John 16:7-15; 14:16-18
As Jesus and His disciples made their way from the Upper Room to Gethsemane, He taught them many valuable truths. These men were understandably upset at the notion that Jesus was going to be taken from their midst. Because of their distress, Jesus gave them the truths contained in chapters 14–16 to encourage them and comfort them concerning the future. In this passage, Jesus is telling them of His Spirit. He promises that when He goes away, He will deliver unto them a great gift. That gift is the Holy Spirit of God.
Let’s look into these verses and see a
portrait of Jesus, the great Gift-Giver. While the
passage is all about Jesus Christ, the emphasis
is on the gift.
I. THE WORTH OF THE GREAT GIFT
(VERSE 7)
Jesus told His disciples that it was “expedient” that He go away. This word simply means that it is best for Jesus’ disciples if He leaves. How is that possible? Well, to understand the worth of this great gift, we must first understand something of Jesus’ nature. Consider the following:
A. The personality of the great gift. Notice
that the Spirit of God is a “He,” not an “it.” He
is co-equal with the Father and the Son and is
as much God as they are (1 John 5:7). However,
His status as a Person is further illustrated
by the Bible’s use of pronouns when referring
to the Holy Spirit. Notice John 16:7, 8; 15-13;
14:16-18. Look at every instance of “He” and
“Him.” Other truths that let us know that He is
a Person:
1. He can be “grieved” (Eph. 4:30). The word “grieve” means to make sad or sorry.
2. He can be “quenched” (1 Thes. 5:19). To “quench” means to put out a fire.
3. He can be “lied to” (Acts 5:1-11). Two other facts are worthy of special notice:
a. In John 14:16, Jesus referred to the Spirit as “another Comforter.” The word “another” comes from the word allos, which refers to “one of the same kind or quality.” It implies a state of equality and sameness.
b. According to John 15:26 and 16:13, 14,
the Holy Spirit will never promote Himself. He is
in the sole business of pointing men to Jesus.
B. The power of the great gift. Note that the Spirit is called by the name “Comforter.” This word comes to us from the Greek word paraketos. It refers to an assistant, a helper, one who comes alongside of another to offer aid. It would be absolutely impossible to live the Christian life without the presence of the Holy Spirit.
C. The permanence of the great gift. According
to the Bible, the Spirit of God comes
into a life at the moment of conversion (1 Cor.
12:13) and never leaves (John 14:16).
II. THE WORK OF THE GREAT GIFT
(VERSES 7-15)
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, we are told of the
Spirit’s restraining ministry. In John 3:5, we are
told of the Spirit’s regenerating ministry. In these
verses, we are told about the Spirit’s reproving
ministry
A. In the lives of sinners (verses 8-11). In relation to those outside of Jesus, the Spirit of God performs a two-fold work:
1. He convicts. He points out wrong and sin.
2. He convinces. He points the lost person toward the truth. He reveals the truth of God to hearts that have been opened to it through the ministry of conviction. This ministry involves conviction and convincing in the areas of:
a. Sin. The Holy Spirit convicts lost sinners of their sinfulness. He makes Romans 3:23 and 3:10 real to the hearts of the sinners and points out their sin!
b. Righteousness. The Holy Spirit convicts
the lost man of the need to get right with God.
He produces in the heart of the lost a deepseated
feeling of filthiness.
The righteousness of Jesus will be “imputed” to anyone who receives Him (Rom. 4:24). There is hope! Don’t run from Jesus; rather, run to Him!
c. Judgment. The Spirit of God convicts the heart of man about the reality of approaching judgment and condemnation.
B. In the lives of the saints (verses 12-15). While the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of unbelievers, He is also very active in the lives of God’s people. There are several ministries that He conducts in our lives:
1. Indwelling (John 14:17). He lives inside every child of God!
2. Instructing (John 16:13). He is present to give direction in the way of God, the will of God, and the Word of God.
3. Infilling (Eph. 5:18). The Spirit of God desires to fill our lives with His presence and power so that we might be able to serve the Lord in an abundant and glorious manner.
4. Enabling (Acts 1:8). What transformed the disciples from a group of terrified men hiding in an upper room into a group of men who took the world by storm? The power of the Holy Spirit!
5. Encouraging (John 14:18). The Spirit of
God carries out a blessed ministry of encouragement
in the lives of God’s children. He knows
every trial we face, and He is able to support
us, aid us, and keep us during all of life’s difficult
times. How is this possible? He is ever with us
(Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20). He even helps us in our
prayer lives (Rom. 8:26, 27).
III. THE WONDER OF THE GREAT GIFT
(JOHN 14:16-18)
The fact that the Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift should be abundantly clear by now. However, I would like to point out three great truths that illustrate the wonder of this great gift.
A. The wonder lies in His presence in our lives (verse 17). Just the simple truth that every child of God is a living, breathing temple of God is astounding (1 Cor. 6:19).
B. The wonder lies in His permanence in our lives (verse 16). Once a person is saved by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that person’s life (Eph. 4:30).
C. The wonder lies in His performance in
our lives (verse 16). The Holy Spirit is the most
misunderstood, most neglected, and most frequently-ignored
member of the Trinity. Yet, as
far as our day-to-day lives are concerned, He is
most active in our lives and the One on whom
we are most dependent.
CONCLUSION
Did this message come to you as you are struggling in sin? That is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Or did this message find you already saved but living in your own power and energy? My challenge is that you confess your sins to the Lord. He will forgive you and use you again for His glory.
Did this message find you saved but struggling
with the difficulties and burdens of life? My
challenge to you is that you also lay your burdens
out before the Lord, who cares for you and who
will come alongside of you in the Person of His
Spirit to help you through this difficult time.
