Who Is the Holy Spirit? - Part B

Once God has converted you, once the Holy Spirit has converted you, He has a mark and a seal upon your life that again, as I said before, this is not your home, but you have an address pointing somewhere else. And that until that day comes, He is a seal that you do not belong here, but you belong there. The Holy Spirit is vital to the believer. In fact, Jesus said it was better for us to have the Holy Spirit than Jesus himself. And today on Connect with Skip Heitzing, Skip's son, Nate, share some extra insight on how the Holy Spirit works in your life.

But before we begin, we want to share about a great resource that will help you live with purpose and hold fast to your faith so you can make an eternal impact on the world. Some people find comfort in the status quo. Others just can't wait to challenge it. If this were a recovery meeting, I would begin by saying my name is Skip and I'm a non-conformist.

How about you? Do you go with the flow or swim against the current? The truth is going against the status quo can be difficult, but following Jesus requires it. The Bible's account of Daniel shows how God can transform lives by one person's willingness to defy what's normal.

I like to think of it this way. When the waves of life came crashing down, Daniel decided to go surfing. He thought I'm going to ride these waves. If these waves are the will of God for my life, I'm going to learn how to master these things and I'm going to get propelled forward. Learn to soar above the status quo with Skip Heitzig's book, Defying Normal. It's our way of saying thanks for your gift of $35 or more to help connect more people to God's word. And when you give, we'll also include the booklet, What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren. These two resources will help you stand out from the crowd for God's glory.

Visit connectwithskip.com slash offer to give online securely today or call 800-922-1888. Okay, we'll be in John chapter 16 for today's study, so let's join Nate Heitzig. Jesus said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. We're to be salt and light, preserving, stand against the evil, stand against what is untrue, but also be light and love one another. The Bible says that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and the second commandment is like it and that is love your neighbor as yourself. Who's your neighbor?

Everyone. Your neighbor is the people in this room. Your neighbor is your physical neighbors at home. Your neighbor is the person on Fox News or CNN that you just can't stand hearing talk because it just grades you. Your neighbor is the president or the presidential candidate that you just can't imagine having to live under. Your neighbor is all of us and the first and greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor. To be salt and light.

How are we doing at loving our neighbor? I'm going to tell you right now and I know this isn't going to be popular, that to be both salt and light within this world, you must first and foremost identify with Jesus before any political candidate. We are in the midst right now of possibly the most divided time in our country's history and can I just let you know that I couldn't imagine defining my political worldview simply in terms of Democrat or Republican ideals especially in such a hyper-partisan culture and climate as today. What I think about any given issue has to first and foremost be informed by my ideals that transcend what either of these parties has to offer. I have to base my beliefs, I have to base my ideologies on what the Bible says not off of what a political candidate says.

What the Bible says, that's what I determine what I believe. My political view should be informed by what the Bible says. I shouldn't change my biblical views based on what a political candidate has said and I found many of us do this. We are being transformed more and more into a political party rather than into the image of God. And so we begin to change things that the Bible says because we want to reconcile it with our political views rather than changing our political views based on what the Bible has already told us.

I'm to be salt and light, not Republican or Democrat. Christians shouldn't place any faith in conservatism or progressivism. Every assertion for both ideologies must first fall as a Christian under biblical scrutiny.

What does the Bible say about this issue? Now however, we also shouldn't be deterred from what's right because it's coming from what's right because it's commonly associated with conservatism or progressivism. That is to say if you consider yourself conservative or progressive, you shouldn't turn away from what is right because you consider yourself that. You shouldn't try to reconcile your political views by destroying what is right and what is good. Again, God uses us to stand up for what is right and true regardless of which party that might offend, to try and stop the wholesale spread of evil within our culture. Basically, simply that means this, I believe that you can be both a Democrat or a Republican and be a Christian, but what that means is that as a Christian Democrat you should still stand against abortion because it's wrong, it's a sin, it's murder, and your biblical worldview should alter your political worldview. That also means that as a Christian Republican you should still stand for racial justice and against racism and against oppression because your biblical worldview and your love of your neighbor and your love of people should dictate and change your political view.

When in conflict our faith must always control our socio-political positions regardless of which party we identify with. Maybe you feel like me, but recently as I've looked at the world, I just feel homeless. Politically, I feel without a home.

