Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
After Christ returned to heaven out of human sight, it was necessary for Him to send the Comforter to take His place as His representative to the world. The Spirit bears unwavering testimony that convicts the world concerning righteousness, a work only He can do by guiding into all truth and glorifying Christ. He makes known Christ's righteousness won by humbling Himself and dying the Just for the unjust, holding up the moral standard and turning hearts to Jesus as the Sun of Righteousness and to the love shown at Calvary. Through truth as His instrument He works upon heart, conscience and will to awaken need, bring godly sorrow and repentance toward God, inspire faith in the only Saviour, and transform character to victory and sanctification. Faithful servants share in that reproving work by bearing clear, decided testimony for truth and righteousness and leading others to faith in Jesus so they may receive the blessings of salvation.
Setting and Wording
The words were spoken at the supper in the upper chamber to the faithful disciples alone after Judas withdrew, standing in the very shadow of the cross just before betrayal, crucifixion, suffering and departure. They were words of comfort, of counsel and of prayer for His little flock soon to be left without a shepherd. They belonged to the instruction of John 6 and John 13-17 that plainly expresses God's will for His people, to be lived out in practical life to cure dissension and to produce unity and love with one another and with Christ. Those who live it will stand the test in the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
They were given before separation to prepare the disciples for their future work and to teach them to depend on divine power. They were words of encouragement before suffering and departure, meant to strengthen them for the trials ahead. They made them acquainted with Christ's purposes and plans and were meant to strengthen them for the difficulties ahead.
They belong to plain talk about the difficulties, afflictions, conflicts and manifold troubles they would meet from the world in a dark, troubled future. He knew every phase of experience and every conflict they would face, and He grieved that they must pass through them. He told them beforehand so they would remember and would not be offended and tempted to lose faith, nor fail nor be discouraged. He mingled bright hopeful lines with the dark and made every provision through faith so they would not fail.
The phrase about going to the Father means His return and ascension to heaven to the Father out of human sight, to be no longer seen visibly on earth by the disciples. After He goes to heaven He sends the Comforter to strengthen and encourage His disciples and to guide them to obey His teachings as their light and guide.
Even the disciples could not fully understand these words until after the resurrection took place, for He longed to say many things to them but they could not bear them then. Afterward they repeated these words again and again to stay their sinking hearts in disappointment and trial and to strengthen one another. Through their testimony the truth has spread over all lands to comfort the desponding and to give peace and hope to believers through all ages in times of sorrow and trial.
Spirit Sent to Reprove
After His departure it was expedient and necessary for the Comforter to come, sent by Christ to take His place as His representative to the world and bring a reconciling influence. Reproving the world of righteousness because He goes to His Father and is seen no more is part of that promised work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart and conscience, and those who speak and write the truths of God must have this endowment or they will make great mistakes. The office of the Spirit thus made known is a theme of encouragement to be kept before the people and presented in every discourse, and comprehending it brings all blessings and makes complete in Christ. His words about the Spirit call His followers to grasp the value of the gift, seek its fullness, and not resist it.
The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, reproves and convicts the world concerning righteousness because Christ goes to the Father and is seen no more, bearing an unwavering testimony to this truth. Sent by Christ after His departure, the Holy Spirit has been given as Guide and Comforter, so aid and guidance are to be sought from Christ and not from man. This requires a clear, decided testimony to be borne in behalf of righteousness and truth, and the Spirit's work gives the receiver the mind of Christ and makes him a faithful worker who brings self into subjection, represses evil inclination, refuses to excuse faults, and in faith and much prayer cuts away evil with Christ present to help in every true purpose and battle with the enemy.
