The Triune God: The Holy Spirit L

The first thing a lost person objects to
Is that by nature he's inclined to sin;
All people are not born the same things to do,
But most of these are common to most men---
Daydreams of sex with the unwed, for sure;
Or the real act; or unnatural forms;
Or same-gender sex partners is impure;
Lust is in our nature in all its norms!
How about hatred? Or tantrums of rage?
Jealousy? Incest? Or sowing discord?
Selfish ambition; in drug trade engage;
Drunkenness; envy; ignoring the Lord!
No human being can live without sin,
Unless God, the Holy Spirit's within!



When a man, woman, or child becomes a follower of Jesus and enters the Kingdom of Heaven, it is always because the Holy Spirit has been at work inside the person's mind.



"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you, not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)



"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor [Holy Spirit] will not come to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment; in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me." (John 16:8-9) [Brackets added]



Jesus told His apostles on Thursday night, before His crucifiction on Friday. that He would be crucified, resurrected on the third day, and after that would go away from them, but that He wou;d send the Holy Spirit as a counselor; the Spirit's first task would be to "convict the world" (meaning unsaved men and women) of their guilt in sinning. The Spirit, unseen, enters into the command center of a lost person and, using a soft, gentle voice, tells him that he is a sinner, inviting him to accept Jesus as his Lord and to receive salvation from being condemned to hell when he dies. The Spirit does not stay within the person; He goes to one after another, preparing the way for the disciple of Jesus to speak to him about his soul. Most people go through life unaware that they are out of fellowship with God and in terrible danger of spending eternity in torment. The Spirit prepares the unsaved for receiving the witnessing of a believer.



The first scripture quoted above is written by apostle Paul to the Christians at Thessalnika. In his salutation Paul testifies that it was the work of the Holy Spirit that prepared their hearts for receiving the gospel and becoming deeply committed to the Lord.



Can you imagine the repulsion felt by the Spirit upon entering the filthy mind of some very sinful person? Remember, He is God; the Bible says that God hates sin. To enter the mind of a sex pervert and see the evil sexual daydreams that are there must make Him nauseated. But God loves all people; He hates their sins, but He loves the people. The Spirit does that because of God's love and desire for them to be saved. Please re-read the terrible adjectives in the poem. They describe the natures we humans possess at birth. I know it is difficult to look at a one- or two-year-old child and imagine that his inner inherited nature is like the poem, but it is. That sinful inherent nature must be changed for a person to go to heaven, because up there, there is no sin, and no minds that conceive such things. When a person comes to Jesus, he must change his nature by suppressing those evil traits; as Paul says, we must "crucify" those habits.