What the Spirit Does
Read the Text: John 16
Memorize the Text: Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Consider the Text: John 16:8
Understanding the Holy Spirit is a difficult task. The reason for the difficulty exists around the overuse or underuse and focus on the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. A study of the Spirit would take days to unpack fully, so today, I hope that we will just focus briefly on three works of the Holy Spirit that Jesus mentions in John 16.
The Holy Spirit CONVICTS us of sin. Jesus declared that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin. The concept of conviction comes from understanding the work to prove something wrong. The work of the Holy Spirit impacts the lives of people by proving one is guilty of sin in light of who the person of the Lord. The Lord defines that which is right and straight; thus, the Holy Spirit uses that understanding to allow the person to see their crookedness.
Conviction moves beyond guilt. True conviction forces one to respond to the guilty verdict. Some individuals respond positively by trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior and seeking forgiveness in Christ alone. Other people respond negatively when they reject Jesus and choose to continue in sin. Conviction illuminates one’s fallen nature before the Lord and demands a verdict. Thus, the Holy Spirit convicts to point people to the available Savior, Jesus.
The Holy Spirit LEADS us to righteousness. The believer leans upon the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit to guide them in the pursuit of righteousness and the task of spiritual growth. The Spirit illuminates the engagement of God’s Word and brings understanding to the one seeking to know Jesus. He guides the path as one seeks to follow the will of the Lord and even serves as the advocate before the Father for us.
The critical component of the leading nature of the Spirit rests on the work of guidance. The Spirit leads where we could not arrive on our own. He illuminates the darkened path. He gives directions on where we ought to go. He provides the needed ability to navigate the journey. When we trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit, we journey toward righteousness because the Spirit leads us toward living as an ambassador of the Lord and a resident of heaven.
The Holy Spirit POINTS us to eternal judgment. The mention of judgment is different than conviction. Conviction exists to point us to Jesus as we recognize our sin and need for forgiveness and a Redeemer. Judgment centers on the reality of the eternal judgment that waits for all of humanity. Every person will stand before the Lord and either be received into eternal life or rejected and placed into eternal hell. The presence of the Holy Spirit serves as a constant reality of that moment and promise.
The work of the Holy Spirit is critical for the encouragement of salvation, the pursuit of life to live like Jesus, and a reminder of what lies ahead. The Holy Spirit is fully God and came as the Advocate and Comforter as Christ ascended into heaven. We need to learn to walk in the Holy Spirit to allow us to be faithful and not abuse or underuse His presence. What do you need to seek forgiveness for today as the Spirit convicts? How can you trust in the leading of the Spirit more faithfully? How does living in the certainty of the coming judgment encourage you to live more faithfully today?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
