Welcome to Authorized Sword Ministries. This is Lesson 2 in our series, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts. Today's lesson is called The Spirit's Work in Salvation and in the Believer.

We're so glad you're here.

In our last lesson we saw that the Holy Spirit is a Person, and that He is God. Today we look at what He does. From the first moment a sinner feels the weight of his sin, all the way through the Christian life, the Holy Spirit is at work. He convicts, He gives new birth, He moves in, He seals, He fills, and He leads. Let's take those one at a time.

Our Key Verse

Today's key verse is John 16:8. Jesus said of the Comforter:

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" — John 16:8 (KJV)

The word "reprove" means to convict, to show someone he is wrong and prove it to him. Before anyone can be saved, he has to see that he is lost. That is the Spirit's first work.

He Convicts

Jesus went on to explain:

"Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." — John 16:9-11 (KJV)

The Spirit shows the sinner three things. He shows him his sin, and the root sin of all, not believing on Christ. He shows him righteousness, the perfect standard of God that Christ alone met. And He shows him judgment, that Satan is already judged and that all who stay on his side will share his end.

If you have ever sat in church and felt your heart pounding, knowing you were not right with God, that was not just nerves. That was the Holy Spirit convicting you. Don't push Him away. On the day of Pentecost, the people "were pricked in their heart" and asked, "what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). That is what conviction does. It drives a sinner to Christ.

He Gives New Birth

Next, the Spirit gives new life. A man named Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to Jesus by night. Jesus told him:

"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." — John 3:5-6 (KJV)

You were born once in the flesh. To enter God's kingdom, you must be born again by the Spirit. Religion cannot do it. Good works cannot do it. Paul says it plainly:

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" — Titus 3:5 (KJV)

"Regeneration" means being born again, made new. It is God's work, by His mercy, through His Spirit, the moment a sinner trusts Christ.

He Moves In

When you are saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside you. That is called indwelling. Paul wrote:

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" — 1 Corinthians 6:19 (KJV)

In the Old Testament, God's presence filled the tabernacle and the temple. Now the believer's body is the temple. Every saved person has the Holy Spirit. Paul says it this way:

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." — Romans 8:9 (KJV)

So there is no such thing as a Christian without the Holy Spirit. If you belong to Christ, the Spirit lives in you. You do not have to beg for Him to come. He came the day you believed.

He Seals

The Spirit also seals the believer. Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." — Ephesians 1:13-14 (KJV)

In Bible times, a seal showed ownership and protection. A king's seal on a letter meant no one could break it without answering to the king. When you believed, God put His seal on you. You belong to Him.

Paul also calls the Spirit "the earnest of our inheritance." An earnest is a down payment, money paid up front to guarantee the rest is coming. The Holy Spirit in you is God's guarantee that He will finish what He started. And remember the verse from last lesson. We are "sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). Not sealed until we mess up. Sealed until the day Christ brings us home.

He Fills

Every believer has the Spirit, but not every believer is filled with the Spirit. Paul gives a command:

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" — Ephesians 5:18 (KJV)

Notice the comparison. A man who is drunk is under the control of wine. It changes how he talks, how he walks, and what he does. A man filled with the Spirit is under the control of the Holy Spirit. It changes how he talks, how he walks, and what he does.

Indwelling happens once, at salvation. Filling is something we are told to keep doing. In the book of Acts, the same believers were filled again and again as they faced new trials (Acts 2:4, Acts 4:31). Being filled is not about getting more of the Spirit. It is about the Spirit getting more of you, as you confess your sin, surrender your will, and yield to Him. The next verses show what it looks like: singing in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always, and submitting to one another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:19-21).

He Leads

Last, the Spirit leads God's children.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." — Romans 8:14 (KJV)

How does He lead? First and most of all, through the Word He wrote. Jesus said:

"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 shew you things to come." — John 16:13 (KJV)

The Spirit will never lead you to do something the Bible says is wrong. If a "feeling" tells you to leave your spouse or cheat on your taxes, that is not the Holy Spirit. He guides into truth, and His Word is truth. He also bears witness inside us that we belong to God:

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" — Romans 8:16 (KJV)

Don't Quench the Spirit

The Bible gives two warnings about how we treat the Spirit. We already saw the first: "grieve not the holy Spirit of God" (Ephesians 4:30). Here is the second:

"Quench not the Spirit." — 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (KJV)

To quench means to put out a fire. We grieve the Spirit when we do what He says not to do, like lying, bitterness, or anger, which are the very sins Paul lists around Ephesians 4:30. We quench the Spirit when we refuse to do what He tells us to do. He prompts you to speak to a lost friend, and you stay silent. He convicts you to make something right, and you put it off. Do that long enough, and the fire burns low.

Neither one makes you lose your salvation. You are still sealed. But you lose your joy, your power, and your fellowship with God. The way back is simple. Confess it, and yield again. God is ready to restore the believer who comes back to Him.

Why This Matters

From start to finish, salvation is God's work. The Spirit convicted you, gave you new life, moved in, sealed you, and now wants to fill and lead you. You did not earn any of it. That gives the believer great security, and it also gives him great responsibility. The One who sealed you lives in you. Live like it.

A Simple Step for This Week

Here's our challenge for this week. Each morning, before you start your day, pray a simple prayer: "Lord, I yield myself to You today. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me by Your Word." Then read one chapter of the Bible and ask the Spirit to show you one thing to obey. Write it down and do it.

A Prayer

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for sending Your Spirit to convict us of our sin and show us our need of a Saviour. Thank You for the new birth, and for the seal of Your Spirit that keeps us until the day of redemption.

Lord, we yield ourselves to You. Fill us with Your Spirit. Lead us by Your Word. And for anyone listening who has never been born again, let them hear Your call today and trust Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with us.

This is Authorized Sword Ministries. God bless you.

Study Questions

1. Read John 16:8-11. What three things does the Spirit reprove the world of?
2. What does it mean to be convicted by the Holy Spirit? Have you ever felt it?
3. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus in John 3:5-6 about entering the kingdom of God?
4. According to Titus 3:5, does God save us by our works? How does He save us?
5. What does 1 Corinthians 6:19 say about the believer's body?
6. What does Romans 8:9 teach about whether every Christian has the Holy Spirit?
7. What did a seal mean in Bible times, and what does it mean that believers are sealed with the Spirit?
8. What is an "earnest," and why is the Holy Spirit called the earnest of our inheritance?
9. How is being indwelt by the Spirit different from being filled with the Spirit?
10. According to John 16:13, how does the Spirit guide us, and how can we test whether a leading is really from Him?

Verified Scripture References (KJV)

All quotations were checked word for word against the King James Version (bible-api.com, translation=kjv) on October 26, 2026.

1. John 16:8 — "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
2. John 16:9-11 — "Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."
3. John 3:5-6 — "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."
4. Titus 3:5 — "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
5. 1 Corinthians 6:19 — "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
6. Romans 8:9 — "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
7. Ephesians 1:13-14 — "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
8. Ephesians 5:18 — "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
9. Romans 8:14 — "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
10. John 16:13 — "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 shew you things to come."
11. Romans 8:16 — "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"
12. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 — "Quench not the Spirit."
13. Acts 2:37 (phrase quoted inline) — "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
14. Ephesians 4:30 (phrase quoted inline) — "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

Word Study and Other Sources

All sources were opened and checked on October 26, 2026.

1. "Earnest" (Greek arrhabon), a pledge or part of the purchase money paid in advance as security for the rest: Blue Letter Bible, Strong's G728. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g728/kjv/tr/0-1/