John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9: Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11: Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12: I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14: He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Introduction

Last Sunday we talked about the supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit in relation to Jesus Christ.

John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Jesus tells us here in this verse what the supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit is. The supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit is not to glorify Himself. The Spirit of God does not seek to draw attention to Himself in any way. The Spirit of God came not primarily promote Himself or speak about Himself. The Holy Spirit has not come to magnify ministries or denomination or movements or ceremonies or rituals. He has not come to magnify ministers and preachers and singers.

John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit has come for this purpose - to glorify Christ. The work of the Spirit is Christ centered. The aim of the Spirit is to bring glory to the person of Jesus. That is what He is for. That's what He is given for. The supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit is to magnify the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not to draw our attention to Himself. But to draw our attention to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit came to point people to the Saviour. And any movement that points us to the Holy Spirit principally is seriously flawed from the very beginning.

Any man or ministry or movement that draws attention to the Holy Spirit is a misguided movement at best. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to come and exalt and magnify the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, let's look more closely how the Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus Christ.

How will the Holy Spirit fulfill His supreme ministry?

John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Here we are told that the Holy Spirit will fulfill His ministry of bringing glory to Jesus by taking what He receives from Jesus Christ and discloses them to His disciples. He will bring glory to Jesus Christ by taking the things of Christ and declares them to us. 

By the way He will not speak on His own authority. He will not speak independently of the Father and of the Son. But whatever He hears the Holy Spirit speaks. The Holy Spirit does not come up new truth or new ideas about Jesus Christ. He simply brings to mind the things which Christ Himself spoke, He brings Christ's own things to us, and in that way glorifies Him.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

The Holy Spirit's great aim is to testify of Christ, to bring to the disciples' remembrance what Christ already has taught them. The result of this is a clearer understanding of the person and work of Jesus.

This brings us to the question what are the things of Christ that the Holy Spirit will declare to His disciples? The Holy Spirit will reveal the Excellency of the Person of Christ and the Sufficiency of the finished work of Christ.

1. The Excellency of the Person of Christ

The Holy Spirit declares to us what belongs to Christ, first by disclosing to us excellency of His person. The Holy Spirit is going to glorify Jesus. How is the Spirit going to do that? The Spirit is going glorify Jesus by revealing His glory to us. He will shine a spotlight on the glory of Christ. The Spirit will magnify His glory, the glory of the only begotten Son of God, who is full of grace and truth.

He will disclose that Jesus Christ exalted above all.

Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What Paul is indicating is that Jesus has been elevated as Lord of all. He is Lord of lords. Jesus Christ is above all.   Jesus is Lord! Caesar is not Lord. Caesar is human ruler but Jesus is Lord!

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2: Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3: Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Confessing and embracing Jesus as Lord, confessing and embracing Jesus as the exalted One,  confessing and embracing Jesus as glorious, confessing and embracing Jesus as precious does not come from by simply reading good materials, going to good conferences and seminars. It comes but the Holy Ghost. It comes by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells Peter the only place that comes from the Father Himself.

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14: And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15: He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17: And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

This wholehearted confession of the exalted Person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Messiah, does not come simply attending church, or Sunday School, or Bible Study. It is revealed by the Father and by the Holy Ghost.

The only way that we can know that Jesus is Lord is by the Holy Spirit. The only way that we can know the excellency of Jesus Christ is by the Holy Spirit.

2. The Sufficiency of His Finished Work of Christ

The Holy Spirit not only reveals to us the Excellency of Christ's Person but He also reveals to us the Sufficiency of the finished work of Christ. The Spirit discloses to believers the finished work of Christ. And the finished work of Christ takes us back to Calvary's cross where Jesus Himself says, "It is finished."  It is done! It is accomplished. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, repeated again and again, the sacrifice of Christ for sins was necessary only "once for all". 

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Hebrews 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10: By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Jesus Christ suffered and died, offered Himself Once—for all; never again to suffer. The sacrifice stands alone; no additional sacrifice is needed. 

Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

No Law-keeping or good works on our part could save us from sin and death. Nothing must and can be added to Christ's all sufficient sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15: Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16: This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

There is nothing that has been left in your salvation. As imperfect as we are in the eyes of God  we complete. We who are in Christ have been completed and perfected in Jesus. The Spirit has been given to us by Jesus to declare to us that Jesus is Lord and to declare the the work of Christ that is necessary for our salvation is sufficient and complete.

The Holy Spirit reveals to us that everything that is necessary for life and godliness has been accomplished by Jesus Christ. 

Closing Thoughts

That's how the Holy Spirit is fulfilling His ministry of glorifying Jesus Christ. He takes what is Christ's and declares it to His disciples. He does not speak on His own authority. He does not speak independently of the Father and of the Son. But whatever He hears the Holy Spirit speaks.

The takes divine truths of Christ and leads us into that truth. What truth? The truth of the Excellency of the person of Christ and the sufficiency of the finished work of Christ. 

We must be in step with the Spirit ...

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

The Holy Spirit takes and declares and our responsibility is to receive and embrace. What the Holy Spirit has taken and declared we must receive and embrace and it begins by exercising faith in the the person and finished work of Jesus Christ.

The finished work of Christ is universal in its scope. Look closely at ...

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Jesus Christ's death was sufficient to take care of all the sins of the whole world. But that does not mean that everyone has salvation. The finished work of Christ is only efficacious or effectual for those who believe. 

Think of the GI Bill as an illustration. "Unlimited" government funds were available so that all persons under the Bill could get a college education at government expense. But payments were only effective for those who signed up and went to school. Sufficient and provisional for all, but only effectual for some!

After receiving and embracing the truth about Jesus Christ by faith, we must live for Him.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

At some point inner professed Christian life we must start living for Him, serving Him and proclaiming Him. 

John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

AMEN!