DAY 5: THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Read John 15:26-27; 16:5-11.
For the last several days, we have seen the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of God’s children. But what about those who do not know Christ, those who have turned a blind eye to God?
Our passage today reveals the Holy Spirit’s work in the unbeliever:
- He testifies to Christ (15:26)
- He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (16:8)
In the Spirit’s testimony, the Holy Spirit’s power confirmed the truth of the gospel (see Acts 2:43; 3:6-16; 14:3). Jesus commanded the disciples to testify as well since they had been with Him from the beginning and could not be accused of creating a fictional account. Together their testimony would carry the gospel to the ends of the earth (see Acts 1:8). As one commentator has noted, “Without the witness of the Spirit, the disciples’ witness would be powerless; without the disciples’ witness, the Spirit would be restricted in his means of expression.” (EBCNT)
Personal thought:
As we continue the work of testifying of Christ, how much more we need the testimony of the Spirit today for us who were not present with Christ from the beginning! God continues to work in ways we may not see to validate the truth of the gospel. That is clear from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). It is encouraging to know that as we share the gospel, we are not alone. We have a Helper who does the harder work of convicting people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Our responsibility is to merely testify of the gospel from the words of Christ (Scripture) and from our own experience (just as the early disciples did). Our responsibility is not to guilt people into believing – that convicting work is accomplished by the Holy Spirit.
To consider:
How does knowing the Holy Spirit works in collaboration with your efforts affect your attitude and approach to sharing Christ? In hindsight, how have you seen the Spirit work behind-the-scenes in your efforts to share Christ?
