"When He, The Spirit Of Truth, Is Come..."

Jn. 16:12-14

Our Lord Jesus Christ describes the office work of the Holy Spirit in a fourfold manner. He is to God's elect a Comforter, a Convictor,a Guide,and a Glorifier. He comforts chosen, redeemed sinners by convicting them of sin pardoned, righteousness imputed and judgment finished. He convicts by showing us the things of Christ. He guides every believer into all needful truth. And in doing all these things he constantly glorifies Christ in the hearts of his people.

"HE SHALL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH." It is foolish to imagine that a person must know "all truth" before he can be saved. Before a person is saved he does not know any spiritual truth! And saved men and women are ignorant of many things in this world. These disciples were saved. But they had much to learn. Yet, saved men and women do, by the Spirit of God learn the truth of God. And, learning it, they bow to it. God's people do not rebel against his Word. They submit to it, receive it, and rejoice in it.

Matthew Poole tells us that the word here translated "guide" implies that the Holy Spirit both reveals the truth to God's saints and bows our wills to the truth he reveals.

Though this text is primarily a declaration of apostolic inspiration,it clearly has application to all believers. The Spirit's work in a person is not over when he has been convicted. The Holy Spirit graciously guides all believers into all truth that is needful, useful and profitable for them. He does so through the ministry of the Word, causing saints to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16). This is not a promise of universal, spiritual knowledge. But it is a promise of true spiritual knowledge. As the Spirit of God, through the Word of God, shows us the things of Christ, he guides us into truth, for Christ is "all truth" (John 14:6). And all who are saved by his grace bow to, receive and love his truth.

"HE SHALL GLORIFY ME." Here our Savior tells us that "all truth" revealed and taught by the Spirit of God glorifies Christ. Anything that is of God glorifies Christ, not the preacher,not the church, not a man, but Christ. By this you may determine whether any doctrine or ordinance, religious work or religious experience is of God: Does it, or does it not glorify Christ alone?

Don Fortner