The Spirit's Testimony While the Son Sits
John 16:4-15
The Game That Changes Everything
"Would you rather have Jesus physically beside you or the Holy Spirit living inside you?"
At first, the answer seems obvious. Of course we'd want Jesus right here with us! Wouldn't that be incredible? To walk with Him, talk with Him, physically see Him?
But Jesus Himself says in John 16:7:
"Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."
Wait—it's good that Jesus left?
It's better to have the Spirit than Jesus Himself physically present?
Yes. And understanding why will change everything about how you see the Holy Spirit's work in your life.
The Disciples' Grief
Put yourself in the disciples' shoes for a moment.
Jesus came and said, "Follow me." And they left everything behind. Jobs. Families. Future prospects. All of it. They gave up everything to follow this man. And now Jesus is saying: "By the way, I'm leaving."
It’s no wonder they're filled with grief (v. 6). "We just gave up everything to follow You! And now You're going? What are You doing? Why?"
But then Jesus drops this truth bomb: "It is for your good that I am going away." Someone better is coming. The Advocate. The Helper. The Comforter. The Counselor. The One who walks alongside.
Why the Spirit Is Better
Here's the key: Jesus isn't saying, "I'm going to leave you alone."
But why is it better?
When Jesus was on earth, He was bound by physical limitations. If you wanted to be physically present with Jesus, you had to be where He was. You had to be near Him. Next to Him. Wherever He was.
But when the Holy Spirit comes, God is present with all of us. Always. Everywhere.
He's with you in your lowest of lows. He's with you in your most joyous moments. When you're walking down the street alone, you're not alone, God's Spirit is with you.
The Holy Spirit means we are always in the presence of God. He represents the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; all together, in you, with you, every step of your life.
This is one of the most radical truths of the Christian life: Every other god or deity is "out there somewhere." But our God dwells in each one of us.
This is the most beautiful, reassuring thing you'll ever hear. If you trust Jesus, you are never alone.
You have 24/7 access to God. You don't need a priest or pastor to pray for forgiveness. You can pray anytime, anywhere; even while driving (though don't close your eyes while doing it. There's trusting Jesus, and there's trusting Jesus).
But That's Not All the Spirit Does
Having God with us always is incredible. But it's not the only benefit.
"When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment." (v8)
That word "prove" can also be translated as convict, reveal, accuse. The idea is this: Everything Jesus is and taught is made abundantly clear. The Spirit illuminates it and shows the world that what they think is wrong and what Jesus says is truth.
The Holy Spirit opens eyes and brings conviction, just as He did for us.
When you said yes to Jesus, it was because your eyes were opened and your heart was convicted that Jesus is who He says He is. The Spirit worked in you before you even said yes. It was only because of that work that you could say yes.
The Spirit Goes Before Us
This is reassuring for the disciples about to go out into a world that hates them. It's reassuring for us too. Because here's the message they're taking to the world (very simply put):
God became a man. He died on a cross so we can be saved. If you don't trust Him, you're lost. Let's be honest: If you go out with that message, it shouldn't work. It's ridiculous.
But it does.
The reason it works is because the Spirit goes before us, opening eyes, convicting hearts.
It's not us doing the work alone.
Ever freaked out about having a gospel conversation with someone? Worried you won't have the answers? Worried you'll mess it up?
Here's the thing: It doesn't matter. What matters is that you do it.
Because as you do, you're not doing it alone. The Spirit goes before you. He opens hearts and convicts.
The pressure isn't on us to get the words right or deliver it perfectly. The pressure is on us to go and do it.
Three Ways the Spirit Convicts
Jesus tells us the Spirit does this work of conviction in three specific ways.
1. The Spirit Convicts of Sin (v. 9)
"About sin, because people do not believe in me."
We think sin is about doing bad stuff or breaking rules. It is. But Jesus goes deeper:
Ultimately, sin is not trusting Jesus.
And this plays out in two shocking ways:
"I'm a good person. I'll be fine. I'm good enough for God."
"My life is a mess. I'm the worst. There's no way God would want me."
