Let us commence our services today by singing together hymn number 610. The tune is Corinth 669.

Precious Jesus, friend of sinners,

We as such to thee drawn here,

let thy spirit now dwell in us,

and with love our souls inspire.

Fill, O fill us with that love

which casts out fear.

Hymn 610, tune Corinth, 669.

Let us read together from the holy word of God in the gospel according to John and chapter 3. The third chapter in John's gospel.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that which we do know, and testify that we have seen, and you receive not our witness.

If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven even the Son of Man, which is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already. because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he tarried with them and baptised. And John also was baptising in Anon near to Salem, because there was much water there, And they came and were baptized, for John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, that of course is Jesus, to whom thou bearest witness, Behold, the same baptiseth, and all men come to him.

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard that he testified, no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him, The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. But he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

May the Lord bless the reading. of his own precious word of truth and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Let us pray. Almighty, most merciful and eternal God of heaven, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty and we desire that thou wouldst grant unto us a spirit of true worship as we gather together around thy holy word of truth. And we pray that thy word may be made a living word that shall enter into our hearts even this day, sealed there by the Holy Ghost. We pray, most gracious God, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide with us. Oh, we do pray that we may feel those divine drawings of a heavenly Father as we gather in the house of God today. Thy word declares unto us that none come except the Father draw. May we know those sacred drawings of our heavenly Father. drawing us unto Jesus Christ and drawing us into spiritual things. We pray that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened and that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We pray for the divine power and the heavenly unction of the Holy Ghost Without thy heavenly power, O Lord, no sweets the Gospel can afford. And we pray that thou wouldst graciously come today, and it may be with us as the Apostle could testify when he was at Thessalonica. For our Gospel came unto you not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. Lord, we pray that it may be so today. We pray that we may be favoured with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. We read of the Lord Jesus when he came and stood in the midst of the disciples after he was risen from the dead. When they were in fear of the Jews, the doors being locked, and Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said, peace be unto you. We pray that it may be so even today as we gather together around thy word.

We pray that thou would remember us as a church, as a congregation, that thou would work mightily and powerfully and effectually among us by thy blessed spirit. We seek thy blessing upon our brethren, the deacons, that grace, wisdom, and help may be given to them in all their responsibilities. We thank thee for our brethren and we pray that thou wouldst undertake for them. Remember each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship. Help us to love each other, to serve each other, to bear each other's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ.

And, O Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst bless the whole of our congregation, that the mighty work of thy Spirit may be made manifest, that precious souls may be gathered unto Christ, may become true followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises, those wonderful promises of divine grace and of everlasting life,

We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst fulfil what we've read together in thy holy word. Ye must be born again. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst grant that thou wouldst quicken souls and make them cry, give me Christ or else I die.

Lord, we do pray that thou wast blessed the little ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary, that thou wast put the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom into their hearts in their young and tender years. We pray that thou wast blessed our young friends, that thou wast blessed them with living faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become true followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises be with our young friends in all the paths of providence, and graciously unfold thy will and thy purposes concerning them.

Gracious Lord, we pray that thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We pray, Lord, that thou wouldst graciously remember the prodigals that have wandered away, and stretch out thy almighty arm and cause them to return, we do humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake. We long to see those prodigals returning. We keep watching, Lord, and waiting, and we pray that thou wouldst let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We pray that the wonderful glory and light of gospel truth may shine into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets, and that thou wouldst pull down the strongholds of Satan and set up the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of sinners. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children, O Lord, we beseech thee.

We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst remember all in the midst of the journey of life particularly, Lord, parents, that they may be given grace to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We pray, Lord, for each one in the midst of the journey of life and in all their concerns, that thou wouldst graciously help them to commit their way unto the Lord and trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.

Lord, we pray for those that are in spiritual darkness that they may be brought into light, those that are in spiritual bondage that they may be brought into liberty, those that feel to be far off from thee, we pray that thou wouldst make them nigh for thy great name's sake.

We pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst graciously remember those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey and grant us a gracious preparation for that great change that must come when we shall soar through tracks unknown and see thee on thy judgment throne.

Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.

