Text: John 14:16-17,26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15

Who is the Holy Spirit?

• Not some mystical force or influence
• He is a person – Jesus used He, not it to refer to the Spirit (14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7,8,13,14,15)

Who is Jesus Talking To? – The Apostles

What Would the Holy Spirit Do?

• Provide help/comfort (14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7) — How? (following points)
• Described as the Spirit of truth (14:17; 15:26; 16:13)
• Bring the apostles into remembrance of what Jesus taught (14:26)
• Testify about Christ (15:26)
• Convict the world of sin, righteousness, judgment (16:8)
• Guide the apostles into all the truth (16:13)

Why Would this be Necessary?

• We have to know God’s will to be saved (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
• We cannot know God’s will unless He reveals it to us (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)

Is it Necessary Today?

• Provide help/comfort — done through revelation then & now; revelation now complete (Jude 3)
• Remind us of what Jesus said — we didn’t hear Jesus in the first place; the apostles were eye witnesses (Acts 1:8; 1 John 1:1-3)
• Testify of Christ — we have the gospel; what more information do we need?
• Convict of sin, righteousness, judgment — Has God changed the standard since the 1st century?
• Guide us into all truth — we have all truth in the gospel (Colossians 1:5)
• So is it necessary for the Holy Spirit to work with us directly as He did with the apostles? No!

How Does the Holy Spirit Operate Today?

• Not through visions & dreams
• Not through a “small, still voice”
• Not through signs & miracles
• Through the word He revealed — that is the instrument He uses today (Ephesians 6:17)