The Work of the Holy Spirit - Counsels

John 16:5-15 (NKJV) - “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless 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 depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 

12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

We have looked at two of the three works of the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks about in this passage in the Gospel of John. He tells us that the Holy Spirit comforts, convicts, and today ponder that this Holy Spirit counsels. Consider what Jesus said in verse 13 above - "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come" (bold mine). Jesus promised His disciples, and us today, that the Holy Spirit will guide one into truth - all truth. He is working to help you understand God's Word and  to live for the Lord.

The Holy Spirit will not take center-stage. when we see Him held up to the lime-light, it probably isn't Him. You see, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. And then in verse14, Jesus goes on to say, "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." We must remember that Jesus spoke very decidedly when He proclaimed in John 14:6 - “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He left no wiggle-room. He left no gray area. Jesus is all truth. Jesus is the only way. Jesus is the abundant life. And, today, the Holy Spirit glorifies and speaks of Jesus.

Ponder today, the full impact of Jesus' statement in John 14:6. There is no room for any truth other than Jesus. There is no allowance for any other way except Jesus. There is no living without the Life - Jesus.