How would you like to have Jesus preach at your church in person this Sunday? Most of us would be delighted, but I’m going to suggest that it is better that he not do so! In fact, I’m going to suggest that it is better that he not be here on earth at all, at least not in person.
This may be a surprising perspective, but I got it from Jesus himself: “It is to your advantage that I go away.” He gives the reason why in the next phrase, “for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). I don’t think this means that the Spirit is better than Jesus, but we can hardly argue with his clear statement that our situation is better with the Spirit here than if he himself were here. Or perhaps we should say it is better for Christ to be present broadly in the world through his Spirit instead of being limited to one place in a physical body.
This raises an important question for us: Based on your current understanding and experience of the Holy Spirit, would you say things are in fact better than if Jesus were here in person? Have you actually experienced the truth of these words of Jesus? Are you actually better off with the Spirit than you would be if Jesus were here? Perhaps you, like me, are convicted by such questions.
“If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”
A. W. Tozer, a twentieth century pastor and author
Regardless of whether Tozer got the percentage exactly right in this quote, there is truth in his words, and they underscore what Jesus said in John 16. I believe we need to grow in our grasp of the Spirit.
When Jesus said it was to our advantage for him to leave and the Spirit to come, he gave two reasons why. One seems to point more toward his work with non-Christians and the other more toward his work with disciples. The Spirit of Truth will 1) convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and 2) guide disciples into all truth (John 16:8-15). A detailed exploration of these two things can be helpful, but today I am going to resist that urge and instead remain at the big picture level. Suffice it to say that the mission of God will make progress when the Spirit of God is convicting people of their need for Christ in ways we cannot do alone. And we will understand and practice the ways of Christ much more completely when the Spirit of Truth is guiding us. I don’t understand exactly how the Spirit does these two things, but Jesus’ words make clear that he does do them.
The simple, big-picture message I am driving at in all this is that the words of Jesus here call us to seek a better understanding and more faithful practice of living by the Spirit. Since the Spirit himself is intangible and since he is beyond our full comprehension, many have come to questionable or even downright heretical conclusions and practices in regard to him. Because of that, we do need to be wise and careful as we seek to understand him better. Yet while a degree of caution is appropriate, we must also realize that neglecting the Spirit is also heretical and untenable. Such neglect flies in the face of Jesus’ words in John 16 and many other passages.
The words of Jesus here call us to seek a better understanding and more faithful practice of living by the Spirit.
How, then, can we wisely pursue a better understanding and practice of life by the Spirit. One reliable way is to humbly ponder what the Spirit-inspired Scriptures say about him. If we do this in conversation with other humble believers, it will be all the better. Here are a few of the many passages that have increased my understanding and practice of what it means to “live by the Spirit” that you may want to spend some time with (John 14:16-18; 15:26-27; 16:16:7-15; Acts 1:8; Romans 2:28-29; 8:1-17; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, 12-17; 13:14; Galatians 3:1-5; 5:16-18, 22-26; Ephesians 5:18-21). For an in depth treatment, you may want to read and evaluate Poured Out: The Spirit of God Empowering the Mission of God (ACU Press, 2018), by Leonard Allen. (A Study Guide is also available from the author if you would like to read the book with your class or group.)
Due to some bad experiences earlier in my life, I am highly suspicious of salespeople. But my wife and I recently met and bonded with a salesperson from CarMax who is assisting us in buying a new vehicle. Simply talking a while, learning more about each other and finding some things we have in common have helped established rapport and trust. It is also good that she is treating us with respect and a genuine desire to help us. We have high hopes of a good car buying experience with her.
Due to some bad experiences, many of us are also highly suspicious of the Holy Spirit. Yet Jesus made clear that we are better off with him here than if Jesus himself were here in person. I hope that we can have our suspicions alleviated by learning more about Him, developing a healthy relationship, and coming to appreciate him more fully.
Empowering Subjects 