John 14-16 Various Verses - The Spirit of Truth who Leads Us in Righteousness (Rev. Erik Veerman)
The Spirit of Truth Who Leads Us in Righteousness - John 14:15-17, 25-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:4-15
Please turn in your Bibles to John 14. You can find that on page 1071.
Before we read, let me remind you of a couple things and explain why we're jumping ahead to chapter 14.
Last week, we finished up John 5. If you remember, chapter 5 was about the Jewish leaders accusing Jesus of equating himself with God. Jesus responded by affirming that, yes, he was indeed equal with the Father. In the middle of chapter 5, Jesus made a very clear declaration that he shares the glory and power of the Father because he and the Father are one.
Well, today, I thought we would do something a little different. Since we just considered God the Father and the Son, I thought we would round that out by considering the Holy Spirit. We're going to stay in the Gospel of John, but look at selected passages from chapters 14-16. Next week, we'll return to chapter 6
So, if you would, turn to John 14 and we'll begin with verses 15-17.
Reading John 14:15-17, 25-27; John 15:26-27; John 16:4-15
Prayer
“Who is the Holy Spirit and what is his role in your life?” That question stumped me. I was a High school senior at the time. And I was applying to a Christian college. That question about the Holy Spirit was on the admissions application, but I didn't know how to answer it.
Yes, I had grown up in the church, and yes, I was a believer in Jesus. Our church, although a faithful church, was light on teaching and discipleship or maybe I just wasn't paying attention.
“Who is the Holy Spirit?” I didn’t know.
Maybe that’s you… if I asked you to tell me about the Holy Spirit, would you know where to begin?
If not, you’re not alone. Of all the doctrines about God, the area of weakest understanding is the Holy Spirit. In a recent study from Lifeway Research, 28% of Christians in the United States believe the Spirit is divine but not equal to God the Father and the Son. Another 21% were unsure. In a second question, 56% believed the Spirit of God to be a force but not a divine person.
You know, when it comes to God, we can conceptualize God as a Father… we can comprehend Jesus in his human nature, and through Jesus' testimony and ministry, we can understand that he is fully God. But it’s harder to understand the Holy Spirit.
My hope is that by the end of this sermon... We would each more fully grasp… Who the Holy Spirit is, what role he performs, and how we benefit from and receive him. Who, what, and how.
But even beyond these important questions about the Holy Spirit and the benefits we have in him… I also hope that we would each feel and sense his convincing and convicting work in our hearts and minds. That's my prayer.
As we begin, let me summarize Jesus' teaching about His Spirit… this way:
(1) The eternal Spirit of God, (2) who speaks truth and conviction as God, (3) dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ.
There are three points there. Let me say that again if you are taking notes... (1) The eternal Spirit of God, (2) who speaks truth and conviction as God, and (3) dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ.
1. The eternal Spirit of God… answering the WHO
2. who speaks truth and conviction as God… answering the WHAT
3. dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ. the HOW.
And just to be sure… These verses on the Holy Spirit are not exhaustive… they are just a few of the many Biblical texts. All throughout the Scriptures we learn about the Spirit of God.
· In the book of Acts… The Holy Spirit is given and he leads the early church.
· We learn of his work in and through believers through the apostles Paul and Peter and others.
· In Genesis 1, we learn that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters…
· Furthermore, the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles… was given as a festival by God to teach about salvation and God's grace in the giving of His Spirit.
· The prophets also spoke of God’s Spirit…
· And all throughout the Scriptures… we’re promised to have “rivers of living waters” flowing forth from us… through the work of God’s Holy Spirit.
We can’t cover all of that, but Jesus' teaching on the Holy Spirit in John's Gospel is very helpful. It's very clear and very foundational. So let's dive in.
(1) The eternal Spirit of God
So again, #1, The eternal Spirit of God.