Both are trying to be in control. Both say, "I'm in control of my standing before God."
The first says: I can earn my way into heaven.
The second says: I can disqualify myself from heaven.
Both are self-reliance. Both are sin. The Spirit comes and says: No, you're not in control. God is.
2. The Spirit Convicts of Righteousness (v. 10)
The flip side of being convicted of sin is this: The Spirit doesn't just expose the problem. He shows us the solution.
And the solution isn't "try harder."
The solution is this: Jesus lived the life you could never live. He died the death you deserve. He rose again in victory. And He gives you what He deserves, not what you deserve.
Our righteousness isn't built on what we do. It's something we receive. A gift from God.
It's not what I do for God. It's what Jesus has done for me.
3. The Spirit Convicts of Judgment (v. 11)
"About judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."
Evil has been defeated. When Jesus dies on the cross, it's not loss. It's victory. Evil, death, sin, Satan; defeated once and for all.
The question for all of us is: What will you do with this Jesus?
You can't just admire Him from a distance and say, "Oh, He said some good stuff." You can't just take the Golden Rule and reject Jesus as Saviour.
If He is who He says He is, you have to follow Him. Surrender all to Him. Because Jesus is the only way to God. The only truth. The only life.
The Spirit Guides Us Into All Truth
In verse 12, Jesus says: "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear."
This is actually comforting. Even the disciples had moments where they thought, "This is a lot. Let's slow it down."
But verse 13: "When he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth."
The Spirit doesn't bring random new ideas or teaching. He points us deeper into Jesus—what Jesus has already done and will do.
The Spirit helps us understand what's going on and apply it to our lives so we grow in faith, grow in Christian maturity, grow to be more like Jesus.
Ever faced a moment where you thought, "What does God want me to do here?" The Holy Spirit, through God's Word, brings conviction and wise counsel.
How many times have you opened the Bible, read something, and thought, "Wow, that's exactly what's going on right now"?
That's the Spirit at work.
This is why we should regularly read God's Word, so the Spirit can work in us, lead us, guide us on how to honor and glorify God in everything we say and do.
The Spirit doesn't replace Scripture. He illuminates Scripture.
The Spirit's Primary Role: Make Jesus Bigger
The anchor of everything is found in verses 14-15: "He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you."
The Holy Spirit's primary role is to point people to Jesus.
Not to Himself. Not to you. Not to me. Not to your experiences.
To Jesus.
The Spirit's job is to make Jesus big. To glorify Him. To point us to Him. To shine the spotlight on Him.
The Holy Spirit is the ultimate backstage character who doesn't want any spotlight, He wants it all on Jesus.
Everything the Spirit does is about Jesus. So we see Him clearly. Know Him clearly. Love Him more. Rejoice in Him more. Treasure Him above everything.
Here's the test for whether something is from the Spirit: Does it make Jesus bigger in your life?
Does it deepen your love for Jesus?
Does it center on Jesus?
Is it all about Him?
If not, it's not from the Spirit.
Sometimes we chase spiritual experiences or focus on feelings. But the Spirit's mission is clear: Help us see, love, and treasure Jesus more every day.
There's nothing more beautiful than that.
The Spirit wants to draw us so close to Jesus that:
He's the first thing we think about in the morning
The last thing before we go to bed
His words are so precious we meditate on them daily
Our hearts ache at the thought of not loving Him
Back to the Question
Would you rather have Jesus beside you or the Spirit within you? Maybe you've changed your mind.
Jesus says it's far better that the Spirit has come.
Why? Because God is with all of us. Jesus is present in every single one of us. Every step of the way.
The Holy Spirit is God with us, leading us in truth, convicting our hearts, drawing us nearer to Jesus each day.
The question is simple:
Will you listen? Are you reading God's Word, letting the Spirit transform you?
Will you respond? Are you responding to the Spirit's conviction?
Will you follow? Sometimes we don't. Will you follow Jesus?
It's far better we have the Spirit. What are you going to do about it?
Soul Revival Church gathers across the Sutherland Shire [Kirrawee, Yarrawarrah, Miranda, Cronulla] and Ryde.