments about that passage. Okay, that's a pretty clear one. The next one in Isaiah 59 is not quite as clear. We're going to look at it anyway. Isaiah 59, and verse 19. This is a prophecy of Isaiah regarding the second coming of Christ. And when Christ comes back at the second coming, he's going to set up his kingdom and deal with those who are wicked. Verse 20, for instance, the Redeemer will come to Zion to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the Lord. So this is talking about his second coming to set up his kingdom in Israel. And verse 19 kind of leads into that says from the west, men will fear the name of the Lord and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory, for he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along. You say, well, I don't even see the Holy Spirit in that verse at all. You see the word breath? Do you remember what we've talked about before that the word breath, wind, spirit are all the same Hebrew word and can be translated in any of those ways. There is a good bit of debate among scholars about how this last half of the verse should be translated. The way you see it translated in the NIV, he will come like a pent-up flood referring to God coming at the second coming, like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord or the Spirit of the Lord drives along. Now the other way that the Hebrew can be understood is you may have in a footnote, it would read like this, when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will put him to flight. So this could be referring to the fact that when the Lord comes back, he's going to come like a pent-up flood. He's going to come suddenly and quickly and in judgment. And the breath of the Lord or the Spirit of the Lord is driving him forward as he comes to deal with sin because verse 18 talks about, according to what they've done, he will repay wrath to his enemies, retribution to his foes, he will repay the islands there do. So he's coming back in judgment. It could refer to that, that the Lord comes back or it could refer to the fact that the enemy is going to come in like a flood. Sin is growing more powerful and rampant leading up to the second coming, but the Spirit of the Lord will put him to flight. In other words, when Christ comes back, the Holy Spirit will be active in pushing back the sin and sinners and Christ's kingdom will be set up. Either way that you understand this verse, it's clear that the Holy Spirit is involved in dealing with sin at the second coming. In fact, verse 21 makes it clear. As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord, my Spirit, who is on you and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the Lord. So obviously there, he's saying, when I come back at the second coming, the Holy Spirit is going to be involved in his presence on you and my words will be put in your mouth and your minds and minds of your children and so forth. So the Holy Spirit is going to push back sin, either way you interpret or translate the last part of verse 19. So it may not be the clearest verse on the Holy Spirit's restraint of sin, but it's possible that that's what it's talking about, and certainly that will happen at the second coming. Comments or questions there before we move on to the last one. Okay. Second Thessalonians 2, this is the clearest one and the most extensive one and the one that's most often used of this ministry of the Spirit and with good reason, it's a very clear statement of it. To set the context again to understand what Paul is talking about, remember Paul wrote the letter of second Thessalonians because the Thessalonians had misunderstood some of his teaching and there were some other teachers that were questioning what Paul had taught, and at any rate they were beginning to think that maybe they were actually already in the tribulation time. They had missed the coming of the Lord or they didn't understand the coming of the Lord, maybe they were already in the tribulation. In fact, someone had written the letter proposing to be from Paul to that effect and Paul says in verse 1 concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus and our being gathered to him, we ask you brothers not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us saying that the day of the Lord has already come. So they're troubled about, are we already in the tribulation time? Did we miss something? And Paul says in verse 3, don't let anyone deceive you in any way for that day, the day of the Lord, the tribulation time and the events following it when Christ is going to judge sin on this earth, he says that day will not come until two things happen. Verse 3, first of the rebellion occurs or apostasy departure from the faith and then secondly the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. Guess who that is? Who is that? The Antichrist, yes. And verse 4 describes him, he will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or his worship so that he sets himself up in God's temple proclaiming himself to be God. That nails it right there. That's that comes straight out of the Old Testament where the description is of the Antichrist, what