Introduction
Thus far, we’ve covered much about the Holy Spirit. Romans Chapter 8 is Paul’s introduction to the Holy Ghost. So it allowed us to give an introduction to the Holy Ghost. We’ve discussed the role that the Holy Spirit has taken in convicting of sinners and to the saving of souls. We’ve the discussed the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And we’ve discussed the filling of the Holy Spirit and made a distinction between being indwelt and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
We went through the bible and demonstrated how the early church was soaked and saturated with the Holy Ghost. We went from Mary, to Elizabeth, to Zacharius, John the Baptist, Simeon, Peter and the disciples, the seven table servers including Stephen, and Philip, and Nicolas, the believers in Samaria, Saul of Tarsus, Barnabus, Apollos, the disciples in Ephesus, and even our Lord Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Ghost.
We’ve dived in the Romans 8:1-4 and have demonstrating a difference between walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit. We compared it to the Israelites and their journey through the wilderness and the promised land of Canaan. Deliverance from Egypt is a type of being delivered from sin, being saved. The wilderness is a type of a carnal saved person, a place of rebellion, murmuring, and even idolatry. And Canaan is a type of the spirit-filled life. And this journey the Israelites took is very similar to the journey a Christian takes in his life. All that were able, all the strong and mighty, died and their carcasses fell in the wilderness before they could step into the promised land. This is a picture of what happens to us. It wasn’t until the death of the first born that they were allowed to leave Egypt, that’s the Lord Jesus Christ. But it wasn’t until the death of their own self, not until the carcasses fell in the wilderness, that they crossed into the blessed promised land. And they did cross. And the promises of of God were fulfilled. But they learned that God accomplishes his will as the bible says “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
And by His Spirit, we are delivered into the glorious liberty of the children of God. We covered this for many weeks, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made free from the law of sin and death.” We explored this law of the Spirit of life from many angles and concluded that we have been made free for service, made free to serve the living God. And much more can be said. I really wanted to spend some time just on the diety of the Holy Spirit and we didn’t. There were many scriptures on liberty that I didn’t get to deal with. We covered freedom, but we didn’t get to righteousness.
But what I wanted to stress in all this, was the absolute need for the preeminence of the Holy Ghost in our life. To serve God is to be filled with the Holy Ghost. To fulfill the will of God is to be influenced and controlled by the Holy Ghost. To walk after God, to have victory in the life for Jesus Christ and lift up His name, and glorify God, we must be in step with the Holy Ghost. If we accomplish anything for God in this life it will only be by the power of His Holy Spirit working through us. I don’t want to overdo this, but it’s very important. I believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit and being empowered by the Holy Spirit is as important to saved folk as being born again is to lost folk. It’s paramount. So with this in mind, we move on.
Romans 8:5-6 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
I want to preach a little while on the “the things of the Spirit.” What are the things of the Spirit? That’s an important question, don’t you think? I mean it’s one or the other. We’re either carnally minded, or spiritually minded. We either mind the things of the flesh or the things of the spirit. Well, I want to mind the things of the spirit. I want life and peace. I don’t want death. So I think it would behoove me to find out what are the things of the Spirit, so I can mind them. Amen?
The other day, when I was in Romans 7. It talked about us being married to another, to him that who is raised from the dead; this doctrine of the bride of Christ. Well it says, “that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” And I remembered a message I heard years ago that was about bearing fruit to God. He had three points.
#1 God desires fruit.
Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in hs vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
#2 God desires more fruit.
John 15:1-2 I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
#3 God desires much fruit
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
God desires fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Isn’t this the context of where we’re at. Serving in the newness of the spirit is bringing forth fruit unto God. Let me read that portion from Romans 7 again:
Romans 7:4-6 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in the newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
We are free to serve, and serving God in the newness of spirit, means bearing fruit. And that’s what God wants. He wants fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. So I said all that to ask this? What’s fruit. I mean wouldn’t it behoove us to know what the fruit is so we can strive to bear it. Or so we can know if we’re on the right track? I mean if the husbandman came to me and said that I’m coming back in 100 days and I want to see some tomatoes, wouldn’t it be good idea to find out what a tomato is? So I asked myself, “What’s the fruit?” What is this fruit unto holiness? What is the fruit that God desires? And the first thing that came to mind was the fruit of the Spirit. So I asked myself what the fruit of the Spirit was. I remembered there was 9 and I thought to myself, “I know patience is one of them.” I didn’t know them. And I thought: How sad? Fruit is what God desires. More fruit is what God desires. Much fruit is what God desires. And I can’t even name the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I got them memorized now. In fact, I wrote them down on a piece of paper and put them on my desk at work for awhile so I could commit them to memory. Why? Because that’s a list of what God desires from me.
