I  want to use this lesson to introduce the adjoining study on the Holy Spirit. This is an important and foundational part of our class on Grace, since Grace cannot operate apart from the Spirit any more than the Spirit can operate separate from Grace.
Get your Bibles and follow along as we have to get to the TRUTH in this matter!
Many DO NOT BELIEVE in personal, life changing, indwelling of the Spirit! They believe the Spirit only dwells in a representative way through God’s Word.
Many DO BELIEVE that the  Holy Spirit has special, personal, effective relationship with all Christians by dwelling personally within them. This is a relationship which non-Christians do not have. The relationship is realized in the mind and felt in the heart and thus is internal, intimate, life changing relationship.
Question: Does the Spirit dwell IN THE CHRISTIAN? What does this have to do with GRACE?
If the Spirit DOES INDWELL – What = VISIBLE EFFECTS/RESULTS?
Let’s consider and study a few scriptures…

1. John 14:16-17 – Another Comforter Promised
    A. Acts 2:38-39 (Another Comforter given)
2. John 3 – New Birth
    A. John 3:1-8
        1.) Nicodemus/Jesus – two elements –water & Spirit
        2.) Water = Immersion (Romans 6:3-5) & Spirit = Holy Spirit (Jno. 7:37-39)
        3.) Jesus is teaching- Those born of the flesh have the nature of flesh
              (controlled by flesh). Those born of Spirit, have the nature of the Spirit.
        4. Born again = born of Spirit = Spiritual being. Spirit affects your nature,
            just like being born in flesh defines your nature as a fleshly being.
2. II Corinthians 3 –  Spirit gives life!
    A. Vs 3 Read – If Spirit = only through the Word, why Paul say WITH THE SPIRIT –
        “not with ink”?
    B. Vs 6 Read “letter (law) kills”(Romans 7), but “the Spirit gives life”.
    C. New Covenant/Relationship = results of the Spirit in/on the heart!
3. John 4 – Samaritan Woman – Helps us understand Paul
    A.  verses 5-14
    B. Jesus says living water has four characteristics:
        1.) JESUS GIVES IT
        2.) ONCE YOU RECEIVE THIS, YOU NEVER THIRST AGAIN
        3.) IT CREATES A “SPRING” WITHIN THE RECIPIENT
        4.) THIS SPRING PRODUCES ETERNAL LIFE
    C. Not discussing salvation BUT THAT WHICH PRODUCES/SECURES SALVATION
         in the Christian
    D. John 7:37-39  “… Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty
         come to me and drink. Whoever believes  in me, as Scripture has said,  rivers of
         living water  will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those
         who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been
         given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
         NOTE: Jesus is not speaking about the Word producing “springs of living water”
         but the SPIRIT, which gives eternal life. This is what Paul means in 2 Corinthians
         3 “the Spirit gives life”.
4. Romans 7 and 8
    A. Read Romans 7:4-8
        1.) Before Saved = CONTROLLED BY SINFUL NATURE
        2.) We ‘tried’ but failed.
        3.) Prohibitions of law – made sin more tempting.
        4.) We sinned all the more!
        5.) Vs. 6 “But now, by dying (Vs. 1-3) to what once bound us, we have been
             released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in
             the old way of the written code.”
     B. SOLUTION: NOT A BETTER LAW- BUT THE SPIRIT!!! NOT RULES – BUT
         RELATIONSHIP (Luke 15:11fff)!!!
     C. Romans 8
         1.) Vs.1-2 Read
              a.) Paul is drawing a contrast bet. OLD AND NEW Covenants. (OLD=SIN AND
                   DEATH)(NEW=SPIRIT OF LIFE/NO CONDEMNATION!!!)
         2.) Vs. 3-4 Read
              a.) If we live “according to the Spirit” the REQUIREMENTS OF LAW are fully
                   met in us.
              b.) How do we live this way?
         3.) Vs. 5 Read
              a.) Living by the Spirit = determined NOT so much by actions as by
                   MOTIVATIONS!
              b.) The test is… whether or not you DESIRE the things of the Spirit in your
                    heart.
              c.) Obviously we frequently FAIL… but YOU WILL SUFFER NO
                   CONDEMNATION FOR SUCH FAILURES.
         4.) Vs 6-7 Read
              a.) Spiritual mind is at peace because it is submissive to God… not because of
                   PERFECT OBEDIENCE!!!
         5.) Vs 9a Read
              a.) IF THE SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN YOU… YOU ARE CONTROLLED by the
                   Spirit. If you are not controlled by the Spirit, He does not live in you.
         6.) Vs. 9b. Read
              a.) Either the Spirit lives within you or not (no middle ground).
              b.) There are NO CHRISTIANS WHO DON’T HAVE THE SPIRIT/ NO ONE
                   WHO HAS THE SPIRIT IS LOST!!!
         7.) Vs. 10-11 Read
              a.) If the Spirit lives in you = RAISED FROM THE DEAD AS JESUS WAS!
         8.) Vs. 12-14 Read
              a.) Being controlled/lead by Spirit = “putting to death the misdeeds of the
                   body”. (What does this mean to you!)
              b.) This means continuing in the repentance that allowed you to be saved in
                    the first place!
              c.) This means growing in Christ. “Filled with the Spirit”
              d.) Does not mean LOSS OF FREE WILL/CHOICE!
              e.) Putting to death = an conscious act of the Spirit controlled mind… ie
                   refusing to do something.
              f.) The Spirit encourages/empowers… but ultimately we CHOOSE whether to
                   follow the Spirit or not.
         9.)  Vs. 15 Read
               a.) Christians need not be afraid of CONDEMNATION.
               b.) Condemnation = a possibility of course. BUT for the repenting, growing,
                    teachable Christian, there is a constant, confident relationship with God.
        10.) Vs. 16 Read
               a.) THE SPIRIT’S TESTIMONY IS NOT THROUGH MIRACULOUS SIGNS
                    AND WONDERS, BUT THROUGH THE MIND OF THE SAVED. THE
                    FACT THAT A CHRISTIAN’S MIND IS LED BY THE SPIRIT WILL BE
                    EVIDENT FROM HIS/HER THOUGHTS, MOTIVATIONS, WORDS,
                    DEEDS. SALVATION IS ASSURED AND JOY (Phil. 4) CONSTANT.
         11.) Vs. 26 Read
                 a.) The Spirit not only gives life, but it makes up any deficiencies in our
                       prayer life.
5. The Down Payment
     A. Three times Paul describes the indwelling as a – SEAL/GUARANTY/DOWN
         PAYMENT.
         1.) 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
         2.) 2 Corinthians 5:5
         3.) Ephesians 1:13
     B. “Deposite” = Commercial term – “down payment” (earnest money)
         1.) Buy a car, furniture, house, etc… MONEY DOWN!
         2.) Nonsense to sign a note for a down  payment!
         3.) Down payment = REAL / NOW
         4.) God says, HEAVEN IS OURS (God’s ‘note’). Holy Spirit = God’s REAL,
              PRESENT ‘DOWN PAYMENT’ for OUR ETERNAL HOME LATER!
                (Ie “cash in hand”)(We find His promise in His Word!)
     C. “Seal” = Commercial/legal term.
           1.) Important original documents have a SEAL (Notary etc..)
           2.) Document is totally enforceable in court. (Same as guaranty).
           3.) “Seal” in ancient times = authority/ quality approval of products/ and
                OWNERSHIP