he'll do in the middle of the tribulation time. And verse 5, he says, don't you remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you these things? Now here it is, verse 6. And now you know what is holding him back. There is something holding back the onset of this Antichrist and his program for planet earth, there's something holding him back. You know what is holding him back so that he may be revealed at the proper time for the secret power of lawlessness is already at work but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he's taken out of the way. Now here is a person. Verse 6 seems to be something. What is holding him back but verse 7 makes it clear this is a person. This is referred to as one until he is taken out of the way. So it's a person that's holding back Satan's program of installing the Antichrist and carrying out Satan's program in the tribulation time. I believe that Satan is ready at a moment's notice to begin whatever he wants to do on planet earth but there's something, someone holding him back. Now that someone is not referred to as the Holy Spirit but think for a moment and you kind of reduce it to the Holy Spirit. Whoever is holding Satan back and not allowing him to produce and install the Antichrist has got to be greater than Satan. Okay so that kind of rules any of us out. That kind of rules out anybody except God. Okay so among God, among the Trinity, when you think about who is described elsewhere in the Bible at restraining sin, it fits the Holy Spirit. It fits what he was doing before the flood. It fits what Isaiah 59 says. You'll do it the second coming. And so this is likely the Holy Spirit. The one who is restraining sin, lawlessness, the program of Satan until it's the right time for the Antichrist to be revealed. The one who's doing that is the Holy Spirit. Now let me ask you, let's think through this, how does the Holy Spirit restrain evil? How does he hold back sin in the day in which we're living? What does he use? Okay. Yeah Karen is saying the fact that we're created in the image of God. We have a conscience. We have an ability to know what's wrong and right and to choose. And that is one of the ways. I think there are at least four ways that the Holy Spirit is involved in restraining sin. And one of the ways is that inbuilt conscience that is a part of our being in the image and lightness of God. Now again that can be obviously and Karen knows this that conscience can be defiled and seared to the point that you don't hear it anymore. But it is still part of what the Spirit uses to restraining sin. Christians, okay. I believe that's another one. The Holy Spirit uses believers as what kind of influence in this world. Salt? Yeah. Light, okay. And those figures of speech are very appropriate to this concept of restraining sin. Salt prevents the spread of corruption, decay in especially in the Bible times. That's mostly what it was used for. And so it's a very apt picture of this restraint of sin. And light dispels darkness. And so the presence of light holds off the encroaching darkness and the presence of salt prevents the spread of corruption throughout the culture. And so the presence of believers is part of what the Holy Spirit uses to keep this world from getting as bad as it could be. Okay. So it's part of what it uses in restraining sin. What else does he use? The word yes, of course, the word. And the fact that the word is proclaimed and it's found in so many forms in writing and so forth, the word of God and its presence certainly is a restraining influence. Anything else you can think of? Human government. That is another one. Roman's 13, the purpose of human government is to reward good and restrain or punish evil. And so God designed that the institution of human government be a part of what he uses to hold back evil because you punish evil becomes a deterrent. Now obviously, you know, human governments don't always live up to that responsibility. Neither do we as believers live up to our responsibility. So all of those restraining influences have some limitations, but they are nonetheless used by the Spirit of God to restrain evil. There's one other I'm thinking of which is not found a lot in the scriptures, but it's a very real thing. Preachers? Yeah, I wasn't thinking about that one, but I agree with you on that. Lance, I certainly agree with you on that. And we might tie that into the proclamation of the word is really the word of God that is useful there. I'm thinking of spiritual warfare. You know, it's not a lot said about that. There's not a lot of description in the Bible about it, but there's enough, for instance, in Daniel 9 and 10, it's probably the clearest insight into what happens in the spiritual realm between the forces of Satan, demons, and the angels, God's messengers. They are involved constantly in spiritual warfare. And the case in Daniel 9 and 10 had to do with an angel being interrupted as he's coming to give an answer to Daniel to his prayer, being interrupted by the prince of the kingdom of Persia, evidently a demon, and they're fighting for three weeks over what's going to happen on planet