Holy Spirit Promises IV

The speaker is reflecting on the promises Jesus made to his disciples regarding the gift of the Holy Spirit. The fourth promise, found in John 16:7b-11, states that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and condemnation. The Spirit will reveal that the world is wrong about Jesus and in sin, that Jesus is righteous and now exists with the Father, and that Jesus' death on the cross condemned death itself. The Holy Spirit's action of convicting takes place within the hearts and minds of believers, helping them hold onto and deepen their faith despite challenges. The Spirit shows that the ultimate sin is not believing in Jesus and that Jesus' love and sacrifice are more powerful than violence and death. The presence of the Holy Spirit brings peace and joy in sharing the gospel. Greetings, friends. What a joy to share the Gospel. Please be patient with me. I'm struggling with a cold that has settled in my throat. I'll do the best I can, though. As we continue to celebrate the Easter mystery, moving toward that great feast of Pentecost, we have been reflecting on what are commonly called the five Holy Spirit promises in St. John's Gospel. Just the other day, I thought about sharing these reflections on the Holy Spirit with a dear friend of mine. This friend, though, is not a believer. He has no faith, no spiritual life whatsoever. It occurred to me that in sharing what we have been sharing together here with one who has no living faith, the discussion could easily become about ideas. And with ideas, one must bring, of course, arguments, proofs, validations, convincing examples. As much as these have their place, they are not the real deal in regards to this discussion. We are not sharing, after all, an idea, but a reality. In fact, what this is all about is a person, the third person of the Blessed Trinity. To know a person, one must be open to an encounter and even a relationship. Hopefully, by applying our minds and, importantly, our hearts to these reflections, we are all being encouraged to encounter more deeply the relationship that is there with the Holy Spirit, opening ourselves more fully to encounter and experience the precious Holy Spirit. And so we begin by taking a moment to prepare, by quieting our inner selves to yield to the promise of Jesus mediated to us in the Holy Gospel of John. If you will, take a deep breath, slowly in and slowly out. Come, Lord Jesus, allow your Holy Spirit to bring your word to life in me. May I hear your voice, Good Shepherd. We continue our reflection now on the promises Jesus makes to his disciples concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit. We find the fourth promise in John 16, 7b-11. Jesus said to his disciples, For if I do not go, the paraclete will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world with regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation. Sin, because they do not believe in me. Righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me. Condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. The verb to convict is the central action of the Holy Spirit in this promise. Fr. Francis Martin says, The Greek verb used here evokes the notion of establishing or revealing a fault. Of the several possible nuances available, only one seems adequate to describe the Spirit's action here. The Spirit will afford convincing proof that the world is wrong about Jesus and thereby in sin. The other paraclete will prove that the great sin is refusal to accept the revelation of God offered in the person of Jesus Christ. That Jesus, not the religious leaders who condemned him, is truly righteous because he now exists in the presence of the Father for all eternity. And that Jesus' death on the cross was not his condemnation, but in fact the condemnation of death itself. Notice now the three things the other paraclete will convict the disciples concerning. One is that the great sin is refusal to accept the revelation of God the Father offered in the person of Jesus Christ. Next, he convicts concerning righteousness. Righteousness is found in Jesus Christ who exists now at the right hand of the Father in eternity. Finally, the Holy Spirit convicts concerning condemnation. What is really condemned is not Jesus on the cross, but death itself and the author of death, the devil. Now the challenge in this passage comes in understanding where the action of convicting takes place. Will the Spirit convince the world of its error or does the Spirit act within the disciples to establish them in the truth of Jesus? Basically, it must be the second, according to Fr. Francis Martin. If the world were able to acknowledge its sin, it would no longer be the world, he says. The Spirit acts therefore in the hearts and minds of believers in order to convince them of the truth of the gospel, especially in the face of their own weaknesses and the seduction of the world. Fr. Ignace de la Poterie states it like this, quote, The paraclete addresses itself only to believers. It is an interior illumination that happens in the hearts of believers. Close quote. Like the third promise, this fourth promise is directed at believers in the struggle they will face to hold to and grow deeper in their faith. Whether it is profound personal suffering, the allure of all that the world promises, intellectual challenges to faith, encountering ridicule for following the upside-down ethic of Christ, or the countless other ways faith is tested in this world, the paraclete comes to the aid of the believer. The Spirit firmly inclines the heart and mind of the person of faith to see clearly that the only ultimate sin and therefore separation from true life is not believing and trusting in Jesus. The Spirit shows to the eyes of faith that Jesus is gloriously victorious over the world and that the world's promises are ultimately illusory. In brief, this promise assures us of the active presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the faithful. As Fr. Francis again makes clear, the Spirit reveals that ultimately love and sacrifice are more powerful than violence and death. Following Jesus' way of sacrificial giving of our lives to God the Father for the sake of others is the way to authentic liberty in life. Once again, friends, let us read from John chapter 16, verses 7b through 11. Jesus says to his disciples, For if I do not go, the paraclete will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you, and when he comes, he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation. Sin, because they do not believe in me. Righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me. Condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. Let me encourage you once again to sit with this promise for the week ahead. Claim it peacefully within your spirit. Ask Jesus to reveal his faithfulness in bringing this promise to life in you. And friends, it is a joy to share the gospel with you. Amen. Amen. Amen.