The spirit of truth

On the night Jesus was arrested, he spoke to his disciples about leaving them but sending them a Comforter who would come to them. “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (Joh 16,7)"Comforter" is the translation of the Greek word "Parakletos." Originally, it referred to a lawyer who advocated for a cause or presented a case in court. This Comforter is the promised Holy Spirit, who came into the world in a completely new way after Jesus' ascension at Pentecost. "When he comes, he will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." (Joh 16,8-11)The godless world is wrong about three things, Jesus said: sin, righteousness, and judgment. But the Holy Spirit would expose these errors.

The first thing the godless world is wrong with is sin. The world believes that sinners must atone for their own sins by doing good works. There is no sin that Jesus has not forgiven. But if we don't believe that, we will continue to bear the burden of guilt. The Spirit says that sin is unbelief, which is shown by refusing to believe in Jesus.

The second thing the world is wrong about is justice. She believes that justice is human virtue and goodness. But the Holy Spirit says that righteousness is about Jesus being our righteousness, not our good works.

“I am speaking of the righteousness from God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Röm 3,22-24)But now that the Son of God has lived a perfect, obedient life in our place, as God and man, as one of us, human righteousness can only be presented as a gift from God through Jesus Christ.

The third thing the world is wrong about is judgment. The world says that judgment will doom us. But the Holy Spirit says that judgment means the fate of evil.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Röm 8,31-32).

As Jesus said, the Holy Spirit exposes the lies of the world and leads us into all truth: Sin is rooted in unbelief, not in rules, commandments, or laws. Righteousness comes through Jesus, not from our own efforts and achievements. Judgment is a condemnation of evil, not of those for whom Jesus died and was raised with him. “He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant—a covenant no longer based on the written law, but on the working of God’s Spirit. For the law brings death, but the Spirit of God gives life.” (2. Kor 3,6).

In Jesus Christ and only in Jesus Christ you are reconciled with the Father and share the righteousness of Christ and the relationship of Christ to the Father. In Jesus you are the beloved child of the father. The gospel is indeed good news!

by Joseph Tkach