The sermon defends the Holy Spirit’s personhood by pointing to His understanding, will, power, speech, and personal works in Scripture. This personhood supports the doctrine of the Trinity, in which Father, Son, and Spirit act in unified purpose to save God’s people. Christ’s promise that the Spirit will abide forever grounds the believer’s assurance and explains the Spirit’s ongoing work of guidance, illumination, comfort, regeneration, and holiness. The proper response is reverent faith, prayer, obedience, and openness to the Spirit’s indwelling presence.
Theological center: The Holy Spirit is the fully divine third person of the Trinity who works inseparably with the Father and the Son to accomplish and apply salvation.
Applications: Pray to the Holy Spirit · Yield to the Spirit’s restraint · Do not despise the Holy Spirit · Believe and experience the Spirit’s indwelling
Primary texts: John 14:16-17 · 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 · 1 Corinthians 12:11
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever: even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:16-17 You will be surprised to hear me announce that I do not intend this morning to say anything about the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. I propose to reserve that for a special Sermon this evening [See Sermon #5, The Comforter]. In this discourse, I shall endeavor to explain and enforce certain other doctrines which I believe are plainly taught in this text and which I hope God the Holy Ghost may make profitable to our souls. Old John Newton once said that there were some books which he could not read—they wer…