So I look at this scripture in Romans in the same manner. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” If we’re going to walk after the Spirit… In fact, let’s go all the way back to verse 1: If we’re going to get out from under condemnation and walk after the Spirit, we are going to have to set our minds on the the things of the Spirit. All that’s fine and good. It makes perfect sense. But if we don’t know what the things of the Spirit are, how are we going to set our minds on them? Amen? Am I preaching sense?
What are the things of the Spirit? I want to mind them. I want to set my mind on them. To be spiritually minded is to set your mind on the things of the Spirit. It means to think on the the the things of the Spirit. We read in Philippians ever Sunday, “…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and there be any praise, think on these things.” You know what that tells me about the the character of the things of the Spirit? The things of the Spirit are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy! What are the things of the Spirit. So we’re going to cover a few of them, Lord willing.
Now, have you ever heard someone say, “That’s his/her thing.” Everybody has their own thing. Everybody has their own interests. Things that are important to them. Things that they are good at. Things that they are interested in. What is important to the Holy Spirit? What things interest the Holy Spirit? What is the Holy Spirit’s thing or things? What are the things of the Spirit.
1st Thing: Beginnings
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The Holy Spirit is interested in beginning a good work in people. The Holy Spirit’s thing is to introduce sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s his thing. That’s what is important to the Holy Spirit. Let me ask you this: Is this thing important to you? Is this what you meditate upon. Is saving sinners what you set your mind upon? The bible says that if we walk after the Spirit, we mind the things of the Spirit. Jesus said of the Spirit, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement..” You see that’s the Holy Spirit’s thing: reproving the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement. Is this what we set our minds upon? Is this what consumes are every thought: the work of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…” The Holy Spirit’s thing is to draw men/woman/children to the Lord Jesus Christ. That old song, by Daniel Webster Whittle, “I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin, revealing Jesus through the word, creating faith in him…” I don’t know how he does it either, but I’m confident that he does. I don’t know how he does it either, but I’m going to mind it. What does that mean? It means I’ll set my mind upon it, among other things, my hope, my expectation, my fears, my insufficiencies I’ll rest upon this thing of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit’s thing is to begin a good work in the heart of some lost soul. We ought to make the Spirit’s thing our thing. That seems to be a priority to the Holy Spirit, something that he is interested in. If we minded the things of the Spirit, wouldn’t it make sense that seeing people saved would be something that we also would be interested in; it would be a priority to us, but is it? I’m not trying to give anybody a guilt trip. I just want us to see that there are some expectations to God’s people. When is the last time you wept over somebody’s soul? Have you ever wept over someone’s lost condition? God help us.
Paul told Timothy, “Do the work of an evangelist!” The evangelist has one goal and that’s to see conversions; to evangelize!
2nd Thing: Praying
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
What are the things of the Spirit? One thing is praying. Paul said later on in Romans, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts know what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The Spirit itself maketh intercession fo us. That means, when we pray, he prays! The further I get into this though, it seems like the opposite: When he prays, I pray. When the Spirit of God shows up, then it’s time to pray
The bible says, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications…” The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of supplications; He is the Spirit of Prayer. This means that prayer and supplication are His domain; his jurisdiction. He is the authority on prayer; it’s his home field; his territory so to speak. When we bow down in prayer, we enter into His domain; we enter into the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. So it’s not about us having a spirit (or attitude) of prayer. It’s about us having sweet fellowship with the THE Spirit of Prayer. The Holy Spirit can pray.
That’s his thing. His thing ought to be our thing. The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
3rd Thing: Worship
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
You know we quote this all the time. The true worshipers shall worship the Father in spririt and in truth. And sometimes, you can’t help but notice that there’s a degree of arrogance in saying this because in saying it or quoting this scripture one is in some ways declaring that they are true worshipers and others are not. And I’ve noticed people usually declare this when they’re talking about truth and doctrine. This group doesn’t have the right doctrine so they can’t worship God. That group doesn’t have the right doctrine so they can’t worship God. Catholics believe that Mary is a co-redeemer so they can’t possibly be worshiping God. The Jehovah’s witnesses don’t even believe in being saved from hell or that Jesus is God so how can they worship God. They don’t have the truth.
