“When He comes, He will expose the guilt of the world, in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
John 16:8
One of the first things you are encouraged to do when you are looking to start a new business is to develop a “mission statement.” Wikipedia defines a mission statement as: a formal short written statement of the purpose of an organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated. Now that we have established that we are in a “divine partnership” with the Holy Spirit, I think that it is important that we understand the Holy Spirit’s mission. As recorded in John 16:8 the mission of the Holy Spirit is to expose the guilt of the world in three areas- sin, righteousness, and judgment. As partners with the Holy Spirit, that means that, we have a definitive role to play in reaching that goal. So let’s look a little closer at the mission of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s mission focuses on three specific arenas- sin, righteousness, and judgment:
“In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
John 16:9-11
Sin is that which separates us from God. The sin, in particular, that Christ is showcasing here is the sin of unbelief- failing to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior. Many do not see their “unbelief” as a sin, but simply as a choice. The Holy Spirit’s mission is to bring truth and warn them concerning the consequences of rejecting Christ. False religions, false teachers, and scholars have attempted to dismantle the idea of sin. Even going as far as to proclaim that there is no such thing as sin! For without sin- there is no need of a savior. Yet, this is not the extent of the world’s guilt.
They are guilty in regards to righteousness, too. Christ’s deity was challenged by religious leaders relentlessly in His day. They called Him a heretic and a blasphemer because of His claims. Yet, God chose to exalt Jesus to His right hand, gave Him a name above every name, and put everything under His feet. Jesus lived a sinless life and gave Himself as the perfect, blameless sacrifice. He was righteous without fault, and in Him we are made righteous in God’s eyes:
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
Romans 3:22
Many believe that there are numerous ways to God. They are hoping that access to God’s kingdom is not based on Christ’s righteousness, but on their own good deeds. We have an obligation to show them from God’s Word that the only way to the Father is through the Son:
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
However, the world’s guilt does not end there. The world is appalled by the notion that there will ever be a judgment day. Saying things like: “A loving God would never send people to hell!” They fail to realize that it is not God who sends people to hell, but our own choices and our own disobedience. God is not willing that any should perish, but all would to come repentance. Unfortunately, for the world, in order to come to repentance, you have to believe you have sinned and you have to put your faith in the righteousness of Christ. Let us therefore be committed to the mission placed before us and partner with the Holy Spirit to spread these truths to a world in need. IT IS YOUR MISSION TOO!
Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
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