For the evening, verses 15 to 17 and chapter 14 of John.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and he will give
! He will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Very often, in fact, probably every night I come in here on a Wednesday night, I do something which I'm sure I'm not alone in doing.
And that is, I look around and I think to myself, yes, this is where I belong. And these are the people that I want to be with.
And I might ask the question, why is that? What's drawing us here? And why do we feel so comfortable while we're together in here?
Well, we have a common bond because we all now love Christ. We've been gifted grace and faith, and we've received his joy, his peace, his love.
We have all the same mind, and we have all the same desire to be here.
And these gifts and others are the result of a truly life-changing experience.
It's almost like a light has been turned on.
And it's just as we were singing there in Psalm 119, that the unfolding of your word gives light.
It gives understanding to the simple.
And the primary reason is, of course, it's because we have been born again.
And the reason that we have experienced this new beginning is because God has blessed us
with a precious gift of his grace, and God's own spirit has come to dwell in us.
And it's almost in the past, one moment we were living our lives in this world with a worldly spirit inside us.
And then our lives were completely changed.
Our lives were transformed and turned totally in the opposite direction,
because God began a work in us, and his spirit has now taken over our lives.
And I just want to dwell a little bit this evening on the indwelling spirit.
It's a massive topic we could preach on until the day that we die.
But I just want to pick some things out this evening.
Things I hope will be some form of encouragement for us.
For some people, when they came to faith, they didn't even realise it at the time.
Rather, they were drawn gradually over a period of time.
And we may not be able to understand how God's spirit is now in our lives,
and we may not be able to explain how it happened.
But he is there, and we are truly thankful.
Because when a person comes to faith in Jesus, God's word enters their heart,
and the Holy Spirit comes to live in them,
providing them with the desire and the power to do what God desires of them.
And this fullness of the spirit is fundamental to the reality of our Christian experience.
It's a birthright, if you like.
It's a birthright of everyone who has come to trust in Christ.
And the work that the spirit does shows itself instantly, immediately.
And what the spirit does is he shines a light on Christ.
He takes us straight there.
And we have been taken from darkness, and we have been put into the light.
And as Callum said on Sunday morning,
God has reconnected with our world by sending his son to be our saviour.
And that's who the spirit immediately directs us towards.
We become aware of our sin, truly aware of our sinful nature,
our need to confess our sin, and our desperate need of a saviour.
And that comes to the fore in this new life.
And in whatever way we acknowledge Christ before that,
before all this happened,
we're now brought to a true realisation that we do believe in him.
We truly believe in him, and we trust him fully now with our lives.
And Callum gave an excellent analogy or illustration on Sunday morning.
You'll recall he gave the illustration of the house with only the side windows.
And we're all we're hearing is the voices of the world coming at us, horizontal voices.
But thankfully, in God coming into our lives,
now he has broken through the wonderless roof of our lives.
And he has shone into our hearts.
We now have that vertical hearing as well.
And Christ is now the centre of our lives.
And he's the overriding focal point of our existence.
And we're brought to understand what is the true meaning of life.
As we have it in the first Catholicism.
To enjoy God, to worship him, to enjoy him forever.
The Holy Spirit himself, he will never speak of himself.
He will always point us to the word.
He'll point us to Christ, who is, of course, the living word.
We are directed to the cross, to Christ's sacrifice and death and resurrection,
which is the basis of our salvation.
And the Spirit has convinced us of that.
He has convicted us of our sin.
We repented of our sin.
Because we now understand the necessity of Christ's sacrifice and death
in reconciling us to God.
And this is new life in us.
Born again.
With a new view of things.
A perspective that we never had before the Lord came into our lives.
We are new creations in Christ Jesus, as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5.
And we now have peace with God.
We experience that peace that passes all understanding.
Which one of us can explain that peace?
We can't.
But we have it.
And it's fundamental and foundational in our Christian lives as well.
The peace that we have with God.
The peace of God.
So we've been born again.
Our whole inner being has been turned on its axis.
And we have turned away from our previous way of living.
All things have become new to us.
Joe preached this last Sunday evening.
And he broke it down so well about being born again.
Explaining the necessity of having this experience.
