Day 2169 – The Gospel of John – 33 – Function of the Holy Spirit – Daily Wisdom

Welcome to Day 2169 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Gospel of John – 33 – Function of the Holy Spirit – Daily Wisdom
The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation of the Word – Function of the Holy Spirit
Today we continue our series on the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, Jesus warned the disciples of the coming persecution, and based on our study, we understand that we should live displaying “The Fruit of the Spirit” in both times of peace and freedom, and in times of persecution. In verse 16:1, Jesus said, “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.   

Our scripture for today is John 16:5-15. Jesus encourages the disciples and us that although he would not be physically present, we would have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The messages provides us with the “Functions of the Holy Spirit.” Follow along as I read.

…but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jesus’ words must have sounded like a jumble of puzzle pieces to the bewildered disciples. After announcing His imminent departure from the earth (John 13:33; 14:1–6), He urged His followers to obey His commandments (14:12–15; 15:1–11), to love one another (15:12–17), and to beware of the hostility of the world (15:18–27). While offering these predictions, promises, and commands, Jesus alluded to the coming of the Holy Spirit to teach believers all they would need to know (14:16–17, 26; 15:26). But these passing references could only have been perplexing. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was reserved for kings and prophets, and occasionally for regular people when the Lord wanted to accomplish something extraordinary. The idea that the Spirit of God would indwell each believer was unthinkable—an unbelievable extravagance of which no one was worthy. The disciples’ heads must have been spinning.

Although the disciples didn’t ask about the Holy Spirit—they were too preoccupied with the thought of Jesus going away,—the Lord returned to this particular promise to clarify His role in the lives of the disciples…and the lives of believers throughout all time.

16:5–7

Jesus lamented that the disciples were so preoccupied with their own security that they were not the least curious about Jesus’ immediate future. It was all about themselves and their plans for...

Welcome to Day 2169 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Gospel of John – 33 – Function of the Holy Spirit – Daily Wisdom
The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation of the Word – Function of the Holy Spirit
Today we continue our series on the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, Jesus warned the disciples of the coming persecution, and based on our study, we understand that we should live displaying “The Fruit of the Spirit” in both times of peace and freedom, and in times of persecution. In verse 16:1, Jesus said, “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.   

Our scripture for today is John 16:5-15. Jesus encourages the disciples and us that although he would not be physically present, we would have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The messages provides us with the “Functions of the Holy Spirit.” Follow along as I read.

…but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jesus’ words must have sounded like a jumble of puzzle pieces to the bewildered disciples. After announcing His imminent departure from the earth (John 13:33; 14:1–6), He urged His followers to obey His commandments (14:12–15; 15:1–11), to love one another (15:12–17), and to beware of the hostility of the world (15:18–27). While offering these predictions, promises, and commands, Jesus alluded to the coming of the Holy Spirit to teach believers all they would need to know (14:16–17, 26; 15:26). But these passing references could only have been perplexing. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was reserved for kings and prophets, and occasionally for regular people when the Lord wanted to accomplish something extraordinary. The idea that the Spirit of God would indwell each believer was unthinkable—an unbelievable extravagance of which no one was worthy. The disciples’ heads must have been spinning.

Although the disciples didn’t ask about the Holy Spirit—they were too preoccupied with the thought of Jesus going away,—the Lord returned to this particular promise to clarify His role in the lives of the disciples…and the lives of believers throughout all time.

16:5–7

Jesus lamented that the disciples were so preoccupied with their own security that they were not the least curious about Jesus’ immediate future. It was all about themselves and their plans for the future. The next few days would see the most momentous events in human history, which would inaugurate the age of grace, the beginning of the universal church on earth, and the worldwide spread of the gospel. After His unspeakable suffering, Jesus would receive inexpressible glory. Naturally, he wanted to share all of this with His companions, but more than that, He wanted them to be interested.

Nevertheless, Jesus attended to their sorrow-filled hearts. The Greek term translated in verse 6, “grief,” means “deep pain,” which can be physical or emotional. Pain filled the hearts of the disciples, who felt like spiritual orphans. All they could think of was losing Him.

Jesus soothed their pain with a wonderful truth. The Lord’s physical presence would be replaced by something far superior. Whereas Jesus in the flesh could be in only one place at a time, the Holy Spirit can be everywhere at once. Limited access to the presence of God would give way to continual communion with Him. Teaching through physical means would take place directly within the heart. Far from being abandoned, the disciples would experience the presence of God like never before.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Master explained, would be twofold: His ministry to the world (16:8–11) and His ministry to believers (16:13–15).