earth. Is it going to be God's purpose that prevails? Satan's purpose that prevails. And the whole point is no matter what's going on on planet earth, there's a great spiritual battle behind it. I mean, when you think about the fact that there are so many people in this world that would love to see the nation of Israel cast into the sea and destroyed. Behind that is spiritual warfare. It really is because Satan doesn't want Israel to continue. God's presence on God's people on this earth is essential. A national entity is essential for the events of the tribulation to take place. And Satan is trying to pull his program by doing the way with Israel altogether. There's a lot of spiritual warfare going on behind the political and international intrigue that is all we see. When decisions are being made in high places, you better believe there are demons and angels fighting over those decisions. And that's the angelic warfare is part of what Satan or what part of what the spirit uses to restrain evil. Now look at verse seven again, just one other thing here, for the secret power of lawlessness. In other words, this spread of wickedness and rebellion against God that will that will be centered in the man of the antichrist. Okay, this spirit of lawlessness is already at work. But the one who now holds it back will continue to do so. Notice this, till he is taken out of the way. What do you think that means? How is the Holy Spirit going to be taken out of the way and then the antichrist revealed? Okay, I heard several answers. I think all of them had a grand truth in them. I heard the rapture. I think. What else do I hear over here? Same thing, the rapture and the tribulation coming. Okay. The tribulation cannot start until the rapture occurs. The Holy Spirit is removed at the rapture, not in the sense that he will never work again in the tribulation time because he is very active. There will be people saved in the tribulation. Nobody gets saved without the next ministry of the spirit we're going to talk about regeneration. So the Holy Spirit will be active. It will be at work. But the Holy Spirit, one of those restraining influences we saw, believers, the church, the Holy Spirit, restraining influence through the church will be removed. So in that sense, he'll be taken out of the way and the spirit of lawlessness will just pour in like a flood. And it will be unleashed and the antichrist will be revealed and Satan is going to have his day. But remember, Satan is always on a leash and God's the one that holds the leash. So he's ultimately in control. Okay. That's the restraint of sin that the Holy Spirit does. That is a very broad, general kind of conviction that really is worldwide in the sense that it is part of God's program to keep the spread of corruption worldwide from getting worse than it is. So that's a very general kind of conviction, work of the spirit in that way. The next one is more specific. The next one has to do with individuals. And we're going to call it the reproof of sin, not the general restraint of the spread of corruption and sin, lawlessness. But this is the reproof of sin. And the best passage, the clearest one on this is in John 16. So let's look at that. First of all, the meaning of reproof. John 16, let's look at verse 7 first. Jesus says, but I tell you the truth, it is for your good that I'm going away. Unless I go away, the counselor. Remember, that's the Holy Spirit. Will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. Now, verse 8, when he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. So part of the spirit's ministry, when he came to this earth and the fullness of his ministry, under the epinocost and this church age, part of his ministry is this ministry of conviction. He convicts the world of guilt. Now, we're calling this reproof, but I don't want you to think this is a mild kind of conviction. This is a very strong kind of conviction. It literally means the word literally means to convince someone of a truth. This is not just a mild correction or slap on the wrist here. What we're talking about here is the idea of putting before a person the truth of a case in such clear light that it must be seen and acknowledged. Now, it can still be resisted and we'll see that later. It doesn't have to be accepted necessarily, but this is a very strong ministry of the spirit to make a case for these things he's going to talk about, sin, righteousness and judgment so that people recognize the truth of the gospel and they have to respond. It's clear. They have to respond. The word literally was used in court cases of the day of placing evidence before someone in such a clear light that they had to acknowledge what they were hearing and seeing. Now, they might not accept it. They might reject it, but it's clear. And that is what this conviction of the spirit is all about. This conviction of sin. Okay, before we look at the three areas that are involved in this conviction of sin, any common or question about what we're talking about here? You work with me. There will be some obviously in the tribulation time that will be under such compulsion to spread the gospel