Otherwise, if we didn't have this experience,
then we would not even see the kingdom of God
far less enter into heaven.
And as he spoke about Nicodemus on Sunday evening.
Well, Nicodemus didn't understand at first.
Because he only had worldly wisdom at that point.
As he spoke to Jesus.
But God clearly worked in the life of Nicodemus.
Because we're told in John 19.
Of his full commitment.
In taking care of the body of Jesus.
The Lord had come into his life.
The word came alive to him.
And the spirit of God was in dwelling.
And God has worked in our lives now as well.
And we truly believe that Jesus is a Christ of God.
Who has dealt with sin on our behalf.
And again, as Colin put it.
So well on Sunday morning.
What happens is there's a dynamic movement in heaven.
Wherein power has gone out from the throne of God.
Through Jesus.
By the spirit of God.
Into our lives.
And our sin is taken away.
Because Christ has died on our behalf.
God has forgiven us.
And our sin has been taken.
As far as east is distant from the west.
That immeasurable line.
And we understand now.
The things of God.
We didn't before this.
We didn't before he came into our lives.
But we have assurance of God now.
And we didn't know that before either.
And yet.
It's very true that many Christians ask the question.
What proof do I have.
That God's promise of salvation.
Is actually true for me.
How can I know.
That I am saved.
Well.
The answer is found.
In the fact that.
God the Father.
Carried out a double sending.
And we get this from his word.
This is where we get our answer.
To these questions.
To these doubts we might have.
God the Father.
Carried out.
A double sending.
The sending of the Son.
To redeem us.
And the sending of the Spirit.
To reassure us.
And we pick this up.
In Galatians.
Chapter 4.
At verse 4.
But when the fullness of time had come.
God sent forth his Son.
Here's the first sending.
Born of woman.
Born under the law.
To redeem those who were under the law.
So that we might receive adoption as sons.
And because you are sons.
God has sent the Spirit of a Son.
That's the second sending.
Into our hearts.
Crying.
Abba Father.
So you are no longer a slave.
But a son.
And if a son.
Then an heir.
Through God.
That's the reassurance.
And the assurance that we have.
From God's word.
Of our salvation.
And as Christ prayed.
In his high priestly prayer.
John 17.
And verse 16.
He prayed the words.
That they are no.
They are no longer of the world.
Just as I am.
Not of the world.
We have been taken out of the world.
And taken into the realm.
Of salvation.
From darkness.
To light.
Secondly.
We have.
I just want to.
Dwell a little bit.
On just.
The leading of the Holy Spirit.
In our lives.
In just.
One or two different ways.
So now we have.
Having come to faith.
And living our lives in Christ.
We have the Spirit of God.
Who has taken us over.
And given us a reassurance.
Of our salvation.
Of what he is doing with us.
In our lives.
As we move on.
And now that we are free.
From condemnation.
From the law of sin and death.
We are commanded.
Not to walk anymore.
After the flesh.
But after the Spirit.
That's a command that we have.
To live our lives.
As children of God.
And to follow the example.
From his word.
And I remember.
And I'm sure.
Others of you.
Will remember this.
Very clearly as well.
Those of you.
Who were.
With us in the congregation.
During Ivor Martin's ministry.
And Ivor.
Did a study.
On the Spirit of God.
And I think.
It was quite a short study.
Actually.
But he did.
One.
A brilliant study.
At one time.
And he recommended.
Recommended a book to us.
Now.
This is where things get a bit hazy.
And I'm pretty sure.
It was called.
I think it was.
Keeping in step with the Spirit.
That was written by G.I.
Packer.
And I'm sure.
That's what he recommended to us.
Now.
I bought that book.
After that sermon.
And.
When I was putting this.
Address together.
I searched.
High and low.
In the house for it.
And I couldn't find it anywhere.
And it was a bit of a mystery.
Until I suddenly tweaked.
That is probably just.
Another of these books.
That's made its way to.
A study in a mountain.
And in Firmland.
Along with the many others.
So.
I'm a little bit hazy.
With this at the moment.
But.
Because what I would expound.
It was.
Three lights.
That we receive.
From God.
Through the Spirit.