16:8–11

The Holy Spirit’s Ministry to the World

The Greek verb translated “prove to the world” (NIV) and “convict” (NLT) has a wide range of meanings outside the New Testament, including “to scorn,” “to bring into contempt,” and “to rebuke.” However, New Testament writers restricted the definition to one: “he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin.” The Holy Spirit confronts the world concerning three primary topics: “sin” (people’s guilt), “righteousness” (people’s helplessness), and “judgment” (people’s destiny). Of sin, we are all guilty. As to righteousness, we are powerless to help ourselves. Consequently, our eternal destiny is dreadful without divine help.

“Sin” (hamartia) refers to one’s inability or unwillingness to do as God commands, resulting in guilt before Him. Jesus died to pay the penalty of sin for the whole world, but only those who believe in Him have appropriated His sacrifice and, therefore, stand guiltless before the Father. Those who do not believe in Christ remain in their sin and must answer for their choices (16:9).

 

“Righteousness” (dikaiosunē) refers to one’s legal standing before God as “not guilty.” In this context, Jesus relates the issue of righteousness to His “going to the Father.” Throughout His ministry, Jesus claimed oneness with the Father, for which the world (the religious leaders) accused Him of sin, deceit, and blasphemy (5:18; 7:12; 9:16, 24; 10:33). His going to the Father is the ultimate vindication of Christ’s righteousness over that of the world. The Holy Spirit will confront humanity with the righteousness of the Son (16:10).

“Judgment” (krisis) refers to one’s life and character being sifted to determine one’s moral worth. Jesus repeatedly stated that He did not come to judge but that individuals would reveal themselves by their response to truth incarnate (3:17–18; 5:22–23; 12:48). By virtue of Christ’s vindication, Satan has been sifted and found wanting. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will confront humanity concerning its choice for Satan instead of the Son (16:11).

Interestingly, the confrontation of the Holy Spirit does not appear to be directly within the hearts of nonbelievers. He may do this; however, that is not what Jesus was teaching here. In 16:7–8, Jesus said, “I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” The context of 16:8–11 is the coming of the Holy Spirit “to you.” In other words, the Holy Spirit will confront the world from within and through believers. Those of the world do not have the Holy Spirit active within them in this way.

The child of God living on this earth, empowered by the Spirit of God, is a living letter observed by the world. As the world witnesses the child of God being controlled by the Spirit, the world observes a life undergoing transformation. The Holy Spirit confronts the world through His activity in believers.

16:12

Jesus acknowledged the limitations of both time and the ability of the disciples to receive more truth. Their concern for themselves prevented them from absorbing more information concerning their mission after Jesus’ departure. Furthermore, their minds could not comprehend the spiritual truths He wanted to impart without the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he promised further revelation of truth through the Holy Spirit.

16:13–15

The Holy Spirit’s Ministry to Believers

One of many distinctions between “the world” and “His own” is how the Holy Spirit ministers. His ministry to the world convicts to bring about repentance. But on the other hand, his ministry to believers is to bring about obedience through transformation.

The Spirit accomplishes His mission of believer transformation by bringing divine truth to the minds of His own. Before Scripture had been written, He revealed truth directly to certain people: prophets in the Old Testament, prophets and apostles in the New Testament. Once John, the last living apostle, completed the final written communication from God, the book of Revelation, humanity had received all the divine truth needed to live obediently. The Spirit’s ministry is to call Scripture to mind, illumine its meaning, couple it with experience, and apply it. We participate in the Holy Spirit’s transformation process by exercising spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, worship, service, evangelism, etc.).

How were the disciples to know when the Spirit of God was bringing them new revelation? How were they to distinguish the thoughts of God from their imaginations? According to Jesus, revelation from the Holy Spirit would always “glorify” the Son. As we discovered in our study of 13:31–38, the Greek word for “glory” is doxa, which derives from the verb meaning “to believe, to think.” To be glorified is to be revealed in such a way as to be considered good. To be glorified is to be vindicated in the eyes of all witnesses. Therefore, the concept of glory in Jesus’ vocabulary means that the truth He had been teaching, and the truth of His identity would be vindicated in the eyes of all humanity. He promised that the Holy Spirit would only bring new revelation consistent with what Jesus Himself had already taught, and that the Spirit’s ministry would always serve to prove the Son genuine. Therefore, if someone claims to have a new revelation contrary to Scripture, it is not from the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit probably didn’t do much to calm the troubled minds of the eleven disciples. The gift of the Holy Spirit would have been beyond their comprehension, not unlike it is for us—only in reverse. We cannot fathom life without Him; therefore, taking His indwelling wisdom for granted is easy. If we want to know what life would be like as believers left alone, we must observe the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection and before Pentecost. They were dull of mind and weak of spirit; fearful, confused, doubting, despondent, aimless, and passive.