Lord, we pay for any affliction or trouble or trial or perplexity that thou wouldst graciously undertake for each one and make the crooked things straight and the rough places plain.

We come Lord as poor sinners before thee and we would seek to confess our sins and our wanderings and our backslidings and we pray to be washed in the precious blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin.

We pray for all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine today upon the walls of Zion, that thou would set them free and at liberty, that thou would send out thy light and thy truth, that thou wouldst grant mighty signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the word.

We pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest and to build the walls of Jerusalem,

We pray, most gracious Lord, for those that go forth from among us, among the nations of the earth.

We think of the Mombasa mission in Kenya. We pray for thy servants there, that thy rich blessing may rest upon them, that there may be an abundant harvest in due season, and that thou would supply all their many returning needs.

We pray for the Savannah Education Trust, and that great work that they're doing in Ghana, that it may be down to the honour, glory and praise of thy great and holy name.

We pray for Ian Sadler and the great work that he does in so many different nations in the distribution and exposition of the word of God, supply all his needs, oh Lord, we pray thee.

And that these things may be down to the great glory of thy holy name and the increase of thy kingdom here upon earth.

Lord, we pray for our nation. We live in solemn days when iniquity abounds on every hand and the spirit of Antichrist is seen so powerful among us as a nation and among the nations of the earth.

And we pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst give wisdom to our leaders, guidance and direction in all matters.

And that we pray, Lord, for all in authority over us. We pray for our King, that thy rich blessing may rest upon him and the royal household. We do humbly beseech thee.

We pray for those that live in those Nations on the earth where the name of Christ is hated and where thy people are persecuted, imprisoned and even unto death for the name and witness of Jesus Christ, we pray that thou would send them help from thee, sanctuary, and strengthen them out of Zion.

O Lord, we do thank thee for our little house of prayer. We do Thank Thee for supplying all our many returning needs. We do thank Thee that Thy mercies to us each personally are new every morning and great is Thy faithfulness. We do thank Thee, most gracious Lord, for the wonderful glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for that profound mystery of God manifest in the flesh. We thank Thee for the holy life He lived as a man here upon earth, fulfilling Thy holy law and bringing in everlasting righteousness for Thy people.

We thank Thee, most gracious Lord, for our suffering Saviour, who suffered and bled and died for the sins of His people. died for our sins, but rose again for our justification. Lord, we bless Thee for our crucified Saviour. We thank Thee for what He has done. He has destroyed death and him that had the power of death, even the devil. He hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

We thank thee that he has bodily ascended into heaven and sitteth at thy right hand. For such an high priest have we, who is passed into the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God, O most gracious Lord, do hear us then, do come and open thy word unto our heart and to our understanding. Come, Lord, we pray thee, unstop the deaf ears, open the blind eyes, cause the dumb to speak and the lame to walk.

Gracious God, do hear us and come and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask, with the forgiveness of all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn number 195. The tune is Osset 386.

Assist my soul, my heavenly king,

thy everlasting love to sing,

and joyful spread thy praise above,

as one through grace that's born of God.

hymn 195, tune Osset 386.

greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter that we read, the third chapter in the gospel according to John, and we will read verses five, six, and seven for our text.

John's gospel, chapter three, verses five, six, and seven.

Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of 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. Marvel not, but I said unto thee, You must be born again.

The great, well-known preacher, George Whitfield, somebody said to him one day, Mr. Whitfield, why is it that you so often preach from that text? You must be born again. And Whitfield looked him in the eye And he said, because ye must be born again. And what the Lord Jesus sets before us here is something that is absolutely vital and essential. It's not something that is optional. And what it says in our text, verily, verily, and this is a form of speech that was often used by the Lord Jesus Christ, and verily, verily means certainly, certainly. It's an affirmation of what he is saying.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So we have something that is set before us here that is absolutely vital. If we live and die the way that we were born, we should be lost. It's a very solemn thought, isn't it? You must be born again.