In the verses we read, Jesus calls God's Spirit by many names. He's called “the Helper” which means advocate. Jesus also names him the “Spirit of Truth” several times … Jesus calls him the “Holy Spirit.” That title is used throughout the New Testament. But the most common New Testament name is just “the Spirit.” Referring to God’s Spirit.
And from these verses… one thing we see over and over… is that the Holy Spirit is sent from both God the Father and from God the Son. Let me highlight some verses:
· Chapter 14:16 – “The Father will give you the Helper”
· and 14:26 “The Father will send [him] in my name”
· Chapter 15:26, Jesus said, “I will send you from the Father… the Spirit of truth. Who proceeds from the Father.”
· And again, in chapter 16, Jesus said again, “I will send him to you”
We'll be reciting the Nicene creed in a little bit. It summarizes what we believe the Bible teaches about God… And regarding the Holy Spirit, it says He “proceeds from the Father and the Son.”
That’s helpful… it’s a good summary of what these and other verses teach. The Holy Spirit “proceeds from” both the Father and the Son. The Spirit, therefore, has the full authority of God because he is God. He proceeds from God. He’s unified with God the Father and God the Son.
Furthermore, we learn here that the Holy Spirit is eternal. We get a glimpse of his eternal nature in chapter 14 verse 16… he's given to us forever. He will be with us for all time into heaven. And as we look to eternity past, as I briefly mentioned from Genesis 1, the Holy Spirit has always existed.
Jesus teaches that not only is he, himself, fully God… but he teaches that the Holy Spirit is also God. Remember what we considered two weeks ago from John 5? Our God is one God, three persons, same in substance, equal in power and glory. Well, these verses affirm that for the Holy Spirit.
We call God a triune God - a Trinity - 3 in 1. All three persons of God work in union one with one another; the Father, the Son, and the Spirit… and they share the same substance and power and glory. That’s why in John 16 verse 14… Jesus says of the Holy Spirit that “he will glorify me.” That's because each divine person of the Trinity exalts one another as God.
So, to summarize point #1 - the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God… fully God, forever existing, with all the knowledge, wisdom, glory, power, and authority of God.
(2) who speaks truth and conviction as God
# 2… He speaks truth and conviction as God.
We're on to the what question. What role does the Spirit fulfill? What do the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit accomplishes?
Well, first, the very titles that Jesus uses for the Spirit reveal his role.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Helper.” In our reading, we heard that four times…. the English doesn’t really capture the breadth of the concept here. Really “helper” in Greek comes with the sense of being a counsellor or an advocate. You know, someone who represents you, who is for you, like in a legal setting. He guides you and he speaks to you and is for you.
Jesus also calls the Spirit, the “Spirit of Truth.” That is in our verses three times. What is this Counsellor counselling us about? Well, he counsels us on the truth. He counsels us on God’s truth. His Word.
Throughout these verses, over and over, we’re given a very clear understanding of what truth the Holy Spirit speaks.
Look down at chapter 14 verse 26. Jesus says, “he will teach you all things AND bring remembrance all that I have said”
Now keep that in mind and go one chapter ahead to chapter 15, verse 26. The very end of the sentence, there… Jesus says of the Spirit “he will bear witness about me.” So, the Holy Spirit is revealing Christ and his testimony.
Chapter 16 is similar. Verse 13 it says, “he will guide you in all the truth” and then “He will declare to you the things that are to come”
This is the role of the Holy Spirit… to speak God’s truth, to enlighten our minds, to bear witness about Jesus' work… All the things about Jesus… You know, his life, his teaching, his redemption, and our future hope in him to come. The Spirit declares all this to us. He testifies to us the truth of God's Word.
You see, all those things are found in God's Word. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals God Word to us. Really, God’s Word and Spirit go hand and hand. They are inseparable.