Only the Spirit can do this convincing work, guiding people into all truth, making known what belongs to Christ, glorifying Him, and leading people to recognize God's truth and the reality of the eternal world. This agency was purchased by Christ's death and will bring condemnation to the world. It operates in the controversy between Christ and Satan continued since the fall, while Christ's followers face being put out of the synagogues and killed by those who have not known the Father nor Christ, which was foretold so they would remember and not be offended, and while the gospel has not yet been proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
The Spirit strengthens and encourages the disciples and guides them to obey Christ's teachings as their light and guide. After the ascension He is sent to give power to take away sin. He is the promised grand helper to be constantly with those wrestling for victory to the end of the world.
Righteousness Revealed to World
The reproof exposes the world's need for righteousness, since Christ has gone to the Father and is no longer seen by His disciples. In that absence the Spirit sent by Christ makes Christ's righteousness known to men. That righteousness rests on Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin. It is what the Redeemer wrought in humbling Himself, enduring temptation, wrestling with the foe, and dying the Just for the unjust.
The Spirit presents before the mind the moral standard of righteousness. He directs hearts to Jesus as the Sun of Righteousness and constantly draws attention to the sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. There He unfolds the love of God shown in that sacrifice. At the same time He awakens people to the life-and-death importance of God's commandments.
To the convicted soul He opens the precious things of Scripture. Blinded and darkened eyes are opened so that scales fall away. Darkened minds are opened to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, so that hearts burn with awakened intelligence of eternal truths. He instructs the ignorant in the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and He guided the pens of the sacred historians to present the record of Christ's sayings and works.
Conviction Changing the Heart
The reproof of righteousness touches the human agent inwardly, upon heart and conscience and will. It comes only through the channel and medium of truth as its instrument, working through human abilities to bring light to the understanding, and as truth is presented the Spirit brings conviction home to the heart as spiritual reality.
This divine working is indispensable, for God alone imparts the Spirit to make truth a transforming power for the saving of the soul. Faith itself is the gift of God, who opens the heart to receive the Word, and the Spirit produces its effect through the medium of truth. The Spirit makes the preached Word effectual by convicting souls of what is truth and righteousness, and this is done amid constant conflict between the powers of darkness and the heavenly forces.
After Christ is gone to the Father and is no longer seen, this conviction comes through His followers. It awakens the conscience by the contrast between truth and error, leads persons to see their spiritual condition clearly, brings regret for past guilt and for dishonoring God by breaking His law and refusing Christ, and leads them to seek how they may be saved. The Spirit convinces of sin and produces godly sorrow which works repentance toward God that needs not to be repented of. That sorrow inspires faith in Him who alone can save from all sin, and gives the receiver the mind of Christ.
With the mind of Christ the receiver is made a faithful worker who brings self into subjection, represses evil inclination, refuses to excuse faults, and in faith and much prayer cuts away evil, with Christ present to help in every true purpose and in every battle with the enemy. The Spirit transforms character by withdrawing the affections from temporal perishable things and imbuing the soul with earnest desire for the imperishable immortal inheritance. He recreates, refines and sanctifies human agents until they become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, enabled to stand firmly against every species of idolatry and exalt the Lord alone. When the lesson of John 16 is studied and the words Christ commanded are willingly given, His works and words become sure evidence to the people, with His promised presence with His workers and the same converting power seen when three thousand were brought to faith at Pentecost.
Sharing the Spirit's Work
The reproving of the world concerning righteousness because Christ goes to the Father to be seen no more is the character of the Holy Spirit's work, and faithful workers share in it. They carry a message of reproof for sin joined with encouragement for all who forsake their sins and are converted. The Spirit makes Christ's righteousness known and enables His servants to represent Him and lead people to faith in Jesus. That righteousness rests on Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin, and believers cooperate with the Spirit in making it known so that others may receive the blessings of salvation.
Aid and guidance are to be sought from Christ, not from man, because the Holy Spirit has been given as Guide and Comforter, sent by Christ after His departure to reprove the world of righteousness because He returns to the Father and is no longer seen on earth. After the ascension Christ sends the Comforter to take His place, bring a reconciling influence, and give power to take away sin. His followers are to grasp the value of this wonderful gift, seek its fullness, and not resist it. Understanding the Spirit's office as Christ's representative to the world uplifts thought and enlarges expectations toward the highest excellence. Comprehending what is taught about the Holy Spirit brings all blessings and makes complete in Christ.