My mind, it just goes to the first verse in the second chapter of the Paul's epistle to the Ephesians and he says this you hath he quickened that were dead in trespasses and in sins quickened is an old English word which means to give life you hath he quickened you hath he given life who were dead you know it when man fell in the Garden of Eden. It's recorded in the third chapter of the book of Genesis. Man fell into sin. And the Lord had said to Adam and Eve concerning the tree that was in the midst of the garden. He said, everything else you can eat in that garden, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is in the midst of the garden, thou shalt not eat. for the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die

and in that day we read that Eve she looked at that fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and she coveted it and the devil came with a temptation He said to her, in fact, as the Lord Jesus says concerning Satan, he's the father of lies. And there was the lie in the Garden of Eden. And Satan said to Eve, concerning that fruit, he said, thou shalt not die. And the sad thing is, is that Eve believed Satan rather than God. And she took of the fruit, the forbidden fruit, and she gave unto Adam her husband, and their eyes were opened, and they died spiritually. They didn't die literally there and then and buried, but they died spiritually.

Adam is the federal head of the human race. He's the representative of the whole of the human race. And the Word of God says, as in Adam, all die. And so, my beloved friends, as the Word of God tells us, every one of us is born in sin and shapen in iniquity. And in sin did my mother conceive me. It means that As the Word of God says, sin passed upon all men. We are all the sons and daughters of Adam. And that fallen nature of Adam is passed on by natural generation, from generation to generation. So we are spiritually dead. The dead know not anything. We're not aware.

See this brings us to this point, what we have in our text, you must be born again. Man died spiritually. We have to understand what man is. It is recorded in the book of Genesis what man is. It is recorded in the book of Genesis that God took of the dust of the earth and he formed the intricate body of man. And then we read, and God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul. The distinction between man and animals and birds and any other creature is that man has a spiritual path. He has a soul. You have a soul. I have a soul. That is what constitutes human nature. A body and a soul.

And in the epistle of James it says the body without the spirit is dead. And that is really expressing to us what death is. It's when the soul leaves the body. and then our body dies. What animates our body is our soul. In our articles of faith it's called a reasonable soul. Why is it called a reasonable soul? Because our spiritual soul is the seat of our reason, of our intellect. that is what distinguishes from the beast of the field, is that man has an intellect, he has a spiritual power and the seat of his reason is in his soul. And it's in this sense that man is made in the image of God.

Man is made in the image of God. because death passed upon all men, because we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we come under the wrath of God. There's a definition in holy scripture of sin in the first epistle of John. Sin is any transgression of the law of God and when it speaks there of the law of God it means the ten commandments. If we break the holy commandments of God, we sin against God. And sadly for man, he's born in sin. We sin because we're sinners. We sin because that is the natural propensity of our heart. That's our fallen nature.

Now when Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews that means he was a member of the Sanhedrin which was the ruling body of the Jewish people and we notice the same came to Jesus by night. Why did he come by night? Because he didn't want to be seen consorting with Jesus of Nazareth who was despised by the Pharisees. They hated Him. You might say, why? Because men love darkness rather than light. We read it here in the Word of God. And when the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, manifest in the flesh, when He came here upon Earth, He lived a life that was holy and pure and righteous. And because of that, Men hated him. Why? Because the way he lived and the things he did exposed their own fallen sinful nature. And because of that sinful fallen nature, men loved darkness rather than light.

In Holy Scripture, darkness is for the things of the devil. The devil is called the Prince of Darkness. Man left to himself is in darkness and in bondage. And he's a lawbreaker. And the Bible says clearly, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. It shall die. The wise woman of Zekoia, when she came in before King David, she said, for we must needs die. and be as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered again. The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 9, he speaks there so clearly, solemnly, as it is appointed unto man once to die, so after death, the judgment. We must all appear at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. We must all die. Every one of us. And when we die, you know, the most certain thing in life is death. It's the only thing that is absolutely certain. As sure as we've been born, that is our natural birth, we most surely will die. Because we all have sinned. and the soul that sinneth it shall die. That's God's holy word.

Nicodemus, he was ashamed to be seen with Jesus, but there was something in him that was inquiring. So he came by night, so that nobody else saw him come.

The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, that means master, it was actually a very respectful way of speaking unto the Lord Jesus. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.