We're given a beautiful image of this in Ezekiel chapter 37. God gave Ezekiel a vision. In a dream, God showed Ezekiel a valley full of dead dry bones. But as God’s Word went forth… God breathed his breath onto those dry bones. His breath is his Spirit - same word. And through the ministry of the Word being spoken by the prophet and God's Spirit being given… the valley of dry bones began to rattle... And then the bones came together. God gave new life to the bones. A vast army of God's people was resurrected through the work of God’s Word and His Spirit… together.
Friends, none of us can know and believe this Word without the work of the Holy Spirit. We’re ignorant and sinful, we're dead dry bones…. We're unable to know God and nor believe in him by ourselves. But God has given us a great gift… the Spirit of Truth.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit does more than just speak God's word to us. He also convicts our hearts and minds. Look now at chapter 16 verse 8… it says, “He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” Verses 9-11 then elaborate on that.
We’re not capable of seeing our sin and our blindness. And what the Spirit does in our lives is that he persuade us in three ways. He brings conviction of sin. He brings conviction of righteousness. And he brings conviction of judgment.
“Conviction” here means to convince. To bring to light. To see yourself and your need for God and his salvation.
Let me say it this way… conviction is the Holy Spirit applying his truth to your heart in your situation. He shows you your condition and he enables you to respond.
And it’s more than just knowing what is right and wrong. It’s also seeing your own depravity and your failure to live up to God's standard. God’s Spirit brings that conviction… When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, he enlightens your mind to see your sin and to repent of it.
And that's related to the second conviction… the conviction of righteousness. You see, the Holy Spirit also reveals to you God’s standard of holiness and goodness. He prompts you to not only repent of your sin, but to pursue the goodness and righteousness that God calls you to in his Word. Do you see the two sides of it? Not only conviction of your sin, but a conviction to pursue holiness.
And the third conviction is conviction of judgment. You see, it is more than just knowing your sin and seeing the path to holiness. It is realizing the judgment of God upon sin and the devil. It's a recognition that God has been at work throughout history to bring redemption from that judgment through Christ.
Truly, without this conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment… our hearts and minds would remain blind. We would not be able to see our sin or our situation, nor how to respond. But God has revealed his truth and is applying it in our hearts and minds.
So, to summarize point #2… The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, speaks the truth of God, through His Word. He reveals God's redemption in Christ and he brings conviction. He convicts us of sin. He points us to the righteousness of God. And he shows us the judgment and hope of God in Christ.
3.) dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ
So, here’s where we are … #1 The eternal Spirit of God - the who. #2 He speaks truth and conviction as God - the what. And that brings us to #3… he dwells in those who know God, because they have received his grace by faith in Christ.
This is the how question. How does God do this? How does he dwell in us? Well, it’s a mystery… ok, let me close in prayer. I'm just kidding.
It is a mystery, but we can’t leave it at that. Look with me at John chapter 14, the end of verse 17. Look at it. John 14:17 “You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” Do you see that?
Notice the two prepositions … “with” and “in.” “He dwells with you and will be in you”
Have you ever seen one of the Pixar movies called “Inside out?” There are two movies. Maybe some of the kids have seen them. Well, in the first movie, a young girl named Riley was dealing with all of her emotions after her family moved across the country. And we’re brought to the headquarters of her mind… In her head, there's a command center with knobs and levers and buttons. It’s where Riley’s emotions lived. They’re represented by different characters. Joy, sadness, anger, fear, and despair. And of course, they all want control… Well, at one point, Sadness and Joy were arguing… and they accidentally knocked over some of Riley’s memory blocks. But as they scramble to retrieve them, Sadness and Joy got sucked like a vacuum out of the headquarters of Riley’s mind. Well, that causes Anger and Despair to take over. Because of it, Riley was left in a state of apathy.
I won’t tell you what happens. You’ll have to see it.
It’s a good movie, helpful in many ways… It's a picture of how we struggle with sin and emotions on the inside. But one thing is apparent. Riley is missing something. Riley is not in control. Her emotions are battling it out.