Politically, I feel that I have nowhere to rest my head. I can't live completely under the elephant and I can't live completely under the donkey and that's why I've chosen to simply lay at the feet of the lamb. Church, could some of us do with a little bit more of simply laying at the feet of the lamb, simply being in the presence of God? As you look back at the past nine months, how much time have you spent standing on a soapbox fighting for your cause rather than just being in the presence of Jesus?

Just loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind and then in turn loving your neighbor as yourself. We need to spend more time laying at the feet of the lamb, not following an elephant or a donkey. I don't have a home.

And you know what? You don't have a home and God is saying that's exactly right because this world isn't your home. Your home is your home. Your home is the kingdom of God and as long as you're on this earth, as long as you're on this world, you shouldn't feel at home. You shouldn't feel at home in a political party.

You shouldn't feel at home watching a certain news station. You shouldn't feel at home because this isn't home. You're headed home. Keep your eyes on home.

Let's go home. My allegiance is to the kingdom, not to a party. And to be salt and light, I need to identify with the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey.

As salt and light, there are times when I'm going to have to oppose the popular thinking of the party that I choose to vote for. We're Christians and as Christians, we stand together. As Christians, Republican and Democrat, we stand against the thinking of this world. We stand together for biblical values and biblical truth.

We stand together trying to be a good and godly influence to those around us. And it breaks my heart to see the amount of hatred and anger perpetuated by both sides. To see Christians who are united by the blood of Jesus Christ divide on the basis of Republican and Democrat is the antithesis of the gospel. This is the same blood church that Galatians 3 28 says united Jew and Gentile, slaves and free, male and female, but you're telling me it's not enough to unite Republican and Democrat? For us to say to one another, well, if you don't agree with me and my political views, then I won't fellowship with you has got to be the most anti-Christ thing that I can think of. Do you realize that Jesus died so that we could all, all of us be reconciled to him? And when you hate your brother or sister, you're saying that his sacrifice wasn't enough. Don't let an elephant or a donkey rip apart what the lamb has brought together.

I'll say it again for the people in the back. Don't let an elephant or a donkey rip apart what the lamb has brought together. The lamb, the blood of Christ has brought us together. You know, I realized the other day that in just the past five months in this very church, we've experienced both praise and anger from both sides of the political aisle for stances and positions that we've taken. Understand this, cancel culture is not a partisan issue. It happens on both sides of the aisle. That is to say if we do a weekend at Calvary to address the racism that exists within our backyard, we have Republicans who are liberal and racist and tell us that they're going to leave the church. Then if we take a weekend to thank and honor and pray for police officers, we have Democrats who get angry, call us racist, and they threaten to leave the church. And what's crazy is the same ones who praised us for talking about racial injustice then curse us for supporting police officers. Then the same ones who cursed us for standing for racial equality then bless us when we talk about police officers.

George Shultz said, he who walks in the middle of the road gets hit from both sides. The blood of Christ that unites us is stronger than the political ideologies that divide us. Can't we just realize that and love each other? To be salt and light, there's times where you can't be Republican or Democrat, you have to just be a child of the king. Tragically, far too many today are being squeezed into this world's mold and they're being told, I have to identify completely with this political ideology.

And then others are telling them, if you don't do that, if you don't make a choice, you've already chosen. We are being transformed not by the spirit, but rather a party. We're looking less and less like the lamb every day and more and more like a donkey or an elephant.

And before you say, well, if they would change, then I would change. Remember that your public witness has to be more than a bitter or fearful response of what your opponent is saying. We are to be salt and light. And when we lead with that argument, it's no longer about being right. It's about being able to say that we're not worse than they are. We're letting the world diminish our flavor.

We're letting the world diminish our brightness and our role upon this earth that God has put us here for. Don't allow your opponent to control and dim your witness. Jesus said, if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Can I challenge you? And this is a personal call that I've taken. I realize that at times I've lost my flavor and I've lost my light for the sake of standing for a political party.

And that's not right. Because if we as the church do that, we will have lost our flavor and God will throw us out because we're good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot. And I really think that's the signal when the Holy Spirit will remove himself from our culture today and just let it all happen. We need to take a stand filled with the Holy Spirit to be salt and light, to stand for good, stand for righteousness, but to love our neighbor.

