The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Text: John 16:12–15
INTRODUCTION
If you would, take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to John 16:12–15.
As we continue in our series, Anchored in Truth: Growing in Discernment in an Age of Confusion, we have seen that biblical discernment is the ability to recognize truth, identify error, and respond faithfully according to the Word of God.
But discernment is not developed through human intelligence alone.
We need the Holy Spirit to open our understanding, expose deception, apply Scripture to our hearts, and lead us in obedience.
Yet the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit remain among the most misunderstood subjects in the church today.
Some people speak about the Spirit constantly, but much of what they describe has little connection to Scripture.
They emphasize feelings, impressions, visions, signs, and personal revelations.
If an experience feels powerful or supernatural, they assume it must have come from God.
Others have witnessed so much confusion and abuse associated with the Holy Spirit that they have moved to the opposite extreme.
They believe in the Holy Spirit, but they rarely speak about Him.
They are so concerned about emotionalism and false teaching that they almost neglect His ministry altogether.
Neither response is biblical.
We must not invent a ministry for the Holy Spirit that Scripture does not teach, but neither should we ignore the ministry Scripture clearly reveals.
We do not have to choose between devotion to the Word of God and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
God never intended them to be separated.
The Holy Spirit was not given to replace Scripture, contradict Scripture, or draw our attention away from Jesus Christ.
He revealed Christ’s truth through the apostles, and He now illuminates and applies that completed truth in the hearts of believers.
Everything He does is in perfect harmony with the Word He inspired, and everything He does ultimately glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is why the ministry of the Holy Spirit is so important to biblical discernment.
We need Him to open our minds to the truth, expose error, convict our hearts, and enable us to obey what God has said.
At the same time, we must remember that the Spirit of God will never lead us contrary to the Word of God.
Jesus makes this clear in John 16.
These words were spoken on the night before His crucifixion as He prepared His disciples for His departure.
They were troubled, confused, and overwhelmed.
They did not yet understand the cross, the resurrection, the ascension, or the mission that would soon be entrusted to them.
Jesus knew they were not ready to understand everything at once, so He gave them a promise concerning the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit.
John 16:12–15 says:
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
In these verses, Jesus teaches us who the Holy Spirit is, how He works, and how we can recognize His genuine ministry.
I. THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALED THE TRUTH THROUGH THE APOSTLES
I. THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALED THE TRUTH THROUGH THE APOSTLES
Jesus begins in verse 12 by saying, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years.
They had heard His teaching, witnessed His miracles, and confessed that He was the Christ.
Yet there was still much they did not understand.
They did not understand why the Messiah had to die.
They did not understand the full meaning of the resurrection.
They did not understand the nature of the church, the inclusion of the Gentiles, or the full significance of salvation by grace.
Jesus was not criticizing them for failing to understand.
He was telling them that they were not yet prepared to carry the weight of everything He would reveal.
Then He gave them this promise: “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.”
We need to pay careful attention to the setting. Jesus was speaking directly to His apostles.
This promise was not first given to every Christian as a guarantee that the Spirit would privately reveal every truth to each individual believer.
It was a promise to the men Christ had chosen to become His authoritative witnesses.
After Jesus returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit would bring His teaching to their remembrance, deepen their understanding of His work, and guide them into the truth the church would need.
That truth was proclaimed by the apostles and preserved for us in the New Testament.
This helps us understand why the apostles spoke with divine authority.
Their message was not the product of human imagination.
Peter explained that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Paul said that the words taught by the apostles were given by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12–13).
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Jesus had promised that the Spirit of truth would guide them.
The phrase “all truth” does not mean that the apostles became all-knowing.
It means the Spirit would give them the full body of truth necessary to understand Christ, proclaim the gospel, establish the church, and instruct God’s people.
Jesus also said that the Spirit would show them “things to come.”
The New Testament contains that Spirit-given teaching about the future, including Christ’s return, the resurrection, judgment, and the final victory of God.
This truth matters because the church is not waiting for someone to complete what the apostles left unfinished.
The faith has been “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
The church has been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
A foundation is laid once; it is not laid again in every generation.
We do not need new apostles to give us new doctrine.
We do not need new prophets to add to God’s revelation.
We do not need a new message that goes beyond Scripture.
Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the truth Christ intended for His church has been given to us in the written Word of God.
This gives the believer tremendous stability.
Our faith does not rest upon the latest spiritual personality, the newest claim of revelation, or someone’s private experience.
Our faith rests upon the truth God has already revealed.
We can open the Bible and know that God has spoken.
The Spirit of truth gave the church a sure Word. That is where discernment begins.
II. THE HOLY SPIRIT NEVER CONTRADICTS THE WORD OF GOD
II. THE HOLY SPIRIT NEVER CONTRADICTS THE WORD OF GOD
Jesus continues in verse 13, “He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak.”
This does not mean the Holy Spirit lacks divine authority.
The Holy Spirit is God.
