Grace Fellowship Grace Fellowship ChurchChurch

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Tuesday, May 17, 2011Tuesday, May 17, 2011

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

DoxologyDoxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Amen.Amen.

Memory VerseMemory Verse

1 Cor 13:13 1 Cor 13:13 “But now abide (“But now abide (live foreverlive forever) ) faith, hope, love, these three; faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is but the greatest of these is love.”love.”

John 16:8-11John 16:8-11The Convicting Ministry The Convicting Ministry of God the Holy Spirit:of God the Holy Spirit:

Sin, vs. 9Sin, vs. 9Righteousness, vs. 10Righteousness, vs. 10

Judgment, vs. 11Judgment, vs. 11

Vs 9, “Man-ward” side of the Vs 9, “Man-ward” side of the Holy Spirit’s convicting Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry “sin”; the sin of ministry “sin”; the sin of

unbelief which is the unbelief which is the unpardonable sin and the sin unpardonable sin and the sin of blaspheming against the of blaspheming against the

Holy Spirit.Holy Spirit.

Vs 10, “Christ-ward” side of Vs 10, “Christ-ward” side of the Spirit’s ministry the Spirit’s ministry

represented in “righteous-represented in “righteous-ness”, the opposite of sin, ness”, the opposite of sin,

found in the person and saving found in the person and saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ.work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vs 11 “Satan-ward” side of Vs 11 “Satan-ward” side of the Spirit’s ministry the Spirit’s ministry

represented in “judgment”; represented in “judgment”; the judgment of sins in the the judgment of sins in the

Person of Jesus Christ which Person of Jesus Christ which defeated and condemned defeated and condemned

Satan once and for all time.Satan once and for all time.

John 16:8-11, John 16:8-11, “And He (“And He (God the Holy SpiritGod the Holy Spirit), at His coming, ), at His coming,

((the Church Agethe Church Age), will convict the world ), will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning sin and concerning righteousness and

concerning judgment. concerning judgment. 99On the one hand, On the one hand, concerning concerning thethe sin ( sin (of unbeliefof unbelief), because they (), because they (the the worldworld), ), habitually / customarily habitually / customarily do not believe in do not believe in Me, Me, 1010on the other hand concerning righteousness, on the other hand concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you all will because I am going to the Father and you all will

no longer see Me, no longer see Me, 1111even concerning even concerning the act of the act of judgment, because the ruler of this world is (judgment, because the ruler of this world is (has has

been and continues to bebeen and continues to be), judged.”), judged.”

Operating according to what Operating according to what Christ has accomplished, Christ has accomplished,

the Spirit convicts the Spirit convicts men concerning:men concerning:

Their sin of unbelief in Christ, Their sin of unbelief in Christ, concerning the righteousness concerning the righteousness that is found in Christ alone, that is found in Christ alone, and concerning the judgment and concerning the judgment over Satan accomplished by over Satan accomplished by

Christ on the Cross.Christ on the Cross.

These three things comprise These three things comprise the whole of His agency, in the whole of His agency, in the conversion of sinful men the conversion of sinful men

in what is called Common and in what is called Common and Efficacious Grace.Efficacious Grace.

Because man is born Because man is born spiritually dead, he cannot be spiritually dead, he cannot be effective at two points in his effective at two points in his

life as an unbeliever:life as an unbeliever:

a. At the point of gospel a. At the point of gospel hearing, the unbeliever is hearing, the unbeliever is

totally helpless and cannot totally helpless and cannot have a relationship with God. have a relationship with God.

He is dichotomous, and He is dichotomous, and cannot understand spiritual cannot understand spiritual

phenomena, 1 Cor 2:14. That phenomena, 1 Cor 2:14. That is why the Common Grace is why the Common Grace ministry of God the Holy ministry of God the Holy

Spirit is necessary.Spirit is necessary.

b. At the point of faith in b. At the point of faith in Christ, he is spiritually dead Christ, he is spiritually dead and can do nothing to gain and can do nothing to gain

spiritual life. That is why the spiritual life. That is why the Efficacious Grace of the Holy Efficacious Grace of the Holy Spirit is necessary at the point Spirit is necessary at the point

of believing.of believing.