See there was a dawning in the heart, in the mind of Nicodemus of spiritual life. A beginning of spiritual life. An inquiry. A seeking. Because that's really what it was. And the wonderful thing is that Nicodemus was brought more fully to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

In the Sanhedrin he actually defended the glorious person of Jesus Christ before all the Jewish leaders of the Jews later in his life. And it was Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus that took the body of Jesus from the cross. He openly professed the name of Christ, but it was gradual. There was a lot to lose if he went this way. But he actually lovingly took the body of Jesus from the cross and laid it in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

So we We read in the Word of God, though thy beginnings be small, thy latter end shall greatly increase. And we see that so beautifully in the case of Nicodemus.

Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now, Nicodemus immediately misunderstood, and that is often the case. When our eyes are first opened, we read of a blind man that Jesus made him to see. And firstly, he saw men as trees walking until the Lord touched him again, and then he saw clearly.

And it's like that spiritually, when the Lord first opens our eyes, so that it gives us spiritual life, it gives us the eye of faith, it gives us the hearing ear and this all comes from God, this all comes from the divine work of the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, the third person in the Blessed Trinity. When he enters into the heart he begins to open, it says in I think it's Ephesians chapter one, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.

And of course, my beloved friends, we need to ask that question. Have your eyes been opened? The eyes of our understanding, have they been opened?

Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? This seemed to him so strange and so unusual. How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered, verily, verily, certainly, certainly, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You may say to me, well, what? What does it mean, water and the spirit?

Well, in the Holy Scripture, the Holy Ghost is often likened unto water. And if you think of that, you think of water as an element, it is vital to life. If there's no water, we can't live. We must have water. So these things, The Lord Jesus constantly, he used parables and he used things from nature to teach a spiritual truth. And if we, if we haven't got water, we die. And it is so spiritually. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

we read in the seventh chapter of the Gospel according to John and there's a beautiful passage there from verse 37 to 39 in the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Now listen to this. But this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. See, the Holy Spirit likened to water.

In the next chapter, chapter 4, we read of the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Samaritan woman at the Jacob's well. It says in verse 6, John 4 verse 6, Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water.

Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat. Then said the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritan.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, Thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

That's the Holy Ghost. The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with. Again, like Nicodemus, she misunderstood the spiritual language. The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou that living water?

You see, Jesus says in verse 13, whosoever drinketh of this water, that is natural water, shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

You see, That's the Holy Ghost. A believer becomes a believer because the Holy Ghost has entered their heart and quickened their soul. And what Jesus is saying here, you see, he shall never thirst again. But the water that I shall give him, that's the Holy Ghost, shall be in him. A well of water springing up. into everlasting life.

You know, it's the Holy Spirit that calls a poor sinner by divine grace. It's the Holy Spirit, that third blessed person in the Trinity, who proceeded forth from the Father and the Son. He enters into a poor lost sinner's heart and it quickens their soul into life. This is what Jesus is emphasizing. You must be born again.

You think of the last chapter of Holy Scripture, Revelation 22, and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. A pure river, clear as crystal, that's the Holy Ghost. We read in Psalm 46, there is a river, the streams thereof shall make glad the city of God, the dwelling places of the Most High.

That river, my beloved friends, is the Holy Ghost. It is. A pure river of water of life. We read in the Romans that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. It says here, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. That's our natural flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. The Lord Jesus is making a distinction.

You see the Jews, Nicodemus, of course, being one of the leaders of the Jews, they would quite openly say, the Pharisees in particular, we have Abraham as our father. We have Abraham as our father. But the Lord Jesus here is speaking of something else.

You see, when Christ came here upon earth, When he lived that holy life, you see we've spoken of sin and of a broken law. What Jesus did in his holy life was fulfilled the law. The law that we break and we break it continually. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. That's the holy law of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ speaking of the Holy Law of God. He said, and this is the Holy Law of God. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind and thy neighbor as thyself. That's the fulfilling of the law. And that is how Jesus Christ lived. He loved the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul. And he loved his neighbors himself. We can see that because wherever he went, he healed those that had diseases, those that were possessed with devils. He healed them, he restored them. He blessed them. And in that holy life for 33 years, the man Christ Jesus fulfilled and honored and magnified the law of God. And he did that for his church, for his people.

Jesus said, I come not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the spirit and you'll notice there that in verse six that the Spirit is a capital S because it's speaking of the divine person of the Holy Ghost.

