Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Extending Hope: God’s Part (Part IV)

Comfort and Truth:
I can only imagine how frightening and sad it must have been for Jesus’ disciples when Jesus revealed to them that, after His resurrection, He would be leaving them again. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus reminded the apostles over and over that He would soon be going back to the Father (John Chapters 14-16). However, Jesus also reassured them that they would not be alone. Jesus was going to send another of the Godhead to them to comfort them and to help them complete their work. Who would this be?

In John 14:15-18, Jesus refers to this Person as a “Helper” (KJV – “Comforter”) and as the “Spirit of truth.” Again, in John 14:26, Jesus says this person would be “the Helper,” and He reveals that this Person would be the “Holy Spirit.” So then, we come to understand that after Jesus’ ascension, He would send the Holy Spirit to the apostles. What would the function of the Holy Spirit be?

To Teach and Remind:
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

The “all things” Jesus was referring to here is made clear by Peter in 2 Peter 1:3, where Peter tells us that through His divine power, God as given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Furthermore, the Holy Spirit would remind the apostles of all things that Jesus had said. This would serve two purposes:

  • So that they could write them down for you and me
  • To serve as a foundation upon which all other Holy Spirit-revealed instruction would be based.

Note that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be sent “in My name.” What does this mean? It means that the Holy Spirit was sent under the authority of Jesus. Therefore, the Holy Spirit could not reveal anything to the apostles that was not based upon the words of Jesus. Jesus reinforces this in John 16:13-15: “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

To Testify:
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26).


The Holy Spirit would provide further proof that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. He would do this through the miracles performed by the apostles and through the words that He would reveal to them.

To Convict:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:7-11).

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin “because they do not believe in Me.” The words that the Holy Spirit would speak through the apostles would have the power to convict each and very individual on earth of their sin. There would be one of two responses to this:

  • Like those in Acts 2:37, their conviction would lead to repentance
  • Like those in Acts 7:54, their conviction would lead to more sin

Jesus also said the Holy Spirit would convict the world of righteousness “because I go to my Father and you see me no more.” The Holy Spirit would testify that God had raised Jesus from the dead and that He ascended into heaven where He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High” (Hebrews 1:3). He would testify that God kept His promise to provide a means of redemption for mankind . . . that He is a righteous God.


Finally, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of judgment “because the ruler of this world is judged.” Jesus resurrection from the dead gave Him the authority to become the judge over the world: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). He was given this authority because His resurrection proves that He has overcome the power of the “ruler of this world” (Satan): “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus death, resurrection, and ascension have given Him authority over all principalities and powers, thus giving Him the power to judge them (Colossians 2:15). The Holy Spirit would testify to all these things through the words and deeds of the apostles.

To Guide:

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth . . .” (John 16:12-13).

The apostles weren’t ready yet to handle all that would be required of them and all that needed to be revealed. Jesus would, in His time, allow all truth to be revealed. How would the Holy Spirit do this? First, by giving them the words to speak when the time was right (Mark 13:10-11, Acts 2:4). Secondly, by revealing to them the words to be written down: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

How does all this give ME hope?
How does the fact that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles give me hope? Remember that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would teach them all things, remind them of His words, and guide them into all truth? He did just that and the beauty of it is that they wrote down all of those things so that I can learn all things . . . so that I can see all that Jesus said . . . and so that I can know all truth.

Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit would convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Through reading the words breathed by the Holy Spirit, I can be convicted of my sin and my need for the saving power of Jesus Christ. I can be convicted of the righteousness of God. I can be convicted that Jesus will return again to judge the world, rewarding the faithful and condemning the unbeliever (Matthew 25:31-46).

The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into ALL truth. This means that I don’t have to worry that God “left something out” with regard to any aspect of my life. I don’t have to worry that some “latter day revelation” will come along to lead me to question my relationship with God. I don’t have to worry about the legitimacy of the so-called “lost gospels” that have been recently discovered. I don’t have to wait for a “personal revelation” from God to tell me what to do with my life. The Holy Spirit has already revealed ALL truth in the Word of God.

THAT gives me an even greater hope!

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