Jesus is teaching that the Spirit does not act independently of the Father and the Son.
There is perfect unity within the Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit never disagree, never compete, and never contradict one another.
The Spirit who inspired Scripture will never lead someone contrary to Scripture.
God does not say one thing in His Word and then say the opposite through a feeling, a dream, an impression, or a spiritual experience.
Yet we often hear someone say, “God told me,” or, “The Spirit revealed this to me.”
Sometimes people use those words for a strong conviction or a personal impression.
The problem comes when a subjective impression is given the same authority as the Word of God.
Once a person says, “God told me,” it can become very difficult for anyone to question the claim.
To disagree with that person begins to sound like disagreeing with God.
We should be much more humble in the way we speak.
There may be times when we sense a strong burden to pray for someone, speak to someone, give generously, or pursue a certain course of action.
We should respond prayerfully, but we should not automatically treat every impression as infallible revelation.
It is wiser to say, “I believe the Lord may be leading me in this direction...”
That kind of humility protects us from confusing our own desires with the voice of God.
Our emotions are real, but they are not infallible.
Our impressions may be sincere, but sincerity does not guarantee truth.
Our experiences can affect us deeply, but an experience must still be tested.
First John 4:1 says, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.”
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
First Thessalonians 5:21 tells us to “test all things” and “hold fast what is good.”
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
The Bereans were commended because they examined the Scriptures daily to determine whether what they were hearing was true (Acts 17:11).
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
The Bible never tells us to abandon discernment because something appears spiritual.
It tells us to become more discerning. Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
False teaching does not always arrive looking false.
It often uses Christian language, quotes Bible verses, appeals to emotion, and promises a deeper spiritual experience.
Therefore, the question is not, “Did this move me?”
The question is, “Is this true?”
The question is not, “Was the speaker sincere?”
The question is, “Does this agree with Scripture?”
The question is not, “Did something supernatural seem to happen?”
The question is, “Does this honor Christ and conform to the Word of God?”
The Spirit illuminates Scripture.
He applies Scripture.
He convicts us through Scripture.
He empowers us to obey Scripture.
But He never leads us away from Scripture.
Dependence upon the Spirit and submission to the Word must always remain together.
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES JESUS CHRIST
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES JESUS CHRIST
Jesus gives us another essential test in verse 14: “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
The genuine ministry of the Holy Spirit always directs attention to Jesus Christ.
The Spirit does not come to build the reputation of a preacher.
He does not come to make a ministry personality appear spiritually superior.
He does not come to make us fascinated with experiences for their own sake.
He comes to glorify Christ.
Where the Holy Spirit is genuinely at work, Christ becomes central.
His person is honored.
His cross is proclaimed.
His resurrection is celebrated.
His Word is obeyed.
His sufficiency is treasured.
People do not leave saying, “What an amazing man of God.”
They leave saying, “What a glorious Savior Jesus is.”
This gives us another practical test for discernment.
When we listen to a teacher, evaluate a movement, or hear a testimony, we should ask: Who is receiving the attention?
Who is being exalted?
Is Jesus Christ being presented as He is revealed in Scripture, or is His name being used to draw attention to a personality, a promise of prosperity, a political cause, or a sensational experience?
The Holy Spirit will never diminish the deity of Christ.
He will never lessen the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death.
He will never present Jesus as one path among many.
He will never make Christ a means of obtaining health, wealth, success, or self-importance.
The Spirit glorifies the true Christ and points sinners to the true gospel.
Jesus says in verse 15, “All things that the Father has are Mine.”
That is an astonishing declaration of His divine identity.
Everything belonging to the Father belongs to the Son.
The Spirit takes what belongs to Christ and declares it to the apostles so that the church may know the glory of the Savior.
This is the pattern we see throughout the New Testament.
The Spirit convicts sinners of their need for Christ.
The Spirit opens blind eyes to the gospel.
The Spirit gives new life.
The Spirit unites believers with Christ.
The Spirit produces the character of Christ in His people.
The Spirit empowers the church to bear witness to Christ.
Everything He does is centered upon the glory of Christ.
False spirituality becomes fascinated with experiences.
Biblical spirituality becomes captivated with Christ.
False spirituality asks, “What can I experience?”
Biblical spirituality asks, “How can Christ be honored?”
False spirituality makes much of the person who claims special power.
Biblical spirituality makes much of the Savior who possesses all authority.
The more a believer walks in the Spirit, the more that believer will love Christ, trust Christ, obey Christ, and desire to become like Christ.
Any supposed work of the Spirit that leads people away from the character, teaching, and glory of Christ has failed the test Jesus gave us.
IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT ILLUMINATES AND APPLIES THE TRUTH
IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT ILLUMINATES AND APPLIES THE TRUTH
The Spirit’s work of revelation through the apostles has been completed, but His ministry among believers has not ceased.
He continues to illuminate the Word, convict the heart, produce understanding, and empower obedience.
Illumination is not the giving of new revelation.
