BIG IDEA:
THE HOLY SPIRIT EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATES GOD’S TRUTH ON A WIDER SCALE TO BOTH THE WORLD AND TO BELIEVERS
(:7) INTRODUCTION: THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST WILL ACTUALLY BE EXPANDED IN HIS ABSENCE THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”
Jesus could not physically be everywhere geographically at once; but the Holy Spirit can. Disciples were downcast at the prospect of the departure of Christ;
Jesus changes their perspective to see the advantage that lies ahead.
I. (:8-11) THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS SINNERS OF THEIR NEED FOR A SAVIOR (PAVING THE WAY FOR THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL)
A. (:8) Summary: Ministry of Conviction towards the World
“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment”
Scott Grant: We don’t need to convince people that they are sinners; we don’t need to convince people of the righteousness of Christ; we don’t need to convince them that they are being judged by God. Thankfully, we have no part in the conviction. We are neither prosecutors nor judges. But we are witnesses. We can tell people about sin, righteousness and judgment and leave the convicting up to the Helper.
Stedman: When I travel around the country I visit many different churches. And so many times I find that the thing most emphasized by the church in its attempts to reach out to the world is the church! The church presents the program of the church, and what the church will do, and offers the church to society. The early Christians never wasted their time in that. They never talked about the church; they talked about the Lord. The church doesn’t save anybody. The church doesn’t help anybody. It is the Lord who does it. He redeems, he changes, he revolutionizes, he forgives, he restores, he heals — not the church! When the church is Spirit-filled it talks about Jesus. And when the world hears that, then it is finally convinced that its most basic and fundamental sin is not the evil things it does but the fact that it does not believe in Jesus.
B. (:9) Conviction Regarding Failures – Rooted in Unbelief
“concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me”
Connection between sin and death and judgment
Different words for sin: missing the mark; rebellion; etc.
Fundamental root sin = failure to believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
C. (:10) Conviction Regarding Standards – Displayed in the Character of Christ
“and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me”
Need for believers to display that righteousness that comes from Christ;
World does not believe in absolutes; but the Holy Spirit presents righteousness in absolute terms.
Stedman: The Old Testament has a wonderful term for that: “The beauty of holiness.” We are talking about inner beauty. One of my favorite psalms says, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,” {Psa 90:17a KJV}. There is something beautiful about whole people. They attract us, they capture our attention. The truly beautiful people, therefore, says Jesus, will be those who, despite all the failure and the weakness and the stumbling folly of their lives, have, by faith in Jesus, been made whole inwardly, and that inner wholeness then begins to transform, in a process, all of the outer life until they gradually reflect it in their behavior. That is what the world will learn.
D. (:11) Conviction Regarding Accountability – Exemplified in the Judgment of Satan
“and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged”
There are consequences for rebellion against God
II. (:12-15) THE HOLY SPIRIT COMMUNICATES GOD’S TRUTH TO BELIEVERS (ESPECIALLY IN WAYS THAT GLORIFY CHRIST)
A. (:12) Progressive Revelation
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
B. (:13) Purposeful Revelation
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak”
Primarily a reference to direct prophetic revelation via the process of inspiration to complete the canon of NT Scripture; but by way of application speaks to the Holy Spirit illuminating all of us.
C. (:13b) Prophetic Revelation
“and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
cf. Book of Revelation
D. (:14-15) Particular Revelation – Focused on Person of Christ
“He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you.”
Christ-centered nature of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Pattern of receiving and disclosing.