JOHN 16: 12-15
OUR GUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH
[Matthew 11:25-30]
A young mother requested her husband to take their two-year old baby out for a walk. The husband was busy with a project, but with a deep sigh, he got the baby carriage and started walking around the block in the hot sun.
“Honey, “ called his wife from the second story window.
“Leave me alone! He shouted back, “We’re fine.”
After a half-hour his wife once again shouted, “Honey.”
“Well, what is it this time? He answered gruffly. “Is there any problem in the house you need for me to handle?”
“Nothing honey,” replied his wife. “But you’ve been wheeling little Jennifer’s doll so far this afternoon. Don’t you think it’s time for the baby to have a turn?
Like that husband many of us think we know the truth, so when the Holy Spirit speaks to us we bully on in our own thoughts and ways when if we would just listen to Him, He would reveal truth to us.
Having just taught on the Spirit's work to reach the world, Jesus now speaks of the Spirit's influence within the church. The Paraclete not only convicts and convinces the world, He also enlightens believers in the truth of Christ. By revealing Jesus and His truth the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ (C.I.M.).
The truth that the Holy Spirit took and revealed to His disciple was of Christ. The Apostle’s teaching was not their own but was revealed to them by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. What we teach also must not originate in us but must be revealed to us in Scripture by the Holy Spirit.
I. GUIDED IN TRUTH, 12-13.
II. GLORIFY THROUGH DISCLOSURE, 14-15.
Verse 12 begins the fifth teaching on the Spirit in John’s gospel. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
Jesus continues to tell them of the advantage of His return to the Father and the Holy Spirit’s inner abiding. Having just spoken of the Spirit's convicting work to reach the world, Jesus now speaks of the Spirit's guiding influence within the church. The Holy Spirit ministers through the believer’s life, words, and deeds to convict the world and through God’s Word to lead the believer into truth both intellectually and experientially.
This helping and convicting work of the Holy Spirit as well as many other things would become clearer after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. But there is still much on Jesus’ heart that He would like to speak to His disciples about yet He will not disclose them. The things of God are too much to bear unless we have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Though the weight is of greater value than gold without the indwelling Holy Spirit man cannot carry the treasure. (Is this why you cannot endure the clear teachings of Scripture because you have not the empowering strength of the Spirit?) The Holy Spirit's coming would strengthen and ignite these believers and those who were to follow down through the ages so that they could bear all things that Jesus would continue to reveal to them through the scriptural writings of His apostles.
The specific instructions that they could bear and do before they had the sustaining Spirit living in them are recorded in Acts through Revelations. [Notice in verse 13 that Jesus is the One who will speak these gloriously clarified and amplified truths. Jesus is going to come to them through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.]
The Spirit in verse 13 is titled the Spirit of Truth because He guides believes into and in the Truth of God. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into (eis) all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
The word for Spirit is neuter in Greek but the pronoun “He” which refers to this Spirit is masculine. From this and many other Scriptures it is clear that the Spirit is revealed as having the personality and characteristics of a person. The Spirit is a He and not an it. He experiences joy and sadness, He has intellect and reasoning like people do. He is the Spirit of Faith whose ministry is guiding into truth and He does it in a very personal way. He is not simply a force or a power He is personal with a separate consciousness from the other members of the Godhead.
The function of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and the church is guiding. Guiding (‘ïäçãçóåé ) is literally "leading the way." He exerts His influence upon the regenerated consciousness and spirit of the child of God. The Spirit does not drive or compel nor does He force us or carry us. The wording suggests a loving hand placed upon us to lead us. We may refuse His leadership (and most often do) and if we would follow Him we must exert ourselves. But if we will exert ourselves the Spirit will guarantee that we do not miss our way and will secure us in the way from sin.
The Spirit is titled the Spirit of Truth that guides us into all truth. As a skillful pilot guides the ship to the port he is headed for the Spirit will guide us in truth. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (8:32). Now if you don't want to know the truth that will set you free then the Spirit will have trouble guiding you. He seeks to set free, to serve, to love, to guide to real joy and peace, to move mountains with faith. To set free from the old man’s mental habits, insecurities, insufficiencies, intimidations, fears and worries. The devil is the father of lies. If we refuse to be lead into truth by the Holy Spirit, we will continue to be deceived by Satan, his henchmen and his world system.
As we grow in our Christian life the Spirit will lead us deeper and deeper into the knowledge of the truth. He will guide us so that we are intimately acquainted with the truth, so that we not only have the concepts in our head but savor them in our hearts. He reveals both in the truths that are plain and in those that are difficult. He will guide us into the whole body of redemptive revelation. He leads us into all truth. (Scientific as well as spiritual). He will not stand stationary over one point of doctrine at the expense of others. The ministry of the Spirit is to enrich us with the treasures of God's truth. He enlightens us with God's truth and enriches us with God's treasures. There is no limit to how much of the Holy Spirit’s leading help we can have. He stands ready to lead us in all truth as we are ready. The Word of God is a rich mine of gold, silver and precious jewels. What a joy it is to have the Spirit illumine Jesus’ Word and to have His working the Word into and through our life.
