The Holy Spirit & Salvation

The Holy Spirit & Salvation

Nathan Smalley - June 16, 2026

Supporting Text: Zech. 4:6, John 16:8–11, John 3:19–20, Rom. 1:17–32, Eph. 2:1–10, Rom. 4:3, Gal. 3:6, Matt. 25:41, Rev. 20:1–10, John 6:44, John 14:18–23, Lev. 9:22–24, Exod. 40:34–38, 2 Chron. 7:1–3, Acts 2:3–4, Matt. 3:11, 1 Cor. 3:16, 1 Cor. 6:19, 1 John 1:9, Rom. 8:1–2.

Zechariah 4:6 illustrates a principle seen throughout Scripture: God's work is accomplished not through human strength but through the power of His Spirit.. He is the executor of God's will on the earth. There is no greater work involving the Holy Spirit than that of salvation. In this lesson we will examine the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation. In our next study we will explore His continuing work of sanctification in the life of the believer.

Convicting the World...

Let's turn to the Gospel of John. 

John 16:8 - And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

John 16:9 - oncerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

John 16:10 - concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;

John 16:11 - concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Here, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit and specifically how He operates in the process of salvation. We are told that one of the primary aspects of His ministry is to convict.

To convict means to expose, reprove, and convince. The Holy Spirit exposes the world's unbelief and convinces people of the truth concerning Christ and His finished work. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit does this in three different ways:

1. Of Sin – People are convicted of sin because they do not believe in Jesus. It is mankind's love for sin over Christ that prevents them from accepting Him (Jn. 3:19-20, Rom. 1, Eph. 2). When a person desires sin more than Christ, they ultimately reject Him.

2. Of Righteousness - People are convicted concerning righteousness because Christ is perfectly righteous. Who He is and what He accomplished was fully accepted by God the Father. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags and is unacceptable before God. The Father accepts us only through His Son (Rom. 1:17, 4:3, Gal. 3:6).

3. Of Judgment: [Matt. 25:41, Rev. 20:1-10] - Those who do not accept Christ—who took God's judgment upon Himself for us—will instead receive God's judgment themselves.

In John 6:44, Jesus tells us that no man can come to Him unless the Father who sent Him draws him. This means that it is the work of the Holy Spirit, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to convict people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When we draw near to God for salvation, it is because we are being drawn by the Holy Spirit.

Those who reject this message of love and grace remain in a state of condemnation and judgment. Those who accept the Gospel not only receive Christ but also receive the Holy Spirit.

Abode

John 14:18-20 tells us the following: 

John 14:18 - “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:19 - Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

John 14:20 - In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

When we respond favorably to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit does not leave us alone. As Jesus stated, we are not left as orphans. Rather, He comes to make us His dwelling place.

John 14:23 - Jesus answered him, “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.

The Temple of God

Throughout the Old Testament, divine fire often accompanied sacrifices accepted by God and was followed by God's presence dwelling among His people

At the inauguration of the Tabernacle, fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat upon the altar (Lev. 9:22–24). Following this, the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:34–38). We see this pattern repeated at the dedication of Solomon's Temple. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple (2 Chron. 7:1–3).

If you turn to chapter two of the book of Acts, you will see that when the Holy Spirit descended on the Day of Pentecost and filled those gathered in the upper room, an interesting event occurred. (And no, I am not focusing on the tongues here—we will discuss that in a later blog.)

What I do want to focus on is the fire:

Acts 2:3 - And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

Acts 2:4 - And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Just as in the Old Testament, fire fell where the sacrifice had been accepted, and that became the place where God's presence dwelt (Matt. 3:11).

The fire at Pentecost was a unique, one-time event that demonstrated that the sacrifice of Christ was acceptable to God. It also revealed that anyone who accepts Christ is accepted by God, and God—the Holy Spirit—makes His home within them. The appearance of fire at Pentecost points us back to this imagery and reminds us that Christ's sacrifice has been accepted and that God now dwells within His people through the Holy Spirit.

The believer becomes a temple not made with hands (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).

All You Have To Do Is Ask and Believe

If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, all you must do is call upon Him. Confess your sin, ask Him to forgive you, and place your faith in Him as Savior and Lord.

When you do this, you become acceptable to God through Christ, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 8:1-2 – [1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

In our next study, we will examine how the Holy Spirit continues His work within the believer, conforming us into the image of Christ through the process of sanctification.