Have you, have I, been born of the Spirit? Have you and I passed from death unto life? We read in the book of the Revelation chapter 20 in verse 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power.

You may say to me, what is the first resurrection? It is when a poor sinner is brought from spiritual death into spiritual life. They're resurrected from that state of spiritual death. And this is what Jesus is saying here, you must be born again. You must be resurrected from that state of spiritual death.

In Romans chapter eight, the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul speaking of this vital necessity of the work of the Holy Ghost. He says if any man, he calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ. And he says if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Ghost. So this This speaks to us of the vital necessity of the Holy Ghost. And of the Holy Ghost dwelling in our heart. That is what makes a Christian believer.

The Holy Ghost dwelling in the heart. The Apostle, when he writes to the Corinthians, he says to them, know ye not that ye are the temple of the Holy Ghost. is speaking to Christian believers. The temple of the Holy Ghost. Why called a temple? Because the Holy Ghost dwells in the heart of every true believer.

The Holy Ghost gives life. The Holy Ghost maintains spiritual life in the heart of the true believer. And as we notice here in this chapter the exceedingly well-known words that we read in in 14 to 17, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man, that's Christ, be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Have eternal life, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

We read in the Word of God that for there is salvation in none other. There is salvation in none other. but in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here in John's Gospel, the Lord Jesus, he speaks quite extensively on the work of the Holy Ghost. Especially in the chapter 16, he was just about to leave the disciples here on earth, and he was to ascend up into heaven.

And he said to them, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. It says in the latter part, verse 26 of chapter 15 of John, but when the Comforter is come, you notice Comforter is written with a capital C, because it's referring to the Holy Ghost. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me. And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning. He shall testify of me. And then we read in, the Lord Jesus goes on and opens up more fully this work of the Spirit and the divine person of the Holy Ghost. verse 7 of chapter 16, nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter, again capital C, will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you, and when he is come, what does that mean? Some would say that means the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, well of course That was a wonderful event, but essentially it means when he comes to a sinner's heart, when the Holy Ghost comes to a sinner's heart, when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

When he comes to our heart, he shows us that we're sinners. And he convinces us of our sin. And he reproves us because we're lawbreakers. And then it says, and righteousness. He also will convince you that God is righteous, that God is holy. And then it says, and of judgment. He will convince you that one day you must appear at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.

This is the divine work of the Spirit in the heart. And he says in verse 13, how be it when he the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me.

So we have this double, it's like a two-edged sword. On the one hand, he'll convince us that we're sinners and that we're in danger of eternal judgment. But on the other hand, he will guide you to Jesus Christ, the savior of sinners. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from all sins.

Howbeit, when he the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

You see, to have Christ revealed, to know. The Apostle, when he writes to the Philippians, the deep desire of his heart was that I might know him. Who? Christ. That I might know him in the power. Not just to intellectually understand the Gospel, not to just intellectually understand the Word of God, but to spiritually understand it. Now you can't do that unless the Holy Ghost enters your heart.

There's a very beautiful piece in the second chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians. And we read there, and I often quote it to you. It quotes first from Isaiah in verse 9.

But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed the mantras by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, so the Spirit of man which is in him, even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the word which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

What he means there is comparing the Word of God with the Word of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. We read in Scripture that men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. They were divinely inspired to write the Word of God. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual, that means he that is born again, judges all things. yet he himself is judged of no man. For we have known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ.

Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.

What a wonderful thing if the Holy Spirit fixes that in your heart and in your mind. What a wonderful thing the Holy Spirit convinces you of your sin. It says in the text of Scripture we prove your sin but in the margin the alternative is convince and that word convince means you don't just think you're a sinner you know because the Holy Spirit is dwelling in your heart and convincing you that you're a sinner and that you need salvation.

The apostles, in the Acts of the Apostles, he says, there is none other name given under heaven whereby you must be saved, that is the name of Jesus Christ. That's the way of salvation. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. We can only know God in Christ. There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for all to be testified in due time.

May the Lord have his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn number 1107. The tune is Warrington, 432. When some sweet promise warms our heart and cheers us under every care, it is the Spirit's gracious power to take that word and fix it there.

Hymn 1107. Tune Warrington 432.

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen.