Depicting God’s Truth In Partnership with His Holy Spirit

(John 15:22–23 NKJV) “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. (23) He who hates Me hates My Father also.”

Our wonderful Lord Jesus was speaking of the people who rejected both his Father and him. He says, in effect, that they would have been better off if they had never heard him or seen the signs and wonders God sent through him. Jesus had already said something similar to them in John 9:

(John 9:39–41 NLT) Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” (40) Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” (41) “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

Pride prevented these Pharisees from admitting they were blind spiritually. Obviously, they were; earlier in John 9, they were unable to “see” what caused the “man” to be born blind. They couldn’t see the problem, and they certainly couldn’t see the solution. Jesus on the other hand, could plainly see both; and he demonstrated this to them conclusively, by healing the man’s blindness (See: John 9:1–7).

The fact of these Pharisee’s spiritual blindness was obvious to everyone else, including the ex-blind man. But they still refused to admit they were [spiritually] blind, and therefore in need of a spiritual shepherd—which Jesus obviously was—to guide them. As a result of this proud choice, Jesus assessed them thus: “You remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

(John 15:24–25 NLT) “If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. (25) This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’”

The “miraculous signs” that God performed through Jesus were sent to confirm that his message was truly from God:

(Hebrews 2:1, 3–4 NLT) So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. ... (3) So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? (4) And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

We note that in this passage, not only does the Holy Spirit tell us plainly that “God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders, etc.,” but it warns us to “listen very carefully to the truth we have heard.” In other words, if God sends us an important message, and then confirms it with supernatural signs—such as healings—then we should not get our attention on the messenger, but listen very humbly to the message.

Why is the message so important? Because it is God speaking to us. And we certainly don’t want to receive the assessment that the Pharisees of John 9 received; so, let’s heed whatever message God sends our way—especially when he confirms it clearly with supernatural signs and wonders that are from him.

The Pharisees, etc. refused to listen to the message God sent and confirmed to them through Jesus. As a result, Jesus said that their refusal to heed was tantamount to hating God:

(John 15:24–25 NLT) “If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. (25) This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’”

The apostle Peter was present at the Last Supper, and was on the walk to Gethsemane when Jesus said this. Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he later said:

(2 Peter 2:21 NLT) “It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.”

God obviously takes it very personally when people reject him and his message after they have seen his confirming signs. Nevertheless, because of his infinite love, he keeps sending his message of reconciliation to people everywhere. Jesus said that we should take up his work of testifying to this truth:

(John 15:26–27 NLT) “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. (27) And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.”

The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth.” Seeing that Jesus is the living word of God, he is the truth (See: John 14:6). So naturally, the Holy Spirit will testify of him.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, he will impress on us the urgency of testifying about Jesus—showing each of us what he wants us to say and do. This will come out through each of us uniquely—according to our calling, assignment, gifts, talents, and personality—as the need requires. As we hear from the Holy Spirit, and as we speak and act what he lays on our hearts; he will give witness to the truth of this to our hearers. According to his will, he will give just the right signs and wonders they need to confirm his word:

(1 Corinthians 12:11 BLB) Now one and the same the Spirit works all these things, apportioning individually to each as He wills.

Although our message of good news, reconciliation, God’s love, and the gospel is always delivered with life and joy, we should also remember that it has a serious side.

Of course, we should deliver the message in the Spirit of the Father—depicting all the life, joy, love, and acceptance that’s available in Jesus. What’s more, we should expect the Holy Spirit to confirm his message with signs, wonders, gifts of the Spirit, and diverse miracles—all of which are done in the Spirit of love, and benefit people. However, when he does, we must realize that people who sadly reject God and his confirmed message of love and reconciliation, are in effect showing their hatred of God. They are therefore, putting themselves in a position worse than if they had never heard the message.

Today, I encourage you to preach God’s good news message of love, acceptance in Jesus, and his offer of reconciliation through the gospel. And that you do it with the joy and life that truly depicts Jesus. And let’s expect the Holy Spirit to confirm his message with signs and wonders. However, we should also remember the serious side of this, and ensure that we intercede for the hearers before we speak.

(2 Corinthians 4:3–4 NKJV) But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, (4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Let’s remove the enemy’s blindfold from our audiences in Jesus’s name, and release our faith for the Holy Spirit to bring them appropriate conviction and revelation. For us, this is both fun and serious business. So, let’s do it thoroughly and with excellence.

(Hebrews 6:4–6 NLT) For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, (5) who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— (6) and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.

(Mark 16:20 NLT) And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.