It is the Spirit enabling us to understand and receive the revelation God has already given.
The Spirit does not add a new meaning to the biblical text.
He opens our minds to recognize the meaning that is already there and presses that truth upon our hearts.
Think of it this way: a person may hold a map while standing in complete darkness.
Turning on a light does not draw a new map.
It allows the person to see clearly the map that was already there.
In a far greater way, the Holy Spirit opens our spiritual understanding so that we can see the truth God has already placed in His Word.
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
This does not mean an unbeliever cannot understand the words and grammar of the Bible.
It means that, apart from the Spirit, the unbelieving heart does not welcome God’s truth, recognize its spiritual beauty, or willingly submit to its authority.
The Holy Spirit does more than give us information.
He brings conviction.
We may have read a passage many times, but then the Spirit uses that familiar truth to expose a sin we have excused, correct an attitude we have defended, comfort us in a season of grief, or strengthen us in a moment of temptation.
The words on the page have not changed.
The meaning of the passage has not changed.
The Spirit has brought that truth home to our hearts.
This is why we should never approach the Bible as if it were an ordinary book.
We study carefully because the words have meaning, but we also pray humbly because we need the Spirit’s help.
The prayer of Psalm 119:18 should become our prayer: “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.”
18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
The Spirit works through the Word He inspired.
He uses truth to renew our minds, sanctify our lives, and conform us to the image of Christ.
The evidence of the Spirit’s work is not that we are constantly discovering something no one has ever seen before.
The evidence is that we are increasingly understanding, loving, and obeying what God has already said.
How, then, should we respond to this passage?
First, we must study the Word carefully.
First, we must study the Word carefully.
We cannot test teaching by Scripture if we do not know Scripture.
A believer who depends only upon sermon clips, social media posts, and inspirational statements will remain vulnerable to deception.
Discernment grows as the Word of Christ dwells in us richly (Colossians 3:16).
Second, we must pray for wisdom humbly.
Second, we must pray for wisdom humbly.
Bible knowledge should never make us self-sufficient.
We need the Spirit to expose our blind spots, correct our assumptions, and give us wisdom to apply truth faithfully.
Before opening the Bible, ask the Lord to give you understanding.
While studying, ask Him to guard you from pride. After reading, ask Him to help you obey.
Third, we must test every spiritual claim.
Third, we must test every spiritual claim.
Do not be intimidated by confident language.
A person may say, “The Lord told me,” with great certainty and still be mistaken.
Bring every teaching, prophecy, vision, impression, and experience under the authority of Scripture. If it contradicts God’s Word, it is not from God.
Fourth, we must look for the glory of Christ.
Fourth, we must look for the glory of Christ.
The Spirit’s work will never make Christ smaller and man greater.
Ask whether a ministry gives people a clearer view of Jesus, a deeper confidence in the gospel, and a stronger desire to obey His Word.
Finally, we must obey the truth the Spirit has already shown us.
Finally, we must obey the truth the Spirit has already shown us.
Sometimes we ask God for more guidance while resisting what He has plainly commanded.
We do not need a private revelation telling us to forgive, pray, flee sexual immorality, speak truth, love the church, care for others, or share the gospel.
God has already spoken.
Spiritual maturity is not measured by how many unusual experiences we can describe.
It is seen in how faithfully we submit to the truth of God.
The Spirit-filled believer is not the person who talks most about personal revelations.
It is the person whose life increasingly displays love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).
CONCLUSION
The church does not need less dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and the church does not need less commitment to biblical truth.
We need both together.
We need the Spirit who revealed the truth through the apostles.
We need the Word in which that truth has been preserved.
We need the Spirit to illuminate that Word, apply it to our hearts, and empower us to obey it.
We need the Spirit to keep our attention fixed upon the glory of Jesus Christ.
So when someone claims to speak for God, test the message by the Word.
When an experience feels powerful, test it by the Word.
When your own heart pulls you in a certain direction, test it by the Word.
The Holy Spirit will never be offended when we examine a claim by the Scripture He inspired.
At the same time, do not approach the Bible in pride.
Do not assume that intelligence alone can give you spiritual understanding. Come to the Word prayerfully.
Ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes, humble your heart, correct your thinking, and make you more like Christ.
Perhaps the most important question is not whether we have had an unusual spiritual experience.
The important question is whether the Spirit has opened our eyes to see the glory of Jesus Christ.
He is the Son of God who died for sinners, rose from the grave, and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and believe.
The Spirit of God does not draw sinners to Himself as the final destination. He directs them to Christ.
He shows us our sin, shows us our need, and shows us the Savior.
If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, do not look for an experience.
Look to Christ.
Turn from your sin and place your faith in Him.
And if you belong to Christ, remain anchored in the truth.
Study the Word.
Pray for wisdom.
Test every claim.
Walk in obedience.
Depend upon the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of truth will always work through the truth He inspired, and His work will always lead us to love, honor, and glorify Jesus Christ.