The most effective defensive and offensive weapon in our spiritual arsenal isn't our proclamation of political views. It's the proclamation of the gospel. Now having looked at the Holy Spirit's work within the world and within the non-believer, how he uses us within this world to preserve this let's now look at his individual work within the life of the Christian. What has God the Spirit done for us? Number one part of the profession of the Holy Spirit is he brings about the work of conversion. Jesus said, except a man is born of the Spirit. John chapter 6 says it is the Spirit who gives life.

The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. The Holy Spirit works about this process of conversion within our lives. First convicting us of sin and drawing us to him and then part of this conversion is he seals us. He personally gives us the assurance that Jesus Christ has come into our lives. Romans chapter 8 verse 16 says the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Isn't that wonderful that inner conviction the witness of the Spirit that feeling that you just know that you know. Do you remember when you first came to Christ when you first came to faith and you said that prayer and immediately you felt that assurance that your sins were forgiven that your eternal destination was heaven that you were bound for the kingdom. Do you remember how that felt? It felt like a great weight had been removed. It felt like a release you could finally breathe.

It's hard to explain but it's as real as the breath you breathe in right now as the Spirit bears witness with your spirit. One of the things that I love when we do altar calls is seeing people come forward and often as they walk down the aisles and as they stand here they come so with tears. They're weeping. Their face is contorted. They're crying. They're in anguish. Often I believe that's because they're convicted of the sin in their lives. They realize that they're sinners and they're separated from God and that breaks their heart as they think about all the things that they've done the weight and the burden they've been carrying. It breaks their heart the shame the guilt but it's remarkable what happens 99% of the time as they say that prayer and as the final word amen comes from their lips their countenance changes.

