Church Requel
Jesus told his disciples (and us) that it was actually good news that He was leaving. Because then the Holy Spirit - the Advocate, Comforter, Counselor, Friend - could come by our side. This is our greatest advantage.
The Greatest Advantage - John 16:4b-11
How many times in your life have you had “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news” conversations?
I’ve been to the auto mechanic. Bad news: Cost more to fix the car than it is worth. Good news: we can get a new car now!
I’ve been to the doctor. Bad news: the bone is broken and I need surgery. Good news: In 3 months I’ll be as good as new.
I’ve been to my investment advisor. Bad news: that stock I’ve invested in is now at its low point. Good news: it’s a great time to buy more.
It seems all of life is full of good news, bad news conversations.
Jesus has one of these conversations with his disciples the night of His betrayal. The bad news: I’m leaving and going back to my Father. Good news: The Holy Spirit will come to you. Let’s read it together…
#1 - Jesus’ leaving and the Holy Spirit’s coming is GOOD NEWS.
“Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7
Imagine that Jesus - as a human being - were physically with you. Flesh and blood. Personal friend. Involved in your life. You know each other personally. And then he tells you that he is going away and that you will never see him again. But, he says, this isn’t all bad news. There’s good news too. The Advocate will come, and that’s going to be even better!
Advocate = Paraclete. 4x in John / 1x in 1 John. Para (along with) / Cletos / To call = literally to call along side. 1st time used refers to Jesus. Other 4 times to the Holy Spirit. Different English Translations:
Friend, Counselor, Comforter, Advocate.
We often neglect the good news of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The truth of the matter is that having the Holy Spirit living inside of us as Christ-followers is the best possible news and the greatest advantage we can imagine.
The Holy Spirit can be thought of more as a VERB than a NOUN. Always moving. Always acting. Some have best explained the Holy Spirit as the love verb/action between God the Father and God the Son.
There are two major ways God’s Spirit MOVES - (1) in relation to the world (here in John 16 and (2) in relation to God’s children (Christians).
#2 - The Holy Spirit EXPOSES the world.
“When [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong…” John 16:8
Prove the world wrong = convicts = exposes. Sheds light upon. Brings truth to. It is never OUR job to convict others, to prove them wrong. That is the job of the Holy Spirit.
No one (including us) likes to be WRONG. Usually we want to defend ourselves. Prove ourselves right. God - through the Holy Spirit - convinces us of our wrongness - and our need for a Savior. (This doesn’t stop when we first become a Christian.)
Three Ways the Holy Spirit EXPOSES…
#2a - The Holy Spirit exposes SIN OF UNBELIEF.
“…about sin… because people did not believe in me.” John 16:9
Not believing in Jesus is not an option. Not a righteous choice. To NOT BELIEVE is a sin against God Himself. Why? Because it is a rejection of God’s plan and Jesus’ sacrifice. It is to say we can do it on our own. That we can be righteous without Jesus’ blood shed.
#2b - The Holy Spirit exposes TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS.
“…about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer.” John 16:10
Christians will be falsely accused. Jesus was. Yet the ultimate proof of true righteousness is to be with and remain in the presence of the Holy God the Father. That will be the TRUE righteousness, not this farce of a trial with Herod and Pilot.
#2c - The Holy Spirit exposes FALSE JUDGEMENT.
“…and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:11
The Herods and Pilots and all the other false judges (including many within the church over the centuries) will ultimately be proven false (exposed). As is the “Prince of this World” / Satan / the accuser. The one whispering lies about you into your ear is already condemned!
#3 - Five Great Advantages of the Holy Spirit in me:
Advantage #1 - The Holy Spirit REMINDS me.
“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 that I have said to you.” John 14:26
The Holy Spirit helps me to know how to live more like Jesus. I have a responsibility too - to be in the Word of God - to read, to study, to memorize, to meditate. There needs to be conscious effort to learn on my part. God doesn’t ZAP me with knowledge. But as I study the Bible, the Holy Spirit speaks through God’s Word. And as I face different situations in my life, the Holy Spirit reminds me of what Jesus taught.
The Holy Spirit has been referred to as WISDOM - the application of knowledge. Knowledge = knowing tomato is a fruit. Wisdom = not including tomato in a fruit salad.
Advantage #2 - The Holy Spirit STRENGTHENS me.
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26
We are weak creatures, especially in relationship to God. Yet the Holy Spirit strengthens us in our weakness. There is no place where this is more apparent than in our prayer life. We are weak prayer warriors. The Holy Spirit intercedes / prays for us / gives us the words / helps us.
Advantage #3 - The Holy Spirit GRACES me.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22
We all can be more graceful. These graces do not come from trying (though we should always try), but rather from submission to God’s Holy Spirit’s ongoing reclamation of our lives. We never arrive. We can always be more of any of these character traits.
The connection of Galatians 5:22 to John 15 = Abiding / Remaining in Jesus. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Don’t get too busy. Don’t become unfocused.
Advantage #4 - The Holy Spirit FREES me.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17
Christianity is the opposite of “have to”. It’s a “get to”. I am free to live the Christian life. I am free to become the very person God has created me to be - the person that will make me the happiest - God’s Holy Spirit frees me to be the perfect me. Not the selfish me that Satan wants to twist me into believing, but the selfless me that can make sacrificial choices in God’s strength and grace. The Holy Spirit is liberating!!
Advantage #5 - The Holy Spirit ADOPTS me.
“You received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:17
The Holy Spirit is the means by Whom I am adopted. It is the Holy Spirit within me that is the “certificate of adoption.” = God’s Spirit within my spirit assures me that I am not just a Christian, not just a servant, but literally an adopted son (or daughter) of God the Father.
We are royalty. We are children who live like THE royal Parent = Not about us. It’s all about Him. We exist to bring Him glory. We worship and adore as only a loving child can. It’s very PERSONAL. God the Father is not just FATHER, but we crawl into His lap as “Daddy”.
Conclusion: Life as a Christian is a life of action. A life of living. A life of doing. Because the Holy Spirit acts and moves and loves within us.
But it is also (IMPORTANTLY) a life of BEING. The “I Am” / Yahweh / God The Father & God The Son LOVE / abides within us and we abide within Him and in that we find our being / existing / living / loving / doing / acting all within the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
It wasn’t bad news that Jesus left to be with the Father. It was the greatest advantage for us… the best good news we could have asked for.