Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, May 10,

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

Memory Verse 1 Cor 13:13 “But now abide (live forever) faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

John 16:8-11 The Convicting Ministry of God the Holy Spirit: Sin, vs. 9 Righteousness, vs. 10 Judgment, vs. 11

Vs 9, “Man-ward” side of the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry “sin”; the sin of unbelief which is the unpardonable sin and the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Vs 10, “Christ-ward” side of the Spirit’s ministry represented in “righteous- ness”, the opposite of sin, found in the person and saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vs 11 “Satan-ward” side of the Spirit’s ministry represented in “judgment”; the judgment of sins in the Person of Jesus Christ which defeated and condemned Satan once and for all time.

John 16:10, B. Concerning Righteousness!

DIKAIOSUNE = Righteousness - The right relationship Jesus had with the Father expressed in the faithfulness Jesus had in fulfilling the will and Plan of the Father.

Jesus Christ is the Righteous One who fulfilled the Father’s Plan of Salvation. James 5:6; Rev 5:2-5

James 5:6, “You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

True righteousness is being God-oriented which Jesus was 100% of the time. It’s a technical word for Grace Orientation.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit convicts an unbeliever who has no grace orientation toward the Grace of God for his salvation found in the Righteous One; the Lord Jesus Christ.

Human good has no application in the Plan of God because grace is the complete opposite.

This world does not have at its disposal the possibility of true righteousness apart from God’s providing it Himself via His Son and His Spirit. Mat 9:13; Mark 2:17

Mat 9:13, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17, “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the (self) righteous, but sinners.”

Christ accomplished what the Law could not do. Through His death, believers are made righteous. Rom 1:16-17; 5:7, 19; 8:3-4; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 2:21; cf. Rom 10:4

2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Because of the righteous person and work of Jesus Christ, those who are faithful will receive eternal rewards for righteousness. 2 Tim 4:8

2 Tim 4:8, “In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Principles: “I go to the Father.” 1. To go to the Father, Jesus Christ had to rise again. He had to ascend. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, He is glorified, and He is vindicated by the Father of His accusers.

2. The Father has accepted Him. The Father was propitiated by the cross and He shows His acceptance of the Son by saying to Him, “Sit down at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool”, Psa 110:1; Heb 1:13

3. It is the Son who died on the Cross; it is the Son who is seated at the right hand of the Father; it is the Son who did the work, and He is the Righteous One.

4. It is the Son who did the work and who is the Savior, and grace orientation at the point of witnessing is understanding who and what the Son is.

5. When He says, “I go to my Father,” He is expressing the fact that His righteous work is completed, Rom 3:10, 21-30; Heb 1:8.

Heb 1:8, “But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.”

Heb 1:9, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

Grace Fellowship Church Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Tape # Convicting Ministry of God the Holy Spirit Righteousness Upper Room Discourse, Part 505 John 16:10; Rom 1:16-17; 3:10, 21-30; 5:7, 19; 8:3-4; James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011