Bible Strudy - Living - Free - John 16:5-15 - July 1, 2011

Bible Study – Living – Free – July 1, 2012

This begins a new series of study entitled “Living Beyond Yourself.”

Our scripture is John 16:5-15.

We will be studying selected scripture for the next five (5) weeks dealing with “Living Beyond Yourself.”

These lessons will focus on GOD’S presence in the lives of Christians through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

It is sad when pastors do not preach and teach on the Holy Spirit. I know in my life I went for over 20 years trying to live the Christian life in my own strength. I think I accepted CHRIST when I was about 9-10 years old. I was baptized when I was about 20 years old. I knew that I was not all that CHRIST wanted me to be. I rededicated my life to CHRIST in my mid-twenties, which meant that I attended church more. Being a Christian to me was work oriented.

My wife and I moved to Spartanburg, SC joined the First Baptist Church. We were attending a home fellowship group where I met men, I knew on a business basis and at church. These men were experiencing a renewed awaking in their lives and reflected Christian principles in their work as well as outside work in their social life. They were consistent in their walk with CHRIST. I knew this was what I needed, a more consistent walk with the LORD. The harder I tried to live my concept of the Christian live, the more I saw I could not live up to the Christian principles.  Notice the number of times I is used. That was my notion of spiritual life, I HAD TO DO IT.

I read a little booklet entitled “My Heart Christ’s Home.”  It talks about the rooms of your house. CHRIST comes for a visit and you show HIM your home. You take HIM to all the rooms in your home, except one. That room is locked. Of course, CHRIST wants to look into that room. But that room has all those personal little secrets we want to hide and cannot bear to part with.

CHRIST says, “Give ME the key to that door and let ME clean it out.” That was my case; I had areas in my life I did not want to turn over to CHRIST. Plus, I felt I could not hold out being a Christian.

I remember driving to work one morning, June, 1971. I was going around what used to be Reidville Circle in Spartanburg preparing to get onto Interstate 26. I was talking to the LORD, “LORD, you know I have tried to clean up my life and live the so called Christian life. I have cleaned up 60 or 70 percent of my life that I think is pretty good but there is the other 30 or 40 percent that is just rotten. I just cannot control it.  So, I will make a deal with YOU, take my life just like it is, the good, the bad, all of it, lock, stock and barrel and you make out of my life what YOU want it to be!” WOW! In a nana-second or quicker the LORD took me up on the offer.

I remember driving onto Interstate 26 for a few minutes, after having made that statement to the LORD, there was another voice that said, “Shaw you have blown it now, you might as well pack your bags because you will have to go to Africa and be a missionary.” Being called to be a missionary in Africa was something that prevented me from dedicating my life to CHRIST over the years. I remember saying, “I do not care, if it means going to Africa, I want to serve the LORD. I want to be all the LORD wants me to be, even if it means going to Africa. I want to be GOD’S man doing things GOD’S way.”

I do not remember anything else major happening for the rest of that day, except when I got home that evening. I took out the King James Version of the Bible and started reading it and got so excited that I called my wife over to listen to this. She said, “Gee that was nothing new to her” but to me it was like seeing the scripture through new eyes.

What was the difference? It was yielding my will to CHRIST and being willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide my life and reveal truth. I finally got self out of the way. Since that moment, I have known that the instant I die, I will be in the presence of my Savior and LORD, JESUS CHRIST. But not based upon my efforts but based upon HIS shed blood and HIS credentials.

GOD had to bring me to the point of yielding my will to HIM. As I mentioned, my barrier for committing my life to CHRIST was the fear of being called to be a missionary to Africa. Later in my journey, I got upset with the LORD because HE did not call me to be a missionary to Africa. I don’t know why Africa, it just seemed that during my teen years most Christians that dedicated their lives to the LORD were called to go to Africa.

Since I dedicated my life to GOD through CHRIST, it has been an awesome journey. It has gone from highs to very lows but one thing has been certain, I am GOD’S child. That is my prayer for every Christian.

When I thought that I had received all that GOD had for me, my wife and I studied “Experiencing God” written by Dr. Henry Blackaby and Dr. Claude King, published by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175. It is all about building and maintaining the best possible relationship with GOD through CHRIST. That was about 6 or so years ago. Awesome!!!

I began the study by praying and telling GOD that I had some issues that we needed to discuss and we did. I refused to go to another part of the workbook until we had settled an issue. That is why, when you read some of the lessons, you see “GOD’S desire for us to worship HIM in Spirit and truth.” This is so important in building the right relationship with HIM. GOD already knows our hearts and HE wants us to be honest with HIM. Our intentions and hidden motives are often hard to admit and confess before HIM. One aspect of the Holy Spirit is to probe deep into our hearts to bring things to our attention that we need to confess and deal with.