And all that is fine. I agree with alot of that. But what about the ‘spirit’ part of that? I believe we have the truth. If I thought someone else had the truth, I’d go join another crowd. It’s Jesus plus nothing minus nothing. It’s by grace, through faith, and that not of works. Ye must be born again, ye must be regenerated. I believe all that and in that truth we can worship God. But that’s not all it says. It says to worship God in spirit also.
This is what I think. And you don’t have to think this if you don’t want to. And I’ve explained this many times. There is a difference between the temporal and the spiritual. There’s two different realities going on at the same time. One is the temporal, the one we see and interact with everyday. The flesh and the world. Everything we see here on this earth is temporary, or temporal. And then there’s spiritual. This is what we can’t see. This is what is going on under the hood. This is what the Spirit of God sees that we can’t see, both good and bad. The heart is deceitful, desperately wicked. Who can know it. The bible speaks much how God tries the heart and the reins of man. This is the inner man. David said, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” This is the spiritual side of things, as opposed to the temporal. The inward part, the hidden part, the soul and spirit of man. The bible says that “the Spirit searcheth all things; yea, the deep things of God.” What are the deep things of God?
Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God can see what we cannot see. We see the temporal, and he sees the spiritual. John said we speak that which we know and that which we have seen. I didn’t know I had a soul until the day I got saved. My soul spoke up. To this day, I can tell you that when I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, and cried, “Lord have mercy on me a sinner!” it wasn’t me that did it. It wasn’t the Rick that I had know all my life. It was the inner man. From the very depths of my soul did I cry unto God. And God saved me. And now, I can say along with David, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” I don’t know alot, but I do know this. From the inner man, and from the hidden parts, from the depths of our soul and spirit, is where God wants worship. Let’s read this again:
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Worship is the Spirit’s thing. We ought to make His thing our thing. They that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit. Worship is the Spirit’s thing. Oh how I want to worship God in spirit. That’s to take a break from the temporal. To step outside the world we know. The bible says, they have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. To worship God in spirit is to step out of the form and step into the presence of God. (Isaiah 6:1, Acts 2:1)
When I worship God, I’m looking for something inside me, something from the inward parts and the hidden part, to stir up and worship God. That’s what I’ve set my mind on. That’s what I think about. That’s what I’ve set my mind on. Why? Because that’s the Spirit’s thing: Worship.
4th Thing: Waiting
The things of the Spirit: Beginnings, Prayer, Worship. Let me give you another one:
Galatians 5:5 For we through Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
For we “Through the Spirit” wait. Waiting is another of the Spirit’s things. Waiting? Waiting for what? The hope of righteousness by faith. What is that hope? What are we waiting for? Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ..” The things of the Spirit: To wait. To wait for the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. To anticipate the coming of the Lord. That’s the thing of the Spirit. We ought to make his thing our thing.
1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Does that give you any comfort? Jesus said that after he left, the Comforter would come. That’s the Holy Spirit. One of the things of the Spirit is waiting for the blessed hope. When we make his thing our thing, if brings us comfort. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ falls under Phillipians 4. It’s true, and just, and lovely. It’s virtuous and praise worthy. I’m going think on this thing, this thing of the Spirit. They that walk after the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit.
Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
That oil is the Holy Spirit. Maybe this gives us a better understanding of what it means to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Like that song states, “Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning!” For we through Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Through the Spirit. Through the Spirit. Through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is that oil. (Heb 1:9, Acts 10:38, Luke 4:18)
I know waiting sounds kind of boring. But Holy Ghost waiting is not that at all. Waiting for the blessed hope and the appearing of our great God and Savior is to be filled with the Holy Ghost and to burn for God. Jesus said to “occupy until I come!” And he said “Let you light shine before men!” You think about that burning bush. The tree burned but was not consumed. The bible says that God is a consuming fire. You look an oil lamp. That wick could last for years, it’s the oil that burns and makes the light. Same thing with a candle. It’s the wax that burns. It’s the oil that burns. That oil is the Holy Spirit. As long as we’re filled with him, we can go on burning for God, and waiting for God.
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Waiting is not just moping around doing nothing. It’s letting the Spirit of God do his job in your heart. It’s the Spirit’s thing. His thing ought to be our thing. Waiting on the blessed hope and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ can really change our life.
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