No longer is it tears. No longer is it sadness but it's joy and they have a smile that could light up the moon. They are so joyful as the Spirit bears witness with their spirit that they're forgiven and that when they die they're going to go to heaven. That is the work of the Holy Spirit the work of conversion. As a part of this wonderful process of conversion the Holy Spirit then indwells us. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 says don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and God lives in you. Church can I just remind you that the Holy Spirit lives in you and that same feeling of assurance and satisfaction and peace that you had when you first came to Christ you should continue to have as you walk with Christ and if you don't feel that assurance if you don't feel that feeling that if I was going to die today I'd go to heaven you need to look circumspectly at your life and ask yourself are the sins that I once repented of the sins that once grieved me the sins that I once wept over have they begun to creep back into my life because it's a daily process walking with Jesus it's a big step to come forward and say a prayer but walking with God isn't about one step it's about daily taking a step towards him and if you're not walking with him you're walking away from him and so can I challenge you that this has been a crazy year drug addiction is on the rise alcoholism is on the rise anger and domestic violence is on the rise depression and anxiety is on the rise have you let this year begin to harden your heart and remove that peace and that assurance that the Holy Spirit once brought and is it time for you to come back to him and say Lord soften my heart and give me that same assurance and peace that I once had second as a part of that great work of conversion he seals us Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 to 14 says in him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of his glory what does this mean well simply it means that once God has converted you once the Holy Spirit has converted you he is a mark and a seal upon your life that again as I said before this is not your home but you have an address pointing somewhere else and that until that day comes he is a seal that you do not belong here but you belong there in ancient times when goods would be shipped from one place to another they'd often be stamped with a wax seal and a signet ring would bear a unique mark of ownership same with an important document saved from a king it would be sealed and waxed and imprinted with the royal seal that would let anyone else know don't open that because it doesn't belong here it needs to get to its final address and if it got to its final address and it had been opened that seal had been broken the receiver knew that it had been tampered with on its way this is what it means to be sealed by the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is a seal upon your life from the king it's a signet ring a royal seal that says you do not belong here and it lets the world or let satan know don't open until you arrive at your final destination it reminds us every day that we're on a journey we're not bunking down here this isn't our permanent place we're on a journey to our permanent place God has put his royal seal on us it is the presence and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and our lives he's here to remind you like that wax seal you're headed for a new address it's like I said before sometimes I feel like I don't have a home sometimes I feel homeless within this current world system and God is saying that's exactly the point because this world isn't your home your home is the kingdom of God the Holy Spirit reminds us this isn't our home God wants you to know he's sincere about redeeming your life he wants to complete his transaction that he began with you the day that you said a prayer to accept Christ within your life he won't back down he won't change his mind he's committed to you his Holy Spirit is a seal upon you it's basically like him saying hey even though I know that it's going to be a while till you're in heaven with me I'm going to give you a part of me that will walk with you every single day until you finally come to be with me permanently forever in complete union and fellowship he's a seal he's a deposit a down payment of the Holy Spirit to show you that he means business our third and final point this is where we'll close not only does the Holy Spirit bring about the work of conversion and as a result seal us the Holy Spirit also teaches us John chapter 14 verse 26 says but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you part of the role of the Holy Spirit is that as you open your Bible the Holy Spirit teaches you things he helps you understand he gives you new eyes to read the word of God to allow it to change your life in an incredible way you know I've seen people that prior to being Christians they would read the Bible and it didn't make any sense to them but once they were believers and they had the Holy Spirit all of a sudden the same words they read before have new meaning in life and it changes them because the Holy Spirit is teaching them it comes through our daily reading of scripture this is why it's so important to regularly spend time in Bible study so that you are opening the door for the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's Word to you can I ask you have you ever read one of those verses in the morning in your quiet time and then something happens something happened that day a struggle some kind of a temptation some kind of an issue and exactly what you read that morning was exactly what you needed to get through that very confrontation or struggle that day have you ever had that happen it's incredible guess what that's not coincidence that's the Holy Spirit teaching you he knows exactly what you need for everything in your pursuit of godliness and he gives you what you need as you faithfully read his scripture now let me take the adverse of that that means that if you've been neglecting your time reading the Word of God there could be certain circumstances there could be certain things that have happened in your life that you faced that you weren't able to get through the way that God wanted you to get through because you had failed to study the scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you that means that the things that have maybe happened in your life this year might have turned out a little bit differently if you would have been faithfully reading the Word of God and letting it change and transform you now before you say well I haven't done that so it's all lost now no don't let it be a discouragement rather let it be an encouragement to start doing it now to realize that here in this moment you're going to rise up and say I'm going to begin reading the Bible and letting the Holy Spirit teach me so I can be equipped for whatever it is that he has for me because the Bible says that God can restore the years the locusts have destroyed so if this year has been destroyed because you haven't been sitting with the lamb you haven't been spending time with your Savior and letting the Holy Spirit teach you know that God can restore next year if you begin today faithfully doing what he has called you to do first corinthians 2 9 says it is written eye has not seen nor has ear heard nor has it entered the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him but God has revealed it to us by his spirit the spirit searches all things even the deep things of God in the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the spirit of God he teaches us this can also happen through the listening of a message being given to the listening of a sermon you know some point or series of truths can cause us at times to think man that person has got to be the greatest preacher ever have you ever been in one of those messages where you feel like the pastor has followed you around all week and he knows exactly what's been going on in your life like bro you're a stalker how did you know that that I was doing that and it's kind of creepy and it feels kind of strange and you feel like that message was handmade for you that wasn't the pastor we're not all detectives following you around that was the Holy Spirit knowing what you needed to hear and teaching you something because the very truths that might have just hit you in between the eyes might not necessarily be the same ones that the spirit really brought home for someone else and then finally there's those times when you're ministering to a fellow believer or sharing the gospel with somebody when suddenly a verse just starts coming to mind that you didn't even know you knew again that passage says that he will cause us to bring to remembrance all things have you ever had that happen and you share a verse and you're you almost have to question yourself is that even in the bible and so later you look and you're like it is in the bible I didn't even know that I just said it that's the Holy Spirit bringing it to your knowledge teaching you and using you to be salt and light so as we close rejoice because the Holy Spirit has converted he assures and he has sealed you and even in this moment he continues to teach you that concludes nate heitzig's message from the series 2020 now here's Skip to share how you can keep this broadcast going strong connecting you and many others to God's truths Jesus gives us the ultimate example of how to love people and as we read and study the scriptures the Lord moves in our hearts to love others like Jesus did that's why we share these messages full of God's truth but did you know that we rely on listeners like you to keep these teachings coming to you and to others your gift today will help connect more people to God's love and truth here's how you can give right now give us a call at 800 922 1888 to give a gift 800 922 1888 or give online at connectwithskip.com slash donate that's connectwithskip.com slash donate your support is vital to continue encouraging you and many others with messages like this one today so thank you for giving generously before we close we invite you to check out the connect with Skip mobile app you'll have access to a treasure trove of skips messages right at your fingertips find more information at connectwithskip.com slash app and come back next week as Skip Heitzigs and shares just how active the holy spirit is in your life and your faith cast connect with Skip Heitzigen is a presentation of connection communications connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever-changing times