Consequently, Jesus instructed them to wait upon the arrival of the Holy Spirit before attempting ministry Acts 1:4, “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.’” When the Spirit of God filled the believers, everything changed. The book of Acts describes the rise of the church as believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to change the world.

Thank God, He has not left us alone!

Application: John 16:5–15

Divine Agents of Change in the World

Jesus gave us the task of proclaiming the good news to a hostile world and sharing His love for the lost—an impossible mission without divine help! Fortunately, He did not leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin. I find two practical principles in this scripture section that help clarify our calling so we might more faithfully obey.

First, in convicting the world, the Spirit desires to use us as change agents. The Spirit of God doesn’t use buildings, pulpits, or symbols to convict the world. He doesn’t use nature, science, philosophy, or even theology to convict the world. Scripture indicates that conviction comes when we, as God’s citizens, testify about him in word and, more importantly, in action. According to Jesus, the world will be convicted of sin through the evidence of the Spirit’s Fruit in our lives! The Holy Spirit uses transformed Christians as the means of confronting the world. This is not to say He has appointed us to be the world’s conscience. He has not called us to point out sins and take down names. Sometimes we must stand against wrongdoing or declare that a certain activity is sin. However, He has not deputized us as His holy police force. Instead, He convicts the world of sin by sanctifying “His own.” When people sin in groups, they cannot stand it when one of their numbers starts to do what is right. They try to pull the individual back into line and, when that fails, grow hostile toward them.

Second, in communicating the Word, the Spirit desires to see changes in us that will cause changes in the world. When the Spirit teaches, He expects to see people’s lives transformed. He often uses unpleasant circumstances to transform believers, which causes tension. Whereas we pray for God to change circumstances, He prefers to change us!

Have you ever been so overcome with anguish you feel overwhelmed with sorrow and utterly, completely, soul-despairingly alone, as if no one on earth could understand the depths of your pain? In times like these, it helps to remember that God is there and Is ready to shoulder your burdens, suffering, and distress. Not only does God understand and see you in the center of your pain, but He’s available for you, listening and ready as you cry out your heartache, anger, or sadness.

Some of the Psalms are classified as “Lament Psalms.” They will typically begin with the psalmist on his face, begging for change. Everything has broken loose, his life has fallen apart, he’s surrounded and afflicted, and he has run out of options. Yet, amazingly, by the end, he’s praising God for His goodness. Nothing about the man’s circumstances had changed from when he began writing until completing the composition. Instead, worshiping God changed the psalmist. He was changed deep within. Psalm 130 is an excellent example of one for the nation of Israel.

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

 From the depths of despair, O Lord,
I call for your help.
 Hear my cry, O Lord.
Pay attention to my prayer.

 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,
who, O Lord, could ever survive?
But you offer forgiveness,
that we might learn to fear you.

I am counting on the Lord;
yes, I am counting on him.
I have put my hope in his word.
I long for the Lord
more than sentries long for the dawn,
yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
His redemption overflows.
He himself will redeem Israel
from every kind of sin.

Chuck Swindoll tells this story to help illustrate this. “Many years ago, I received a letter from a church member who had endured the worst year imaginable. His wife left him and took their children with her. Challenges in his business brought pressures he had never known before. He was quickly running out of options. In his letter, he admitted, ‘With enemies all around, I suddenly discovered through the information I got from God’s Word that I could love those who hate me, and I didn’t have to live with the acid of resentment eating away in me. I learned that I could pray for my wife and love her just as I loved the little ones she has taken from me.’ He concluded by saying, ‘These have been the hardest circumstances I’ve ever known, but I am transformed. Praise God.’”

This man became an agent of divine change in his world sector by allowing the Word and the Spirit to change him from within. That is the work of the Holy Spirit within us and through us to impact our world. When we are transformed, we become channels of God’s transformation of the world. As we are changed, we become divine agents of change in the world.

Next, Jesus provides us with Three Words to Keep Us Going. Please read John 16:16-33 in preparation.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)
Love Unconditionally
Listen Intentionally
Learn Continuously
Lend to others Generously
Lead with Integrity
Leave a Living Legacy Each Day


I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!