1 Cor 2:14, 1 Cor 2:14, “But a natural (soulish) man “But a natural (soulish) man

(unbeliever) does not accept the (unbeliever) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they things of the Spirit of God, for they

are foolishness to him; and he are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because cannot understand them, because itit

(the gospel) is spiritually (the gospel) is spiritually appraised.”appraised.”

The two enabling ministries The two enabling ministries of the Holy Spirit in of the Holy Spirit in

evangelism are compared to evangelism are compared to breathing. breathing.

a. The inhale: the unbeliever a. The inhale: the unbeliever listens to the gospel, while the listens to the gospel, while the

Holy Spirit makes it Holy Spirit makes it perspicuous under Common perspicuous under Common

Grace. Grace.

b. The exhale: the unbeliever b. The exhale: the unbeliever believes in Christ, and the believes in Christ, and the

Holy Spirit under Efficacious Holy Spirit under Efficacious Grace, makes faith effective Grace, makes faith effective

for salvation.for salvation.

Common GraceCommon Grace::

1. Common Grace is the 1. Common Grace is the Spirit’s universal ministry to Spirit’s universal ministry to all of mankind by making the all of mankind by making the

Gospel of Jesus Christ real Gospel of Jesus Christ real and understandable to them. and understandable to them.

2. In evangelism and personal 2. In evangelism and personal witnessing, the Holy Spirit is witnessing, the Holy Spirit is the sovereign executive. He the sovereign executive. He

will only use what is accurate will only use what is accurate and true in the field of and true in the field of Biblical soteriology.Biblical soteriology.

3. Just as a living person 3. Just as a living person cannot communicate cannot communicate

with a dead person, neither with a dead person, neither can an evangelist make can an evangelist make

perspicuous the gospel to the perspicuous the gospel to the spiritually dead unless under spiritually dead unless under

Common Grace.Common Grace.

4. In the function of C.G., 4. In the function of C.G., the Spirit acts as a human the Spirit acts as a human

spirit to enable the spiritually spirit to enable the spiritually dead unbeliever to dead unbeliever to

comprehend the gospel.comprehend the gospel.

5. The unbeliever may hear 5. The unbeliever may hear the gospel, but he must the gospel, but he must be willing to listen to be willing to listen to

the gospel for Common the gospel for Common Grace to function. Grace to function.

The volition of the unbeliever The volition of the unbeliever provides the non‑meritorious provides the non‑meritorious willingness to listen, while willingness to listen, while

GtHS provides GtHS provides comprehension of the facts.comprehension of the facts.

6. The first mention of 6. The first mention of common grace in the Bible is common grace in the Bible is found in Gen 6:3. “Striving,” found in Gen 6:3. “Striving,” = DIYN, “to judge, contend, = DIYN, “to judge, contend, plead”, that is, making lucid, plead”, that is, making lucid, clarifying gospel information.clarifying gospel information.

7. Eph 1:13 is the exegetical 7. Eph 1:13 is the exegetical presentation of human presentation of human

volition in the doctrine of volition in the doctrine of Common Grace.Common Grace.

Eph 1:13, Eph 1:13, “In whom you also (when an “In whom you also (when an unbeliever), when you heard unbeliever), when you heard

(common grace) the message of (common grace) the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also when you believed, in whom also when you believed,

you were sealed in Him by the you were sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit (Efficacious Grace).”Holy Spirit (Efficacious Grace).”

a. There are two acts of human a. There are two acts of human volition in common grace; volition in common grace;

hearing the gospel and hearing the gospel and concentrating on it. You concentrating on it. You have to want to hear the have to want to hear the

gospel and concentrate on gospel and concentrate on its presentation. its presentation.

When you do, God the Holy When you do, God the Holy Spirit will make that gospel Spirit will make that gospel information real in your soul information real in your soul

so that you now have so that you now have information on which to make information on which to make

a decision. a decision.

He makes gospel information He makes gospel information comprehensible to the comprehensible to the

spiritually dead unbeliever.spiritually dead unbeliever.

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchTuesday, May 17, 2011Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tape # 11-058Tape # 11-058

Convicting Ministry of God the Holy SpiritConvicting Ministry of God the Holy SpiritCommon GraceCommon Grace

Upper Room Discourse, Part 508Upper Room Discourse, Part 508      

John 16:11; Gen 6:3; 1 Cor 2:14; Eph 1:13John 16:11; Gen 6:3; 1 Cor 2:14; Eph 1:13

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011