If I can relate this to the Holy Spirit… What the Spirit does is enter into the headquarters of our hearts and minds. He speaks to our thoughts, and our emotions, and our desires, and our passions. Our sinful tendencies don’t go away, but as we fill our mind with God's Word, the Holy Spirit takes that and guides us and speaks to us. He guides us in all the ways that we discussed… in truth and conviction.
So, when you are on the precipice of sin or when you are struggling with unbelief about one of God's promises, God's Spirit prompts you.
For example, maybe a family member or co-worker has said something unkind… and you're tempted to become angry. But then, you’re prompted by the Holy Spirit… “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God requires.” James 1.
Or it’s late at night, you have your phone with you and lustful thoughts come to mind. You're struggling with temptation… but you also have the Spirit’s leading. He brings to mind Jesus' word. “if anyone looks at a woman with lustful thoughts he has already committed adultery in his heart” or the corollary “if anyone looks at a man in that way” Will you listen to the Spirit within you in those moments when he prompts you?
Or maybe you feel the weight of physical pain, or grief, or discouragement. If so, let the Holy Spirit bring to mind the truth and hope of Christ. That is, what he's accomplished for you on the cross and in the resurrection… and the hope he gives.
We would be here for days to unpack all the ways the Spirit prompts, guides, encourages, and convicts us.
And to be clear, the Holy Spirit is not like a professional counsellor that you meet with every so often. He does not have office hours nor only occasionally speaks into your life. No, if you believe by faith in Christ, God's Spirit is with you and is in you. He's given you a new heart. He's enlightened your mind. He has applied the work of Christ to you, that you may receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation.
And in that salvation, the Holy Spirit has united you to Christ. You are ingrafted into Christ. The Spirit of God dwells within you. Sinclair Ferguson, you know, pastor and theologian, says it this way, “…to have the Spirit is to have Christ; to have Christ is to have the Spirit. Not to have the Spirit of Christ is to lack Christ. To have the Spirit of Christ is to be indwelt by Christ.”
If you are in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit in you.
Now, there's a lot more that could be said. When we get to John 15, in particular, we'll consider our union with Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. As Jesus said, he is the vine and we are the branches. That will be a few months out.
Here's the summary: The eternal Spirit of God, who speaks truth and conviction as God, will dwell with you and in you, ifyou have received the grace of Christ by faith in him.
Conclusion
Back to the opening question: “Who is the Holy Spirit and what is his role in your life?”
Honestly, I don't even remember what I wrote on my college application. This was before the internet, by the way, so I couldn't research online. But I did call a friend in another state who was also applying and all I remember is that he was a great help. And the school did accept me.
But how would you answer that?
Well, if I had to answer that question today, here's what I'd say:
The Holy Spirit is one of three Persons of the Trinity. He is the same in substance and equal in power and glory with the Father and the Son. He is eternal and unchangeable having proceeded from the Father and the Son. And he is the one who applies the salvation of Christ in the hearts and minds of God's children. He unites us to Christ by faith.
The Holy Spirit furthermore speaks the truth of God Word to us. He brings conviction of sin and causes us to repent and renew our trust in God and in the Gospel. In moments of temptation, he reminds us of God's promises and reminds us of Jesus ministry of reconciliation and his righteousness. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us in truth. He reveals that we are God's and assures us of salvation in Christ. He is not some mystical force, but as God and as a person of the Godhead, he possesses God's nature as a loving, just God, who knows us, his creatures… and speaks to us through his Word… We need God's assurances and his conviction, and we need to know and believe in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I would furthermore add by saying that when I find myself overwhelmed by situations or being tempted, I seek to listen to his convicting voice within… who brings to mind his Word, which he inspired… and who reminds me of the cross and my forgiveness in Jesus. The Spirit of Truth is my Helper and he will be with me forever.
May God, through the Holy Spirit, assure and bless us in Christ. May he mature us in our understanding of him and may he lead us in righteousness and truth. Amen