Christ’s Kingdom and the Office of the Holy Spirit - John 16:5-15

Luther makes some interesting points on this text. One of his observations is that the world is blind to the reality of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Sin is actually unbelief, and other sins flow out of this root. Unbelief is lack of trust. When we do not trust Jesus will provide for our needs, we take matters into our own hands and steal, or work seven days a week. When we do not trust a relationship founded in God is sufficient, we seek to fulfill our need for relationship outside the boundaries of marriage and commitment to one person. When we do not trust God has set in place a system of consequences that follow wrongful actions, we take vengeance into our own hands. So those who trust in God through Jesus Christ have given up sin and their actions are motivated by love for God.

Righteousness is not good works alone because not all works are done gladly, willfully, joyfully, or with the right motivation. What is in the heart is more important than the outward actions. And even more important, for Luther, is that Christ has gone to the Father to mediate for us. Righteousness isn’t so much about our works making us any more worthy, but that Christ goes to the Father on our behalf. This causes us to love Christ and our works arise out of this love. The world doesn’t know how to judge rightly until it understands sin and righteousness. Reason is not able to decide what is right or wrong before God because it always relates righteous action to good works. Nothing is good that doesn’t come from Christ (who is love) or the Holy Spirit. Righteousness is having a pure heart more than outward actions, even though it always leads to outward actions.

Another point Luther makes is that Jesus rules a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly kingdom. That’s why he had to go to the Father, so people wouldn’t expect Jesus to rule a worldly kingdom. And yet, so many people think Jesus is coming back to rule the earth. This is where the Holy Spirit is needed as the teacher/counselor.

Concerning the office of the Holy Spirit, we can know any teaching and truth is of the Holy Spirit if it glorifies Christ as being known through his word (4-#75). The Holy Spirit’s work is to teach of the spiritual kingdom and to glorify Christ (4-#61). And Luther says the office of an apostle is teaching only, it cannot use worldly power (3-#4).

We asked the question: so, how do we hear from the Counselor? The word of God is one way, and our consciences are also aids to knowing what God wants. When you remember that the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, your actions that generate feelings or conditions other than these are suspect. The bottom line is that if we trust in Jesus Christ to be a gracious God to us, we will love God with all our heart so we will want to follow all his commands, which results in loving our neighbor. Grace and peace - PWM