Those who speak and write the truths of God must have this endowment of the Holy Spirit to share in His work upon the heart and conscience, or they will make great mistakes. Where people do not listen to the reproving of the Holy Spirit they remain unconvicted of things registered as sin in heaven, such as selfishness and covetousness. Instead they wrongly take up judging and correcting their brethren.
A clear, decided testimony in behalf of righteousness and truth is to be borne. The office of the Holy Spirit is a theme of encouragement to be kept before the people and presented in every discourse, in every home, and in every study of the Word. It is a message showing how to receive Christ's grace, and refusing its conditions leaves a person unready to stand before Him when He comes in glory. The Spirit's work gives the receiver the mind of Christ and makes him a faithful worker, bringing self into subjection, repressing evil inclination, refusing to excuse faults, and in faith and much prayer cutting away evil, with Christ present to help in every true purpose and in the battle with the enemy.
The Holy Spirit makes the preached Word effectual by convicting souls of what is truth and righteousness amid constant conflict between the powers of darkness and the heavenly forces. Therefore before preaching, those with faith should be asked to pray for the Holy Spirit to give that convicting power, and at the close opportunity should be given for prayer for friends in need of faith.
The instruction in John 6 and John 13-17 plainly expresses God's will, given just before betrayal and crucifixion, to be lived out in practical life to cure dissension and to produce unity and love with one another and with Christ. It calls for a deeper work of grace that makes the Word the study and grows in Christian graces rather than absorption in business. It keeps temper with worldly men, shows faith that works by love and sanctifies the soul, and maintains a Christlike untarnished reputation while bearing faithful testimony against evil. Those who live it will stand the test in the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The chapter holds highest value for every soul consecrating life to God's service.
After Christ returned to heaven out of human sight, it was necessary for Him to send the Comforter to take His place as His representative to the world. The Spirit bears unwavering testimony that convicts the world concerning righteousness, a work only He can do by guiding into all truth and glorifying Christ. He makes known Christ's righteousness won by humbling Himself and dying the Just for the unjust, holding up the moral standard and turning hearts to Jesus as the Sun of Righteousness and to the love shown at Calvary. Through truth as His instrument He works upon heart, conscience and will to awaken need, bring godly sorrow and repentance toward God, inspire faith in the only Saviour, and transform character to victory and sanctification. Faithful servants share in that reproving work by bearing clear, decided testimony for truth and righteousness and leading others to faith in Jesus so they may receive the blessings of salvation.
Setting and Wording
The words were spoken at the supper in the upper chamber to the faithful disciples alone after Judas withdrew, standing in the very shadow of the cross just before betrayal, crucifixion, suffering and departure. They were words of comfort, of counsel and of prayer for His little flock soon to be left without a shepherd. They belonged to the instruction of John 6 and John 13-17 that plainly expresses God's will for His people, to be lived out in practical life to cure dissension and to produce unity and love with one another and with Christ. Those who live it will stand the test in the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
They were given before separation to prepare the disciples for their future work and to teach them to depend on divine power. They were words of encouragement before suffering and departure, meant to strengthen them for the trials ahead. They made them acquainted with Christ's purposes and plans and were meant to strengthen them for the difficulties ahead.
They belong to plain talk about the difficulties, afflictions, conflicts and manifold troubles they would meet from the world in a dark, troubled future. He knew every phase of experience and every conflict they would face, and He grieved that they must pass through them. He told them beforehand so they would remember and would not be offended and tempted to lose faith, nor fail nor be discouraged. He mingled bright hopeful lines with the dark and made every provision through faith so they would not fail.
