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INJ
St John 16:5-15
'The Work of the Holy Spirit'
Divine Service
Canate, The 4th Sunday after Easter | May 6th, 2007
Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Dear Saints,
In John 16 we are in the night in which Jesus was betrayed, the night that the disciples were afraid, they knew something was coming, but they didn't know what, and Jesus kept talking about “going away” and His upcoming death. They are troubled, worried, scared, but Jesus is there, and He is comforting them, and He does so, over and over, with the promise that He will send to them the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus gives the special name, the Paraclete, translated “Comforter” or “Helper”.
In the ten verses before us this morning Jesus teaches the disciples what the Paraclete will do, how He will do His helping and comforting work. First Jesus speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit toward the world, and then of the Holy Spirit's work toward the disciples and the church.
This morning we will consider the work of the Holy Spirit to the world, and it is this: The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. That's what Jesus sent Him to do, “whatever He hears He will speak.” And so the Holy Spirit continues to do what He was sent to, and this work is necessary, as St Paul says, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.” [1 Corinthians 2:14] Without the Holy Spirit the world would never know of sin or righteousness or judgment.
The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin. Does the world really need to be convicted of sin? Have you ever watch the news, read a newspaper, listened to the radio? How may crimes are reported, deaths are counted, persons are missing? There is sin all around, and we know it when we see it. “Tonight on 7 News, shocking video of a man dressed up like a duck stealing milk duds from a convenience store.” You shall not steal. The world knows that. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not murder. The world is busy convicting herself of sin. What more could the Holy Spirit do?
The Holy Spirit still convicts the world of sin, “because,” says Jesus, “they do not believe in Me.” [John 16:9] There was no report of unbelief on the news last night; no one arrested for not believing in Jesus. And this doesn't trouble us much. But this sin, this “not believing in Jesus” is the worst of all crimes, the capital offense against heaven, a breaking of the first and greatest commandment.
But the world doesn't see it. “Unbelief, what's the big deal? At least I haven't hurt anyone.” Right? Wrong. The Holy Spirit says, “Wrong.” And this is why the Holy Spirit must do this work of convicting the world of sin, because the world does not know how deep and repulsive our sin is. “He will convince the world of sin because they do not believe in Me” says Jesus.
This is the preaching of the Law, the crushing work of the Spirit, whereby He knocks down our pride and exposes our idolatrous and unbelieving hearts. Sinful man simply cannot recognize its own miserable sinfulness apart from the working of the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit, through the Law of God, convicts the world, that is, makes the world to know, of her own sin, that they do not believe in Jesus. It is by the Holy Spirit, then, that we are able to say, “I, a poor miserable sinner...”; it is by the Holy Spirit that we know that we have done nothing perfect, nothing righteous or holy or deserving of the Lord's goodness. Such knowledge, even for us, is a gift of the Holy Spirit. You who know that you are sinners, rejoice, for this is evidence that the Holy Spirit has begun to do His work on you.
But this is just the first work of the Spirit, only the beginning of repentance, or conversion. There is a second work that Jesus promises, “The Holy Spirit will convict the world of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more.”
Remember that there are two types of righteousness, and that whenever we come across that word 'righteousness' in the Scriptures we want to ask which kind it is talking about. Is it active righteousness, the righteousness that we strive for by keeping the Law (the righteousness that we never attain), or is it passive righteousness, the righteousness of Jesus that He accounts to us through faith? The first is the righteousness of the Law which condemns us. The second is the righteousness of the Gospel and nothing other than the forgiveness of all of our sins which saves us.
Here the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of righteousness because Jesus is going to the Father. This, then, is the righteousness that comes from Jesus' death and burial and resurrection and ascension; the righteousness of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit, through the Word, brings about the conviction that all of your sins are forgiven and that you have been declared holy and righteous and perfect. The text that we lean on here is 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He [God the Father] made Him who knew no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
If we cannot, by the power of our own flesh, ever begin to grasp how bad we are, how sunk in sin we are, then the opposite must stand even more sure, that we cannot, by our own reason or strength even begin to know the depth of the Lord's love for us and the greatness of His gifts. The Father made the Son who knew no sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The righteousness of God, not the righteousness of man. Do you see what Jesus has done? He has given you His perfection, His holiness, His righteousness. It is yours. You are as righteous as God is, not by your works and doing, but by His gift, His forgiveness. “That we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Who could believe such a thing, it is too good, too wonderful, beyond our comprehension. But the Holy Spirit works to convict us, to give us the absolute assurance of this righteousness.
You who believe that Jesus has died for you, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are righteous, not because you live a righteous life, but because you are declared and called righteous by Jesus, rejoice, for this is the Holy Spirit's work of convicting the world of righteousness.
And finally, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of judgment, “because the ruler of this world is judged.” [John 16:11] The Holy Spirit at last brings to the world the word of judgment. We think of judgment as a bad thing, but it cuts both ways. There is a judgment to life and a judgment to death.
Those who do not know their sin, and those who do not know the righteousness of Jesus, these face a judgment unto death, the fearful “Depart from Me, I do not know you.” Hell awaits all who trust in their own righteousness; their judgment will be the same as their lord, the ruler of the world, the devil who, in Jesus' death and resurrection was overthrown and destroyed and bound and cast down and made a public mockery.
But for all who believe, in whom the Holy Spirit has worked the conviction of their sinfulness and faith in Christ's righteousness, this judgment will be the wonderful, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the promised rest.”
And so this is the work of the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. May He continue to do His work among us through His word, that in the end we would pass from death to life, and also that may more unbelievers would be converted and saved from the wrath to come.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO