The Gospel of JohnThe Spirit Of Truth

John 16:8 “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

1. Sin
2. Righteousness
3. Judgment
4. Truth

1. Sin

Verse nine: “Of sin, because they believe not on me.”

Sin … according to GOD … is our greatest PROBLEM!

The world’s politicians and educators think the biggest problems here, on this earth, have nothing to do with sin. Yet, in verse eight, we find that GOD has a totally different opinion on the matter.   Who is right? Take a guess!

When the Holy Spirit came to this world two thousand years ago, HIS main agenda was to REPROVE the world of SIN. WOW!

Talk about inciting a general uproar among the world’s educators and the powers to be.

Let me read it again to you: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

Now, why is the HOLY GHOST reproving the world of sin? Well, the answer is staring at you [and I] right in the face. I have already read it to you in verse nine: “Of sin, because they believe not on me.”

The Holy Ghost is going to make us [all of mankind] ... “fess up”  to it big time!

What is sin?

Sin is this! “They believe not on me.”

This SIN problem is summed up as: NOT BELIEVING ON JESUS CHRIST.

That is the PROBLEM! That, indeed, my friend is the BONE of contention between God and man … the issue of NOT BELIEVING ON JESUS CHRIST.

2. Righteousness

Verse ten: “Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.”

The opposite of sinning against GOD ... is to believe what GOD says. The law of first mention for this word: righteousness will bring us to Genesis chapter fifteen, and to Abram. “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” [Genesis 15:6]

The antidote to SIN [are you ready?] is BELIEVING GOD.

Look at Abraham. Abraham BELIEVED GOD.

This is what the BOOK says in Roman chapter four, verse three. Check it out! “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” [Romans 4:3]

SIN and RIGHTEOUSNESS are the very OPPOSITES.

Now, the Spirit of GOD exposes our SIN by the preaching of word of GOD, and if we respond by BELIEVING the word of GOD, that is, what the BIBLE says, [WHAT GOD SAYS] … to us, we will be clothed in the Son of God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS. This will be our SALVATION. Amen!

In the transfiguration on the mount, in Mark chapter nine, we have a glimpse of this “righteousness” or [CLOTHING]. “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.” [Mark 9:3]

Can you imagine this? Now, guess who else wears clothing like this. It is the believer in this age. The true Christian is clothed in Jesus Christ “righteousness” … which is as shining, “white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.”

GRACE! GRACE!

No more, do we, as believers, CLOKE our sin with the rags of our own righteousness as when we were still unbelievers. [John 15:22] Amen!   Isn’t this what the BOOK says in Isaiah? “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” [Isaiah 64:6] Amen!

3. Judgment

Verse eleven: “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

We have already identified the prince of this world. The prince of this world is THE DEVIL.

The prince of this world is SATAN! This is the prince of this world … and he has “nothing in” in Jesus Christ.

Now, the DEVIL has already been judged. Here is the judgment. He is going ultimately to HELL. First, GOD will put him temporally into the bottomless pit for one thousand years.

This internment of the DEVIL will coincide with the millennial [one thousand year] reign of Jesus Christ at Jerusalem.

Turn with me to the book of Revelation chapter twenty, starting with verse two: “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” [Revelation 20:2-3]

After this “little season”, Satan will lead the nations into rebellion for the very last time. [Revelation 20:8] “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

Next, GOD dispatches fire from heaven in FAST ORDER, and devours the REBELS. HE, then, casts them, including Satan, into the lake of fire and brimstone.

This “lake of fire and brimstone” [according the WORD of GOD] is the final destination for … DEATH … HELL … and THE DEVIL. Amen! Amen! [Revelation 20:14] “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

This is Satan’s end. This is the JUDGMENT of the prince of this world.

Now, it follows, that if the prince of this world is already judged, then, the rest of us [mankind] will face JUDGMENT. Did you see those two words: “of judgment” in the beginning of verse eleven? “Of judgment” … is pointing the boney finger at us. Let me read verse eleven again: “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” Satan had his judgment.

Judgment is coming to all those who BELIEVE NOT on Jesus Christ. Remember, the SIN problem is summed up as: NOT BELIEVING ON JESUS CHRIST.

Not believing on the LORD JESUS CHRIST is SIN! “Of sin, because they believe not on me.”

Then, judgment will follow for all those who do not believe on the SON of GOD … Jesus Christ. [Hebrews 9:27] “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

There is a Great White throne JUDGMENT coming! Now, when  will this judgment be? Let’s locate it.

Back to book of Revelation chapter twenty, verse eleven: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

[Can you see this in your mind’s eye. You do not want to be at this judgment.  

The GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT occurs after the millennial Kingdom of Heaven of Jesus Christ, and the new Heaven and new Earth of Eternity.

Let me continue here.] “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

[Now look real hard at this next verse.] “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” [Revelation 20:11-15]

Friend is your name written in THE BOOK OF LIFE?

4. Truth

Verse thirteen: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

When Pilate was put to the press in the great mad rush to crucify a righteous man, he asked Jesus Christ: WHAT IS TRUTH? “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?” [John 18:38a]

Now, if Pilate really wanted to know the truth, all he had to do was stand there, and listen, and believe, instead walking off like he did.

Here is the big question. WHAT IS TRUTH?

The ANSWER is God’s WORD is TRUTH. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” [John 17:17]

• The WORD of GOD is TRUTH because GOD is a God of TRUTH.

[Psalm 31:5] “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

• The COMMANDMENTS of GOD are TRUTH! [Psalm 119:151] “Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.”

• The WORKS of GOD are done in TRUTH. [Psalm 33:4] “For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.”

• The shield and bucker of GOD protecting the believer in Jesus Christ is the TRUTH. [Psalm 91:4] “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

To SUM UP:

Jesus Christ is the TRUTH. [John 14:6] “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

The Spirit of God is TRUTH. [1 John 5:6] “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”

The Spirit of God in the believer is TRUTH. [2 John 1:2] “For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.” [John 8:32] “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Friend, as we close this study, I want to ask you some real personal questions. Ready?

1) Have you been set free from the bondage of sin?
2) Have you been clothed in the righteousness of the SON of GOD?
3) Has the Truth set you free?
4) Are you saved by the BLOOD of the LAMB of GOD?

If not, please right now, cry out to GOD, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Put your FAITH and TRUST in Jesus Christ for your salvation. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”