Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

Happy Thanksgiving. At least, have a thankful one. While I was out doing my little jog routine, I breathed an expression of thankfulness that I was even able to be doing it. And there is a slight possibility that I could join with a nephew, or nephews, Doug and Larry Wilson, and do a first round of skiing tomorrow…getting into white snow on black Friday…an exercise in setting priorities in black and white terms.

Among a lot of other things on the list, I need to get in to help Becki in the kitchen, preparing food concoctions for today’s big Thanksgiving feast at Wilsons. I’m sure there will also be some typical viewing of football conflicts.

Go ahead and enjoy those football conflicts, but don’t allow yourself to be ignorant of a much bigger conflict that is clearly identified in today’s reading. If I were so released, I think I could preach up a storm just connecting dots with current trends and events just from John 15 and 16. Becki and I have already exhausted ourselves earlier this morning by preaching to each other. Whew! She’d preach and I’d say, “Amen!” Then I’d preach, and she’d say, “Amen!” Man! Talk about Christian fellowship! Certainly not boring.

Have a truly blessed day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I confess that, although I memorized John 16:8-11 as a young person, it never really turned on lights of understanding and inspiration quite like it seems to be now. Before attempting some commentary, let’s put those verses before us: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

Jesus, of course, is speaking of the advent of the Holy Spirit Who will be sent after Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and after He returns to the Father. The Holy Spirit will work actively through the lives of believers so as to convince and convict people on three levels of essential truth:

• SIN: Notice that it is singular—SIN. This singular SIN is clearly UNBELIEF. Man is not condemned because of all the individual sins he commits, but because he does not BELIEVE in the one and only solution to his SIN problem (Jn. 3:18-21).


• RIGHTEOUSNESS: Notice that the objective here is not UNrighteousness, but RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Kingdom of God IS righteousness (Romans 14:17). Jesus promised that if we would make His Kingdom and His righteousness supreme in our lives, then everything else would come out right (Matthew 6:33). Jesus is the epitome of righteousness. But when He returned to glory, that demonstration is passed on to His disciples and the convicting (convincing) power of the Holy Spirit that accompanies their witness.


• JUDGMENT: Notice that this is not speaking of the final judgment of God on unbelievers, but God’s judgment on the “prince of this world,” Satan, as accomplished at the cross (John 12:31-32). Once again, this truth is communicated through the convincing influence of the Holy Spirit and the practical demonstration of Spirit-empowered believers. It really is important that we understand, firmly believe, and demonstrate that Satan is a liar, deceiver, and conquered enemy. Anyone not believing that is in trouble.

So be reminded of the part you play as a true believer. Think of it—you are called on to be a ministry partner along with the Holy Spirit. “He (the Holy Spirit) will testify about me. And you also must testify” (John 15:26-27). What a partnership! What an opportunity! What a responsibility!