What God Says about the Holy Spirit.

Last week, we talked about how the world of unbelievers will hate Jesus' followers, because the world hated Jesus. Jesus told His disciples this to prepare them for what was to come.

The world has a face and a name. There are specific people who may hate us. Jesus told His disciples that adversity was coming, but He also told them that He was going away and wouldn't personally be with them. In verse 7, Jesus says this is to their advantage because the Helper will come.

Why did Jesus say it is actually better if He goes away? Let’s dive deep into the details about the third Person of the Godhead.

The Person of God the Holy Spirit

We serve one God, but He exists in three Persons. All three Persons are undivided. Each is completely and fully God. They are all the same one true God, unified. They have always been one and they will always be one. This means they are eternal in unity.

The word "Tri-unity" describes this reality best. This means they are each equal as God. When Jesus says God will be with them, He is referencing that the Holy Spirit is equally God. There is a difference in function but not in equality.

How God Describes the Holy Spirit

In verse 7, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as a “he,” not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force. He has a personality, intelligence, and emotions. He is sent by the Father and the Son. He is under the authority of the Father and functions to glorify the Son.

The Holy Spirit is also described as the Spirit of Truth. In this passage, the Holy Spirit is speaking the message of Christ to and through the disciples (John 15:27 and 16:13). In the context, we see that the world hates Christ’s followers, but the Holy Spirit convicts the world.

The Holy Spirit is described as convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He brings people to acknowledge their sin and their need to repent. Even when the world is rejecting Christ, the Holy Spirit will still point out their sin to them, giving them the opportunity to repent.

Application Points

• Pleasing God is not about cleaning up the outside and leaving the inside bankrupt. The best we can do is still not enough. It’s repulsive to the unbeliever when we tell them their best efforts aren’t enough. But it’s the truth that our best efforts will not get us into heaven.
• When we give the gospel and share with others our need for redemption through Jesus Christ, we must remember it is the Holy Spirit who speaks into their heart. If unbelievers don’t respond to our words, we should not take offense, because that is the Spirit’s role. God is in complete control of who comes to Him and who doesn’t.
• If you want to do even more study, the Foundations book's chapter on the Holy Spirit goes into more detail of how the rest of the New Testament describes the Spirit’s activity, especially for us, the Church. Reading through this material will help us understand better our role as disciplers and the Spirit’s activity.

Tools for Further Study

Cross References to Explore:

• Deuteronomy 6:4
• Ephesians 4:30
• John 16:8-11