The phrase about going to the Father means His return and ascension to heaven to the Father out of human sight, to be no longer seen visibly on earth by the disciples. After He goes to heaven He sends the Comforter to strengthen and encourage His disciples and to guide them to obey His teachings as their light and guide.
Even the disciples could not fully understand these words until after the resurrection took place, for He longed to say many things to them but they could not bear them then. Afterward they repeated these words again and again to stay their sinking hearts in disappointment and trial and to strengthen one another. Through their testimony the truth has spread over all lands to comfort the desponding and to give peace and hope to believers through all ages in times of sorrow and trial.
Spirit Sent to Reprove
After His departure it was expedient and necessary for the Comforter to come, sent by Christ to take His place as His representative to the world and bring a reconciling influence. Reproving the world of righteousness because He goes to His Father and is seen no more is part of that promised work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart and conscience, and those who speak and write the truths of God must have this endowment or they will make great mistakes. The office of the Spirit thus made known is a theme of encouragement to be kept before the people and presented in every discourse, and comprehending it brings all blessings and makes complete in Christ. His words about the Spirit call His followers to grasp the value of the gift, seek its fullness, and not resist it.
The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, reproves and convicts the world concerning righteousness because Christ goes to the Father and is seen no more, bearing an unwavering testimony to this truth. Sent by Christ after His departure, the Holy Spirit has been given as Guide and Comforter, so aid and guidance are to be sought from Christ and not from man. This requires a clear, decided testimony to be borne in behalf of righteousness and truth, and the Spirit's work gives the receiver the mind of Christ and makes him a faithful worker who brings self into subjection, represses evil inclination, refuses to excuse faults, and in faith and much prayer cuts away evil with Christ present to help in every true purpose and battle with the enemy.
Only the Spirit can do this convincing work, guiding people into all truth, making known what belongs to Christ, glorifying Him, and leading people to recognize God's truth and the reality of the eternal world. This agency was purchased by Christ's death and will bring condemnation to the world. It operates in the controversy between Christ and Satan continued since the fall, while Christ's followers face being put out of the synagogues and killed by those who have not known the Father nor Christ, which was foretold so they would remember and not be offended, and while the gospel has not yet been proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.
The Spirit strengthens and encourages the disciples and guides them to obey Christ's teachings as their light and guide. After the ascension He is sent to give power to take away sin. He is the promised grand helper to be constantly with those wrestling for victory to the end of the world.
Righteousness Revealed to World
The reproof exposes the world's need for righteousness, since Christ has gone to the Father and is no longer seen by His disciples. In that absence the Spirit sent by Christ makes Christ's righteousness known to men. That righteousness rests on Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin. It is what the Redeemer wrought in humbling Himself, enduring temptation, wrestling with the foe, and dying the Just for the unjust.
The Spirit presents before the mind the moral standard of righteousness. He directs hearts to Jesus as the Sun of Righteousness and constantly draws attention to the sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. There He unfolds the love of God shown in that sacrifice. At the same time He awakens people to the life-and-death importance of God's commandments.
To the convicted soul He opens the precious things of Scripture. Blinded and darkened eyes are opened so that scales fall away. Darkened minds are opened to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, so that hearts burn with awakened intelligence of eternal truths. He instructs the ignorant in the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and He guided the pens of the sacred historians to present the record of Christ's sayings and works.
Conviction Changing the Heart
The reproof of righteousness touches the human agent inwardly, upon heart and conscience and will. It comes only through the channel and medium of truth as its instrument, working through human abilities to bring light to the understanding, and as truth is presented the Spirit brings conviction home to the heart as spiritual reality.
This divine working is indispensable, for God alone imparts the Spirit to make truth a transforming power for the saving of the soul. Faith itself is the gift of God, who opens the heart to receive the Word, and the Spirit produces its effect through the medium of truth. The Spirit makes the preached Word effectual by convicting souls of what is truth and righteousness, and this is done amid constant conflict between the powers of darkness and the heavenly forces.
