THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (4)

1. His Work

a) Now we want to think of the work of God's Spirit. There is one God, but He works in different ways. The Spirit never acts differently from the Father or the Son.

b) Let's look at the work of the Holy Spirit.

2. His Work in relation to the World

a) It is the Spirit's work to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, John 16:8-11. It is only as the Spirit works that we can hope to see men come to know that they are sinners. 

i) God has given to men the right of free choice. He will never go back on this, nor force man to do what is right against his will. So the Spirit of God is held back in part by man's evil heart. This may lead a man to the unforgivable sin, speaking evil against the Holy Spirit, Matthew 12:32. Men can (but should not) work against the Holy Spirit, Acts 7:51. They may even make "the Spirit of grace" angry, Hebrews 10:29.

ii) On the other hand, the Spirit holds back the senseless rebellion of man. He will continue to hold back until He is taken away from this world, 2 Thessalonians 2:7.