The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-05-23
LESSON FOR MAY IT
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORK
-(PENTECoSTAL LESSON).

LESSON TEXT-John 1862; 1s:7-14.
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 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 (vv.
26-27). The ''paraclete" (helper) was
to proceed from the Father, but Jesus
was TO send him. He Is called the
Spirit 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. IA :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-
Der" 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.
III. The Holy Spirit in the World
| Wv. IT'D. 1t was profitable for the
disciples that Jesus should 60 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 signifi-
cant, there being seven in the thir-
| teenth verse alone. The word Com
! forter'' here used means that and much
more. 1t is the same word translated
| advocate" In I John Il, 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 och.
| IA 10, 10. 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 10: 2S. See CHI.
/ 9:1S-2O). 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
|
the only righteous one, and righteous
ness is only possible to us in him
| phil. 80 r. W. Because he has
lived the right life, having fulfilled all
| righteousness, and gone on high, he
! therefore convicts men, but the Spirit
does his work through the agency Of
the word Man needs to know first
Of all that he is a sinner; second, that
| Jesus "the righteousness of Cod" has
provided for us, and it 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 1.-The prince of this world is
Judged" This judgment is past (see
! John u By, for Jesus has conquered
Satan. Certainly this is a 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. The best cure for the false
| theories concerning the future pun
| ishment is for man to be filled with
the Holy Spirit The Spirit in man
cO0V1ctS MIN OF IIlS JuuSlDehI anu he
has no further difficulties regarding the
question Of retribution.
W.-The Spirit and Truth wv.
12-15). There was much more that
the Master might say to the disci-
! pies, but they were not ready to bear
it ". 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 a believer or in con-
gregation is the degree of eXaltatfon
given to Jesus Shrist. There is pro-
gressive intimacy in the Gospel Of
John. Jesus first calls those who are
at his side, servants och. 10 :13). He
next calls them friends (Ch. Is :15),
and lastly he calls them brethren
| (Ch. 2O:1O. This is the law of
Christian experience. We must make
nrogress. come TO knowledge as we
have intimacy with the Spirit, and