The Work of the Holy Spirit

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 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 go, I will send him to you.And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 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. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Here at the beginning of John 15 are some very important things that will not be found in any other scriptures.

We will not hear a particular truth until we are prepared to receive it. Wanting to know the truth has to be accompanied with this understanding, if we cannot handle that truth, we will not hear it.

At this point in John’s gospel he has skipped the Last Supper. Since Passover is a big part of Jewish celebrations I can understand why he did not focus on it but leaving that out misses one of our more important scriptural references, our Communion application.

Leaving this portion out of the story might mean that the chapters between washing the disciples feet just before Passover in chapter 13 and His betrayal in chapter 18, must have major importances.

Chapter 14 contains “I am the way, the truth and the Life” followed by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 begins with “Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” That chapter ends with the completion of a prophecy, “They hated me without a cause.”

At the end of chapter 16 Jesus announces “The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.” This is where we live now.

This leaves us with John chapter 17 before John gets back on track with His betrayal.

See you tomorrow.

John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Genesis 1:17-19 English Standard Version

And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Those in darkness do not know they live in darkness until the morning star rises.

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

This is what it means to be born again, to leave the darkness and enter the light.

That sounds so simple and it is, but the nature of the natural man is to understand and with understanding they believe they have regained control over their own lives. The Spirit cannot be controlled. 

Jesus was the Way and the second identity is Truth. He was true and never lied to us, nor will He.

John 14:17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The good news is that He does not hide from us. The bad news is that we are still flesh.

Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

• 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
  Galatians 2:4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—
• Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
• Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

We did not know we were slaves to sin, and now our chains have been removed. We are free.