This re-enforces – God’s Spirit is VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CHRISTIAN… & PERSONALLY dwells within. No Christian is without the Spirit. All Christians are
saved (maybe not growing as much as others). All Christians can rest secure in their salvation – and should strive to grow. Sign of Spirit’s indwelling = NOT MIRACLES but LIFE AND WORDS AND ACTIONS.

Welcome; Study of: Grace and the Holy Spirit.
My Prayer: “Dear Father,  help us never be ashamed, afraid,
or refuse to teach the truth and ramifications of your amazing grace”.
Introduce the study – Parables – Luke 15  “Things Lost and Found” (May see King David/Apostle Peter)(May see SELF)(Will definitely see God and His grace)
This world is full of “lost things”… ‘lost’ people… Luke 15 is a 3 parable chapter
which introduces us to ATTITUDES/ Law, Prejudice, (Big) GRACE – and
CONFLICT!
(Note: Some of the material contained in this series is from Jay Guinn’s study on Amazing Grace (oneinjesus.info) although I will be putting some of my own thoughts in the lesson as well. Jay’s book, “The Holy spirit and Revolutionary Grace” has been very helpful as well. Most of this material will be coming from dad’s workbook “Amazing Grace – God’s power to be”… it will be expanded here, and my own thoughts included. The purpose of this study is to help Christians better understand God’s grace, and how it is applied in the Christian life.)