After Christ is gone to the Father and is no longer seen, this conviction comes through His followers. It awakens the conscience by the contrast between truth and error, leads persons to see their spiritual condition clearly, brings regret for past guilt and for dishonoring God by breaking His law and refusing Christ, and leads them to seek how they may be saved. The Spirit convinces of sin and produces godly sorrow which works repentance toward God that needs not to be repented of. That sorrow inspires faith in Him who alone can save from all sin, and gives the receiver the mind of Christ.
With the mind of Christ the receiver is made a faithful worker who brings self into subjection, represses evil inclination, refuses to excuse faults, and in faith and much prayer cuts away evil, with Christ present to help in every true purpose and in every battle with the enemy. The Spirit transforms character by withdrawing the affections from temporal perishable things and imbuing the soul with earnest desire for the imperishable immortal inheritance. He recreates, refines and sanctifies human agents until they become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, enabled to stand firmly against every species of idolatry and exalt the Lord alone. When the lesson of John 16 is studied and the words Christ commanded are willingly given, His works and words become sure evidence to the people, with His promised presence with His workers and the same converting power seen when three thousand were brought to faith at Pentecost.
Sharing the Spirit's Work
The reproving of the world concerning righteousness because Christ goes to the Father to be seen no more is the character of the Holy Spirit's work, and faithful workers share in it. They carry a message of reproof for sin joined with encouragement for all who forsake their sins and are converted. The Spirit makes Christ's righteousness known and enables His servants to represent Him and lead people to faith in Jesus. That righteousness rests on Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin, and believers cooperate with the Spirit in making it known so that others may receive the blessings of salvation.
Aid and guidance are to be sought from Christ, not from man, because the Holy Spirit has been given as Guide and Comforter, sent by Christ after His departure to reprove the world of righteousness because He returns to the Father and is no longer seen on earth. After the ascension Christ sends the Comforter to take His place, bring a reconciling influence, and give power to take away sin. His followers are to grasp the value of this wonderful gift, seek its fullness, and not resist it. Understanding the Spirit's office as Christ's representative to the world uplifts thought and enlarges expectations toward the highest excellence. Comprehending what is taught about the Holy Spirit brings all blessings and makes complete in Christ.
Those who speak and write the truths of God must have this endowment of the Holy Spirit to share in His work upon the heart and conscience, or they will make great mistakes. Where people do not listen to the reproving of the Holy Spirit they remain unconvicted of things registered as sin in heaven, such as selfishness and covetousness. Instead they wrongly take up judging and correcting their brethren.
A clear, decided testimony in behalf of righteousness and truth is to be borne. The office of the Holy Spirit is a theme of encouragement to be kept before the people and presented in every discourse, in every home, and in every study of the Word. It is a message showing how to receive Christ's grace, and refusing its conditions leaves a person unready to stand before Him when He comes in glory. The Spirit's work gives the receiver the mind of Christ and makes him a faithful worker, bringing self into subjection, repressing evil inclination, refusing to excuse faults, and in faith and much prayer cutting away evil, with Christ present to help in every true purpose and in the battle with the enemy.
The Holy Spirit makes the preached Word effectual by convicting souls of what is truth and righteousness amid constant conflict between the powers of darkness and the heavenly forces. Therefore before preaching, those with faith should be asked to pray for the Holy Spirit to give that convicting power, and at the close opportunity should be given for prayer for friends in need of faith.
The instruction in John 6 and John 13-17 plainly expresses God's will, given just before betrayal and crucifixion, to be lived out in practical life to cure dissension and to produce unity and love with one another and with Christ. It calls for a deeper work of grace that makes the Word the study and grows in Christian graces rather than absorption in business. It keeps temper with worldly men, shows faith that works by love and sanctifies the soul, and maintains a Christlike untarnished reputation while bearing faithful testimony against evil. Those who live it will stand the test in the shaking time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The chapter holds highest value for every soul consecrating life to God's service.