THE PIERCING SWORD OF DIVINE CONVICTION!
BY:J.FARRELL FISHER, NOV.2-4, 2017
In John 16 the Lord Jesus was preparing His disciples for coming opposition AND His soon departure, the opposition even by religious leaders and many of the Jewish community opposed to Christ Himself and the “true seekers”; Verses 1-4, Jesus speaking, “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
Oh, but things were about to change! And Almighty God was sending the Holy Spirit because the Son’s ‘cross sacrifice’, His death, burial, resurrection, and Ascension would soon take place, and the Victorious Jesus would be seated at God’s right hand on the throne of Heaven and earth but with the promise, power, and participation of the Holy Spirit in the conviction of men’s heart, the convincing of their need of the Savior, their conversion, and guarding, guiding, and gifting the “new-born” sons and daughters of True, Eternal Faith “in Christ” for their earthly reigns, ministries, and extending of that Resurrection Life in Christ!
But for all true believers, that ministry of the Holy Spirit begins with “The Piercing Sword of Divine Conviction” – that’s God the Holy Spirit knocking on the door of your heart, mind, and will in yielding to King Jesus!
Follow John 16:5-15! “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of the world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 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 tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
As an ‘intro’ into the ministry of the Holy Spirit before I get to this message’s main emphasis, three things I want you to be aware of: 1) The Holy Spirit is our “faithful guide”, 2) The Holy Spirit grants us a full unveiling of Jesus (“He will glorify Me” in and through YOU!), 3) The Holy Spirit releases in all true, repentant, born-again believers “a forceful empowerment”!
And, “the forceful empowerment”? IT IS “THE PIERCING SWORD OF DIVINE CONVICTION”! There are powerful verses in Revelation 1 when John unveiled His vision of the Son of Man! Examine carefully Verses 12-19! John wrote: Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,
“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”
Do you think that Christ Jesus was unveiling to John and us the continuing ministry of Christ through the Holy Spirit and His “eternal spiritual work” of the “piercing sword of divine conviction”? And, without a doubt, THAT is a vital ministry of the Holy Spirit! Jesus said, reminding you, of John 16:8-11, “And when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in Me (So they keep on “sinning”!); of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of the world is judged.”
I want you also to examine, reflect upon, and study Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6! He said: “knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (Election? The Greek word is “eklogon” meaning God’s initiative, God’s selection, God’s choice, which He sovereignly has the right to do! And you know the “chosen” by the unveiling of Christ in them and through them!). For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”
SO, FIRST, LOOK AT THE PIERCING SWORD OF DIVINE CONVICTION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO, YES, USHER IN DIVINE CONVERSION! Come to John 3 and receive Jesus’ words to Nicodemus and to us! John 3:1-8 says: There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.”
Jesus answered and said to Him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Has “the wind of God’s Spirit” blown upon your life, and have YOU been born again?).
‘Born of the Spirit’ is no reality apart from the deep conviction of sin and its birthing of the state of sinful death, alienated and separated from Holy God! No awareness of sin and the sin nature is evidence of a godless mind intent on enjoying “its” fruit apart from repentance toward God and faith in Christ’s finished work at the cross.
What did we just read a brief time ago from 1 Thessalonians 1:5? “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance…”! Paul then said in Verse 6, “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit…” There are those things, those attitudes, those outlooks in life that come, yes, from the world, the flesh, and from Satan himself, but ‘abiding joy’ in life comes only through the supernatural, new-birthing by the Spirit! We’re ‘born-again’ by the Spirit!
SECOND, WE EXAMINE THE SPIRITUAL SWORD OF DIVINE CONVICTION, THEN CONFESS, REPENT, TURN AWAY FROM THE PAST LIFE, AND REACH UP, INWARD, AND INTO ‘KINGDOM ALLEGIANCE’ AS EPHESIANS 2:18 TELLS US, “FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS BY ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER! The Holy Spirit, Paul is telling us, The Spirit, having led us to conversion, now leads us into the spirit of faithful devotion as sincere ‘ambassadors’ in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, our walk being earthly representatives of His Kingdom-rule! He is and is to be King of kings and Lord of lords, and as servants in His Kingdom, we’re ‘set apart’ to extend His Kingdom-rule, express His Kingdom-fruit, and illumine His Kingdom-faithfulness! Christ Jesus never missed a ‘beat’ in the Hallelujah Chorus of world redemption and Kingdom of God purpose!
In 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 the Holy Word inspires the truly repentant and regenerated souls of men. It says: “Now all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, AND has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
It’s “Christ in us, Christ through us, Christ being Himself” as Resurrected and Reigning Savior and Lord, graciously being “the hope of glory” in and through repentant, blood-bought, yielded vessels willing to be vessels only with Him our present, presiding Savior and Lord reaching out through us to extend His Kingdom, express His love, and prove His power!
