The Spirit is on our side

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The Spirit is on our side (John 16:7–8)

More significant for believers, who are beginning to experience the malevolent opposition prophesied by Jesus, is John informing them that the Spirit is on their side. 

He will transform those who were once convinced that they were right to reject Jesus and the message offered by his followers. The Spirit, who is promised by Jesus as his replacement, will convince those who fought against the gospel that they were wrong to do so. 

Where believers have only human intellect, with all its shortcomings, to combat voices of derision, the Spirit has the wisdom of heaven available to him (John 14:26). Where Jesus’ followers only have limited courage to speak confidently to those who dismiss them, the Spirit has divine authority available to him (John 15:26; 16:13). 

Whereas Christians have limited knowledge, the Spirit has the ability to always see the truth (John 16:13). While they may be unaware of the innermost feelings and thoughts of those who combat them, the Spirit has the capacity to make the self-secure tremble with conviction of sin (John 16:8).

The Spirit is committed to ensuring that the mission of Jesus will continue in his absence. As Jesus sought to bridge the gulf between sinful humanity and a righteous God, so also the Spirit functions as a mediator between the unbelieving world and its Creator. 

The Spirit powerfully convicts unbelievers who, without his intervention, would not be able to respond to Jesus, their sin acting as a deafening noise and an insurmountable barrier between them and the message of salvation.


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