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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (21-1-1979 Strandtown Baptist Church)
Jesus prophesies the persecution that is going to come to
the disciples after He leaves them. Those who will persecute them are not
necessarily atheists, agnostics, communists and secularists, but people who are
religious and who think they are doing a service to God in persecuting
Christ’s people. How often Christians have been persecuted in the name of
religion. We may expect the same today.
This is another warning given in
the light of His departure, but He says it is good that He is going away, for it
is to the disciples’ advantage. Hard to believe, because they were going to
left, like orphans, in a cold and unkind world, by their almighty friend. Yet
His departure was a gain, not a loss; good, not evil. Reason – His departure
meant the Holy Spirit’s coming. This is why it was to the disciples’
advantage. If Christ had remained on earth, He could not have been in more than
one place at a time. But the Holy Spirit can fill every place where believers
are present. By the unseen Holy Spirit, Christ could be with all His believers
all the time everywhere.
In actual fact, after Christ
went and the Holy Spirit with His gifts came, there were remarkable changes. The
disciples were twice the men they were before. They did more for Christ in His
absence than when His presence was with them.
Jesus gives teaching about the Holy Spirit in relationship to the world, the disciples and to Christ.
When Jesus speaks of the Holy
Spirit’s coming, we must take
care that we do not misunderstand Him. The Holy Spirit was in believers and
people of God in Old Testament times. But after the ascension, the Holy Spirit
was poured out at Pentecost with far greater power and intensity than ever
before. This is the coming alluded to here.
He will convict the world of
guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). The word
for convict, elegcein, is used for
cross-examination of a witness or man on trial, with a view to seeing and
admitting mistakes and owning up to wrongs done. So the Holy Spirit convicts of
sin, because men do not believe in me (John 16:9).
When the Jews crucified Jesus,
they believed they were serving God. But later they realized their mistake. They
were cut to the heart (Acts 2:37). They saw the crucifixion as the greatest
crime in history, caused by their sin. Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy
Spirit’s convicting work continues. C.f. The Jews accused by Stephen, the
Philippian jailer.
The work of conversion must
start here, when the Spirit convicts a man of his need, guilt and danger, else
he will not appropriate God’s remedy. He does not come to make us comfortable
in our sins. The more we see our need, the more we value Christ and appropriate
Him. N.B. the greatest sin is not murder, adultery, arson etc, but failure to
believe in Christ. The world may regard this as a trifle, just an optional
extra, no big deal, but in truth it is an appalling sin. Turning ones back on
God’s greatest gift is the height of ingratitude to the one who died for lost
sinners, and saying goodbye to only hope. It ensures eternal ruin as nothing
else does.
Then comes conviction of
righteousness. Christ was crucified as a criminal. He was tried and condemned as
an evil heretic. He was given the punishment the worst criminals had to endure.
But He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. The Father vindicated Him and
His claims. His righteousness was displayed. The Holy Spirit convicts us of the
truth of His righteousness, e.g. Paul on the road to Damascus; God was
pleased to reveal His Son in me (Galatians 1:16).
The Spirit also convicts us of
judgment. At the Cross, evil stands condemned. The Devil did his worst, and was
defeated and overthrown. He was condemned and his doom was certain. Evil and the
Devil have not had the last word. Judgment is certain, because it is
foreshadowed by the Devil’s judgment. The Holy Spirit gives an inner and
unshakable conviction that we shall stand before the judgment seat.
Only the Holy Spirit can convict
of these things. No preacher, no sermon, no illustration can produce this
conviction. This is why we must pray for blessing on the Word and its preaching.
If prayer is just pious words for their own sake, it is useless. But when prayer
is meant as an expression of helplessness and utter dependence on God, then this
crucially important prayer will be answered.
The channel through which the
Holy Spirit works is the people of God. Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit coming
to the disciples. When the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces, He works through
Christian men and women. Therefore if men and women of our generation are to be
convicted of sin and converted to Christ, it will be through us and the church
which is holy and filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is searching for a base from which He can do His holy work of convicting and converting. He is looking for human hearts and holy churches. Much preaching and praying is in vain because we are so involved in sin, and compromised with doubtful things, and our lives are on such a low level that there is little difference between our lives and the lives of decent unconverted people. Such lives are no base from which the Spirit of God can operate to do His convicting work.
There were many things which the disciples could not
understand. They had neither the capacity nor the experience. C.f. how they
failed to grasp the fact of the atonement through His death. But when the Holy
Spirit as the Spirit of Truth came, He would guide them into all truth and
reveal things to come.
Earlier Jesus had said. He
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John
14:26). This was preparation for the writing of the Gospels, Epistles and
Revelation. This text applied in different ways to them from the way it applies
to us. The Holy Spirit led the Apostles into all truth by enabling them to write
Scripture. He leads us into all truth by enabling us to understand Scripture.
This is crucial in our attitude to the New Testament Scriptures. When He leads us into all truth, it is into the truth given to the Apostles, not into novel truth, not a different truth from that in Scripture. He will never guide us contrary to Scripture. Scripture is the final judge and court of appeal for all the Holy Spirit says to man. Scripture is the unique, once for all, revelation. We must refuse anyone who claims we need any other literature to find the way of salvation.
The Holy Spirit is reticent and self-effacing. He does not draw
attention to Himself, but to Christ. He glorifies Christ, makes much of Christ,
not much of us, denomination or doctrines, or even of Himself. He came to
glorify Christ. He takes the things of Christ – the glories and blessings and
greatness – and reveals them to us.
This is the test of the Holy Spirit’s work. There is much talk
and dispute over the Holy Spirit’s work. This test must be applied, to help
discern the true work of the spirit. Is this glorifying to Christ, or is it just
emotional experience, or does it just increase attachment to the mass or Mary?
The Holy Spirit came to convict the world, to lead
disciples into all truth, and to glorify Christ. How dependent are we on the
whole Trinity for salvation? It was the Father who planned it, the Son who
executed it, and the Holy Spirit applies it. We need seek the Holy Spirit more
earnestly, and use Him more diligently. We must not quench or despise the Holy
Spirit. This is the cause of so much of our weaknesses and powerlessness.
Use the book which He uses. Humbly and faithfully test all which claims to be of God, and see which is the gift of the Spirit. If it doesn’t glorify Christ, it condemns itself.