THIRD, WE ENTRUST OURSELVES TO THE SPIRITUAL SWORD OF DIVINE CONVICTION, AND HAVING BEEN FAITHFULLY TRANSFORMED AND DECLARED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF FATHER-GOD THROUGH CHRIST AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT, WE UNDERSTAND OUR STAMPING, “SEALING”, AND SERVICE TO BE FAITHFULLY LIVING LIFE TO THE HONOR OF CHRIST THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Come to Ephesians 1:11-14, and Verses 17-19!! It says: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 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 with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.[The gospel of your salvation? Your best efforts, your strong determination to honor Him as best you could, your mental mind-set apart from “crucified with Christ”, and even your ‘gloating’ at the ‘fruit’ you produced that has nothing to do with the “fruit of the Spirit”, your mind-set of ‘trust’ in self at its best as a substitute for being the redeemed tabernacle of Resurrection Presence to be Himself in you and through you that, like Paul, “I take the sentence of death daily to myself that His Resurrection Life may be manifested in me”? Ephesians 1:17-19!! “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE OF HIM, they eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…”!! His power? His working? His greatness?
We choose to “die daily” and yield to His indwelling Spirit of power! In Ephesians 5:18 Paul also said, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit…”, yet, how easy it is for ‘believers’ to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God”, Ephesians 4:30!
Paul wasn’t finished yet! In Ephesians 6:17-18 Paul highlights true discipleship proof! They LIVE BY THE WORD OF REDEMPTIVE TRUTH, “taking the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”
Is this why Romans 7:5-6 highlights living in “newness of the Spirit”? It says: “For when we were in the flesh (your unforgiven, sin-natured controlled life, strongly influenced by Satan and the world around you?), the sinful passions which were aroused by the law (the law of sin and death?) were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law (of sin and death?), HAVING DIED TO WHAT WE WERE HELD BY, having died to what we WERE HELD BY, so that we should serve “in the newness of the Spirit” and not in the oldness of the letter.” How clear is that to you?
FOURTH, THE PIERCING SWORD OF DIVINE CONVICTION, THE SPIRIT UNVEILING MATURING IN CHRIST BY THE SPIRIT HIMSELF AND THE WORD, CONTINUES TO MANIFEST ETERNAL BLESSING, “GUIDING US INTO ALL TRUTH”! Luke 6:39 says, “Can the blind lead the blind?” Oh, but in Romans 8:12-17 we read, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh (the old sin nature!), to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; BUT IF BY THE SPIRIT you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
As Christ Jesus ministered to His young disciples, and especially more pointedly as He knew He faced the Cross, He said to them in John 16:12-15, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 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 tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine, and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine . Therefore I said that He (the Holy Spirit) will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
The Holy Spirit is under “divine orders” from the Father to be your constant “guide”, your “faithful assistant”, and YOUR assured unveiling in you and through you to honor Christ Jesus, your Indwelling Lord and Savior! A few words of “Spirit-Inspiration”:
“God’s Spirit lights the Way, unveiling for me Christ’s glorifying ‘Day”; No longer highways of sinful indulgence, but the Pathway of Christ in me through Spirit-anointing.
God’s Spirit lights the fire, a fire of faithfulness to honor His Son; No longer the darkness of ‘flesh’ with no Light to guide, but The Spirit of fire, and from Him I will not hide.
God’s Spirit inflames the heart, the mind, and the will, and under His anointing God’s children cannot remain still; A world to touch, a life to see changed, blessed by the Spirit, heavenly rearranged!
God’s Spirit unveils the deceptions of self and Satan, clearly exposing the deceptions of a world of ‘flesh’; releasing the Light that make’s one’s pathways bright, I settle for Spirit-might, not a ‘fleshly candle light’!
God’s Spirit is the “faithful Guide”, and promised by Christ He does not hide; Presence is His promise, God’s power His provision, the mission of the Spirit is Christ’s ammunition!
God’s Spirit is about the ministry to ‘glorify Christ’, God’s appointment of ministry in Spirit-assistance; we’re not left alone in a world of unbelief but “Heaven-come-down” in sweet relief!
God’s Spirit abounds in Spirit-anointings – one mission in mind – to honor God’s Son! His anointings abound, and for every disciple, He waits to astound! He looks for the “child’ who needs help to obey, and offers His presence without any dismay!
God’s Spirit is sure: “Yes, there is the divine cure!” And He waits for the ‘servant’ to give Him His place, desiring in blessing, yes, His guardian gifts, intent in His ministry, no disciple’s rift!
God’s Spirit is certain – He’s the Spirit of Truth! Of Him, the world at large does not receive for its mind is deceived, because of the Spirit they neither see Him or know Him, content as spiritual orphans to live godless lives because it’s of the ‘flesh’ they think they spiritually thrive!
God’s Spirit has a ‘Day’, a time of explanation, when the Word clearly declares, “each of us shall give account of himself to God,” pray it’s not one of self-deviation, but one of “Christ Jesus exaltation”! Amen?