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JOHN 16:7-11

"THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT"

Intro: When a person begins to get a spiritual awareness, they become conscious of three
       things, sin, righteousness, judgment.

I. OF SIN.
        A. What is sin?
                1. Rebellion against God.
                        a. Origin of work in English "missing the mark" God wants to hit the
                           mark.
                        b. Origin of Greek work "not a witness."  God wants you to be a
                           witness of Him.
                        c. God wants you to be perfect, anything short of that is sin.
        B. "Of sin, because they believe not on Me."
                1. Jesus died for the sins of the world. "All we like sheep have gone astray."
                        a. Every foul vile deed that man has ever committed was charged on Him.
                        b. He died once and for all.
                        c. All the sins of the world were judged in the death of Christ.
                                1. Men will not have to answer to God for their murders, or
                                   adulteries or theiving.
                                2. Why did you not believe in, rely upon, fully trust in Jesus
                                   Christ.

II. OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
        A. The act of doing and being right in all things.
                1. More than just an act-motives involved.
                2. You may be doing right while thinking wrong.
                3. "Our righteousness as filthy rags in sight of God."
                        a. Hard for you to believe that.
                4. I ought to be doing right.
        B. "Of righteousness, because I go unto my Father."
                1. Imagine being able to ascend directly into that awesome, revealing purity
                   of God.
                2. How is it that Jesus could come unashamedly into Gods presence?
                        a. "He was the faithful and true witness."
                                "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."
                                "I do always those things that please Him."
                                "The prince of this world come . . ." 
                3. Our error while thinking of righteousness on the human level-we use other
                   men as our standard.
                4. The big question is do you want to stand before God and plead your own case
                   on the basis of your own goodness?  Or to stand in Christ, clothed in His
                   righteousness. "He became sin for us-who knew. . . "

III. OF JUDGMENT BECAUSE THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD IS JUDGED.
        A. The resurrection of Christ is Gods testimony to the world, that this is the life I
           will accept. All others are judged.
        B. The prince of this world is judged.
                1. Satan is the epitome of worldliness.
                        a. Some think that worldliness is drinking, playing cards, going to
                           the theater.
                        b. How are you living?  As though this is all there is?
                2. The cross spelled Satan's defeat, he was judged at the cross.
                        a. If you are bound by Satan to a drug habit, "The spirit witnesses
                           to you that you can be free."
                        b. The spirit witnesses to me that if I will believe on Jesus Christ
                           the sins that bound me will bind me no more, the fierce fires of
                           passion that burned shall be quenched. What will you do with the
                           witness of the Spirit to you?  If you reject.