John 16:8-15
Do you recall the pop quiz? Yes, the short test on what you should have
learned on the subject being studied. On
the day of such a quiz there were two groups of people in the room, the ones
who were prepared, and then the group I was in.
For the prepared, it was an exciting time to show the teacher that they
had studied and had retained the knowledge.
For my much smaller group, often a group of one, if that is possible, it
was judgment time. There was no question
of the outcome but my anger was not directed at myself but at the one who gave
the pop quiz. It always came down to
those who looked forward to a test because they had been righteous in doing
what the teacher ask, and then the group I fell into that disregarded instruction
and acted as if the test would never happen.
Jesus is talking about also two groups of people; one group
has put their hope in Christ, and understands He was going to the Father, but
was sending the Helper; the other group wanted to live life absent of all
authority and the Helper (Spirit of Truth) exposed their evil hearts. So much like the pop quiz, they are angry
with the One who exposed their sin, just like I was with the teacher who
exposed my ignorance on the subject I had not learned.
This is a heads-up from Jesus that He is giving His
disciples about the Helper: “And when he comes,
he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness,
because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment,
because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:8-11 ESV)
At some point the unprepared get upset with the prepared,
because they by their act of righteousness (studying the subject that the
teacher ask of them) or exposing the sin of the unprepared. Now that is on a physical scale, but on the
spiritual scale it becomes more intense, because like the ones unprepared for
the pop quiz, they understand that they made a choice, and now that choice is
bringing judgment on them. The apostle
Paul being lead by the Spirit of Truth has this to say on the subject: “For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about
God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible
attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been
made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not
honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their
thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they
became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling
mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” (Romans
1:18-23 ESV)
But the ones who by faith through the grace of God have chosen
to believe in God’s redemption have this hope: “When the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not
speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will
declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will
take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine;
therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-15 ESV)
Life is not simple, but it does come down to choices, and
the question that will be asked for eternity is “What did you do with Jesus?”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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