You’re going to be better, but just don’t obsess on it.

Steve Brown:
You’re going to be better, just don’t obsess on it. Let’s talk about it on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
God’s grace changes everything, how we love, work, live, lead, marry, parent, evangelize, purchase, and worship. This is Key Life, with practical Bible teaching to get you home with radical freedom, infectious joy, and surprising faithfulness.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. We’re looking at the action of the Holy Spirit as we talk about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We’re looking at how the Holy Spirit lets us see our sin. If you have Christian friends who are arrogant and self righteous, that means that they’re out of the will of God at that point, because the Holy Spirit reminds us and reminds me more than once a day of places that I have failed to follow him and to be obedient to what he told me. That’s the business of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only convicts us, the Holy Spirit reminds us who you are. Don’t forget that you are a child of the King. And then the Holy Spirit, and we’re going to talk a little bit about it today, and then I want to get to another subject. But the Holy Spirit is the methodology of God to make us better than we are. I’ve said a lot, and you’ve heard me say it, that I thought I was going to be better than I was by now. I’m an old guy, and when I was young I looked at my heroes in the faith, and I said, I want to be like them, and so I’m going to study the Bible, I’m going to work hard at it, I’m going to sacrifice. And I’m going to be, and I’m going to be better and better every day, every way. Didn’t happen. Sometimes I was worse. Sometimes I was just embarrassed. Sometimes I was ashamed because as Paul said.

The good that I want to do isn’t what I do. And the evil

this is Romans 7

And the evil I don’t want to do, that’s what I do. O, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death.

I’m glad Paul said that, because he identified with every Christian in the world. He identifies with you, and he identifies with me, and you know that it’s true. But with all of that being said, I really am better than I was. And, you know, I tell you the bad stuff, so it’s okay if I tell you the good stuff. I am faithful to the truth. Long time ago, I decided that Scripture was going to be my authority, and my only authority. And I decided I was going to teach it, and I did, and didn’t have the foggiest idea of what it said. I was a pastor, and I’d been trained in social ethics, and I knew about stuff like that. I’d been trained in pastoral counseling, and I knew about things like that. But I didn’t know what the Bible had to say. And so, I remembered that Mr. Graham said you ought to start in the Gospel of John. And so, I just started in the Gospel of John in my sermons. And I stayed one verse ahead of that congregation. But let me tell you something, from that day on, the Bible has been my authority and my source of truth. How about that? I’m better. And I forgive far more quickly than I used to. If you talk to my friends who have known me for a long time, they know about the change. They’ll tell you that when I was young, I was an angry young man and self righteous and not very forgiving. And I cut people slack now in ways that I never did. So, I am better then I was, there have been times in my past when I looked at people and block them out of my relationship circle cause I didn’t want to be their friend or to be a part of anything they were a part of, I don’t do that anymore. My circle has been not only bigger, it’s been destroyed. And I have learned that everybody is like me, that everybody is a sinner, that everybody needs somebody who cares, that everybody needs to be valued. And I’ve started doing that, loving people that I wouldn’t have loved before, therefore I’m getting better. I could go on and on, but if I keep going on and on, I’ll become self righteous and have to repent of that. But trust me on this, I’m better than I was. And do you know how it happened? I don’t know. Well, now that I think about it, I do know. It was the Holy Spirit because you see, the Holy Spirit’s business is to be a part of who we are, to live in us, and to make us better. And when we get discouraged, to remind us that we are better. And I’ve said this a lot of times, I haven’t said it in connection with the Holy Spirit, but let’s do that. Because the Holy Spirit is in you.

And greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

I didn’t say that, John said it. Because the Holy Spirit is in you, he’s doing a work in your life right now. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, you’re getting better. And the dangerous thing is to obsess about it. I got to be better and better every way, every day. Quit doing that, back off, get a milkshake, go on about your life, thank God that he’s making you better, even if you don’t see it. And when it’s time, he’ll remind you, and he will show you that you are better. So, that’s what the Holy Spirit does. Does it in the life of the believer. It starts with bad news. It goes to good news, and then it goes to very good news. And then finally, the Holy Spirit reminds you of home. The Holy Spirit reminds you that you’re not there yet. The Holy Spirit reminds you that you’re His and you will be His for all of eternity. Okay, let me change the subject and we’ll talk about this, next week a lot. But the Holy Spirit has a lot to do with sin, but the Holy Spirit has a lot to do with truth, too. Let me give you some Scripture. This is John 14:25 through 26.

These things I have spoken to you while I’m still with you,

and here it comes

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 that I have said to you.

In John 16:12 through 15, Jesus says this.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine

that includes all truth

and declare it to you.

And then one more text and we’ll at least introduce the subject. Ephesians 1:13 through 14.

In him also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we aspire possession of it to the praise of his glory.

There’s an old Arabic teaching that says.

Those who don’t know and think they know are fools, avoid them. Those who don’t know and know they don’t know are asleep, wake them. Those who don’t know and also don’t know they don’t know are students, teach them. And those who know and know that they know are wise, follow them.

Let me tell you something. As Christians, we know. And not only do we know, we know that we know because of the Holy Spirit is in us. And don’t let anybody tell you different. In our culture, Christians have been shamed into silence. We have been made to feel like we’re ugly and our mother dresses us funny. We’ve been banned from some venues. Don’t let them do that. Cause you know that you know and the Holy Spirit told you. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve. And with that, we put a bow on this week of teaching in our new series on the Holy Spirit. Remember that you can replay and share any of these episodes for free at our digital tree house, keylife.org and hope to see you again tomorrow for Friday Q&A tomorrow Steven and Pete will tackle this question, have some Christians and churches left the true faith? Mm. Tune in tomorrow for their answer. So, here’s a question. Have you ever considered the fact that Jesus is actually alive right here and active right now? Well, Steve gave a sermon a while back called, When Jesus Leaves the Building. No spoilers, but here’s the gist of it. It’s all good. It’s all grace. It’s all quite irritating. And it’s all there is. Can we send you that entire sermon on CD for free? If so, then call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that CD. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Just ask for your copy of the CD called When Jesus Leaves the Building. And finally, if you value the work of Key Life, would you join us in that work through your financial support? You could charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can now give safely and securely through text. Just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word, two words. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.