Sin, Righteousness, And Judgment

John 16:5-15

After Jesus rose from the dead, He remained on earth for approximately forty more days, instructing His disciples, before ascending into heaven.  When Jesus first spoke of going away, His disciples were distraught. They did not want Him to leave. We might feel the same way. Why couldn’t Jesus, now risen and not needing to die again, have remained on earth forever?  Wouldn’t that have solved a lot of the world’s and our own problems? In our Scripture passage today, Jesus gives a response to the disciples distress, and our own question as to why He would have to leave earth. Let’s take a look and see what the Bible says.

Our passage today is another segment from the teachings Jesus gave His disciples that last night of His life, following the Last Supper. Periodically through His three-year ministry, Jesus told the disciples that He would die, be resurrected, and return to the Father. As they saw that this was now imminent, they were sorrowful (vs. 5-6).  This was necessary, for if Jesus did not die, He could not remove our sins. He could not rise again and defeat death. It was also necessary for Him to return to heaven, for if He didn’t, then the Holy Spirit could not be sent to indwell believers (vs. 7).  This is exactly what occurred after Jesus ascended into heaven. A little over a week after the Ascension, the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers on the Day of Pentecost. As Jesus gave this promise to the disciples in His talk to them that final night together, He also spoke of some of the activities that the Holy Spirit will work in the world and their lives.

One of the activities that Jesus said the Holy Spirit will do is that of convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (vs. 8).  As we all see every day, this world is filled with sin, and is a fearful place to live in. The Holy Spirit moves in those whose hearts are softened, calling them to repentance and salvation.  The sin that the Holy Spirit convicts of is that of not believing that Jesus is the Messiah (vs. 9). It is the sin of unbelief that sends people to hell. Every other sin can be forgiven when one repents, but if one does not believe in Jesus, then they won’t repent and be saved, which is what condemns them.

The Holy Spirit also convicts the world of righteousness (vs. 8, 10). He shatters the pretensions of self-righteousness and hypocrisy by exposing the darkness of people’s hearts.  He reveals God’s standard of righteousness to anyone who believes. Holy Spirit will also bring judgment (vs. 8, 11).  He will bring judgment on this world which is under Satan’s control. He makes righteous judgments, unlike the world which has judged Jesus and His believers.  He demonstrates Christ’s judgment over Satan.

When believers turn and seek God’s guidance, He will lead us, and He will lead us in truth, for He is the Truth (John 14:6).  He comforts, teaches, and bears witness to the truth (vs. 13). The Holy Spirit gives us discernment and wisdom to recognize God’s voice, and to walk with Him, and He always gives glory to Jesus.  The Holy Spirit indwells believers to meet our needs in a way that honors God. He regenerates us, convicts us of our sins, and teaches us to live righteously. He seals us for redemption, and equips us to do whatever God has called us to do.

Jesus concludes this portion of Scripture by telling us that all that belongs to the Father belongs to Jesus, and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to His believers because we are one with Him (vs. 15).  The Holy Spirit reveals and discloses the truths of God to us.

Believers sometimes might wonder, if the Holy Spirit is supposed to lead them, why they often get into messes.  The Holy Spirit’s leadership is always right, however our reception isn’t always clear. Yielding to the Lord is an essential part of receiving His direction. We cannot tolerate sin and go our own way in one area, and expect to receive His guidance in another. It is just like when you put a magnet near the needle of a compass and it messes it up so that it won’t point to true north anymore.  So, likewise, sin will mislead us and block the reception of the Holy Spirit’s voice. When we are unclear about a decision, ask if Christ will be glorified by what we would do, and if we could truly do this thing in Jesus’ Name. May we always have our hearts attuned to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.