Monday, 29 June 2020 John 15:18-27
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” - John 15:26-27
In John 15, Jesus continues His farewell discourse with the disciples as he would soon leave the disciples physically. He comforts them with the promise of the coming Spirit, the Helper. He tells the disciples how the Holy Spirit will teach them and bring to their remembrance, what He had taught them (John 14:26). Jesus challenges (John 15:1-11) the disciples to bear fruit in which Christ will be glorified.
Besides being their Teacher, Comforter, the Holy Spirit is on a mission to exalt Christ. The Spirit goes forth from the Father on a mission. Jesus declares that mission: that the Spirit of Truth "will testify about Me." To testify is to witness.
The first is the witness of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). What does Jesus mean by this? When the story of Jesus is told to us and He is portrayed before us, what makes us feel that this is none other than the Son of God? That response of the human mind and the answer of the human heart is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who moves within us to respond to Jesus Christ.
The Spirit reveals Jesus to us. He leads us to salvation through repentance of our unbelief. He directs our life daily with the truths that come from Jesus. He continues to bring glory to Jesus by revealing more of Him to us. Do you allow Him to do all of that in you? Does Jesus mean more to you today than in the past, or have you not been allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal more of Jesus to you?
The answer to your every need is found in one of those activities of the Holy Spirit. Whether you are depressed, dejected, or despairing, the Holy Spirit is the answer. In the good times and difficult times, in celebration and in pain, the Holy Spirit will minister to you exactly what you need. He takes from Jesus who has received everything from God and shows you what you need. His presence in you is all you need for illumination and regeneration. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit!
The second is the witness which men must bear to Christ (John 15:27). Jesus tells His disciples that they must also bear witness about Him. There are three elements in Christian witness:
Christian witness comes from fellowship and intimacy with Christ
The disciples are his witnesses because they have been with Him from the beginning. A witness is a man who says: "This is true, and I know it." There can be no witness without personal experience. We can witness for Christ only when we have experienced and been with Him
Christian witness comes from inner conviction
The witness of personal inner conviction is one of the most unmistakable in the world. A man hardly starts to speak before we get to know whether or not he really believes what he is saying. There can be no effective Christian witness without this inner conviction which comes from personal intimacy with Christ.
Christian witness issues in outward testimony
A witness is not only someone who knows that something is true; he is someone who is prepared to say that he knows that it is true. A Christian witness is a man who not only knows Christ but wants others to know Him.
It is our privilege and our mission to be witnesses for Christ in the world- and we cannot be witnesses without the personal intimacy, the inner conviction and the outward testimony of our faith.
Thought for the Day: “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!” - Charles H. Spurgeon