and the urgency will recognize the urgency of the time because of what the Antichrist is doing. But obviously this is talking more about about a direct ministry of the Holy Spirit to the heart and life of an unsaved person to convince them of their sin, to convince them laying out the case you are a sinner and they see it. Again, they may reject that, but they see it. This is what this conviction is about. And notice, he mentions there are three areas of this kind of proof. He's going to convict the world and there it's talking about unsaved people of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment. Now, he kind of flashes those out in verses 9, 10, and 11. In regard to sin because men do not believe in me. So the first area where he convicts unsaved people is in the area of sin. He convicts of sin. And then notice, he says, because men do not believe in me. Now, I think here's how those two things to go together. The word because tells why these people are in sin and why they are convinced that they are in sin by the Holy Spirit. They are still in sin because of unbelief. And so it is really the unbelief that the Holy Spirit drives at in this conviction. The Holy Spirit points out to the heart of a sinner that it is unbelief that is keeping them from salvation and keeping them in sin. It is not it is not so much that we are condemned because of individual sins. We are condemned because we are born sinners. We choose to sin because we're born sinners. And the Holy Spirit is convicting people of the fact that they are still in sin. They are still sinners because of unbelief. It is only faith in Christ that will bring them to salvation. So that's what this is all about. The Holy Spirit is convincing them, convicting them that they are still in sin, that they are sinners, and that they are still there because of unbelief. I think there is something important about evangelism there. When we seek to win people to Christ, what we need to really focus on is their need to trust Christ and that the only thing that is keeping them from being saved is their lack of faith, their unbelief in Christ as Savior. Now we obviously need to establish the fact that people are sinners, but if you just focus on individual sins, the unsaved person will get the impression that all they need to do is get rid of those sins. I just need to reform. I just need to do better. I need to quit smoking. I need to quit drinking. I need to quit running around on my wife or whatever. I just need to quit those things and is that what you mean? No. What you need to do is trust in Christ and it's the ministry of the Spirit of God to point out to them that they are still in sin because of unbelief. They are in sin. They are sinners. We all need to understand that we are sinners, but the thing that is holding us there is unbelief. That's what the Spirit is convicting people about. But secondly, he's also convicting in regard to righteousness because I am going to the father where you can see me no longer. Now this is beautiful. The Holy Spirit convinces people that they are still in sin because of unbelief. He also convinces them that there is only one kind of righteousness that will save them and it has to do with Jesus going back to the father. I believe here is the point. The Holy Spirit, when he is convicting people of sin, will also convict them of the fact that there is only one way to be right with God. There is only one kind of righteousness and they have failed to accept the only righteousness that God approves. And that is the righteousness that Jesus won for us at the cross. So Jesus says, this righteousness that is offered as a free gift of God is only available because I'm going back to the father. Now remember Jesus died, was buried, rose again and went back to the father. That's all a package deal in the, especially in the gospel of John, to refer to that way as his going to the father. The resurrection which we will celebrate in another week or so, the resurrection is God's sign of approval on the work Jesus did on the cross. It is God saying, I am completely satisfied with what you did on the cross. Jesus has raised from the dead and goes back to the father. So what Jesus is saying here, the only kind of righteousness that has God's good house keeping seal of approval on it is the righteousness that Jesus died to provide us on the cross. And that's what the Holy Spirit is convincing people of. That's a part of his conviction. He convicts the people or unsafe people in regard to righteousness and that righteousness is only available because I'm going back to the father. It's only available because I died on the cross and God said, I'm satisfied with that payment and raised me from the dead and I'm going back to the father. So really the only kind of righteousness that can get a person to heaven is righteousness through Christ and his death, bear on resurrection and that's what the Holy Spirit convinces people of. You are still in sin because of unbelief and what you need to be trusting is not your works, not your goodness. You need to be trusting in the only righteousness that will get you to heaven