Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-05-24

GOLDEN TEXT-He shall teach you all
things.-John 1925.
This lesson follows chapter Is IA.
The emphasis Jesus placed upon the
new and deeper intimacy into which
the disciples were about to enter, and
which involved a participation in per-
secutions ". 20). However, as a gar
rison and helper when this persecution
should come, the believers are to have
in their lives the Holy Spirit.
!. The Believer and the Spirit wv.
26-2O. The 'paraclete" (helper) was
to proceed from the Father, but Jesus
was to send him. He is called the
Esprit of Truth" because it is his
work to reveal the truth, and It Is
through his teachings only that any
one may know the truth. Jesus is the
truth (ch. 14:6), and the Spirit of
Truth is to enable believers to testify
concerning Jesus. 1t qualities them for
such testimony. The disciples also
had the added qualification Of expe-
rience for I'VE have been with me
from the beginning" The disciples
were eye witnesses of what he did
and what he was, and heard and knew
all that he claimed for himself and
what his life proved itself to be.
II. The Believer and Persecution
(16:1-6). This section has not been Sc
lected by the committee, but as part
of the lesson we cannot overlook it.
In it the Master enumerates specifi-
cally things that were to come to the
disciples and that they might "remem-
ber." He also mentions the fact that
these things are to come after he has
gone away. AS a relief from sorrow
| ". g., the Master goes on to show the
relation of the Spirit to the world.
Ill. The Holy Spirit In the World
wv. 7-11). It was profitable for the
disciples that Jesus should go, that an
other Divine friend was to take his
place. This Is the best section in all
the Bible to teach the personality Of
| the Holy Spirit. The personal pro-
nouns in this section are very signif-
cant, there being seven in the thir-
! teenth verse alone. The word "COm-
| forter" here used means that and much
more. It is the same word translated
advocate" In 1 John 2:1, it means
one who is called upon to stand be-
side another as a helper, counselor,
guide and friend. Jesus had been this
to his disciples thus far, but he was
going away, and another Friend was
coming, who should not only be with
them, but should dwell in them (Ch.
IA: 16, ~. The Comforter has come,
and without him we can do nothing. He
is the one who convicts the world
'of sin, of righteousness and of judg-
ment." OF sin, not because they have
broken the moral code, but because
they do not accept Jesus Christ as the
Messiah (Hebrews 1928. See oh.
| 3 :1S-20). In the second place, he is
to convict the world of Righteousness.
The Holy Spirit has no other channel
through which he can get at the world
except through those who are already
saved. He shows the world its error
about righteousness also that Jesus is
the only righteous one, and righteous
ness is only possible to us In him
(Phil. SO r. W. Because he has
lived the right life, haring fulfilled all
righteousness, and gone on high, he
therefore conricts men, but the Spirit
does his work through the agency of
the word. Man needs to know first
of all that he is n sinner; second, that
Jesus "the righteousness of God" has
provided for us, and 1t is the Holy
Spirit who alone can show these two
things to men. In the third place, he
convicts the world of judgment be-
cause "the prince of this world Is
judged" This judgment is past (see
John 10 BY, for Jesus has conquered
Satan. Certainly this is truth that
needs to be emphasized in this day.
The Judgment of sin and punishment
for sin, due to unbelief or rejection of
Jesus Christ, is seldom preached in
our day.
IV.-The Spirit and Truth wv.
12-15). There was much more that
the Master might say to the dlsci-
pies, but they were not ready to bear
1t ". 12). He, however, looks for
ward to the day when the Spirit shall
come, and they will be ready to re-
ceive these things. The Spirit will
guide them into truth, all truth, for he
shall not speak of himself Che will not
bear witness unto or speak "from"
himself) but the things that he will
speak of will be concerning Jesus, The
real evidence of the presence OF the
Holy Spirit in believer or in con-
gregation is the degree of exaltation
given to Jesus Christ.
There is a progressive intimacy in
John. Jesus first calls those who are
at his side, servants (Ch. IS :1S). He
next calls them friends och. 1910,
and lastly he calls them brethren
och. 10. This is the law OF
Christian experience.
Sunday school teachers should GER
tainly take advantage of this lesson