And those were.
The lamp light.
And the torch light.
And.
The flood light.
The lamp light.
The torch light.
And the flood light.
And what a lamp light does.
Is.
It gives us.
Inner illumination.
Just as.
Switching on.
A lamp.
In the hall.
Or.
Wherever we switch on a lamp.
In our homes.
Or wherever.
Then.
It requires.
A continuous feed.
Of electricity.
To keep going.
And to keep it from.
Switching off.
Or going out.
Well.
So it is.
With every believer.
As well.
We rely.
On a daily.
Ongoing.
Filling.
Of the Spirit.
Of God.
To maintain.
Our spiritual light.
And to maintain.
Our witness.
In this dark world.
God.
We need the lamp light.
For that.
The torch light.
Well.
The torch light.
If we're walking.
The torch light.
It illuminates.
And lights up.
And cuts through.
The immediate darkness.
That's in front of us.
And leads us.
On our daily walk.
Following the word of God.
Just as we have it.
As we sung there.
In Psalm 119.
That God's word.
Would be.
A lamp to your feet.
And a light.
To your path.
Well.
That's what the torch light.
Does for us.
And then.
We have the flood light.
Which directs our gaze.
Entirely.
Towards the cross.
It just shines.
And illuminates.
The.
The sacrifice.
The death.
And the resurrection.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The flood.
It directs our gaze.
Towards Christ.
And to his majesty.
And to.
The saviour's glory.
That is now visible.
In the darkness.
That was there before.
Because of this flood light.
That shines so clearly.
For us now.
And yet despite.
Having these lights.
To lead us.
It's.
It's very true.
And.
I'm always reluctant.
To go back to this.
But this is.
This is a reality.
Of our lives.
As Christians.
Because as we all know.
Even with these lights.
Directing us.
It doesn't mean.
That our lives.
Are without sin.
Sadly.
The ability.
To sin.
Is still with us.
Romans 7.
In verses 19 to 20.
Paul helps.
To temper.
Our experience.
With sin.
When he expresses.
The reality.
Of his own.
Spiritual experience.
Where Paul.
Paul says.
For I do not do the good.
That I want to do.
But the evil.
That I do not want.
That is what I keep on doing.
Now if I do.
What I do not want.
It is no longer I.
Who do it.
But sin.
That dwells.
Within me.
That's the difference.
It's no longer I.
Who do it.
But sin.
That dwells.
Within me.
It's sadly.
It's the reality.
Of our Christian experience.
Because.
We are now.
Involved.
In a continual.
And irreconcilable.
Warfare.
Where we are.
We are.
Against the world.
The flesh.
And the devil.
Fighting for attention.
Against the attention.
Of the spirit of God.
Leading us into.
Into truth.
We are constantly.
Beset.
By.
By troubles.
In our lives.
Challenges.
By doubts.
And by misgivings.
And of course.
By temptations.
Because we are sinful people.
And we get it wrong.
And we mess it up.
That's the reality.
Sadly.
Of the way things are.
And when that happens.
There's only one place to go.
And that's to.
Put our eyes back.
Where the floodlight is shining.
Back to the cross.
To rest in Jesus.
And to rest.
In what Jesus has done.
That's where the spirit takes us.
Always to Jesus.
Always.
To the word of truth.
Jesus.
And we realize.
Jesus.
His sovereignty.
Over our lives.
That we are under his control.
And we are under the guidance.
Of his spirit.
And when we do go wrong.
We are taken.
To a place of repentance.
Day by day.
Week by week.
Where we plead.
For forgiveness.
With that prayer.
Forgive me Lord.
I am nothing.
But a miserable.
Offender.
Before you.
How often do we have that?
But we have forgiveness.
And that's the wonder of it all.
Where we see.
The unfathomable love.
Of God.
In action.
Where we.
Go before the Lord.
And truly repent of our sin.
We are forgiven.
And that sin is cast away.
Never.
To be raised again.
And it can only be.
From the Holy Spirit's.
Leading and guidance.
That it takes us.
To that point.
Because as the word tells us.
We are different now.
And all things.
Have been made new.
We have been renewed.
And transformed.
In our minds.
And hearts.