and that's what Christ did when he died on the cross. That's what the Holy Spirit convinces people of. And the third thing in verse 11, the Holy Spirit convicts people in regard to judgment because the Prince of this world now stands condemned. So another thing that the Holy Spirit convinces people of is the certainty of future judgment. In other words, you will stand before God someday to be judged. You will have to answer to him someday and the proof of that, Jesus says, because the Prince of this world now stands condemned. The proof of God's certainty of God's judgment is that Satan himself is going to be judged the next day after Jesus is speaking this when Jesus dies on the cross. Remember he has already said that the Prince of the world is judged. He's condemned back in chapter 12. And so Satan is already condemned and judged at the cross and that is proof that all of us will be judged. Also, we will all answer to God. So the Holy Spirit convicts people of that too that they will stand before God in judgment. So it's kind of a package deal here what the Holy Spirit is doing when he's working in someone's heart. He convinces them that they are sinners and they're still there because of unbelief. The only way to get to heaven is through the righteousness that Christ provided it to cross. And if you don't trust in Jesus righteousness which is offered to you as a gift, you will be judged and stand condemned before God just like Satan himself was. That's what the Holy Spirit is convincing people of. That's the way he can fix people. I think that ought to kind of dictate how we give out the message too. If that's what the Holy Spirit is going to be doing in people's hearts, then that really is how we should be giving the gospel to people. So that's the work of conviction. The Holy Spirit laying out a case for people so clear that they see it. Now, just because they see it does not mean they're automatically going to be saved because this level of conviction, this second level of conviction may be resisted. Okay, this can still be resisted. Acts 751 is a good verse to show this. It's on the screen for you. This is the at the end of Stephen Sermon after he preached a summary of Israel's history in the Old Testament leading up to Christ. And then he says to his hearers, you stiff-necked people, your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors. You always resist the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit was working. We know that because one of those who came under conviction that they would later get saved. Who was that? It was Paul. He was there that day. And he was holding the garments of those who stoned Stephen. And when on the road to Damascus, Jesus got through to his heart, Jesus says, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks or the goads. And the goads were those pricks of the Spirit of God of conviction in his heart. And I'm convinced it went right back to Stephen Sermon. If not before then, but Stephen Sermon was certainly a great tool that the Spirit of God used to prick his heart, to goad him, to convict him. So the Holy Spirit was definitely working that day. Some resisted and ultimately Paul received the gospel in Christ. So this kind of conviction is just basically a laying out of the truth of the gospel in such a clear fashion that people have to see it. The Holy Spirit is doing that. But they may still resist it. Okay. Now, having said that, let me pause for just a moment. See, if you have any questions, I would like to wrap up this last one before we go. Yes, John? I know. Yes. That's a great question, John. The philosophical-minded person or the agnostic or the atheist who is going to challenge you on philosophical grounds and want to argue with you that way. I think there is a valid place for answering people's questions like that. The field of apologetics is designed to help us understand how to do that. There's a valid place for that in answering people's questions and showing them the fallacy of their reasoning so that you can prepare them to listen to the gospel. But no one will ever get saved through philosophical debate. It's clear the Bible teaches the tool the Holy Spirit uses is the word of God. That's what the Holy Spirit uses to save people. First, Peter 1. It's the seed, the living word of God that penetrates into the heart. So you've got to get them to that point before they'll ever get convicted by the Spirit. But the answering of questions can serve to disarm them, to bring them to a point where they're at least willing to listen to the gospel. So there's a valid use for that. And even more so in a culture where people are so far removed from the message of the gospel anyway, they don't understand the Bible. Don't even know what the Bible is all about. So because there's not that common ground that we want you to have in the culture, I think there's a great use for apologetics in kind of disarming people so that then you can give them the gospel. I hope that was the way your question was going, John. Yeah, now there comes a point where a person continues to refuse, continues to reject and God eventually gives them