The Holy Spirit of Truth Comforts, Rebukes and Convicts Us
John 16:7 John 14:15-18 John 16:12 Job 19:21a
In Chapter sixteen of St. John’s gospel Jesus says: “Nevertheless 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 depart, I will send Him to you”. (John 16:7)
The fact that Jesus would go to the Father would mean that they would be left alone, unless He sent a replacement, another “One” to fill in for him. This replacement was coming to them in “another form”, so to speak. Jesus, is no longer “physically” present, but He is much more present than ever before. Matthew Henry wrote: “Christ’s departure was necessary to the Comforter’s coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ’s death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place, at one time, but his Spirit is everywhere, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name”.
This comforter truly fills in for Jesus, doing what He would be doing if He was physically present with each one of his disciples. By disciples, I’m not only referring to the disciples that were present with Him during His earthly ministry, I’m also referring to each one of us!
None of us have met Jesus in person, flesh and blood, as the disciples had met him. Yet, because of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, we are not left without him. Jesus also tells us in St. John’s Gospel: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. “(John 14:15-18).
The disciples were about to enter a new phase in their spiritual growth, Jesus told them they would soon receive the wonderful gift of the Comforter. Chapters fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen of John’s Gospel mention the cost of discipleship, and it is in these three chapters that the Comforter is promised. Faithfully pursuing the will of God, can be a painful and costly path. The Lord made no secret of this, but rather sought to emphasize it to His disciples, who perhaps did not realize the cost.
Yes, there is a cost of discipleship; but thanks be to God, there is one who will stand by us as a true friend, encouraging and upholding us; never forsaking us; always understanding us. This is the Comforter that Jesus was talking about. Jesus tells us that He is “another” Comforter. All that Christ had been to the disciples in His ministry of gracious helpfulness, The Holy Spirit would now serve them in the same capacity. Surely the secret of the disciples’ perseverance was the presence of their Lord with them.
At the end of three years, they were still continuing in the way of discipleship, it was because He had been their encouragement, their mentor through all their difficulties, trials and tribulation. Through their failures and successes, He had been there for them. So, by His ministry of consolation and encouragement, He had been their Comforter. The Holy Spirit is just such a Comforter.
Why were the disciples so likely to need this comforter? First of all, it was because they were about to lose the physical presence of Christ. He was to leave them; an experience that, if not for the Comforter, would make them feel lost and alone. This also marked a new stage in the spiritual progress of the disciples, a transition from physically being with Christ, to having Christ in them. It was an extremely painful experience for them, they were losing their friend and mentor.
Until that time life had been very simple, for the Lord was with them wherever they went. They could always turn to Him. He had met all their needs, to include deliverance, guidance, provision, instruction; all these things and much more were theirs, constantly, all because He walked with them. How easy life had been while Christ was with them! No wonder their hearts were filled with sorrow and dismay at the prospect of His going away.
Yet Christ did leave them, and then they needed the Comforter. They had been like children, and as such had been cared for by Christ. The time had now arrived for them to put away childish things and become Apostles, (meaning one who is sent off), into all the world as mature individuals to preach the gospel to all creation.
Another reason the disciples needed to know the Comforter was because the Spirit of Truth was coming to work in them. Of course, it is the same Person, for the Comforter is the Spirit of Truth. It was a hard enough experience for them to not be with Christ, but: it was harder still to face the perils of this world. But the most distressing experience of all is to know conviction by the Spirit of Truth. To know the truth about ourselves, our motives and our selfishness, is a crushing revelation that can be hard to accept.
The Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12). If we were told everything regarding our faults that would be too much for anyone to handle all at once. While the Holy Spirit comforts and strengthens, His work as the Spirit of Truth is also to rebuke and to convict us as well. We may refuse to listen, and reject His conviction as to the truth about our hearts, but if we do, we shall also miss the joys of the Comforter.
If, however, we humble ourselves before God, confessing our sins and disappointment with ourselves, the Comforter will bring us powerful and precious consolation.
We are usually the last to recognize our own faults. Others may see them long before we do.
The Lord knew them from the beginning, but awaits His own time, and our readiness before convicting us. We must not resist and seek to justify ourselves, but open our hearts in humble confession. This is real spiritual progress.
Matthew Henry also wrote: “It is good to consider how near our seasons of grace are to an end, that we may be quickened to improve them. But the sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned into joy; as those of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit would be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither suffering in life nor in death, would ever deprive them of their joy. However great may be the cost of pressing on, unto the fullness of Christ, it is more than outweighed by the abiding, understanding, and loving presence of the Comforter”.
Joyful is the person who, while passing through this life, has a trustworthy friend who will quietly minister, sympathize and provide comfort! Whether we have such a human friend or not, we have the Comforter. He is Christ’s promised gift to all His Disciples.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen
The Most Rev. Dr. Rick Aaron Reid, Presiding Bishop Traditional Anglican Church of America Rector, St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Newton, North Carolina 28658