The Spirit of Truth
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John 16:5-15
5. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?' 6. But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9. concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10. concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; 11. concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12. "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
I didn’t find this particular exchange in the other three gospels; but John has a little different take on things, anyway. The person of the Holy Spirit is the most mysterious, I think of the trinity! It’s the hardest to understand, because there’s not a physical presence, as in Christ’s human form, nor is there concrete proof of its existence, as there is in God’s – by merely looking around us in nature—and even at ourselves in the mirror!
The sin referred to here is the sin of unbelief. The righteousness is that which was brought about by Christ’s death on the cross. The judgment was the defeat of Satan. That is quite enough for us to deal with! Anything else would, indeed, put our minds and hearts into overload, I think! Jesus certainly knew the disciples, without the benefit of history – and the resurrection – would not be able to grasp the concept of the Holy Spirit at that point!
We need the Holy Spirit to guide us on our Christian walk. God gave us the Word. Jesus gave us the perfect demonstration of what is expected. The Holy Spirit helps us make “it” personal. It helps us understand at a deep, deep level, how Christ’s death and resurrection should be applied to our lives. What does it mean to be a Christian in 2004? How can I live the kind of life Christ modeled? The Holy Spirit imparts that to us, and for us.
I guess I’m rambling again! The Spirit of Truth dwells within us. To help us exhibit, impart, and comprehend God’s word, the crucifixion of Jesus, the resurrection, and the ascension. And then it helps us glorify God by acting upon this knowledge and understanding! Wow! God with us. God as us. God within us. God for us. God the Father—creator of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ, the Son—man/divine—in His image and likeness. The Holy Spirit—Wonderful Counselor—within us for all time.
The disciples don’t ask Jesus where he’s going. They’re only worried about what they’ll do without him! They didn’t know what we do: The triune God is all we need to believe in, to honor and worship, to rely upon and to turn to for the answer to every question in our lives. God made us. He died on a cross for us. He dwells within us until the second coming.
I hope you spend our day honoring the triune God who made you, loves you and dwells within you.
Mary
