The Spirit's Object
The Holy Spirit's work in us is to unite us with the Lord Jesus, leading us to spiritual growth and maturity.
Miles J. Stanford preaches on the unity believers have with the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, emphasizing how the Spirit constantly directs our focus to Jesus, engraving His image in our hearts, thoughts, words, and actions. Stanford highlights that spiritual growth is not about perfection but about making Jesus the central focus of our lives, with the Holy Spirit guiding us in understanding divine truths and transforming us from within. He reminds believers that true growth comes from yielding to the work of the Spirit, allowing the Cross to crucify our fleshly desires and worldly attachments, ultimately glorifying Jesus in all aspects of our lives.
Text
"He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit (with Him)" (1 Corinthians 6:17).
We are one spirit with the Lord Jesus by the one and only Holy Spirit.
"I can always know when the Holy Spirit is leading me, because He ever occupies me with the Lord Jesus. True, He may have to call attention to my own condition, but if He does, He turns me to the Lord Jesus, not merely to convict me, but to relieve me." -J.B.S.
"Spiritual growth is the Holy Spirit engraving the Lord Jesus on a man's heart, putting Him into his thoughts, his words, and his ways, just as the Law was engraved upon stones. It is not that there is no failure. A man who is seeking to make money does not always succeed; but everybody knows what his object is. Just so, the Lord Jesus Christ is the object of the believer's life." -J.N.D.
"The believer is not to clamor for the solution of perplexities or for intellectual mastery of divine mysteries. What knowledge he has in this realm is his because the Holy Spirit has declared it to him; and for the Spirit's declaration he must wait."
"None of us is ever beyond the work of the Spirit in us. Many think that because they have the light of a truth, they are in all the practical reality of it. No! You may know and reckon on all the Bible, but there is no growth beyond the measure of the Holy Spirit's work in you." -J.B.S.
"The Holy Spirit is only truly yielded to as the Cross, with its crucifixion of the flesh and the world, has become the attitude of our heart and mind."
"He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me" (John 16:14).
Sermon Outline
- The Spirit's Object
- Spiritual Growth and the Holy Spirit
- The Believer's Relationship with the Spirit
- The Holy Spirit's Glory
- The Spirit's Glorification of Jesus
- The Spirit's Work in Us Continues
- The Role of the Cross in Spirituality
Key Quotes
“I can always know when the Holy Spirit is leading me, because He ever occupies me with the Lord Jesus.” — Miles J. Stanford
“Spiritual growth is the Holy Spirit engraving the Lord Jesus on a man's heart, putting Him into his thoughts, his words, and his ways, just as the Law was engraved upon stones.” — Miles J. Stanford
“He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must yield to the Holy Spirit's work in us, allowing Him to engrave the Lord Jesus on our hearts.
- Spiritual growth and maturity come from the Holy Spirit's work in us, not from our own efforts or knowledge.
- We should wait on the Holy Spirit's declaration and guidance for understanding and wisdom in our spiritual journey.