Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 16:11 “and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
Let’s consider how the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers convicts the world of judgment. Jesus said He convicts the world of judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged. Who is the ruler of this world to whom Jesus referred? Certainly, it is the devil, aka Satan. Only minutes before, Jesus told His disciples, “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (14:30). We know Satan was at work in those who were his in the world from the betrayal of Jesus by Judas through the burial of His body in the tomb. God gave Jesus, an innocent, righteous man, into the hands of the devil and his world, and judged him as a hater and murder of God. He saw it in him, gave him the occasion to confront Jesus, and God’s judgment was right. Satan killed the righteous Son of God.
Now what does the presence of the Holy Spirit have to do with that judgment? The sending of the Holy Spirit testifies to the world that they are just like their father, the devil. As the disciples, and all in whom Jesus dwells, express His life in this world, those in the world hate them and want to kill them. The world wants believers our of their lives! They hate Jesus and murder Him, just like their father. God sees it in them, gives the occasion to confront Jesus in His disciples, and God’s judgment is righteous. They are children of the devil. Their ruler has been judged, and so have they. Jesus loves those who are in the world through us. They will never be able to say that Jesus did not love them. We should not be surprised that they will sabotage His love and twist it, just like their ruler did when Jesus was here on the earth. As we live to love with Jesus, the Holy Spirit is at work. He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:10 “and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;”
After Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were transformed by the presence of the life of Christ dwelling in them. Even though the disciples no longer could see Jesus with their physical eyes, their testimony was that Jesus was in them. So it is with everyone who lives to love with Jesus. They convict the world of what they lack—the righteousness of God. Unlike the world, who cannot see Him, we practice righteousness (live to love with Him) because He lives in us. We love because He first loved us. His love was seen in His coming to perform a righteousness for us, bearing our sins in His body on the cross, going to the Father, having made a place in Himself for us to live with Him, and then sending the Holy Spirit to us.
The presence of His love in us testifies concerning righteousness. Rom. 5:1-5 says it best. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” There is the truth that convicts the world concerning righteousness. Believers have the love of God poured out in them and through them. May Jesus’ love flow through us today for the glory of God.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” Do you believe this? The world doesn’t. Jesus commanded in John 14:1, “If you believe in God, believe also in Me.” To obey Jesus’ command is to believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that He is the way, truth, and the life, and is the only way to the Father that God has provided for mankind. Those who believe in Jesus, realize and therefore believe that Jesus is life and the source of all that is life. Everything they do that isn’t connected to Him or doesn’t come through His life in them, they believe to be sin. Why? Because the standard is the glory of God. If the words and work are not from and through Jesus, then God doesn’t get the glory, and their words and works fall short of the glory of God. Falling short of the glory of God is another way to define sin. Paul also wrote to the Romans, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Look how convicting this is to the world concerning sin! Jesus said that we can do nothing apart from Him. So we conclude that apart from faith in Jesus, all is sin. Since the world has no connection to Jesus, everything they do is sinful. That’s convicting! We should not be surprised if they hate us as we live to love with Jesus, because holiness exposes sin and unbelief.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
The Holy Spirit’s presence in believers, as their Helper, impacts the world. After telling His disciples that the Helper would be with them forever, He said, “that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him” (14:17). The world’s problem is that they have no understanding of sin, righteousness, and judgment because they can’t see who Jesus is nor do they know Him. But those who do know Jesus, have His life in them. Therein lies the source of the conviction. As long as Jesus was present in this world as a distinct, separate, unique individual, He could be rejected, denied, and accused as an imposter and fraud. But after the resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, came to transform sinners into saints, the difference between believers and the world is evident. Their holy lives, characterized by the faith and love of the living Christ, exposes the blindness and ignorance of the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. As we live to love with Jesus, we are participating in the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in the world.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”
How important the truth is, indeed! Jesus was going to the Father who had sent Him to make a way so that He could be with us forever! Remember what He had said only minutes before. “I will ask the Father, and He will send you another Helper, that He may be with you forever. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (Jo. 14:16, 18). Compare the two statements. In this verse, Jesus said that He will send the Helper to them. In 14:16, He said that the Father will send the Helper to them. Which is it? As we have learned, it is both the Father and the Son who send the Helper to us. They are distinct, yet one. But more to Jesus’ point, Jesus could not and would not be with us if He had not come to earth to bear our sin and shame and offer Himself as a sacrifice according to the will of His Father. In this we see what love is. Laying down one’s life for His friends and then coming to be with them in order to help them do what the Father commands, namely, to believe in the Son and love as He loves. Thank you, Jesus, for first coming to help us by removing our sins, and then coming to be with us forever for the purpose of loving through us for God’s glory.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com