The Counselor’s Ministry
5“But now I
am going away to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You
going?’ 6Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has
filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, 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. 8When He comes, He will convict
the world about sin†,
righteousness, and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe
in Me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and
you will no longer see Me; 11and 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. 13When 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. 14He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15Everything the Father has is Mine. This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.[1]
[1]
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp.
216–217). Holman Bible Publishers.
Intro Questions
Text Graphic
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
OPEN:
- How are you at saying "good-bye"? Is it harder for you to be the one leaving home, or the one left behind? Explain.
- What are the disciples feeling now? What is their grief keeping them from understanding (John 16:17)?
- How would you paraphrase the three goals of the Spirit's work (John 16:8-11)? Therefore, why is it good that Jesus goes away?
- If you were a disciple, how would you feel after hearing John 16:16?
- Of the various roles of the Holy Spirit described here, which one have you come to appreciate recently?
- Has Jesus ever said things to you that you could hardly bear (John 16:12)? What happened?
“Finding Truth”
But when he, the Spirit of truth,
comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he
will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John
16:13)
The speed of
and access to information have now accelerated to unprecedented levels. Daily,
there are decisions that require action and opportunities requiring wisdom
(truth), and a endless source of wisdom to draw from to make these decisions
and shape these actions.
God calls
you to be dependent upon His direction and guidance. Romans 6:19 reminds us,
“I am using an example from everyday life because of your human
limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing
wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to
holiness.”
Despite God’s command to allow Him to be Lord of our lives, we tend to
be gunslingers who are “quick on the draw” ready to meet any challenge or
decision with little thought for God’s role or His will concerning the
situation.
There are
many reasons for this, but a big one and one that can reveal a spiritual need
in you is a lack of familiarity with the word of God as well as a lack of
experience in walking in the Spirit.
Like
anything in life, the more you know and understand something, the more comfortable
you are in using it.
The same is
true in your walk with God. Greater time and reflection on the word of God will
provide the truth you need to make decisions. God’s wisdom and His word will
give shape to your life.
The more you
grow in intimacy with God, the more you will understand the Spirit’s desire to
“guide you into all truth” so that you will experience the fruit of walking in
truth.
2
Corinthians 3:17-18 – “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled
faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with
ever-increasing
glory, which comes from the Lord, who
is the Spirit.”
God created
you to experience His promises, but this happens as you cultivate your relationship
with the Holy Spirit and learn to walk with Him in full power and truth.
Spend time
in the word of God and be faithful in allowing His Spirit to lead and guide you
so that you can live in truth and live at the center of God’s will.
“Let
anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as
Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John
7:37-38)
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