Readings: Isaiah 12:1-6 | James 1:16-21 | John 16:5-15
Text: John 16:5-15
So much ink and words have been spent trying to convince the unbelieving world of the truth of the Gospel. So many ministries are dedicated to this purpose. So much effort is given to bringing non-committal, indifferent unbelievers to faith.
Despite all this effort, they aren’t convinced.
First, let’s understand what this doesn’t mean:
- It’s not a reason to give up exhausted in despair.
- That we need to somehow spice up the message to get through in a better way.
- Most of all, that we are not deceived for believing these things.
Jesus says that when He sends the Holy Spirit, “He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
That’s all truly great. The Helper, who is the Holy Spirit, comes, and He does all this. The only thing is, we can’t see His work having any broad effect—at least at this time. He will without a doubt do this on the Last Day, when every knee bows and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10).
What we see happening now is that He does convincing individually in people, but even that seems to be a mix of results. If the Holy Spirit is really convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgement, it seems that some splash should happen. Nevertheless you are here because He has at least done this to some degree: He has convicted you that you cannot stand before your Creator against His righteous judgment. He has convicted you that the blame lies not in God who is unfair, but in you who are at fault. Finally He has convicted you that this world and its prince, the devil, deserve judgement. But what of the few hundred Christians hearing this in Lebanon today, among the twenty thousand who all need it?
When this mass conviction doesn’t take place, the truth is we are quick to find out what went wrong. The first place most of us look is to ourselves—maybe we haven’t done enough to share the Gospel. And to be honest, it’s probably true. We’ve been silent when people were making their errant confessions. Desiring peace and ease, we have purposely not spoken up to the unchurched child or grandchild, the souls mired in homosexuality or transgenderism. After all, who could take the rejection that comes from speaking the truth? It hurts! It’s a lonely way.
The second place we look is to blame the Church as an institution—somehow collectively we’ve failed (and those who say that, claim that they have the answers that previous generations have overlooked). If only the proverbial “Church” would just be more understanding, then it wouldn’t meet such resistance when it preaches the truth to people. Alas, this is a subtle deception, because it tries to drive a wedge between the Word of God and the people who have come to believe and live by His Word.
The final, and maybe the saddest place we look, is to God Himself. Perhaps, we say, He’s made the requirements too high (or by extension, the “church” has made them unreasonably too high). Can’t people be saved by some alteration of Your grace? Isn’t there some way to smooth things out so that more people can enter the Kingdom?
And of course, we look for an exception for those we know and love first. I know they’re a wicked and stubborn unbeliever—that they’ve rejected every advance of the Gospel; they’ve shunned Your Word, and would sooner have gone fishing on a stormy day than listen to you try to explain why they need to be where God’s Word is preached.
This all makes us feel a huge portion of doubt, like we are the crazy ones. The reasons flood in why it’s us who are in the wrong: Look at how many people are happy and unchurched. Count the number of good people who die without ever confessing Jesus to be their Lord. Look at how flawed the Church is. After all, it’s made up of such sinful people!
This is precisely what the Holy Spirit, the Helper comes to do. If we have ever thought it was all on us to convince the unrighteous of what is righteous—we’ve been looking to the wrong place. We do not have that strength! By human cunning and wily arguments, worldly people convince others of the lies that reign today. But you have been introduced to a still greater One!
If we think that convicting the world of sin is just about reforming morals, we miss that the Holy Spirit has the power to pull them out of stubborn unbelief. That’s the true evil that lurks underneath all that our eyes can see. “Concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” Concerning righteousness because I (myself) go to the Father. Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world—with all His popularity and smooth-sounding lies, is truly judged and condemned.
Do not fear. You have not been crazy or extreme to believe the faith which you hold in the Lord Jesus. You have been given faith by the Spirit of Truth. At last, there is One who does not tell you things for His own advantage; He tells you the Truth for its own sake—actually, for your good. It’s not a question of faith or how much of it. The only reason you can stand before the Son of man is by His judgment, ruled by His grace.
We are not the first generation of God’s people to be slandered for the truth. Remember Jeremiah who was thrown into a cistern even by the temple leadership for telling them God’s truth. Remember our Lord Himself who was slandered by the Jews and condemned by the authorities for speaking the truth. Do not forget the slander which our brethren endured in the Roman society because they refused to conform to pagan worship.
The Holy Spirit upheld all of them, and He is not slacking off today. We are eager to see His work and have shareable proof that this is true. Many times, Christians will get excited to see this or that revival, as they did of the one at Asbury University in Kentucky last year. It’s a paradoxical excitement: we can be certain that God the Holy Spirit is working even now, but we don’t put our trust in these events our eyes can see as some watershed moment. True enough, we want there to be a pivot point where “everything changes” but that point which God promises is the glorious return of His Son.
We as Christians on earth are not to set our hopes on reforming and getting comfortable in this world. Our hope is in a new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells [2 Peter 3:13]. That cannot come without righteousness prevailing, sin being destroyed, and judgment being executed. This is what our faithful Lord is promising us today.
“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…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. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
Let us pray: Almighty God, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts that He may rule and direct us according to Your will, comfort us in all our temptations and afflictions, defend us from all error, and lead us into all truth that we, being steadfast in faith, may increase in all good works and in the end obtain everlasting life.
In the Name of + Jesus. Amen.
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