15.01.04 Jn. 16:5-15 The Necessity Of Jesus Leaving

15.01.04 THE NECESSITY OF JESUS LEAVING

Bill Heinrich  -  Dec 21, 2015  -  Comments Off on 15.01.04 THE NECESSITY OF JESUS LEAVING

15.01.04 Jn. 16:5-15

 

THE NECESSITY OF JESUS LEAVING   

 

5 “But now I am going away to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.                15 Everything the Father has is Mine. This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.   

 

The prophets Joel (2:28) and Ezekiel (36:27) predicted that the Holy Spirit would someday dwell among His people. Jesus said that day was about to arrive. However, for the Spirit to come Jesus would have to leave.  It was the ministry of Jesus to reveal the Father to humanity.  Now it would be the ministry of the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to humanity, that they might believe and accept Him and the Kingdom of God. Only the Spirit could do this.

“He will convict the world.”  John used the Greek term elegchein that is frequently translated as convict or convince. While there is no perfect translation of this term, both English words appear to present the best clarity of John’s statement.[1]

The cultural meaning of righteousness has always been to hold the biblical code of ethics, such as giving to the poor or expressing kindness, especially in situations when it would not be expected. Righteousness (Gk. dikaiosyne) is defined by a number of terms such as uprightness, upright, just acquitted[2] or better said in a simplified manner, as if I never sinned.  But Jesus introduced a new definition of righteousness – that is to have an ongoing relationship with God.

The conviction of sin in one’s life does not necessarily lead one to repentance. It does, however, bring one to the knowledge of their condition before God Almighty.  Conviction occurs when the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to show a sinner his guilt. The acknowledgment of sin is a necessary prerequisite to true repentance. Therefore, while the Holy Spirit brings the conviction of sin to one’s mind, the actual request for forgiveness must result by one accepting forgiveness and grace. Only then can righteousness being to grow within an ongoing relationship with God.

[1]. Barclay, “John.” 2:191-94.

 

[2]. Brown, “Righteousness, Justification.” 3:352-54.



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