The Holy Spirit in you (Part Three)

Relationships that are built upon convictions will weather storms. A conviction is an unshakeable truth that guides you in life. It is bigger than your situation or circumstances. A conviction that is built upon the worth of a person will overcome adversity and pressures of life. Wedding vows are ideally convictions that a couple will exchange not just for the day but for life. Lasting relationships are usually relationships built upon convictions.


The Holy Spirit is the bearer of convictions about Jesus. His job is to help the believer grow in his relationship with Jesus. The convictions that He will both bear and bring all relate to what Jesus has done. By the way condemnation comes from what we have done but conviction that the Holy Spirit carries, comes from what Jesus has done. Jesus called Him the Helper. A helper never condemns; he always builds up. Jesus said "when He has come, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement". (John 16: 8)


Sin is anything that draws people away from receiving the finished work of Christ, from building a relationship with Father God through Jesus the Son. The law was given to reveal our sin (our distance from God). In effect the law measures our failings. Trying to live under the law only shows up our inability to keep it. Its purpose is to bring people to the 'end of themselves', to empty themselves, to humble themselves. Jesus came to fulfil what we couldn't do for ourselves - even with our sense of 'goodness'. He didn't come to make things worse. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved". (John 3:17) He became sin for us.


Righteousness is the gift of God imputed to the believer. It cannot be earned or merited. "Through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life." (Rom.5:18) The Holy Spirit will show the believer that this state of being made right with God is 100% the gift of God. He will reveal how heaven sees the believer - not as a sinner but as a saint (a sanctified one). Notice that the apostle Paul never addressed believers as anything other than saints. The believer can declare "I am the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor.5:21)


Judgement is no longer charged against the believer. The original accuser, Satan is condemned. The believer is freed from all condemnation and is therefor free from judgement whose root is condemnation. The Holy Spirit will show the believer how free he is in Christ. No condemnation will manifest in no judgement. The extent to which this truth is received is also the extent to which we can refuse to judge ourselves as well as judging other people.


Jesus became sin for us. He imputes righteousness to us and took whatever judgement we deserved upon Himself. This is the finished work. The Holy Spirit will continue to download these convictions to us and through us so that all of our relationships can be enriched.












This blog is based on a message by Ross Smith at The Vine Church, Springwood, Logan City, Queensland, Australia on 15/02/15 called "The Holy Spirit in You - Part Three". The full message can be accessed by podcast from www.thevine.org.au/teaching.

Mid week booster!

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed... through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe". (Rom.3:21-22)




Acceptability with Father God is instant for anyone who believes and receives the finished work of Jesus for themselves.
Right standing on the inside (righteousness) is not because of your efforts no matter how hard you try. Right standing is awarded (imputed) because of His work at Calvary.
If you have received Him you have right standing and you are now the product of His finished work!

The Holy Spirit In You (Part Two)

The apostle Paul prayed that God the Father of glory would open "the eyes of your understanding...that you may know...what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us...".(Eph.1:17-19) The Holy Spirit is given to help us see the greatness of God that is in Christ and His fullness which is given to the believer. The Holy Spirit is given to us so that we can grow because His Presence is with us - not just with us but in us. A Christian is in fact someone who has the Spirit of Christ on the inside. (Rom.8:8)


The Bible teaches that the believer is "to be filled with the Spirit" (Eph.5:18) This is to be a constant evidence of His Presence. The purpose of God can never be accomplished without being filled with His Spirit because they require more than human effort. Put bluntly the destiny of God will kill you unless you stay filled with the Spirit. Moses knew this when he said to the Lord "if your Presence does not go with us do not bring us up from here." (Ex. 33:14) He recognised his own limitations as well as the fact that unless the Presence of the Lord was with them they would be no different from all the other people around them. The Presence of God marks the believer and empowers the believer for service. The response of the Lord to Moses was that Moses had found grace in His sight and that He would relate to Moses "by name" (Ex.33:17)


Perhaps the greatest miracle for humanity is that God wants to live inside of us by His Holy Spirit. He wants us to be filled with Himself so that we can enjoy Him and at the same time give Him pleasure. Ephesians 5:19 expresses one of the signs of His Presence -  being filled with joy. Joy will manifest in wanting to 'sing as unto the Lord'. By the way the Bible doesn't say that you need to make a tuneful noise just a joyful one1 Joy comes from a heart that is filled with His Presence. A second manifestation of being filled is a grateful and thankful heart, "giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."(Eph.5:20) A third sign of being filled is how we relate to one another, "submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord." (v21) A spirit of submission honours the worth of people reflecting in fact how people are highly valued by Father God. The proof of His value of people is that God the Holy Spirit wants to reside inside of people.










This blog is based on a message given by Ross Smith at The Vine Church, Springwood, Logan City, Queensland, Australia on 08/02/15. The full message can be accessed by podcast from www.thevine.org.au/teaching

Holy Spirit in you (Part One)

Our perspective or view of life will either grow us or it will diminish us. "Two men were behind bars. One saw mud, the other saw stars". Situations don't define us. Perspective defines us. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is given to the believer to show us what God sees through the finished work of His Son.


We are often captivated by how something will end, whether it is a mystery story, a person's life or even a reality show whose subject matter is a building renovation. God the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to us the nature of the finished work of Jesus because He wants to share His view of life in all of its abundance.


To this end the Holy Spirit is given to the believer so that he will see heaven's view of life in Christ. Not only is the Holy Spirit given but His place of residence is within the believer. He is heaven's ambassador living inside the believer. He wants to grow us into the person or character of Christ so that we become "complete in Christ" (Heb.13:21) The Holy Spirit is given so that the believer can become His witness in our world (Acts 1:8) as well as giving the believer a new boldness to live for Christ (being His witness).


He will unpack the Word of God to our understanding so that it becomes a vital part of our daily lives. In fact an evidence of His work in the believer will be a hunger to receive His Word. The early church "received the word gladly..." (Acts 2:41). The Holy Spirit will both stimulate and feed hunger for truth. He will grow the believer by conviction. Conviction will always be built upon what Christ has done as opposed to condemnation which feeds upon guilt and shame. The Holy Spirit will remind the believer of his new status now having the righteousness of Christ, the free gift of God to the sinner. He will remind us of the fact that He will never turn His back on us and will diminish us because of our broken past. These truths will grow new convictions from which new perspectives will develop.


He will help us as we determine to make Jesus the subject of our Bible reading and study. He will always act on His Word. As we develop a daily habit of receiving from His Word, the Holy Spirit will grow us into the character of Christ just as a balanced diet will grow our bodies. You cannot grow on your own. Invite Him to work in you and to reveal heaven's perspective to you. His perspective will cause us to declare that "all things (the good, the bad and even the downright ugly) work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom.8:28)





This blog is based upon a message spoken by Ross Smith called "The Holy Spirit In You"  (Part One) on 1st Feb 2015 at The Vine Church, Logan City, Queensland, Australia. The full message can be accessed by podcast at www.thevine.org.au