THE THREE ACTIONS OF THE HOLY GHOST IN JOHN 16
THE THREE ACTIONS OF THE HOLY GHOST IN JOHN 16
I was speaking a little on John 16 this morning. I have thought I might recall some of it for you. The subject of the chapter is the action of the Holy Ghost here on earth. He convicts the world — exposes it, as we might say — of sin because they do not believe, of righteousness because the One they do not believe in has gone to the Father;
[p. 77] the Holy Ghost being here is evidence of it, as He is also evidence or demonstration that the power of the prince of this world has been overcome. Therefore He is judged; another power is here for Him who overcame him. This is one action of the Holy Ghost on earth, the next is that He glorifies Christ — He glorifies Him who is no longer seen by men. See how this is fulfilled with Stephen; his difficulties are stupendous but in the midst of them, and in the very hand of his murderers, he thinks not of how he might escape, or of what he will do; but he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looks up stedfastly into heaven, and sees the glory of God and Jesus.
What a relief! What a victory over all his trials down here; he found that the glory of God could be surveyed and entered by him, and that Jesus was his link to it. Never had any one been able to see and dwell on the glory of God before without tumult of heart. Now the man full of the Holy Ghost, surrounded and besieged by the most ruthless and wicked men (his own nation), exposed to the bitterest trial and shame on earth, enters into and finds his home in the glory of God, where his Saviour is — he rises from the depths of misery and the sin which is all around him to the heights where Jesus is in glory. If the greatest trial can be thus overcome, of course so can the smaller ones. The action of the Holy Ghost is to fix the eye stedfastly on heaven. This is the mode and manner by which He relieves us; we naturally look around us for relief, but the Holy Ghost glorifies Jesus, and seeing Him in glory is the fullest relief to the heart. The Lord says: “In me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33).
The third action of the Holy Ghost is, In that day (in His day), whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it unto you. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. The nearer we are to Christ the more shall we seek only what suits Him. Who could be near a friend much loved and like things which would not suit him? Whatever we ask in Christ’s name we shall receive, and thus even in this sorrowful scene our joy is full.
[p. 78] I should feel it a personal favour from the Lord (and I look for it) were you so far relieved in spirit from your sufferings that you might be unhindered in communion with the Lord. I believe the Lord often vouchsafes this in a very peculiar way — very much as Shimei’s life was safe while he abode in Jerusalem, or as the manslayer was safe in the city of refuge, or as a diver is safe and happy when preserved and kept within a very narrow enclosure, but exposed to danger, and a return to trial and suffering when outside, as the dove in the ark; and this discipline we often need. What I ask for you is the consciousness of an assured retreat, where you will be distinctly and absolutely free from every disturbance, and that if you wander like the dove, you may immediately feel that this is not your rest — it is polluted!
How gracious our Noah is! When you fly to the window of heaven, as the dove to the ark, He will put forth His hand and pull you unto Himself into the ark. May this be the blessing and favour richly known to your soul.