The Holy Spirit is referred to as the comforter or paraclete. It means “one called alongside (to help).” JESUS referred to the Holy Spirit as Counselor and Spirit of Truth. Counselor refers to helping, encouraging and the strengthening work of the Holy Spirit. Spirit of Truth refers to teaching, enlightenment and reminding work of the Holy Spirit.

In order to function in the world, JESUS knew that HIS disciples and all HIS followers would need assurance, help, guidance, power, strength, comfort and much more that only could be provided by the Spirit of GOD. Our scripture reveals JESUS’ discussion with HIS disciples regarding the coming Holy Spirit into their lives once HE was gone. We have the privilege of knowing the complete story, whereas the disciples were trying to put it all together before HIS crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.   

Let’s read John 16:5-7:

The Counselor’s Ministry

5 “But now I am going awayf Jn 7:33; 8:14,21-22; 13:3,33,36; 14:4-5,28; 16:10,17 to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’g Jn 8:14
6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.h Ps 119:142 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.i Jn 14:26

JESUS was preparing HIS disciples for HIS crucifixion, resurrection and ascension back into heaven. HE would be leaving them to return home to HIS Father. JESUS had told them that HE was leaving but no one had asked HIM where HE was going. Were the disciples still mulling over JESUS’ response to Thomas. Thomas had actually asked HIM that question earlier in John 14:5-6:

5 “Lord,” Thomasj Mk 3:18 said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I amk Ex 3:14; Jn 8:24,58 the way,l Heb 10:20 the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

We need to keep in mind that the disciples thought that HE was going to establish an earthly kingdom. If HE was about to launch HIS takeover of Israel from the Romans, why was HE leaving them out? Life often gets very dark before the dawn.

JESUS acknowledged that since HE had told them these things that their hearts had been filled with sorrow.

HE told them that HIS departure was for their benefit because the Counselor could not come until HE was gone. They must have asked themselves, “Who in the world is the Counselor?”

Let’s read John 16:8-11:

8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Fatherj Jn 14:12,28; 16:17 and you will no longer see Me;
11 and about judgment,k Mt 12:41; Jn 5:22; 2Th 1:5; Rv 19:11 because the ruler of this •worldl Mt 4:1; Jn 12:31 has been judged.m Col 2:15; Heb 2:14

JESUS revealed some of the roles of the Holy Spirit in verse 8. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin, of their need to be righteous and pending judgment.  Since CHRIST, salvation through HIM is the only way for a person to be made righteous – 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

JESUS explains each action of the Counselor. A person’s greatest sin is to reject HIM because HE is the only way for a person to be made righteous. When a person rejects CHRIST, he/she will be judged. If a person wants to be sure of eternal life and not being judged then he/she must accept CHRIST as his/her Savior. JESUS said it best in John 5:24:

24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal lifec Jn 6:53; 12:25; Ac 13:48; 1Jn 2:25 and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

Let’s read John 16:12-15:

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.n Mk 4:33
13 When the Spirit of trutho Rm 3:7; 1Jn 4:6 comes, He will guide you into all the truth.p Jn 1:17; 14:6; 2Th 2:10 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.
14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 Everything the Fatherq Mt 11:27 has is Mine.r Jn 17:10 This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.s

JESUS continued revealing more about the function of the Holy Spirit:

-         HE guides to all truth.

-         HE only speaks only what HE hears.

-         HE will reveal what is to come.

-         HE glorifies CHRIST by taking what is CHRIST’S and gifts it to Christians as directed according to GOD’S plan and purpose. These include gifts of the Spirit.

JESUS made it clear that everything the Father has belongs to HIM. JESUS was fully equipped to function on earth and reveal the Father. Now this to me is mind boggling. Christians must keep in mind that GOD will not give HIS children something that will harm them.

I think this means that Christians who die to self and yield their wills to GOD have the opportunity to do everything CHRIST did – healing, walking on water, calming the seas, raising the dead, leading the lost to a saving knowledge of salvation, turning water into wine and the list goes on. It is vital that all Christians be led and directed by the Holy Spirit for all activity. Christians are quick to do and then wonder if what they have done was according to HIS will.

I am convinced when Christians are in right relationship with HIM, they are in HIS will. JESUS was always in right relationship with HIS Father. When Christians are in right relationship with CHRIST, walking in the Spirit becomes natural and is not a struggle. When we allow GOD to work through us, it is not longer us but CHRIST who lives through us.

JESUS was speaking in John 8:32 - You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:36 - Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. JESUS frees Christians to serve GOD as led by and confirmed by the Holy Spirit. Blessings!!!