1. THE SETTING
    A. Luke 14:25-34 Count the cost! (Things dear: vs25-27),
         1.) Build tower – COUNT THE COST!
         2.) King goes to war – COUNT THE COST!
         3.) Salt – (MANY BEGIN… LOSE DESIRE TO FINISH)
    B. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (REALLY LISTEN).
    C. Luke 15:1-2)Tax collectors( Luke 18:914) /sinners GATHERING TO LISTEN.
         (S/thg missing -“fill my cup”)
         1.) Pay attention!!! ATTITUDES/ EXAMINE YOURSELF…
    D. “Sinners” – Pharisees classified those who’s lifestyle was not in keeping with
         the law.. “People of  the Land”. Pharisaic regulations = “When a man is one
         of the people of the land, entrust no money to him, take no testimony from him,
         trust him with no secret, do not appoint him guardian of an orphan, do not
         make him the custodian of charitable funds, do not accompany him on a journey.”
         1.) Pharisees = forbidden to be guest of SINNERS or to have SINNERS as a
              guest. i.e. avoid any and all contact!
         2.) These were the people who did not observe the petty details of the law.
         3.) They looked forward to the destruction of the sinner not their salvation –
              (beyond hope!)
    E. “Tax Collectors” – Cf. Luke 19:1-10 Zacchaeus  (What = Jesus’ ATTITUDE
          to the lost?!)
    F. Extra study: Some prejudices are hard to shake. Cf. Acts 10 (Cornelius
        and Peter) Galatians 2:11-21 (Paul vs Peter)(Law vs Grace).
2. THE LOST SHEEP / THE GOOD SHEPHERD: vss. 3-7
    A. Sheep are the PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SHEPHERD.
    B. Sheep get lost/wander/distracted/hurt themselves/ don’t hate the
         shepherd or other sheep.
    C. ATTITUDE/ACTION = LEAVE/GO/SEARCH UNTILL/FIND/REJOICE!
3. THE LOST COIN / THE DETERMINED WOMAN: vss 8-10
    A. Coin is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WOMAN
    B. SHE lost it! (Carelessness/forgetfulness/preoccupied with other stuff)
         – How it was lost is not the focus… THE ATTITUDE OF CARING/ SEARCHING
            IS IMPORTANT WHEN COMPARED TO VS. 1-2.
    C. ATTITUDE/ACTION = SWEEP HOUSE/SEARCH UNTIL/FIND/REJOICE
4. THE LOST SON / THE LOVING GRACIOUS FATHER: vss 11-32
    A. 2 sons! vs. 11-12 (Eldest = 2/3 inheritance)(younger = 1/3) Deut. 21:17
    B. Younger son – Took his part and left. (Dust from far off country= on his
         heart long before it got on his feet!)
    C. Life of the party/ riotous living/ popular – paid the tab!/ S/thg happened…
         MONEY RAN OUT!
         1.) Hires self out/ Pig Pen/ ‘slop the pigs’. (FORBIDDEN TO JEWS).
         2.) STARVING/ “pig slop” looking better!!!/ CAME TO HIS SENCES!
              (Thinks of HOME/ and all he had given up.)
    D. Decision time! vs. 17-20 “I HAVE SINNED” “I AM NOT WORTHY”
         “MAKE ME A SERVANT” – ATTITUDE = HUMILITY!  ACTION =
          GO HOME!
    E. Vs. 21-24 The way back was hard but needed.
         1.) Recognized land marks passed on his journey away from home.
         2.) Attitude going back = different from attitude when he left!
    F. WELCOME HOME! Father (God) was looking/ ran/ embraced/ didn’t listen/
        GRACE!
        1.) Son tried to finish speech… Father “Be quiet my son… I LOVE YOU ANYWAY…
             WELCOME HOME.
        2.) No probation/ “You’ll have to work your way back”/ “You’ve done too much…
             shamed me too much… hurt me too much… to be called a ‘son’.”          
        3.) That night in his bed, what was the son thinking? “THE ROBE, THE RING, THE
             FATTED CALF… ALL FOR ME, AN UNWORTHY SON. WOW!!! What a Father
             (God)! I will never do that again!” “Today, I SAW MY DAD (GOD) RUN.”
  4. THE OLDER BROTHER vss. 25-32
       A. ATTITUDE/ ACTIONS – (Response to GRACE)
            1.) Angry!!! Why???
            2.) Refused to go in (join the celebration). Why???
            3.) I worked/ never disobeyed your commands
            4.) Jealous!!! Why???
       B. The Pleading Father (God)
            1.) You have everything!
            2.) YOUR BROTHER is home!
      

Corrie ten Boom, “Tramp For The Lord” pg. 28 “Only to those who have been in prison, does freedom have such great meaning.” (Prodigal Son Version: “ONLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN STARVING IN A STINKING PIG PEN, DOES HOME (my Father/ His grace and forgiveness) HAVE SUCH GREAT MEANING.”

“AMAZING GRACE…. How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me….