You’re going to get better and you can’t help it.

Steve Brown:
You’re going to get better and you can’t help it. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
The deepest message of Jesus and the Bible is the radical grace of God to sinners and sufferers. That’s what Key Life is all about. So, if you’re hungry for the hopeful truth that God isn’t mad at you, keep listening. Steve Brown is a professor and our teacher on Key Life.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. If you’ve been listening this week, we’ve talked about the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s relationship to love. We have seen, and if you’ve been with us over the past few weeks, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to sin, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to truth, His relationship to power. And this week, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to love. And it’s all filed under the understanding that God is doing a work in His people, in His church, and as flawed as it is, it’s eternal, and it’s ongoing, and it’s His methodology of evangelism. Now, I want to show you one other thing and we’ll talk a lot more about this next week and the week after. And then maybe some wrap up teaching on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. But the final thing that we ought to look at is the Holy Spirit not only removes condemnation, reminds us of Jesus, and keeps us close to Him. The Holy Spirit even fulfills God’s commandments in us. I John 3:24.

And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit he has given us.

Let me give you another verse, this is from Romans 8:26.

Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weakness.

Now, some really good stuff. I want to give you some good news, however it is only good news for those who believe the bad news. A cure for cancer isn’t good news unless you know the bad news that you have cancer. Likewise, if you’re pretty sure that you have it together, that while you aren’t perfect, you are quite close to sanctification, that your weaknesses have been pretty much ameliorated, and that your strengths are being used in a grand way for God. If your prayer life is super, you don’t have any family problems, your work at church is just fine, then you’re not going to like what I’m going to teach you. In fact, I strongly advise you not to listen to Key Live for the next week or two. Now, I want to say a word to those of us who are honest about our struggle. I’ve discovered some things in the Bible that have changed my life and the lives of so many others. Just so you’re prepared, I’m going to say some fairly negative things about our ability to do anything for God. But I’m going to say some wonderful things about God’s ability through the operative power of the Holy Spirit to do some really great things through extremely weak and sinful people. In John’s Gospel, there came a time when there was a subtle shift in Jesus ministry. John tells us that many of Jesus’ disciples went black and walked with him no more. This is in John the sixth chapter.

Jesus turned to his twelve closest friends,

And there is great pathos in what he said. In fact, every time I read this statement, I wince.

He said to his disciples. “Do you also, want to go away?”

And you’ll remember in John 6:66 through 71

Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and to know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

From that point on, beginning in the sixth chapter, Jesus began to say uncomfortable things. I suspect that on occasion, Peter and the disciples were quite horrified at some of the things Jesus said. Jesus told them that they would be persecuted. He predicted his own torture and death. In response to Peter’s rather prideful comments that even if everybody else was a coward, he was not and would follow Christ to the death.

Jesus said. “Before the cock crows three times, you will have denied me.”

He reminded his disciples they were not above him and would be treated by the world in the same way he had been treated.

He said. “That they would be rejected by religious institutions and that yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God a service.”

That’s John 16:2. The disciples were frankly not altogether happy with the prospects of following Christ, if those prospects were as Jesus described them. I believe that many of them would have simply given up and gone home were it not for the fact that in the midst of this incredibly negative teaching of Jesus, there were over and over again, references to the new supernatural power that would be given to Christians. Jesus called that power the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would guide and protect and sustain. The Holy Spirit would make them better. The Holy Spirit would sanctify them. The Holy Spirit would keep them persevering. The Holy Spirit would bring obedience and faithfulness. Listen to some of what Jesus said to his disciples. Even while telling them about the bad things they would expect. In John 7:37 through 39, he says.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” by this he spoke concerning the Spirit, whose believing in him they would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

That’s John 14:23. And then in John 14:25 through 27, he says this.

“These things have I spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace, Shalom, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Well, some more. John 15:4 through 5.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I’m the vine; and you’re the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.”

Couple more, John 16:5 through 7.

“But now I go away to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I’ve 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, the Holy Spirit will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you.”

And then in John 16:13 through 15.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you of things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has given are mine; therefore, I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you.”

Did you listen to the Scripture? It is saying something very important. You can translate it as follows. You’re going to get better. Deal with it. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve and thank you for joining us in our study of the Holy Spirit this week. Don’t forget tomorrow is Friday Q&A and on tap for Steve and Pete is this question. If someone doesn’t want to hear about Jesus, do we still tell them? Tune in for that answer. And here’s one more question. Have you met Brant Hansen? On his Twitter account, he describes himself as, author, radio guy, happy to be ASD. ASD is Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Brant is one of those folks who makes you feel like you’ve been best friends for years. His latest book is called, Life is Hard, God is Good, Let’s Dance. It’s all about finding joy and peace in a world that just seems bent on being angry. Well, we put that entire episode on a CD and we would love to send it to you absolutely free. Just 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 for our mailing addresses. Again, ask for the CD featuring Brant Hansen. Finally, if you value the work of Key Life, you can join us in that work through your giving. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or simply text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Text that to 28950. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And as always, Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.