up and hands them over to their own unbelief and pattern of sin. Yes, for sure. It has to be the ministry of the Spirit of God using the Word of God. I mean, we've all probably witnessed the folks that we realized it wasn't penetrating at all. It wasn't getting in where at least we didn't think it was. And that happens. And it requires the Holy Spirit working in their heart for sure. And it's not our techniques, it's not our eloquence in witnessing or our little polished plan of presenting the gospel. If we get the gospel to people, the Holy Spirit will do his work. And sometimes people resist that. Sometimes they receive it. The Holy Spirit has to be working. Okay, any other questions? Yes, Christy? Yes. Yeah, it's sometimes called the general call. It is the Spirit's conviction in the sense that people hear the message and understand it, but they still might reject it. Now the third one that we really don't have time to get to is what typically in the Bible is called the calling of God. Okay, this third one is the Spirit of God which actually, the conviction which actually brings a person out of sin. So I'm calling it the response out of sin. And let me at least define this one. If we don't get any further, at least define what we're talking about here. This is the work of the Holy Spirit which effectively moves people to trust Christ as their Savior. Okay, it's the work of the Holy Spirit which effectively moves people to receive Christ as their Savior. Now, I want to make sure that you understand this is always in conjunction with that person's response of faith and belief. Those two things go together in the scriptures, but at all times, if a person gets saved, it is because of the Spirit's work in drawing them to Christ. From God's perspective, the Holy Spirit is drawing a person to Christ and doing what's called effectual calling. That's what some theologians call it. The more specific call, rather than a general call, this is more specific. This is the Holy Spirit actually drawing someone to Christ. That's from God's perspective. From our perspective, a person hears and understands the gospel and we reach out in faith and we trust Christ as our Savior. Those two fit hand in glove in how a person gets saved. And people can debate till the stars fall out of the skies about which comes first and which is more important. And I think it's all meaningless debate. The Bible says both of them are necessary and I'm going to let God decide how they work. I just know that from my perspective, I trust Christ as my Savior. From God's perspective, the Spirit of God is drawing me to Christ. And both have to happen. Both have to happen. And in God's mysterious sovereignty and providence, they both do work together in how a person gets saved. But without this, no one would ever get saved. That's very important to understand. Now, let me just say this and then we'll talk about the scriptures that talk about this next week. The way that this conviction is phrased in the Bible is with the word calling or called. And we'll see several verses next week which describe this calling of the Spirit. This is more than just a general conviction of laying out the gospel and a person either responds or rejects. This is the actual work of the Spirit of God that brings a person to the point of salvation and they get saved. That requires the work of the Holy Spirit too. And it's called, it's termed in the Bible, the calling of God. We'll look at the verses that describe that next time. If you have time and you're interested, you might want to be reading Romans 8, 28 to 30 before next week because that's probably the most extensive passage on how this calling fits into what God does in salvation. There are five steps of salvation and calling is right in the middle. So you might want to be reading that and we'll talk about that a little bit next time. All right, yes sir. Okay. Yeah. Certainly a principle there that we can learn from while that passage is specifically talking about how to reconcile with the brother who you've been offended by or was offended you. Certainly there's a principle there that we can learn from about bringing a person to Christ and ultimately you're right. It is in the hands of God and in the hands of the Holy Spirit to deal with that. Okay. All right, very good. Our time's up. We need to pray and go. Father, we thank you for the wonderful ministry of the Spirit of conviction without which none of us would be saved. We know that as your word is given, taught preached, explained, read, listened to, as your word goes forth, we know that it is your spirit at work through the word that first of all restraints sin worldwide but also reprude sin and people's hearts. So they understand the essence of the gospel but also then when that person is ready to trust you as save you're actually draws them into the family of God, draws them to Christ. So we thank you for that wonderful work of the Holy Spirit and we are grateful that you have given us this amazing plan of salvation whereby we can know you and be in heaven with you forever someday. Thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.