We are new creations.
In Christ Jesus.
So.
We need to take encouragement.
Because.
We have that great consolation.
Of forgiveness.
And hard as it is.
Going back to the Lord.
Repetitively.
We will never once.
Be turned away.
And we will have that forgiveness.
And just as Callum had.
On Sunday morning.
Again.
This is a part of the life.
Of faith.
And this is part of us.
We are drawing.
On the reconciling.
Grace.
Of God.
For our forgiveness.
And that grace.
It's a fighting.
A grace.
That never runs dry.
Thankfully.
And God's spirit.
Indwelling in us.
Is our guarantee.
Of salvation.
Because.
That guarantee.
In our life.
Of faith.
That never before.
Has there been a guarantee.
That is.
As secure.
As this guarantee is.
Because God dwells.
Within us.
We are safe.
And secure.
In Christ.
In our lives here.
And we will be.
Throughout eternity.
That's the blessings.
The Lord has.
Given to us.
And.
Again.
In Jesus.
His high priestly prayer.
Just as he closes.
The prayer.
In the last verse.
Jesus says this.
I made known.
I made known to them.
Your name.
And I will continue.
To make it known.
That the love.
With which you have loved me.
May be in them.
And I.
In them.
What more do we need to look for.
But these words.
That we have there.
From.
The word of God.
God.
And we are seen.
By God.
As being righteous.
In his sight.
He's dwelling within us.
And we are righteous.
Because of what Christ.
Has done for us.
We had his special.
Precious.
And chosen people.
With a love for God.
And we have.
A love for each other.
A love that wasn't there before.
But just as.
As we read there.
In Psalm 133.
At the beginning.
How wonderful it is.
For brothers and sisters.
To come together.
In that unity.
Of love.
In Christ.
And that love.
That we now have.
For each other.
John.
In his first epistle.
In chapter 3.
Opens the chapter.
With these beautiful words.
See what kind of love.
The father has given to us.
That we should be called.
Children of God.
And so.
We are.
And.
We have that great assurance.
Just further on.
In verse 14.
Of that same chapter.
That great assurance.
That tells us.
We know.
That we have passed.
Out of death.
And into life.
Because we love.
The brothers.
So as we move.
Towards.
Another communion.
Well.
May even a word.
Of what we have considered.
This evening.
Be a help to us.
To have that.
Reassurance.
And assurance.
To have that.
Confidence.
In Christ.
That he will never.
Leave us.
Nor forsake us.
And that we.
Will have.
Never.
Have any reason.
To doubt that.
Paul tells us.
In Philippians.
Chapter 1.
And in verse 6.
He says.
And I am sure of this.
That he.
Who began.
A good work in you.
Will bring it to completion.
At the day.
Of Jesus Christ.
May he bless these thoughts to us.
Let's pray.
Father.
We thank you for.
The marvel.
And the wonder.
Of the work.
That you have performed.
In us.
And that you have chosen us.
And that you have.
Set us.
On this.
On this path.
This way of salvation.
That you have.
Lifted us Lord.
Out of that mighty clay.
Out of that quicksand.
That was dragging us down.
More and more.
In the world.
And you have set our feet.
Upon the rock.
That is Jesus Christ.
We truly bless you.
And thank you.
For his sacrifice.
And his death.
And resurrection.
And for his ascension.
We thank you.
For the sure knowledge.
We have.
That he is.
At the right hand.
Of the throne.
Of high.
Even at this moment.
Ruling.
And governing.
Everything.
Within this whole creation.
We bless you.
And thank you.
Lord.
For.
The blessing.
Of your Holy Spirit.
That dwells within us.
We thank you.
Lord.
For your precious grace.
That amazing grace.
That.
Just fills.
Our hearts.
Now Lord.
And we just.
Thank you.
Father.
For the faith.
You've gifted us.
To believe.
Through.
Your precious grace.
And so.
As we part from another.
This evening.
We pray.
Lord.
That.
We will be able.
To do.
Just saying.
That.
It was just good.
For us.
To be here.
To be together.
And to be around.
The word of God.
And may all that was said.
And done.
Be to the glory.
Of your blessed name.
Amen.