The Spirit, like the Son, will not speak what proceeds from Himself, of His own initiative, as distinct from what proceeds from the Father. What He does is energize and illuminate Jesus’ Word in order to bring it more fully into our consciousness, heart, and life. Then He will empower the believer to live it out. The key to knowing God personally, of having a real relationship with Him, is the ministry of the Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we are able to look at God and not only see Him and know what He is like (Ezek. 39:29), but have a personal relationship with Him.
When the Spirit declares the things that are to come, He does not enumerate a long list of specific, day to day occurrences, but predicts the underlying principles. These future concerns may be what is imminent but basically it deal with the return of Christ (1 Cor. 2:10f).
II. GLORIFY THROUGH DISCLOSURE, 14-15.
Another function of the Spirit is to glorify Christ as stated in verse 14. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of mine and shall disclose it to you.
Here we have another purpose of the Spirit which is to glorify Jesus. The Spirit works to place Jesus before the eyes and hearts of men, to make the person and work of Jesus shine forth in all their excellencies. Just as the Son glorifies the Father by revealing Him (1:18, 17:4) both in word and work, so the Spirit glorifies the Son by revealing, or disclosing Him. In both cases to reveal is necessary to glorify. So wondrous, so noble, so good, so radiant is Jesus that to make Him known is to glorify Him. The more Jesus and His truth is truly known the more they will be loved and adored. The Spirit will cause the virtues of Christ to be proclaimed. Showing forth His love, power, holiness, forgiveness, etc. and causing their splendor to shine among the nations. If any Spirit does not glorify Christ, it is not the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit takes what is Christ's, and reveals it to us. Without the ministry of the Spirit, without being filled with the Spirit, we can not understand the things of Christ, nor can we have the things of Christ. All that the Spirit shows us, applies to us for our instruction and comfort, all that He gives us for strengthening and empowerment, and all that He secures and seals to us did all belong to Christ and was given by Him. Christ purchased it all and paid dearly for it and has reason to call it His own.
The Spirit came not to erect a new kingdom, but to advance and establish the same kingdom that Christ erected. All the Spirit does will be in harmony with what Christ did. He will maintain the same interests and pursue the same design. The Spirit will never do anything in contrast or contradictory to the written or Living Word of God.
There’s something endearing about an elementary SCHOOL PLAY. Invariably the costumes, lights, and excitement of the big day overwhelm some of the young performers, who proceed to forget their lines. Whispering loudly from just behind the curtain, some patient teacher prompts the nervous actor or actress with the next line. Muffled laughter ripples through the audience and the production continues along until another frozen look appears on the stage.
Theater-goers are normally unaware of stage prompters because their job isn't to draw attention to themselves-it is to make sure that the words of the script are delivered correctly and that the play continues along without interruption.
This illustrates an important part of the Spirit's work, namely, ensuring the correctness of God's Word, or the “script.” In His Farewell Discourse (John 14-17), Jesus assured His disciples that this promised Comforter would do many things. In this passage we find Jesus’ assurance that the Spirit would lead Jesus’ disciples into all truth and reveal new things to them.
Many people question the truthfulness of the Bible, claiming it's a human work filled with error. Jesus tells us otherwise, since He promises that the Spirit would remind us of His words, and would guide us into all truth. Our belief in the truthfulness of Scripture rests on our belief in the truthfulness of Christ Himself. As C. S. Lewis famously said, Jesus is either lying, or crazy, or the Lord of all. Those of us who have experienced His great salvation can attest that He is the Lord and Savior who can be trusted!
The character, wisdom, and power of the Father and the Son are disclosed to us by the Spirit of Christ. Verse 15, All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said, that He takes of mine and will disclose it to you.
What God designed to reveal to us He placed in the hands and at the disposal of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit works in our minds so that we can perceive, understand, and teach about Jesus. Spiritual blessings concerning the eternal and temporary things are given by the Father to the Son and the Spirit takes them as we are ready and yielded and bestows them upon us. The Father has it, the Son owns it, the Spirit applies it, all three combine to bring it to the believer.
There exists between the persons of the Trinity an eternal, voluntary relationship of love and fellowship, each working harmoniously for the glory and honor of the others.
CONCLUSION
The Divine Spirit is given to each of us when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is not a deceptive or deceiving Spirit as those of Satan are, but a Spirit of Truth. If we will let Him, He will guide us in all truth, into the truth of the seen and unseen reality, into the truth of God's Word. The Divine Teacher guides us to growth day by day so that we may have a firmer grasp on Christ, understand Him and His will for our life better, love and trust Him more, and follow Him more closely.
My prayer is that the Spirit of Truth may guide us into more and more truth so that we might glorify Jesus more and more in our daily lives and in our worship.
[pastorfbc@bellsouth,net -Dennis Davidson]
